Riding deer trails on slope

[Steve Ruddy]

I don't have any established motorcycle trails just a combination of deer trails and hiking trails. Both of them are covered with leaves, soft loose soil, and are on a slope. I have been practicing mostly on fairly level ground that is either grass or harder dirt. I don't really have anything in between. My problem so far when attempting to go up the deer trails is that now and then my rear tire will fall of the trail on the down slope and I'll spin out. Then I end up perpendicular to the trail facing up hill. So far I've been lucky and can get the bike back on trail by getting off and using the throttle slowly while walking it. Any help would be appreciated.

[dominic888]

I tried burning my own trail out here in Southern California but if it is not an established trail that is compact by ton of riders it will be soft and most likely you will sink your rear tire and just on spinning if you slowed down too much. ?

[marcusdc]

What I've seen suggested is to not angle the bike toward your uphill side but to lean the bike more toward the downhill side. I haven't had a chance to try it yet but it does make sense. You would be getting a better grip with the tires and have less of a chance for the rear tire to slide out.

Hope that helps. ?

[Skinsfan6]

What I've seen suggested is to not angle the bike toward your uphill side but to lean the bike more toward the downhill side. I haven't had a chance to try it yet but it does make sense. You would be getting a better grip with the tires and have less of a chance for the rear tire to slide out.

Hope that helps. ?

And you would also run a risk of losing balance and not being able to catch yourself with your foot because of the slope. But it sounds like a good idea....

[clodhopper]

Keep your weight on the downhill side footpeg and keep your speed up a little. Use a higher gear to prevent spinning and look where you want to go. Always keep the downhill foot on the footpeg and weighted, pushes the tires into the hill.

[barton]

Go up a gear and learn better throttle control, to reduce rear tire spin. Make sure you've got good sharp knobbies.

[PUmoto]

im in the same boat as you, cut my own trails here and the deer make the best to follow. if you want to put a little work into it, you could benchcut the sloping trails, that is, just cut dirt off the high side and "bench" it over to the low side. or just ride when it gets a little wet and let the tires do the cutting....

[miguelitro]

Go up a gear and learn better throttle control, to reduce rear tire spin. Make sure you've got good sharp knobbies.

all that soft tires and less air pressure will help alot

Mike

[Supplicate]

We wind up riding cow paths and deer trails around here getting from place to place, and all of the above is what we do.

other then I wouldn't weight either peg. Keep neutral on the bike and you are better off, that way if the rear starts to slide you can instantly react and hopefully save it. I know its saved my ass more then once that way.

(Thanks for that lesson 2ply ? )

[Steve Ruddy]

Keep neutral on the bike and you are better off, that way if the rear starts to slide you can instantly react and hopefully save it.

Instantly react and save it how?

[billygoat]

Correct more quicky by staying on the pegs or hovering slightly off the seat. If you sit down, you need more body english to correct. Also, lower your gearing and tire pressure. A smaller front sprocket will allow you to use less clutch and be more smooth.

btw - hopefully you are on private land when you're riding animal trails? Just want folks to know how to Tread Lightly! Cutting trails on public land generally isn't allowed anymore and animal trails are not considered motorcycle trails. just my .02 as a Tread Lightly Master Trainer.

[Steve Ruddy]

btw - hopefully you are on private land when you're riding animal trails?

Yes it is our land. Originally I wanted a 4x4 motorcycle or utility vehicle but I borrowed a 4x4 Bobcat and it wouldn't make it up the first hill. It got to a soft, steeper, sloped part, and all 4 wheels just spun and it laid down ? By the way what tire pressure should I try?

[Supplicate]

Instantly react and save it how?

have you ever ridden the sharp edge of a rut? That little ridge of dirt between two ruts?

If you have, you would know what I mean, if you are nuetral on the bike and it starts to slide one way or the other you can shift your body position to counteract the sliding of the tire.

I have done this when riding deer/cow/whatever trails across some hills around here and it has saved me. I.E. tire starts to slide downhill, lean out a bit and force the tires into the hill instead of away from the hill and give it some gas to outrun the slide. The first time I did it, it scared me pretty bad, but it saved the bike from being dumped into the river.

But when doing it, there is a fine line between enough power to keep moving away from the slide and too much power to make the slide worse and you wind up dumping the bike anyway.

*disclaimer* I am in no way a pro, so if you try this and you dump your bike hard, it is because you took a piece of advice that is not a proven concept and tried it yourself. *disclaimer*

random question:

is you suspension tuned and set up properly? This could help with some of the problems as well.

[Guest fretslider51]

Okay I ride in Colorado's real steep stuff so heres a few things to keep in mind that most riders not used to hill climbing forget. Stand up on your pegs and lean forward a bit. Putting weight on the rear doesn't do you any good, other than throw you off balance. Wheel spin is okay as long as you are moving. Just keep a steady moderately low rpm and keep your wheel pointed up the trail no matter where your back tire decides to spin out to. Most importantly, do not stop. If you feel like you are going to fall give the bike more gas and if done properly you should spin right out of it. You would be amazed to see the hills most bikes can climb if only that had a rider using the proper techniques

[Steve Ruddy]

Thanks for all the tips. I'm doing better now. I have done a small amount of leveling with a maddox in certain areas. Especially on up hill, very narrow, sloped trails, that are going around a bend. Those are the worst for me and even with the little bit of leveling I'm still only able to make it if I go real slow and put my foot down on the up hill side and kind of tap my why through to an easier section. I haven't had the guts to keep both feet on the pegs and give it more throttle if I feel my rear tire spinning down slope. If I lost it I would need a wench to pull the bike back to the trail! I was especially happy when I pulled the longest climb this weekend for the first time. This climb isn't on a slope like the rest of the trails it is just straight up. I raked all the leaves off and cleared a few trees before the first try. I had it in first gear and it felt like a tractor. I thought I had a good probability of not making it but it just kept going!