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Message started by babyhog on 06/15/10 at 08:13:49

Title: Riding in gravel
Post by babyhog on 06/15/10 at 08:13:49

Ok, I am petrified of riding on gravel. I know there are plenty of you who do it with no problem.
I know you shouldn't make sudden/sharp turns, and don't use the front brake, but what other tips can you offer?

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by Bubba on 06/15/10 at 08:48:28

wear leathers... ;)

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by photojoe on 06/15/10 at 09:05:55

And you should be concerned with gravel BH, its dangerous. I kind of roll through it. Along with potholes, and bad intersections, I also memorize areas with gravel. I can think of 2 spots in tight turns, on my regular ride that have enough gravel to take me down. Cruise slow, and don't lean too much. You're right about not hitting the brakes too hard. I just slow down before the gravel to coast through it.

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by Bubba on 06/15/10 at 09:15:50

One of my favorite rides out here is a twisty turny road up through a canyon 5 miles from my work. In Colorado they don't use salt on the roads they mostly use sand and gravel.
It's almost worse than riding on a completely gravel road cuz it acts like ball bearings on pavement. Come spring you have to be ready in turns for all the gravel and sand to knock you down...so I ride really careful until the stuff is gone...

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by Phelonius on 06/15/10 at 09:22:22

Paved roads are just another waste of taxpayer dollars.

Phelonius

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by youzguyz on 06/15/10 at 10:06:47

Not sure if you mean gravel on a paved road, or gravel roads. As others have pointed out, big difference. Gravel on a paved road is more dangerous than a gravel road.

I'm trying to cure myself of the habit of going down every "un paved" road I might see. To me, it's fun!! but the bike hates it after a while. I have busted a muffler mount, loosened many a bolt and nut, lost my gremlin bell, chipped a fork, grooved a tire (rock up in the fender.. grind!!), etc, etc.
With that said.. darn if I still don't just go out there and do it.

As you surmised, corners are the most interesting. What I try to look for is a groove made by truck tires that I can plant the front wheel in to act as a mini-bank for the corner. Sometimes, the edge of the road (or the middle) has a nice ridge that I can use. No, it won't save your bacon (sorry) if the ridge/groove gives way and the tire slides off, but it can be a help.
Try to stay in the tire tracks or where there is the minimum of loose stuff. If you need to cross from one tire track to the other to setup for the next turn, do it easy and don't try to turn as you go across, lots of loose stuff in the middle.
You need to plan further ahead than normal.
Keep it SLOW! or put knobby tires on..

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by bill67 on 06/15/10 at 10:12:18

Years ago I seen a kid I know going down a paved road with fresh pea gravel on it at 100 mph with his feet on the hand bars. He was only 19 years old.

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by Serowbot on 06/15/10 at 10:13:04

Keep your arms loose and relaxed,... allow the handlebars to self correct.
The centrifugal force of the turning wheels wants to keep the bike upright and forward moving,... relaxing your arms lets that happen...
Also,... if you start to wash out in a deep pocket, don't slow down,... gas it a little,... this too, will increase the centrifuge action of the wheels and lift the bike to vertical...

EDIT... I meant gyroscopic force not centrifugal... That's the force that lets you ride with your feet up...
Ever try to keep your feet up at a traffic light?... very tricky!...
'Cause your gyroscopes aren't turning ;)...

May the force be with you... :-?...

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by Bubba on 06/15/10 at 10:36:35

Good point about keeping the arms relaxed...best tip I've heard from a sport biker is to squeeze the tank with your knees, it forces your shoulders and arms to relax...apparently they do that a lot on sport bikes to get out of a tank slapper (bars wobbling back and forth).

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by drums1 on 06/15/10 at 11:02:49

I bit it once on just a slight bit of loose gravel going up a driveway--I made the mistake of gripping the front brake. Down I went. (Only time ever, so far.....) And I almost bit it going slow around a corner--it had rained earlier, road was still damp. I hit one of those painted turn arrows--front tire went out like I was on ice. Somehow I managed to stay upright.
Stay alert, slow down on turns, plan ahead. Be safe.

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by babyhog on 06/15/10 at 11:13:21

Very nice! Thank you all for thoughtful, "real" tips. And youzguyz, I was meaning gravel roads, not gravel on a paved road.
I try to avoid gravel altogether, but I also know that at some point, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Memorial Day weekend, when we went to my husband's dad's cemetary, I forgot that the turnoff included about 20 feet of gravel to cross. This is coming off a main road, 55mph, in a curve... and uphill! Between the main road and the paved cemetary road was the gravel. I'm about to pee my pants. But he told me to slow down enough to coast across it (thank goodness for our headsets, he "walked" me through it before I crossed it). I did fine, but I admit I was trembling. Coming down was no great fun either!
So I know things like this will happen. Can't avoid everything forever. I avoided stoplights on uphills for a long time, until I finally got comfortable with it.

