If riding a motorbike is something cool, then riding a dirt bike in rough terrain makes you like an action superhero. Tucked away in the Bali jungle is a dirt biking shop that offers dirt biking rides across Bali. For complete beginners like me, you can ride along the beach and see the beautiful sunset. If you’re a fast learner, you can start practicing on a hill and other rougher terrain.
Verdict: For complete beginners like me, expect a couple of falls but a steep learning curve. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll enjoy the wilderness and the bumpiness of the sport.
[yasr_multiset setid=0]
To avoid overcomplicating things, dirt biking is really riding a motorbike in off-road terrain. The idea of being able to ride a motorbike across deserts and continents like Ewan McGregor always seemed cool to me, so I decided to try out my skills during my short stay in Bali. I had no expectations, as I never rode a motorbike before. Hell, I didn’t even have a driving license. The last time I rode a bike was probably 5 years ago.
Fortunately for me, a driving licence wasn’t required and I was told that I could test my skills in the beach nearby. So, I put on all the protective gear (helmet, gloves, elbow pads, jacket, pants etc) and headed to the beach. The beach, by the way, is a remote beach in Bali that is quite stunning. Quite why nobody goes there is beyond my understanding, although it is somewhat far from Kuta (the downtown of Bali).
Unfortunately, the guide didn’t really speak English apart from a couple of words. He demonstrated how the dirt bikes worked by having me sit behind him on his bike and driving a couple of laps around the beach. Then, it was my turn. I revved up the bike and sped down the beach. Easy, I thought. As I reached the end of the beach, I was told to turn back. Fuck, this was hard. The beach was slanted uphill and I didn’t know how to turn abruptly. Eventually, the tires got stuck in the sand and I lost balance and fell.
The guide indicated that I should have switched gears by kicking up the lever and making a smoother turn. Communicating through sign language, the message took a few times to get across. Of course, that meant a couple of more falls for me. The bike, by the way was quite heavy. Each time it fell over, I had to use my superhuman strength to push it back up to the starting position. Eventually, after a number of failed attempts, I mastered how to ride on the beach. This was learning by falling I guess.
To my surprise, the guide seemed impressed at my progress. He indicated that other tourists usually give up after a couple of falls. He decided to up my training and threw me into the deep end. We moved onto a steep hill with uneven surface and bumpy rocks. It was a bumpy ride and I eventually lost balance again and fell over. By then, my arms and butt were all in pain from the falling. After a couple of falls, I started to become used to the bumpiness and could go up ad down the hill easily.
And just when I thought I was ready for the jungles, it started to rain heavily and we had to return to the office. Next time I murmured. I’ll be back.
Additional information
| When to do it? | Anytime, but try to avoid the rainy season. |
| How to book? | You can book online or by telephone with Bali Wilderness. |
| How much does it cost? | Around IDR1,400,000 |
| How to get there? | You can take a taxi to the office or arrange transport with Dirt Bike Bali |
| How long does it take? | The activity took me around 2.5-3 hours. |
| Is it safe/difficult? | If you’re a beginner like me, prepare for a couple of falls. Its not the easiest thing to learn, but after a couple of falls, you’ll learn how to ride the dirt bike. |
| What to wear? | Helmet, jacket, pants and protective padding will provided to you. Bring some clothes to change as you’ll get hot and sweaty. |
| Language | The boss speaks English. But otherwise limited English is spoken by the dirt biking guides. |