How to ride on dirt 101

[Tenchi]

I'm trying out some dirt riding on the V-Strom, and I figure there's some crazy rider on here that would be able to give me some tips. I was surprised to see how much street riding could be applied to off road riding, but at the same time, one does not just lean right off the bike and enter a corner at high speed using the grip to keep them going.

I'd also like to know how to set the bike up before I head out too.

So any tips for a new guy heading out on dirt? So far I have had:

- Look where you want to go (duh)

- Use more rear brake than normal

- Let the tires down a little (how much is a little anyway? 10 psi? They're normally at 32 psi)

EDIT: By dirt, I mean any displaceable surface. E.g. on the weekend I was riding over pea gravel, all the way up to rocks that were larger than golf balls.

 

[Silent]

You want to talk to dcarver, Don's been doing dirt since Jesus was in diapers

 

[JRO]

The best way to seriously ride dirt on a V-Strom, is to ride to where you want to go off-road, and take a dirt bike from there.

A few years back, I learned that 'adventure' bikes aren't dirt bikes. It's that simple. You can 'ride' one on some rough trails, but the things are street bikes, with minimal off-road capabilities. There's always some fanatic/savant, who can ride one along with some of his dirt friends, but even for them, there are limitations.

An adventure bike is okay, for rough roads. Off road, take it slow. They're heavy and don't have the suspension of a real dirt bike.

On the other hand, I've lived by this preface: All bikes are dirt bikes. Some are just better than others.

If you bust your bike up, forget I said that.

 

[Capt. Bob]

Stand on the pegs.

The seat just for show

 

[happyPuppy]

One good thing you will learn is how to handle rear tire sliding. In the dirt they slide a lot, and brakes and throttle control are very important, and make you better on the street I believe.

 

[Tenchi]

The best way to seriously ride dirt on a V-Strom, is to ride to where you want to go off-road, and take a dirt bike from there.
A few years back, I learned that 'adventure' bikes aren't dirt bikes. It's that simple. You can 'ride' one on some rough trails, but the things are street bikes, with minimal off-road capabilities. There's always some fanatic/savant, who can ride one along with some of his dirt friends, but even for them, there are limitations.

An adventure bike is okay, for rough roads. Off road, take it slow. They're heavy and don't have the suspension of a real dirt bike.

On the other hand, I've lived by this preface: All bikes are dirt bikes. Some are just better than others.

If you bust your bike up, forget I said that.

I'm well aware that "adventure" bikes like the V-Strom are far from suitable for serious off road riding. It's way too heavy to do some of the crazy techniques that dirt riding superstars do (for example, leaning the bike against your body, twisting the throttle and having it spin around you is VERY hard on the V-Strom). The suspension is budget on the rear and doesn't have enough travel on the front. The oil filter is also in one of the most prone positions to being completely removed by a rogue object should you go over a bump too hard.

The purpose of me finding out how to ride on dirt is not necessarily to keep up with DRZ and KTM riding mates, but to open doors that were otherwise closed. I want to extend my riding capabilities and try out something new on a bike that can potentially ride off the beaten track. If I like it, I'll buy a proper dirt bike. Back home I never learned how to ride on a surface that could be displaced, so it's one of those skills that remains underdeveloped.

If I bust my bike up, it will be no one's fault but my own of course.

One good thing you will learn is how to handle rear tire sliding. In the dirt they slide a lot, and brakes and throttle control are very important, and make you better on the street I believe.

I noticed that normally, you can let the clutch out "hard" and the bike will start to slow. On dirt, doing the same will result in a rear-wheel skid - so matching revs or letting the clutch out more gently was very important. Power on or off was the same - powering on and leaning at the hips resulted in a 60 ft turning powerslide down the trail, powering off hard was just like tapping the rear brake with moderate force - small skid as the weight shifted followed by gentle engine braking.

The guy in the office next door to me at work said that if you know what you're doing you can skid into a corner and then accelerate out to do a hard left or right turn, but it's difficult to do on a heavy bike like the Strom - that's not something you can really do on tarmac unless you feel like highsiding. Instead, he suggested just to slow right down, take the corner as if I was on tarmac, then accelerate away. It's another aspect where dirt riding is completely different to street riding. Knowing what I can and can't do will help a lot. Most of it I can work out on my own without trying, but learning from others is much faster, safer and potentially cheaper.

 

[JRO]

Maybe some can fishtail an advbike in a turn, but for me, it was something I didn't like. Too heavy. Near total loss of control, with that rear wheel sliding. Adding power to line it out was - too much power, too easy; could get out from under you, real quick. Fishtailing just ungood.

Better off-road handling can be achieved, with real off-road tires. I found dual-purpose tires to be cute-looking, ersatz street tires. After they're broke-in (about 2,000miles on the Metzlers and Michelins I used), they rapidly lose what off-road application they have. Good all-weather capabilities, though.

 

[RenoJohn]

There are many good books out there that may be of interest, and this is one you might want to look at:

go here clicky

 

[evil_henchman]

Dirt riding is very demanding so your physical condition will play a major part in how much fun you're going to have. As has been stated, a big dual sport is way heavier than a dirt bike and will flat wear most people out in no time on all but the mildest roads and that's when damage happens and the fun stops. If you're in reasonably good shape and have basic skills you might just get addicted in no time. Just remember: Stay as far forward as possible, keep your ass off the seat, be ready to manhandle the bars and "throw" the bike from side to side. Like I said, it's physical.

You're going to drop it at some point, **** happens and no amount of "setup" is going to make it a better dirt bike. It is what it is and if you can get to where you can ride off road well on a Vstrom you'll kick ass on a real dirt bike. B)