Rough riding slowly a Commando

Ever try to see how tight a turn around a tree or stump or rock on hole your Cdo can do? Ever try same but with two objects to deal with or half dozen? One good dodge zing around don't mean can maneuver enough to deal with the next. Can't always do it by keeping both tires down or in effective traction. Can get scary on a steep side slope with hazards below, to lean bars down hill away from
tree bark/limbs yet needing to turn up towards tree yet while front is missing said tree, the rear is about to strike it sideways d/t front flinging so need to flick forks the wrong way to turn while spinning out rear to twist Cdo on Center of Gravit just in time, then the antics that follow to get back in line and trail?

Ever fine out just how high a hazard a Cdo can tackle or how hard and not just hi center? Ever learn there's two types of hi center, one both frame rails lifted the other only on frame rail.... Anywho this video is very similar to where/how I first found out what a full set of isolastic links is worth for sure footed-ness.
Norton makes a great desert dirt bike and even sold skid plates for Cdo, ever wonder why, Yeehaw gittty up ...

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wyAUcyPqKE&feature=player_embedded#![/video]

umm, no.
I'm freaked out by potholes and blacktop patches.

My "driveway" is a half mile long, about two feet wide and winds thru a spruce forest! So yeah, I have tried it.

I fear similar on regular Roadholders and off road Race Tech cartilage in SV650 but enjoy them on Greg Fauth's kit and tri linkage, especially the front on rough sorta slow conditions. Brush, tall grass and vines,etc snags at forks. Another risk is hitting a limb that's pointing up at you but unseen, can jam in frame and pogo ya right over, if it don't impale too.

I'm a kidnapped victim forced to bond with my touring captor. THE Gravel. There is identical pile of logs in yard of tool/die shop I take Norton stuff for fabrication. The owner dropped out building/flying ultra lights d/t deaths of friends and his own close calls. So to get a thrill he does dirt-trials and half built a course, tape and moogals and tractor tires, logs, and Arkansas sex rocks. The other half is too rough ravined tree fallen to develop. ITs the 2nd half that Commando did so well I'm still in shock and think more about and quiver on off road than tripping out Peel by throttle on pavement to get the saving hi sides.

Alas dang ole heavy twin sits so low it hangs up a lot and ya don't want no hesitation pitching over into ravine 2-3 stories deep that uspsets line or the needed acceleration to keep some steering and momentum to stand up almost vertical to get back out other side. Peel will clear 2" higher what ever.

There is a Trans America trail system that passes by my area and I'm hot to trot to tackle it, especially with Insterstate tank and crash bars. not sure if Drouin is a help or a hindrance, but Mad Max lever to find out : ) Here's entrance site to the pathway. http://www.transamtrail.com/about/

I think Ill stick to my Berg for that sort of thing, its faster than the Comando and still tracks straight when you hit washouts with it pinned in top....

Yep rear tire should rule the roost and non linked Cdo's behave for me the same way you describe. I prefer the boulevard cruiser sense myself of my heavy twin thank you. If you ain't learned about crowned surfaces climbing to their peaks with high enough energy might consider riding something with more off road capacity. But that's not trials like rock fields and lumpy surfaces with hazards. 4 wd only ATV crooked tipped tracks is subject on my mind here not desert or log trail freeway like flings.

Hobot , if you can do this road on your mss Peel , I take my hat off :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjryAqox ... r2-2r-8-HM
Too tough for me . it's over 80 km , and will take you all day ..

Click to expand...

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjryAqoxt7E&feature=rec-LGOUT-exp_stronger_r2-2r-8-HM[/video]

Ludwig I'd give both my useless old testes to have your area and Europe's scale of tough trails to ride. Yes I'd even sit down to pee its so appealing to me light a moth to flame. Alas the above video is a piece of cake for me on Ms Peel, its wide and open with mostly settled down pebbles and stones and no missing sections or trees in the way. It fine paths like that I can kick up heels on Ms Peel and what taught me about rear tire Ruling The Roost and the other faster phases of aiming w/o let off of acceleration and how vital the CoG of a bike and rider are to know. Seriously Peel except for slowing for the blind hazards, which I always do, Peel would be in planning speeds where vision allowed 30-50 mph.

