[stephenat]

Dont want to sound too jeremy Clarkson here but as much as there is great advise on this forum (and there is a LOT of great advice and help) you cant beat a bit of practice in any shape or form compared to discussion about farkles.
Honestly, you'll get the best out of the bike by riding it ........ put yourself out of your comfort zone and you will be amazed what you can do. Dont get hung up on the latest must have (thats shot me for a job at touratech)...... just ride the bike.
Ive dropped the bike (without any crash protection) a few times and the only limiting factor. .......... was me.
Youve got the machine (any machine for that matter) so get out there and youll be grinning from ear to ear ..... and likely dripping in sweat after you've picked it up a few times.

 

[FullThrottle]

Dropping the bike is fine, happens to the best of us but crash protection does limit the amount of damage done to the body. Nothing wrong with a bit of protection and I do agree with you that riding and getting comfortable with the AT is one of the best advice.

 

[stephenat]

Dont get me wrong, im all for the crash protection. ..... replacement cost of Honda pannels is eye watering and justifies it alone.
Just waiting to see the fallout of the discussions on the best choice for me.

 

[AussieTwin]

Well from experience.....yes I've dropped the bike on both sides:frown2:.....bars to protect the panels but more importantly the radiators....and bars or a bash plate wide enough to protect the sides of the engine.

I had a good look at what Honda offer and decided that the Tourtech solution was the better way to go.

You also need to look at replacing the mirrors and get used to replacing the plastic hand guards or just leave them off altogether. And leave the back foot pegs on as they save a lot of damage at the rear.

Ohhhh .... and learn to pick up the bike by yourself.....I found a nice grassy field and did it a few times. Was invaluable for a small guy like me at 170 cms tall and 70 kgs!!

 

[JasonWD]

...

I had a good look at what Honda offer and decided that the Tourtech solution was the better way to go.

If TT had any of the danm things! I am finding it impossible to get _any_ protection for my bike at the moment.

What was the prefered pickup technique?

 

[stephenat]

I hear what what your saying on picking it up. Similar size and build and it's enough when your fresh but took all my strength after a couple of falls on the muddy track at horizons unlimited over the weekend. ... absolutely fecked i was ......... but loved it all the same

 

[AussieTwin]

If TT had any of the danm things! I am finding it impossible to get _any_ protection for my bike at the moment.

What was the prefered pickup technique?

Tried the two major methods....turning the bars to full lock and then lifting using the bars but being very mindful on keeping my back straight.

Second was to turn my back to the bike and then use my legs to push the bike up....you just need to be careful not to push the bike up and over onto the other side....ie put the side stand down.

Both worked well....but I couldn't do it more than twice with out a break....I'm lifting almost three times my own weight....

I brought a BMW GS training video and found this really helpful....especially stopping on hills etc Title is: BMW GS Off-Road by Noren Films....got this from Tourtech.

 

[mike5100]

Dont want to sound too jeremy Clarkson here but as much as there is great advise on this forum (and there is a LOT of great advice and help) you cant beat a bit of practice in any shape or form compared to discussion about farkles.
Honestly, you'll get the best out of the bike by riding it ........ put yourself out of your comfort zone and you will be amazed what you can do. Dont get hung up on the latest must have (thats shot me for a job at touratech)...... just ride the bike.
Ive dropped the bike (without any crash protection) a few times and the only limiting factor. .......... was me.
Youve got the machine (any machine for that matter) so get out there and youll be grinning from ear to ear ..... and likely dripping in sweat after you've picked it up a few times.

It's probably dangerous to assume that farklers do not 'ride the bike' as well. I have put 40k miles on 3 NC750's in 3 years and I ride all through the UK winters. But I love farkling too. The farkles don't make me grin from ear to ear but they get me humming to myself when they work. It adds a whole extra dimension to 'just riding the bike'.
Mike

 

[6986]

Dropping the bike is fine, .

Sorry, but I totally disagree. I absolutely hate dropping any bike, even offroad. I raced Enduro in the clubman class for years in the 80's and even at that game dropping the bike pissed me off. I always try to achieve the best technique to ride as quickly as possible and stay on the bike. In the enduro game dropping a bike loses one time. There was one chap who rode in my day, and he was streets quicker than anyone else. However we frequently came across him in a ditch somewhere with the bike on top of him. We would always check that he was ok but he was a classic example of "dropping the bike is not OK".


There are plenty of youtube vids and courses out there which will help one not to drop a bike. Even at 65 I am still prepared to learn from them and stay upright. My advice, pick up on these vids and courses and learn how best to keep your very expensive bike off the deck offroad or on.

 

[Tenere]

Don't ride to your limits keep a little in reserve, I can't bring myself to take my AT off road yet, I've get a couple of other bikes to do that.
I did find today riding roads from hemesly to stokesly that I've ridden on the Bmw I ride the twin a bit slower

 

[_RG_]

If you ride dirt... learn to fall. The AT seems like a pretty big motorcycle to be picking up and fairly expensive to fix up. Just guessing cause I haven't ridden one (going to get mine tomorrow). If I was king-o-the-world everyone would spend time on a dirtbike just to learn how to deal with things when motorcycles don't play right. Most folks agree that being a motorcyclist will make you a better auto driver. I believe riding dirt will make anyone a better motorcyclist. I'm also pretty sure the AT is not the best platform for learning to ride dirt.

 

[Edintheclouds]

Drop the bike like me! In the mud with your cases on. I did a legitimate slide out in the mud and no damage what so ever. Still, SW Motech crash bars on the way. I have a feeling that replacement plastics will take months to get here.

 

[JasonWD]

I ended up dropping it five times over 5000 miles off road in the last month.

Not a bad ratio I suppose?

 

[No.9]

I believe in crash bars and protection for the critical bits on the bike. In Colorado and other locations that offer multi-use trails it is common place to be run almost off the road by some young buck pretending to be a rally racer. I would like to get home in one piece and on the same vehicle I left with. There are occasions where a ditch to the dirt prevents a launch over the edge of a long drop.