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Backroad Motorcycle Adventures - anyone done it?

WoodsChick said:
This is how I spent my 55th brrrthday :rofl

Come to think of it, I never did do a ride report from this weekend. Hmm... :unsure:
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:thumbup

that was a good year! another Van pic from back then:

mevan.jpg


ericptsway.jpg


Mr Eric, pointing the way … :laughing :angel

getting into dual sport riding with zero dirt experience back when I did was a good decision, for me. lots of fun. :ride
 
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SFMCjohn said:
:thumbup

that was a good year! another Van pic from back then:

mevan.jpg


ericptsway.jpg


Mr Eric, pointing the way … :laughing :angel

getting into dual sport riding with zero dirt experience back when I did was a good decision, for me. lots of fun. :ride
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See? See?? That's what I'm saying! Getting off the pavement opens up a whole `nother world, doesn't it? It more than doubles the number of places you can go!
I highly recommend it :ride
 
^^ :thumbup

yes, dual-sport/ADV riding totally opened up a new world for me, especially because I didn’t grow up here in California.

If I had it to do over again I’d get more training. Backroad Motorcycle Adventures looks pretty awesome. some other things I did were the Mendo Rally and the n00bs Rally to get introduced to the Mendocino NF and Death Valley. and our upcoming StonyBARF on 05/08/25, to help me get more skills, w00t! :ride

anyway, dispersed camping, ftw. try that in New Jersey. :laughing

IMG_2798.jpeg
 
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Cabrito said:
Yeah, but don't go out to Clear Creek with no dirt experience on a big ADV bike. Conditions on the dirt roads can be dicey in some sections.

From some years ago on a Doc Wong ride.


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I went on a couple Doc Wong rides through Clear Creek. They were pretty fun. I was on my 690. All these guys would show up on adventure bikes with all their stuff packed to the gills wearing all this adventure bike gear. I told them they didn't need all that stuff and all the excess weight would be a burden. Watching them get stuck in that gooey gray clay gook on T151 was funny, but yanking those bikes outta the mud wasn't. A lot of guys turned around and left when we had to get over a tree that had fallen over the road. We ended up piling stuff against it to make a little ramp. Two guys got lost near the paved road on that road that leads to Condon Peak. We didn't realize it until we got to Mexican Lake. Doc Wong made me go back to find them. Luckily, they placed little rock piles and empty water bottles along their path so I was able to find them. They were on big V-Strom 1000s. Both of them were totally beat and we road at about 15mph the whole way back which really sucked because it got cold and dark.

Another time, as we were on our way out along the main road, Doc Wong's front end washed out and he low sided his Beamer. It wiped out his valve cover so we had to epoxy it back together. Other than a hurt ego, he was pretty cool about crashing his bike. (I've seen guys crash their GSs and start crying [literally] 'cause it hurts to crash and their bikes get fucked up.)
 
SFMCjohn said:
^^ :thumbup

yes, dual-sport/ADV riding totally opened up a new world for me, especially because I didn’t grow up here in California.

If I had it to do over again I’d get more training. Backroad Motorcycle Adventures looks pretty awesome. some other things I did were the Mendo Rally and the n00bs Rally to get introduced to the Mendocino NF and Death Valley. and our upcoming StonyBARF on 05/08/25, to help me get more skills, w00t! :ride

anyway, dispersed camping, ftw. try that in New Jersey. :laughing
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The training thing is huge. Trying to learn how to ride in the dirt on a big ADV bike seems like a recipe for failure, or at the very least a rough learning curve. It seems to me that back before the ADV craze kicked into high gear, like maybe before Long Way Round aired, most people gravitated to riding the big bikes organically, as in we got too old for MX, had maybe been doing the dual sport thing, and decided to go further and travel. Seemed like most people doing it had a fairly solid foundation of dirt skills before climbing aboard the behemoths. That doesn't really seem true anymore. It's great that there are numerous options available now to learn and hone skills in a safe environment on the big bikes. You know what they say...the more you know the better it gets! :ride
 
Joe_13 said:
I have zero dirt experience, and no buddies who ride,.... sooooo doing a BDR solo with absolutely no experience doesn't seem like a great idea with or without Butler maps.

