[chipyting]

Well, gave the dunes a shot with my Tdub this weekend, and I didn't do too well. It's mostly me being too old and fat, and not the bike. I ate it 3 times, so before I hurt myself, I went back to riding quads. Don't get me wrong, I love my Tdub, just not on the dunes. That being said, I think if you're young and lighter, you could do OK on the dunes, but at 275 lbs, it just couldn't haul my ass around. I'll stick to trails in the woods, Oregon high desert and the streets.



Long live the Tdub!

 

[vuldub]

Get a big nasty tire:

 

[chipyting]

Get a big nasty tire:

Whoa! That thing is badass! Does it really work well? What about the front tire?

 

[owtcast]

I'm betting that ATV tire will dig in loose sand worse than most and probably be a hindrance. Now mud or loose dirt, it would be king.



Stock tires aired down.... way down, and you'll probably be surprised how well it works in sand.

 

[chipyting]

How far down, I don't want to ruin my tire. Does anyone have a preference for PSI on sand?



Thanks!

 

[qwerty]

Sand requires enough power to make enough speed that the tires plane across the sand. A TW doesn't have enough power to push a 550 pound bike and rider fast enough. Does not matter what size tires motorcycle tires you put on it. Wheelers have many times the contact area of a TW and float on sand rather well. Generally, dune motorcycles are 250cc and up high performance models with double or more a TW's power output. You won't see many adults on smallish bikes riding funes, it just doesn't work very well.

 

[chipyting]

Sand requires enough power to make enough speed that the tires plane across the sand. A TW doesn't have enough power to push a 550 pound bike and rider fast enough. Does not matter what size tires motorcycle tires you put on it. Wheelers have many times the contact area of a TW and float on sand rather well. Generally, dune motorcycles are 250cc and up high performance models with double or more a TW's power output. You won't see many adults on smallish bikes riding funes, it just doesn't work very well.

Good info.. thanks querty

 

[tok-tokkie]

I am also 'old' but not overweight. Have ridden in dunes on TW no problem. I also have a BMW Dakar - I am really scared of sand on that bike & have crashed seriously on it, hence the TW.

Ride report for that picture: http://trailrider.route42.co.za/index.php?topic=5081.0



Another trip on sandy tracks, my 62 year old wife also on a TW: http://trailrider.route42.co.za/index.php?topic=2143.0

 

[chipyting]

Wow what awesome adventures you take! I am impressed.

 

[owtcast]

Very very nice.

Such a beautiful place Tok.



That's what California would look like.... without all the Californians.

I keeed, I keeeed.

 

[rmartin]

Thanks for all the info. I guess I won't haul my fat butt out there on the dunes either.



I hit some soft sand the other day, and was starting up a hill. The front wheel went in, and I put my feet down, and they didn't touch.



Not even moving. Plup, Darn things are heavy tipping back up.

 

[vuldub]

Chip, I don't have any riding experience with the Bighorn ATV tire in sand. A member from Australia, Ben Parry, put the Bighorn on so he could ride in sand dunes - so it must work there. I copied Ben, but I needed mine for mud. On the front is a Kenda K779, its a rear enduro tire - works great for my application. Cheers.

 

[darnold87]

On the tire pressure idea...

I noticed that while riding on some sloppy nasty greasy trails, going from 20psi down to 10 psi was an amazing improvement in stability and traction. Not sure how low of psi you can safely go but thought I'd mention it.

I haven't tried my TW on beach sand yet. The sandy dunes in the high Cascade Mountains (Hoodoo / Big Lake OHV area) were a pain in the rear (not enough power)... but I was not aired down either.

 

[biglefti]

I've run my rear tire at 11 psi in soft sand and it is much more manageable than when it is at 20.

 

[chipyting]

It works! I tried lowering the pressure and that did the trick, now I can scoot all around the dunes! Thanks guys!

 

[mrlmd]

What kind of pump do you guys carry, if anything, to blow them up again when you get off the sand and back on the road?

A 12v air pump like from Slime ($10 at Walmart), or a bicycle type hand pump, or do you ride them home partially flat?

 

[biglefti]

What kind of pump do you guys carry, if anything, to blow them up again when you get off the sand and back on the road?

A 12v air pump like from Slime ($10 at Walmart), or a bicycle type hand pump, or do you ride them home partially flat?

I have a foot pump that I carry in the Fat Max I have mounted on my TW. But in all honesty, I'm kind of lazy and have just been riding everywhere with them aired down and have had no issues.

 

[Tirebiter]

I am also 'old' but not overweight. Have ridden in dunes on TW no problem. .......................



Ride report for that picture: http://trailrider.ro...hp?topic=5081.0

Another trip on sandy tracks, my 62 year old wife also on a TW: http://trailrider.ro...hp?topic=2143.0

Tok, Nice pics and story. What an adventure! Those fences don't look like they slowed you down much

 

[qwerty]

I carry a hand pump, but it takes a lot of time to air a tire. I also carry a CO2 inflator because it will air a tire in seconds.

 

[chipyting]

A few shots from this weekend. Winchester Bay, Oregon Coast.