trails in michigan with little to zero sand

[jackdrinker]

hey there, happy new year...
we usually ride in mio & rose city but i'm growing tired of wooped out sand trails. what are some really great " dirt " cycle trails in michigan? we are willing to travel, for a good trail. i'm looking forward to putting many hours on my new toy..

 

[Fred T]

Kalkaska don't really have lots of sand. Sand is pretty much every where in MI unless you go to the UP.

 

[OutlawXR4]

Evart doesn't have alot of sand, but it's got alot of rocks and roots, not something that I'd ride with snow.

 

[MWEISSEN]

Other than one huge sand area, there's not much on at White Cloud either. The first section is particularly free of sandy spots. Also, Wolverine isn't bad. It's been 30 years since I rode in Rose City and Mio, and I remember sand from even then!

 

[Don Marsh]

Then why is the State Soil Kalkaska Sand?

 

[Smit-Dog]

I've heard that Drummond Island has very little sand. Is that considered Lower Peninsula?

Then again, after a trip up to Drummond, you may be wanting nice, soft sand! :)

 

[woodsy]

You got that right Bill!! OK, here are some of my best kept secrets to answer your question..
Tight - NON SANDY TRAIL - Go North on M-37 to M-55. Turn East on M-55 to the Caberfe Ski Lodge sign - turn left on the Caberfe entrance road and pull into the trailhead parking area your immediate right hand side. The bike trail exits the south east corner of the trail head. The trails connecting the the trail head to the MCCCT and the MCCCT in that area are PERFECT with NO sand and AWESOME riding!! If you go south on the MCCCT you can go for MILES without being required "street legal" status!! If you go north you will find the states "Street legal sign" after about 10 miles of trail (guessing).
THE HOLTON LOOP!! AWESOME AND VERY LITTLE SAND!!
More open trails - NON sandy - I was AMAZED at how much black dirt there is in the Moorsetown area. If you park at the trailhead just east of Moorestown and ride the cross state connector back toward Kalkaska as I recall that was VERY nice with very little sand..
Woodsy

 

[woodsy]

Hey Jack I forgot to mention something else. When you hear us Michiganers talking about the AWESOMENESS of the traction available with screws we are speaking about the "hookup" we get due to frozen ground! If you HATE sand because of its "looseness" under you bike you have got to try riding with screws once the ground freezes!! This Michigan sand turns into Asphalt like traction when its frozen and the screws are in!! It is even fun just frozen without screws but you hafta watch for ice!! Also, if you do put screws in STAY AWAY FROM PAVEMENT!! Everything that rubber does on dry pavement screws are the exact opposite!!
Just a thought..
Woodsy

 

[2TrakR]

UP was mentioned; still gotta watch the trails up there as many have sand. Brevort is mostly sand. Silver Creek has some spots of sand but is generally pretty good. Don't forget the one trail named SandTown (hint hint). Face it, Michigan is one big sand hill...
That new section of MCCCT from St. Helen to Rose City has almost no sand and is VERY new trail. Yet another reason to get your bike plated.
Leota has some nice sections of no sand.

 

[jeff graw]

go about an hour up 33 north from mio. mixture of hardpacked, rocks and slight sand. beginner to intermediate level. opportunity to view lots of elk. montmorency county. trails everywhere.

 

[jackdrinker]

woodsy.... when it gets cold the liberty twin comes out. i have never given much thought into plating a " woods bike " but after reviewing the dnr maps it sounds like the thing to do. i have a few concerns though.
(1) fuel mileage. running out of gas gives me chills, i have considered the reserve fuel tank from acerbis but if i use that there will be no room for a light.
(2) tire choice. it seems to me a dot tire will not give me squat for hook up.
(3) pre-mix and fuel type. i carry those one ounce packets of amsoil just in case but actual ratio and fuel quality in the middle of nowhere are issues.
so you guys who ride converted two strokes please shed some light.

 

[MWEISSEN]

Jackdrinker, here's some tips:

If you explain to the cop certifying your bike how you're going to use it (just to two-track to the trails, and in case of emergency, etc etc) there's a good chance he'll sign off without DOT tires. Or "borrow" some for the legal part.

Check on Ebay for a large-capacity tank. I buy a lot of bike parts on Ebay, and haven't had a single bad incidence, and, if I really watch the prices, can get really good deals. Items I've bought (and sold) are whole motorcycles, pipes, lighting kits, large-capacity tanks, carbon fiber parts, chains, handlebars, and Trailtech digital odometers.

