dirt road handling characteristics?

[Pappy John]

Hi, Y'all!

First poster here. No Spyder yet, but it should be delivered and on the road by the first of June. I'll have lots of questions, and here's my first one.

I keep reading that the Nanny only responds well to hard road surface. Now, this is of interest to me, since I have a cabin in the Susquehannock State Forest in northern PA that I like to visit that is 2.3 miles off the nearest hard road. This dirt road is well maintained as a State Forest road......graded every year....very few pot-holes....but it can get slippery after a rain. Our driveway might be the worst of it, since it has a pretty steep grade off the State Forest road up to the cabin. We keep that graded and smooth as well, since our goal is to keep it easily accessable to friends without 4X4 vehicles.

If I keep it down to 10 or 15 MPH (easily do-able as sometimes whole days go by with no one on "our" road) on this type of surface will the Nanny still act crazy, or will it be good to go?

[ARtraveler]

It does not sound like you will have any problems if you keep you speeds down like you discussed. If it gets wet and slippery, the back wheel will spin and the nanny will probably kick in.

[boborgera]

I have to ride up/down a poorly maintained dirt road 2 miles each way in up state NY, No problems if you take it easy 10/15 mph, But anything over 3 inches of snow then i take the truck.

[CapNCrunch]

Hi, Y'all!

First poster here. No Spyder yet, but it should be delivered and on the road by the first of June. I'll have lots of questions, and here's my first one.

I keep reading that the Nanny only responds well to hard road surface. Now, this is of interest to me, since I have a cabin in the Susquehannock State Forest in northern PA that I like to visit that is 2.3 miles off the nearest hard road. This dirt road is well maintained as a State Forest road......graded every year....very few pot-holes....but it can get slippery after a rain. Our driveway might be the worst of it, since it has a pretty steep grade off the State Forest road up to the cabin. We keep that graded and smooth as well, since our goal is to keep it easily accessable to friends without 4X4 vehicles.

If I keep it down to 10 or 15 MPH (easily do-able as sometimes whole days go by with no one on "our" road) on this type of surface will the Nanny still act crazy, or will it be good to go?

I ride a 2011 RT-S SE5, and live on a dirt road in Montana. The only thing I would caution you on is to install the "Forgotten Rock guard" from SPYDERPOPS. The drive belt doesn't have any dirt or rock shield on the inside (wheel side). It's reasonably priced, and an easy install. It might save you a lot of grief and an expensive repair job.
And, an early welcome to the forum.
CapNCrunch

[Bob Denman]

The above folks hit the nail on the head... easy does it and you'll be just fine...

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

This is deffinately not a high traction vehicle if the surface you are on is slippery.....add in incline (up or down ) and things could get real interesting really fast.....and not in a good way....JIMHO....Mike.....good luck.....

[Pappy John]

Thanks all. The driveway might be interesting, but it sounds like I'll have no trouble with the road. It started out as a railroad grade 100 years ago or so, so it has a very gradual grade.

[Firefly]

If you get the rear tire to fishtail very much, the nanny will kick in and straighten you out.... kind fun.... there are ways around this.... whenever I turn around on a dirt or gravel road I do a 180 fishtail.... yes it throws rocks around. I run no guards at all... 50,000 miles and no belt problems yet....

[ThreeFeet]

I live back about a mile and a half on a dirt road that every once in a while the county gets carried away and grades it or puts down pee gravel. Go slow watch the BIG rocks and try to stay away from piles( in the middle of the road from the cars wheels making the pile) I usually put one of the front wheels on that center mess. every once in awhile I get a little wiggle out of the back end but no nanny problem. Did get a rock in the belt of my RS SE5 and it put a hole in it. Didn't affect the thing and didn't change the belt till i sold it at over 15,+++ mile. Belts are pretty sturdy things. And

[joet82]

I've gone up Nate Harrison Grade (Western Slope of Palomar Mountain here in San Diego) 11 miles of dirt road with the occasional asphault patch. taken in second and 3rd gear with no issues besides making the mistake of choosing to put both front tires into 2 parallel pot holes and put a hole into my skid plate.

I also drove down the Moki Dugway, 3 miles of 10% graded road. cruised down in second gear at idle for the most part, handled the washboards perfectly with my Elka Stage 1 shocks installed at SpyderFest.

Other than the cracked skid plate, I have had no other issues on graded gravel roads. but if you get into anything soft (sand/mud), you'll more than likely get stuck.

[madjack]

We too live on a dirt road in Montana, the wife drives on other dirt roads and never seems to give muck concern, just keep the speeds down an spit the big ruts. I doubt if the nanny has ever kicked in on my wifes 08 se5.

[Bob Denman]

The Spyder can definitely do it; it just might not dig it!

[dannymax]

You will be fine. I live on a dirt road also and the only issue I've ever had is trying to back up when the front wheels are slightly lower then the rear. The rear end is light and spins easily...then the nanny kicks in and shuts the engine down....irritating!