We going off road...??

[Chupaca]

Looks like this would do well in the dunes... but will it come to be...

Screenshot_20180126-223926.jpg

[PistonBlown]

What do you mean "We're going off road", I already do:-)

PS will be doing this road on my Spyder on 24th of Feb, if I don't post after that date you know what's happened...

[oldgoat]

I could not do Skippers road on 2 wheels. However, I would love to do it on my Spyder. It was listed as a road on which I was theoretically not allowed to travel when we had a rented Hertz suv back in 2013.

[PrairieSpyder]

Are you going to do that NZ ryde on your Spyder this time?

[ARtraveler]

Looks like this would do well in the dunes... but will it come to be...

Screenshot_20180126-223926.jpg

Project S--? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

[Chupaca]

Project S--? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Really....they could keep this one under the the 10 grand....

[ARtraveler]

Really....they could keep this one under the the 10 grand....

Most likely not. But it does look a bit "bare bones." I am really wondering what a $10K one will look like. Get rid of 2/3 of the "fluff" and I don't think your going to get much.

I don't see them building a "loss leader" just to get people into the upline market eventually.

The upside--hopefully those who are interested will be satisfied when they make new vehicle announcements near the end of 2018.

[MR. H1956]

That thing doesn't even look very comfortable to ride. Might be good for a skinny short rider to go mud bogging on.

[Peter Aawen]

I dunno... assuming it's gonna be based upon or derived from one of the current (or recent?) Models, saaayy, maybe something like an RSS; then I reckon it could work!!

Given some interesting features like Three wheel drive, inboard discs up front, maybe a fully enclosed belt or possibly a shaft drive to the rear, good ground clearance, and better power/torque delivery, then I can see a fair few people being interested in it?!? I'd certainly be checking my discretionary expenditure funds!

[PistonBlown]

It was listed as a road on which I was theoretically not allowed to travel when we had a rented Hertz suv back in 2013.

I love your wording on that one, doesn't give away if you actually did it or not:-)

As you may remember the main hire car in NZ is the Toyota Corolla and you'll be amazed where you find those have managed to get to, though they are normally stuck with the hirers hoping someone will come along rescue them. Though I've also come across one large campervan stuck fast on the Port Levy - Pigeon Bay Road despite the signs at either end saying "No Campervans" at either end.

Guessing you probably have similar issues in Canada.

[oldgoat]

I love your wording on that one, doesn't give away if you actually did it or not:-)

As you may remember the main hire car in NZ is the Toyota Corolla and you'll be amazed where you find those have managed to get to, though they are normally stuck with the hirers hoping someone will come along rescue them. Though I've also come across one large campervan stuck fast on the Port Levy - Pigeon Bay Road despite the signs at either end saying "No Campervans" at either end.

Guessing you probably have similar issues in Canada.

There was a Corolla stuck in the sand on the tip of the North Island. They asked if we could tow them out but I had to politely refuse as I didn't need to get stuck as well despite AWD. They did get help tho. I didn't just abandon them.

Happens everywhere. People go where they shouldn't.

Enjoy your Feb 24th ride, looks great.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Looks like this would do well in the dunes... but will it come to be...

Screenshot_20180126-223926.jpg

Here's the website of the designer. http://imaginactive.org/ A whole bunch of other odd stuff there. I wonder if he's related to the Bombardier of Can Am fame?

[ARtraveler]

RE: Forbidden Roads

We have one such here. The Denali Highway. A 100 mile or so stretch situated between The Richardson and Parks Highway. Rental agencies forbid taking their cars there. It's high ground. Snow can happen anytime from Sept 1st. Getting stuck there means a Spring retrieval.

Airforce crashed a F22 jet there in the winter. It was Spring before they retrieved the plane and pilot.

I drove it once in my Subaru Forester.

[gnorthern]

What do you mean "We're going off road", I already do:-)

PS will be doing this road on my Spyder on 24th of Feb, if I don't post after that date you know what's happened...

What do you use for a gravel guard?

Thanks.

[Peter Aawen]

What do you use for a gravel guard?

Thanks.

I regularly do much the same sorta roads/tracks as PB but here in Aus, altho probably at a little less pace than PB (just cos I don't do as many Iron Butt or distance/time events as he does) and as for a gravel guard, I don't!!

Done over 50k on the Spyder now, & I'd say easily over 1/3rd of that has been off the blacktop, with at least another 1/3rd being on what you'd call 'chip seal' black-top - that's just what a vast amount of our back country roads are made of! Apart from being a little sensible about where I go (altho I never really avoid anything much short of the stuff labelled '4WD only'!) and ryding with a little restraint on the dirt etc plus avoiding spinning the rear tire too much or spending too much time hanging the tail in the loose stuff that I do travel on, all I do is hose everything off & then check the belt & sprockets carefully after I get home from each trip or ryde.

Haven't done a belt yet, or even had a stone chip or pebble caught in one or in a sprocket (touch wood!) - but I have had a few small sharp stones wear tiny holes in the rear suspension air bag.... they got caught in the fold between the 'piston' & the bag up the top - definitely not anywhere that any stone guard or protector currently on the market that I'm aware of would've helped!!

So I seriously reckon that while it's smart to be a little judicious about where you ryde, and adding a stone guard might ease your mind a little if you are prone to worrying over little things like that, they won't really do a whole heap for you in the overall scheme of things; so unless you really spend heaps of time/distance ryding on loose dirt or gravel, you are probably better off if you just....

Ryde more, & worry LESS!

[PistonBlown]

What do you use for a gravel guard?

Thanks.

Just got one of Spyderpops (site sponsor) which judging by the marks and chips in mine has done its job in the past.

I have ruined one belt but that was on newly laid chip and tar. The stones stuck to all the wheels and went everywhere, I'm still finding stones stuck fast with tar in weird places 3 years later.

[PistonBlown]

... but I have had a few small sharp stones wear tiny holes in the rear suspension air bag.... they got caught in the fold between the 'piston' & the bag up the top - definitely not anywhere that any stone guard or protector currently on the market that I'm aware of would've helped!!

There was a guy here who made some guards to help prevent that. He only occasionally makes a batch - he doesn't sell them for profit, just to help people out. They are called "The Muzza Flap", I'll drop him a line and see if he's got any.