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Showing results for tags 'gravel'.
Found 16 results
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Who has good knowledge of the Valley of the Gods Road off Hwy 261 in Utah? It's a short stretch, about 25kms, gravel...is it worth it? I have read this thread http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=28495 and would like to see the switch backs there too, but I don't want to take another stretch of gravel if it isn't worth it compared to what I'll already be seeing.
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Since I am the passenger, I tend to keep my eyes on the road especially when we are riding in the country. I watch for gravel that washed out on the road from gravel driveways, gravel in curves and piles of gravel that have fallen on the road from perhaps a passing dump truck. I look for your crushed gravel, your B19 and pea gravel. I can usually spot gravel 75 feet ahead of us. We have been on nicely paved roads that suddenly become gravel. We have had to ride on gravel roads for many miles at a time. I deal with it, but do not especially like it. When we were in the badlands in SD we went on a short cut on a gravel road to see the sights. While riding a road grader was coming the other direction and almost caused us to go down because we wound up in this heavy loose gravel. It was not a good moment. Then of course I find out Freebird has a gravel drive. I am a lot better about gravel now than I was at first. Point of the thread, do your wives help look for problems laying on the road while you are riding, and if so is it a good thing in your opinion or do you wish we would just set there and be quiet. No matter what you say, I will keep watching. Yama Mama
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I would appreciate if some of you could help with some info on the various highways as I am leaving on a trip on Saturday thru North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and wherever from there. I would like to know if there are any problems with following roads, ie., closures, bad pavement, gravel sections. We are going via: North Dakota highway #5 to #85 to Williston,ND Out of Williston down #200 to Sydney #16 out of Sydney to Glendive I94 to Miles City #59 to Broadus and onto to Gillette then to Wright #387 out of Wright to I25 to Casper Out of Casper to #220 to Muddy Gap Then #287 to #28 and then down to #191 to Rock Springs and then onto Dutch John Then wherever I have looked on the various road condition reports but I thought it would be more accurate from fellow motorcyclists, especially when dealing with roads with gravel, etc. Thanks Dana
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OK, OK it wasn't the helmets fault.. but does re-enforce why you should always wear it, no matter how short the ride, and should never carry anything in your hands.. We just returned from a trip to the Texas Hill Country with some friends and rode the 3 Sisters and around Bandera/Leakey area. We survived deer, rattlesnakes, llamas, cattle and 100+ degrees, no problem. Then rode up to Fredericksburg and rode up to Enchanted Rock and back on the Willow City Loop. Stopped at a ranch that rents rooms to check it out and had stopped at the office to talk. They had a mini western town and saloon farther down on their property we went to check out. And then a series of bad choices and bad luck ensued... - My wife, who is diligent about wearing her full face helmet at all times, decided to just carry it since it was only a short ride on the property. She threaded her left arm through the face shield. - We end up traveling down there on some dusty red gravel roads and it was a little difficult to navigate. - Then, in the quest for shade from the heat, I went in the grass to park under a tree. There was un-apparently a low spot they had filled in with red gravel about 6" deep and I lost control of the bike and it fell on its left side - while at almost a dead stop. We both fell off of course but my wife ended up in great pain. Everyone else saw what happened and thought the fall was insignificant and maybe she bruised a rib. I had only slight gravel rash on left hand. She was a tough cookie and made the ride back to Fredericksburg but I could hear her wince when we hit the cattle guards on this old farm road so I took it fairly slow. Back at the hotel she tried to lay there with ice but I finally convinced her to go to the hospital. The ER Dr also rode and after describing the situation felt bruised ribs was likely all that she had but took X-Rays anyhow. To his and OUR surprise she had broken two ribs and punctured her lung and had partial lung collapse. They came very close to installing a tube through her side to drain the air in her chest cavity (pneumothorax), but decided to admit her and see if it would heal itself. We stayed 2 nights in the hospital and after several X-Rays and CATscan they decided it was stable and healing itself. We have followup appts Monday at home. She will be on pain meds for a few weeks for sure. So what should have been a fairly uneventful fall off the bike, ended up being pretty serious because what we determined is she had fallen on her helmet and it broke her ribs. she did not break her fall with her hand at all because she was holding her helmet. Of course I also should have not driven where I didn't know the ground, or lost control of the bike, and should have let her off on the road... so I will always feel that guilt. The bike is a bit heavy for my 160lbs and I do need to get the front lowered but not sure if that would have helped in that much loose gravel. Here are some other cautions for that area.. -Another Dr said that all of the red granite gravel roads in that area are real slick with a powdered dust due to the extreme drought (he fell off his bike in his own driveway at the gate). -And the deer are out on the roads a lot looking for food and water. -And Hwy 16 from Bandera to Fredericksburg and beyond has a lot of fresh gravel and asphalt going down FYI, if you have to go to a Hospital in that area, Hill Country Memorial is probably the nicest folks and best treatment we have ever seen. Feelin' like a heel but I share my embarrament in hopes it prevents a similar occurrence with anyone else. Keith
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Just made $10 donation....$5 for laying the bike over in sand....I detailed that one on the Watering hole shortly after I first joined the group. about 2 weeks later I tried to bleed the clutch but I guess I didn't do it well enough. It was fine at first...but after a few days the air must have moved and all of a sudden the clutch wouldn't completely disengage. I tried to limp home...I was way out in the middle of nowher and was going to putt thru a stop sign....BUT wouldn't you know it...at the last second a see a truck coming! There was no time to find neutral...so I just pulled in the clutch...put on the brakes. BUT....between the bike still pulling and the gravel under my left foot....over she goes! Really I just laid it over. CHA CHING! One good thing....at least I got to try out the method I learned here on picking the beast up! $5 more!....at this rate I'm not sure If I can afford this bike! LOL
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I'm sooo bummed. Was leaving for work this morning and for some idiotic reason decided to try a slow tight circle turn in my driveway. Wound up three quarters of the way through the turn and knew I couldn't stay on the driveway. I stopped, but was facing downhill. Tried to duck walk the bike across a corner of the driveway and lost my balance on the sloping soft gravel ground. Bike fell to the downhill side. Took me two hours to get it upright with a winch and back onto the blacktop driveway. Major gravel rash on the left side of the front faring. Then had to bleed the clutch because it was spongy (probably introduced some air into the line when the bike was "upside down"). I'm such an idiot! Oh, and my back aches from trying to manhandle the beast upright. Anyone know of an inexpensive black cherry front faring? Doh!
