Riding Thick Sand on Big Adventure bikes in South Africa. EPISODE 36 

For sure

Sand sucks. I now turn around when I encounter the deep stuff, if possible. I don't care where that road goes, I do not need sand. KLR 650 here.

I can relate for sure, thick sand on a heavy bike is quite daunting .

Absolutely love my 990, for the size of that bike it can go places that smaller bikes sometimes struggle to go

He was a trooper 👍

He definitely was a good sport and made the video with those spectacular stunt rolls 😀

Thanks for that perspective Brett and thanks for watching

👍

Richard Hoskins, exactly!

Yep, its heavy on the clutches for sure! Thks for watching.

Glad you enjoyed it 👍

Hi Mike, after some practice it gets easier and easier, you should see us in the sand these days. We will make a follow up video on that same route😀

Thanks for that feedback Etienne 👍

😂

Thanks Dave, glad you enjoyed the video

Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed the video 👍

Glad you enjoyed it 🤙

So sorry to hear that Wimpie , hope you and your bike were not hurt too badly 😞

@@AdventureRidingMuppets Nope only ego...I will join you next time I am in Bloubergstrand...Have a Gs800 down there.😉 ...P.S. I think it is super cool that you take the time to reply to all the comments...Go Dude...

@@wimpieventer7713 you are welcome anytime bud 🏍

Will be sure to invite you on the next one.

Takes a bit of getting used to, thats for sure. Momentum, tyre pressures and stand as far as possible 👍

Oh, yeah!!! My Adventure Sport has been a steep learning curve after my XR650R. Lean back, pull back on the bars & power on!!

Lots of work, but also lots of fun, we do this ride regularly on our big bikes just to polish the sand riding skills 😃

We are also not allowed on beaches here in Sunny SA, so this clip was on a sandy firebreak bordering a nature reserve. Hope you can find something similar over there to get some practice in 👍.

@@AdventureRidingMuppets Unfortunately the area in and around Sydney is not sandy like the areas around Cape Town, so no “Weskus like” environment. Only beaches have that type of soil here and the fines for riding on them are eye-wateringly high.

Now that is a real pity!......but when you come back home on Holiday, we will be glad to reacquaint you with the Weskus sand on this trail 😀

I’ll take you up on that.....not sure when next I’ll be visiting with the current COVID issue but would love to join you guys for a ride when I am back home again....

@@peterh1965oz you are most welcome, we love this sandy trail

The Transalp is a super reliable and capable bike yes.

Just love the sound of the 990 as well 🤙

Thanks, no need to go the gym when you have the heavy bike and thick sand combo!

You can do thick sand on your KLR, and keeping a decent speed is part of the technique, along with standing and an aggressive tyre pattern and lower tyre pressures.........and then lots of practice on short sections before you do longer routes 🏍 👍

Go for it!

The Simpson?

@@AdventureRidingMuppets Going to do Little Desert first, to build up our skills, and then do the Simpson next year!

@@AdventureRidingMuppets he is referring to the Simpson desert in Australia.

Hi bud, yes i know, that is one big challenge.

Thanks Adam, and thanks for subscribing to the channel 👍

😂 that is true in the beginning, we spent lots and lots of energy learning to ride these big beasts in the sand!

For sure!

Thanks bud, glad you enjoyed it. Scott damper yes, makes a big difference on the sandy tracks for sure, keeps those handlebars nice n straight.

That is the absolute truth, it happens to everyone sometime or another. Thanks for watching

You are welcome, brother ♥️

Definitely more challenging on the big bikes, and a workout if you stop in the thick stuff.......so keeping the momentum is key

the 990 ktms have lots of low down torque, which does help, but the lighter adventure bikes definitely have an advantage in the thick sand, regardless of the make.

Yep she did really well on that little Honda CRF 250L, especially impressed with the Sani Pass she did on it also. I had a chance to meet her here in Cape Town and told her as much 👍

👍👍👍

Glad you enjoyed Herco 👍

Glad you enjoyed it 👍

Yep, we live and learn

Yep, its the same on bigger bikes, but still takes practice and getting used to, especially riding the very thick loose stuff we were dealing with.

😂

Thanks for the support

We just have very long legs 😬

Yeah... I'm 6'2...i can climb on from any side I like...

