That’s what I like about you buddy, you don’t just show the polished bits. you show the whole story, you tell the whole story,you are the whole story and I like you a lot for that….thank you
Unbelievable that was some impressive riding 19 inch front wheel 50/50 tires no real download grunt we can't even see how steep that Hill is I know it's very steep you can tell by the running water all slick stones Moss that was absolutely amazing I haven't seen anybody really do anything like that with a bike like that wow wow wow wow really impressive Nathan plus you couldn't afford to fall and get hurt either you got trips to do really nice job very impressive thank you
Oh Bravo 👏 Around the 33:00 mark I think I would’ve been contemplating my options of maybe giving up and staying. Alone on the trail. Maybe build some sort of makeshift accommodation. Live off the land, maybe try and sell some produce/make a go of it 😅
Nathan works bloody hard...so we don't have to. I felt like I'd done a workout just watching this, and twitching in sympathy. Shows the importance not only of going the light weight route, but also the importance of the bike being able to take the ground well, so you can drive off after laying it down.
High speed and low speed compression means the suspension can be supple for most bumps while also able to take a big hit and not blow through. Makes suspension set up less of a compromise.
100%. I've watched dozens and dozens of videos describing what different bikes do and don't do well, but you'll not see one that tangibly illustrates real-world practical application of the points any better than this one.
Haha this was brilliant...Take my hat off to you mate you know these lanes but still have a pop and film it for us to watch and learn from hopefully i don't think we realise these trails are much tougher steeper and challenging than they appear on a go pro. Im nearly 65 and just started doing this and on my own so get in to precarious situations all the time nothing wrong with knowing our limitations as you say just turn around. Bike looks great by the way keep up this top notch posting we love it🤟
That climb was an object lession in determination, cunning, guile, and skill. Bravo! Having grown up very near to where you are, I know first hand how slippy shale can be, even when just walking on it.
Thanks for your honesty, when you make a decision to turn around for self preservation, it really makes me think with a little care, focus and practice I could take on some off road. Very inspiring, thanks again.
I had some of the old f650s , then they changed it and it jumped up 2 inches , and been 5.6 2 inch is a lot , a little hard work of motorways as you recently pointed out about the Himalayan 450 ,
Great video Nathan. I recognised that second lane with the gully and video didn’t show how damn steep it was. You did flippin well to get that machine up those. Definitely a work out all round 👍👍
Fantastic video Nathan. Glad you didn't take us up there, we'd still be there now if you had. This is what UK green lanes can be like, even if you've been up it before it can be dramatically different the next time you try it. Great to watch, epic 👏
Thanks Stan! Yes, so variable. That lane I fell off on I've been up it before many times. I have even taken groups up there! And all made it. But today, just a different day!
Certainly the gym would be money wasted after that ride! That lane where you had your near-coming-together is a menace of a place. Often inhabited by women (and men) going too fast in cars too big for them, and they are incapable of reading the road or of reversing! Had it several times at various spots on that one (when I was in a car). Your comment on the CT110 being capable where the G310 was struggling is noted with pleasure… when my Innova is finally sorted I hope it will prove equally adept (and it should only weigh about 80kg when finished!). I really enjoy your thoughts and advice, and also the way you talk to yourself as a way of instructing us less able riders. Thanks. Les
Good choice. Nice and easy to ride. If you can get the Euro 5 bike with the black engine then they are easier to rider than the earlier Euro 4 bikes with the silver engines.
"it's at this point I should have bought a Husqvarna or something"..😅.I am familiar with those lanes that I have mostly zipped along on a flyweight two stroke Enduro bike ..good effort from you Nathan for getting the fatty up there...as you say less is more
I had the road version and it was always stalling at road junctions and the like. Not the tickover but as I pulled away. Very annoying as I quite liked the bike, but that put me off.
I'm exhausted watching that! I have a similar experience on my GS vs others (Himalayan, CRF, DR350) but I still prefer the all round ability of the GS. I've just done the cush drive rubbers which seem to be a known problem, but only £31 to replace. (I fitted the Hyperpro springs front & back for around £400 & are a big improvement.
I haven’t got a T7 or a Suzuki 800 but I have a mate who has, I think these bigger bikes are very capable more so than what people think but it does take skill to manage them, as well as choosing the right type of lanes to use them on. To put it in context my mate rides everywhere I do on my little CRF and a lot of places I wouldn't!
@nathanthepostman I totally accept that, like I said you have to pick the right sort of lanes for both your skill level and bike choice. I think the newer 450s might be the better option for a lot of people, a little more power for the UK roads but a little less weight to make them more manageable. Very much looking forward to watching your reviews on the CFmoto and Himmy 450. 👍
I've tried it with the Surron and it was a bit of a hand ful as you've got no clutch to soften the power so I found it just too easy to spin up and difficult to get traction. It was actually pretty hard going on that lane on the Surron.
