Safety tips for trail bike riders

It's pretty hard to find places to ride that are close to home, fun and legal. But that doesn't mean it's ok to ride on land where you're not supposed to! When people ride in places where they shouldn't they could be damaging the land, polluting the waterways, annoying the people who live close by and even breaking the law.

If everyone rides in the right place, we can reduce trail bike related fatalities and injuries as well as the damage done to both the bush and the reputation of trail bike riders.

Tips for a great ride

Plan your trip

Plan your trip using the trail bike ride itinerary (PDF, 31KB).

Get a detailed map of the area you intend to ride in and plan your route.

Get some local knowledge - if you haven't been to the area before, talk to someone who has.

Check the weather forecast - take the right clothes, water and food to be prepared.

Leave details of where you are riding and when you'll be back with someone you trust. Give them a map and your trip itinerary and stick to it as much as possible.

Make sure each rider in your group has a map and knows where the group is headed. Plan rest stops and meeting places in case you get separated. If you do, either go to the designated spot or backtrack to the last place you know your group went, wait, and let them find you. If you're really lost, just wait where you are until someone in your group arrives.

Ride safely

Keep a safe distance between riders. Tailgating cuts down reaction time and leads to accidents. Many tracks in bush areas are single lane and you need to be careful of other riders. Assess the track and take each part at a reasonable speed.

Ride with your headlight on - other riders will see you sooner.

Riding is really hard work. Put back what the bike takes out with plenty of water and food stops during the day. Aim to drink at least one litre per hour, more during hotter weather periods. Hydration backpacks are great for easy access to drinking water whilst riding.

Take the right gear

Wear good protective gear - a helmet, eye protection, long sleeved shirt, sturdy pants, gloves and over-the-ankle boots. Specialised riding jackets and pants can help prevent fatigue by fighting the elements, while a chest and back protector, elbow and knee pads can help prevent injury.

Take a lightweight First Aid kit.

Take enough food, clothes and water to get you through the night if you get stuck.

Carry a communications device (Mobile, Satellite-phone or radio).

Use navigation aids (Maps, compass, GPS).

Make sure your bike is in good shape

Make sure your bike is serviced and ready to take on the challenge ahead.

Work with the land manager

A few days before your trip, check with the person who manages the land you're going to ride on for the latest information about the area or track you plan to use.

Land managers may be local governments, private land owners, Forestry Plantations Queensland Pty Ltd or State Government agencies such as Queensland Parks and Wildlife.

You need to check with the land manager if you need a written permit or verbal permission to access the land.

It's also useful to ask about Phytophthora (root rot fungus), track conditions and fire restrictions. Tracks can be closed on a temporary or permanent basis for a number of environmental or safety reasons. These may include a bridge down, extreme fire danger, unusually wet conditions, logging operations and so on. Also, the land manager usually has some idea of 'natural' vehicle stoppers such as washouts and large logs across the track.

If you know before you go, you can make other plans that are safe and environmentally responsible.

If you come across any unexpected hazards on the track - logs, big boulders, washouts - make sure you let the land manager know about them. They don't patrol each part of their patch every day and what they don't know about they can't fix!

Use your common sense

Never ride alone. Most tracks in bush areas are kilometres from help. Ride in company so that someone is there to help if things go wrong. The time to enjoy a hard-earned beer is after the ride. Using drugs or alcohol will reduce your skill and probably lead to an accident. If you're taking any medication with vehicle operation warnings, for your own sake, don't ride.

Stay out of trouble

Know what laws apply to trail bike riding and how they affect riders

Local councils have developed laws to make sure communities and the environment are protected from the trail bike riders who do the wrong thing.

These laws enable the confiscation of trail bikes from riders who repeatedly hoon in bushland areas and parks. They also include an on-the-spot fines for trail bike riders caught riding in the wrong place.

Follow the road safety rules

Think before you hit the road and check out the great information on the Queensland Transport's motorcycle safety website.

Tips for negotiating the terrain

Anyone can ride fast but it's the skilled rider who can ride slowly over challenging terrain with minimal impact to the ground. Using skill and common sense, not speed, will help you get there smoothly, safely and in style.

Download a ride checklist (PDF, 39KB) that includes planning; riding gear; bike; tools; spares and supplies.

Here are some tips to help you negotiate various obstacles and riding conditions you may encounter.

Slick trails

Many riders think that using more throttle will get them through slick or wet trails better. Usually just the opposite is true, because high wheel spin merely turns your drive tyres into 'slicks'. It's better to moderate the throttle and use the clutch to gain maximum traction with minimum wheel spin.

Stream crossings

Blasting through streams is bad for fish and other aquatic life, not to mention your engine and image. Stirring up the sediment in the stream bottom makes it harder for fish to 'breathe' and find food. Crossing streams at high speed can also cause water to rush into your airbox, drowning out the engine. Cross only at established points, and check water depth carefully. Take it slow and steady and try to identify big rocks or other obstacles before you begin crossing. If you spill, turn off the motor before it goes under to prevent it from sucking in water.

Logs

Ideally, it's best to move a fallen log off the trail. If you can't, you'll have to go over or around it. Riding around it merely makes another trail, perhaps where it shouldn't be, so to ride over it, gently pop the front wheel over. Try to carry just enough momentum to get the rear tyre over. If you don't, you'll dig a rut in front of the log, and spend a lot of time (and energy) lifting your bike across.

