DCT - Neutral

It doesn't matter anyways, but I was at a TRF meeting and this rideout was mentioned to me, it was then mentioned again and recommended I went on it as it was listed on the TRF noticeboard (facebook I think). The regional manager text me to see if I wanted to go on it, as it was for Big Adventure Bikes.

Oh......apologies I stand corrected....as there was a mix of members and non members so I didn't think this was official. My bad.

The fact that things went the way they did means something went wrong as that shouldn't have happened and that bothers me.
I wouldn't want anyone to be out with me and feel they are out of their depth and not enjoying it, it was the weekend after all and its meant to be fun...it also could have ended badly.
Accidents can always happen but it should never be down to someone being swept along.

I guess sometimes, you have to see for yourself to understand where someone is at.
 
Well I'm not blaming anybody, and welcomed the opportunity wholeheartedly to learn something new.

I'm still wanting that.
 
Shame on you!

Why
It's all in the public domain
I am not providing all the info for the lazy and feckless
I will lead a ride and have no problem with that
It's the copying of gps files that then get shared to all and sundry that fucks me off
Nothing is secret it's only the click of a mouse away and then do the graft yersen
 
Well I'm not blaming anybody, and welcomed the opportunity wholeheartedly to learn something new.

I'm still wanting that.

So - are you coming up here for a weekend or not ????

I will show you some great off tarmac riding

Let's sort a date if you want
 
So - are you coming up here for a weekend or not ????

I will show you some great off tarmac riding

Let's sort a date if you want

Ok yes I will, but it won't be until next year now and once Winter is over. But yes, I will come over.

PM Sent
 
This thread is the perfect example of marketing leading people to think and believe these big adv bikes are great Offroad. Yes they can be great in the right hands, but all those YouTube vids you see of a AT, GSA, or 1090 etc, etc, are generally being ridden by extremely accomplished riders who have learnt to ride Offroad from years of practice. They make it look easy, because they are very, very good, and generally very fit and have the right tyres fitted.

How many people have bought into the idea of trail riding from what they’ve seen on YouTube etc, spent shedloads of cash on a big adv bike, only to realise all the pitfalls of doing so on a big heavy adv bike the first time they try it, dream over :(, back to reality and enjoying what you’ve got in an environment your comfortable with :thumb2. There’s nothing wrong with that, yes the riding gods amongst us like to criticise and belittle those who buy these bikes and then not use them for what they were designed for (they are road bikes that can be taken Offroad, not Offroad bikes that can be used on the road).

There’s nothing wrong with aspiring to take your adv bike down trails, but be realistic with what you are capable of, prepare yourself the best you can before attempting to and be totally honest that your pride and joy is going to end up on its side at some point and these big adv’s don’t crash well (recently I read a guy that had a fall on the TET and caused thousands of pounds of damage). I’ve been riding trials bikes for 20 plus years, have dabbled at MX a few times and I like to think I’m a pretty competent on a road bike too (I’m certainly no expert), but have zero interest in taking my ATAS Offroad, I bought it because it’s a comfortable great touring bike.

We all like to think we could do it, but in all honesty we’ve got nothing to prove or gain, taking a big heavy adv Offroad, why risk the potential damage and injury when you can buy a proper trail bike for a fraction of the cost and enjoy your ride without the worry.

I don’t wish to insult your ability or knowledge, or be condescending in any way, we all have our own wants and wishes in life and if your desire is to go trail riding on your AT, good for you, but I do think it would be a very good idea to book yourself into the Honda adv school so you can learn a few techniques (on a AT Dct) and Chuck their bikes on the ground whilst learning before doing it on your own AT dct. I believe they will be getting the CRF450L in soon too, so you could sample one of those at the same time. Yes I know it’s not cheap, I think a 2 day course is £600, but you’ll learn a lot and won’t get a huge repair bill at the end if you bin it a few times.

I really hope whatever you choose to do (I think you already know), that you get to enjoy your bike, there’s nothing wrong with the dct (Dave Thorpe prefers it over the manual gearbox from what I’ve read), but like anything, it requires a period of learning and adapting to get the most from it.
 
