First serious off road event

[Djairouks]

Last Sunday I attended a BMuu event and tried their off road courses, got too confident and bit the dust hard on my hip, still recovering though nothing broken.

Now I'd love some advice and tips from the more seasoned off roaders here, because while I enjoyed the ride a lot and saw how faster and better I was riding,
than the guys on their huge BMuus tractors  , I really felt the first gear is insanely too nervous on dirt, my arms got fatigued pretty quickly.
I then tried 2nd gear and was having a better ride, but suddenly I went too fast in a angled turn, the rear let go and I went down so how do you guys actually
ride the AT, is it just me not having enough training and endurance on the 1st gear !?

Tried the BMuu 1200GS on 1st in enduro mode and it's butter, though it didn't give me the grin and satisfaction my AT did, but I can see why people buy these
tractors, not for me though I hated the gearbox and hit my long legs in the cylinders all the time...

[zebulon]

Some basic information here ... 
(Sure you understand French )

[zebulon]

An inside view of the same one ...
My experience is (after 40 years of not riding offroad anymore); doing some training with a propfessionnal is a must 
I've done with Jean-Pierre Goy (James Bond - Jason Bourne stunts ) , not far from you and valuable .

One think: forgot what you do on the road 

[zebulon]

I really felt the first gear is insanely too nervous on dirt, my arms got fatigued pretty quickly.

Sure you have to take the second one  and sure you are too much contracted, you must stay flexible on arms and hands ...

I then tried 2nd gear and was having a better ride, but suddenly I went too fast in a angled turn, the rear let go and I went down so how do you guys actually
ride the AT, is it just me not having enough training and endurance on the 1st gear !?

Do not know which TC you have chosen , but perhaps keep position 2 or 1 (with a little control) before you know how to control rear (with brake and throttle)...
Have you down flat your tires ? less pressure is more control  ! 

Here are my small knowns in this part, but sure more you do, more you appreciate and more you control   

[Djairouks]

I really felt the first gear is insanely too nervous on dirt, my arms got fatigued pretty quickly.

Sure you have to take the second one  and sure you are too much contracted, you must stay flexible on arms and hands ...

I then tried 2nd gear and was having a better ride, but suddenly I went too fast in a angled turn, the rear let go and I went down so how do you guys actually
ride the AT, is it just me not having enough training and endurance on the 1st gear !?

Do not know which TC you have chosen , but perhaps keep position 2 or 1 (with a little control) before you know how to control rear (with brake and throttle)...
Have you down flat your tires ? less pressure is more control  ! 

Here are my small knowns in this part, but sure more you do, more you appreciate and more you control   

I was with TC on 3, rear ABS on and we didn't air down the tires that's for the AT, on the 1200GS honestly no idea about all this and I think tires were aired normally,
but the GS had genuine knobbies on them though and the AT TKC 70 !

But so if I need to use 2nd gear, then why is the 1st so damn arm stretching, I thought it was geared especially for off road rather than highways !?

[Jyrays]

Start with small bike... or you will stop it before it gets fun. 43 years of experience...

[zebulon]

But so if I need to use 2nd gear, then why is the 1st so damn arm stretching, I thought it was geared especially for off road rather than highways !?

Think more you accelerate, more you have power & torque (and it's normal    )

[Djairouks]

Start with small bike... or you will stop it before it gets fun. 43 years of experience...

Yeah I am still a bit anxious since this accident, I don't think crazy off road is good for me, because in motorcycling like in my
martial art, I don't really know how to restrain myself... I tend to go a bit over the top, but for now I'm going slow and easy !

Still I'm wondering now if I wouldn't try altering sprockets ratio, I almost never use the 1st, I tend to stay in 2nd at red lights
because the 1st especially when I travel, feels like too nervous and I even did red zone it multiple times.

[zebulon]

I ride off road between (3) 4000 to 7000 rpm ; more controllable for me ... 

[zebulon]

Perhaps a view on the next CRF 450 ? 

[Jyrays]

Perhaps a view on the next CRF 450 ? 

It seems to be a good beginners bike, weights just 130 kg...

[Djairouks]

Perhaps a view on the next CRF 450 ? 

It seems to be a good beginners bike, weights just 130 kg...

Well I have a friend with whom I can train, he has a 450 KTM  I think I'll go with him train, but in the end I want to travel with my AT.
So I will need to handle my AT in off-road anyway at some point.

How can you drive bumpy dirt track, between 4000 to 7000 RPM and not go 50 to 70 Kmh, I don't want to go faster I want better
progressiveness while being at lower speeds !?

[Jyrays]

Perhaps a view on the next CRF 450 ? 

It seems to be a good beginners bike, weights just 130 kg...

Well I have a friend with whom I can train, he has a 450 KTM  I think I'll go with him train, but in the end I want to travel with my AT.
So I will need to handle my AT in off-road anyway at some point.

How can you drive bumpy dirt track, between 4000 to 7000 RPM and not go 50 to 70 Kmh, I don't want to go faster I want better
progressiveness while being at lower speeds !?

Smaller gear?