As for lighting, you can improvise a kit that will be a lot less expensive than a pre-made kit. An Acerbis or UFO light with a small taillight is all you need. Also the Trail-Tech odometer hooks up to any bike, and gives you a lot of information. Also, in regards to lighting, the rules don't say they have to run from the engine, batteries will work. A cheap R/C car NiCad pack from Radio Shack will get you lights. If you REALLY want lights, there's people that will put a coil in your ignition, or you can buy an E-line lighting kit.

I hope this helps!

 

[jackdrinker]

i've been trying to decipher the michigan secretary of ste website... man what crap.
so what is exactly needed to become road legal and how does the process go.
thanks,
jonathan

 

[Tom Dixon]

Back to the sand trails, The Kalkaska loop is nice after a nice rain, but when it is dry it can get prtty sandy.

 

[MWEISSEN]

Originally posted by jackdrinker
i've been trying to decipher the michigan secretary of ste website... man what crap.
so what is exactly needed to become road legal and how does the process go.
thanks,
jonathan

Functioning brake light - wire in a hydraulic brake switch
Hi/Lo headlight beam
DOT approved tires
Horn - can be a bulb type horn, nothing fancy
Mirror

You need a "green form" (can't remember the form number) from the Secretary of State's office, which also tells you what you need. You need a law enforcement official to sign off that the bike passes the requirements, after it's inspected. When ready you simply call 911 and tell them you need a law enforcement official to certify your bike. A police officer or sheriff comes to your house for the inspection. Then you take the form to the secretary of state WITH an itemized list of items to make your bike legal AND the costs (so they can collect taxes..., I think if you show you already paid sales tax, you don't have to pay again.) Also take in your title, and they take the information and issue you a license and a new title.

This whole process goes smoother if you know a law enforcement official.

MTR guys, did I miss anything?

 

[Smit-Dog]

The Secretary of State form you need is TR-54, "Vehicle Number and On-Road Equipment Inspection". Check it out here:

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/TR-54_38480_7.pdf

Another related thread:
http://dirtrider.net/forums3/showthread.php?s=&threadid=59798&highlight=street+legal

 

[2TrakR]

It's form TR-54 (or 51, can't remember off hand). Mark summed it up pretty good though.
One thing they do is verify your VIN on the bike which can include running it against the computers. This took a couple hours with my XR for some silly reason (donut break?).
I call the cop shop and try to get an appointment, then I take the bike to them. Never heard of calling 911, guess that might work too.
Kenda has an awesome DOT knobby (TrackMaster II K760), there are other decent ones too. You only need DOT for inspection; a couple people did not have their tires inspected during the process, myself included. In fact,the LEO that "inspected" my bike looked at the $500 Baja Designs kit and said "that stuff work?" and I says "yep" and he says "oookay".I've "heard" of other guys not running DOTs after plating; "heard" of people grinding off the Not for Highway Use too.
Friend of a friend said they heard of somebody actually getting a ticket for non-DOT rubber once sometime somewhere in Michigan.
All the BS aside, it is REALLY nice to know you can ride down the road w/o worry of getting a ticket. Just today I was tired of fighting a trail on the way back and opted to run a nice two track back to the main trail system.

 

[woodsy]

A squeeze ball horn (bicycle) has always flown..
I WHOLEHEARTLY agree with Mweissen about E-Bay - I found almost EVERYTHING for my KX500 on E-Bay CHEAP - but I dont mind used stuff - some folks are anal about "gotta be new"..
Tires: Kenda TrackMasters are AWESOME dirt tires and are DOT approved. They grip the dirt as well as Dunlop 752's and wear BETTER!! They also come in 19" which REALLY helps us MX legal guys majorily! Also, King Tire has a DOT front nob that my nephew (CW) runs on his KDX - AWESOME tire!!
I advise going the stator coil for lighting.. This is only because it adds electrical power to your adventure which means you can ride at night (it is a BLAST). The battery idea will get you thru the inspection but, you never know when you may get caught in the dark!! Electrx is the cheapest carrier of light coils that I know of - good stuff too!
A cheap rubber taillight can be had from Marshall, so can a VERY inexpensive hydraulic breaklight switch. Also, the fold down full size mirror works GREAT, I carry my MCCCT map on my cross bar and the mirror folds down and lays on top of it perfectly..
THere is NOTHING on the Green Slip about Spark Arrestor and the Officer wont check for it. YOU STILL HAVE TO HAVE ONE if your going to woods ride!
Here is the next issue: You MUST have a Cycle Endorsement on your Dirvers License to be "legal" too! The DNR LOVES to stop riders who have spent lots of cash to legalise their bike and then get to write a ticket for no operaters license!!
Hey Jack - IT IS WORTH IT ALL!!! Once all the work is done the fun REALLY begins!! Come and ride cross country with us and I will show you what I mean!!!!
Woodsy

 

[jackdrinker]

can you guys post a few links for parts suppliers?
thanks,
jonathan