Off Road Skills

[Rupert Jordan]

Just got back from Wales after doing Level 1. Can't recommend it highly enough. A great bunch of guys and a really well thought out couple of days. My confidence just grew and grew, and I regularly found myself just shaking my head with disbelief at how capable the GS is - happily going up rocky slopes I'd struggle to walk up. Now I'm seriously considering taking my four week old GS off road...

 

[mark2jag]

NOOOOOOOOO....

Don't do it, unless you can live with battle scars and bits damaged(and I DONT just mean on the bike)But if you do, its bloody good fun. Just spent 4 hours today taking a little XL125 offroad, but that's different as its so light....

 

[Rupert Jordan]

Don't do it, unless you can live with battle scars and bits damaged(and I DONT just mean on the bike)But if you do, its bloody good fun. Just spent 4 hours today taking a little XL125 offroad, but that's different as its so light....

I have thought about buying an old 250 trail bike, but I reckon I might as well spend the money on fixing my GS if (when) I drop it. According to my instructor even the stock tyres are okay if it's dry. I was doing stuff today I didn't think I would be capable of doing. I've also never trusted a bike so much.

 

[Jotski]

I have thought about buying an old 250 trail bike, but I reckon I might as well spend the money on fixing my GS if (when) I drop it. According to my instructor even the stock tyres are okay if it's dry. I was doing stuff today I didn't think I would be capable of doing. I've also never trusted a bike so much.

I strongly recommend gaining skills on a dirt bike first they are inexpensive to buy second hand and you just don't care when you drop them and you will, lots of times and they don't scar like your GS would.
With a dirt bike you can gain experience on hill climbs, descents, single tracks, slimey surfaces, river crossings etc and then when confident move to your much heavier GS to do the same stuff.
I bought a drz400 to learn on before the GS, and that bike has been over more times than my leg on a Danish tart including upside down rolling slides on rutted wet clay (not the Danish tart, the bike). Off-roading is a lot of fun and really opens up a new experience that is even more fun than touring around the twisties (well depends on the twisties ... )

Riding the dirt is a totally different technique to riding road and you don't want to be In a situation with your GS on top of you in the middle of bum fk nowhere not knowing what to do !

 

[Nutty]

Take your brand new LC GS off road, it'll be fine. Make sure you post up lots of pictures on here, as well.

 

[Trekker3]

Go for level 2 on the ORS it will move your game up significantly!

 

[needlongerlegs]

Did TrailWorld off road day recently,

On little AJP 200's

Great way in to off roading not to scary and easy bikes to ride if your a virgin ,

I went with the Riders for Health gang as bit of team building before Zambia next year,

Only 200 quid and one full day of fun,

Only problem I came home and bought a CRF250L Bugger!

 

[DING-DONG]

Your either fecking crazy or have more money than sense taking a brand new gs off road ! But than again what is your typical off road ! a jolly across the green.

Smash the led head light and a couple of plastics and your into used ktm money to replace these items.

 

[Jumblemo]

I scraped my cylinder head, broke my brake lever and wrecked the rims on both wheels to the extent that wheels had to be replaced. Only came to £1950 to return the bike to as new condition. So I don't reckon that's too bad.

 

[Nutty]

I scraped my cylinder head, broke my brake lever and wrecked the rims on both wheels to the extent that wheels had to be replaced. Only came to £1950 to return the bike to as new condition. So I don't reckon that's too bad.

 

[Jumblemo]

It was quite interesting, both tyres deflated in seconds as the metal of each alloy had a 4 inch crack. Bike is rubbish to ride with two flat tyres even in Enduro mode

 

[Jumblemo]

I think steel with spokes is better for off road than Alloys

 

[Rasher]

Did the Honda Enduro School yesterday, really good day out and amazing what you can do on a bike, although not sure I would have got very far on a 1200 GS / Super-T / KTM, but the pukka Enduro bikes were awesome.

 

[Jumblemo]

Why alloys are no good for off-roading.:

Or on-roading: