Me and a buddy, who has the same bike as me, went riding in a huge sandy area. I've always hated riding in sand, my friend doesn't care for it either, and I've always just assumed that it was difficult and slow and that's the way it is for everybody. That was until we saw a guy in a YZ450F rip that sand up like it was packed dirt. I mean the guy was flying. I'm having trouble holding a straight line doing 30km/h, while this guy was probably going 90km/h. How is that even possible? The surface isn't exactly smooth. It's full of ruts and tracks made by other bikes. I thought that if you hit a rut at the speed, you'd go down for sure. But that guy made it look so easy. So my question is, is it because my drz weighs a ton, or is it just a lack of skill, that made me and my buddy so slow. Is it possible to go that fast on a DRZ in sand?

Lack of skill :). I did the Vegas to Reno race a few years ago on an XR400. There were some horrible silt sections that I crashed in about 5 times. It was like riding on snot because it was so loose and under the silt were hidden ruts, I was afraid to get the bike above 30 or 40 because it was so damn scary. I had guys flying past me though. The advice I got later to pin it and let the bike handle it for you.

The faster you go the easier it is to deal with. I'm telling you what I was told, because I psyched myself out so much I couldnt try it personally:).

I had trouble riding in sand also. Going 20mph to 30mph would cause the bike to swerve out of control.

After I went riding with some 19 year olds, I learned that if you go 45mph you will be able to ride through sand without problem. (Until you hit whoops)

Its all about the speed and staying on the gas. Once you let the weight transfer to your front wheel your cooked.

Gyro said:

If you don't let the weight transfer to the front, how do you slow down? The guy I saw was turning and jumping big sand dunes. He wasn't just going in a straight line. I swear, the way he was riding, it didn't look like he was on sand.

Speed is your friend. :awww:

I just spent a day at Silver Lake Sand Dunes. The key is speed. I didn't have a sand paddle, but had my brand new 606 installed. I couldn't rip it up as well as others, but it sure was good practice.

I also finally had my first crash. Hit a really fluffy area of sand on a downhill and my front end just buried itself. I went over the bars, the bike landed on me. The sand was soft and I was laughing within a minute or so.

Speed,Speed,Speed...you need to stay on top of the sand...proper suspension set up with good tires is equally important. Caution..proper riding technique for riding sand requires momentum which means things can sneak up on you really quick and you need to be on your game....so says my two broken wrist's and collarbone!

(Too late of braking in a 4th gear corner = broken left wrist, unseen ditch = broken left wrist and left collarbone....)

Yep it's just like a boat. Once you get going fast enough your bike gets "up on a plane" and it feels almost like hard pack. I was slow in the sand one day, then all of a sudden I was **** this and pinned it...problem solved.

I routinely hit 70+ M.P.H. on a couple of mile sand section that is on my normal ride. Also the rest of the ride has many sections with fine powdery dirt. Of course sand tires would help but I use cheap TrackMaster IIs front and back. The thing that enabled me to hit the really high speeds in the sand was my WER steering damper...Before it I would get violent wobble/headshake starting at around 55MPH...Now I can zoon up above 70...Just keep your weight shifted to the rear of your seat to keep the rear end from wobbling...SAND is my favorite type of riding. When I was in Mauritania it was ALL SAND. Riding on top of the SAND DUNES was a blast...Some sections in the dunes the sand is so soft your wheels would sink even if you were doing over 30mph...You always kept your speed up in soft sand until you got to a firm packed area othewise you could sink the back wheel and in really soft sand you would sink the front wheel as well...There I used Pirelli Sand tires (not a paddle) which really helped.

Keep up the practice...It works! We've all been in the same boat!

Power and perserverence is key,
Dan

Lean back and give 'er. Steer with the throttle and rear brake. Sand rules:-)

hi bro..
i like the drz..big bike but should be able to handle the soft with the right tyres and plenty of right wrist..
i do alot of dunes and beach tracks and ive had my wr250f to 100 km/h on the soft beach sand and over 120 down along the water. :naughty: ..and shell chug around in 2nd all day at 20km/h if u want...just gotta stand up and lean right back (MC4 rear)

for dunes i fit the 8 paddle..

keep practicing.... i find soft narrow sand tracks enjoyable but also extremely challenging and good for your skills :thumbsup:

Living in Florida you learn to ride in sand. :prof: Speed is your friend. Think of your front wheel as a ski. As long as you keep your speed up your front wheel floats across the sand, but if you slow down it starts to plow and when it does that you get that sketchy "I'm about to bust my :foul: " feeling. The front wheel will want to go anywhere but where you want it. Keep the speed up and the bike will smooth out on the sand.

I've been doing more sand riding on the old DRZ. I'm still not great at it, but getting better. Yes speed helps. Anyhow, my buddy recently sold his DRZ and bought a new yz450f. We went for a ride yesterday and we were both amazed at how much better it felt in the sand. Having 75lbs less makes a huge difference. The bike didn't sink in the sand as much. Having said that, I still prefer the DRZ for trail riding. The yz450f was so stiff, it beat the hell out of me.

jha07 said:

My buddy makes the same comments about his CRF. Great on a MX track but when we hit the rocks and roots..I'm smiling and he's complaining about being beat to crap!

I went to Moses Lake sand-dunes for the first time earlier this year. The first ride out had a large pucker factor. By the end of the day I was loving it and wanting to go back. Carry speed and stay loose and you'll have blast. Remember that sand is much softer to crash on than hard dirt and rocks!

do not trust the trailwings!!!

You will think they like you on the way to the sand,

then they will turn on you.

Moses lake rocks! i take my cr250 over there.

So I've been practising this. I get comfy at the top of 2nd gear riding up washes but I have issue with the whole turning thing. Narrow stuff with pointy things to wreck in make me nervous and I find that I'm using so much energy keeping the bike tracking where I want it to go that eventually it wears me down and I just start wrecking.

could someone explain the steering with throttle and rear brake thing a bit better?

Also, if I'm doing it right, I shouldn't be getting so worn out should i?