What a day...

So, those that have been paying attention will know that Andy's latest
stupidity is a proposed desert rally.

I'm rather proud that in his search for the stupid and easily led I was
high on the list.

However I'm not quite stupid enough to do it with little recent off road
experience (excluding flying into trees).

So I booked a day here:
http://www.yamaha-offroad-experience.co.uk/

I can thoroughly recommend it.

Two sessions of about three hours riding off road in forests in wales.
Learnt a few things about where to put weight for turning, how to stick
a leg out, when to stand, when to sit etc. etc.

I have done a little off road riding but nothing much recently.
At the beginning of the day I wasn't comfortable with the rear wheel
spinning up and losing traction or the front sort of 'floating' on
gravel which it does at speed.

At the end of the day I was able to comfortably corner with the back end
sliding (slightly, but under control) on shale and also to hammer the
bike up steep slopes with 12-18" deep puddles plus 'lumps' from tree
roots causing the bike to launch itself (briefly) into the air.

Anyway... really, really good fun. Got absolutey soaked, my knees are
tired, my hands ache and I'm shattered. Probably shouldn't have ridden
the 240 mile round trip on top off the off-road stuff.

Really friendly and helpfull team running the event.

I'm going back to do the 'plus' day later in the year.

The bikes-
WR250 feels a bit gutless going up steep hills but has enough power to
go faster than you want sometimes.
WR450 has plenty of power, sometimes too much if you don't apply the
throttle with respect. Wheelies nicely when you want it to though.


Would recommend it to anyone- these people deserve to do well.

 

wrote:

Hoping to do that in a month or two for the same reason if Andy pulls
his finger out. My off-road experience amounts to a day of riding trails
(and falling off) in Fuerteventura and I'm not sure that's going to
suffice.

 

Heh. We did some gentle greenlaning on gravel in France on the
MT500's. Going downhill, my engine decided to race away, so I clutched
in and stood on the rear brake. The bloke following me thought I was a
goner when the bike pivoted through 90 degrees

Paul.

 

I'd be interested too.

My off-road experience amounts to riding a C90 field bike around a
building site when I was 15, and more recently, putting my Bandit 1200
into a corn field the first day I owned it (I didn't drop it - just
rode it into a corn field).

 

The C90 is *everyones* first off roader

--


Nige,

'Candygram for Mongo'

R1

 

Wrong..... our field bike was a CD200 Benly, it had proper renthals &
knoblies an all.

 

*boggles*

 

Kidsoftodaymuttermutter shite old Bantam mutttermutter

 

hehehe - jesus!

--


Nige,

'Candygram for Mongo'

R1

 

Er, this is serious or in the same wavelength of the Africa Run?

 

Er, this is serious or in the same wavelength of the Africa Run?[/QUOTE]

About as serious as Andy ever gets.

 

Better be more than semi.

 

Mine was a DT125.

 

I'm almost tempted, actually.

 

<purses lips>

If you weren't pedalling, maybe.

 

cheat!

 

Nope. Mine was a pre-disastered CD175.

Tough wee bike - it took some serious knocks and just carried on...

 

Is that interested as in going to Morocco or doing the offroad
experience?

I'll phone them next week because I want to know if they have bikes
suitable for those amongst us with a shorter inside leg measurement
and if I'm asking for Adie I might as well ask for you as well.

 

Serious. We're planning on doing the Tuareg Rally in early 2012.

It'll be easy.

 

It is for two of us but I'm slightly worried that there's enough time
for others to break legs or whatever else they need to do to be
excused.