What Is The Advantage Of Large Displacement In The Dirt?

[Ceri JC]

Originally Posted by BeerIsGood

Do you feel that the long wheel base ever hinders maneuverability? Especially in tight turning situations?

---Thanks

Rarely; generally speaking, it's only when threading between trees, when "properly offroad" (as opposed to going down trails) that I find myself wanting a tighter turning circle. I suppose there are a few times I've reverted to the "spin on the sidestand/centrestand" trick to perform a u-turnon a narrow trail, when on a smaller bike I could have gotten away without doing it.

I can think of two crashes I had on smaller bikes (a KTM 400EXC and a G450X) where it got out of shape when the front wheel got deflected that I am fairly sure I would have been easier to save on the F8. True, a steering dampener probably would have saved this on either smaller bike, but an F8 without a dampener would have likely stayed upright. FWIW, the trails where both these incidents occurred, I would have been able to get an F8 down; they weren't really nadgery ones.

I am not for a second suggesting big bikes are more competent offroad than little ones; in general, they're not. It's just that there are some benefits to them and these are often overlooked.

[MWadv]

Originally Posted by BeerIsGood

This is probably a noob question. And as far as off road riding goes, I guess I am a noob. I see a lot of riders on this forum wallowing around the dirt and mud with HUGE bikes (BMW 1200 GS, Yamaha Tenere, KTM 990) and I was just wondering:

1. What is the advantage of a bike this large in an off road situation?
2. Other than speed and power on tarmac, is there really any advantage?

Torque!!

[Ceri JC]

Originally Posted by MWadv

Torque!!

Momentum too.

[_cy_]

get real... a 500lb pig in the dirt has no advantage

a 575lb bike in the dirt is

[Grreatdog]

Originally Posted by BeerIsGood

....What is the advantage of a bike this large in an off road situation?....

ROOST!

Endless, glorious, roost.

[lethe]

Originally Posted by Grreatdog

ROOST!

Endless, glorious, roost.

such fun when the rear is spinning and the front end is rising with some random cow looking over like WTF?

[Grreatdog]

Yep, one of the my finest moments was having a guy I was riding with ask me if I learned how to turn from Don Garlits. I don't think he was happy about me shattering his headlight.

[Rucksta]

I climbed a hill yesterday.
It's a long sucker just keeps goin up and up and up.
1800 ft elevation change in 3 miles as the crow flies.
Takes about 30 min on the G/S 2nd & 3rd gear seated mostly

On enduro bikes takes about the same time maybe 5 min less for a gun rider
I'm not a gun rider and on an enduro bike I'm knackered by the time I get to the top.

On the larger bike I can ride home through the forest and brush up OK for work the next day.
With an enduro bike I need to make a weekend of it and take a sickie Monday to get over the aches and pain.

[Ritalin Boy]

Originally Posted by BeerIsGood

This is probably a noob question. And as far as off road riding goes, I guess I am a noob. I see a lot of riders on this forum wallowing around the dirt and mud with HUGE bikes (BMW 1200 GS, Yamaha Tenere, KTM 990) and I was just wondering:

1. What is the advantage of a bike this large in an off road situation?
2. Other than speed and power on tarmac, is there really any advantage?

There is absolutely zero advantage to a big bike in the woods. I go places on my 450 that I wouldn't dare to take my GS, however other than transits I never ride my 450 on pavement.

Now if you are talking general dual sport riding (fire roads, stuff on maps) there is still no advantage to the GS (other than comfort and range) however it didn't need to get there on a trailer.

Bottom line is if you're looking to do more dirt or adventure touring figure out what you want to do, where you want to go and then get the smallest bike that will work. Cross country with a jaunt on some jeep trails to Colorado peaks? By all means the big bikes will be great. Trans-Am Trail? Not so good for the big bike, probably a 600 or so would be good. Single track with your buddies? 450 or smaller.

I love my GS because it is a really great street bike that can do well off road, not because it's a great dirt bike.

Originally Posted by Ritalin Boy

there is still no advantage to the GS (other than comfort and range)

Quite curious about this one. Do you think it is possible to fit a small displacement bike to make it as comfortable as a GS with the same range as a GS?

[BobbySands]

no.

[tbarstow]

Originally Posted by BeerIsGood

Quite curious about this one. Do you think it is possible to fit a small displacement bike to make it as comfortable as a GS with the same range as a GS?

No, by the time you add gas capacity for range, you kill the weight advantage and handling of the smaller bike. The GS also has a nice wide seat, versus the standard piece of 2x4 that comes on a dirt bike.

[_cy_]

now don't be mixing up G/S with bloated up late model GS

[kbroderick]

I can't justify owning more than one bike, nor do I have anywhere to keep more bikes, so I own one bike that will do everything I want it to do reasonably well.

A street-legal dirt bike would be much better off road, and a street bike with a slightly lower seat height would be better for on-road (particularly two-up...getting started is a bitch if you can't reach the ground with both feet). However, a dirt bike isn't going to have enough weatherproof luggage for going to visit my folks for a week and bringing a bunch of camera gear, nor is a lower bike going to work very well when the Garmin tells me that I'm on "Unpaved Road."

So, IMO, the advantage of an 1150GS in the dirt is that it's the bike I own.

[DAKEZ]

Originally Posted by kbroderick

So, IMO, the advantage of an 1150GS in the dirt is that it's the bike I own.

They are better at breaking a leg in a crash.