To take a blind corner in switch back off slope bluff knob with drop offs requires about WOT drag racer/hill climber/rolling burn out state I call phase 5. I only learned to do that in deparation as so loose slopped any slower got no where but skewed side ways toward the edge and slow enough to put a foot down had no momentum to go no where and about as good as putting foot down on marbles or ice surface anyway. Also if going sanely slow, the bigger rocks will jerk tire out from under in an instant often either end the wrong way at once such a foot down would only get crushed under bike or jerked under tire before crushed and
ground up under bike. This is half of how I know I've got world class forks that are mostly Roadholder inside. The other half is tarmac choppy chicanes using front to pivot around in phase 3 handling.

There are some paths Peel could not take mostly d/ hi centering and my own sense of survival til I die.

Great write up guys... but Hobot, wtf are "Arkansas sex rocks"?

wtf are "Arkansas sex rocks"?

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I had one pointed out by locals I had digging around my place, when suddenly one
shouts and points into the hole - LOOK a Ozark Sex Rock! So I go over to see what he's so excited about - I look but can't see any thing special so ask him - what?
"SEE right there >>> Another Fuuking Rock in the way"

This is where I leave drive way to enter THE Gravel paths, you can pick ya way along slipping and jerking at random or ballistically blast across more predicable.
Most my sudden crashes are encountering this stuff and being too timid to stay in control SPAT! I don't really class even this as off road anymore, just off tarmac.



It ain't the Alp's here but its fun enough often enough. Road goes under the limestone over hang where flood waters have under cut it roughly.

UGH! Ludwig, I'm so glad you found this one again for me, UGH!
That's the ultimate horror trail to me even on foot! Its my almost nightly nightmare. Its what I have most in mind while conceiving how to arrange Peel to be ride able after the winches and ropes haul her back to some ride able surface. Only thing worse I can picture is it covered in snow hiding ruts and ice patches with mud on top. i jerk in a startle picturing Peel hi centered with rear tire over the edge on **THE Gravel**. That is Exactly why I tiled this post as Rough Riding Slowly.

My earliest repeating nightmare as an infant was crossing tall draw bridge at night with black water below and bridge light showing shadows of huge things swimming by while '40's car hi centers on lifting bridge edge tittering rocking slipping then falling into zoomed into face terror. Sparks of scrapping metal, smoking tires and slight whiff of exhaust smoke and smell vivid. But all in vintage b/w movie film jerky contrast. I have danced over 300 ft deep pits on steep leaf covered edge, fixed stuff at tip of cranes and climb tree's with saw in supporting cables, ladder lashed to get up trunk too big to straddle. All these and that horror trial hurt from hair roots to toes nails intense. Same as THE Gravel travel. I may sound flippant but I'm amazed I can even get to pavement most the time as too often don't. So yes dear sir you have touched a deep nerve asking me if I could ride it on Ms Peel. Only fear of drowning/choking is worse than fear of falling to me.

Being burnt up then eaten by sharks piece by piece follow close behind. Being crushed or impaled I can almost handle w/o quivering. Motorcycles covers it all for me and that trail elicits my worst night mare fully awake.

Ok-glup- there are 2 places that curl me toes most, the tree they lean out over edge for and the hi centered rear slide out shut off and lift back up event.
I've done similar to climb out ravine on spinning tire to hit 'top' and lean to turn on leaf covered, stump and sex rock filled hill side I have to lean out even more suddenly to clear bars off tree, which kicks rear back up slope and whould strike tree if not for flash of straight steer back up hill to get rear swung down away from tree and us aimmed back up hill onto exit path to next whopty doo. I often have bike leaned one way while I"m almost on the other upper side to fling in time.

The hi centered slide out at gap in path is similar to what I do get some leg shake adrenalin rush after spanking sports bikes on tarmac skiing pleasure cruising. I leap Peel off our 4 ft high culvert into spring branch full of deep Gravel bars and skull size rocks and root ledges then try to run it then climb out at diagonal 40' slope and not just stall or spin out onto side at ~2-3 mph. But not at height these dudes are braving, AAGRGGGGHH>Splat.

http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1229 ... 1179roUIZD



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I see BMW as big old box trucks. KLM seems more capable for world treks. Personally except for river in flood state, just looks so inviting on a special Commando. Can't even lift bikes after they drop em so easy. Alas no more Norton to sponsor any adventure. Mud is a terror no matter the cycle. Would be fun to tease a current company to sponsor a ride to compare then and now.

