Cato's first off road dally ....
- Thread starter Giles
- Start date
Bungy
Registered user
Do you have something to balance the road tyres when you put them back on?
Just throw in some Dyno beads and job done better than if nasty weights were stuck on.
Bendy toy
Registered user
I personally prefer a good quality in tyre sealer like Puncturesafe so (for me) weights are the only option.
If you make a mark on the tyre next to the valve before you remove them they can be put back on in the same place and not need re-balancing. Providing the balance weights were left in place when the off road tyres were fitted.
Steve
Sent using smoke and mirrors.
Steve
Sent using smoke and mirrors.
I'd be happy to have a go on the uphill though my lack of talent would prevent much progress 
but as for riding it down from the top 
but as for riding it down from the top 
Well .... another two hours today.
I tweaked the rear brake pedal and raised it. I noticed the other day that I couldn't plantarflex my boot enough to naturally use the rear. Heightening it has worked well and the pedal is now right under the ball of my foot when i'm stood up. (I unashamedly confess that I've ordered a Touratech brake pedal 10mm extension thing)
we've done a similar route to the other day but i've found some more snotty stuff.
I've sort of decided my best attack for this sort of stuff is sat down, a la motorcross style. Leg out for balance, flared elbows and nuts up to the tank. That seemed to work better in these sorts of rutty conditions than trying to stand - its a long way down from stood up if you need a dab ..
The large and fairly deep puddle at the end on the corner looked pretty intimidating - this is the sort of territory where the 4x4 crowd muller the feckin train and lob bricks and slabs in the mud, so I took it pretty easy through there in case there was something lurking underneath.
Low and behold I'm not wrong. Around the corner there's carnage, and a good example of why some peepes ruin it for the rest of us, and why the council come along and restrict the byway. This is supposed to be one single trail through the woods;
I turn and head back for the puddle
And actually plod along in the snotty stuff with no dramas at all. The key is relaxing and looking ahead, and as time goes by that relaxing and moving about on the bike is definitely kicking in.
The big 230kg beast picks away reasonably cautiously and soon we hit the faster flowing stuff again!
And for me this is really where the bike is coming into its own. I know that this sort of stuff is simple, and of course I wouldn't want it all the time, but when you hit it, boy can you unleash this beast! yes it's still a public 'road', and yes you've just got to be able to stop in the distance you can see (met a few walkers today), but when you've got the view ..... Fuck me ... !!
I ran out of balls towards the end of this stretch at quite a pace - I can see how a bike like this would just devour some liaison sections of some of the BBRC courses.
But there was particular joy in this sort of stuff;
Pace is safe (front brake with off road ABS is just so reassuring - you can squeeze the hell out of it and haul it to a very efficient stop ..) and the bike whistles along with a lovely flow that waxes and wanes for view and for berms, with the occasional mad moment. It's just cracking
NOT NOW CATO YOU FOOL ..... ....
We negotiate the back roads resisting the urge to hoist a minger (I'm pootling on the tarmac 'cos I don't shag my tyres ..) and pick up more of the quick, dry, flowing track.
I drop by at the gliding club for a cuppa,
Before the last little wooded section just before home.
And all is good! Cato can still bite though! I don't know what I did in some of the quick shallow rut stuff, but at one point I had a bit of a moment whilst tramping on caught my ankle.
(Thank feck for decent boots).
Bloody good bike ...
I tweaked the rear brake pedal and raised it. I noticed the other day that I couldn't plantarflex my boot enough to naturally use the rear. Heightening it has worked well and the pedal is now right under the ball of my foot when i'm stood up. (I unashamedly confess that I've ordered a Touratech brake pedal 10mm extension thing)
we've done a similar route to the other day but i've found some more snotty stuff.
I've sort of decided my best attack for this sort of stuff is sat down, a la motorcross style. Leg out for balance, flared elbows and nuts up to the tank. That seemed to work better in these sorts of rutty conditions than trying to stand - its a long way down from stood up if you need a dab ..
The large and fairly deep puddle at the end on the corner looked pretty intimidating - this is the sort of territory where the 4x4 crowd muller the feckin train and lob bricks and slabs in the mud, so I took it pretty easy through there in case there was something lurking underneath.
Low and behold I'm not wrong. Around the corner there's carnage, and a good example of why some peepes ruin it for the rest of us, and why the council come along and restrict the byway. This is supposed to be one single trail through the woods;
I turn and head back for the puddle
And actually plod along in the snotty stuff with no dramas at all. The key is relaxing and looking ahead, and as time goes by that relaxing and moving about on the bike is definitely kicking in.
The big 230kg beast picks away reasonably cautiously and soon we hit the faster flowing stuff again!
