Couple things, you did great. Falls happen, be prepared for them, always. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. You weren’t breathing until you fell, practice steady breathes while you’re riding, especially while the trail is easy. I could tell you were actually holding your breath a couple times. You were tensing up hard to keep the bike from going over every time, that’s what kills your energy and strains your muscles. You’re not riding alone, you’ve got help to lift the bike back up, so worry less about dropping it and conserve your energy. Never, ever ride off road without water. Hydration pack, full to the brim, always. Pack water bottles to top it off when it gets low. Use electrolyte powder or tablets. Snacks, always. Low carb, some sugar, something relatively healthy. You did great with the route planning, if you’ve never ridden the trails before, how would you know the difficulty level? Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. Now go back out there and hit all those trails again. I’m not a professional but I’m speaking from 20 plus years of off road experience. Love that Tuareg.
Thank you Asah, yup they definitely do happen! :D hahahha I think you are right looking back, I was def concentrating too hard on riding badly than breathing and keeping the oxygen flowing. I very much tensed up and wasn't relaxed, especially more so after each fall. As you could see, by the last trail I was done, my energy completely used up. Proper school boy error forgetting my water and snacks, they were sitting on my kitchen worktop waiting for me lol :D A lesson I learned from trackdays is to stay hydrated and energised, was just in a rush leaving the house and forgot to pick them up to put in my tail bag. Lesson well learnd there! Absolutely regarding the route, you don't know until you ride them, but I should definitely have planned in some stops at a cafe or something half way around. I'll probably take my Beta 390RR next time I do this route as it is close enough to be able to get to on that bike, maybe practice the lanes I struggled on on that a few times before hitting them on the big bike again. You might not be a pro, but you speak wise words mate, thank you! :-) I have been riding just 4 years in the dirt, I love it, but it is such a learning curve compared to tarmac. The Tuareg is an awesome bike, so happy with it.... just wish it was an inch lower! :D
@@HippoDrones Very glad you found value and wisdom in my feedback. Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated. Speaking from experience because I’ve been there for sure. There was one time I even drove almost 2 hrs to ride somewhere and forgot my helmet lol Never forgotten snacks or water tho that I recall. Also a Beta brother. Owned a 2016 300 RR since new and still in love with it. Hope to add the Tuareg to the Italian stable as my first street bike possibly next year. Love the content and seeing what green laning is all about on your side of the pond :o)
@@BoogiemanMoto ahh nice, I considered the X-Trainer 300 originally, but thought with the amount of tarmac we have to ride that the 390 would be better suited. If you get the Tuareg, I hope you enjoy it as much as I am mine, at least when I'm not falling off it that is! 🤣
I have the same problem. I imagine the worst place to fall, I fall exactly where I did not want to....Look left, fall left....Thank you for the wonderful content!
Don't beat yourself up too much Pete ,we all have days like that ,as long as you can take something positive from it then you can chalk that one down to experience. You had the courage to get totally out of your comfort zone & try some new lanes. This time of year with long grass ,hiding the perils underneath,you can be grateful that its only your ego thats bruised ,could have easily injured yourself . Keep your chin up & live to ride another day.
Cheers Joe, I definitely need to learn lessons on route planning if I am to lead more rides, it is easy to over reach on distance and not consider how long the routes take. But am not beating myself up on falling off... the tumbles beat me up enough! :D but def learnt that I need to be more aware of how a trail can change from easy to tricky. It is great to ride new lanes though, but should possibly ride with someone familiar with the new areas so that they can choose more suitable routes for the bike etc. Yup, the grass hid all the ruts, so hard to pick the right line through them, and getting cross rutted sucks on it lol :D Thankfully no damage to the bike and I was mostly unscathed, my wrist is still sore, not sure if I fractured it, but it'll be right in a couple of weeks. Cheers Joe, take care mate.
