Wet, snoty, slick, steep muddy downhills

[Torch654]

I am finding new challenges in riding in the northwest and this is the biggest one so far. I am riding down hills so slick there is not enough traction to go up them at all.

what I have found so far,

1 find a rut! you can use the brakes far more aggressively because the bike will not swap ends in a rut.

2 the back brake will get you in trouble more quickly than the front ( Wail being careful not to let the front slide to much of course).

3 hold the clutch so the K5 wont spin out on a surge.

4 moderate both brakes at the same time to control your speed.

I am still getting my feet wet again, pun intended. Anything wrong or in addtion to these things?

[Timbowe]

In these situations I hang way back over the rear guard. Put as much weight on the rear wheel as possible and just dab at the brakes which ever one (front or back) you need at the time like Torch says. Problem is when you catch up to a slower rider...... As far as the ruts go< I try to stay clear of them as much as possible. Its is good to be able to change you'r line when required to find a bit better traction. Alot of the time grass or unbroken soil can offer a little more control and grip to a good sharp edged tire.

[Torch654]

THAT WAS YOU! hehe

[Timbowe]

Probabaly! The geriatric on the dirty ol 500.

[KXcam22]

We have lots of snotty downhills where I ride.  Two things I alwasy keep in mind are:
1. Always, always, stand up for balance, using both brakes to control the slide of each end. If you sit you are generally headed for trouble. Don't worry too much about the front sliding as long as you can get the rear to slide the same or faster.
2. Don't get too focused on going slow or trying to maintain the same speed. Instead, maintain balance, control your speed as much as you can but let your speed increase as necessary (let er roll as I say!).

Downhills like that are always tricky (but hugely fun). Cam.

[alan]

Wouldn't it be easier if you stayed out of the mud! Just kidding I have been in the desert so long I forget about stuff like that!
Alan

[GDubb]

I miss the desert. I grew up in the Mojave, CA area but never had a dirtbike when I was younger and could really use one. Now I have one of the best dirtbikes ever made and cant find anywhere to ride the darn thing without dealing with spark arrestors, transporting the bike from here to there or WAY over there blah blah blah.  At least it stays clean and I dont break anything though. What fun that is. Its starting to really get me down. If I still lived in the desert I could ride right out my front door and ride for miles and miles and miles.

[Torch654]

I grew up on a horse ranch so I know what you mean, its depressing because if I moved to where there was good riding I couldn't get a job that would pay for my toys.

I miss the desert. I grew up in the Mojave, CA area but never had a dirtbike when I was younger and could really use one. Now I have one of the best dirtbikes ever made and cant find anywhere to ride the darn thing without dealing with spark arrestors, transporting the bike from here to there or WAY over there blah blah blah.  At least it stays clean and I dont break anything though. What fun that is. Its starting to really get me down. If I still lived in the desert I could ride right out my front door and ride for miles and miles and miles.

[Timbowe]

I've allways transported my bikes. Back in the bad ol days, we had to scoot them along the footpaths and be ready to kill the motor and hop off reall quick if we saw the feds. Then sometimes we'd get chased through the towns local "Senic Reserve" which was a choice place to ride after school (sometimes during school), by the feds.
 Lucky now days not to have to travel that far to get gooood riding in. 50 miles in 3 directions will result in some very exellent ride terrain. I try to ride most weekends in the 3 warmer seasons.

[KXcam22]

Timbowe,
  Maybe a dumb question, but how hot are your average warmer season months when you ride.  Here in Canada we ride march - june, hit the lake for July & Aug (35 - 40C) then resume riding in Sept until the snow flies in Nov. Then is snow skiing time until April. Skied a day with some guys from Taz last winter. Fun guys! Cam.

[Timbowe]

Hey Cam. Hot months here are late december, January and Febuary. Average temp would be 28 degrees C.
The winter months are not too bad at lower levels. Average mid winter daytime temp is say 8/9 degrees. So not toomuch of a problem to go for a burn mid winter. Just have to stay away from the Alps from mid winter untill mid spring. To much snow is very hazardous on narrow mountain tracks. You just cant see where the track is on the south sides where the sun does not reach.
 So really pretty much oppisite to northerners. We do have the odd freak stinkin hot day every now and then but not to 40 degrees. Maybe 37/38 would be the hottest round this area that I can remember. Central Otago, 3 hours south west, are in the 35-40 bracket mid summer. Big stone fruit producer. Bit hot for me tho.

[GDubb]

Hey Cam... I just watched Terrafirma 7 recently (I watch ALOT of dirtbike videos to get me through the dry riding spells!) and there's a segment with Guy Perry that showed some awesome woods/trail riding there in Kamloops. Looks like beatiful terrain and scenery. I thought of you when I saw it and thought is was kinda cool that I was watching that video wondering, "I wonder if Cam has ever ridden there". There's also a good segment on that video that has a good few minutes of footage with three KX500s in the desert... cant remeber who was riding though.... maybe Destry but I'm not sure.

[KXcam22]

Gdubb,
  That was probably Guy Perret.  I have ridden with him a few times, same trails as on the video I expect. His dad used to own the over 60 class at Baja on his KX500.  It's a fabulous area.  About 6 hours from you if you ever want to do a ride trip.  My riding buddies from up north routinely make the 400mile trek down to come here for a weekend ride.  Working on a helmet cam setup so I can post some ride vid.  Tore my ACL & CCL (wakeboarding of all things) early Aug so haven't been on the bike for quite awhile.  I'll have to look out for that terrafirma 7.  I know there are tons of mountainbike videos shot here.  Recognize them all the time on TV.  They like all the monster sand cliffs to drop off of. Cam.