This thread is the perfect example of marketing leading people to think and believe these big adv bikes are great Offroad. Yes they can be great in the right hands, but all those YouTube vids you see of a AT, GSA, or 1090 etc, etc, are generally being ridden by extremely accomplished riders who have learnt to ride Offroad from years of practice. They make it look easy, because they are very, very good, and generally very fit and have the right tyres fitted.

Absolute rubbish, I couldn't disagree more.

Most of the Africa Twin YouTube video's I've watched (both UK and America) are of novices falling off everywhere..... :D

The Africa Twin and GS official marketing are all showing the bikes being used in off-road adventures abroad. Not in the UK.

So the image isn't misleading at all, as these bikes are perfect for saddling up and travelling long distances.

However, as an off-roading novice, what I am finding out about the UK is that there are not many 'NICE' places left you can actually 'LEGALLY' go off road on a motorcycle !! It seems fraught with legislation, angry landowners, angry farmers, angry walkers, angry horse-riders, byways being blocked by court orders.

That's the part I had no clue over, and why would I?

Those open roads and trails I enjoyed for years on my mountain bike, are not there for Road Bikes. Yes naive, but no matter it's probably for the best.

That rocky downhill track I went down, wasn't fit for walkers or horses. Probably why nobody objects to motorcyclists going down it as nobody else wants to !!

But the image in my head is not fighting the bike to stay out of hospital... that's no feckin fun.
 
Why It's all in the public domain

Yes, and okay not giving out GPX files, but to insist on people not tracking the ride on a GPS.....really!

I'm against protectionism in this respect for four reasons.

IMHO the more people that use more greenlanes the larger the group to rally against the bobble hat brigade.

The more people that take big bikes offroad increases the volume of voices asking for lower powered lighter machines....that can only be a good thing.

The more accessible green lanes the better, it shares the load away from the well known ones.

Its not very welcoming to newcomers it gives the impression of a closed shop of those in the know and outsiders not welcome.

More generally,

All these people who spend 1000's on their big adv bike just to use it on the tarmac with road tyres (what a waste of all that R&D and money) are making the big bike problem worse (more weight due to more power).....so they are even more afraid of getting a few scratches on their precious awesome steeds....so they stick to the blacktop and dare not get a scratch on it due their fear of resale.

Open knowledge of where green lanes are and how hard they are (i think) would help buck this unhelpful trend for big adv bikes.

Rant over.
 
Yes, and okay not giving out GPX files, but to insist on people not tracking the ride on a GPS.....really!

I'm against protectionism in this respect for four reasons.

IMHO the more people that use more greenlanes the larger the group to rally against the bobble hat brigade.

The more people that take big bikes offroad increases the volume of voices asking for lower powered lighter machines....that can only be a good thing.

The more accessible green lanes the better, it shares the load away from the well known ones.

Its not very welcoming newcomers it gives the impression of a closed shop of those in the know and outsiders not welcome.

More generally,

All these people who spend 1000's on their big adv bike just to use it on the tarmac with road tyres (what a waste of all that R&D and money) are making the big bike problem worse (more weight due to more power).....so they are even more afraid of getting a few scratches on their precious awesome steeds....so they stick to the blacktop and dare not get a scratch on it due their fear of resale.

Open knowledge of where green lanes are and how hard they are (i think) would help buck this unhelpful trend for big adv bikes.

Rant over.

No need to rant

I discourage route tracking (by people unknown to me) for the following reasons

I don't know who, how far and where they will share it - that could lead to abuse of legal routes

Some people see difficulty differently and some routes are fine for a KTM 450 and impossible on a CRF 1000 - I don't want to waste the emergency services time having to find them

As I said all the info is online if people can read a map and can string it all together

If they can't fuck'em

Trailriding is more than following a gps blindly

You need an experienced leader who can adapt and change the plan accordingly to take account of local weather and riders ability and route closures

Willingly to lead anyone and I will plan to suit others as will anyone who knows the Yorkshire trails

Too many want 'owt for nowt' in this internet age

Knowledge is hard won - so won't share it lightly with persons uknown and I know 2gses feels similar - we will both lead you and give you a good day out
 
Sounds good to me, the only thing my SatNav was good for, was getting me home again !
 
