Bandit in a near "adventure" touring situation?

[drewpy_dawg]

All,
I'm considering riding my Bandit up to the in-laws 4th of July weekend.  Mostly this is due to my screwy work schedule.  Wife leaves friday night, I'll be leaving saturday afternoon type deal.  My quandry...the in-laws live on a definate country road.  One route is mostly a "dirt" road which varies from being great and being a rutty mess depending on the rain and rednecks and their bubba-trucks.  The other route is well groomed gravel/rock/washboard country road.  There are many more curves on this route.  
The question is...will I be ok on the Bandit?  I think the rutty road (if it hasn't rained in a couple days ) can be dealt with by riding the middle and packed dirt isn't bad (I've had to ride on that...).  The other road, with the rocks is my big concern as I won't really know until I get to the dirt road whether its drivable.  
My concerns are the driving part mostly...if there are techniques to it then I am fine.  I'm also concerned about my street tires, fenders, oil cooler, etc.  
All input is welcome and thanks in advance.

[ZenMan]

That's a great question, Drewpy. I live out in the country, and like your in-laws, there's a lot of dirt and gravel roads around here. In fact, every time I go somewhere, I have to ride our dirt driveway which is a 1/4 mile long, and then almost a mile of gravel road just to get to the pavement.

This is our driveway:



And this is the county road to the paved highway:



Now you know why I used to ride a DL650 V-Strom. But I ended up having to sell it and buy a bigger road-bike that we could ride two-up long distance, because my Honey didn't take to riding her own bike.

At first I was a little worried how hard it would be to wrestle the B1250 down these roads twice a day, but now it doesn't bother me at all... as long as I don't get careless!

But here's a few tips that have helped me keep from dumping the Bandit so far, maybe it'll help you too.

1. Go slow. With holes and rocks, the suspension will bottom out and could result in loss of control. It's first gear most of the way, and 10-15mph on the dirt ruts. Maybe 25-35 in 2nd out on the packed gravel. If it's a really good, hard-packed road, I might go in 3rd, but never over 45mph.

2. I never use the front brake. Totally opposite than pavement, where I almost never use the rear brake. On mud, dirt, or loose gravel, the biggest danger is your front wheel going away. And going downhill, I pull the clutch in and coast down, using the rear brake to keep my speed down. You don't want to pick up speed downhill.
3. I don't stand up on the pegs. I know, that's the best way to ride a dirt bike, or even an adventure bike like the V-Strom, but on a low, heavy bike like the Bandit you can't use your knees as effectively to control the lean or direction as well. I sit lightly, with tension on my legs, but my butt stays on the seat.

4. Ride in the ruts, not on the hump. Keep your wheels on the most hard-packed surface that you can find, the hump is usually a lot looser and less predictable. And stay on the uphill side, if you do have to change lanes, it's easier to let the wheels drop into the lower rut than it is to try to power up onto a higher surface. And even on the "good" graded gravel roads, stay out of the loose stuff and try to follow the tire tracks.

5. Your throttle will get you out of trouble. Giving it a little gas lightens the front wheel, and will save it from washing out in loose gravel or even mud. When I do have to go through something gooey like a mud puddle, I line it up straight and as soon as my front wheel hits it, I give it a little "goose" to power me through. And if you find yourself getting out of shape, a bit of power will straighten you right out.

6. Stay away from the ditch! The slope can pull you right into it before you can get it turned. It's a heavy bike, and it wants to go downhill.

7. I always keep my eyes a little ways down the track instead of right in front of me. You can get fixated on rocks and stuff that are too close and it pulls you right into them like a magnet. Plus if you look 10-20 feet ahead you can plan your route around the obstacles.

8. I never try to make too sharp of a turn, or a sudden change of direction. Again, it's a lot of weight and not much traction.

9. Keep your feet on the pegs. Putting your feet down while you are moving doesn't help, and can get you in trouble if your boots slip or lose grip. On the other hand, don't be shy about putting both feet down when you come to a stop, and watch for slippery stuff where you put your feet.

10. If you do go down, save yourself and forget about the bike! Just get away from it, it'll hurt you worse if you try to keep it up. This is a judgement call, nobody wants their bike all scratched up and busted, but when it comes down to you and a 500 pound motorcycle, the bike is gonna do what it wants no matter what you do.

It's not so bad once you get used to it, the hardest part for me is to keep from getting too relaxed or cocky. I keep the above things in mind constantly every time, and concentrate on the road every minute. So far I haven't dropped it, and I hope I can keep that up.

