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Soft Sand

blueeyes0811

blueeyes0811

Member
A couple of weeks ago, I was on a forest dirt/gravel road on my Steet Glide. At the bottom of a small hill what looked like dirt road turned out to be soft sand 4 or 5 inches deep across the entire road and about 10 feet long. I hit it going about 15 mph hour. The bike went 16 directions at one time. I got through the sand without going down but it all happened so fast I am not really sure how I did. My friend who was following me went down with his bike laying on his leg. He had a bad bruise but otherwise was okay.

We had to use the road a couple of times a day and figured out how to "walk" the bikes along the edge of it.

Does anyone have any advice how to ride thought sand like we encountered. Of course, it helps to know it is there, but what then?
 
They are road bikes and sand does not work well. I'm not trying to be a smart a$$ but I would avoid those situations.

I used to stop at a bar that had gravel. One day I pulled in, went to turn and the front wheel sunk into a hole that was covered with gravel and down I went before I knew what hit me.

So I am very careful where I ride if not on pavement. =) maverick
 
+1 what Smitty901 said.

-Keep the power on,

-Keep the front wheel pointed in a straight line but be prepared for the back end to get a little squirrely on you as you power through it,

-Change shorts as soon as possible afterwards....

Ps, if you get stuck in the sand, 800 pound motorcycle will magically transform into an 8000 pound motorcycle...:D
 
I hate trying to ride through sand. I say as far away from sand as I can. We had to fill a hole in our driveway in and I used sand not thinking very clearly. Needless to say, after I hit it once or twice I went back and put clay and gravel in.
 
All good advice, especially the one about NO TURNS! The front wheel instantly becomes a plow and down you go. On that note, I knew a guy who once belonged to a club that raced WWII vintage Harleys through the woods! Motocross on a WLA! He's gone now but those dudes must have been BAD. I know he was.
 
flh canuck said:
+1 what Smitty901 said.

-Keep the power on,

-Keep the front wheel pointed in a straight line but be prepared for the back end to get a little squirrely on you as you power through it,

-Change shorts as soon as possible afterwards....

Ps, if you get stuck in the sand, 800 pound motorcycle will magically transform into an 8000 pound motorcycle...:D
Click to expand...

I am with FLH Canuck - double up on the change of clothes and helps if you have a co-rider to help share the madness to help if you get stuck! "-- I swear it was less than 8000 lbs...WET?..." :newsmile058:
 
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