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I wanted to see how this KLR 650 performed off road with these Dunlop 750.Got to my destinations Thru wind,rain and mud Sand................................. Horrible Gravel ............................... Squirrely Hard packed with gravel........ very good to a point where I love placing the rear end 90 degree to the front around corners Im having this scoot
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While we were camping up at Mohican State Forest area by Loudonville Ohio last weekend, the wife and I went out for a quick 1 hour ride Saturday morning. Went into town, filled the tank and went to return to camp. Was going to take a different route and missed the turn so we went further to find a driveway to turn around in. Car behind us was a little close, so I turned into an unfamiliar driveway a little too quick and hit the brakes, just happened to get along the edge of the asphalt and gravel, hit a little loop in the asphalt, off camber to the right dropping away. Went to put the foot down and figured it was too far! Already passed the point of no return, I just let her down easy, the wife wasn't as easy as she took a bit of a tumble (now she knows why I don't want her riding in sandals!), she stubbed her knee on the gravel but is alright. Nothing on the bike but a little scratch on the right rar guard bar down low, tweaked the chrome bumper leading edge just a bit. Nothing hurt more than our pride. Oh well, another donation to the can! Dan
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The wife has been looking for a used bike we spot one today had to turn around to go check it out. We pull up in his gravel drive and I stop, the 3/4 gravel under my right foot kept moving so I just layed it down in front of everyone. She is on the back wanting to know what to do, I tell her help me get it back up. It was a nice looking Vulcan 750 not what she wants though. No harm done just the embarrassment of laying it down.
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Well on the way to St. Charles thru Ar. Thursday the wife and I had a spill on the bike in a gravel parking lot in Mo. The gravel was the crushed rock type gray in color and looked to be packed good and I made the turn in ok and was headed straight to the other side when it slide to the right and I thought I had it recovered when all of a sudden it sliped to the left and down we went rather hard. Beth wasn't hurt, but I imediatley felt pain in my right ankle and was able to pull my leg out. So I thought I just sprained it. We made it on in, which was 89 miles out from St. Charles, and got checked in to the motel. It began hurting pretty bad and I was able to stop with the weight on the left leg. Got into the room, took boot off and iced it and the swelling went down but the pain intensified to the point I could put no wheight on it. So we decided to call my son and he and his brother came with his trailer and took us back to La. We made it home this morning about 8am and Beth had no sleep, so she napped till after noon and took me to the local hospital. Well it is broke just above the ankle joint on the small bone ( fibula ) in a spiral break. It is in place and the ER doc said see an orthapedic which would probably just put it in a walking boot cast. The pain has gotten better but I still can't put any wheight on it So with a ruined weekend with friends I am now back home and won't be rideing for a while. At least it will be healed in time for the next event. Bill came and got me for breakfast friday morning so I did get to see old friends and some new ones. Thanks to those who came by the room an visited and offered help. I know each one of you would have gone out of your way and we appreciate it.
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This is great. Rode 60 miles to work and back Friday. !60 miles with my wife Saturday. 45 miles on gravel on the DR Sunday and 60 miles to work and back today.
