Why you should ride the FJR in the dirt

The views are incredible. While coming home from my Idaho trip I couldn't pass up a couple dirt roads, one of which lead to a beautiful lake. It was my first time in the dirt with the bike and it preformed great. I've done a lot of dirt riding and even had an S-10 for work that I would often take into the dirt. I was expecting a tough run with the FJR in the dirt and even with the tires at full PSI, the bike did great. I was really impressed and have now will not allow the dirt to keep me from the views. The only time it was difficult was stopped in the deep gravel. It quickly lost traction and wanted to stay but I was able to eventually mover her along. Different tires and lower pressure would be a fix for some of that.

Only factor keeping me off gravel/dirt roads is the tendency for dually-equipped pickup trucks to spray rocks on me. Also logging trucks can be intimidating on some of those roads! The FJR handles quite well even on fairly deep gravel -- for a street bike.

I live on a dirt road and find that the bike does fine. If the road is used by other vehicular traffic it should be hard enough for the FJR.

I have no idea what you guys are talking about!

Yes

You call these photos riding dirt, ese? SkooterG, Fast Eddie, BeemerDonS and Frenchie Doucet call riding sandy beaches of Baja RIDING DIRT! Vato Locos!

Hey Don . Help me out here and post my bike with knobby tires.

And when you run out of ground clearance there goes the headers. Most of us have header damage just riding crummy paved roads.

I live on a dirt road, too, but I keep it slow when I am on it. I kind'a worry that i'm going to throw a rock up through the radiator if I go too fast. As for riding on the beach in Mexico, be sure to hose things off with fresh water afterwards! WBill

fjrob1300 said:

Hey Don . Help me out here and post my bike with knobby tires.

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Since you're my favorite Canuckistani I'm glad to do it Rob, well actually Maria Elena - MEM is my VERY FAVORITE Canadian eh: HUBBA, HUBBA, EH!

WBill said:

I live on a dirt road, too, but I keep it slow when I am on it. I kind'a worry that i'm going to throw a rock up through the radiator if I go too fast. As for riding on the beach in Mexico, be sure to hose things off with fresh water afterwards! WBill

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Papa Chuy Viejo hears you loud and clear WBill, BeemerDonS has a car wash in Old Town Cabo San Lucas that I've been using for many years now, for 200 pesos they do an incredible job and I just sit on my Fat Irish Ass drinking away while they clean/polish mi Motocicleta muy rapido. jes' sayin' and nuff said, ese!

First order of business is to get the mud off of the bikes. We grabbed some lunch while the bikes are being washed. Plus a Rum and Coke (or six!) for Papa!

beemerdons said:

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Hey Don, you and SkooterG getting your hair dyed at the same salon back when this picture was taken?

Love the knobbies! When I upgrade to the new bike, I may have fun with this one and go with the same. Running through the washes of our deserts and the mountain trails of Mammoth would be a blast. Is it the best choice, of course not. Why you ask, because it's there and would be fun.

Remove plastics, upgrade suspension, DS tires, skid pan for header, cage the engine and have a blast.

If you plan to ride on dirt/gravel roads, do yourself a favor and install a REAL radiator guard -- a metal one. That OEM plastic thing will not stop a decent sized pebble from holing your rad. DAMHIK.

Also, be real careful using high pressure wash wands on your m/c

beemerdons said:

You call these photos riding dirt, ese? SkooterG, Fast Eddie, BeemerDonS and Frenchie Doucet call riding sandy beaches of Baja RIDING DIRT! Vato Locos!

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Crikey! You call that dirt? Many of the roads in Colorado aren't that smooth or hard packed!

So, Rob... how are the TKCs holding up? Or should I put that in the past tense?

I expect that they are disappearing faster than Pierre does when the bar bill arrives?

I know that has been the knock against those on much less, ahem... gravity challenged bikes, over on ADVriders. But I think they are the only game in town for 17" front knobbys.

Maybe there is a 19" front wheel that could be grafted onto an FJR? That would certainly open the tire choices up to a lot of Dual Sport type tires, and would also help roll over any rough stuff a bit better.

Hope that you guys had fun on the TLT.

Hey Fred, had a great time on our trip. My tires have just over 3000km on them . Still pretty good. They actually stick to the pavement very well too. I believe Scott is going to use his until they are bald..

WBill said:

I live on a dirt road, too, but I keep it slow when I am on it. I kind'a worry that i'm going to throw a rock up through the radiator if I go too fast. As for riding on the beach in Mexico, be sure to hose things off with fresh water afterwards! WBill

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For sure. I don't have to ride far, and I just run in 2nd gear about 15mph. My best friend lives about 3 miles down a dirt road, and when it's freshly "fixed" it's loose enough to be troubling for a few days. Sand is out for me. The only time mine's been down was on a dirt road in New Mexico. The road itself was OK, but I turned onto a turnoff, and hit fine, loose sand so deep the front wheel simply plowed in and stopped so quickly it pitched to the right and I couldn't hold it up.

silver spirit said:

If you plan to ride on dirt/gravel roads, do yourself a favor and install a REAL radiator guard -- a metal one. That OEM plastic thing will not stop a decent sized pebble from holing your rad. DAMHIK.
Also, be real careful using high pressure wash wands on your m/c

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silver spirit brings up a really great valid point, if you are going to ride the roads of Mexico or the Southwest dirt mining/logging back roads on your FJR: A metal radiator guard is an absolute NECESSITY! First farkle Papa Chuy Viejo installed on both his 2003 and 2013! JSNS!