Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

I certainly will do mate, thing is, it needs to be a multi-purpose bike though. Is it easy to change tyres myself, or would I be best buying a second set of wheels?

The other thing is I'm probably a bit lacking in the off-road skills department nowadays. The most I'll be doing in Spain/Portugal is stuff like this that I did in Mexico (though I managed that one handed, whilst holding the camera in the other). But in this country we have mud! Just how 'off road' is the stuff you are doing? Can you post some pics? I was a kid on a Gas Gas 327 last time I got really muddy!

This course is £100 quid if you are on your own bike, do you think that is worth it, or should I just get out and practice?

Do you reckon I could keep up on an XT600? It's perfectly capable of unsurfaced roads and tracks, crossing water, and long distance adventure stuff, Dan Walsh did his 'Endless Horizon' round the world trip on an XT600, but it's no KX250 and would struggle on a motocross track!

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

£100 quid sounds a bit steep.
Theres a place in inkberrow (redditch) called little london enduro which caters for offroading and last time I went it was £15.
Although most of the byways in the the uk are basic mud tracks they are good fun and depending on the condition most are fairly easy once you get the basics.
Changing tyres is a fairly straight forward thing to do and 2 sets of tyres and tubes will be far cheaper (but more hastle) than another set of wheels.
Ill have a look on the maps and see whats close to you in the byways department if you want to head off out and see what its like to green lane if you like?
Its more fun not to mention safer if you go in a pair anyway.

Im sure the xt will be more than capable on the byways and on a light enduro circuit ( and some of the tamer motox tracks too.
Just because theres a 50 foot tabletop on a track, it doesnt mean you HAVE to jump it ;)

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

Is there still a pay-as-you-go course at Little Packington near Stonebridge Island, Coventry Road past airport - turn left Stonebridge island towards Coleshill/Lichfield about 1/2 mile on left as I recall. Alternatively for something a little faster a practice day at Mallory mx playground. I would suggest you ensure that there are others about untill you have full confidence, very quickly achieved :) enjoy.
JOHN

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

im banning all motocross talks until i can afford to get myself a new crosser, either that or a new set of wheels, some new tyres and the mousse, then fit it out with loads of crash bars/protectors :D
then be the only sv650 motox bike.

Get out and practice more as well, try the junction 4 of the m54 track as well, they used the be the best round here, that was legal to use.

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

Actually...


Its already been done ;)

http://www.motocorse.com/pd/albums/S...0_enduro_5.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...moto-img01.jpg



http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...cksvenduro.jpg


once or twice ;)

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

i would keep all the orginal fairing etc so it looked like the sv when im not out crossing on it :D it would look better tbh

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

I may be changing my enduro shortly so if you still want one in a few months, let me know.

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

what you got and what will you be looking for price?

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

I'm on a 2001 KTM 520 at the moment, not sure of price yet but wont be silly high.

http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/t...ossers0060.jpg

Thanks to VT for the pic :)

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

Yes that is still open as far as im aware, went past there sunday having a little blast.

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

Hey Col, the drops on your vid look at bit scary, not sure id take many risks with that so close.
Id love a crosser, had a DT road bike that was ok on the fields etc.
If i sell the lamby in the future, im defo getting one.

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

Hey guys, thanks for all the info. Think I'll go and have a play on that track at Hampton-in-Arden to practice some climbs, descents, slow balance, etc.

Speedplay - I'd defo like to get out and do some green lanes in the new year, can we arrange something then? The £100 wasn't for use of a track, it was a days off-road training. What I was asking is if people thought is was worth it, or would I pick the same skills naturally again through practice?

Specialone - those drops weren't the worst, check out these ones, I pan sideways to let you see the view right at the end of the clip. Did I mention I had a camera in my left hand? :roll:

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

£100 is a lot of fuel when you go out to practice with a few friends;)

You seem quick enough to be able to watch and learn from people you ride with.

Save the money and we will sort out something after xmas.

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

I have been considering about getting a track bike or a off roader next year. Both in the end. After watchin your vids Ralph, I think you have just my mind. A KTM first ;)

Speedplay how was the plains on sat?

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

Photo slideshow of the same trip, just to make up your mind a bit further ;)

http://s227.photobucket.com/albums/d...t=3fdb78ed.pbw

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

They are awesome pics mate. Looks like loads fun was had. The SV will be up for sale in Feb/march due to my new bike. Then i was going get a track bike, though I think ill get a enduro and track the new one.

:)

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

Very cold and very wet but what a blast!

Ive got a vid of me following Marcus on his crf450x across one of the byways before the plain, surface water over the top of the whole track and when I look at the speedo its reading 49mph :)

Happy days.

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

I wanna have a go round this in worcester

http://www.apexmotocross.co.uk/

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

Thats the sixways track just off the motorway isnt it?

Not a bad track and has steep sections in it too.

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

Yeah that the one. Yeah it certainly does have some steep slopes.

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

First green lanes today! :D

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...4/SNC00011.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...4/SNC00010.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...4/SNC00009.jpg

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

Tell me thats not a huge tail pack on here...

You my friend, are one step away from a top box...;)


The tyres look a little caked in mud and the bikes clean, were you taking it nice and slow?!

