Sandy, Loose Soil Riding Technique

So what's the trick for riding in deep, sandy soil?

The kind where it feels like your front tire just wants to plow out and under from you at any given moment?

How do you control yourself and work through that?

I find myself with feet flailing off the pegs, trying to muscle the handlebars and bike through it and it just seems all wrong.

Tip, tricks, and pointers will be appreciated.

I'm in SJ so I prob deal with some similar terrain as you, My technique is usually lean back a little, gas it and hang on, ( in a loose limber sort of way not a death grip.) This may not be correct either but it usually works. I also use your feet flailing method sometimes too.

Keep on the gas to get the weight off the front end.
With street tires, it'll be even easier to get out of shape.

Practice, too. :)

I don't have a lot of experience with this type of terrain and I really struggled at first also, I found sitting back as far as you comfortably can and keep a loose grip on the bars worked best and keep the gas flowing. the bike will feel like its out of control because it will not just go in a perfect straight line like on hardpack but you just have to trust it, and yourself. it's very tiring at first but you just have to keep riding in it to get used to it.

+1 Even on the R it can feel snotty. Just keep on the gas, lean back and you can steer with your knees.

The one technique that I'm working hard at is keeping my eyes up and seeing where I want to go. I find myself fixating on a point, usually something I don't want to hit, until I draw into it. So it's a constant effort to keep refocusing ahead to the next spot I want to be. I ride through more gravel than sand, but it's marbly-loose and nearly free of traction. It's counter-intuitive to let the bike wiggle around underneath you, but word has it, that's the ticket.

Riding sand is a front-to-back balancing act. Deep sand adds a third (steering related) dimension to the trick.

The first dilemma is getting the rear wheel spinning as soon as you get into it.

The next objective is to get the bike on top of it to maximize the efficiency of your forward motion. So as you begin to accelerate and the bike gets on top, the next problem sets in - directing/re-directing the mass now in motion.

Going straight isn't usually a problem. You sit back and keep steering with the throttle. However below the surface of sand are the dreaded "Sand Snakes" (usually in the form of rocks).

Eventually you have to change your direction which requires some understanding of physics - specifically the gravity and the gyroscopic motion of wheels. Apply Boondocker's siteing reference here. Forward focus. Set-up for what you are heading into, not what you are in.

Ideally in nice fine first track even surface sand this change is accomplished with slight body english. Sounds like fun right ? Unfortunately, only in freshly blown sand dunes does that happens.

So here's the challenge, turning the bike mid-sandwash (at least on a 250, because otherwise on a big bore you lean it over, whip the throttle on and sit back).

Ideally (this isn't reality of life) you move slightly forward (re-enabling steering "turn-in" capability), turn the bike slightly using a combination of body english and handlebars, jump back on the throttle (right about mid motion in the turn) and once the bike starts to accelerate begin to move your body back over the rear wheel and once the bike gets back to the top of the sand, move back and continue steering with the throttle.

Unfortunately, there are usually things like braking and acceleration whoops going into and out of these areas so a little more planning and strategy is usually required using a combination of the above techniques.

The main idea is to maintain momentum in and out of the turning areas. Cross-cutting the main lines in and out of the apex is one strategy. It doesn't always work. There may be reasons why the bumps are where they are.

Standing-up going into the entrance of sandy whoops keeping the bike heading in a desirable direction, meanwhile maintaining momentum through the turn. As you exit, get back on the bike and accelerate as much as possible while timing the bumps (frone-end lift, jump, land, launch, skip and repeat).

If you ride in areas that have an abundance of high speed sand sections (as well as high speed bumps or washboard), steering stabilizers are worth their weight in gold. ...and they seem to cost as much.

The rest is luck... * laugh *

Edit: Luck ...and a proper front fender. * nudges motokid *

New here running thru forums, and since I saw the title and i'm in the panhandle of florida thought i'd read this post. In my youth I rode some dirt tracks in illinois, riding in the sand is a new experience for me, especially with the street tires on my X. It can be done...takes lots of practice and lots of falling (well for me anyway), i'm just glad the sand i've hit so far hasn't caused any damage. I changed the picture in my avatar since I changed the setup on my front fender (experimenting), and if you do the fender right, it won't matter, mine is a fixed fender onto the two strut guards with an area cut around each to allow for the up/down movement of the fork tubes. Some say its "butt ugly" , so thats the bikes name for now, untill I get a new headlight setup. But after taking it out several times on the sand and small jumps, the current fender setup doesn't stop me from doing anything that I couldn't do with the original fender. So X-Racer is correct, with a proper setup you shouldn't have any problems....next comment...ok X-R, what has kid done to his fender? Fill me in!

Oh this is gonna be good.

the good ole "pucker and pray" technique has worked pretty well for me so far. I try to remember the body english, sit back and gas it stuff but it usually all goes out the window in the soft stuff.

MotoDad wrote:

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You got just a little sidetracked there buddy. But welcome to the forums anyways.