Let the children play ..:

Proves that adventure tourers can be english and old. (in the right hands)
That would have been an interesting trip, how long was the dirt?
graeme

Yes sir, that is great example of THE Gravel, no dirt in sight. In case that distinction is lost on some - on THE G tires don't dig in they ride on top of the rocks, which in turn ride on top of the more rocks or hard pack or slick base rock. As the big BMW drop showed, its easy to go too slow to take it too. Also showed that big rigs up where oxygen is thin can be too much for a solo rider to pick up even when not injured by it. W/o power brakes its a lot of work to keep both tires in traction enough not to ski off the edge. Did you air down the tires any?

This quote form the adventure blog impressed me the most for level of difficulty to deal with.

Did you see the 2 harleys with the monowheel trailers going up? awsome!

Anyone who feels they are good at off-road riding, take a look at this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJSzqZ0nn5A

That is inanely wonderful example to watch as I too want to find out how much of it I can get a paired down Commando to do too. What those tiny bikes ain't doing is dropping off ravines edges that hi center them to hang up if not about flown off the edge then turn into hill climbers on the way up>> if Ya went down the first side bizerkly enough. There's a video of dirt bikes on Mt goat trail with gaps and ledges they shut down to lift bike back on edge next to sheer drops. Don't think I'll try that on a heavy twin thankyou. I see a few Harley's that enter THE Gravel paths here, very few, but never ever those big ole hulking BMW's. Not that they couldn't, just that they don't think they can it seems. No way they'd enter,take on some of the drive ways to homes here. Dang trials bikes have almost 90's fork range but I can only get about 60' on a C'do so have to resort to upright rear spin around to hug a tree and stay in tape lines. Leaping a short way into raw creek beds to run then try to climb out the banks is what i resort to to get some adrenalin rush after spanking boring ole balloon shod sports bikes on paved wagon and pig trails.

Here's how sharp a normal fork range Combat can make a turn floated on grass covered mud bed w/o falling or putting afoot down. No traction just pure ballistics which stalled forward progress till I got off to walk it out on messy boots.

If you can ride a bike anywhere near as well as your posts on here suggest, lets see you doing a figure of 8 donut with feet on the pegs at all times, recorded on video....................

Hehe that's what I was working up- intending to do the day Trixie popped her ole axle rod Carbon. I enjoy your challenges as long as you stay civil and logical, keep poking me hard as ya can as its rather softer slaps than my reality checks. I still got lots practicing to get handy again but can only do so much on a modern fatso bell ringer or floppy eared skinny C'do. To me the world is divided into tri-linked Ms Peel and all the rest of the wanta be's corner cripples. You must keep this divide in mind as I must - to follow my notes. I learned to do phase 1 2 3 4 5 on my '00 SV650 then corner school '01 Ninja 900 but was scared to hi heavens to break out of counter steering 2 tyre traction of phase 2 on pavement - as I had too on THE Grit or THE Mud just commuting and avoiding sudden hazards. I crashed a lot at first on THE G and THE M - but not in turns thank you because I'd freak out so bad I'd go bezerk with nothing to loose by trying to save us. I divide real turning at 45' leans and know full well how good the rest of the worlds bikes are above that but its mostly just hp and streamlining advantage not really handling the higher conflicting loads past 45' leans over powering traction at either end.

I never-EVER put a knee out or a foot down Carbon for two reasons, one it can jerk under bike or fling around hip over head to crack off, two there is no room between surface and bike to stick anything out, except straight back for more room. So what you seem to think is a challenge to ever one is normal standard well disciplined necessary automatic reflex *never ever put a foot down or knee out moving - unless crashing already*.

What I discovered is pavement behaves similar to THE G & M - when over doing tarmac till counter steering no longer cuts it. Thank goodness I can practice this stuff at survivable speeds that breaks pilot careers or kills them tackling race speed cornering. Tires break loose the same way and bike pivots/jutters/tank slaps on its CoG the same ways - ie: falling down at either end, twisting under pilot-both tires going oppositely or snagging a tire on one of the chassis/fork vibrations-shudders to jerk low &/or hi sides. My driveway, parking lot and pasture play directly relates to handling > any time a bike over powers something. So let's break down what is seen in Trixie's axle pop video and Ms Peel's muddy hook around photo.

video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO7ukK-O ... re=related see/hear @ 48>51 sec. chirp/slip/hook/pop instant.
On Trixie parking lot circles I had 1st opportunity with a recovery helper to find out what her fouling limits were. After a handful of circles I got nice surprise how stable-hooked up she was in phase 3 steering ie: straight steering w/o need to trip her down with forks at this speed. I'd also seen where to avoid most THE Grit too so on last pass by Wesley I gave her enough blip to break tire loose to kick it out a bit to snag a hi side up and over into opposite direction faster than a human can turn forks. She would of too but the fling up reaction got absorbed by the axle pop and rear tire tilt for the more hooked traction of "articulated" steering Commandos are so IM-famous for. It was easy to catch and widen the turn but I didn't know what had happened yet, assumed I'd just pussied out on the throttle so intended to repeat harder past Wesley for air time direction reversal to feel like a ghost in the bike. At first I thought I had a flat so really confused when tire kicks kicked back??? Look real close at rear tire alignment here , it made rear follow turn more than snag it to fling up as intended. Trixie's Radioactive Axle Wardrobe malfunction : (



