Just returned to off road riding after a three year hiatus. Sold my Kawi Voyager bagger and bought a 2008 XR650L with just 5800 miles and a bunch of upgrades. Can't wait to get back in the dirt. Enjoy watching your videos.
Congrats on the bike! The XR is such a fun bike, especially in the dirt. What mods does your bike have? Next week, I'll post a riding vid. Thanks for the support. Cheers
You asked what else we’d like to see: general maintenance tips and troubleshooting would be good idea to help us get rid of the fear of mechanical problems when out in the bush or far from home. Breaking down and not knowing how to fix things is my biggest fear about travelling off road on long distance trips. Thanks for the advice you’re giving us btw.
Thanks man, I appreciate the comment. I feel exactly the same way. That's why I try to do everything myself. I am my no means a mechanic, but I want to know as much as I can exactly for the reason you mentioned.
Thanks for the lesson... I'll be riding through muddy terrain this weekend on my way to a campsite, and so this is really helpful. I just wonder what gear would be best as I ride through the mud patches.
Sorry for the late reply... how did the mud riding go? I was surprised to see how much the right technique helped. The worst part is washing your bike afterward.
@@GreaseAndGravel Thanks a lot! My entry to the site was fine but I struggled on the exit because the road was slanted upwards. Exactly as you said, when I felt my rear wheel lose traction, I tended to look down and this was when I stopped and dropped my bike. All my camping gear and top box also made it more difficult, and my 90-10 tourance tires may have made it more difficult. But I'll try it again after a good rest 👍
@@MotoFaith Yeah, I can imagine the Tourance tires do not help! Thanks for letting me know. It is just amazing how looking up and ahead helps. And feather that clutch. But a slippery uphill sounds mad! Enjoy!
100% We rode up the western side of Tanzania once and it was pouring with rain for days. We ended up on such a clay road. We fell over every couple of hundred meters. It was nearly unrideable.
Same technique for riding though water basically don't spin back wheel I usually just roll through it and i avoid mud n water as much as I can unless theirs no other option.
Hi there. I’ve nailed going through slippery mud on a flat surface but how do I do that on an incline? So riding through a sizable dip with the incline full of slippery mud?
Mmm, I doubt that there's an easy answer for that. You need momentum, but also traction. I'd say you need more speed, but without spinning the rear wheel. Very tricky!
Thanks, Man. I used 2nd gear. The main thing is you want momentum, but without spinning the wheels. Up and downhill is going to be very tricky to keep traction. Same principles apply (I guess), but you have to adjust for the effects of gravity.
A mud pool can be dealt with. However, is there a way, other than sitting and 'paddle walking' to ride an extreme mud road? So mud stretching for few hundred meters?
In the UK we sometimes ride mud for km's at a time. Need to drop your heels, keep some weight on the bars so that the front is secure, let the rear move around as it needs to and counterbalance with butt / hips movement. As video said, limit wheelspin by using low rpm and clutch modulation but no need to avoid wheelspin altogether, sometimes spinning is the only way to get drive. I learned to ride in SA, then moved to UK and needed to learn all over again, because mud and wet.
Mmmm... if I find a road like that I'll give it a go (at least it will make for a good 'fail' video)... but I got good and properly stuck in a muddy bog this morning... took me more than 30min to get out. Cheers!
@@GreaseAndGravel you can't find much tips and tricks on riding(dual sports/adv) slick uphills. One thing I'm good though is how to safely lay down the bike huehuehue.
@@idselseno2306 fall uphill! Rock it as you go, cut L/R as much as possible, back and forth. Stand, float, and sometimes that rear is just going to kick sideways so much you lose vertical and lay it down.
Thanks, Dave. Yeah, I've heard that some riders distinguish between the two. I made a whole video on this: th-cam.com/video/NzBgDqmCq8Y/w-d-xo.html Interestingly, Honda USA lists the XR650L under both 'Adventure' and 'Dual Sport' ;)
Worth watching!!
Mud is hard to ride. You pointed out a couple things I’ve been doing wrong.
Well done.
Thanks man, I appreciate it. I was surprised how much of a difference the right technique made. I always paddled through
Just returned to off road riding after a three year hiatus. Sold my Kawi Voyager bagger and bought a 2008 XR650L with just 5800 miles and a bunch of upgrades. Can't wait to get back in the dirt. Enjoy watching your videos.
Congrats on the bike! The XR is such a fun bike, especially in the dirt. What mods does your bike have? Next week, I'll post a riding vid. Thanks for the support. Cheers
You asked what else we’d like to see: general maintenance tips and troubleshooting would be good idea to help us get rid of the fear of mechanical problems when out in the bush or far from home. Breaking down and not knowing how to fix things is my biggest fear about travelling off road on long distance trips. Thanks for the advice you’re giving us btw.
