Toni Bou's Tips for Improving Trail Motorcycle Riding

After his victory at the 2007 British Grand Prix of the Trial World Championship, and with the subsequent cancellation of the Belgian round, Antoni Bou Mena won his first world title that year. It has been 18 years, and the Catalan rider from Repsol Honda HRC has yet to be dethroned, amassing 38 consecutive world titles in this specialty. This achievement makes him one of the most decorated athletes of all time, surpassing legends like Michael Phelps with his 28 Olympic medals or Novak Djokovic's 24 Grand Slam titles.

His balance on a motorcycle and his skill in overcoming obstacles is almost incomprehensible to the average motorcyclist, which is why when Toni Bou gives a masterclass on how to ride a motorcycle on unpaved terrain, it is akin to the "word of God" in the two-wheeled universe.

This is what we experienced a few days ago during the event organized by Repsol at the impressive off-road facilities of Les Comes, in the Barcelona town of Súria, when the most decorated athlete of all time, Toni Bou, attempted to impart some advice and tricks in off-road riding to a group of "mere mortals" - in this case, the invited journalists.

The team of top-notch instructors was completed by his teammate, Gabriel Marcelli, and his sports director, the 2004 world trial champion, the Japanese Takahisa Fujinami, who began the session with some explanations on basic techniques. On a sloped and open meadow, but full of loose dirt and stones, we were able to do some oval laps where the Honda Team riders could detect some of the most common mistakes of their students and, from there, begin to correct riding details.

"One of the keys on which everything else is based is the position of the feet on the footpegs," Bou explained. "The tips of the feet should not point outward, they should be placed more inward, and the legs should be in contact with the motorcycle, with the knees slightly bent and holding the fuel tank, helping us maintain balance and move the body naturally." Marcelli added, "we will avoid the tips of the feet hitting any element of the uneven terrain."

Both emphasized that riding a trail or maxitrail is favored if we stand on the footpegs, to lower the center of gravity and improve vehicle control. "And when we sit down to manage a turn, if we take the leg out on the side of the curve, it should be placed pointing forward and close to the bodywork, its position should never be delayed because if our leg hits something, it can cause a knee rotation and cause an injury."

For his part, Marcelli reminded us of the importance of keeping the arms "always relaxed, with the elbows slightly raised and pointing outward, without exaggeration, to control the motorcycle's handlebars by absorbing vibrations but without too much tension that overloads our arms." "You have to flow with the motorcycle, not fight against it," he repeated to us.

Another of Bou's suggestions was about the use of vision: "We must always anticipate the trajectory, starting with our gaze, which should be placed far away, always towards the exit of the curve or where we want to go and never fixed on the obstacle we want to avoid."

Regarding the use of brakes, Toni Bou emphasized the importance of using the rear brake. "It's your best friend," commented the Catalan rider, "as it allows you to manage speed reduction, avoiding locking the front wheel and helping to control direction." Marcelli added that "in turns, the gentle use of the rear brake helps us turn the motorcycle, without having to use the handlebars as much and through smooth throttle control." On descents, the Repsol Honda riders insisted on "properly combining the use of the rear brake with engine braking, and using the front brake very carefully." On ascents, however, they recommended avoiding throttle cuts "to prevent the engine from dropping revs and losing traction."

We also received other types of suggestions, such as that clutch management is essential to modulate the power delivery of the motorcycle when we need to overcome an inclined obstacle, or how it is always advisable to maintain a constant rhythm avoiding abruptness with the throttle.

Putting it into practice

Once the theory was over, it was time to put all those tips into practice, and for that, a route of about 30 kilometers on dirt and stone tracks was planned, of medium-high difficulty, a true paradise for off-road specialists that, however, would become a real challenge for less skilled motorcyclists off the asphalt. There were different types of motorcycles, both in displacement and weight, such as the Kove 800 Pro, the CF Moto 800 and 450, a Macbor Montana 510, and Honda CRF 300 and 450. In my case, I was fortunate to have this last model from the Japanese firm, ideal for performance and weight to face this type of terrain. During the route, Bou, Marcelli, and 'Fujigas' accompanied us to supervise our riding and provide more corrections and suggestions that would allow us to improve the experience, mainly around posture and motorcycle control.

Marcelli recommended at the start of the route that "it is important to start calmly, familiarizing yourself with the motorcycle, sitting down if you are not very confident, and gradually starting to stand up and understand the dynamics and peculiarities of off-road riding, while adapting to the vehicle."

The truth is that, once the tension of the first meters was overcome, the advice of the Repsol Honda HRC riders began to take effect, and the challenging trails of Les Comes started to not seem so impossible.

Of all that they could convey to us throughout the day - which was a lot - surely what has stayed with us the most and allowed us to enjoy the off-road route with more safety and tranquility were the following tips: in off-road, you must compensate with the body certain movements of the vehicle and use it as a counterweight, and it is recommended to ride standing up for this purpose; the rear brake is the most important, and the front should only be used gently to assist it; the throttle should be used progressively, dosing the power delivery; and the rider's gaze should always be placed far away with the view directed towards where they want to go, as in off-road, due to the unpredictability of the terrain, anticipation becomes important.

Equipment, even more crucial in off-road

Riding a motorcycle always requires good body protection, and in off-road, it becomes even more important, as riding on uneven, slippery, and unpredictable terrain, especially for an inexperienced rider, increases the chances of falling.

For the Repsol Press Day in Les Comes, the organization had the courtesy to equip us from head to toe with garments from the Catalan brand Hebo, a company that also equips Bou and Marcelli. As confirmed by Hebo's representatives, both champions are also involved and are key in the development of their products.

The day ended with many lessons learned, many new off-road riding techniques discovered... But above all, beyond the physical and mental exhaustion and the dusty appearance, the final feeling we were left with is that of having enjoyed two wheels in a special environment, alongside a true trial legend in particular and motorcycling in general, as well as two other international stars, and having shared an off-road experience with which we can surely face road riding with much more control and safety thanks to the new fundamentals learned.