Motorcycles BS Thread 2.0

It’s probably right at 500 lbs with my stuff in the saddlebags, definitely not light but it’s not bad for me to put my back to it and essentially squat it up, but I’m 6’3” and close to 300 lbs.

I’d like to ride a light bike to see how it feels.

I also need to research how to ride in deep sand without dying.

 

ahh ya thats pretty hefty! my klx400 is around the 300 mark if i remember right? and before my accident it was no big deal to lift it up it sucked but wasnt awful but now its a massive pain in the ass!

id love to get a lighter bike also ive been looking at the ktm or Husqvarna 500s and man id love one but that price tag hurts!

never ridden in deep sand whats it like? ive driven in it with my trucks but never with the bike

 

throttle is your friend and lean back, bike will squirm around underneath you. and don't chop the throttle and turn, guarantee goin down

 

This! Speed is your friend in sand.

 

Yeah, I think the KLX 400’s run around 290 advertised, almost half the weight.

I haven’t looked at the husqy bikes, a friend of mine has the KTM 890 and he really likes it, I’ve never been on one though.

It’s terrible, anything but the smallest steering input and the front tire wants to tuck, the rear tire has probably 35-45% slip rate if you get down in the sand. I have Motoz GPS tires in the rear, they have a center rib but the have a lugged shoulder, they bite reasonably well but still have a tendency to dig (it doesn’t help that I have street tire pressure).

This was the long stretch that was most difficult.


And you can see here how the front tire sinks in.


And how the rear digs in.

Thanks for the advice, will the squirmy feeling be similar to the feeling on gravel?

That’s what my uncle told me when I called him about it on my way home, he said “the thing that sucks about sand is speed is your friend until you screw up and you’re going down, then you don’t want it. So just lean back, get the weight over the rear, keep your speed up, and don't crash.”.

 

ya the klx400 is around that weight its the same as the old drz so just gotta look it up haha most say its around the 300 mark so they are hefty! for a dirt bike

the husqy 501 was 238lbs without fuel
ktm exc 500 is 250

so a decent amount lighter for a bigger bike! id love to give one a go and see if id rather have one of them over my klx but the price is like damn...

ya ive heard sand can be a pain if you havent been to familiar with it

 

Damn those are light, I’ve only been on heavy bikes besides the little Honda 50 or 70.
But because I ride on road most of the time I like the heavier bikes.

 

I think my bike was 525 wet stock. Ive added a little bit of weight, but haven't dropped it

 

So what's everyone wearing for earplugs these days? Standard foam or sumpin fancy?

 

Worse, the bike will start dancing under you, and your natural reaction will be to try to wrestle it to stop. Worst thing to do because it might make you tired and can easily turn the bars wrong.

Constant throttle, even if low is your friend, DO NOT CHOP IT. Leaning back and making the front light is key. That front digging is what causes the crashes. I still hate sections of super fine sugar sand, and it's the majority of what I have to ride.

I wear Eargasms, solid for the price, but sometimes work their way out. Can't stand foamies.

 

So far a roughly 500 lb bike isn’t too bad to lift, but I was watching a video on the HD Pan-Am and I like the look of the bike and I think I would like to ride one, but the weight is close to 700 I think, and that seems a bit excessive.

I bought these to replace the speakers for my Cardo unit, the cut down outside noise a good bit, not quite as good as AirPods Pro in noise cancelling but they’re much more comfortable in helmet.


If I didn’t want/need audio in I would just use my Surefire in ear plugs.

So really lean back, stay in the throttle, and just let the bike move under me? So is standing the best position to attack it in?


I appreciate all of the info and advice.

 

Ah yes, I guess no one mentioned the standing part, but for sure standing is the best way to do it. You feel more stable standing too since you are now disconnected from the center of the bike and it can move around easier under you. Standing is almost always the best approach for any offroad obstacle, the more comfortable you get standing the better rider you will become offroad.

 

I'm a fan of the Surefire plugs @95 taco linked above. I like them with the filter caps out because it is enough to tame the noise to a reasonable level but still be able to hear the engine and everything around me.

I tried the EP5 full block version too but I ended up killing the bike a couple times because I couldn't hear the engine like I'm used to and I felt like I wasn't able to stay as aware of what was happening around me. They are great for high impulse noises like shooting or working in a very loud environment.

 

Fast forward to 09:48 for sand riding talk.

https://youtu.be/JVJraOjcdns

 

This might be a tsk tsk moment for me, but I actually don't wear earplugs.

Tried the standard foam ones, and also some high fidelity ones that are still supposed to let some noise through. Both were too muting, and I felt like I couldn't hear much around me except for my exhaust. Actually got passed by a cop with his lights/siren on once because I didn't hear it coming with the earplugs in.

It should be noted though, I already have mild tinnitus and pretty terrible hearing overall. So I figure it's not much loss.

 

Yuuup that’s why I keep thinking maybe upgrade next year maybe??

 

I have a bad habit of not wearing them on shorter rides like my 20 minute commute or just tooling around town but usually try to make sure I have some in any time I am going to be riding for an extended period or riding at sustained speeds over 50mph where the wind noise starts to pick up.

 

i sadly cant wear them... my ears are a bit messed up so ear plugs in my ears for a long time will actually damage my ears canal things so i just kinda deal with it tbh

 

i feel i need bar risers or something when i stand i feel just awkward or somethin idk it just dont feel right like my arms are way down there and im more hunched over it feels like?