There is a first for everything! Today I had my first experience with my new-to-me G/S on a trail-type side road with deep grooves farm trucks and lots of water ...<p> <p> Needless to say, for an absolute NooB I did okay: dropped it only twice in about (what seemed to be) a mile, no damages, but plenty of grin on my face! Now here's my newbie question: what is the best driving technique for those roads? On a bicycle I used to use the top between grooves and try to stay there. You get in a groove you're very likely to fall. Happened to me, couldn't steer straight enough, I guess. Stephen
By the looks of it, you've got dry/packed dirt road tires on there. As I tell people who end up in a ditch in Vermont in their Connecticut SUV's without winter tires..."four wheel drive aint worth shit if youve got summer tires." Slap some knobbies (or at least TKC's) and then hit the mud and ruts. Stand up in the pegs, and stay on the gas. Letting out a big shout always helps,too.
Oh yeah, I can assure you, I was Yiiippppeeeee ...ing! But you are probably right: these are Metzeler Enduros which are representative of my riding so far. I am sure I would have only dropped it once if that was a real off-road bike with only 300lbs and real 50:50 or better knobbies. But you gotta work with what you have! Staying on the gas is what I will try next time!
It's pretty tough to stay out of the grooves, I tried that when first learning and right away realized that didn't work too well. They are hard to ride dry, harder when wet and most difficult when snotty. You are going to wind up in the groove anyway so learn to ride them. Instead of trying to avoid them head for them and practice how to enter and exit them plus learn to ride them fast.
When confronted with deep ruts, I look ahead for an exit out. If there is one, I go ahead and let her drop down in, since that's where I'm going to end up anyhow. If no exit presents itself, a different approch is required, mostly slow and careful and possibly even paddling with my feet. Can't overstate the importantence of looking ahead, whether it be trails or on the highway. Even with more than four decades of riding experience, I still catch myself staring at where the frt. wheel is going. The frt. wheel is everything on motorcycles and with these tanks, even more so. But if one trusts to that 6th. sense to keep it out of trouble and focuses ahead, there will be less surprises coming at up.