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by mornhm - FSO on 06/15/10 at 11:17:16

A few thoughts jump to mind:
Smoooooth
Relax
Don't
ATGATT

And if that doesn't work:
Speed Dial
I want a new MC
médico

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by earlytimz on 06/15/10 at 11:30:56

My driveway is about 250' of gravel. I don't even pay it no mind. My advice is to just relax, take your time & don't think on it too hard. Your tires will wander a little on gravel (especially the front) so slow down and go with the flow.

Around here you gotta really watch out for gravel washed out into the road from peoples driveways. I can think of 2 near my house that are in terrible locations, right in a curve. Normal cage traffic usually leaves a couple of clear tracks through the gravel but when you're not familiar with a road it can be terrifying. Look ahead & never turn your scanner off!

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by kimchris1 on 06/15/10 at 14:19:18

Piglet, I don't like gravel either. I would rather ride across any other surface than gravel with the exception of snow or ice..
Now if your talking of packed gravel or loose gravel their again are 2 different riding surfaces.

I find a slow steady pace as well as not using the front break helps one to avoid being toppled.

Maybe you can go back to that section of road and practice your technique as sounds like you handled it well with the hubby's instructions. :)

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by james may on 06/15/10 at 20:06:11

1+
Quote:

wear leathers

knew a guy that came to visit me when I wasn't home on my gravel road. I came home to a note "cleaned myself up" and my towel drenched in blood. He was wearing shorts. Not wearing protection is asking for injury..

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by Digger on 07/05/10 at 21:11:44

4043424F4D572E0 wrote:

Baby,

Don't forget to give your drive belt a once over after every significant foray onto gravel.

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by earlytimz on 07/05/10 at 21:17:27

Good call... I dug a rock outta my belt when I brought it home. It was wedged in & put a hole plum through it. Doesn't seem to be a problem though

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by jsarsfield on 07/05/10 at 21:38:43

The gripping the tank tip is definitely a good one when your in the twistys really connecting you to your machine but riding on gravel I've always taken the route of letting the bike do what it going to do anyways, the key is you can't fight it stay slow and loose and use your eyes at all times.

When I was 17 I got my first bike a Suzuki GSX-R 750 absolutely crazy I know and to make things worse I grew up in Muskoka, Ontario tons of snow and buckets of sand and salt for months into the riding season and I lived in the boonies on an unpaved road, I rode that piece of road everyday actually put 30,000 Km's on the bike my first season but I still haven't ever been down (knock on wood) I'm 29 now but I have to say that my first 3 years of riding that ridiculous, amazing, exhilarating machine was the best training I could have ever had. The only thing that will make you comfortable with anything you could encounter is by having already done it. Just my 2 cents.

And the last thing yes always wear your protection and I mean jacket and chaps if you got em too ... Road rash is sometimes much worse than the impact of a slow wipe out on rough terrain. Protect your largest organ.

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by Angie on 07/06/10 at 04:25:44

The "town" I live in has all gravel roads, so once I turn off the hwy I dont have much choice. I keep the speed sloooooow, and in fact rarely even let the clutch all the way out when Im in 1st gear, partly because our house is downhill from where I come into town. You have to let the bike shimmy a bit, its almost impossible to keep the front end/handlebars from wiggling. Dont know that I'd want to ride any distance on gravel though, I'd think it would wear you out. Both in terms of physically tiring and stressfull.

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/06/10 at 05:43:46

Our driveway is gravel & has washes across it, lumps of gravle, generally, not a safe ride & its pretty seriously sloped up to the road. Stay loose on the handlebars, feet on pegs. Trust me, if the rear shifts right, youll shove your rear end over to keep it upright. As long as you arent being a goon( turning too hard) or hitting thre front brake the front will track along.

Now, Sand,,theres a fun subject. I had a kawa 750 I took out into the dirt roads of west texas. Ive been stuck, with cows in the road. If you think they ignore a car horn, just try to make them move with a bike horn. Anyway, if you come to a long patch of sand, slow down before you get to it & lean back & gently dial on the beans. Itll hold the front tire out of it a bit & make it a lot easier to handle. I came out of 1 patch of sand running near 70, but it was tracking okay. When the front tire settles into it, its no longer stable. The Savage has a better h4ead angle tho & is more likely to track straight, I think.

Title: Re: Riding in gravel
Post by Truckinduc on 07/09/10 at 06:41:47

Gravel can be really fun, or suck really bad. My driveway is gravel and im so used to it Im almost never going straight on it. sometimes I hit full steering lock.

But just the other day I lowsided in a parkinglot because of these tiny rocks I couldnt even see.

Here is a video I made yesterday testing out a camera mount I made. I went slow to make sure the camera was gonna stay put.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bbbewiW4Ag