Went for a ride on the KTM… this time I went and hit dirt. About five miles on sand, dirt, gravel, and rocks.
I have to be honest, this was absolutely horrifying. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done. No, seriously… out of everything I’ve ever done – this was the scariest. I got to a point where I overlook Highway 40, and I had to stop to take a breather. I was drenched in sweat and my heart was racing! Oh man. At one point, it felt like my hair was on fire and my balls were on fire… and I glanced down… I was only doing 28 MPH. Oh Man!
But I survived, didn’t face plant. Kept the bike up. Coming back I was able to open it up some more… went faster. Caught a bit of air. It was scary and thrilling.
Don’t stare at the obstacles. Stare at the route through the obstacles.
Speed will come with time.
Welcome to the world of dualsporting!
Protection? The guys I know who do it say that, if you ride in the dirt, you WILL go down. They accept that, and they wear even more gear than the road riders. They also say that dirt riding is a great way to become a much better rider: that there’s no better way to learn to manage traction. Gear up and go for it.
That’s my plan. I’ll have to get some better protective gear. I’m looking at the ICON Stryker rig and the Icon Variant “BattleScar” helmet. Alpenstar Tech 8 boots are already here and the Icon Elsinore boots are pretty much an MX boot. I will need knee armor too. I don’t know if my Tactical Gear/Armor will work for Enduro, but it would look ferocious.
Und so eef you do das ride effer oder day you veel lose das adipose und get enough energy to invade Poland.
Oh, and my nephew got started motorcycling with a 400cc Husky.
He doesn’t like motorcycling on-road, considers it too dangerous.
Did you stand-up? Standing-up adds YOU to your bike’s suspension. When you hit a rockpile or rocky section keep your ankles locked to the pegs and frame-guards, bow your legs, and let the bike move around in the free-space between your bowed-legs. Transmits less dissonant energy that way.
You may want taller-bend bars if you’re a big guy so you don’t ride hunched over – that’s hard on the neck. Get armored shorts with padding under the plastic on your hips. Elbow protection too – don’t wear it on the outside of your jersey (or pants) – that’s a newbie giveaway. 🙂
You also want a Camelbak to stay hydrated – lose hydration and you start to make small mistakes, and they begin to magnify everything – a lightweight helmet that flows enough air so you don’t overheat or over-work your neck is also nice.
Watch-out for trails that are two-way, it’s nice to NOT have any oncoming traffic, especially not some homone-flooded 19-yr old who thinks he’s Jesus-on-a-Dirtbike…
The bike looks well set-up, the steering damper is nice, the hand-guards are the right ones, and and the pictures are pretty.