Enjoy seeing the bike being used for what it was designed for.. Crash, bang, wallop,, get up, smile and go again.... The dings and marks, take the newness off, then you can really start to chuck it around... 😁
Really enjoying your Tuareg videos, you did really well on those trails on 200kgs+ of metal, slow spills are an inevitability especially on damp grass! Always a nightmare :( May I ask how tall you are? Cheers, new subscriber! :D
Ahh thank you again 🙂 I am 5'6" with a 29" inseam, so the Tuareg is just a tiny bit too tall for me to be able to get a foot down with confidence. I have recently ordered the low seat for it, which I am hoping will help when out on the trails 🙂 Ahh cool, I hope you enjoy the content I put together, thanks for coming along for the rides! 🙂
@@HippoDrones wider trails helped, you're absolutely right about my upload settings mate, I sometimes get it right and then I struggle with how to do it the next time, blurry as! I need to make a step by step list on how to do it. I managed it on one of Chantal's videos where she fell off, lovely footage.
Well THAT was a baptism of fire!! My main take from this - no you were not over-confident, it was fine to acknowledge how well you were feeling with the bike. There is little you can do when the front wheel dives sideways - it will only ever correct in time if you're going fairly fast and on the pegs, I know, I've done it both ways. What I think you really needed was a reset after fall #2 at the latest. Park up where you were for 20-30 minutes, reset your mind and body, I felt you must have been time-pressed, because you kept riding when you shouldn't have I think Pete. Once you've had a fall you're going to struggle a little, more than one fall then it's just going to keep going that way, tensing up, slowing down, not looking ahead, expecting the worst - all of that creeps into the ride in spite of best efforts. Yes the lower seat will help when you have to paddle, but really a bit of momentum standing on the pegs will overcome more of those tough parts than we think. It's telling that none of my many crashes have happened when I was standing on the pegs ;) Great, honest video mate, I still think you're doing awesomely - we all have days like that, and yeah even on a non-crash road ride I've gone from totally at one with the bike to uncomfortable on it, just after a short break.
It certainly was mate, I def felt the heat hahaha :D Saddle time will help a lot, and yes, being on the pegs really helps too... just harder to get a foot down then... which wouldn't have helped as had no where to put a foot down due to the other ruts lol :D I definitely need to work on my route planning and put in stops to rest and hydrate... and I need to bring water, school boy error that one! Yeah, you are bang on the money David, each fall dinks into the confidence and like you say, you tense up more and more till you are rigid and can't react to the ruts changing, all leading to the inevitable next off. I think if I had been on the Beta, I would have faired better as I am happier on that bike when it gets rough under the wheels, and holding speed on that is easier as it doesn't maintain the momentum, so you can reign it in if it gets a bit wild, which on a bigger heavier bike is much harder to do. I am amazed at some of the stuff you get up to on yours with more road bias tyres and a smaller front wheel. Cheers David :-)
Watched your ABR vid then came to this one. On the ABR course you were saying you would stick to the "easy" bits and all I could think was how the hell do you stay upright on that terrain!! Now I see why you said the ABR course was easy!! Total respect for your skill and tenacity, combined with the humility to learn. I have never been off road and probably never will (not intentionally anyway). The closest I can get is, along with motorcycling, I ride horses and on Thursday had a fall while jumping an 18 hand horse. Got back on, but after being winded, bruising a rib and my neck, concentration was near impossible and energy non existent. At least I didn't have to pick the horse up 🤣 Like you, I will be back to it asap (hopefully next week). Anyway although off roading isn't my thing I really enjoy your vids and look forward to watching your progress. Cheers, Andy. Oh and selfie with Fortnine was ace.
