I had been promising a friend with a TTR250 I would go up and go off road riding with him. He brought the bike recently and wanted someone to go out with him with some tips while he got used to it. Knowing I had the KLR I got a call to go for a ride, and 2 quickly became 3 as another friend decided to join us in the dirt on his KTM 1090 Adventure. The Yorkshire Moors offered the perfect terrain.
Off For A Ride In The Yorkshire Moors
So a motley crew of 3 motorcycles went off for a ride in the Yorkshire Moors. A Raucous lightweight TTR led off, followed by my trusty mild mannered KLR, with the high tech heavyweight KTM bringing up the rear. What a motorcycle the KTM was and Josh also has better bike control than most. He is one of the better off road riders I know.
After Coffee in Thirsk we went off to find a particular dirt track we had spotted while out on the roads one day. It was a definite “Want to go there” place. The sort of trails that I love.
As you can see, for a November day it was glorious. Graced by the sun, we rode our bikes up into the moors. The narrow sweeping lanes are lovely to ride on any bike, and throwing the weight of the KLR around is just easy when you are used to riding a bigger, heavier bike. The twistie’s kept getting tighter and we even found some short sections of grass we could use off to the side of the road. Then it was onto some trails across the open moor.
Time For Some Riding Off Road
The shale track we started on just wound further and further into the moors, nothing difficult, just some easy greenlaning. Then through the gate and past the radio tower shale turned to dirt then mud. The track got narrower and narrower until there really was nothing left to follow. A few minutes to enjoy the view and we headed back towards the radio mast.
Each motorcycle had advantages but proper off road tyres would have helped the KLR. The weight of the TTR 250 was a winner and the high tech wizardry of the KTM was fascinating. The KLR600 is so much lighter than its later 650 version it was remarkably nimble whatever the terrain.
Life Is More Fun Off Road Riding
The KLR is on dual sport tyres, so the mud wasn’t helping my control. It didnt matter if I used the front brake or the rear brake it was just going to slide. I did get gently dumped on the grass at one point. So by the time we reached the tower it was time for a stop and a laugh. Tony’s grin was already ear to ear. His first experience of riding off road had done the trick.
We followed another track out which took us to some very narrow tarmac for a while. After a small loop we ended up back on the lane we had started on. Tony had decided to open the throttle on his bike a bit more now, and with every minute his confidence grew.
Riding A Motorcycle Off Road Is Just Great
On the way back I stopped to try and get some pictures. As you can see, I couldn’t have caught them better. The tips obviously worked. Tony had photographic truth that on his first off road experience he got both wheels of the bike off the ground :-). 3 very different bikes but they all made us smile.
The sun was low on the horizon now so it was time to ride back. All of us were content and smiling after a lovely day on the moors.
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