As I remember it;

It was a cold clear morning in August in Newberry located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It was the first morning of my third “Six Days of Michigan” trail ride put on by the Cycle Conservation Club of Michigan. It was 8:30AM and we have just finished our first riders meeting to go over any changes in the planned ride for the day. As my riding buddies Hal and Pat and I scraped the frost off our motorcycle seats, we discussed the days ride that was ahead of us. As in the past “Six Days of Michigan” trail rides, we were looking at roughly 100 miles of single track trail with about 25 miles of road to and from the trail. As all of the 320 or so motorcycles at this event had to be street legal, so the road sections of the ride were not a problem.

This was Sunday, and as Hal, Pat, and myself  had arrived in the U.P. on the previous Thursday to pre-ride and mark the trail for today's ride, we were not anxious to spend another day beating ourselves up on 30 inch wide single track trail through the forests of Michigan. Someone said, “We could try this new thing Grumpy Bill has offered us this year.” (“Grumpy Bill” is a fond name for Bill Chapin, the Executive Director of the Cycle Conservation Club.) He was calling it a “Dual Sport Route” following the forest roads and two tracks. It was suppose to be about 160 miles of “easy” riding, (Wrong.) To follow the route that had been laid out, you had to use this thingie called a “Rollchart.”

As I said, we decided to try this “Dual Sport Route” thingie, by following this Rollchart thingamabob. As we left the KOA Camp Ground in Newberry, the first arrow on the Rollchart said to turn left. (To better understand Rollcharts, check out that page.) We proceeded to have one of the most enjoyable days three old F---’s ever had. The morning was filled with scenes only the old time loggers would remember. As the morning wore on we found ourselves on a gravel road pulling into a scenic turnout on Lake Superior. Beautiful! From there we wound around through the woods and came out in Grand Marais for a gas stop and lunch.

Lunch was at “The Earl of Sandwich” shop. Boy oh Boy! Was it worth the wait!

After lunch, we followed our Rollcharts west and south through and around places like, Grand Sable Lake, along the Fox River, the town of Seney, and by Manistitque Lake, and thru a little town called Curtis. From there we rode through the Sandtown area back to Newberry. We had ridden 160+ miles, and less than 20 miles of it had been on “Blacktop Highway.”

It got me to thinking back to the first time I had ridden a so-called Dual Sport Motorcycle:

A Little History:

I rode my first “dual sport,” (maybe that should be “dual purpose,” but a better description would be “one purpose,”) motorcycle back around 1959 or 1960, (it's getting hard to remember back that far.) It was a stripped down “Harley 74.” I rode it around the family farm, and use it to bring the cows in for milking at night. I was fourteen or fifteen at the time. The generator had quit working, and it was equipped with a “suicide” foot operated clutch. You “Old Harley Riders” should remember those. It was great fun out in the “back 40.”

I got away from off road riding for a few years while I started a family. I wound up with four boys, and guess what, they wanted to ride dirt bikes. I found I was operating a “fleet” of Yamaha GT 80’s. A old Triumph 650 Chopper, (also not a good dual sport bike,) was the only motorcycle I had to use to follow the boys around the neighbors wood lot.

I guess I got carried away again.

Why Ride Dual Sport? After some 40 years of riding motorcycles both on the road, and on the trail, I feel that Dual Sport Motorcycles give you the best riding of both worlds!

Dual Sport Riding & the Motorcycle:

What is Dual Sport Riding:

Dual sport motorcycle riding is a specialized motorcycle sport that has been developing over the last few years. It was formerly called “dual purpose”. It involves specially developed off-road riding skills, (in addition to your on road riding skills,) and a motorcycle that is capable of cruising comfortably down highways and blacktop roads while being capable of going off the blacktop roads to explore what's over the next hill, or across the next clearing in the woods on Michigan's forest roads and two tracks. It is especially enjoyed by the older trail riders who do not enjoy riding tight single track trail anymore.

Dual Sport Motorcycles, What makes them different:

Dual sport motorcycles are generally bigger and heavier than the usual motorcycles used for trail riding . They have engines in the 200cc to 1000cc range. Many dual sport motorcycles are equipped with electric starters. They meet all the legal requirements of the normal “road bike,” but are also equipped with DOT approved aggressive tires to better handle the poorer traction found off highway. Dual sport motorcycles have higher ground clearances, and usually a high mounted exhaust system that incorporates a "U.S. Forestry Approved Spark Arrestor" to clear obstacles normally found off road. They also generally have more suspension travel in the front and rear to better absorb the rough terrain. They tend to look more like a “dirt bike” than a “road bike,” and may or may not have a high mounted front fender.

You can ride farther into the woods in one hour than you can walk back in eight hours.

Every dual sport rider crashes. Some get back on. Some don't. Some can't.

These Pages will help you get started in Dual Sport Motorcycle Riding:

• Comparison: Compares Road, Dual Sport, & Dirt Motorcycles.
• Personal Equipment:Lists and Explanations of items needed.
• Motorcycle Equipment: Stuff your bike will need to be equipped with.
• Rollcharts: How to use them: A map on a roll.
• Dual Sport Conversions: What is necessary to Converting a Dirt Bike to a Dual Sport Bike in Michigan.
• Rules and Regulations: DNR Michigan off-road vehicle Guide.
• Maps of Michigan Trails: Where you can get them.
• NOHVCC: If you want to organize your own club, or you have a land use issue, they can help.
• Cycle Conservation Club: The premiere off-road motorcycle club/organization in Michigan.
• Links: Good places to look for friends, information, or riding buddies.

Dual sport motorcycles don't leak oil, they mark their territory.

Keep your motorcycle in good repair, motorcycle boots are NOT comfortable for walking.