Well , a gravel road is still a road …. Soo

That muddy ass creek that was swollen with rain last night on the trail that I dumped the bike in trying to cross , Well it was no where near a road 😎.

Picked myself up and my muddy bike(Honda 300) and made it home in shame and a hose off of myself … ha

I have watched his stuff well and passed/ran across him as well since he is from my area south …

 

Off road is where you have to prepare your bike. You need to prepare tyre pressures, have spare tools and parts. A road bike usually wont worry about that on road.
Off road is simple, if you are covered in dust, mud, water or trees are in touching range while on your bike then you are riding off road.

 

Off road is simple, if you are covered in dust, mud, water or trees are in touching range while on your bike then you are riding off road.

This one 100%.

A gravel road that is slippery as hell with a few ruts, some larger rocks, and where an ordinary sedan will have trouble in, that's off road. If 4WD and/or High Clearance is recommended by the USFS, that's off road.

I watched Dork a few times and I just can't gel with his style. 75% of the time, his face is filling the screen, and it's just not pretty. 95% of the time, he's rambling on and on about his opinions. And I'm honestly sick of the "5 Things You Need To Know....." The worst ones are when he (or others) sit in their garage and give opinion after opinion for 20+ minutes...that just kills me.

If you're interested in really upping your game, I highly recommend Bret Tkacs and Dusty Wessels of West38Moto. Their videos are outstanding. Yes they talk and you see them talking...from 5 feet away! No face closeups! Most importantly, they show you how it should be done, and I'm not talking first person perspective, but 3rd Person, where you can truly learn body position, and bike position. These two guys produce the best How-To ride off road videos today. I've learned so much from these two guys in a very short period of time. They are professional instructors, with professionally edited videos.

 

I’m a life long street bike guy. Just got into the dual purpose side of things last spring. The closest I get to off road are what we call woods roads or more correctly forest access roads. By definition they are not off road. Aside from a washed out or plugged culvert they are usually pretty tame. I do smack leaves and branches on a regular basis but that’s just to stay clear of the bouldery (new word) wheel ruts.
I think off road would be anywhere to narrow or to rough to take a four wheel street vehicle and at my getting grizzly, grey haired age I’m only going those places on a quad.
Of course being a street guy, I have all sorts of weird ideas…..for example, unlike many folk here, I think dropping your bike is a catastrophic fail and the ultimate way to muck up ( and I don’t mean muck)😎 a run on bike.

My 02,

tink

 

Around here it basically has to be a "road" to be legal to even ride it. "Roads" are mainly 2 track and have names on Google maps.
Road = 2 track and legal. Off-road = single track and not so legal......kinda.
We have a quite a bit of both.

Most of us don't even use the term "off-road" and I don't think I've ever said I'm "off-road riding". We don't ride "off-road". We ride either "dirt" or "paved/street" when talking about it.

 

If you're not riding on pavement or cement I guess.

 

"If you're not riding on maintained pavement, gravel or cement I guess."
I added one category to this list.

 

an unpaved road is still a road and I don't think I'd consider that "offroad" riding FWIW...... skidder/jeep trails, sure....single track, definitely.

My interest in dual sport riding is focused sharply on offroad riding due to my many years riding and racing offroad and it's hard for me to agree with the idea that a graded gravel road is offroad. I watched the video but found it to be a bit of an irrelevant rant and nothing more. The term "off pavement" would seem to be far more accurate for the riding he's describing.

2 cents,

Dave

 

if it's off pavement, that's good enough for me to be considered "off-road".

 

This wash is "off-road"

This "dirt road" is "off-highway" or "off-pavement".

Best wishes and remember, ride hard, ride often for life is short.

 

This wash is "off-road"

There ya go. I have one similar to that on Bear Lake Road on the way into my blue berry picking spot. In all honesty I duck paddle through it. To many small round rocks (like ball bearings), to many big rocks like basket balls, and to many random crisscrossing ruts caused by runoff. Typical of our forest access roads once the commercial guys are finished cutting at which point road maintenance is halted.

 

OK.... it seems like this might be a good place for this so, here I go!

