Any tips on riding on gravel roads.......it might be my lack of experience as this is my first bike but I find that riding on gravel roads is flat out scary as every time I make a slight turn the bike feels like its about to slide out from under me.

 

Stay loose, go easy on the brakes/gas until you get more comfortable. When you start feeling nervous on the gravel, remind yourself not to deathgrip the bars and remember to relax your arms and shoulders. If the gravel gets really deep and loose, stand up on the pegs and keep your momentum up. My best advice for riding gravel roads? Ride more gravel roads. You will get used to the loose feeling after a while, then you will enjoy exploring the gravel and unpaved universe of riding opportunities that street bike riders are missing out on. If you can, I highly recommend some sand riding or mud riding, you really can't ride that stuff right without being loose and letting the bike move under you (oh, and the throttle is your friend when it feels like you are going to lose it, give it some gas and it will straighten out like magic)

 

Gravel roads are the best!! I have a local forest with miles of gravel roads (logging/fire) that go up, down, all around.. So much fun to do 60mph around the corners with your *** end hanging out to the side like a dirt oval racer.. That's the best..

I'd say practice.. Learn how to control the rear with your body and handlebars when it's sliding around.

I come from RWD V8 muscle/pony cars, so the transition went pretty easy if ya know what I mean

 

Thanks for the info.......up here in the mountains I encounter a lot of gravel roads. So far I've learned slower is better. I've ridden in mud up here which was a lot looser however going down in mud is a heck of a lot softer than gravel.......

 

Actually gravel is much easier when you go fast.

The trick with gravel is not to fight it. You almost feel like you are floating on the surface when you are doing it right.

Gravel is actually one of the easiest surface to dual sport on. Mud is one of the hardest.

 

Yeah, just practice really. The KLX has alot of weight up high. Once you get a good feel for the bike after alot of miles you won't even think about technique on different terrains. The balance and compensation will flow naturally. You'll find yourself reacting to different terrain and the terrain shifts as an invouluntary reflex. That way it's easier to remain loose.

Mike

 

BZZZZZ.. wrong! In fact that's probably incorrect for just about any situation. Truth is the faster you go, the easier it is. You're more stable, will have better steering properties, etc.
Next time in the gravel fight your fears and get to like the bottom of 4th gear. You want to FLY in the gravel. If you're *** end isn't hanging out to the side around the corners you're doing it wrong

 

Yeah the slower you go the worse the instability is. Now that being said there is a point when you can go too fast. Also stay away from the shoulder as much as possible. Some of the lose gravel around here can suck you right in and before you know it your trying to turn back onto the road without actually turning the bars because that will be an instant wipeout! Think of riding on a loose gravel road as a controlled near crash, as the tires feel like they are sliding out from under you they are actually rolling off one set of rocks and grabbing another surface or loose rock, but it feels like its not going to grab but it always does.

Like was said, just take it easy, and pretty soon you will be drifting around the corners like the majority of us. One more thing. I run max air in my tires and have adapted to every riding condition and it serves me well. However you may want to lower your tire pressure a bit say down to 14 and that will absorb a lot of the gravel into the tire instead of bouncing you and the bike all over the place. Keep practicing, it will get better every time you go out on the gravel roads.

 

For those of you who can handle the gravel, what tires are you using? I feel like the front end wants to wash with me with the stock tires on it. I don't remember my old KDX with knobbies feeling that loose. I hate to go to knobbies because I need to ride the road to get to the gravel.

 

Well when I first got the bike I had the stock Dunlop 603, front and back, and I got over 5,000 miles out of the front one and it was pretty stable on the gravel, while the rear went about 1500. Then I put on the 606 on the rear and went through that, and then I put on a set of Kenda K-270 tires, which is still on the front of the bike while I went back to the Dunlop 606 on the rear. I have 14,000 miles on the bike now. On my second front tire and my 4th rear. And the Kenda still won't even show signs of wearing after 9,000 miles. The bigger the knobbies the better it is on the gravel, but it will wear faster on the streets. 75% of my riding is street, but of the remaining 25% of gravel and trails I want a good tire that won't leave me stuck somewhere or dropping the bike. So the Dunlop 606 in my opinion is the best tire even though you sacrifice overall miles int he long run. I have also never had the tire slip on the streets with the 606, and I corner pretty hard.