Beyond the Tarmac
Beyond the Tarmac
By Adam P. Paul #123713
And his wife
Autumn Birt
Originally published by BMW Owners News, a publication of the BMW Owners association
“You ought to be ashamed of yourself, taking that BMW off road.” This is usually the response I get from my father on a regular basis when I show up with my off road modified R1100GS covered front fender to tail rack in mud, sand and silt.
For awhile, I started to think that he was right. Yeah, my first bike and my wife’s current bike; the Kawasaki KLR650 was designed for dual sport riding, but who in their right mind would want to ride a 550 pound travel equipped motorcycle off road? When I bought the bike, it even had sticky road tires mounted. Between those tires and the need to learn how the bike typically handled, I kept to paved roads for a while.
Many GS riders I've met have never ventured off road, even though BMW ships the Adventure series bikes from the factory with tires that are suitable for all terrain. They also run the grueling
Like I said before, my GS came with street tires. The prior owner admitted never taking the bike off road. Although the bike handled stellar on-road, I almost low-sided on a shallow curve on a gravel road when I finally started adventuring beyond the pavement. The following week I installed Continental TKC-80s, OEM for the BMW Adventure series bikes . The difference was instantly distinguishable, the knobby tires were nowhere near as smooth as the road tires but still stuck well enough for aggressive road riding! The real advantage became noticeable on my first excursion off of the tarmac.
At first, I was hesitant about trying the bike on loose gravel, but did so anyway. The bike responded loosely as predicted, but still was able to travel confidently over the loose surface. After my confidence increased, my curiosity in the capabilities of the GS increased as well. It seems as though on every ride I push myself and my GS into trying something new. I worked up from the loose gravel roads, to puddle crossings, then stream crossings and from gravel roads, to muddy logging roads, to finally wretched, rocky ATV trails. Since the initial attempt over loose gravel, I've learned that the GS is as capable as the rider piloting it.
Of course, it helps that I had been over many of these same roads with the little KLR. But that doesn't mean anyone can't learn to take their GS off road. It is what they were designed for, despite the culture that BMWs are only road bikes.
Is it too heavy to ride off road? That is your decision. If you maintain balance, the bike weighs next to nothing. That is one primary rule of riding off road – distribution of balance. If you thought riding was already a very interactive sport get ready for a whole new realm and a lot of standing up and transferring weight on the pegs, pulling back on the bars, and giving throttle when a road-only rider would be clamping down on the brakes as hard as they could.
In preparation of riding off road I did install crash bars on my GS and have been glad I did. Crash bars are as expensive as new valve covers, but a bent crash bar won’t leave you stranded in the middle of grizzly bear country squirting oil on the ground like a cracked valve cover! Just like there is safety gear you wear for riding a motorcycle, there is proper equipment for minimizing the risk of damage to your bike off road. However, you don't have to spend a ton of money just to learn a few off road techniques. I do recommend something other than road tires though. If you are at all interested in traveling back gravel and dirt roads, dirt capable road tires are worth the expense.
The best place to start to learn balance for off road riding is on a town maintained dirt road. Stand up on your pegs, shift your weight and see how the bike reacts. What about braking? Loose gravel on pavement is one of a road bikers worst nightmares. Well, remember that MSF course? The one where they said 70% front and 30% rear brakes. Forget that lesson while riding on dirt. 70% on front may result in a lockup or worse. The best all round is 40/60 favoring the rear brake. Also, disable the ABS, as it will inhibit stopping. Go out and do a few emergency stops on dirt to see how the bike reacts. Riding in dirt is more aggressive. You will feel your rear tire slide and you should know how to react when it does. The last thing you want to do is panic with this unfamiliar sensation as, believe it or not, it eventually becomes a steering mechanism.
Once you are comfortable with the balance and brake practice. Learn the grip of the tires. How long will they bite? A slightly less maintained road with lots of pot holes is just perfect for this! Practice swerves at various speeds and if you hit one, well that is good practice too. Aim for some rocky patches and get used to the bumps. Learn to travel a line through rough terrain, even if it is just a short section of pot holes and rocks. Stick to your confidence level but push the edge a little further each time you ride. My wife and I try to focus on either perfecting a skill or learning a new one each time we ride off road.
If you live near a gravel pit, then you just found the perfect place to practice off road riding skills. Ask permission first and find out when the gravel trucks won't be around, but consider the gravel pit the off road riders equivalent to a parking lot. Set up rock
As for learning puddle/stream crossings, well there is really only one way and I hate to say it, but it is to get wet! Start with a small puddle. If you don't mind getting your feet wet, walk through it and feel the bottom. Is it hard or slick mud? After you go through on foot and you are confident that it isn’t bottomless or there isn’t a 15 inch submerged log, get some speed up and lean back to get the weight off of the front tire because the water will slow you down naturally. Keep your stance loose and fluid. Yes, your rear tire will fishtail a bit in the mud. Yes, you might hit a big rock in the middle of the puddle. You have to be ready for anything and ready to react to it.
The nice thing about dirt and mud riding is that the conditions change incredibly with the weather. That nice dirt road that was no longer a challenge on dry days can teach you a whole new set of skills after a rainstorm. My wife's motto when going through puddles and long wet, muddy sections is to aim for the points of least resistance and roll on the throttle. If you fall down, don’t fret for you have just learned the cardinal rule of off road riding; falling off road causes less damage to you as well as the bike while instilling the knowledge of proper technique.
The biggest thing is to simply get out and give it a try. The GS is a capable bike and can handle off road conditions. When I pull up at a gas station with my bike, and myself, covered in mud and I get a complement about how the bike looks like it just got done going around the world, I'm proud to say that I can go places that many motorcyclists can only dream of going. Learn the above skill sets as they are the foundation of all off road riding. Most importantly, have fun and I'll see you on the trail,
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