Ahh cheers Andy 🙂 Hahahaa... yeah the ABR course was mostly "easy", I was a bit nervous after losing my confidence a little in this ride, but it was also having so many other riders around as I am not used to riding in big groups, especially not on dirt. My skill is not very skilful lol, but I am willing to learn and improve.... saddle time will help on the Aprilia, as will maybe getting some training and also getting out on my Enduro bike a bit more too. I love horses, a friend taught me to ride many years ago, I am definitely not a natural on a horse hahaha... but I very much enjoyed the riding I did. They are scary huge to fall from, 18hh is pretty tall, no wonder you were winded and battered from coming off it! Thanks again for the comments mate, really appreciate them! 🙂
Not a bike I've ever seen yet in person, but seems to handle you beating it really well! 👍😉 I'm obsessed with a bikes weight & you said here exactly why...If you ever need to pick them up by yourself! 👍😎 Brilliant vid dude! 👍❤️
Sorry but that was really funny it reminded me of the time I got stuck in the snow 3,500 meters above sea level on. a snowboard trip really knackering being an asthmatic and I was cursing everyone and everything, I love your philosophical conclusion though. You live and learn, Well done m8 that was brilliant. 😊🙏🏽👌🏼PS just put my deposit down on a Tuareg.
Hahaha... no need to apologise for finding it funny Ricky, I do too looking back, although I was utterly shattered by the end of the ride! I think there is always a lesson to be learned when out on a ride, be it tarmac or dirt... So when I have a tough day, I can still get a positive outcome from it by learning lessons :-) Ahh awesome stuff, what colour did you go for? You gonna be trail riding it, or mainly tarmac?
Awesome trails - was chatting with my brother the other day (he's up in the Borders) and he tells me it's a struggle to find legal tracks unless you're in Wales. When the lotto win kicks in -I'm flying you out for couple of weeks riding - thousands of kilometres waiting for exploration.
Scotland doesn't have any "green lanes" as such, but in England and Wales we have a good amount of them... but some parts have less than others. Haha... Lotto win FTW 😁
Awesome video HD, amazing how much energy adventure riding takes out of you, definitely need food and drinks in the bike, very familiar watching the falls 😂😀🍺
Cheers G, haha... yeah mega energy burn, I might get fit if I keep this up! 😁 You take your KTM to even more extreme place to punish yourself with... although you have a bit more leg length than me! 😁
Great video, really enjoyed it, and your comments. I honestly think you did really well and completely agree with your lessons learned! Like you I'm somewhat vertically challenged when it comes to touching the floor on adventure bikes so I feel your pain! I've got a Beta X-trainer that I've used for some pretty gnarly green lanes in Wales & have just bought an Aprilia Tuareg for more "gentle" local stuff & a bit of touring. Think I'll make sure I take a friend with me when I go off road on it! Cheers🙂
Ahh thank you for saying Nigel :-) I think even now after almost a year later, I'd still struggle on those lanes on the Tuareg, and it is not because the bike can't do it, I have a lot more experience, but my height is definately a hindrence! :-D I was very tempted by the Beta XTrainer, but went for the Beta 390RR instead, a bike I love... but also a bike that was very tall... I had mine lowered 2" so it is possibly slightly lower than the XTrainer now! :-) Always a good plan, especially on unfamiliar lanes/trails to have a wingman! :-) Ty for taking a look :-)
Man I even had to have a rest break during your ride. I'm thinking for your riding I'd have to have something lighter, lower and most importantly a bike that I felt comfortable gassing it up a bit when you need momentum. When I get winded I'm more likely to crash. Getting some rest when I get tired really helps.
Great intro, the bike was hedge cutting..... I did see Phil's video the other day and probably a wise move for him to go home after his off, judging by the amount of leg work!!! Welcome to East Sussex, a baptism of fire!!! I could feel your pain after about 20 minutes in, on the Pevensey levels. You didn't even notice the Swans at about 23 minutes, you where puffing so hard. I've done this trail and it wasn't as hard then or overgrown, I think I picked a lucky day and I was on my light weight CRF!!! You did very well mate considering your bike is heavy and tall and you did learn your lesson. No damage to the bike or yourself, so all good. I suspect the ZZZZZ's came to you easily that night. Take care mate
Mate, I slept like a log lol :D hahaha I remember watching your East Sussex lanes videos and they all looked a lot friendlier with you riding them! :D hahaha Def more overgrown now, hopefully some TRF guys will go ride them a bit and flatten out the ruts for me before my next visit! :D
@@HippoDrones I found the trails better further North in East Sussex, Crowborough, Heathfield, East Grinstead, Jarvis Brook, etc much more pleasant. Can do a stop at Groombridges, Cross in Hand. The Downs with all that chalk, very different, as you well know.....All good stuff though mate.