Good to see your getting out though, I'll be out on mine once my thumb heals enough to hang onto the bars:D

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

yes go faster bike muddy, tyres cleaner!
im looking at getting an aprillia dorsoduro or there pegaso both are supermoto's they claim what will they be like if off-roaded either of them?

Edit: damn auto correct!

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

If your looking at getting a supermoto to go offroading youll really need bigger wheels and knobbly tyres :(

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

i know the pegaso trails has a 19" front wheel and standard 17" on the rear the rest of the pegaso series has 17" on front and rear and the dorsoduro has 17" wheels on front a rear.
i know if wanted to do any off roading again knobblys would be needed/expected.

tbh i might save some cash up and get a honda off road only toy more fun throwing that around the mud again getting a police chase goings, aquaplaning the canals to get away, its very scary to make the wrong turn on and go down a slope hit water then start aquaplaning on top of a canal the as your going down the weir to get out the water and look for traction with such wet tyres. yes i was one of those off roaders that always got police attention, nothing teaches you speed off road like a police chase and no i was never caught :D

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

Just like your earlier photo of the KTM then ;)

Up to that point I had been slow, it was so muddy with all the snow melt that every time I got up on the pegs, I had a slide and had to jump back down to save it, so I gave up, sat on the seat and took it slow.

Bike is muddier in the top photo, second green lane was less like a ploughed field and more like a muddy track, but with a harder base underneath, got up on the pegs and gave it a bit of a belt along there. There's something on my bike that does't like getting wet though, cut out twice after creating some spray in some of the deepest puddles (1 foot deep or so), and had to have the revs kept artificially high to keep it running.

Both crap. If you want a supermoto, and want to green lane, get something that you can convert back and forth simply by swapping wheels. XT660R can be converted into an XT660X by putting a R brake disk on the X wheels, re-routing the speedo cable to the outside of the forks and adding some spacers to increase spring pre-load on the front forks.

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

Don't make yourself look a knob.

If you want to offroad, do it legally.

Unregistered crosser and d!ickheads are spoiling it for the rest of us.

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

In my earlier photo, Tris and I had just pulled it out of some deep cack!!

I got it a little stuck:-(

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

How well does yours cope with water?

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

How old are you Sunshine?

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

Heres a couple to go with the earlier pic:-
http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/t...ossers0054.jpg

http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/t...ossers0052.jpg

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

Mines pretty good.

The salisbury plain weekend we did was really wet.

The trails were slippy (yes I did chuck the bike at the ground more than once) and most of the trails had 2 inches or so of really cold and smelly water.

The exhaust stinks if you get too much cack caked onto it but other than that, no problems at all :)

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

Yep, some of the lane alongside the field pictured above was like that, very deeply rutted and lots of water, 9 to 12" in places, well up past the foot pegs.

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

I've posted on an XT600 forum to see where the weaknesses are in terms of water. The spark plug probably needs some silicone gel around it, and I don't know if there are other connections to and from the CDI that don't like getting wet. The airbox intake is quite low on the XT600, but it wan't that deep. I'll reroute it with a snorkel when I get a chance.

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

Not nice when it runs down your neck either....

http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/t...ossers0057.jpg

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

How deep are you looking to go on river crossings?!

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

In the mountains of Spain and Portugal, it could be two feet, depending on the time of year. Did 18 inches in Mexico. More than that and I'll find another crossing point.

I haven't had the seat and side panels off to see if it has a snorkel fitted as standard. There are certainly carb breather pipes that I need to reroute that will be sucking in water and that could be part of my problem today as it was deep enough for them to be submerged and it did feel like a fuel contamination/starvation issue and the exhaust sounded like it may have been spitting, but I was so busy keeping the bike upright I didn't dare look. But it could have been a soaked HT lead as well, or CDI electrics (though the CDI is high up in the tail plastics so that wasn't wet unless water spraying off the rear wheel is getting in). I wonder if there is a cylinder drain hole like on the SV, that was full of mud.

It's not so much depth of water that's an issue with air intakes, it's dropping the bike half way across, you only need to be trying to save the bike from going over, against the current, with the bike at 45 degrees in two feet of water before, you are up to the air intake. Then you have to push the bike across and get the spark plug out before you can start it again.

I also had the chain jump the rear sprocket today and bloody jam itself between wheel hub and swingarm. That took some teasing out by hand. I'm not quote sure that the chain tension is correct as I'm not sure how it should be set on a bike that has long suspension travel.

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

ralph im still only 19 so not grown up yet and i was even younger when i illegally motox i started doing it legally when i was 16 and did a few 12 hour endurance races but that ended when i totalled my bike and shoulder. now want some more fun off road looking at doing it legally now as most the work i want to do now needs a clean criminal record. but these expenses are high and my income is very low.
when i did it all illegally it was with mates on his bikes (his family was very well off) more thrill in a chase as well.
I did a session on the m54j4 course and there was some police motocross bikers there to catch people like me in my younger days, and i said "try to keep up with me" one was able to get infront of me the rest got bogged down in the wet stuff. they dont understand the term go virgin, i do as much as possible :D

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

:rolleyes:

Re: Oi! SPEEDPLAY! And anyone else who does green laning...
 

One day, you'll work it all out:smt023