Now for the hardest sharp cornering skill and chassis testing phase 5 turn in my life on THE Mud on Ms Peel. i was not pussie footing it here but going like 20+ mph trying to ballistically cross 30 yd of pure yuk to suddendlly have to handle sideways G forces galore yet not fall down, whew. Huh just noticed its also a view of 2-1 mega and rear set.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1222 ... 1179bwzWhX

Was warmed up from spanking sports bikes on roads blasted to crystalline edge traction by heavy rain to hit pasture section to my shed, on upward slope which drains a cave lake's rising water level out in sheets between rock layers to create a quick sand like layer of mud under a floating thin mat of grass and leaves, on hard tires aired up for pavement stability. So just like the corner cripple spanking, I knew I had to go in fast enough to literally ski out of traction to twist bike on its CoG to aim in time, so thought I was going fast enough to ski straight across THE Mud, yet slow enough to stop in time for shed doors. If you use too much power while crossing MUD its just slips out any direction, it you don't throttle some tire drag slips bike out in any direction. If slick and deep enough like this was - it don't matter if over or under powering - bike is hydro planing w/o any thrust to maintain it so being sucked down & jerked about at same time in any direction at either end, ugh. Mud is always an instant crisis to me, ALWAYS. Also what most don't understand/realize when leaving ho hum phase 2 handling traction is slope of surface must be accounted for/compensated for because the rear will "weather vane" down hill no matter how hard you try to use front to steer > the rear will always keep bike pointed up hill no matter -if- that is in desired path or not, ugh. So in a matter of a few bike lengths Ms Peel went from parking lot straight steering, into normal mode counter steering, into falling over straight steering on its own, into low siding out into hi siding up, into full upright non crossed up rear grinding best traction straight steering hook around till a bogged down stop I caught by putting a foot down into 6-8" of moosh. I had to reach out for a stick pad under side stand before I could let go to photo quick before she sank on over. [Had that happen walking yds away to hear a thump/clunk, ugh.] This is the main reason I seek blown big block power, to take on tarmac in phase 5 so fast it feels like THE Gravel and THE Mud.

Phase 5 is also what it takes to screw down snow angels under power *sharper* into the ground yet not fling out wide all silly crossed up in lazy dazy flat tracker luxury relief. pashaw. So do I understand difference between balloon tires vs ski edge tires and why everyone in their right mind *including me* puts a foot down on such unstable corner cripples?? Duh yeah-yes I do. [Texas accent here] I longingly look up at the new power line cuts up Mt sides to test out you know who. This here is my po ole pitiful SuVee.

Why not cut the crap, and post the video? But to give you an idea its completely impossible to do a figure 8 donut feet up, without the bike rear wheel spinning!

Your messages are now sounding un-balanced to me. I failed in Trixie's burn out because I chickened out to dump the clutch with poor front tire grip in crowed square yet by golly sure did it on Peel with them other dragsters w/o wet pavement before X-mass tree line up. That was a scary hoot to learn to do but part of cycling fun and dare to me now. Its Peel rod links that make her easy for a novice to have safe fun flings on.

Too bad you can't conceive what I've already done on Ms Peel and SuVee, doughnut turn w/o a foot down off road as well as pavement. Plain Trixie is going to be tougher to try that on but intend find out if she & I can. I know she'll be able to do the lift off direction reversals on a parking lot for fun figure 8's w/o a foot down or spinning rear like a dirt bike on the good stuff - real dirt or sand, ahhhh. Had to go to Texas to find that but was it after dark and no camera man. Did chase up a moccasin snake since I had left the mowed public area for exposed weedy sandy lake bottom d/t Texas drought. Scariest deal there was I chased snake into the water so sat there a moment to feel the tires sinking so had to sorta spin an upright doughnut with feet down to get back to more terra firma. I don't think I'll ever be any good on mud. Soft sand is like making love to a fat girl, soft and forgiving.

Come on out I need a competent brave bike/biker as chase camera.

A day in the life of Hobot:
http://www.wimp.com/calfcanal/

Vince

Hobot, can I come? I am neither brave nor competent, but what you need is a foolish demented optimist with translation and first aid skills who lives far enough away to avoid the inevitable extradition warrants issued by Billy Bob McCluskie, the Arkansas D.A. I'm your man!

I think you're upset with me when I see hobot capitalized as if a real people name. You had me going there at first - I could just see the calf and biker jerking the bike in with them - so yes it flashed me back to some of my lesions.
I once took Peel down almost that tall deep grass ditch to watch a battle at road level with huge alligator snapping turtle and they kicked the beast over the edge to end up between my legs and tires very upset with jaws that reached all the way around tire to clamp around the rim like a pie tin to resist. ...

