Riding Gravel Roads

[slofox]

Despite a long riding history, I have spent most of my time on sealed roads. Never comfortable on the gravel. What wisdom can you impart regarding gravel riding skills?

[Mikkel]

Take it easy, relax and enjoy. Get there at your own pace - ease into it. Not that unlike riding on the sealed stuff really.

Knoblies help - but they are not mandatory.

Faired bikes will hate you if you take them out there...

Don't go alone - go with someone who is experienced.

Good luck.

[Jorja]

Had never ridden on gravel before but had been riding a dirt bike. Was on a group ride one night. Was being left far behind everyone untill we hit road works. All of a sudden I was catching up to most of them.

Would recomend doing some riding on a dirt bike to any new rider. It certainly made me a better rider.

[piston broke]

gotta watch those stones that stick to sticky road tyres and try to force there way through between the tyre and guard.
they do it but tend to cause damage to glass guards

[HAIRY JOHN]

like black top, ride to the conditions.....thick heavy shingle, take it easy.
iv several bikes and love dirt roads, the more sporty bike suck on shingle. if you have a more upright bike you are in ! push yourself thru the corner rather than button off. Dont hesitate that will quite often cause you greif. FAST IS GOOD !! try the ride up to Waikaremoana, 60-70km of blissfull winding dirt.

[beyond]

Important to relax your grip. Don't hold the bars too tight but relax and let the bike have her head.

[Gremlin]

Important to relax your grip. Don't hold the bars too tight but relax and let the bike have her head.

yep, let her move around a little, don't fight every movement.

Assuming you're using a road bike, gentle into corners, lotsa fun out of the corners and down the straights

If its the sv650, watch your engine braking, could cause you to lock up quite easily. Everything is basically amplified in terms of handling, so brake early, on gas more carefully (or not )

Your bike will get filthy...

[Timber020]

Easy, just steer with the throttle, hang it out, dont expect your brakes to be able to do jack. Use the back brake more than the front and stay out of the real loose stuff if you can. Practice practice practice. my gsxr750 streetfighter was a weopon in gravel.

[PrincessBandit]

Stay relaxed and try not to focus on the road immediately in front of your wheel. The movement of the bike underneath you can be quite disarming but keep your head up, look ahead and try to keep to the troughs avoiding those ridgy piles of gravel that look like they've been created by a grader. Stay in control of your momentum as too fast - you'll probably come off, too slow and you'll possibly come off too! Experience is everything and until you try it you'll never know. While I'm not fond of gravel it doesn't freak me out like I used to think it would.

[MadDuck]

If its the sv650, watch your engine braking, could cause you to lock up quite easily. Everything is basically amplified in terms of handling, so brake early, on gas more carefully (or not )

Yep agree the SV was very interesting in gravel.

The more you find yourself in gravel the easier it gets. Trick is no sudden braking and maintain your speed.

[slofox]

Thanks all for your input - have actually been on gravel in the past, but like I said in the original post, never felt comfortable there. Seems I was doing most things right...haven't had the SV on it yet......will be interesting..... (maybe)

[rottiguy]

yep agree, throttle can get you into trouble but also out of trouble, preferably don't use any front brake and stay in a low gear so you can power up the rear wheel to lighten up the front. Also stand on the foot pegs can help as you gas up the back but best to just give it plenty of practice.

Easy, just steer with the throttle, hang it out, dont expect your brakes to be able to do jack. Use the back brake more than the front and stay out of the real loose stuff if you can. Practice practice practice. my gsxr750 streetfighter was a weopon in gravel.

[jrandom]

Stay on the gas. The throttle is your friend, the front brake is not.

Riding on gravel is a hoot.

[bart]

Stay on the gas. The throttle is your friend, the front brake is not.

Riding on gravel is a hoot.

I agree. Point and squirt. It's all about keeping control of the front. The back doesn't matter. More gas the better.

[Oscar]

Having probably ridden more off-road and on gravel than I have on seal, I have to respectfully disagree with the "no front brake" & "steer with the back wheel" brigade.

The exaggerated tail out style favoured by some is actually slower than a more measured approach - ask any racer of any code, they'll tell you that time spent sideways is time that you could have been accelerating/stopping. There is certainly a point at which you will loose either front or rear traction and this should be minimized with judicious use of the throttle.

The key is rider position, not overloading front wheel traction and allowing the bike to "have it's head", as someone said. At it's most extreme, this means on deep\large gravel you sit back as if riding on sand and allowing the front some latitude.

Practise is your friend. Riding on sand is great practise.