Mate I thoroughly enjoyed that and could connect with you all the way. As you know I tend to off road on my own and with a bike circa 1/4 a tonne I don't push myself as much as I should. I think you've inspired me again to step out if my comfort zone
Hey Paul, seriously don't step out your comfort zone if riding solo, this proved to me how much of a bad idea that is. I'd have been totally screwed if I'd dropped the bike out by myself any more than once as it saps your energy so much picking them up! Def get adventurous when out with others though, maybe hook up with your local TRF and get on some ADV bike rides with them! :-) Our local group often do ADV guided rides of varying difficulty, I should take my advice and join them on one as well! :D
Lol, East Sussex is a cake walk - until you hit the Pevensy Levels! I've nearly lost my bike down there a couple of times, all good fun......just don't slide into one of those ditches!
Aye, I find it a lot easier when I am not thinking about the route... will have to get Pezza back in the route running seat as he is far better at it than I am. Phil took a few days to recover, but I think he is fine now, he knee had proper swelled up though, looked pretty sore! Hahaha... not that well! :D
Great vid Pete! Don't worry we're all learning some stuff from these vids! Probably learning more from your falling than your plain sailing! Looks like a great location. I managed to get to Salisbury Plains on the way to Bournemouth the other day with wife's brother-in-law as pillion! The Guzzi was flawless but the weight with full hard case luggage, although providing a reassuringly sturdy footing, gave me cause to keep my speed below 25 lol! The fields of poppies down there are amaze-balls! Cheers for the heads-up on Salisbury though.. we both had some good laughs and got to see some awesome sights in the Cotswolds! 😎🤳 Pillion has decades of experience on MX tracks with his KTM, but on this trip I might just have convinced him to go Enduro! Thanks again bud, stay safe!
Ahh thanks mate :-) Hahaha... yeah is hard to learn from the easy rides! :D The route was really fun, I'd do things in a different order if I was to do it again though and cut out the tougher parts. It is annoying because I thought the marshy bit where I came off twice was going to be really easy riding and it had lovely views, but I'll not do that bit again I don't think unless it is wet to soften the ruts :-) Awesome to hear you got down to Salisbury with the Guzzi, yeah I bet it was quite a weight with a pillion and luggage. I will have to get back over there again soon, I imagine the poppy fields looked awesome, I love the colours of spring and summer. Haha, tell him the real men ride enduro! :D hahaha :D You too mate :-)
Looked like very rutty sloppy conditions on those trails. Don’t think it’s all down to you or the bike. If you get chance have a trip up to the Yorkshire Dales and Moors. We have some spectacular routes which are largely rocky trails with much less slippy slides stuff. Ideal for adventure bike trips!👍
Interesting watch. The bridge and the truck looked tight too. I take chocolate and a bottle of water out with me on longer road runs. When I did the off roading courses on the GasGas it was the relatively innocent looking grass sections that caught us out the most
Yeah the bridge was a bit of a surprise, would have been far less of an obstacle had we come at it from the opposite direction. I waited for the truck to move for ages, but they were adamant that they wouldn't move out the way so had to squeeze past it. I normally do too, a bar of chocolate and some water is a must on rides like this, I just rushed out the house in the morning and forgot to pick up my bottle and bar from the fridge. Absobloominlutely Don, the grass hides a multitude of sins, and is also really slippy even on nobby tyres.
