Personal Gear for Dual Sport Riding
The following is a list of personal things you should
have and use if you are going to ride a dual sport motorcycle:
-
HELMET: It
must at least have a U.S. DOT approval rating but a few extra bucks spent
here pays off in comfort at the end of the day, and helps to keep your
eggs unscrambled. It can be a full faced or open faced type, with or without
a visor.
-
PROTECTIVE EYEWEAR or GOGGLES:
On a dual sport motorcycle, more than the wind comes at you, sticks, tree
branchs, or stones or rocks thrown up by the bike in front of you. Goggles
are the choice of the day if it is dry and dusty and you are at least second
on the trail. At other times, some type of protective riding glasses will
do.
-
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING: A
pair of denim or other heavy material pants. I have seen some road riders
riding in shorts and flipflops, they won't cut it off of the highway. A
pair of off-road motorcycle pants will be sturdier and offer some padding
in the appropriate locations. A long sleeved shirt, (it's unbeliveable
what a thorny bush can do to a bare arm,) and a jacket also of heavy material.
There are off-road motorcycle jerseys and enduro jackets available that
offer extra padding and some degree of water resistance.
GLOVES: A pair of
sturdy gloves that provide hand and finger protection are invaluable. Good
off-road motorcycle gloves are available that have protective strips sewn
on the tops and on the fingers, and a non-slip surface on the palms for
improved grip on your hand controls.
OVER THE ANKLE LEATHER BOOTS: Those
are the minimum you should wear for boots. Off-road motorcycle boots offer
even more protection with stiffeners and pads sewn in. they have special
one directions soles, and steel or other stiff material in the soles to
protect your arch. Even the most experienced off-road riders will take
a “dab” now and then to keep themselves on the trail. A below the ankle
boot or shoe will soon give you a bad case of “Elephant Ankle.”
OTHER PADS, KIDNEY BELTS,CHEST PROTECTORS, ECT:
Kidney
belts are a great source of lower back support. Your entire body takes
more of a pounding off of the highway, and anything that will relieve some
of the stress will be welcome at the end of the day. Knee pads that cover
the shins are great! If you’ve ever been hit in the shins with a stick
or a rock, nuff said on that! Also available are elbow pads that (Duh)
protect your elbows. Most chest protectors do more than protect your chest.
They also provide some protection for the shoulder and the collar bone.(Ya,
I couldn’t remember how to spell clavicle.) They all so provide some protection
for the back.
SAFETY TRAINING COURSES: Even
if you are a experienced road rider, if you are going to go off-highway
riding, you will probably learn a few things in a safety training course.
You will not only learn how to safely operate your motorcycle off-highway,
but also things like lower body control, counterbalancing, and also riding
over obstacles, (yes we do find the occasional log across the trail.) You
might even learn about the “K-TURN,” a method of turning a motorcycle around
on a steep slope. A great 4.5 hour safety course I would recommend is sponsored
by the Cycle Conservation
Club, follow the link for more information.
MAPS and Compass: It’s
hard to find your way home from the woods if you don’t have any idea where
home is from where you are. Good maps and a compass will greatly improve
your chances of not missing a meal, or that adult beverage around the campfire.
The Cycle Conservation Club
or the Department
of Natural Resources can help you out with maps, just follow the links.
CELLULAR PHONE: A
cellular phone can save a lot of hiking and time in case of an accident
or breakdown 30 miles from the nearest civilization.
FLUID HYDRATION SYSTEM: That
is a system of storing and transporting liquids to rehydrate yourself.
It could be as simple as a canteen strapped somewhere on your motorcycle.
Some of the more elaborate systems incorporate a hose with a bite valve
so that you can receive liquids without stopping or slowing your motorcycle.
Some have a 95oz. roll top bladder with hose and bite valve built into
a backpack system, such as the ones from Fluid Systems Technology on the
NOHVCC web site.
Pie
and Coffee are as important as gasoline.
There are drunk bikers. There are old bikers. There
are no old, drunk bikers.
If you have any questions or suggestions please send
a E-Mail to:
asmall@mail.riverview.net
or call:
(231)-689-6520
Last Updated: 12/17/1999