@@nathanthepostman Yes. I've taken my Surron up some horrendous steep rocky lanes over the Purbecks here in Dorset. The main difference is you don't have to worry so much about falling off or getting stuck. I'd attempt things on the Surron I wouldn't even contemplate on my Voge.
Great stuff, you are always honest, no BS macho Bravado, compare this with some of the bike channels. Well done, There is NO way I have ever or will ever go off road, I know my comfort zone and after 40yrs on 2 wheels. nothing to prove. I sweat on a gravelled cafe car park :) This would have me a quivering jelly and on my arse in no time at all. Hats off to anyone who has the guts to go off the tarmac. Though the tarmac is rapidly becoming "off road" POTHOLES :) Hope you got a nice cuppa when you got home :)
yeah the stance was so good it egged you on!....maybe the engine and the tires could've added a bit but with the risers.....looks great - confident. Never mind how she would chew up some road miles.....if they give another 7hp and a bit of chug - id have one. if they offer that same bike in a tarted up tubeless spoke version i'll give another grand maybe (750?) thanks!
You gave it your all on a bike that has very little low-down grunt! I've never really understood the 21" vs 19" wheel argument, the 19" wheel has a bigger tyre, so the rolling diameter is very close between the two, but there's potentially more grip and more cushion with 19". I laced a 19" rim onto an XTZ660 years ago, and for me, it was a better bike.
Your stuff is on a par with the best biking content out there. A natural to camera too which is talent. Defo helps too that you sound a little bit like Jethro's love child :) Q: Do you supply bikes to take on your trips or is it always customer supplied?
Ha. Thanks. I'll take Jethro! I supply bikes on the day rides but not so much on the further afield stuff. Just because it'd a headache if it packed up! But can consider if needed
@@nathanthepostman Cool Denzil. After someone reversed over me, and my 23 plate CRF 300 Rally (100 miles on the clock) making it, but luckily not me, a total write off, I have now got a 400 Scrambler X on order. Reckon you have confirmed its a good choice. Stay safe
Haha, the same ol' Nathan ......acres of common sense and a complete lack of fashionable 🐂💩. TBH you almost got me to put the baby GS back on my consider list - almost. BTW. A simple explanation for the bounce and rebound: obviously the first factor it the weight. The weight of the bike/rider combo BUT also the spring rate. In an ideal world the manufacturer would make available a range of springs to match to any given rider (especially when you think that the 310 could well be the choice of a small light female rider). Then the next consideration is - speed. Obviously if your enduro riding you're going to hit the undulations in the ground harder. So the value in adjustable rebound is you can tune that so as to ramen down the big Thump. Conversely, if you're gentle trail riding more compliance helps with traction.
Thanks for the great video. I have a BMW310GS . I accidently poured out the lefthand fork oil when I was upgrading with Rally Raid kit. Can I just pour the fork oil in without measuring the air gap? Thanks in advance from Australia
Seeing that I am more and more thinking I should get a Fantic Caballero rally, light but with a bit more go, or the new Himmy. I don't fancy doing anything that gnarly (yet?).
Hey i’m thinking of purchasing one as my starter ADV. is there anything I should keep a note of? Also can you disable ABS? EDIT: is the rally raid kit a good addition?
You can't cut the ABS on the Euro 5 bike, although I really don't think it's a big issue. I never disable ABS on the bikes when I'm trail riding. It can be intrusive if you're pushing on and not reading the trail, but day to day riding it's fine. And the Euro 5 bike is definitely better to ride than the Euro 4 (which you can disable rear ABS on). Yeah the Rally Raid suspension - or any susp upgrade for that matter - does help the bike. It just sits better on the road and makes better use of the engine and chassis. But it's not essential. Something to upgrade once you've spent some time on the bike.
Word is the new baby gs will be a 500 parallel twin.. maybe following the current trend of adding lightness.. Chapman was right. Changing the suspension and putting the protection on a 500x made it the best travel ( not off road) bike I've had. One or 2up. Shouldn't have sold it. But before i go down that road again and spend money on conversions i need to see what the new CF and Himalayan are like. Its all there straight out of the crate. For not much more than 50 quid a month. BMW, Honda et al take note. Ignore what is happening and how the market is changing at your peril. 20 plus grand bikes with self igniting starter motors is not the way forward. Ride safe 👍
Totally agree. A complete financial and technological dead end. Once the current crop of retired affluent riders tail off, BMW won't have a western market.
@@dashuntas.m4045 because Honda sell lots of 500x's, RE the Himi, classic, Triumphs new 400 is selling out, etc etc. If nothing else they want a slice of the cake. And it might teach them which direction the market is going. Ride safe 👍
@@dashuntas.m4045I did sales, not marketing, but I don't agree with you at all. I was considering a 310- but I wouldn't have a 1250 as a gift. However I might end up with an old Beemer 650.
@@dashuntas.m4045 The customers for the big bikes is finite. If they don't get in the market for the smaller, more accessible machines it's a big market that'll go elsewhere, and stay elsewhere. But yes I agree, short term they don't want to cannibalise their cash cows.