Enjoyed that, and I wouldn't want to see you hurt of course but the offs were funny, ruddy hard work mind, I'd take pezzas bike any day over the Aprillia for sure that day. Still, you did it so that's another badge on your arm well done. Very good vid that 👌👏👏
Thoroughly enjoyed that Pete, you were puffing hard as a choochoo after dropping it. I'm presently car-powered as finished work one friday night, hopped on the bike & started to ride home... travelled all of 5ft before stalled it & was unable to get my foot out fast enough to prevent the bike toppling over & destroyed an indicator(my 2nd set) I was uninjured until I tried to lift the bike & have really screwed my back(presently on diazepam + morphine)I did eventually get it upright(took 3 tries)& have replaced the indicators but don't have the cash for it's MOT/Insurance just yet so its SORN'd for a few more days(been off the roads about 3-4 weeks)Even travelling by car is painful as I have got mahoosive speed cushions whichever direction I go & any form of jolt wracks my body with pain. I've had to quit work(was takeaway delivery driver, and their delivery vehicles are tiny Aygo's which I simply can't get in/out of often)which with the rapidly rising cost of living will mean getting the bike road legal again is going to take even longer. Fortunately, my partner also works as a takeaway delivery driver but using my car which being a 2.5 ltr automatic diesel Volvo V70 means once fuel costs are accounted for means she's pretty much working for zero.
Sorry to hear you are broken again Chegs. Hope you heal fast. Didn't I hear that Bo-Jo had put in something to make MoTs every 2 years now due to the energy crisis or somit? Be handy for you if so!
@@HippoDrones I've not heard that, else guess where I'd be planning on heading even if only for a halfhour to clear my head. Only thing I've heard BJ utter was lies(what party? I haven't been to a party & no rules were broken...even if I was fined for it it doesn't prove I broke the law..ad-nauseum)
@@HippoDrones Just googled it & found "The government decided against raising the MOT age to 4 years. This means you still need to book an MOT once your car has been on the road for 3 years." so not risking getting my bike seized by overzealous plod with sod all else to do on a sat/sun afternoon.
I think you done great! 🙌 It’s a tall bike and rutts are a nightmare regardless, you got back up and carried on. It really can affect confidence, it’s a mental battle after a drop.. as well as fatigue if a few drops! When I first got my 390 I went to Haggs bank and lost count of the drops! 🙈 Keep it up bud, great video and beautiful bike, the Aprilia is now top of my wish list.
Cheers 2WF :-) yup, very tall, especially for a shorty like me! :D I am ok with some rough days if they help me have more good days! It is mad how fast you can get drained of energy doing this, especially when I'm an idiot who forgot my water and chocolate! :D I bet that 390 felt heavy by the last drop of the day? :D Thanks again mate :-)
@@HippoDrones Yeh, I got got so tired Nigel had to take my bike to the top of ‘long cross’ for me! 🙈🤣 But I’ve came a long way since then, I’m willing to bet I’d smash long cross now! A few months and I bet those trails you were on will be easy on that bike. 👍😎
@@2WheelFreak I'm in no rush to take the bike back down a couple of them lol, might take the Beta down them though, I can get my feet down easier on that, and it is easier to control a lighter bike! :-)
@@HippoDrones Once you get the lower seat you’ll be fine on the Touareg! 👍 I’m short too, the 390 is pretty tall but fortunately it’s light and well balanced, not too heavy.. if it tips I can catch it but it took me a while to get that confidence. At Haggs I had only had it a week and first time off road. Now it’s no problem. The lower seat will make a big difference, but.. I wouldn’t be surprised if you gain confidence/experience on it you might put original seat back on after some time.. 🤔
@@2WheelFreak that is why I'm not gonna modify the stock seat, it is comfy for distance so will put the low one on when going to get dirty, and stock when day to day/touring 🙂
I definitely would have struggled with some of that stuff, so glad I ended up bailing out early. It's very easy to get drained of energy on these rides. 19:26 - You couldn't have timed that any better!
Yeah, it wasn't fun at times, and not having eaten or drank anything all morning was a really bad idea. Hahaha, the question is, would I have fallen off had I not said that then? :D
School of hards knocks! I started doing off road about four years ago aged 64. Every time I go out I learn so much. Be interested to know just how much air you did have in the tyres? The ruts can be your friends as it can make it easier to get your feet down on both sides as you negotiate them. More riding on trails you know, trying out different tyre pressures and suspension settings? More sag in the rear to help with getting your feet down? Just thoughts. Keep plugging away. No one said riding a bike was easy 😉
Absobloominlutely 🙂 Same, I started in 2018. I have an enduro bike as well, which would have made this ride easier, but am wanting to improve on a heavier bike. My tyre pressures are at the factory recommended pressure for dirt riding. It has tubeless wheels, so can't run them as low as you can tubed tyres. Yeah ruts can help get a foot down, but the grass etc was so overgrown, I couldn't see where the next rut was and couldn't get my foot down annoyingly. All good lessons though, and although this ride was tough on me, I think overall it was good to have a day like this.
