9 Tips for Riding Your Motorcycle in Sand

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Kicking up sand on your motorcycle brings off-road thrills and challenges for beginners and experienced bikers. And just like riding a motorcycle in strong winds, it takes patience, practice, and a cool head to pull it off. To help you out, Cycle Trader is sharing nine tips for riding your motorcycle in sand.

1. Start Small

If riding in sand is new for you, start biking with a small motorcycle with knobby tires that will help you keep your traction as you cover terrain. A lighter bike will be easier to manage and will be less dangerous in the event that you fall over. Go for a new or used dirt bike, wear a helmet and protective gear, and get a feel for the bike in sand.

2. Keep Your Momentum

While riding through soft sand, keep up your speed and maintain your momentum to keep moving. Avoid tight turns and instead make big flowing arcs while you move. And, if you’re on an off-road motorcycle, remember to keep in mind these key off-road riding tips for dirt bikers.

3. Be Powerful

Don’t be shy with the throttle when you’re cutting through sand on your motorcycle. Use all the power you have to get up to speed. Just be careful while you accelerate so you don’t lose control of your bike.

4. Use High Gears

Regardless of the motorcycle, riding in sand is different than on the street. Use the highest gear on your bike to pull yourself through the terrain. A lower gear will dig into the surface and can slow you down, especially if you’re on a bigger bike.

5. Be Subtle with Control

When steering or turning through sand, try not to muscle the motorcycle too much. Instead, be careful with how your bike responds to every subtle movement. Too much pushing on your front wheel can cause you to lose traction, and the front-end of your motorcycle can tuck, which can cause a nasty spill.

6. Stay Balanced

Keep your balance on your motorcycle and remain neutral as you cover the sand. Stay centered on the saddle of your bike, that way you can move rearward if you need to wheelie over a hole or obstacle, or sit gently into a turn. When you hit a high speed in a straight line, keep your weight back and the frontend light for stability around obstacles.

7. Use All Your Effort

It takes all your effort to get through sand, especially if you’re on a bigger motorcycle. You can expect a challenging heavy duty workout while riding, requiring as much strength as you’ve got to get through the thickest packed sand. Take a deep breath, pace yourself, and give it all you’ve got.

8. Turn Off Traction Control

If you’re riding a new or used motorcycle with traction control, turn it off completely to get through the sand. You won’t get anywhere with your traction control engaged. Make sure you turn off TC each time you stop the bike’s engine, as most bikes default to traction control when the motorcycle is turned off.

9. Ride on the Right Tires

To get through the sand, you’ve got to have the right tires for the terrain. Use the most aggressively knobby tires available for your motorcycle for traction and driving. If you’re riding on a mix of sand and tarmac, ride gently on the tarmac to prevent wear on your tires.

Keep up your power, speed up, stay in a high gear, and be gentle with steering to get through sand. Make sure to practice and in no time you’ll get the hang of it. If you’re looking for your next new or used motorcycle, be sure to see all the listings nationwide at CycleTrader.com.