Its mostly nerve wracking to cross THE Gravel, my relation with it is similar to kidnapped-torture victim becoming dependent and focused on their captor. I loved/hated seeing the Stella and similar, makes my groin and toe nails hurt ok. Those bigger rocks hit forks like a big pistol slug in the bars. Some pop out from tires sound like a ricochet off a tight drum head, those tend to thrust tire sideways a few inches kinda like someone knocking the back of your knee out from under you in surprise, you will start to drop but can save it with a fast reflex-flinch. Some times you have to lock body and bike together with pure strength to hold fork and bike lean set through a turn while its being snatched and grabbed at this way and that to not let it cross up or drift wide, into ditch, fence trees, loose cattle.

The weirdest=hardest are the sweepers on slopes, that climbing rear just tends to weather vane down to point bike at Mt top instead of more 90' to slope on path, and the going down when both tires are already in ABS semi locked as the rocks are sliding-rolling underneath and you can't do more to stop gravity accelerating. Can happen on wet grass too. At times I just have to let bike mostly roll free to steer and hope to have a chance to slow enough after bottoming to make a bend or miss smacking into something. Miles of it are wearing.

I have dreamed of a training course to teach and draw other contenders. One of its features would be big pair of breasts like 100 ft tall x 300 ft dia, all Gravel on hard pack, no dirt no sand, marbles and arrowheads, goal to get to the top pad starting out at base facing the tangent from a stand still. Those that make it can collect their prize when they ride it back down any way they want ...
taking into account the base is barbed wire fenced up close to keep out dam deer. Come out out to Ricochet Rabbit Riding Ranch. You won't like what ya get for free if ya fail the braking parts.

hobot wrote:Your messages are now sounding un-balanced to me. I failed in Trixie's burn out because I chickened out to dump the clutch with poor front tire grip in crowed square yet by golly sure did it on Peel with them other dragsters w/o wet pavement before X-mass tree line up. That was a scary hoot to learn to do but part of cycling fun and dare to me now. Its Peel rod links that make her easy for a novice to have safe fun flings on.

Too bad you can't conceive what I've already done on Ms Peel and SuVee, doughnut turn w/o a foot down off road as well as pavement. Plain Trixie is going to be tougher to try that on but intend find out if she & I can. I know she'll be able to do the lift off direction reversals on a parking lot for fun figure 8's w/o a foot down or spinning rear like a dirt bike on the good stuff - real dirt or sand, ahhhh. Had to go to Texas to find that but was it after dark and no camera man. Did chase up a moccasin snake since I had left the mowed public area for exposed weedy sandy lake bottom d/t Texas drought. Scariest deal there was I chased snake into the water so sat there a moment to feel the tires sinking so had to sorta spin an upright doughnut with feet down to get back to more terra firma. I don't think I'll ever be any good on mud. Soft sand is like making love to a fat girl, soft and forgiving.

Come on out I need a competent brave bike/biker as chase camera.

If you dont have the required riding skills to do a rolling figure of 8 donut, feet up, then why not just admit to it, rather than posting more gobbledegook?

Very few riders have the sense of balance and throttle control required to do this, and if your posts on here are to be believed it would seem that your talents in either of these areas are not that well developed!

However if you are able to pull this off and post a video here, I think you will be seen a lot less as a bullshitter, who seems to crash on a regular basis, and has little or no natural ability in riding a motorcycle.

Carbon I admit I got a lot to learn and don't really know what all I can pull off, especially on a modern or regular C'do. You see what little evidence I can produce so far w/o trying to impress any one but me to just survive, so please post something you have that implies you got anything but nasty attitude and disdain for Norton products and riders. I'm pushing my limits one way or another on every ride, baby level as that may be, what evidence you got to give any weight to your smart remarks??? If I do ever get a video of Trixie flinging figure 8's will you even acknowledge it? Have you been crippled by brain or body injury so don't ride anymore? Are you a criminal that can't leave ID to trace?

I enjoyed total dominance of Ms Peel on or off road against all comers in their own element up to her hp speed limits and hi centering clearance. Only have a few stills of her past actions but plan to show everyone what a real motorcycle can do with a novice rider like me. I want to hand her off to real racers to see what they think, especially after a run with me on her. I've mentioned my side line hobby asking if I can tag along til bored, its not any fun if I can't prove it rather fast every time.

I quite like all old bikes, and used to work on them for a living way back. But I do find idiotic nonsense about "corner cripplers" being inferior, and bikes with less than 50bhp at the rear wheel being able to run 10s 1/4s a little bit silly!

If you are interested in stunt riding and or racing, then why not buy a suitable machine and get into it seriously, rather than ruining original machines with ridiculous "performance" mods to try and make them suitable for comp use?