Switchbacks

Switchbacks are those sharp, zig-zag trails going up steep mountainsides. They are there for a reason-to keep grades low and prevent the trail from becoming a miniature river during a storm. Switchbacks can be one of the most gratifying parts of a ride because they take a lot of skill to negotiate smoothly. Skilled riders work their way through these challenging features with minimum wheel spin. When riding switchbacks, avoid roosting (accelerating hard and kicking up dust and debris) around the apex of the turn when climbing, or brake-sliding when heading down. Both of these techniques can gouge out the trail, requiring increased maintenance. If the turn is really tight (going up), skilled riders can try lofting the front wheel slightly while pivoting on the rear tyre. It's a tricky move, so don't try it in a dangerous spot unless you've got the hang of it. When going down extremely tight turns, you may find it easier (and safer) to get off the bike (to the inside of the turn), and bulldog it around. Bulldogging - Shut the engine off, put it in first gear, and use the clutch like a hand brake for the rear wheel.

Ruts and rocks

When riding over ruts, stay loose over the bike to allow for sudden changes. Look ahead, have smooth throttle control and watch for tree roots and rocks spanning the ruts. Ride over loose rocks with your backside slightly off the seat. Look ahead, go easy on the throttle and in one gear higher than you would normally use. This, combined with a soft pull on the clutch lever softens the power delivery to the ground, making for a smoother ride with less deflection. For big, stationary rocks, rise further off the seat, knees bent, feet high on the pegs and pick your line very carefully. Keep a finger on the clutch to help soften the blow when you hit a rock at the wrong angle. Take care not to let your feet hang down too far over the pegs and beware of rocks on the side that could damage your bike.

Wetlands

These areas deserve special protection. It is best not to go through them at all. Look for trails around the edges where the soil is more firm and dry. Ruts made in paddocks leave a lasting impression on everyone who sees them.

Sand

Sand presents a challenge - you must stay loose yet have a tight feel on the bike. Look way ahead, sit or stand centred over the bike, gently squeeze the tank with your knees, and avoid chopping the throttle (a quick reduction in engine RPM's) to keep the front end from diving. Also, because sand reduces momentum and power, you may find it helpful to accelerate a little sooner and brake a little later than you normally would. This will help keep you on top of the sand and your movements more fluid.

Practice this technique only in an area with no obstacles or hazards, and watch out for other riders.

Bike tuning

What does this have to do with the terrain? If your bike isn't set up properly, it can make otherwise simple obstacles more difficult to overcome. Carburettor jetting, for example, (especially with 2-stroke engines) is critical. Consider tackling a gnarly switchback with a bike that's running too rich or lean in the lower rpm range. To make up for a poorly tuned motor, you may have to rev the engine at a much higher rpm just to keep it running - endangering yourself and digging a big rut around the turn. Gearing can have the same effect: if first and second gears are too tall for tight trails, you won't have much fun. Riding an improperly prepared bike is not only tiring, it can cause a lot of damage to the terrain trying to make up for poor performance.

Protect the environment

Don't be too noisy

Riders who are overly noisy are often considered selfish, irresponsible and annoying to others or damaging to our environment. Overly noisy riders could face losing their bikes. The length of time the bike is impounded depends on the offence, but it ranges from 48 hours to a permanent confiscation.

The most common complaint heard about off-road trail bikes is that they're too noisy. Even though the motorcycle industry has been able to lower noise levels on new motorcycles, many non-riders still think that all motorcycles are always loud. However, they don't have to be. Delivered from the factory, all dual-purpose and enduro motorcycles are equipped with a muffler system that meets the current noise standard of 98 dB-A. The only noisy bikes made today are motocross bikes - high performance racing machines that cannot be legally used on public land.

Resist the temptation to replace the standard, factory fitted exhaust with an aftermarket system. Some of these modifications may be illegal if the engine noise exceeds established noise standards. Non-standard exhaust systems often produce more noise than horsepower, the chances are good that you'll lose power rather than gain it. Race organisations for dual-sport and enduro events require entrants to meet the noise limit of 98dB-A to compete. Racers operate at the highest levels of performance with standard exhaust systems and so can you.

An equally important aspect of an off-road trail bike's exhaust system is the spark arrester. It fits onto the end of the exhaust pipe, and prevents hot particles of carbon and soot from shooting out the pipe and starting a bushfire. Both dual-purpose and enduro bikes should be equipped with an approved spark arrester and conform to noise and exhaust emissions standards. Some older off-road bikes may not have one. If so, buy and install one. They are available from retail outlets for $60 to $200.

Watch out for others… non-riders are human too!

In many areas, you'll be sharing tracks with people on horses, mountain bikes, in 4WDs and on foot. Remember that they are only trying to experience the bush and enjoy being outdoors too!

When you come across another user, be courteous. Slow down, let them pass and then continue riding. Horses frighten easily - it's good practice to turn off the engine and take your helmet off. You're an ambassador for your recreation - future access may depend on how others find riders behaving in the bush.

Be wary of the native animals too and don't forget that you are visiting their home.

Protecting our environment

It doesn't take much to wreck the bush. The first vehicle might just knock the scrub around a bit. But when someone else follows your detour - then another and another - pretty soon a track will form. Erosion will follow, especially if the track is on peat soil or sloping ground. On the flat, the new track will probably become boggy and difficult to pass - so people go around it, creating yet more braided tracks - a real mess. In some areas, land managers have closed off tracks to help them regenerate. Some regeneration areas are signposted and in others, barriers such as dirt, rock, slashed vegetation or posts have been put in place. They're there for a good reason - please stay off these areas.

Wash your bike, car and trailer before each trip