by Nick Sperduto,  drt-rdr@worldnet.att.net

You had to make a decision, dirt bike or street bike, a trail bike that’s easily registered and actually legal or one that’s not. You made your decision and you’ve gone out and plunked down some hard earned cash on a dual sport motorcycle.

Now what do you do with this cool looking bike? You’ve seen all the pictures of dirt bikes covered in mud, and those beautiful pictures of bikes in picturesque locations where people in cars simply just can’t go.

A lot of riders get the most use out of their DP bikes by commuting around town or back and forth to work, but a dual sport bike can be used for so much more, and it should.

It’s the ultimate suburban exploration vehicle. You can explore areas were you want, when you want, especially where the road ends. Your buddy in his S.U.V. eventually has gotta stop but you can keep on going. If you would like to see new areas and meet new people, get a free lunch and have loads of fun, try entering an organized dual sport ride.

Dual sport rides are a good way to relax from everyday stresses, make new friends and at the same time, still have time to yourself. Motorcycle riding takes a great amount of concentration and more so if your riding off road. If it really gets tough, and if your smart, you will think about nothing else but riding. On the other hand, it is an awesome way to take in some spectacular scenery and go places very few other people can reach in you average days hike. I encourage every dirt rider, whether this is your first bike or your a seasoned veteran to try a dual sport ride, you’ll absolutely love it. There is something for everyone.

What is a Dual Sport ride?

An organized dual sport consists of 1) a club putting together a course that can include paved roads, gravel roads, woods roads, power line trails, woods trail and anything in between and 2) you and your DP motorcycle. The ride can be anywhere between 50 to 150 miles and will usually take you over some challenging terrain as well as through scenic areas. This is all part of the fun of riding one of these events. It’s a basically a worry free trail ride.

The hosting club will tell you where to start, the route to follow, where you can get gas if you need it and provide lunch. If you have mechanical problems, there is sure to be other people on the trial to help you. Someone from the hosting club will ride last (cleanup) to make sure everyone is ok so your sure to get help. Imagine, a full day of riding without having to worry about running out of gas, getting lost or trying to figure out which way to go. Your right, it sounds too good to be true. I felt the same way until I entered my first, it was a blast!

How do I find where dual sport events are and how do I sign up for one?

The first thing you should do (after buying a motorcycle) is join the American Motorcycle Association  (AMA). They are the number one organization for promoting responsible motorcycling across the country and help to preserve our right to ride. With a membership, you will get a monthly magazine that will list motorcycle related events around the country including dual sport events in your area.

The clubs of the ECEA sponsor various dual sport riders during the course of the year. Most are scheduled at the begining of the year. Occasionally other's may pop up during the course of the year. Periodically, check out the dual sport section of this site for additional dual sport rides. The URL is http://www.ecea.org/dualsport

Once you have decided to enter a particular event, contact the club hosting the event and get an entry form. Depending upon the club, entry forms may or may not be posted at http://www.ecea.org/dualsport. Fill it out and mail it into the event promoter. (They usually cost between $25 and $35 to enter)

Will I need any kind of specialized equipment on my bike or myself?

Besides protective gear that you should already have, (like a helmet and boots) you will need your bike to be street legal with a current registration and insurance card. If you have been riding mostly on the street you will also need to replace those street tires with some knobbies. Some DP tires work well on both but the more dirt oriented the knobby the better. You should also have a route sheet holder, ($25 - $55 for a basic one) it is a small box with a clear window that mounts to your handle bars and holds the route sheet. I’ll talk about route sheets later. ( I did not have one for my first event, I just hooked up with other riders that did and followed them.) Remember to pack some scissors and tape in your gear bag.

Once I get to the event, what do I do?

Find your way to the sign up table. If you don’t know where it is, ask someone or follow the crowd, everyone will be looking for it. Make sure you have your registration, insurance card, and AMA card ready. The event sponsor will ask to see them. If you already haven’t, fill out your entry form and pay them the entry fee. Find out if there is a rider’s meeting, where the start location is and be sure to get a route sheet and ask if there are any changes to the route sheet that need to be marked. (Sometimes there is a last min change to the course). If there is a riders meeting (for getting a heads up on special notes about your ride) or a bike inspection, go to it, then start your ride.

What is a route sheet?

A route sheet is a list of instructions that you will need in order to follow the course. When you get to the sign up table at the ride, you will be given a route sheet. The route sheet will most likely be printed on 8.5 X 11 inch paper. (Remember those scissors you brought) You will need to cut it up and tape it together so that you have one long strip of paper. Roll it into your holder starting with the end, so that when the sheet is rolled in, it will be showing the first instruction of the day. You need to cut it down to about the width of a calculator tape. (Its easy) On it will be the instructions you need to follow the course.