The worst thing is always having a dirty, dusty bike. Even when I just wash her, she always has a coat of dust or mud spatters before I can even get to the highway! Oh well...  

I hope this helps, and good luck, Drewpy!  

[drewpy_dawg]

Awesome write-up.  I appreciate it immensely.  
Andrew

[Red01]

Awesome write-up.  

+1!

[ZenMan]

Thanks, ya'll... just tryin' to be helpful.  

Another tip I forgot to mention... ride as far forward on the seat as you can, with your knees gripping the tank lightly. Back straight, head up. This gives you a little more control and leverage on your handlebars, and distributes your weight more evenly.

I've toyed with the idea of trying out a set of adventure-type tires, like Michelin Anakees or Metzeler Tourances. They give better grip in the nasty stuff due to the wider, deeper grooves in the tread. But I'd have to give up a little stickiness on the curvy pavement... and I live for the twisties!  

Always a compromise, I reckon.  

[drewpy_dawg]

I tire-kicked a Buell Ulysses.  The tires are more adventure oriented and still are mostly "normal"...some perelli tire.  I'll write up a separate post about the bike itself but I didn't notice a problem and I rode it pretty hard since it wasn't mine.  

[LowRyter]

I wouldn't ride a Bandit with sport touring tires more than a couple of blocks on a gravel or dirt road.

[pmackie]

I've done a bunch of gravel and dirt roads, up to 10 miles (16 km) per stretch, using both Bridgestone BT 020 and Michelin Pilot Roads. Both are fine, as long as it's not muddy. Use Zen's suggestions and you'll be fine.

(The trip 6+ km through the snow didn't work out as well though!!)

[rmtcook]

+1 on the great tips Zen, and holy crap!! Do you live out in the boonies or what?? Looks like the kind of neighborhood where you would have Ted Kaczynski as your neighbor!!    

Of course that's coming from someone who can hit a dozen houses with a rock from my yard!!

[ZenMan]

Yup, we's had our'n share 'o folks dissa-peert 'roun heah... we lahks ouah privissy, y'hear?

Keeps them dang city-slickers too skeert ta come pokin' 'round these heah pahts.  

[Red01]

'Cept them dadburned Rev'newers.

[LowRyter]

Yup, we's had our'n share 'o folks dissa-peert 'roun heah... we lahks ouah privissy, y'hear?

Keeps them dang city-slickers too skeert ta come pokin' 'round these heah pahts.  

ahhhh yehhh...I'm squeelin' like a pig!

[ZenMan]

Yup, we's had our'n share 'o folks dissa-peert 'roun heah... we lahks ouah privissy, y'hear?

Keeps them dang city-slickers too skeert ta come pokin' 'round these heah pahts.  

ahhhh yehhh...I'm squeelin' like a pig!

I knew it was only a matter of time before the first "Deliverance" joke.    

[smooth operator]

I think Zen-man about covered it all. (looks like some good White tail country Zen)
  On a steep hill (I've hit some back roads too) like Zen said,keep the speed down. But I used both brakes, but you don't grab them. Just a easy squeeze to put enough preasure to slow down and not lock up.
  And if its dusty,you might want to clean your air cleaner (along with everything else) after the ride.
          Dan

[stormi]

I've done a fair bit of riding dirt on the bandit (400) and the 919.  In fact, my very first ride on the 919 was on about 50 feet of gravel before I got to the road. That's scary as hell when you've been told for 4 months that the bike was scary fast, and had obscene torque, and you've never ridden it before that moment.   He behaved beautifully, hence the tag beside his name in my signature.

I must say, when it comes to less than optimal road conditions, I like the Bandit better, cos it has less power for me to get into trouble with.  Add to that her lower center of gravity and it's not that bad a ride.

Zen put it pretty good.  The only thing I like to do that's different than him is to ride the 919 primarily in 2nd gear for the slow speed stuff.  I find that 1st can be pretty "lurchy" (of course the fuel mapping for the FI on the 919 is notoriously lurch intensive as it is, it's mentioned in most reviews you'll ever read on it.)  Riding in second on a bike with lots of torque ( the B12x and the 919 both) is just enough to smooth out the lurch and leave you less likely to spin it out if you find yourself suddenly grabbing a handful of gas ( whiskey throttle) thanks to a bump or a rut, etc.

I found that occasionally dabbing a foot ( a hard habit to break, as I learned first on a dirtbike.) raised my confidence enough that I was willing to manage the bike through some looser gravel, but my turns became about 4 miles wide again, just like when I first started riding.