This thread is the perfect example of marketing leading people to think and believe these big adv bikes are great Offroad. Yes they can be great in the right hands, but all those YouTube vids you see of a AT, GSA, or 1090 etc, etc, are generally being ridden by extremely accomplished riders who have learnt to ride Offroad from years of practice. They make it look easy, because they are very, very good, and generally very fit and have the right tyres fitted.
I disagree. Whilst there are these elite riders staring in this material there are also average people out with their friends enjoying the fresh air and the fun that comes with taking these big bikes offroad.
Yes you need training and quite a bit of it to be able to ride the technical stuff well but you certainly don't need to be some riding god.

There’s nothing wrong with aspiring to take your adv bike down trails, but be realistic with what you are capable of, prepare yourself the best you can before attempting to and be totally honest that your pride and joy is going to end up on its side at some point and these big adv’s don’t crash well (recently I read a guy that had a fall on the TET and caused thousands of pounds of damage).
This we agree on, aire on the side of caution and get plenty of training from people who know what they are doing....better safe than sorry but I disagree they don't crash well, but you do need to adequately protect a big bike it will go over.


I’ve been riding trials bikes for 20 plus years, have dabbled at MX a few times and I like to think I’m a pretty competent on a road bike too (I’m certainly no expert),
I think that experience may have convinced you that something 3-3.5 times heavier couldn't possibly be a good idea to take offroad.


but have zero interest in taking my ATAS Offroad, I bought it because it’s a comfortable great touring bike.
Its this mentality that is creating the very problem your pointing out...if you want to just ride on the road...then why choose a compromised bike...buy something designed for road only use, surely that's a better idea...oh that's right tourers aren't cool though.


We all like to think we could do it, but in all honesty we’ve got nothing to prove or gain, taking a big heavy adv Offroad, why risk the potential damage and injury when you can buy a proper trail bike for a fraction of the cost and enjoy your ride without the worry.

Because there is no sense of accomplishment in it. The small light bikes are so good an utter buffoon could pilot one up a moderarate trail, getting a big bike up a moderately technical trail...that takes skill and effort!
 
Warlord, I’m not trying to be controversial or put anyone down who wishes to take their bike Offroad, just saying what i think, ride a CRF250X or a CRF450L, then ride your CRF1000L on the same muddy, rock strewn trail, up a steep hill, through a stream and down a muddy slope, maybe add a bit of rain, then tell me which one you prefer offroad. How many people that own a big adv bike take them Offroad? Not very many in reality.

The marketing departments of BMW, ktm, Triumph and Honda like to show them Offroad, but most the time they ain’t fun and like you said, most owner vids have no relation to what you see from the manufacturers pro riders. It’s generally middle aged blokes bimbling along muttering something like “wtf did I ride down here for” or “oh fuck” as the bike goes down, followed by a a short period inspecting the damage, trying to straighten everything or calling it a day due to the holed engine case :blast.

(Footpaths are for pedestrians, bridleways can be used by cyclist, horse riders and pedestrians and byways by motorist using road legal vehicles with the appropriate licence. There are also restricted byways that cannot be used by vehicles at certain times of the year. The TRF is a great club to a member of, they have all the knowledge to advise and assist). So not that many great places to ride.

Spain, Croatia and a few other places in the eu have fantastic Offroad trails and roads, the UK is not that good imho, too many restrictions and people that don’t want you to use rights of way your perfectly entitled to. I have a few friends that still go out, none of them have ADVENTURE style bikes, Husky, Honda’s and ktm’s are their preferred choice off enduro bikes.

A friend of mine lives in West Virginia, there are literally 100’s of miles of fire tracks, gravel roads and trails with some amazing scenery, all perfectly good for most riders abilities on virtually any bike. The only thing you’ve got to worry about is the inbred hillbilly ;), some of the wildlife or the hunters :eek:, apart from that it’s pretty amazing for trail riding.
 
Blueranger, I’ve had a k1200s, excellent bike, very quick and enjoyed touring on it, never had a full blown tourer like an RT etc, as I don’t like that type of bike, but had loads of GS’s, GSA’s and now a ATAS, love these type of bikes and they are great tourers, you sit high, can see lots and there comfortable for my ageing body.

Trials is a fantastic sport that every motorcyclist would benefit from, balance, throttle control and body position to name a few. I see your not adverse to getting dirty, but as I said before enjoying your ride is No.1, riding a 253kg bike through mud and rocks would only be fun on someone else’s bike ;) :D
 
Trials is a fantastic sport that every motorcyclist would benefit from
,
Agreed, had a go recently and indeed much learned that I'm looking forward to applying to the big bike.

riding a 253kg bike through mud and rocks would only be fun for me on someone else’s bike ;) :D
Corrected for you.

I personally and many others love challenge that comes with riding big bikes offroad, its a different mindset, you accept that your going to need help to get over/through/down some bits and that's what friends are for and why you ride in groups with other big bike riders so you all help each other. That's what some people don't understand, there is no need to take big risks trying to be clever and smashing up your bike. You accept your probably going to fail so no need for heroics and if you make up/down/over/through unaided bonus!

After riding with a few 990's I don't even try and keep up, I just plod along at my own pace, getting stuck in deep ruts and sliding about in the mud till they wonder where I am and come to help and take pictures and video of the big GSA getting beached, we have laugh, we getting it moving and ride on then share the pictures and have a laugh about it.....whats not to like? That doesnt happen any where near as much on small bikes because they are so good.
 
This thread is the perfect example of marketing leading people to think and believe these big adv bikes are great Offroad. Yes they can be great in the right hands, but all those YouTube vids you see of a AT, GSA, or 1090 etc, etc, are generally being ridden by extremely accomplished riders who have learnt to ride Offroad from years of practice. They make it look easy, because they are very, very good, and generally very fit and have the right tyres fitted.

How many people have bought into the idea of trail riding from what they’ve seen on YouTube etc, spent shedloads of cash on a big adv bike, only to realise all the pitfalls of doing so on a big heavy adv bike the first time they try it, dream over :(, back to reality and enjoying what you’ve got in an environment your comfortable with :thumb2. There’s nothing wrong with that, yes the riding gods amongst us like to criticise and belittle those who buy these bikes and then not use them for what they were designed for (they are road bikes that can be taken Offroad, not Offroad bikes that can be used on the road).

There’s nothing wrong with aspiring to take your adv bike down trails, but be realistic with what you are capable of, prepare yourself the best you can before attempting to and be totally honest that your pride and joy is going to end up on its side at some point and these big adv’s don’t crash well (recently I read a guy that had a fall on the TET and caused thousands of pounds of damage). I’ve been riding trials bikes for 20 plus years, have dabbled at MX a few times and I like to think I’m a pretty competent on a road bike too (I’m certainly no expert), but have zero interest in taking my ATAS Offroad, I bought it because it’s a comfortable great touring bike.

We all like to think we could do it, but in all honesty we’ve got nothing to prove or gain, taking a big heavy adv Offroad, why risk the potential damage and injury when you can buy a proper trail bike for a fraction of the cost and enjoy your ride without the worry.

I don’t wish to insult your ability or knowledge, or be condescending in any way, we all have our own wants and wishes in life and if your desire is to go trail riding on your AT, good for you, but I do think it would be a very good idea to book yourself into the Honda adv school so you can learn a few techniques (on a AT Dct) and Chuck their bikes on the ground whilst learning before doing it on your own AT dct. I believe they will be getting the CRF450L in soon too, so you could sample one of those at the same time. Yes I know it’s not cheap, I think a 2 day course is £600, but you’ll learn a lot and won’t get a huge repair bill at the end if you bin it a few times.

I really hope whatever you choose to do (I think you already know), that you get to enjoy your bike, there’s nothing wrong with the dct (Dave Thorpe prefers it over the manual gearbox from what I’ve read), but like anything, it requires a period of learning and adapting to get the most from it.

25 years ago I had no other option but to ride a so called big traily, no trailer, no van, young family at home, one bike did it all..
 

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25 years ago I had no other option but to ride a so called big traily, no trailer, no van, young family at home, one bike did it all..


Here here - Not 25 years ago, more like 15 for me. Only one bike and a desire to do some off-roading so on the 1150 it was
 
more like 15 for me. Only one bike and a desire to do some off-roading so on the 1150 it was

Only 4 for me and my first time taking a motorbike offroad let alone my beloved 1150 which i'd waited about 10 years to get. In 4 years a broken indicator, broken mirror broken screen, snapped lug on the gear lever in 4 years across 3 bikes. Hardly the utter destruction the fear mongers would have us believe.

1st offroad excursion documented here.

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/372332-Dipped-a-toe-off-road-yesterday-evenin
 


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