And for me this is really where the bike is coming into its own. I know that this sort of stuff is simple, and of course I wouldn't want it all the time, but when you hit it, boy can you unleash this beast! yes it's still a public 'road', and yes you've just got to be able to stop in the distance you can see (met a few walkers today), but when you've got the view ..... Fuck me ... !!
I ran out of balls towards the end of this stretch at quite a pace - I can see how a bike like this would just devour some liaison sections of some of the BBRC courses.
But there was particular joy in this sort of stuff;
Pace is safe (front brake with off road ABS is just so reassuring - you can squeeze the hell out of it and haul it to a very efficient stop ..) and the bike whistles along with a lovely flow that waxes and wanes for view and for berms, with the occasional mad moment. It's just cracking
NOT NOW CATO YOU FOOL ..... ....
We negotiate the back roads resisting the urge to hoist a minger (I'm pootling on the tarmac 'cos I don't shag my tyres ..) and pick up more of the quick, dry, flowing track.
I drop by at the gliding club for a cuppa,
Before the last little wooded section just before home.
And all is good! Cato can still bite though! I don't know what I did in some of the quick shallow rut stuff, but at one point I had a bit of a moment whilst tramping on caught my ankle.
(Thank feck for decent boots).
Bloody good bike ...
I'm available on 18/19 April if you are going out and want some company/someone to take photos or video for your CV 
Good one Giles 
Very nice
Deleted account 211025001
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They are quite incredible at speed on the dirt aren't they! I think I mentioned in another thread on here that I found myself going quicker and feeling more confident than I would on my Husky on a fast lane I know well - you defo feel the dirt bike heritage don't you!
Quite a trick for KTM to pull off; having a decent off road and very fast road bike all in one
Have you played with the suspension any more? Have to admit all I do is back everything off and drop pressures a bit, nothing scientific involved.......
Andres
Quite a trick for KTM to pull off; having a decent off road and very fast road bike all in one
Have you played with the suspension any more? Have to admit all I do is back everything off and drop pressures a bit, nothing scientific involved.......
Andres
Pfffft
Marijuana tinted specs, I'd pitch my 550 Berg against an 1190 offroad anyday 
Deleted account 211025001
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Pfffft
I don't doubt it for a second that you'd whip my arse but there's a subtle difference; one of us can ride off road and one of us is shit off road
Andres
I don't doubt it for a second that you'd whip my arse but there's a subtle difference; one of us can ride off road and one of us is shit off road
Andres
That's a bit unfair....Tim's not that bad
Deleted account 211025001
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That's a bit unfair....Tim's not that bad
..............yeah, I suppose he'e ok for a newb, he just needs more practice
Actually, what I should have written is that for a crap rider like me the big KTM feels easier to ride and more confidence inspiring on easy, fast stuff than I feel on the Husky which is twitching and skitting around. It's certainly far easier to ride (for me) off road than my GS ever was. Mind you, get to some technical, knarley stuff and I'd much rather be on the Husky
Andres
Yes - it's the weight that I really notice. If I had a play on the wr450 I could flick flack it, squirrel it about, place the front wheel somewhere specific ... It had that balance of light enough to point and squirt, but enough grunt to go pretty quickly and lob the front at a moments notice.
With the 1190 it's all about sort of pre-planned rolling momentum if you like. I can go at a respectable pace in places, but I can't errrrrr, what am I trying to say ..... make split second decisions I guess. Sometimes you're on a course that, well, you ain't coming off it! It's too heavy, and there's too much oil tanker momentum behind you to suddenly lob, flick, squirrel and stick it somewhere else.
So I can't disagree with Mellors (!!) the 450 / 550 size bikes are the velociraptors with speed and flick.
Andres, ive dialled a tad more in on the forks again (bottomed out again a couple of times) and I'll keep an eye on tyre pressures (dinked rims a couple of times on roots and water bars as well). But other than that, it's pretty much there. I think you're spot on with the idea that this bike will tour, scratch, commute and play off road reasonably well - that is some feat of engineering....
With the 1190 it's all about sort of pre-planned rolling momentum if you like. I can go at a respectable pace in places, but I can't errrrrr, what am I trying to say ..... make split second decisions I guess. Sometimes you're on a course that, well, you ain't coming off it! It's too heavy, and there's too much oil tanker momentum behind you to suddenly lob, flick, squirrel and stick it somewhere else.
So I can't disagree with Mellors (!!) the 450 / 550 size bikes are the velociraptors with speed and flick.
Andres, ive dialled a tad more in on the forks again (bottomed out again a couple of times) and I'll keep an eye on tyre pressures (dinked rims a couple of times on roots and water bars as well). But other than that, it's pretty much there. I think you're spot on with the idea that this bike will tour, scratch, commute and play off road reasonably well - that is some feat of engineering....
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