An example of a route sheet would look like this;

The number on the left is the odometer reading and the words on the right are the instructions that you would need to execute.	This route sheet would read.
Section #1
0.0 Start at firehouse	At 0.0 miles you will start the ride at the firehouse
0.2 R Hollow Rd.	At 0.2 miles, you will turn right onto Hollow Road.
0.5 L Lake Dr.	At 0.5 miles you will turn left onto Lake Drive.
1.8 R WT	At 1.8 miles you will turn right onto a woods trail.
2.8 X RR	At 2.8 you will cross a railroad track.
2.9 R PL	At 2.9 you will turn right onto a power line.
5.0 Slow, horse farm	At 5.0 proceed slowly past the horse farm.
18.0 gas	At 18.0 there will be a gas station and you will also reset your odometer to 0.
18.0 reset to 0.0
Section #2
0.0 R Rt 57	At the beginning of the second section, you will turn right onto route 57.
0.2 R WT.	At 0.2 you will make a right onto a woods trail.

Eventually, the route sheet will bring you back to where you started the day.

At the beginning of your route sheet there will be a legend to explain what each symbol means. You will see woods trail, woods road, pavement, blacktop, power line, right, left, straight and other symbols. Make sure you familiarize yourself with them before you start. Believe me, its easier than it sounds.

What is the course like, what should I expect?

Some Dual Sports are mostly open trail, and dirt roads with some tarmac thrown in for good measure, others are like an enduro without timekeeping. It’s a good thing to check this out with the sponsoring club before you enter.

If you are riding alone, ask around at the start for someone to ride along with. Most riders are super friendly and may welcome another rider to the group. Be honest about your riding skills so that you hook up with people of similar experience.

The ride will usually be divided into 20 mile sections. At the end of each section, you will reset your odometer back to 0. This give a chance for people to get back on track if they were lost or their odometer was off compared to the person’s odometer laying out the course. Many Dual Sports have marked trials and if your riding at the back of the pact the trails can be fairly beaten in so they are more easily followed. Don’t be fooled though, make sure you keep an eye on that route sheet.

In many rides, there will be optional sections called hero sections. These are purely optional because they may be more difficult than the basic trail and not every skill level of rider is going to be able to make through. They can be anything from tight enduro trails, to mudholes, to river crossings, or just a steep hill. A hero section is usually short and will always join back into the original course. Where the hero section and the original course come back together there will be a odometer reset and everyone will be back on the same track. Some clubs will give descriptions of the hero section in your entry pack or at the riders meeting. I suggest trying the hero section if you think that it is within your ability as long as you are riding with someone who can help you if you get stuck.

One of the best things about a dual sport ride is that is it not a race. It’s a fun, leisurely ride that you should do at your own pace. Many dual sport rides will route you past scenic locations in which you can stop and rest, take a picture or just admire nature. Others will test your trail riding skills to the max. Either way it’s a great day out doors and when its all over you’ll be thinking that you can’t wait till the next organized Dual Sport ride.

Basic beginner bike tips

If you are new to dual sport bikes, there will be a few things you’ll want to do before heading into the woods. These things are not absolutely necessary, but they will make your off-road adventure more fun.

a) Install a set of hand guards, not the plastic brush guards that come with the bike. Use a set of metal hand guards. These will take about thirty minutes to install, but it’s better than a couple of weeks to heal up broken fingers. The guards also help by guarding your levers when you drop the bike.

b) If you have a new dual sport bike with regular dual sport tires, you’ll want to take them off and replace them with a set of DOT (Department of Transportation) approved knobby tires. A good choice would be Kenda Trakmaster tires. They grip fairly well and are inexpensive. If you are going to be riding off-road, it is better to inflate the tires to about 15 psi.

c) Adjust your rear shock for your weight. You will need the help of a friend for this. Get dressed in all of your normal riding gear. Lift the back of the motorcycle off the ground, take a tape measure and measure from the rear axle straight up to the bottom of the side panel. Mark a spot on the panel and record the measurement. Now sit on the bike in your normal riding position and take the measurement again. There should be about a four inch difference between the two measurements. This measurement is known as sag. If the difference is not around four inches, you’ll need to adjust the preload on the rear spring. The spring is located on the rear shock and at the top of the spring, there are two collar nuts. Loosen the top collar nut and then tighten (clockwise) the nut to decrease the sag, or loosen (counter clockwise) the collar nut to increase the sag. Once you get it set, tighten the top collar nut back in place.

If this article was helpful, please send encouragement to the author at drt-rdr@worldnet.att.net