KLR is a fun bike

[scottzilla]

Turns out you can do a little off-roading on LI.  I went out in the heat for several hours and explored.  Train tracks, electric lines, state parks and the outskirts of a gun club.  It was a little disconcerting trekking through the woods and hearing gun shots.


This is my nemisis.  I dropped the bike my first two attempts but made it over two additional times, so I'm batting .500.  The approach is 90 degrees with no clearance and it's surrounded by soft, mushy earth.

[scottzilla]

some more...


This is a unique site to LI.  Pine Barrens.  The minature pines grow on sand dunes.

[KLRchickie]

I dropped the bike my first two attempts but made it over two additional times, so I'm batting .500.  The approach is 90 degrees with no clearance and it's surrounded by soft, mushy earth.

The KLR can do a remarkable impression of a top-heavy pig - but it sure is fun

Glad you're enjoying it!!!

[scottzilla]

Even more...

[bubba zanetti]

It is a very fun machine indeedy.  

Ditch those stock Dunlops for even some cheap Kenda's and you will enjoy your off road experience even more. Much more confidence inspiring than, what I found to be, very slippery OEM tires.

[DogBoy]

I'm glad you have moved from almost crashing to actual crashing.  

[scottzilla]

I'm sticking with the OEM tires for now for a few reasons.
First, LI is all sand-deep sand- and anything short of Knobbies suck in sand.  Picture riding a motorcycle in deep beach sand.  I'm still going slow because pretty much everywhere i've been riding is illegal so it's wise not to draw too much attention.  Plus, I don't have the balls to ride through the deep shit at 40+ mph.
Most of my riding will be on the street.  I have to ride over a hundred miles just to get to extensive trails in Connecticut and Mass, so I need a streetable tire.
The bike came with street oriented Avons and gnarly/knobbie looking Pirelli's so I will have a choice in the near future.
  

[scottzilla]

I'm glad you have moved from almost crashing to actual crashing.  

Ha!  The sloppy clutch got me.  I was up on the pegs feeding in throttle and the fucking bike wouldn't move.  Boom.  Thankfully it's been so dry here I didn't fall in to a stagnant swamp.  My biggest challenge right now is keeping the bike upright when you hit the deep sand at speed.  Ive tried backing off, standing on the pegs and gassing it.  All at the same time.  The front just plows into the sand and i've almost lost it a few times.  Pretty slow so no big deal.  It's dirt, which is the gay man's version of asphalt.    

[Mrs. DantesDame]

My biggest challenge right now is keeping the bike upright when you hit the deep sand at speed.  Ive tried backing off, standing on the pegs and gassing it.  All at the same time.  The front just plows into the sand and i've almost lost it a few times.  

The key is to stand up, put your weight waaaay back over the rear tire and keep on the gas    

[scottzilla]

The key is to stand up, put your weight waaaay back over the rear tire and keep on the gas    

You better not be bullshitting me.  Oddly, my instincts are to get more weight over the fron and remain seated.  I blew that one, huh?   At least I have the "Gas it" part right.

[Mrs. DantesDame]

You better not be bullshitting me.  Oddly, my instincts are to get more weight over the fron and remain seated.  I blew that one, huh?   At least I have the "Gas it" part right.

LOL - the thought never occurred to me, in all honestly    Nope, get the weight off the front wheel, keep your arms loosey-goosey and just let that front wheel float over the sand. In theory, that's how it works. In practice... well, it takes practice  

[bubba zanetti]

Yep ... in sand stand, little to no input on the bars and steer with your feet and ignore those seriously disturbing handlebar gyrations ...   ... easier said than done but it does work.

[scottzilla]

OK, I should have this down in the next day or too.  Next week: Backflips.

[alphabet man]

OOPs I read on because I thought the title was "KLR's are funny bikes"  


 No actualy Bubba is right stand in the sand, and ski with the pegs is the advice I got from a resident expert in Moab when seeking  help, after a day in the deep sand of Utah

[Mastros2]

You better not be bullshitting me.

Yeah, that never happens here!  Glad you're having fun.  I'm always shopping for a 250 but haven't pulled the trigger yet.  

[marc11]

Just remember, when you have an oh crap moment in the dirt just give it more gas.  Oh and WHATEVER you do, don't ever go slow and or stop in deep mud because your bike may dig itself down up to its muffler in the mud and four guy will need to have to help you get it out, after which you will need to have them laugh at you, take pictures and make you drive home and then buy them beers.

Just saying all that might happen.

And everyone else is right, the biggest challenge I had to over come was learning to stand on the pegs and move the bike under me with my feet and arms, very different than street riding.