A basic introduction to dirt, adventure riding, and/or a guided trip might be a better plan for someone like myself.

Perhaps I am overcomplicating things, but from the videos I've seen on Youtube, doing a BDR on my own sounds like a terrible idea.
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I haven't done the training in question, but have done a bunch of motorsports training and have thrown myself off a variety of bikes in the dirt over the last many years.

Completely agree that solo BDR as a street rider is unlikely to be enjoyable. Agree that a guided ADV type thing with a support vehicle and instruction along the way would be cool and useful.

However, you should know upfront that riding a DL / GS / pick-your-600-lb-pig off pavement is a different sport altogether than riding a dirt bike. The dirt bike feels like a mountain bike strapped to a rocket. The ADV bike feels like a Cadillac Escalade with spinner rims (am I dating myself?) that got lost and ended up on the Rubicon.

If you want to learn dirt, get on a 250 lb bike with proper knobbies. You will learn more in a day of offroad play on that dirt bike than in an open-ended amount of tiptoeing a 600 lb pig around. I say this with two GSs in the garage. So I would get a bunch of dirt bike seat time first, and then do the ADV training thing or just get with some ADV peeps. You will be vastly better equipped to deal with the severe (and often miserable) compromise that is 600 lbs off pavement, doing it in this order.
 
zanshin said:
The dirt bike feels like a mountain bike strapped to a rocket. The ADV bike feels like a Cadillac Escalade with spinner rims (am I dating myself?) that got lost and ended up on the Rubicon.
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Solid post above :thumbup

I had to clip this... very funny :laughing
 
There is a ADV training at the Misfits Rally held at Hollister Hills.

Motorcycle Guided Events

breakingawayadventures.com breakingawayadventures.com

Could be a good option for some training and fun.

From their page:

Dirt and Adventure Training​

This year we are pleased to announce our partnership with ADV Moto Pros from Southern California, which offers high-quality courses taught by experienced instructors. Their aim is to equip riders with the skills and confidence to navigate various conditions and terrains, reducing fear and tension when riding off-road. They prioritize safety to minimize the risk of injury or damage to the motorcycle. ​

Bill Edgar has been teaching adults since 1993 and has a lifelong passion for two-wheeled sports. He enjoys seeing students develop a love for motorcycling, gaining confidence and skills through his classes. Bill connects with his students through clear communication and a patient approach. With multiple instructor certifications in both street and dirt biking, he provides comprehensive instruction on both basic and advanced techniques.​

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I’ll always basically be a street rider—but with reasonable expectations and some common sense, you can get to some pretty spectacular places:

598389B2-B19B-4D1B-8E60-861CE22BD8C3.jpeg

Mt Patterson, part of the NorCal BDR, apparently, ona close to 500 lb street bike with dirt pretensions (including 60 lbs of camping crapola and water).

don’t let perfect be the enemy of good enough—which isn’t to say don’t get training … :angel
 
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Joe_13 said:
I have zero dirt experience, and no buddies who ride,.... sooooo doing a BDR solo with absolutely no experience doesn't seem like a great idea with or without Butler maps.

A basic introduction to dirt, adventure riding, and/or a guided trip might be a better plan for someone like myself.

Perhaps I am overcomplicating things, but from the videos I've seen on Youtube, doing a BDR on my own sounds like a terrible idea.
Click to expand...
You're right--in your case, doing a solo BDR is a terrible idea. I don't mean to sound condescending, but to pile on to what others have already suggested, maybe get some dirt training (not attached to a tour) first. Garrahan off-road, Jocelyn Snow, Black Swan are some suggestions. Hit a StonyBARF before doing a BDR. It's a few days, closer to home, and you can ride unloaded to get a feel for things. A BDR on a loaded bike is a big commitment for an inexperienced dirt rider. That said, NorCal BDR isn't a bad first BDR route.
 
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