Is it just me or, does it seem like, on the YouTube Videos of ADV Motorcycle's and the Camping & Riding of said Bikes, the higher the Bike's price, the following is true:

1.) The GREATER the fear of leaving the hard road surface

2.) The WORSE the ability to pick a "Line" through most ANYTHING

3.) The increased speed at which the "Owner", when faced with the slightest adversity, douses their head with accelerant and touches it off.... figuratively speaking

It just seems like the more $$$ spent on the Scooter, the less 🧠 in the Rider !

Willie

 

Roads, roads & more roads. Many types of roads. I'll describe my descending order to get to challenging 'off-road'.

Paved city streets, freeways, interstates, highways, byways, scenic-byways, service roads, farm roads, travel-able by all vehicles.

Off-pavement highways, graded gravel, graded dirt roads, maintained often to keep wash-boards / corrugations to a minimum to still allow reasonably quick travel by low clearance passenger cars or even street motorcycles.

Two-track roads, seldom graded to only reduce center-hump and re-fill the ruts & potholes created. usually passable even with medium clearance 2WD SUV's.

For me, off-road riding begins with two-track roads that were bull-dozed or graded once upon a time for seismograph crews, mining access, power-lines, pipe-lines, fire roads, logging roads, remote lake & stream access and seldom get more than filling a big wash-out, busting a tall boulder or clearing dead-fall trees. Readily passable by higher clearance 4WD vehicles, ADV bikes, dual-sport bikes. atv's and side-by-sides. Traversable at relatively high speed by real dirt bikes.

Challenging off-road begins with routes which have washed out at gullies, soil worn from around boulders & tree roots or developed ruts deep enough to need lifted 4WD vehicles, skilled ADV riders, experienced dual-sport/KLR riders, experienced atv riders & side-by-side drivers. Real dirt bikes with skilled riders are still very quick.

Serious Off-Roading in my Rocky Mountain forested areas have many dead-ended routes which are not passable with a naked KLR, much less an ADV bike.
Most of the desert routes are still thru routes. Both of which is where & why I still ride a KX500.

We don't have very many Legal single track trails in WY, forest or desert. Most of what we did have now have a pair of narrow atv ruts (50 inch maximum). Might call them 3 tracks. The Gov't calls them Multiple Use Trails, including snowmobile's, Mtn bikers, hikers & horses.

 

Roads, roads & more roads. Many types of roads. I'll describe my descending order to get to challenging 'off-road'.

Paved city streets, freeways, interstates, highways, byways, scenic-byways, service roads, farm roads, travel-able by all vehicles.

Off-pavement highways, graded gravel, graded dirt roads, maintained often to keep wash-boards / corrugations to a minimum to still allow reasonably quick travel by low clearance passenger cars or even street motorcycles.

Two-track roads, seldom graded to only reduce center-hump and re-fill the ruts & potholes created. usually passable even with medium clearance 2WD SUV's.

For me, off-road riding begins with two-track roads that were bull-dozed or graded once upon a time for seismograph crews, mining access, power-lines, pipe-lines, fire roads, logging roads, remote lake & stream access and seldom get more than filling a big wash-out, busting a tall boulder or clearing dead-fall trees. Readily passable by higher clearance 4WD vehicles, ADV bikes, dual-sport bikes. atv's and side-by-sides. Traversable at relatively high speed by real dirt bikes.

Challenging off-road begins with routes which have washed out at gullies, soil worn from around boulders & tree roots or developed ruts deep enough to need lifted 4WD vehicles, skilled ADV riders, experienced dual-sport/KLR riders, experienced atv riders & side-by-side drivers. Real dirt bikes with skilled riders are still very quick.

Serious Off-Roading in my Rocky Mountain forested areas have many dead-ended routes which are not passable with a naked KLR, much less an ADV bike.
Most of the desert routes are still thru routes. Both of which is where & why I still ride a KX500.

We don't have very many Legal single track trails in WY, forest or desert. Most of what we did have now have a pair of narrow atv ruts (50 inch maximum). Might call them 3 tracks. The Gov't calls them Multiple Use Trails, including snowmobile's, Mtn bikers, hikers & horses.

