Any tips on dirt riding?

 ...on a street-oriented adventure bike, I mean.

My brain is addled with cabin fever and I've been fantisizing about
adventures.  So this weekend I bought a V-Strom 1000.  Taller than my
previous motorcycles, it soaks up bumps much better, but riding on dirt
roads (with patches of frost an snow) I don't feel confident at all.
I'm just not comfortable with the bike sliding around under me.  With
street tires and the torque of the 1000 it breaks loose very easy.  So
I'm especially wanting to hear from street riders who ride mainly
street-oriented bikes in dirt/gravel.

My previous dirt experience was as a kid on a little XR80.  So small,
slow, and light it was easy.  I did dump it sometimes but never gave it
a second thought before or after.

On the 'Strom I'm not so carefree.  Obviously the key to learning dirt
will be practice, but some good advice (maybe a pointer to a good book)
might save me a dump or two.

 

Congratulations on the new bike.  I've ridden a lot on dirt, just not in
this century.  Not even in the last quarter of the last century, really.
Come to think of it though my brother did take me dirt biking in the 90s
once, letting me ride this dirt bike that just screamed.  They didn't make
them like that when I was a kid.  However, I'd say that dirt biking on a
1000cc bike might be different than doing it in the good old days because
of the weight.  I think you'll get used to it if the back end is what's
sliding around and not the front.  Maybe you'll just loosen up over time.

Hope it all works out for you.
Robert

 timeOday wrote:

Just take it on a long dirt road. I did this a couple of times
with street bikes. 200 mile round trip and you won't be scared of
any slither.

--
Wolfie

 Wolfie wrote:

Unless you dump it and break something (on you, not the bike, that
is).

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

 


Dumping it is an occupational hazard for off-road  -or even dirt road-
riders. I can't begin to count the number of times I've fallen off while
riding in the dirt.

Wear the right armor, ride slowly in the rough stuff, and you most likely
won't break anything when you take the inevitable get-off.