Thanks man, I appreciate the comment. I feel exactly the same way. That's why I try to do everything myself. I am my no means a mechanic, but I want to know as much as I can exactly for the reason you mentioned.
Thanks for this! You explained it very well. I’m looking forward to trying it now! Subscribed.
Thanks, I appreciate it! Let me know how it goes. The worst is washing the bike afterward!
Very good .. well explained and demonstrated
Thank you, @Brian I appreciate it!
Its a bid hard if you have 2km of that dirt road but one thing i would like to know is how to corner without the front wheel slipping
I agree... 2km of mud would almost certainly take me for a swim! Knobby on the front and body positioning should help with the front wheel.
Thanks for the lesson... I'll be riding through muddy terrain this weekend on my way to a campsite, and so this is really helpful. I just wonder what gear would be best as I ride through the mud patches.
Sorry for the late reply... how did the mud riding go? I was surprised to see how much the right technique helped. The worst part is washing your bike afterward.
@@GreaseAndGravel Thanks a lot! My entry to the site was fine but I struggled on the exit because the road was slanted upwards. Exactly as you said, when I felt my rear wheel lose traction, I tended to look down and this was when I stopped and dropped my bike. All my camping gear and top box also made it more difficult, and my 90-10 tourance tires may have made it more difficult. But I'll try it again after a good rest 👍
@@MotoFaith Yeah, I can imagine the Tourance tires do not help! Thanks for letting me know. It is just amazing how looking up and ahead helps. And feather that clutch. But a slippery uphill sounds mad! Enjoy!
Longer muddy terrain..the wet gravel road ...one can only have so much momentum...?
I guess paddling with your feet then becomes the only option..?
To add to my question below. If riding on a ice skating rink is a 'no go' then I guess a long enough clayish mud road can become a 'no go'?
100% We rode up the western side of Tanzania once and it was pouring with rain for days. We ended up on such a clay road. We fell over every couple of hundred meters. It was nearly unrideable.
Same technique for riding though water basically don't spin back wheel I usually just roll through it and i avoid mud n water as much as I can unless theirs no other option.
Yes, I hate mud and water (mostly for the cleaning and drowning risk). I also avoid it where I can. Was painful to do this on purpose!
thanks, i learned some good tips from this video
Thanks for the comment, Michael!
Hi there. I’ve nailed going through slippery mud on a flat surface but how do I do that on an incline? So riding through a sizable dip with the incline full of slippery mud?
Mmm, I doubt that there's an easy answer for that. You need momentum, but also traction. I'd say you need more speed, but without spinning the rear wheel. Very tricky!
New to your channel, Great overview mate, following for more.🤘
Thanks, Matt! I appreciate it. Wow, you'd done some awesome stuff on your channel! Respect ✌
Thank you, God bless you
Thank you, and same to you!
Very informative video, when you move to the muddy track, what gear should be used and also how about going downhill and uphill on a muddy track?
Thanks, Man. I used 2nd gear. The main thing is you want momentum, but without spinning the wheels. Up and downhill is going to be very tricky to keep traction. Same principles apply (I guess), but you have to adjust for the effects of gravity.
Thank you
looks like a grate time
It was! 😁
A mud pool can be dealt with. However, is there a way, other than sitting and 'paddle walking' to ride an extreme mud road? So mud stretching for few hundred meters?
In those situations the paddling technique may be the only way to stay upright.
In the UK we sometimes ride mud for km's at a time. Need to drop your heels, keep some weight on the bars so that the front is secure, let the rear move around as it needs to and counterbalance with butt / hips movement. As video said, limit wheelspin by using low rpm and clutch modulation but no need to avoid wheelspin altogether, sometimes spinning is the only way to get drive. I learned to ride in SA, then moved to UK and needed to learn all over again, because mud and wet.
How to ride uphill on slick muddy roads?
Mmmm... if I find a road like that I'll give it a go (at least it will make for a good 'fail' video)... but I got good and properly stuck in a muddy bog this morning... took me more than 30min to get out. Cheers!
@@GreaseAndGravel you can't find much tips and tricks on riding(dual sports/adv) slick uphills. One thing I'm good though is how to safely lay down the bike huehuehue.
@@idselseno2306 fall uphill!
Rock it as you go, cut L/R as much as possible, back and forth.
Stand, float, and sometimes that rear is just going to kick sideways so much you lose vertical and lay it down.
Good 👍
Thanks!
Great tips, but... that's not an adventure bike. That's a dual sport...
Thanks, Dave. Yeah, I've heard that some riders distinguish between the two. I made a whole video on this: th-cam.com/video/NzBgDqmCq8Y/w-d-xo.html Interestingly, Honda USA lists the XR650L under both 'Adventure' and 'Dual Sport' ;)