Some of the most fun I've ever had on a MC was in Wyoming riding the FS roads in the Thunder Basin National Grassland! Awesome stuff! Get your gas in the town of Bill...population 4!

Regards, Jim

 

Float your boat, turn your key, the fun factor is what motorcycling is all about.

On road, off road, who cares.

It's all about the smile... and my John Deere KLR old man bike gives me lots of grins.

See how easy that was?

Cheers to all mates. On road and off road.

 

If 4wd is required in a truck it's off road. Otherwise it isn't.

Of course if the truck simply doesn't fit cause it's single track that counts. Extra points if you HAVE to fold the mirrors in.

 

If 4wd is required in a truck it's off road. Otherwise it isn't.

Of course if the truck simply doesn't fit cause it's single track that counts. Extra points if you HAVE to fold the mirrors in.

Similarly, I usually think "what kind of vehicle could safely travel this road?" as criteria; for instance, can you drive it in a '77 LTD, a Subaru wagon, or a lifted 4x4? I figure that if a jeep can do it, I can do it - although I will admit that has screwed me a few times...

 

Does that definition exclude rally cars?

 

In my youth I had a Renault La Car (times were tough... it was $250.00 with 60,000 miles). I would often take it down in the River Bottoms where the big 4X4 Trucks and Jeeps would go. The look on their eyes when a Renault Le Car came driving up to the Bon-Fire way back it the woods! It was SOOOOOO small I would ride between the ruts or straddle them. It was a front wheel drive so with the proper "wheel speed" in 5th gear, anything was possible!

Willie

 

Wyoming BDR route...my kind of road...

 

The Dork In The Road is my favorite internet riding buddy.
I'd agree with him that a dirt road or nonpayment is 'offroad' for a KLR.
Mud and trails would be extreme off-road.
I wish he'd join me for a Alaska tour in '26.

 

Gotta agree with basically everyone, cause everyone has an opinion or idea of what off road means to them, and thats just what The Dork was saying,,he wasn't making a Supreme Court Declaration,,, I love watching his videos, a very capabale presenter, very un-rehearsed, never a know it all, and love the "Pac-Man" style music and video at the start of his shows,,, Hell, if you drive thru your freshly manicured lawn,,, your "OFF ROAD"

Live and let live,,, to each his own.

 

I personally don't give a rat's ass if my idea of "off-road" does or does not meet anyone else's "standards" of what constitutes on- or off-road might be. Something about having a terminal medical condition, that was supposed to have ended my existence a few years ago, just makes all this nothing but a waste of time and effort.

Now don't mind me as I put on my Oxygen and get back to planning that 3 month trip to Prudhoe Bay.

 

Not sure why you even bothered to post your non-reply. All of us are facing various trials and tribulations in our lives.

I have spent the last week taking my elderly father to the ER, doctors visits, and pharmacy trying to figure out why in the span of two weeks he has gone from a relatively healthy 79 yr old to a cripple in a wheelchair. I have had to balance my own physical therapy and doctor appointments with his appointments while dealing with trying to re-home his bird dog and dealing with his explosive and uncontrolled bowel movements that I have to spend hours trying to clean up. All this while working 45+ hours per week.

I am on this forum to seek relief from the horrors of daily life and to focus on the joy of owning and riding a KLR.

I posted this thread as a vehicle to discuss our hobby and the different perspectives of riding in an effort to illustrate those differences so we can better understand our different perspectives.

Your post was inappropriate and rude in the context of this thread.

If you want to vent about your terminal illness issues and your perspective of end of life philosophy, then please create a thread in the appropriate forum.

Ranting about life in a thread about riding on gravel and dirt is not appropriate.

 

There's an example of KLR extreme off-roading.
I barely made it home, the picture doesn't do justice. I started spinning soon after I left the pavement, about 50 yards behind me.
My KLR has never been comfortable on saturated grass, even with knobby tires.

 

I watched the video, I had to look up "Gatekeeping" as never even heard that term..here is one definition I found;

"We hope not, but judging someone else's experience is called gatekeeping, and we need to close the door on it Gatekeeping can take many forms, but generally refers to the act of limiting a person's access to something, be it a community, a label or even a diagnosis, because they don't live up to certain standards set by those already initiated. "

So what do I think constitutes REAL road / off road riding? Its a non issue. Why does EVERYTHING have to be controversial? Why is this even an issue?