Hmm. I just looked at Rally Raid's website and they only showed the traditional spoked Tubed wheels in black. Didn't see the spoked tubeless. Wondering if these have been discontinued.
Another great video and some very tricky slippery lanes. I’m sorry but I still don’t understand why you spent the money on upgrading the 310GS what is it that you like so much about it is it really good on road for touring so worth spending the money to get it better off road. I have never ridden one so I don’t know. You mentioned the weight of 170kgs obviously a lot easier to handle than 200kgs plus. How do you think the Himalayan would have been with its 205kgs but lower centre of gravity and the tractor ability they do seem to find traction where other bikes don’t. Also the CRF with 20kgs less how do you think that would have been how do the engines compare. Thanks again for your great videos
It was mainly and only really because I got offered a second hand kit at a good price. Too tempting to resist! I also think the 310 deserves a bit of an upgrade as there's a lot of untapped potential in it, arguably more than any other bike in this class. For these type of lanes tho, a Himalayan or CRF in standard trim would have been easier and less hassle. It's what they were built for. New Himalayan probably not so much.
Yes it'd make a big difference for sure. I believe John at rally raid looked at fitting a 21 but the bike wouldn't take it so stuck with a 19. It's a compromise
Do people think this is TET and ACT capable? i know the tracks differ in difficulty in different locations. Welsh and Portugal TET particularly hard? ive got the conundrum of do i go Voge to cover the difficult bits or 310/himalayan/CF Moto and hope it does 99% ok. difficult one to answer i guess.
The GS is definitely ACT capable and I would imagine fine for most parts of the TET. I'd probably go for the Voge though as that does the road sections fine and the trail sections much easier.
It would be interesting to see how a bike like this compares to an older air cooled trail bike.. like a dr350/xt350/xr400… I've recently purchased a dr350 for less than the price off the upgrades you put on the bmw, i think it might even be possible to get a few upgrades for the dr and keep it under the cost of the rally raid kit itself. Thinking about it, what would a price reversed bike be like.. £2k for the bike and £5.5k upgrades.
Quick questions from someone considering rally raid upgrade 1. Can it do some challenging off-road including, enduro? 2. Is the suspension still as soft as the factory one?
Hi. Tricky one. I don't think the suspension is going to let you do any terrain you otherwise wouldn't be able to do on the stock bike. It'll just make it a bit more engaging and capable of doing it. So no, I don't think it'll make it an enduro bike. The suspension is definitely less bouncy than stock. I think what the suspension just does is make the bike handle better - road and off road - rather than make it capable of tougher things.
good effort lad - i do feel with more speed, more confidence and commitment, and using one leg to the high side you could have travelled those precarious lanes that caught you out - the bike looks so much better, they really should make a 410/450 with 21/18 wheelset and showa adjustable sussers - they could hold a good spot in the market as the smaller GS look tastier than the big ones imo
@@nathanthepostman hehe it's a long way from the north to the south just to stroke (or hurt) my ego 🤣 I tell you what though Nathan, if I get down there this year on my 500 I'll get in touch and you can take me and we can do it together 👍, I'll bring some ladders so you can get on my 500
@@nathanthepostman at no point was I attempting to belittle the effort fella, if it looks tasty on camera I'm aware enough to know what reality shows us is very ve ry different
Haha, the same ol' Nathan ......acres of common sense and a complete lack of fashionable 🐂💩. TBH you almost got me to put the baby GS back on my consider list - almost. BTW. A simple explanation for the bounce and rebound: Obviously the first factor is the weight. The weight of the bike/rider combo BUT also the spring rate. In an ideal world the manufacturer would make available a range of springs to match to any given rider (especially when you think that the 310 could well be the choice of a small light female rider). Then the next consideration is - speed. Obviously if your enduro riding you're going to hit the undulations in the ground harder. So the value in adjustable rebound is you can tune that so as to dampen down the big reverberation of the spring. (The more compression - the greater the kick back) Conversely, if you're gentle trail riding more compliance helps with traction. As i said, thats a simplified overview.
I keep looking at this bike but I really don't like manufacturers taking the p with profits. So while it's clearly acceptable across the range of riding I do the fact the competiton are too yet charge less of a badge premium - and lets be honest all these small bikes are made in India anyway, probably by the same company, I just can't bring myself to put it on the final list. I just refuse to be ripped off, I work hard for my money (and with this bike BMW didn't).
I totally agree. It's a decent bike but a poor BMW. They clearly thought they could get away sticking a badge on an underdeveloped machine and charging a premium for it. KTM are just as bad. .... that's probably still being a bit harsh on it. As I say, I like riding it, and you can get one heavily discounted so there's some slack in the system.
Hehe I think most offroad riders have been in that position off taking on a trail and losing,, there,s no shame ,,,its all the fun and learning experience....
I E always liked the G310GS, but the rally raid kit as near as dam it doubles the price of the bike. Wheels £1200, rear Shock with preload adjuster £1200 and the list goes on. Shame really.