[Mrs. DantesDame]

One way to help mentally overcome the Why of 'standing on pegs' part is to remember that when you're up on the pegs, your center of gravity is now waaaaay down there at foot-level, rather than a 1'-2' higher if you were sitting on the seat.

I don't like standing on the pegs because when I look down from that height it's just that much further that I have to fall  

[Bowtie76]

remember that when you're up on the pegs, your center of gravity is now waaaaay down there at foot-level, rather than a 1'-2' higher if you were sitting on the seat.

Uhm NO.  Standing raises your center of gravity, you might be applyin torque at a lower contact point point (feet), then when sitting (butt), but raise your body, raise center of gravity.

[marc11]

What helped me with standing on the pegs a lot was getting a small set of risers for my bars, just a 1 inch lift made a huge difference.  Also adding a set of IMS wide footpegs helped a ton too.

[Mrs. DantesDame]

Uhm NO.  Standing raises your center of gravity, you might be applyin torque at a lower contact point point (feet), then when sitting (butt), but raise your body, raise center of gravity.

Well, that's the way it was explained to me by many a more proficient rider, and it worked for me  Although I can see your point  

[Bowtie76]

Well, that's the way it was explained to me by many a more proficient rider, and it worked for me  Although I can see your point  

Yeah, your point is valid just he reasoning.  Standing lets you apply control forces at the pegs (close to MC center of gravity, thus easier to control bike) rather than sitting where you apply control forces at your butt on top of the bike (farther from MC center of gravity)

But it's all symantics, I agree with the standing part.

[Corbeau]

I don't like standing on the pegs because when I look down from that height it's just that much further that I have to fall  

That's because you're too tall.


For those of you keeping score at home, that's another point for us short guys...

[kurtw]

Yep. In the soft stuff, keep your butt back, just above the seat, and (most importantly IMHO) instead of GRIPPING the bars, just press your palms gently into them with equal pressure. That's to gently keep the front end pointed straight ahead, acting like a steering damper. Especially if you weight the front end, it will want to auger in no matter what type of tire you have there.  If you're actively wrestling the bars, you've already lost and are on your way to a slow but undignified get-off.

Oh and throttle helps, of course... as does a rear tire that can deliver that power to lighten the front.

Congrats on the bike BTW!

[scottzilla]

Yep. In the soft stuff, keep your butt back, just above the seat, and (most importantly IMHO) instead of GRIPPING the bars, just press your palms gently into them with equal pressure. That's to gently keep the front end pointed straight ahead, acting like a steering damper. Especially if you weight the front end, it will want to auger in no matter what type of tire you have there.  If you're actively wrestling the bars, you've already lost and are on your way to a slow but undignified get-off.

Oh and throttle helps, of course... as does a rear tire that can deliver that power to lighten the front.

Congrats on the bike BTW!

I am gripping the bars too tight.  I'm finding off road riding is hard work and i'm probably making it harder than it should be.

[Mrs. DantesDame]

 I'm finding off road riding is hard work and i'm probably making it harder than it should be.

Yeah, those so-called "Sport tourers" are a bunch of weak sissies




   

[scottzilla]

Yeah, those so-called "Sport tourers" are a bunch of weak sissies




    

I'm not surprised roadracers use MX as a training tool.  Sport riding, when done correctly, takes virtually no energy.  Some good advice to newbie racers is "Relax" (Even more so in the rain).  

[sagerat]

Riding a KLR in soft sand is one of life's greatest challenges, I've found.  I've also gotten to practice my "shut off the petcock, turn off the iginition, now squat down and back into the bike" skills when I wasn't up to the challenge.

Handlebar risers and better footpegs are excellent investments.  I've got stock footpegs on my KLR and I swear this is the last season for them.

Enjoy your new to you thumper; they are fun bikes.

[scottzilla]

Riding a KLR in soft sand is one of life's greatest challenges, I've found.  I've also gotten to practice my "shut off the petcock, turn off the iginition, now squat down and back into the bike" skills when I wasn't up to the challenge.

Handlebar risers and better footpegs are excellent investments.  I've got stock footpegs on my KLR and I swear this is the last season for them.

Enjoy your new to you thumper; they are fun bikes.

My bike came with Moose Racing pegs but they are a little too narrow.  I may have to replace them.

[Mac]

Riding a KLR in soft sand is one of life's greatest challenges, I've found.  I've also gotten to practice my "shut off the petcock, turn off the iginition, now squat down and back into the bike" skills when I wasn't up to the challenge.

Handlebar risers and better footpegs are excellent investments.  I've got stock footpegs on my KLR and I swear this is the last season for them.

Enjoy your new to you thumper; they are fun bikes.

Hell, riding any bike in soft sand is challenging. As long as there aren't too many curves, speed is your friend.