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Back roads

4K views 18 replies 14 participants last post by  OreDL650Adventure 
#1 ·
I got my we to explore the back roads of Oregon, boy was I in for a suprise. The roads in Oregon are made with crushed rocks, about 2" deep. A stock bike is not rideable on this type of surface. Any suggestions out there? Otherwise I might have a perfect 09 for sale. Help.
 
#2 ·
Loaded question. Tell us more or else you're going to get a wild variety of answers.

How experienced are you on this type of road with other motorcycles?
What makes the stock bike unrideable in your opinion?
If you have an 09, why are you posting in the 2012+ section?

Help us help you ;)
 
#3 ·
According to many who ride offroad (I never have, but I read and search like wild when I buy a new bike), off-roading you should lower your air pressure in your tires. I've seen 20 front and 25 rear recommended by a few. Have you tried that? I used to mountain bike and the low air pressure does help a WHOLE lot with any loose surfaces.

Alexi
 
#8 ·
If I may cut to the chase-

-Lose the Suzuki.
-Get on a KTM 690 Enduro R.
-Enjoy.
:thumbdown:

Yeah, and if you're going to ride the twisties, lose the strom & get an r1.
and
If your going you're ride the super slab, lose the Strom & get a gold wing.
and
If your going you're ride on urban commutes, lose the Strom & get a SM.
and
If your going you're ride [insert terrain type here], lose the Strom.

I find this to be this is a kind of a silly answer. People buy stroms not because they are the best at one thing, but because you can get them to handle a lot of different things.


I got my we to explore the back roads of Oregon, boy was I in for a suprise. The roads in Oregon are made with crushed rocks, about 2" deep. A stock bike is not rideable on this type of surface. Any suggestions out there? Otherwise I might have a perfect 09 for sale. Help.
Deep gravel on a heavy bike can (as can any bike) be very disconcerting. Keep your weight back, speed down, stay loose on the bars and let the front just swim in the general direction that you want to go. Obviously, if you can find harder ground in the channels between the deepest gravel ride there.

The strom can handle deep gravel OKish, it won't be like a KTM 450 exc, but it can be made to do OK. More aggressive tire will help a fair bit, as will a fork brace and a steering stabilizer. If you only want to do deep gravel consider a DR 650 a dr-z 400 (or many other true enduros), both are cheaper than your strom.

If you want a decent paved road carver, that is decently comfortable for super slab, that is a good commuter, that is good on gravel roads, that can handle deep gravel & the occasion 4wd road, stick with the strom.
 
#6 ·
The wee is a perfectly capable bike for all but the nastiest roads or deep ruts. Real deep gravel or loose rock is sometimes a struggle, I have not found those types of roads very frequently. What part of Oregon were you riding? I have done a lot back/off road riding in Eastern Oregon, and I think the wee handles is great.
 
#7 ·
I tried to ride the roads around the Ice Cave to China Hat then tried to get over to Hwy 31. Everything is fine untill the serface gets a little soft, then oh crap! It's not like I don't know how to ride in the dirt, I used to be a pretty good MX racer. Yea, like TwoShots said the KTM would have been nice, but they are a little more than the seven grand I paid for the We.
 
#12 ·
bsbiker: My guess is that conditions of the roads you were riding on are not very common. I think you just found some crappy terrain. I bet that as you explore more unimproved roads with the wee, you will really learn to like it. I bought my wee expecting that gravel roads would be the extent of its abilities, but I have found that it can tackle a lot more than just gravel roads. I have my wee set up more for off-highway riding, and I think it's a pretty awesome bike. I have been pretty surprised at its abilities.
 
#13 ·
Continental TKC-80s with 20psi front, 25 back. Brink a small air compressor that'll run off your bike battery to pump back up to spec when you're back on pavement.

Oh...and run the forks flush with the triple clamps when you're riding in loose stuff. Many of us have raised the forks to make the bike "turn-in better on pavement. On loose surfaces this makes the front end plow. For the rear, run with the least preload you can get away with, for the same reasons. This made a big difference on the Trans Labrador Highway, which is 600 miles of loose dirt, gravel and potholes.
 
#16 ·
This is just a brief tip of the iceberg type statement, but now do you understand just how truly "great" this motorcycle is at actually being a a "motorcycle"?
The greatest I've ever had, that's for sure!

It does just about everything very well, nothing spectacularly well, but the sum of the overall competency is truly awesome!

I'm loving it more every day!
 
#17 ·
I live and ride in Central Oregon. If you're talking about the red cinder rock, it's horrible on any bike. I don't like it on my DR350. Deep gravel is also terrible to ride in, but I haven't found much around here, except on the very edges of the gravel roads or at intersections.

I agree with many of these other posts. Tire type, tire pressure and fork brace will make a big difference. I bought my Wee off a rider from Hood River who had ridden it all over Oregon, and lots offroad. He sold it to buy a KTM 990 for better offroad experience. I've only put 3000 miles on mine since February and have found it much better on the non-paved roads than I expected.

I just got rid of my Shinko 705 and put a Heidenau K60 scout on. I've only put 30 or so miles of dirt on it, but wow what a great tire.

Don't give up, you'll figure it out.
 
#18 ·
I will say that on our journey on the Trans Labrador Highway we met up with a number of other riders and "locals," some of whom commute a hundred miles each way. Many of the "tourist" riders on the TLH were on Kawasaki KRL 650s, with a few BMW GS 1200 and a couple of GS 800s. Virtually all of the locals rode KLR 650s. I didn't see another 'Strom up there besides mine.
 
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