Yamaha Dirt Bikes Forum

Hi guys.

I have a stock TTR230 and I'm heading to the sand dunes a couple hours drive outside of the city.


Any tips on riding in the sand for the first time and with my TTR230???


Tire pressure??
Turning in the sand?
Riding position in sand?
... anything?

Tips would be greatly appreciated!

thanks.
Cheers,
Dean  

Hey guys....

So far I've read that it is a good idea to lower the tire pressure a little to ride in the sand.

Since this is a thread about the TTR230: with a stock tire pressure of 15psi, I've thought of reducing it to say 12psi for the sand. Thoughts?


Thank you.  

Just stay light on your toes and heavy on the throttle. remember, gas gets you outta trouble. I wouldnt worry bout the tire pressure it wont do much.  

maple leaf: thanks for your comments. by light on your toes, you mean just move with the bike maybe stand up some from time to time and move with the bike?


thank you.
Cheers.  

Sit back a little farther on the seat.  
---------------------------------------------------
2006 cr85 big wheel
Long live the 2-stroke

Try to pick up speed before you hit the sand if possible,
and once you get going DONT STOP. Pack lots of water and gas. Have Fun!  
Eating dirt is for everyone behind me

Make ABSOLUTELY certain to service your airfilter before you go. Bring a couple of spare pre-oiled filters in zip-loc baggies with you, or service your existing filter each day.  Sand is incredibly destructive, and you don't want your motor ingesting any of it.

Clean and oil your chain before you go, and use a non-sticky chain lube like Bel-Ray Super Clean.

If you haven't serviced your wheel and linkage bearings in a while, do it before you leave and after you get back.

I cannot overstress how much damage sand can do to your bike in a very short period of time.  Have fun, be safe, lower your air pressure a bit, keep on the throttle to keep your front end light, and make sure to properly prepare your bike for the trip, and get all the sand out when you return.  
**

Here we go again!

crkid: thanks for the tip - sit back on the seat a little more - more tracktion, got it, thanks!



yz_dude: get speed up before hitting sand, ok, got it, thanks!
water and gas, will do! hmm..... how about Monster energy drink???





skipkh: WOW, thanks for all of your comments and great tips here!!!!
For a while there I was concerned and worried about riding in sand, but I think it will be some great fun.... so I'm going to go for it and take care of my bike ( I think I do a pretty good job on that ) the best I can, while having fun.


Thanks for all of your tips here, greatlly appreciate it.

I have everything just about packed. I'm heading out tomorrow morning early.

I will be strapping my bike (my good old TTR230) in the back of a pick up truck using some straps and levers. I have a plan to have one on each side of the bike from the handle bars to the corners of the truck bed with my bike in the middle standing up. Then another strap around the rear tire across the back of the truck bed.


How much do you compress the front forks when putting on these straps at the front handles bars?

I have a ramp for the truck ready to go also. I've been practicing loading and unloading today for the first time. So far so good. i need to be careful, but the practicing is helping for sure.


ok, thanks again for all of your tips thus far guys, more welcome if you would like to add to this cool thread!

thanks again.
Cheers.  

Compress forks about 2 inches. Grab the seat and try to wiggle the bike around - if it's solid, you're good.  If it moves around much, tighten the straps an inch at a time until the bike feels securely strapped it.

have fun!

Good luck!  
**

Here we go again!

you've probably gotten all you can. but heres what i do. i sit way back on my seat. and give her as much throttle as possible. sandy hills and walls are hard. so you wanna make sure you have reached a good speed on the hill. your not gonna be doing any accelerating once you get onto the hill so you want as much momentum as possible to make it up. if you gas it as soon as your rear tire hits the hill your not gonna make it. gas it hard or gs it home ~pat  
PEACE GUYS ITS BEEN A BLAST!!!!! ~patrick

thanks guys!


btw.... LONG STORY ..... SHORT. I was just out for a run around the trails here and noticed a washy feeling in the rear of my bike.... yep, you guessed it...  a flat tire on the rear!!!

I RUSHED TO THE YAMAHA SHOP TO see if they could get a new tire on for me.... THEY DID!!!!!


I have A KENDA-K772-CARLSBAD  rear tire installed now... so I'm all set to go again!!!  The adventure to the dunes are still a go. I just hope this tire is good....

cheers!!!  

The Monster engery is fine. But real men drink Amp.lol jk.  
Eating dirt is for everyone behind me

yz_dude, hahaha



Ok, 60mins and I'm heading to bed to rest before the long drive to the sand dunes..... cheers guys..... I hope things work out....... I hope to maybe get a picture or two... we'll see.


cheers everyone and thanks for your great tips on riding in sand with my TTR230. I suspect the new tire will work out, I hope.


cheers.  

ok...



I'm back from the sand dunes - first time ever, with my TTR230!!



I learned alot, thanks for your tips guys. I learned how to keep the gas off, not to let the gas

off when hitting a jump on the sand. Yeah, keeping the speed and momentum up is key. I kept my weight a little more onthe rear tire, etc... it was fun.







After I got back I did a really good cleanly that took about 2.5 hours total. I used some the hose and its force to get sand out from up around the engine... and just about anywhere... because the sand got everywhere! haha. I checked the filter also, seems ok actually, I was happy and surprised.





Here are a few pictures of my TTR230's first trip to the sand dunes.





















So, all in all I did really enjoy it. It was basically 6.5hours each day for two days of riding with short  breaks for Monster Energy drink What a blast! However, I was happy to return home to my trails  (rocks and some bog and dirt). The sand dunes seems like it would really tear a bike up, with the  engine needing to rev high alot of the times, and the sand getting into the smallest engine areas to cause pre-mature wear.... It was fun, but I'm happy to be home on my trails.





Thanks for reading and thanks again for your tips everyone.

cheers.  

PS... ok, so it's difficult to keep your bike up in the sand... so a rock always helps



cheers.