Bali's hills — Kintamani, the roads up to Munduk, the winding descents around Bedugul — are some of the most scenic riding on the island. They also put more strain on your brakes than flat coastal roads ever will, and knowing how to handle a long descent properly makes the difference between an easy ride and a genuinely dangerous one.

Why Long Descents Are Different

On a long, continuous descent — roughly 100 meters or more of steady downhill braking — your brakes are working far harder than they're designed for in everyday riding.

If the brakes overheat, they're built to protect themselves: they'll temporarily lose effectiveness rather than fail outright, and they return to normal once they've cooled down. It's a safety feature, not a malfunction — but it's much better to avoid triggering it in the first place.

How to Brake Correctly on a Descent

Don't ride the same brake continuously without a break. Constantly holding the front brake alone, the rear brake alone, or both together for an extended descent is exactly what causes overheating.

Instead:

  • Alternate between the front and rear brake rather than holding one down the whole way.
  • Use engine braking. Rolling off the throttle lets the engine and variator (CVT) slow the bike naturally, which takes real load off your brake pads.
  • Take short stops on long descents to let the brakes cool, especially if you're descending for several minutes straight.

One mechanical detail worth knowing: below about 17 km/h, the variator disengages and stops providing engine braking. If that happens, a small touch of throttle re-engages it — you'll feel the engine braking kick back in, which helps you control your speed without relying on the brakes alone.

If you smell anything burning, or the brakes suddenly feel weaker than usual, stop immediately and give them time to cool before continuing.

🏖 Sand and Water on the Road — Pay Attention

If you hit sand or water on the road — especially mid-corner, which is common near beach access roads and after rain:

Don't use the front brake. Braking hard on the front wheel on a loose or wet surface is one of the most common ways riders lose front-wheel grip and go down. Instead, switch to gentle, controlled braking with the rear brake only, and let the bike settle before you brake harder if you need to.

The Short Version

Alternate your brakes, lean on engine braking wherever you can, take breaks on long descents, and switch to rear-brake-only the moment you hit sand or water. None of this requires special skill — just a bit of awareness of what the bike is actually doing under you.

Riding somewhere you're not sure about? Ask us on WhatsApp or Telegram before you go — we're happy to flag anything specific to your route.