paddle for xr650l

[mcole86]

hi. all my buddies have crfs and ride sand. since i can't afford a new bike right now i was wondering if (in a pinch) i can throw a paddle on my 650l and go ride sand with them. ive ridden in sand before but never on a bike that big and heavy. just wondering if i will have any fun at all or be beat to hell when im all done and want to trade for a crf 450x since i do a lot of trail riding too.

[tgstoken]

Its just a tire. Any dirtbike can use a paddle. I just wouldnt suggest riding home on it, lol.?

[Little Fauss]

The weight can be an issue. I rode a 600L in washes and it wore me out. Fine while you are on the gas, but that front end does like to trench. Of course, I still wouldn't sell it. I would figure something else out, el cheapo dirto biko. Don't forget about taking precautions with the air filter prefilter on any bike in the sand.

[mcole86]

i know a tire is just a tire. i was more interested in whether or not you think the xr650l is too heavy of a bike for the dunes. thank you

[XR650L_Dave]

I have done a bit of sand riding with the XRL.

Throttle on, sometimes leaned back, sometimes scrunched forwards, it does OK.

Let the body english and bars and gas do the work or it'll tire you out quick.

If you dither the bars back and forth a bit all the time (on straights and curves) it does a lot to keep the front tire from making and getting trapped in its own trench.

On the gas it may not want to turn tight, you may have to let off the gas a bit.

You will have a blast, you will be tired.

A teraflex works well in the sand, also. Tends to dig a little.

Dave

[RCA600]

I use a Chengshin 560/18 for the sand , its a giant knobby that hooks it up 4 me. Plus I'm not just stuck to riding sand. You have to remove the mud gaurd for it to fit . I rode at Glamis Superbowl weekend & had a blast in the dunes w my 600, plenty of power and hookup

[mcole86]

thank you all for your help/ideas. you've been helpful. thats why i love TT.

[HeadTrauma]

There are also sand knobbies out there. I didn't look very hard, but there might be some for 18" rims and you could at least get some use out of it on real soft terrain and not rattle your teeth on harder dirt.

Be careful not to let the engine get too hot. Sand loads the engine more at a given speed than harder surfaces.

[Captain Midnight]

XRL and a paddle works well. I've ridden sand a lot, and the L holds its own.