That looked like a rough one! Sounds like you've got a good outlook on it, and I respect you for being able to take stock of things honestly. Better to learn the hard way than never at all, etc., and so forth! I'd say the good news is you found out a few relatively simple changes in the future can make a significant difference. Hopefully this wisdom did not come a too high a cost- I'm sure you had some scrapes and bruises after those falls!
Haha, aye Mark... I earned my supper on this ride! 🤣 In this game, it is all about self improvement, so if you refuse to learn, you are only harming your future enjoyment of green laning/trail riding. Thankfully not a single scratch on the bike worth worrying about. I ached for a couple of days and I think I injured my wrist, but I'll mend 🙂
Don't be too hard on yourself Pete those slippery ruts can catch anyone out. But yeah getting your feet on the ground a bit better will help a lot in some situations. Great ride man and awesome to see your offs captured in glorious high definition from multiple angles 😁👌
Do we really fall off if it isn't on camera? 🤣 Yeah them ruts sucked, wiped me out of energy and you just couldn't see them half the time to know if you were gonna get cross rutted. Good lessons though, and the bike did great, no damage either other than to me! 🙂
@@MVDBR nah, just taking it easy with it, it isn't broken, but stings when I twist it. I broke it coming off my Beta in 2020, and just loaded up on pain killers and beer lol, can deal with this no worries, that one stung for weeks! (should have probably gone to hospital for that one lol :D
Can you imagine that ride on your previous V85 ... lol, I looked at the Aprilia but honestly for that kind of stuff 300 or 400 cc is as big as I want to go.
We don’t have lanes like these is south Australia, they look so much fun. If I wanted to do them anyway I would need buy a more appropriate bike. The gsx would not cope . I hope your friend is ok. You are braver than me mate. Wow that lane had everything including bridges. Need that lower seat mate, take care. 👍
I don't know about south Australia, but another channel I follow in QLD has a wedge of fun playing on the trails, is brill to watch, I hope to go join them for a spin on the bikes one day if I can. Hahaha... yeah, you def need the right bike for it, and a naked sportsbike, is not the right bike! :D Falling off is par for the course on dirty bikes, we just have to accept that they will take a battering! 🙂
@@HippoDrones yeah unfortunately it is illegal in South Australia to ride any forest lanes. We do have plenty of 4wd tracks and some amazing private lanes that you can pay to ride
Great video and well done for sticking out despite sounding physically and mentally exhausted. Every day is a school day and planning an off road ride is harder than a road ride because you often don’t know the situation on the ground until you’re in the thick of it. Top tip: if I’m out on the bike all day, especially when off roading, I’ll take a Camelbak. Snack wise, I’ll take a chocolate bar of some description, such as a Boost or a double bloody decker. As for the mishaps, it comes with the territory when off roading and my confidence often outweighs my talent 😂😂
Cheers mate, I was almost at breaking point at times. But yes, each day we learn something, we become all the better for it. I used to do the Camelback thing, but really don't like wearing a backpack when riding, my shoulder has an injury which makes it really uncomfortable for me sadly. I actually had a bottle of water all ready to bring and some chocolate, but rushed out the door and forgot to pick them up. I keep them in my tail bag with my tools :-) Good tip though for those that can wear them! :-) Indeed, it is all part and parcel with the terrain, all good fun and no damage to the bike, so other than a sprained wrist, it was a good day. I did nearly hit a deer on the way home off camera, thankfully my Spidey-Sense told me to drop speed just prior and then the thing ran out into the road in front of me.... got to test the ABS on the bike! :D hahaha
@@HippoDrones your “Peter Tingle” saved you 😊 I was also going to suggest the water/chocolate in the tail pack but my comment was like war and peace. Another top tip is to be fully hydrated before the off (I was a personal trainer in a former life).
