I took my GS 650 on a motocross track...

[eil]

Okay, that is eff'n cool.

I take my L model out to dirt roads once in a while but the weight, shyt suspension, and street tires force me to keep the speed and hooning down to a minimum.

 

[salty_monk]

Bajazuki went off road... back in it's street clothes now though! (The 1000 really was too big to manhandle that's for sure).

I have pics at the old Mill somewhere (somewhat infamous Baja spot) though you can't see it in these pics. It certainly could "roost" the sand....

 

[salty_monk]

 

[dorkburger]

One of my favorite pics of my bike pulled over on a gravel roadhttp://[URL=http://s1285.photobucket.com/user/dorkburger/media/IMG_2565_zpsee95ee55.jpg.html][/URL]

 

[Burque73]

Not to detract from the original post here, which I have great admiration for, but I've been thinking about my comparison of riding a GS in the dirt and swimming with clothes on and have realized something. If I'm going to play around the edge of the pool carrying suitcases and wearing a heavy trench coat I'd better watch my step.








Me thinks it best to stay away!

 

[GS1150Pilot]

You might have had slightly better results if you had tires like Salty Monk did on his 1000.

 

[Gorminrider]

You might... but I wonder...knobbier tires might help get you a bit further before you fall down....Best to have a nice light bike that picks up easily and is not so pretty...

a little rain on a prairie grid road and you 're riding in deep grease . I imagine Burque's road would be one of these.....I recall camping one night and sure regretted the 5 mile trip back to pavement when it rained in the night! I pretty much was stuck until the sun dried it up. granted, different tires might have helped , IF they didn't make me cocky....this stuff sticks to tires and the fenders would have to be removed whatever.

Cross a bit of hardpan on a forest switch back and you are falling off (the reverse camber!) into the rocky valley below....

Take a detour up an Albertan grid with fresh , deep gravel and try to move over out of the safety of your wheel track towards the shoulder for a montrous grain truck bearing down....
Some may be good at it, but I have yet to see bikes on roads like these, 20 or 30 miles from town, let alone goldwings, gs 850s, or my bike again without trepidation.

I made myself one of these against the day I get stupider

 

[Burque73]

You might... but I wonder...knobbier tires might help get you a bit further before you fall down....Best to have a nice light bike that picks up easily and is not so pretty...

a little rain on a prairie grid road and you 're riding in deep grease . I imagine Burque's road would be one of these.....I recall camping one night and sure regretted the 5 mile trip back to pavement when it rained in the night! I pretty much was stuck until the sun dried it up. granted, different tires might have helped , IF they didn't make me cocky....this stuff sticks to tires and the fenders would have to be removed whatever.

Cross a bit of hardpan on a forest switch back and you are falling off (the reverse camber!) into the rocky valley below....

Take a detour up an Albertan grid with fresh , deep gravel and try to move over out of the safety of your wheel track towards the shoulder for a montrous grain truck bearing down....
Some may be good at it, but I have yet to see bikes on roads like these, 20 or 30 miles from town, let alone goldwings, gs 850s, or my bike again without trepidation.

I made myself one of these against the day I get stupider

I meant to ask a couple of questions about this contraption.
Is it just a bipod and ratchet strap that hooks to the frame somewhere?
Does it tip toward the bike as it raises it?
Does it collapse for transport?
Is it available in black (just kidding)

 

[Gorminrider]

Burque73, go here ..there's another brand too. I think they are probably pretty good

Dustriders Motorcycle Hoist


I made one from a truck cinch and a bit of junk...a piece of pipe that sleeves together on wood dowels etc.. Heres some observations pertaining to MY primitive copy that generally you might consider applied on the "nice" one above:

-a single leg on apiece of thick plywood carried (for soft ground) Works ok for me.though not yet used in Action. merely some yard tests like the one in link. We meant to get a Goldwing to try too if he ever gets the guts to (gently) "drop it" ..... I like the a-frame of that one too but haven't noticed my single leg to be tippy if placed roughly inline to expected load...
You want to remove sidecovers and possibly protect tank from any strut if possible(our bikes are classics, right?
You want a deep drum on ratchet to hold plenty of tape. but NOT doubling the tape except at start of reeling helps a lot so use up the slack where tied to bike helps too
Tiny ratchets don't have long enough handles to wind em. Can be extended. but bigger quality ratchet is way better as to rigidity and leverage and snarls of tape
I don't use a hook...just tie to frame...clove hitch, bowline something possible to untie....fancy steel hooks are not as convenenient or gentle to bike,

Getting the bike up to 45 degrees can be enough- more is easier .

extra: Consider that wheels should also be anchored in some situation so they don't slide away. Our bikes easily lie very horizontal unlike some bikes on youtube....the first lift from +/- 90 degrees (as you know) is the hard one and can see you stuck half-lifted or merely pushing bike around on gravel as tires do not stick as fulcrum....
this tool also Useful for lifting front wheel for repair?, and as general use "come-along"..even the tape on reel is going to be multi purpose.
Mine fits in a bag underneath rear rack..about 16" by 8" by3" I think without leaving my computer and coffee!

 

[Burque73]

Thank you so much! I had never imagined such a device. I can see why you made one yourself, a little pricey! A friend whom I ride with occasionally asked me to make him a handle to hook in his frame somewhere for a lifting point as we can't use the seat. His KZ 1000 is a bit heavier than my 850 I'd imagine. My KLR wasn't nearly as hard to lift as this 850, but still required a grunt or two. That second video made me chuckle.

Thanks again Gorminrider!

 

[Gorminrider]

oh, yer welcome of course....PS, I tried a lever on the frame per taking seat off when I was experimenting on a wreck of a gs400... It seemed so simpler, logically but I found that even a 2x4 need be a strong one. Broke one... ....it's a different principle (cantilever, right?= bending versus compression) so building a very strong lever as pipe that would be somewhere near 6 feet long AND possible to take down and stow as sections would be a bit of a technical feat that's just as bulky. Still, it would be useful to bear in mind as the simplest, if you have happen to drop the bike in a forest and happen to have an axe and can lash the lever on to the frame...trying to use the lever UNDER a downed bike...well, I had worry over the fulcrum end slipping also more length required etc....