What long solo rides have taught me: Useful tips from a seasoned rider

My first-ever long solo ride was on my Bajaj Avenger and my second one was on my Royal Enfield Himalayan.

BHPian FlyingHelmet recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

I've been riding motorcycles since 2007, on Avenger and have owned a Himalayan 411 since 2021. I have done multiple long solo rides (1000+ I consider as long) with more than 2500 kms in a go.

My first long ride was 1700 kms in three days on Avenger and 2nd long ride was 2500 kms in 5 days on Himalayan.

I did these solo rides with no experience of solo rides at all. Initially, when we start we always feel everything would be as good as it looks on social media/vlogs etc but the reality is always different.

During one of my long solo rides, I had a fuel pump issue and my bike was stranded at late night near Nainital and I was all alone with no RSA available as it was Sunday. I was anxious as to how would I get through this and no one was available for help etc but then I decided to fix myself (using help from YouTube) and I was able to do so.

Since then, I have done many long solo rides and have encountered similar instances and hiccups. However, I believe self-confidence is the most important thing while riding the bike. Ego is your Enemy. Always know your limits, skills, and knowledge and have faith in that.

Here are a few tips

1. Never EVER engage in any verbal spat on the road. Control your anger especially when you're alone. We cannot deal with the local idiots.
2. Try to learn basic fixes for your bike. YouTube is your guru.
3. It's okay to feel anxious about breakdowns, accidents etc that may happen on your next ride but trust me, once you're used to these, you will feel normal.
4. Don't feel sad about what you experienced last time, be prepared for your next one.
5. Take adequate sleep. The less sleep you have, you tend to make more mistakes on the road. Take breaks in between. I made a mistake in my first 2 rides by not having proper sleep and rest due to adrenaline and had hiccups.
6. Riding is all about adventure. It's risky but we need to follow the rules, know our limits and enjoy.

Stay safe. All the best for your next ride.

Remember, roads will always be full of Idiots. Not everyone has the privilege to access TeamBHP and improve themselves.

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