Thanks for watching Jeremy

Thanks!!

We will invite you on the next one 👍

Nice job with the stunts Marke 👍, keep up the good work

After the first stint, he actually got the hang of it and did the same route without a single fall, even with the road biased tyres.

Practice makes perfect yes, thanks for the comment 👍

My Strom 1000 scares the shit outta me in sand. I’m useless in sand!

@@jaywhoisit4863 it is quite daunting in the beginning, but once you get the hang of sand it is actually quite enjoyable....keep at it! 🏍 🏍 🏍

Yep, was tough but enjoyable at the same time.

Thanks bud, its the blue bike which went down in the first few minutes of the video, Honda Transalp.

and practice practice practice!

@@AdventureRidingMuppets Practice make progress. I've only rode in snow a few times on a light dirt bike but I have a 320 pound still light dual sport on the way. Can't imagine what the sand is like but will encounter it I'm sure soon. Wayne from the pacific northwest.

Yip... I find my sand trousers help tremendously... 😊

@@thecabinetminister9212 If you feel safe, you will drive better.for example it is for me nowadays impossible to ride with jeans and sneakers. its all in your head, i think. one guy in this video had injuries on his knee, he had no protection there i think ;-)

The skinny aggressive off-road tyre does seem to track better than the thicker ones. But bikes come with fixed rim sizes, which determines the width of the tyres you can fit to them.

You are welcome anytime Christiaan 👍

Hi Bud, there was no T7 on the ride, was the older Yamaha XT 650, which is the one prior to the launch of the new T7.

Also there's nothing unconventional about the countershaft position on the t7. That was just a marketing stunt.

Tyres were all down, sand just very thick and whoops and turns makes maintaining a decent speed a bit challenging, but was good clean sandy fun 😀

Can i join the whatsapp group please

Sure bud, will let you know the next time we plan to ride there 👍, just send me your contact details to offroadmuppets@gmail.com

Hi Luke, it is along the boundary fence bordering blouberg koppie, opposite Zone 7, past the dump and you will get to the fence, the trail is all along this fence.

@@AdventureRidingMuppets Thanks so much :)

That is on a firebreak alongside a nature reserve, close to a suburb called Parklands, which is in Cape Town, South Africa

@@AdventureRidingMuppets I knew I'd seen this landscape before. The last time I was in the Cape Region was in 2000. In my opinion, one of the most beautiful places on earth.

@@clukait Thanks for that comment, we sure are lucky to be able to live in the Cape and ride this terrain 👍

We were riding a few 990,s , the 950,s with carbs don't like lying on their side that much, the 990,s mind a little less, they will still start easily afterwards.

@@AdventureRidingMuppets true! Nonetheless both series are awesome bro! Btw, i recommended your Yt acct in the Fb’s KTM 950/990 group page. ;)

They are definitely both awesome editions for sure, the 950 Super Enduro another formidable bike. Thks for the mention on the KTM group on facebook 👍

True 👍

Dropped mine down to 1.2 bars for the thick sand, the 990 is quite heavy, so any less and i risk the tyre slipping on the rim with no rim locks.......handles decently at that pressure.

Orange power ranger to the rescue!

To be fair we did invite some of the guys who have GS1200S, but they were all busy that day 😝

Also would love to know, I need to up my sand game.

Hi Charel, just supplied the info of where to find this ride above, and yes it is open to everyone who can make it through the sand 😬

Just sent you the details Luke 👍

@@AdventureRidingMuppets awesome video guys. Please send location details. This looks like a awesome spot for some sand training🤘

Not that easy with the whoops and tight turns thrown in with that thick loose sand, but the guys all learned a lot that day........but yes that is the way to get through sand👍

I completely understand, haha. I have an Africa too and my experience with deep sand has been ride, fall, pick up the bike and repeat. The saving grace being that you don't get worse at something the more you do it. Doesn't make it easier for me that I'm generally trying to keep up with guys on smaller dirt bikes. practice, practice, practice has become my mantra. I have found that as long as you keep moving forward when the front wheel slips the bike wants to correct itself, just like on the road, it is just a more drawn out, slower, action in sand. definitely feels weird. dragging the rear brake a little can help if you have DCT and don't have a clutch to feather. Don't go too fast and don't go too slow, stand up, keep your eyes forward and stay weightless on the bike. If you can put all that together you are a better rider than me. Happy trails.

