Jumping from roadbikes to the dirty bastion of adventure riding is actually a lot easier now than it might have once been. In addition to road rider training courses, Stay Upright also offers off-road tuition. I visited the off-road facility in Hoppers Crossing, Victoria to participate in a one-day course and work on the weakest part of our Yamaha WR250R long-termer package – its rider. A bit of training seemed like the logical choice before making any performance modifications to the bike.
The Stay Upright instructors gave me sound, easy to follow advice that was put into practice on a multi-surface range. Drills for remounting the bike after stalling on a hill climb, or navigating soft sand without burying the front wheel, were all things that I was attempting to learn through trial and error but not really clicking with on the trail. My helpful and highly experienced minders passed on insight earned throughout two lifetimes of off-road riding and it made a lot of difference to my confidence. So, while I’m still a long way off from riding on dirt without overthinking, I now have the basic knowledge to ride safely while I build up my skills to a level closer to that of our feisty little Yamahammer.
By Paul McCann
www.stayupright.com.au phone :1300 366 640