Water Crossings

Lowryrides

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I am wondering what your experience has been with the Super Tenere and water crossings. I have never done any on a bike with any sort of rider aids and am wondering if traction control setting 2 is fine, allowing enough wheel spin variance or should trac be turned off entirely for the best trip through crossings?
 

~TABASCO~

RIDE ON ADV is what I do !
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Ive ridden probably a few hundred water crossings. Some have been 2 inches, and others have been 2-3 feet deep...... Im ALWAYS crossing with the traction control turned OFF........... It will only take one time, you need that quick POW of power, and the TC will not give it to you.........

In fact, Ive almost died one time because I tried to re enter a "country highway" from the grass side of the road. I forgot to turn the TC off, when I leaning on the throttle to accelerate onto this high way, the power was cut and I was just about rear ended from a car doing 75. TC has a purpose, IMOP, off road is not the place for it.

No matter the suggestions here, you might just have to live and learn !
 

Mak10

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I concur with Tabasco, if off road I prefer traction control off and abs off. Traction control will really let you down off road (pun intended).
 

SkunkWorks

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Colorado
Same here.
Traction-Control always off for ANY water-crossing, and most any off-pavement riding that I do.
I've had it cut power and leave me stuck in a few instances of sand/pea-gravel/loose-rocks/and mud as well, but I take my S10 places that most owners wouldn't.
 

RCinNC

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Same here....stuck in a deep sandy road in South Carolina because I didn't turn off the traction control. Thank Jeebus there was a log truck coming up the road who helped to extricate me from the results of my lack of understanding of how the traction control functioned.
 

AusTexS10

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And be EXTREMELY cautious on concrete low water crossings when they're wet. That algae is slicker than any grease you've ever experienced and will throw you down like a main event wrestler. Making matters worse, your feet have no traction, either, to right the bike.
 

Sierra1

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Joshua TX
And be EXTREMELY cautious on concrete low water crossings when they're wet. That algae is slicker than any grease you've ever experienced and will throw you down like a main event wrestler. Making matters worse, your feet have no traction, either, to right the bike.
That might be a Texas thing. I've never seen so many low water crossings as around here. Everywhere else I've lived had bridges. :rolleyes:
 

holligl

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Nov 13, 2015
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Yup, why build a bridge when the water will be gone tomorrow.
That is Arizona big time. That said there has been a LOT of water this year. All the water crossings in the Tonto Basin remain closed. People have died in prior years when not heeding the closures. There was an "invincible" jeep washed down stream on one crossing earlier this season. Just left laying on it's side in the stream bed when we came through.
 

TenereGUY

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I can turn my abs off but in the last to days on loose granite gravel it only activated for a fraction of a second and all was good... wet slick mud... maybe then.
 

Madhatter

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buda texas
"turn around don't drown" is the rule publicly expressed here in the flash flood capitol of the world "central texas " . normal water flow over a low water crossing is a slow flow inches deep to some that are 12 inches or more but no obvious current . when water is rushing across that's a rain event flow , stay away it will get you.
AusTexS10 is correct on how slippery our low water crossing can be , they will dump you in a second . technique is too be as neutral in your inputs on the bike as possible . no power no brakes no handle bar movement if possible , and prayers are helpful.
 

Lowryrides

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Gettysburg, Pa. USA
Seems like the opinions on traction control are unanimous! My dirt riding these days is done mostly on a DRZ400s, my days of motocross are over and the YZ's have been sold off, but I have been using the S10 in the mountains west of town here in Gettysburg, Pa. a little. I did the NEBDR last summer on the DRZ and this year will be running the MABDR on the S10 which has 3-5 waters crossings, our crossings are not usually snotty in the spring, but they are free stone streams and rivers here in Appalachia so larger rocks that can be tricky. I have seen videos of the super slick stuff you guys are writing about, guys not even being able to stand up on it! I had put some street oriented tires on the S10 and will be swapping them for something more aggressive for this ride. This ride seems well suited to a large ADV, not as technical as the NEBDR, but this will be my first experience doing stream crossings on a big bike while loaded. Previously I had a GS1250 which was terrible off road owing to it's vague front end feel off-road, but at least it was super unreliable! The S10 gives me confidence to even attempt a trip like this with it, mechanically and dynamically. We'll see!
 

Banditryder

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Jul 19, 2021
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Pennsylvania
Seems like the opinions on traction control are unanimous! My dirt riding these days is done mostly on a DRZ400s, my days of motocross are over and the YZ's have been sold off, but I have been using the S10 in the mountains west of town here in Gettysburg, Pa. a little. I did the NEBDR last summer on the DRZ and this year will be running the MABDR on the S10 which has 3-5 waters crossings, our crossings are not usually snotty in the spring, but they are free stone streams and rivers here in Appalachia so larger rocks that can be tricky. I have seen videos of the super slick stuff you guys are writing about, guys not even being able to stand up on it! I had put some street oriented tires on the S10 and will be swapping them for something more aggressive for this ride. This ride seems well suited to a large ADV, not as technical as the NEBDR, but this will be my first experience doing stream crossings on a big bike while loaded. Previously I had a GS1250 which was terrible off road owing to it's vague front end feel off-road, but at least it was super unreliable! The S10 gives me confidence to even attempt a trip like this with it, mechanically and dynamically. We'll see!
Pittsburgh S10 rider here. I'm intrigued by off-road west of Gettysburg. I'm out to Harrisburg on occasion. Maybe we can talk? Tom

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