is a paddle really needed?

[aea13]

hi there everyone!! this is my first post on TT....but i have been viewing for about a week. i ride a 05' 450R and my question is this....i am going to pismo to ride, also my first time in the sand....is a paddle really needed to ride out there? any feed back would be greatly apprecicated!!! thanks guys and have a good one....

[redrider5]

Not really, especially with the bigger bore bikes. I ride a 250 2 stroke out there with no prob. The only real area a paddle will definitly help is if your drag racing and want to get a great jump. good luck

[XR/CRDave]

Its better w/ a paddle but not necessary at Pismo. Glamis is another story since the dunes are much steeper.

[RottenRob]

I've been to Glamis without one but after putting one on I will never go again without one. I would highly recommend putting one on, it is so much funner!

[Shawn_Mc]

If you want to have fun, yes a paddle is necessary. If you like hardship, misery and woe, No, you do not absolutely have to have a paddle.

Paddles are cheap.

[rvl]

If you learn to ride on sand, you won't have any misery, hardship, or woe like poor ShawnMC.

I have ridden both without and with paddles at the Oregon Dunes, Glamis, Patton Valley, and Buttercup. As long as you have the power to keep in 4th up the hills, you won't have any problems. If you have to shift to third, you might as well turn around since you will dig in and grind to a halt. Then find another, less steep way up. Paddles are nice for wheelies and starts, but give a lumpy ride.

They are fun, but not necessary. Try it both with and without paddles and decide for yourself.

Learning to ride in sand and learning how to read the sand for it's various textures is a must, too.

[RottenRob]

I totally disagree, get a paddle and you will be much happier.

[Shawn_Mc]

Ive been Duning Glamis for 15+ years. Im pretty sure Ive got sand figured out...

Having to turn around and find another way up the hill is misery pain and woe. Plodding along at 5 mph and paddling with both feet is stupid when you can go buy a 35 dollar tire and never have to even think about it.

If the group youre riding with isnt running paddles, it wont suck because everybody will have to take the same routes...but if youre the odd man out paddle-less...I guess the break for those guys wont be so bad while your zig zagging your way up the hill and digging out...

Note to self: ask next guy I see stuck with a knobbie if he's RVL on TT...

[SpringChicken]

Paddle = $50. Cheaper than gas nowadayz!

Get the paddle, if you've never been on sand before, it's highly recommended.

[aea13]

i can see that everyone has a preference on to paddle or not to paddle...if i do decide that i want to get one for this trip which one would you reccomend? and how many....6,8,10,12??? also thanx for all the replies...

[rvl]

Probably an 8 paddle. The more paddles the less lumpy the ride, but the more power you need to pull it.

I would bring along a good, fresh soft-terrain tire so you can try both and decide for yourself. The weaker riders seem to prefer paddles, and they have their advantages, but I got along fine with or without them.

Paddles might be better to have with the heavier 4 strokes - all my bike experience in the dunes was with 2 stroke 250s and 500s. I haven't had any of my 4 strokes out there yet.

I have ridden dunes since 1985, and once you learn to read them, you won't have much trouble with them. The Cinder Hills northeast of Flagstaff AZ and the Coral Pink Sand Dunes in Utah are really fun, too.

[ahamza]

What about the Pirelli MT-410. Has anyone ever tried one of those in sand? It looks like a hybrid paddle/knobby.

[rkortes]

I went to Sand Mountain Nevada last weekend and brought two bikes. I brought my CR250 with a paddle and a DR400 without. After trying both I spent the rest of the weekend on the paddled up CR. Yes, you can ride without but you have a lot more control and fun with the paddle.

My analogy for this is the similarity of how a boat planes on the water. With a paddle, dirt bikes hook up on top of the sand much quicker and it lets you get away with more control at slower speeds.

I have a Chen Sing 8 paddle Sand Pro. I was impressed.

[rvl]

I went to Sand Mountain Nevada last weekend and brought two bikes. I brought my CR250 with a paddle and a DR400 without. After trying both I spent the rest of the weekend on the paddled up CR. Yes, you can ride without but you have a lot more control and fun with the paddle.

My analogy for this is the similarity of how a boat planes on the water. With a paddle, dirt bikes hook up on top of the sand much quicker and it lets you get away with more control at slower speeds.

I have a Chen Sing 8 paddle Sand Pro. I was impressed.

That DR is a slow, heavy pig compared to the CR. If you switched tires and put the paddle on the DR and the knobby on the CR, the DR would still have less control and be less fun. Duh. Horsepower also lets you plane faster, and lets you keep your speed up on hills so you keep planing on top of the sand. On sand, you don't want to go slow. Speed is your friend on sand. Pin it and smile.

[Shawn_Mc]

Ya, an 8 paddle is what you want. Ive run 10's and even a 12 once on my hopped up to the gills CR500. Even the 70+ hp CR500 had problems spinning the 12....and you need to be able to spin it a little.

RVL has the right analogy about planing (plaining?) the bike. The paddle will jump up on top of the sand and hook up way way quicker than a knobby ever could.

[RottenRob]

Get a paddle for sure, RVL is the only person I have ever heard not recomend using a paddle in the dunes. 8 paddle is perfect and you may need a longer chain to clear the swing arm. The only reason not to put a paddle on is if you can't afford the 40 bucks.

[RottenRob]

Think of it like this, you could go on to an ice rink with sneakers on and go around the rink. Lace up some skates and you can really move a lot easier. Same with the paddle.

[Just034]

I went with the cheap Cheng shing (8 paddle) 35.00 bucks from Rocky mountain. It works great. I paid more just for gas to get to the dunes. You can ride OK without but why limit your fun? The best part of riding the dunes is flying up super steep inclines like a bat outta hell. The paddle really helps with hill climbs.

[Godzuki]

alrighty then

i have never been to cali dunes, i have been to our tiny little spec of dunes we call silver lake for years. i rode for a year with out paddles there, and then got some, sweet jesus, the traction you get is freaking awsome, i put paddles on my quad, then i put them on my truck(only on the back, and it didnt matter what hill i pointed it at i could make it with ease), and now i have a 8 paddle for my 450. now those that say a paddle isnt needed to have fun are right, but the amount of fun you can have goes waaaaaaaaay up with one. and they are cheap. hell i got a used one off here for freaking 35 bucks shipped wooooooooo hooooooooo cant beat that can ya. id say go for it get a paddle, after maybe going once or twice with out one. remember though once you install the paddle you now have 100% traction so when you take off hard, lean and i said lean waaaaaaay over the bars, because you now have a wheelie hound wooooooooo hooooooooo.

[rvl]

Get a paddle for sure, RVL is the only person I have ever heard not recomend using a paddle in the dunes. 8 paddle is perfect and you may need a longer chain to clear the swing arm. The only reason not to put a paddle on is if you can't afford the 40 bucks.

Look at the first post. He said "my question is this....i am going to pismo to ride, also my first time in the sand....is a paddle really needed to ride out there?

All I did was answer his question: No, a paddle is NOT really needed to ride out there. Maybe he wants to check Pismo out and then decide if he wants to get a paddle. Maybe he is on a strict budget. Who knows. All I did was answer his question.

I do like paddles in sand, but I have had plenty of fun without them.