That looked tough, big school day for sure! Guessing you nearly went head first into the river somewhere near Hailsham, and Ive just looked and that looks like it's part of the southern TET loop, which I'm itching to do as soon as I can. Was thinking of taking the T7 as it's overwhelmingly road miles, but having watched that i think I'll take the CRF450. By the way, as I said before, OS Map App is amazing, almost impossible to get lost, only need that one thing on your bike so keeps the cockpit uncluttered. Great watch, thanks
It was definitely a school day on the big bike, at least it gave me practice on getting off it at the rush 🤣 I'll have to check out the app. Can you put gpx files on it for navigation? Yeah was part of the TET 🙂 and the ruts on the places I came off were so hard to see, so a lighter bike would be easier
@@HippoDrones Yes you can export/import to the app, so say you could receive it from a mate via air drop on your phone, or import it via the desktop version. I did a video on navigation, I just tend to get up the green road map, find the lanes, plot them onto the OS map desktop version on my big Mac and then when you save them on the desktop version they are automatically sent to the app version. Ive been mountaineering and mountain biking most of my life, was a map reading instructor in the Army, and this is by far the simplest system to use, way better than Garmin and birdseye which is shite. Now it's not a sat nav, it won't tell you when to turn, but how hard can it be following a line on a screen? The app also allows you to download the maps for any set route you have, so it would do this for just going off the cuff, but if you have a GPX file or a route you are following it will allow you to download the mapping for that route, therefore if you lose phone signal it will still work as it uses the phones GPS to navigate. I love it, would only consider buying something else for a trip out of the UK.
@@HippoDrones £25 a year, but for me it's worth every penny - just always remember to download any GPX routes you create so if you switch you dont lose them
Awesome ride. Def lessons learned. Regarding water, ever since I got my Krieger 3L water backpack, it’s been my best friend no matter how long or short the trip is. Btw, how’d those oem crash bars hold up in these drops? I mean did they help avoid any contact or scratches to the body panels, etc? Thanks again for sharing the footage.
Hi Jay :-) For sure some good lessons learnt here on this ride for me.... main one being get my mate Pez to lead the rides again... he wasn't going to be coming, which was why I organised this one :-) The engine bars did great, not a mark on the bike and the stock handguards survived fully intact too! :-)
Those were some hard slaps in the intro!! Oh that's a lot of growth to push through!! How would you even turn back there if you wanted to? Just have to push on thru! Yeah that sucks, as a fellow crappy knee human tho they can just go weak after a knock once the adrenaline wears off then you're in trouble. Both sides is for a pincer movement so they can getcha :D That's honestly why I love the cardos, I can just constantly check is everyone ok when I'm leading, easier than always checking. Haha you went and jinxed yourself :D The horses decided for an ambush rather than a pincer movement, interesting. Dear god man that was a slap, you're a durable fella aren't ya :D That was tight with the truck, you'd wonder why he didn't just pull forward for you all, would have saved a possible cuddle with a side of a truck for one of you! The rear view of the reedy noms crash was mad, it looked like the bike just decided to go, and fast!! Glad you're ok from that one! Nice bloody save man!!!! You'll be fit as a fiddle doing that a lot!! I can nearly feel the muscles wobbling!! I'd have just laid down with the bike a while! Man that trail is crazy that the bike just goes with no warning!! Not that you over estimated your ability man, just tyres as well, but definitely breaks and all the foods etc :)
Hahaha... hard and fast! :D It was mad how overgrown some of the trails were, is like the Sussex lot don't ride them very often! :D Phil has had a run of bad luck on the lanes, he is comparatively new to it all, and I am pretty sure I went through similar when I started, and came off far more than he has... I think he needs to rethink having a screen on his bike though! :D I don't get why they think it is helpful or sensible to use both sides on a singletrack lane, madness... and if any of us had clipped either of them, we'd be the inconsiderate Wayne Kers! Hahaha... can you imagine my heavy breathing in your ear for a days riding? :D I don't think they like me that much! :D hahaha. I knew it was 50:50 as to which way they'd go, at least they were pretty... horses :P Ha, am not feeling so durable now, think I probably fractured my wrist as it still isn't right... be fine in a few days though, so all is good. Yeah it was mad how fast it went... and had to happen literally just as I mentioned not falling to the left! :D I thought I was gonna be getting wet on that one! :D I most definitely got a work out this ride, I should do it more often... might even get fit like you say! :D After the last off, I was rather fed up to say the least... wanted to down tools and walk home, but didn't have the energy. It really wasn't the tyres, it was all on me and my [lack of] ability, but had I been hydrated and energised, I possibly may have avoided one of them just by making better decisions. Thankfully on the ride home after I had my brain on as a deer jumped out in front of me, got to test the ABS and grip from the nobby tyres then I did for sure! :D
@@TheGorillaBiker You can’t. It’s not in your personality. I love your essays. They have better structure and grammatical content than most of my student’s work.
