On vs Off road...

[oldrider]

You should take it for that ride over Myers Pass, you'll enjoy it.

Oh yes, I've heard about these dirty old men - got any pics

Ahhh, so he got in touch with you then!

(lol) No pics sorry, I drool on the camera and ruin it.

[cowpoos]

trail bikes are bloody hard to break...I know...I try....I've done a good number of enduro's and trail scramles in my short time on earth....oh and couple of beach races....what ya break and bend 90% of the time I find....brake levers and clutch levers and bent handle bars...solution...get some of those fat bars...alloy ones...like moose bars or rethnal's...I've had some priddy impressive tumbles at speed and they don't bend at all!!! always pays to have a few spare levers...short two or three fingers ones are the best...if you stick with OEM ones....get a hacksaw blade and cut a line a few mm deep...about a inch and a half from the tip....and then 90% of the time they will break there and you can carry on without replacing levers....indercators need to be rubber mounted and spares are almost Ideal to carry with you...tyre tubes are another good spare for any mission...metzler have heavy duty tubes and I swear by them...worth a look...I usually take one tyre lever and two ring spares that could have other uses for tyre levers [ther idea is less tools the less weight the better]...and a small hand pump [pushbike shops sell tiny fold up ones!!!]

as for improving your off road riding...find some with some skill...and get pointers...not hard...skill full riders make everything look totally easy...ask them....ego's love to tell!!! and if you have acess to a trails bike...have a play often....best riders I've ever meet ride them regularly....great for all aspects of on and off road riding...

[clint640]

Poos is dead right. With some decent bars & handguards the XT is a perfectly capable trailbike & would be pretty hard to damage if you're just putting around. For the price of a dunga trailbike you could just upspec the XT a bit & buy a few spare levers. Get a set of barely legal knobs, maybe a smaller front sprocket, whip the mirrors off & go out on the easy loop in a few organised trail rides.

Cheers
Clint

[Zukin]

Yes there are a number of loops on organised trail rides, the easy ones are pretty easy, even for a novice!:yes

And the others are right, the only thing I have done to mine whilst falling off was a scratch on the exhaust from when it fell onto rocks

[Wolf]

OK, so I need to find:

a) A place to practise that's not too rugged to begin with, preferably with somewhere I can leave mirrors and anything else I strip off the bike and retrieve them from after the practice session.

b) Some experienced mentors with the time and patience to teach a 42-year-old noob.

Any suggestions, anyone?

[Zukin]

Hi

Have a look at this website
It lists most of the trail riding events in NZ
There isnt allot there at the moment, but you will a lot more soon once summer starts.

[warewolf]

Wolf, failing anything else, call Greg Power @ Power Adventures for a chat. He caters to n00bs, kids, families, experts and racing. Runs n00b-friendly events, training courses, etc etc. Motorcycle clubs do similiar, plus there are other organisations like Epic Events that run trail rides. They all want more people riding bikes so are very supportive of n00bs.

There are plenty of events to go to, you just need to find them. Virtually all
organised trail rides run sweep/support crews and have on-site ambulances should the worst happen. Other riders will also stop and help, both to guide you through obstacles or get your bike through if it is too much for you.

I am somewhat further along the same curve you are, except I've pursued the trail riding with vigour and seriously lifted my off-road riding skills as a result. Been through a succession of bikes in the process. If I had the time again, I'd get a 250 trailie from amongst the DR, XR, TTR or KLX families and be done with it.

There's lots of info around about "ruggedising" a dual-sport bike. I haven't quite gone done that route with my DR-Z250: it is one or the other, mostly. It swaps from full road rig to full off-road rig in about 30 mins, or 60-90mins with a Celtic or two. "Hi, my name is Colin, and I'm a trailer faggot!"

Get some training, go and practice off-road, meet/talk to other riders, enjoy your adventure riding more.

KiwiBiker runs a mentoring scheme for road riding. Do we need/want one for off-road?

[mazz1972]

Not such a good idea to ride your steed to an off-road ride - I'm talking fully organised trail ride here, not just a "hmmm wonder what's up here then" on the side excursion. We organise trail rides in our neck of the woods and it is only once in a blue moon that someone turns up on their bike. 99.99999% of people transport them there.

A few things to consider...

First, you would need to remove the breakables and extras such as indicators, mirrors, rego plate & related paraphenalia. If you want to strip the bike off when you get there, you need somewhere to store the parts. You'll need tools to do this too, and to all you trail riders out there, YOU SHOULD BE CARRYING TOOLS ON A TRAIL RIDE ANYWAY (we have no end of hassles with twats that don't, and then expect trail-side fixit service).

What happens if (heaven forbid) the bike breaks down, or you break it beyond it being rideable, how are you going to get home?

You are likely to get absolutely filthy, and possibly wet through (even the most experienced off roaders take the odd dunk in a stream, and there's always the chance of precipitation). You aren't going to want to carry a change of clothes around the track and riding home soaking wet isn't recommended unless you want a chill.

You need the right gear for off-road too. It's better to go well prepared and have an enjoyable day in the dirt. It's the endless cleaning afterwards that's the arsey part!

As mentioned by others, definately a bad idea to go offroad into the backblocks by yourself, in case of injury.

That's my 2 cents worth anyway...

[Zukin]

KiwiBiker runs a mentoring scheme for road riding. Do we need/want one for off-road?

Yes please!!

