XR600 Deep Sand & Corners

[Birken Vogt]

Well I am just back from some lengthy riding in the desert on my XR600. It felt lonely, you know, since I have been riding my CR500 a lot more. I had not really ridden it hard at all before this, so it was all pretty much new to me. Of course the sheer weight can be a problem. I am 6' 165 lb and the tank can be a lot to handle sometimes. I am really impressed on how it handles whoops.

But anyway to get to my questions, I felt like I was not fully in control when on sand. Now I am used to sand and lots of it on my CR and it does not bug me one bit. But on the XR, riding flat sandy roads at high speed I could not shake the feeling that I was about to go splat, all the time.

Then of course there is the berm problems where basically you come into a well established berm hoping to power off of it but in reality all that happens is you plow through the berm like a bulldozer and end up laying on your side. I suppose the answer to that one is "slow down" eh?

 

[High Lord Gomer]

The last couple times I rode in sand I found that it was only *when* I slowed down that I plowed through the berms.

I found that as soon as I started leaning the bike into the turns, if I got on the gas and powered hard all the way through the turn, that I was able to rail the berms. I had to make sure I had all my braking done before I started laying it into the turn, though.

 

[JPIVEY]

I hate the deep sand, well not really but close, I try to keep the speed up, stay high on the pipe, stand slightly and weight over the rear, I try to control it without fighting,sorta let the bike run,also a click or two tighter on the damper.

Now if I can figure out deep sand whoops, I'd be happy, engine break always has me making sand castles with my face