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First experience on a forest service road...

5K views 30 replies 12 participants last post by  Beardsley 
#1 ·
I wanted to share my first experience on a forest service road with a 2012 DL 650. I did some exploring Saturday after riding with a large group that met at TWoS ( Two Wheels of Suches in Suches, Ga ). On the way home I decided to do some exploring on some gravel roads and some forest service roads. The gravel roads were an absolute blast. The forest service road, not so much.

The forest service road was steep in a couple of sections and very rocky. It was mostly hard packed, so not very much loose rock, with a bit of mud here and there. I was riding on stock TrailWings and I did not air down any. I was lightly loaded, but I did have both side cases and the top case installed. I wanted to experience setup this first.

I didn't have any problems with the capability of the bike. On steep down hills in loose rock the back brake is almost useless, but the front brake worked really good. The ABS added a lot of confidence. I'm still surprised how well the bike hooks up with so little wheel spin, even when I blipped the throttle. It just goes. The mud was interesting as the bike had a mind of it's own. I anticipated that and just let it go where it wanted. The mud was the only place I really felt the weight of the bike. That might be because I didn't ride very slow. The only real issue I had was the suspension. It beat the crap out of me. The suspension, as noted by everyone else on several forums, is really harsh in the initial stroke. That is easy to fix, though.

Luckily, I got turned around by a couple of tree's across the path that I couldn't circumnavigate. I made an eight point turn and back tracked out the way I came in.

After I replace the OEM tires with something better and I upgrade the suspension I'll test again. I won't shy away from any forest service until then, though.
 
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#2 ·
The local National Forests here have little budget for road maintenance, and the maps are out of date. Some of the workers in the NF visitor centers have up to date info on the condition of the roads.

The back brake was almost useless, or the back tire didn't have traction? I think you mean the tire didn't hold, while the brake did its job of stopping the wheel.
 
#3 ·
On steep down hills in loose rock the back brake is almost useless, but the front brake worked really good. The ABS added a lot of confidence.
Most likely, the rear brake was useless because of the ABS.

If you don't have traction, the ABS will essentially disable the brakes.

I learned the hard way, under similar circumstances.

On unfamiliar gravel and dirt roads, especially where you may encounter a steep downgrade, it's best to disable the ABS. This can be done by removing the ABS fuses from the fuseblock or by wiring in a switch.
 
#4 ·
There are some great (dirt) roads less than 10 minutes off of Wolf Pen Gap Rd. on the left (leaving TWoS) that are a treat to ride. I never cared much for the Trailwings once leaving the asphalt , never inspired any confidence. Glad you had some fun. Was TWoS up and running now? If so , do tell.
 
#5 ·
The back brake worked perfectly. I just meant that the back tire didn't have very much traction.

I have GPS routes of where I was at and I also have defined forestry maps.

I forget which fs I was on, but it was off of Wolf Pen Gap rd.
 
#17 ·
The back brake worked perfectly. I just meant that the back tire didn't have very much traction.
I just want to make sure you understand what happens with ABS on a loose downgrade with tires that don't grab.

You suddenly have no brakes, you pick up speed and crash.

Now, the ABS system on the second-generation DL650 may be different than my 2007, but you may not want to learn the way I did.

Cheers,

Norm
 
#6 ·
One of the most challenging of the FS roads in that area is Flatland Rd. It starts off as sort of a drive way for some of the residences back there but soon turns into slippery 2-track (a week earlier that you), creek crossing and steep hills. The whole time I was on my DRZ 400 I was thinking how much more difficult would this be on the DL650. Our DS event had a few big ADV's go through without too much problem. Mainly KTM 990's. Also on 180 is Wolf Creek rd., a little more easy going.

Yes, TWoS is open! They're renovated the lodge with a totally new kitchen and new tables in the dining area. The bath house and foot bridge from field to the left are still under construction but they are close. Bill (owner) said the bridge and RV area should be done by the first half of July.
 
#12 ·
Also worth a try is Nimblewill Gap Rd. At one time it was super rutted with lots of rock ledges to hop over. You'd need more ground clearance than these bikes offer. But about 3 years ago they started started maintaining it :thumbdown: and you should be ok now. It's a long pretty ride if you're in the area.

That's what I'm loving about this bike! I've ridden my DRZ all over the FS roads and my Caponord all over the paved roads. The Capo always felt very nervous and top heavy off the tarmac. Now I can do just about all of both:thumbup:
 
#13 ·
Grab one of these, INFO MAP

This is a great map to get you around. I've ran all the roads on this map and can attest they are all great!

If you get around Little Mountain Road, that is a super fun muddy road, I love it but I was up there three weeks ago and there were signs everywhere saying the land has been leased for hunting and no trespassing. :( Those were not there a few months earlier. If they were, I must have been going to fast to notice.:green_lol:

There are also some great roads through Dawson Forest, one has a nice river crossing there too, its wide but its highly maintained so its easy.
 
#28 ·
Is the ABS Fuse easily identified? (sorry if this is a stupid question)

Or can someone post a picture of the DL650 2012+ fuse box with an arrow pointing to the ABS fuse?

Secondly, I saw another post about installing a ABS cut off switch. Is that pretty much a plug and play deal or how complicated is that?

Not too much of a gear head but do plan to take my bike off-road.
 
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