Blips from The Long Way Round.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOJM_M80SwY[/video]

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5Zca0QeVB0&feature=related[/video]

Ok now I know for sure these guys are poor riders on poor equipment. This canyon trail ain't even as steep rutted washed out at some Ozark driveways i do at night though do scar me but ain't fallen. So steep can not stop just slides on locked tires, so steep can creep up or just slide back on spun out tire, so balls to the wall sprinting momentum gets er done. Most pisser deal on one drive is dang wire cattle fence across, so must stop, but too rugged to put a stand down so I nose lean it against a fence post at angle not to fall down or roll away while handling wire gate.
I didn't think a Commando or me capable but it becomes almost routine after trying a few ways up and down. Concentration is constant as well as twitching reflexes to catch the tosses and redirect back on path. This closest to THE Gravel paths I love so little.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFUt5vIutM8&feature=related[/video]

hobot said:

Ever try to see how tight a turn around a tree or stump or rock on hole your Cdo can do? Ever try same but with two objects to deal with or half dozen? One good dodge zing around don't mean can maneuver enough to deal with the next. Can't always do it by keeping both tires down or in effective traction. Can get scary on a steep side slope with hazards below, to lean bars down hill away from
tree bark/limbs yet needing to turn up towards tree yet while front is missing said tree, the rear is about to strike it sideways d/t front flinging so need to flick forks the wrong way to turn while spinning out rear to twist Cdo on Center of Gravit just in time, then the antics that follow to get back in line and trail?

Ever fine out just how high a hazard a Cdo can tackle or how hard and not just hi center? Ever learn there's two types of hi center, one both frame rails lifted the other only on frame rail.... Anywho this video is very similar to where/how I first found out what a full set of isolastic links is worth for sure footed-ness.
Norton makes a great desert dirt bike and even sold skid plates for Cdo, ever wonder why, Yeehaw gittty up ...

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wyAUcyPqKE&feature=player_embedded#![/video]

Click to expand...

The off-road capabilities of a heavy low ground clearance road bike, has a great deal to do with the just how good the rider might be!

Anyone who is a reasonably good road rider should be able to do figure of 8 turns on a flat surface, going from lock to lock with the steering. This requires a good sense of balance, and might be pretty difficult for anyone with worn out old Amal carbs fitted, but low COG and weight will make things easier.

For anyone not able to cope with simple low speed figure of 8 turns round a car park for instance, then anything more advanced might not be a good idea.

Carbon, good words of wisdom that got beat into my bones on the rules of just getting somewhere intact let alone tasking some risk involving hi centering. Took me a few year to mostly come to grips with delicate to violent brutal bike handle just to avoid busting up. Two things helps ih centering, speed/power and lifting suspension. Peel is being rasied 2" for clearance under and to lean more.

Here's good flavor of what is routine to me now, expect for the ever loving freaking mud parts no one or nothing can deal with well or at all when steep and deep enough. Rule One, Never use front brake unless in perfect line with rear, even as 2 mph about to put foot down or your head will hit before the foot and bars. Rule Two, either creep along slow enough to put feet down to catch a Stop or be going fast enough you mostly just ski across stuff with momentum enough the jerks and skip out give enough time to recover them before face planting or ankle/knee/hip/shoulder trapped in sliding frame.

I do water crossings inches to 2 ft deep depending on the speed of currents. My buddy crossed a low water bridge with less than a foot of fast water over it and would of been fine but for big hole in center missing he dropped in and current began to lift him over out and down steam but he Nailed it and front rose out the hole and he scampered back to hard surface and cross just barely before water filled his carbs. Then climbed a bit and on down turn drum brake totally gone and flew off Gravel bend barely missing barbed wire fence into ditch. I almost miss judged what I could take on too, best is to hit low water into the flow rather than a tail wind of it. There low water bridge are crude affairs with dips you must know about or suddenly no tire contact -Swoosh off the edge into many feet deep turmoil eddies that drown people in cars and kaykas. I almost lost it on this bridge from other side as it dipped deep just before where I stopped Ms Peel for surreal photo to me. Had just enough momentum the rear re touched to launch out before swept away, swearing I'd never do that again.



http://community.webshots.com/inlinePho ... 1179vTLjEw


Trans America Trail sorta near with flavors I savor or swear at or swell from.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSAGgI3tCLg&NR=1[/video]