Ah, so the usual rules apply...I get that. On a good day, I’m good for picking up the Twin twice, then I’m out of steam. Usually riding alone too. I know of a good practice farm roads here in the Midwest though, not as sludgy as this one of yours, I’ll do some practicing.

We had 4x KTM 990,s on the ride and the Africa Twin 1000, no 1290's this time. Take some fit riders with you and let them pick up your bike, say you have a bad back 😀

If you can do all that you are a better rider than every one of the muppets in our group 😝

@@AdventureRidingMuppets DO have back issues! But being almost 68 is an issue on its own. I fell in love with the AT but it’s looks, and twisty handling on my test ride. In my haste to buy it, I forgot about the weight.

The 990,s are a bit heavier than your 750 Tenere, so you should be able to take it on some sand, just make sure to have some help handy in case you have to lift it a few times 👍

@@AdventureRidingMuppets I CARE FOR MY LOVE NOT WANT GO INSIDE TO SAND BE NOT NICE FOR MY LOVE BETER TRAVEL IN THE STREETS WAY ...

Thks for the advice 👍

We started out standing, but when you get bogged down in that thick loose sand, it is quite hard to get going again what with the ruts and twisty path. Difficult to get momentum going in this terrain, but yep, stand up, look up and open up is the idea 👍

different strokes for different folks 👍

Thanks bud, we however ride a variety of terrain, not just sand, so i use the multi purpose tyres for that reason. Mitas EO7,s on mine does road, sand, gravel as well as wet roads quite well even if they dont excel at either, but thanks for the tip 👍

@@AdventureRidingMuppets I perfectly understand your position. I did not try to be a smart ass, never the less I wanted to point out that regardless of all the talk about how enduro tires are supposed to be versatile, they become worthless in any difficult off-road terrain. I rode them and clung to them for years myself until one day I have changed to true off-road tires - and I have never looked back. I have broken enough bikes and bones off-road because of enduro tires already. So I rather drive a bit more careful and slower on the road, but can fully and safely enjoy off-road and don't have to worry about crashing and getting stranded in the middle of nowhere (with broken bike or myself). By the way, Michelin T63 is THE best tire on my opinion. Despite it's rough profile, it is rather sticky, so you can go around corners almost with your shoulders touching the pavement. At the same time the Michelin T63 has the same profile as Michelin Desert, so it makes an awesome off-road tire. In my Dumont Dunes video I had the Desert mounted on my bike and as you can see (actually the some of the first part is missing), even with that, I could barely get going in that powdery spot of the sand (elsewhere was better, but this spot was super bad).

Issie man, I ride deep sand on STR's on my AT all day like a jetski, the AT loooves deep sand.

Definitely are 👍

Certainly would be lighter to pick up even if it doesn't 😀

Nobody even told them to stand up and lean back, just let them keep sitting and dropping the bikes over and over.

Takes a bit of getting used to before guys are ready to stand, they just feel like the falls will be worse, i was the same when i started riding sand and fell a whole lot more than when i stood up and leaned back, but it is a progression. First sit n paddle and work your way up to standing and nice momentum, but you are correct yes, that is the way to do it.

@@MrGbustamante.... Actually he's stands most of the time and falls from the stand position a few times..

Was full disclosure before the ride😁..... Riding thick sand this weekend...come if you dare.. 😄

That is the theory for sure 👍

​@@AdventureRidingMuppets checked in practice...:)) works much better than getting welded to the seat - costs more effort of course but then again, you ride true offroad when you need, rise up just to seat and ride smooth soon as you can...from my perspective, I've been riding Yamaha Tenere for quite a while, when I hit deep and dry sand I stan up straight away, same on tree roots, pebbles, rocks and similar stuff, and scarcely do I have to lift my bike off the ground - of course it takes proper maneuvering of the bike too...you ride you know...

@@block672008 true words spoken bud 👍

The tyres were properly aired down, just a case of more practice and after a bit more riding that day, i am glad to say there were no more stunt rolls 👍