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brakeline rerouting??
bikerjohn51 posted a topic in Venture and Venture Royale Tech Talk ('83 - '93)
this is the first big bike I've owned and last year when I changed the brake pads I discovered the the back brake is linked to the front left brake, and the front right side is tied to antidive ???, my question is this " is it possible to interchange the brake lines ,so that the antidive portion is tied to the front, and that the 2 front brakes are together?" I do not like the front and back tied together, because when I pull into my driveway, I am on gravel and the front slides out from under me, if I come in too fast !! same on corners on gravel roads........ don't worry, I'll be easy on the front brakes, if I make the change. on smaller bikes I never used the fronts at all. -
Unfortunately, pulling into a conveienience store for fuel at 12pm doing 5 to 10 mph at the entrance I hit gravel and both tires slid out and I was thrown down hard. This happened with 3 other friends on the way to enjoy a relaxing Sat. nite at my mother in laws lakehouse in Interlachin. It was right after we stopped for breakfast and about 1/2 way to our destination. I went by ambulance to the hospital where I found out I broke my leg in 3 places and will need re-conctructive surgery on my knee and broke my left thimb and shattered the socket which will also require surgery. I am now , imobile , in a leg cast and hand cast taking pain medication until Thursday when the ball starts rolling to get me fixed. My bike suffered minimum damage and I know now if I had a crash bar instead of a engine guard my leg would probably be much better off.Also due to this being an entrance to a public area I have an attourney involved also. I am also dealing with this syndrome should I ride again or hang it up, 3 weeks before this mishap I had a car pull out in front of me at night on a damp road, but I was able to save it. That alone really bothered me mentaly. Riding means everything to me, it is my escape, and my love, but I am really going to have and need some time to sort this out . I would really like to hear from some of you that have had similar experiences and how you handle something like this. All I can do now is take 1 day at a time and get through the pain. Last but very important, PLEASE FOR GOD'S SAKE LOOK OUT FOR GRAVEL AREAS, IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAT TRYING TO RIDE ON ICE! I didn't even see the gravel that took me down, it looked liked bleached asphalt.
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I dont know were to post this but have a question, I was leaving my parents lastnight and for some reason the last 30ft of there drive is gravel because they didnt want it all the way to road dont have a clue why but any way started to stop at the end and was marbels and the front tire rolled out from under me and I dropped it with my girl friend on the back, thank you crash bars no one was hurt. Any suggestions on how to ride on these so I dont do this again. Thanks for any advise
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Let me start by saying I HATE GRAVEL. I get pretty uneasy when I have to go on gravel. Last Sunday I, along with others, pulled into a golf course in Alder Flats in Alberta. The drive enterance and lot was gravel. A thick bed of gravel with everything from fine stuff to little rocks around 1 inch. I took my time and was only doing about 10km per hour. There was a couple bikes ahead of me and one moved over in my path while in a slight left turn. No big deal as I had enough room however I touched the back brake. Because of the gravel, it didn't take much for the back wheel to lock and started to slide out to the right. I countered and then my hand hit the throttle boss. Well that bike went to the left real fast and threw me down. Broke right ankle and a cracked rib. Because of embarrasment and the adrenalyn rush, I actually got up and picked the bike up. After that, I don't think I missed out on any swear words in the adult dictionary. Anyway, the only damage is a scratched up lower cowling on the right side and could see at least one broken plastic piece where it screws onto the bike. I need a new one or at least one in very good shape as the bike is still new (crying now). As it states in my sig, the bike is a 2007, blue in color. Does anyone have one? Where can I find one? Anyone have any links? I have googled and checked ebay with no luck. Any and all help and or suggestions would be appreciated very much. Thanks P.S. This really sucks.
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Hi, I'm a new Venture owner. I've been reading some of the articles and have had the VR long enough to have the sidestand switch screw me in rush hour traffic. Guys on the tech / tip list gave me a great tip that worked like a champ. I've got a couple of questions about the bike's operation. Having now put about 1500 miles on it I've found there are a couple of quirky things about it's handling. First let me say, for as big as it is, I'm quite amazed it handles in the curves as well as it does. I'm pleasantly surprised. I discovered recently though that it doesn't handle worth a damn in even light gravel. Suddenly the positive control goes right out the window and the bike just hunts and hops all over the place. It's terrible. I've experimented a bit and find nothing I've thought of seems to help. Slow down and waddle it through. It's so bad someone dropped some gravel on an otherwise beautiful stretch of pavement. I was crusing along and saw the gravel but it was nothing so I didn't worry about it. Immediate hunt for disaster. It's hard for me to understand how a bike that handles as well as this does in so many situations including rain-flooded streets could turn to crap over fine gravel... The other handling issue I've run across is what I'll call the rubber-band handling effect. At very low speeds (good pavement - no gravel ) moving the handlebars feels like the front wheel isn't responding to the movement of the bars. Get the bike moving 10 mph or more, or put some throttle on and the steering feels solid. The bike has what appears to be a good solid fork brace, the forks seem to be in good condition and the fluid has been changed and filled to specs. The anti-dive technology is new to me but it seems to be working and I've tried some hard stops and was pleased with the machine's tracking and stopping distances. So, anyone ever experienced either of these phenomena before? Any advice or best guesses would be appreciated. BTW, I've got a '91 VR with about 140k on it. It's pretty clean considering the mileage and like I said, runs and handles under most circumstances wonderfully! Oh, and the tires (Metzler 880) are in very good shape, not new but only minimal wear from all appearances. I'm not certain they're the standard sized tires (particularly the front). I uploaded some pictures so you can see what shape it's in, details I might not realize are important, etc http://www.venturerider.org/forum/vbpicgallery.php?do=view&g=1136 thanks! indy
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