carver
12th November 2007, 20:36
Well, it came time for the ER6 to be taken onto the gravel.
I have owned a few trail bikes, and I used to do a lot of fast gravel riding, so I am no stranger to a sliding tail, and the front pitching everywhere.
This bike is riding on Metzler Z6’s, which are good in the wet, and I love em!
The ride to the gravel saw the road peppered with stones, which was a sweet intro.
I found the bike easy to use by applying the following techniques:
Relax and let the bike move underneath you
Look ahead
Use the throttle to get out of the rough stuff
Stay away from the loose stuff
The faster you go the easier it is (try keep your tires at 90 deg with the camber of the road)
Its not a race, get comfortable
The rear does get a bit overwhelmed with all the potholes, but every bike with a direct linkage does.
I smoked the XT 600X I was riding with, but im sure if he had had the skill and desire he would have given me a serious run for my money.
The rear tended to fishtail a bit, but that worried me as much as sidewinder acting gay.
I felt I finished the road fast, and easy, I felt pretty happy.
Onto the tar and down the other side of pirongia mountain!
I waited for the motard at the top and signalled him to pass.
I was hoping he would go for it, and he kinda did, but I was right up to him in a few hundered meters.
So I just passed him, man, this was bliss.
a deserted road down the mountain full of tight corners, with mint seal.
The road goes through bush, and is full of 55-35 kph corners, and the road is of medium width.
I flew down there, feeling totally relaxed after the gravel, sitting between 90-120 kph on the downhill.
No panic, just smooth fast riding, I felt very much as one with the ER6n and also at peace with its limits.
The rain on the horizon had created a big bright rainbow, and with the sun setting behind me, and the rainbow in front of me, it was another day in paradise, perfection it seemed was just a touch away, the ER6 felt perfect, no other words for it, new plugs, full tank of gas, it was going to do what I willed it do with 100% agreement but
without sacrificing its character.
Awesome.
I have owned a few trail bikes, and I used to do a lot of fast gravel riding, so I am no stranger to a sliding tail, and the front pitching everywhere.
This bike is riding on Metzler Z6’s, which are good in the wet, and I love em!
The ride to the gravel saw the road peppered with stones, which was a sweet intro.
I found the bike easy to use by applying the following techniques:
Relax and let the bike move underneath you
Look ahead
Use the throttle to get out of the rough stuff
Stay away from the loose stuff
The faster you go the easier it is (try keep your tires at 90 deg with the camber of the road)
Its not a race, get comfortable
The rear does get a bit overwhelmed with all the potholes, but every bike with a direct linkage does.
I smoked the XT 600X I was riding with, but im sure if he had had the skill and desire he would have given me a serious run for my money.
The rear tended to fishtail a bit, but that worried me as much as sidewinder acting gay.
I felt I finished the road fast, and easy, I felt pretty happy.
Onto the tar and down the other side of pirongia mountain!
I waited for the motard at the top and signalled him to pass.
I was hoping he would go for it, and he kinda did, but I was right up to him in a few hundered meters.
So I just passed him, man, this was bliss.
a deserted road down the mountain full of tight corners, with mint seal.
The road goes through bush, and is full of 55-35 kph corners, and the road is of medium width.
I flew down there, feeling totally relaxed after the gravel, sitting between 90-120 kph on the downhill.
No panic, just smooth fast riding, I felt very much as one with the ER6n and also at peace with its limits.
The rain on the horizon had created a big bright rainbow, and with the sun setting behind me, and the rainbow in front of me, it was another day in paradise, perfection it seemed was just a touch away, the ER6 felt perfect, no other words for it, new plugs, full tank of gas, it was going to do what I willed it do with 100% agreement but
without sacrificing its character.
Awesome.