How Fast Have You Been Off Pavement?

[AVGeek]

Inspired by thread drift in the Vaccine thread...how fast have you been in the dirt?

I do recall a few sprints on my Tenere that topped 70mph, mostly on wide open desert dirt roads. The one vehicle where I tracked my speed the most was my YFZ450 quad (which I literally just sold this weekend). With the stock gearing and the paddle tires I ran, it was good for almost 70mph running the drags at Glamis. The fastest I ever got it was 85mph, which was full throttle top gear running the bowls at St Anthony's Dunes in Idaho.

 

[~TABASCO~]

108 GPS.. Ive tapped 100-101 MANY times. Its interesting that a little bump will throw you 1-2-3 feet in the air, but your in the air for what feels like 50++++++++ feet at those speeds.

 

[MileageMonster]

No idea, I never watch my dash when on full speed off road.
Did a two week off-road course for my job couple of years ago.
Started with skills for a few days, after that everything was a match.
The higher the speed, the easier it became. Training on tank-training area..

 

[EricV]

I've pushed 120 on the playa outside Gerlach, NV a few times when conditions allowed. They used to do record speed runs there when the salt flats were too wet.

On normal gravel roads, only about 70.

 

[Mak10]

I’ve had it to 105 on the speedo. There are some prime long old railroad beds out in the west Utah desert.

If there was ever a bike that felt stable at speed off road it is the Super Tenere. Yamaha got the geometry right on the bike.

 

[Sierra1]

3.2 mph.

 

[ballisticexchris]

I don't ride a 600 plus pound machine at speed off road. It's senseless and not smart at all. Lightweight dirt bike or dual sport a little faster but not by much. There is no manufacturer on earth that can make a machine that is safe to ride 100+ mph in the dirt. It's impossible to predict the conditions of the terrain ahead of you and react accordingly regardless of rider skill.

One of the reasons I quit racing desert was due to the high speeds needed in order to win. I need only look back to all the airlifts called in for near death crashes due to speed. Almost every single race someone would wad up and be seriously injured or die. Danny Hamel, Elmer Symons, Kurt Caselli are just a few who's speed contributed to their tragic demise.

That being said I have been at 128mph on my Ninja on the dry lake and just under 120 mph on my Honda XR650R on the same dry lake. Those were under controlled pre-ran conditions. Numerous bomb runs and sand washes tapped out between 80 -100mph when racing.

I have rag dolled at close to 50mph hitting a hidden rock under the sand. It knocked the wind out of me. I managed to make it back to my parents (Boulder City NV). I have been using Scotts Dampers ever since on all my dirt bikes.

Speed injures and kills. When we are young we tend to go faster. Those of us that are smart slow down as we age due to the reflex losses and what we learn. And then there are a small group of riders that throw caution to the wind and don't use common sense. Those are the scary ones that I try to avoid riding with.

I realized about in my 40's that I can still have fun and minimize the risk and still enjoy riding. It's simply by slowing down and not riding any faster than I can see or react to.

The last 10 years or so I got into extreme enduro "King Of Moto" style trails. I'm at a point that's even becoming a chore. So now it's more mellow trails.

Since purchasing my Super Tenere I have learned it's a great touring platform that can be fitted with open block knobby tires and taken on smooth fire roads and not much else. It's simply not as versatile as a lightweight dual sport machine.

 

[Sierra1]

Oh, I think the Tenere would be fine at high speeds off road. Just not with me on her. I'm a pavement princess. All of my training, and experience is on pavement. Mak is a dirt monster. I have no doubt he can do it safely. I think I read somewhere that all of the best road racers started in the dirt. Makes sense to me. If you can ride on something that is always moving/shifting. . . . pavement would be a breeze.

 

[Checkswrecks]

Hit 100 a couple of times just to do it; once on gravel and once on dirt. Took forever to come to a stop on the gravel.

 

[Mak10]

“And then there are a small group of riders that throw caution to the wind and don't use common sense. Those are the scary ones that I try to avoid riding with.”