I like to listen to these experts, and the advice they give is invaluable.
I would like to hear their views on fixing the bike on the road (especially punctures and the like)

I think it would be a good idea

[cowpoos]

OK, so I need to find:

a) A place to practise that's not too rugged to begin with, preferably with somewhere I can leave mirrors and anything else I strip off the bike and retrieve them from after the practice session.

b) Some experienced mentors with the time and patience to teach a 42-year-old noob.

Any suggestions, anyone?

if your down this way....flick me a PM....I have a farm....and experience....and have no issuse teaching stuff to anyone....I even have a couple of trail bikes so don't mind ya using one of mine....

[cowpoos]

Get a set of barely legal knobs,

michelin ac-10's most agressive DOT approved off road tyre you can get...and some how it doesn't wear to bad on hard surfaces either!!

[Zukin]

Not such a good idea to ride your steed to an off-road ride - I'm talking fully organised trail ride here, not just a "hmmm wonder what's up here then" on the side excursion. We organise trail rides in our neck of the woods and it is only once in a blue moon that someone turns up on their bike. 99.99999% of people transport them there.

A few things to consider...

First, you would need to remove the breakables and extras such as indicators, mirrors, rego plate & related paraphenalia. If you want to strip the bike off when you get there, you need somewhere to store the parts. You'll need tools to do this too, and to all you trail riders out there, YOU SHOULD BE CARRYING TOOLS ON A TRAIL RIDE ANYWAY (we have no end of hassles with twats that don't, and then expect trail-side fixit service).

What happens if (heaven forbid) the bike breaks down, or you break it beyond it being rideable, how are you going to get home?

You are likely to get absolutely filthy, and possibly wet through (even the most experienced off roaders take the odd dunk in a stream, and there's always the chance of precipitation). You aren't going to want to carry a change of clothes around the track and riding home soaking wet isn't recommended unless you want a chill.

Well put, I always trailer my bike to these events, nothing like a nice warm van to get changed into dry clothes!!

As mentioned by others, definately a bad idea to go offroad into the backblocks by yourself, in case of injury.

Whilst I agree with some of the comments about riding in the backblocks solo for obvious reasons, it is something I enjoy (and often dont have anyone to ride with) and will continue to do
Why?
It is no different for farmers, hunters, trampers etc etc, it is all about Risk Management.
When I am solo, I will carry enough tools should something break or get damaged, so that I can fix it enough to safely get home.
I dont take unessesary risks (riding fast, wheelies etc), I often stop walk up or down the trail to check it is safe and passable (old 4wd tricks), and never get into something I dont think I can make through without damage to the bike or worse to me
I ALWAYS tell someone where I am going and when to expect me back.

If the bike fails for whatever reason, I am prepared to walk and collect it later.
In my bag I always carry an Emergency Sleeping Bag (Silver) and food and a water bottle, first aid kit, compass and map of the area and a torch etc
This is the same stuff when I go hunting, motorbike riding, or 4wding

Treat the outdoors with respect, regardless of what the activity you are doing.

Just my thoughts

[mazz1972]

OK, so I need to find:

a) A place to practise that's not too rugged to begin with, preferably with somewhere I can leave mirrors and anything else I strip off the bike and retrieve them from after the practice session.

b) Some experienced mentors with the time and patience to teach a 42-year-old noob.

Any suggestions, anyone?

Many clubs only do only competitive stuff like MX, but those with their own tracks might sometimes have an open day. Contact your local club and see what sort of riding they do, and if they have any events for novices. It's not just kids learning to ride these days.

You could also try asking the bike shops in your area. They usually know of all the events happening, and they just might be able to suggest something or put you onto someone to ask.

Most trail rides will usually have a kids/junior or novice track so get in touch with the organisers of local events and see if it would be suitable for you.

Do you have any mates into off-road riding that would be prepared to coach you? They would also know of areas to learn in.

You'll need the right tyres too, if you get into mud or slippery surfaces, very "roady" tyres will not be much good to you.

[mazz1972]

Well put, I always trailer my bike to these events, nothing like a nice warm van to get changed into dry clothes!!

Too right, especially if it's pissing down!! Most people tend to bring a pile of stuff like clean clothes, towels, food/drink for after, deck chairs, spares etc etc.

Whilst I agree with some of the comments about riding in the backblocks solo for obvious reasons, it is something I enjoy (and often dont have anyone to ride with) and will continue to do
Why?
It is no different for farmers, hunters, trampers etc etc, it is all about Risk Management.
When I am solo, I will carry enough tools should something break or get damaged, so that I can fix it enough to safely get home.
I dont take unessesary risks (riding fast, wheelies etc), I often stop walk up or down the trail to check it is safe and passable (old 4wd tricks), and never get into something I dont think I can make through without damage to the bike or worse to me
I ALWAYS tell someone where I am going and when to expect me back.

If the bike fails for whatever reason, I am prepared to walk and collect it later.
In my bag I always carry an Emergency Sleeping Bag (Silver) and food and a water bottle, first aid kit, compass and map of the area and a torch etc
This is the same stuff when I go hunting, motorbike riding, or 4wding

Treat the outdoors with respect, regardless of what the activity you are doing.

Dude, you are the exception to the rule!!! Good on ya

[Wolf]

if your down this way....flick me a PM....I have a farm....and experience....and have no issuse teaching stuff to anyone....I even have a couple of trail bikes so don't mind ya using one of mine....

Cheers, poos! May well take you up on that offer - I want to learn to ride off-road properly a) for the sheer fun and b) because it'll improve my handling on some of the gnarlier roads.