If someone bought a STREET bike and put knobbies on it and took it off road, OK, their choice. I would think, WHY? I would be amused.
If someone bought a full on MX bike and put lights, tires, etc. and toured on it, OK, their choice. I would think, WHY? I would be HIGHLY amused.

The point, so many bikes with so many capabilities, some specific some multi-capable (to a degree).
You want an all rounder? The KLR fits the bill for many looking street and "off road" - to a degree (and more power to those who choose one way or the other, if it makes THEM happy).
You want a bike a bit biased for "off road" but street legal, the KLX Dual sport comes to mind.

As to WHERE you ride them, that's a personal choice and in my thinking, is dictated by the bikes design / intent.
But to each their own. It would be awesome to run across a Kawasaki H1 on a single track trail!

Ride'em however you like (as long as legal) sure, but do we need "gatekeeping" as an issue on top of real issues facing the industry? Loss of riding areas or access to them for example.

Call it dirt, off road, semi off road, fire roading, trail riding..semi frequent street rides....whatever..its getting the right bike and setting it up for whatever you choose.

Why is everything an issue these days anyway?
I realize, the time it took to write this, keeps such things "alive", maybe I should just have ignored it? Oh no, maybe I am a gate keeper,,no wait..key master sounds better

Ride safe, have fun, if not fun I am not doing it

 

In regards to "gatekeeper". In the 4x4/rock crawling world a "gatekeeper" is an initial obstacle on a trail that "keeps" anyone who can't make it through from entering the trail.

It's an indicator of how 'technical' the trail is going forward and serves as a "protective" measure to keep folks from getting in "over their head" then having to be rescued.

 

Rock crawling, while never engaging in, sounds like off road activity exclusively.
In that context, the term "gate keeper" certainly sounds like a term with a specific meaning.
And probably a wise thing I would think.

 

KL RIDER hit it square on the head,,,
"Why is everything an issue these days anyway?"

 

Whats the Issue / your issue?

PNW simply asked ALL of us, "What do you consider off-road riding?". I gave you ALL my definitions of such.

Your ideas may vary.

 

Greetings pdwestman,

Not sure if you are referring to myself or trq427 with "what is the issue?"

I agree with this statement "I watched the video but found it to be a bit of an irrelevant rant and nothing more." Made by another forum member.

Don't get me wrong, I have never seen any Dork in Road videos except the one attached.
I saw the post title, "what do you consider off road riding" .
If this was the only text question, fair enough, simply stated.
But we have a video to watch, no worries.

And I thought your response to that question was crystal clear.

My response was more in line with the Video content.
Again, never saw this persons videos until coming across in this posting.

My issue is why is this an issue? And I mean the video content.

It's not about making that Honda in the video dirt capable, mods, performance, etc. (personally, I never would consider it anything beyond hard pack).
Its about a term (which I had to look up).

For the record, I don't like that term or what it implies.
It seems little to do with riding and more to do with "gatekeeping".
This was my "issue" - with the video line of dialogue.
And no, I have no thoughts on the person who made it, just reacting to his video.
Was that not the purpose of it?


But its OK...he has the right to put it out there, and I have the right to like or not.

Its all good if the wheels are turning.

Darn squirrel killer video making dude...JK of course

Ride on , stay safe, have fun

 

I guess I'm the big dork!....When riding on BLM land the rule of thumb is when you come up on a gate is to leave it how you found it. I thought that was what gatekeeping was! Ha!

 

JimR,
ahaha
Seriously though, glad to know BLM land is still open to motorcyclist, at least in some areas.

I recall reading the battles of access and use going back to the 70s ; as chronicled in Dirt Bike magazine among others (Phantom Duck of the Desert exploits).

Its about responsible use, like you said, closing the gate, or staying on designated trails or in areas.
Not total banishment of riding areas or the sport. Mfg. sure won't make (ah-men) "off road" bikes for long if no place to ride them.

Ride safe