Since purchasing my Super Tenere I have learned it's a great touring platform that can be fitted with open block knobby tires and taken on smooth fire roads and not much else. It's simply not as versatile as a lightweight dual sport machine.

Good grief, your 100 times worse than any Mother. Good thing you put street tires on your bike. You can always blame them.

She’s working well for me.

 

[Sierra1]

I think I could do that. . . . I've done plenty of stairs. . . . but, not at 100mph.

 

[Kyle_E]

On the S10? 70 whatever MPH. There is a dirt road that saves you around 30 miles from Vegas to Caliente its well maintained better than any fire road you have ever been on. Its flat and straight with long sight lines for much of it. Also near zero chance of running into LEO.

(175 MPH in a Z06 at the Salt Flats if we are counting 4 wheels)

 

[gunslinger_006]

40

I have zero desire to ever go faster than 40 on a 600lb bike like the tenere.

Yall hitting triple digits are after something totally different than me.

30 off road is more than fast enough to put a smile on my face.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[VRODE]

I think about 50 on a dirt road. Around here they are not very straight or long compared to a western venue. I suppose on some level I'd be ok doing 50-60, but not much beyond that. I'm pretty selective about where I go fast these days.

 

[ballisticexchris]

40

I have zero desire to ever go faster than 40 on a 600lb bike like the tenere.

Yall hitting triple digits are after something totally different than me.

30 off road is more than fast enough to put a smile on my face.

The ones posting pictures of various off highway terrain on street tires and bragging about high speeds in the dirt are the same guys I pick their bike up on the trail and call in the air lift. Motorcycling is a dangerous sport as it is. It has never been my style to brag about being dangerous with "look at me" pictures.


It's pretty obvious by some of the posts that we all have different comfort zones and what we are willing to risk. I ride for fun and part of my enjoyment is using the tools given to me such as common sense and training. Also using the right tool for the job. Navigating rock steps on a big bike with hard luggage and sup par tires for that terrain is not very smart no matter how you slice it.

 

[ballisticexchris]

Inspired by thread drift in the Vaccine thread...how fast have you been in the dirt?

I do recall a few sprints on my Tenere that topped 70mph, mostly on wide open desert dirt roads. The one vehicle where I tracked my speed the most was my YFZ450 quad (which I literally just sold this weekend). With the stock gearing and the paddle tires I ran, it was good for almost 70mph running the drags at Glamis. The fastest I ever got it was 85mph, which was full throttle top gear running the bowls at St Anthony's Dunes in Idaho.

I sure do miss my KFX700. That was a screamer!! Alas, I have aged out of launching a quad in the dunes or screaming it across the power line roads going from Boulder City to State Line. Those were the days.........

 

[gunslinger_006]

Its all relative.

On the track i have no problem pushing my own limits. But the track is a very controlled environment.

On dirt... it doesnt take much speed to make me happy. I find it way more fun to slow down and try to be as technical as i can be (keep in mind i am a novice to dirt).

Not knocking anyone, just that dirt has so many unknowns that i cant imagine going 100mph for fun.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mak10]

Your right about one thing Chris, you will never have to pick up my bike. You will never ride with me. ( I have serious doubts you ride at all). It is starting to make sense, as why perfect “strangers” would lay a beating on you . Although it has taken a while as I’m not a very smart man.

 

[14kmtnman]

I agree, it is all relative, since we have our own comfort zones. The BMW RT topped out at 125 on the pavement once or twice. The fastest I have been on the ground. The St has done 100 several times on graded straight gravel roads. Only a couple of times at that speed on pavement. At the other end of the scale, on some rocky trails like the one above, 5-10 mph seems really fast.

 

[Sierra1]

That's how I started going around corners/curves as fast as I could. You don't have to go fast to feel like you are going fast. Like 'slinger said "It's all relative". It takes a lot more speed in a straight line to feel speed than it does leaned over in a curve. Riding in the dirt? Ass end moving all over the place? No thank you.