@@HippoDrones You'll need to get to them more often and clear them out with your face :D Yeah once he keeps enjoying it and learning without too much damage he'll be grand! Haha yeah probably best leave it off for now :D I'm telling you man they were going to pincer you until the beauty of the Aprilia stunned them, but yeah it makes no sense. Just didn't think I'd say. That's......a fair point :D You could turn each other down maybe :P Lovely horses indeed :P Ah yeah those miraculous healing wrists of the Hippo Droneses I know them well....get it checked ya sausage :D Glad you didn't end up going for a swim too!! That'd have sucked. Ah fair, once you're tired and out of breath your brain doesn't really work at 100% anymore anyway so it definitely contributed I'd say, reactions and all that take a nose dive. Oh lovely, glad you didn't hit the thing!! The Tuareg would have really gotten a test then....also....I seem to have been magically unsubbed from Pez >:(
Oh MY,,Reminds me of the first time I took my buddy off road, but we had water🙃. That was a rough ride bud. It was also some extreme growth, terrain,,,well I think you had it all in that ride and also looks like yall got out of there in time before the rain hit. Those clouds looked pretty ominous and cool at the same time.
@@HippoDrones Ahh, thanks goodness for the rain holding off. That would have been a nightmare. Yeah we kids tend to learn lessons the hard way sometimes 🤣. At least now, as older kids, we are more capable of applying what we have learned.
I am happy with the bike so far but here in the States I am unable to get any accessories as of yet. I need the low seat and crash bars bad. 29-inch inseam is a real hazard for my confidence, so I have not pushed the boundaries yet. Hopefully the aftermarket industry will get products up soon.
I have the same leg length, yeah, it isn't fun when you need to get a foot down in a hurry. Thankfully I have the Aprilia crash bars already, but, I very much want the low seat to turn up soon! It does make me wonder what the hold up with it is as the tall seat has been released.... odd to prioritise the tall one over the low one IMO. Fingers crossed more companies get on the aftermarket accessories for us all! :-)
Judging by the lack of handicap ramp on the bridges, I take it that people on Rascal Mobility Scooters are not welcome on the green lanes. ;) When I get to that point in life, I want a mobility scooter with 1000cc's, knobbies and 10-inches of ground clearance!
Those lanes were awesome and you were really getting my desire to hit the lanes up... until all the falling off started 😂 just kidding! I saw the pinned comment and I think you deffo learned loads from this. And I learned too, by extension. And that's the main thing, learned lessons. Good stuff, Pete! I just need to find the time to come on over, it's been such a busy time for me I have had other things in the diary. Loved the video, watched all the way to the end despite it being very long 😉 and even let the ads play through. That Charlie Boorman Quadlock one is starting to get on my nerves, though...
I have UA-cam Premium so never see any ads and get UA-cam Music for free with it, so might be worth considering if ads bug you? I made them skipable for those that don't like them too. Yeah when you have some free time give us a heads up and we'll put a Himalayan suitable ride together for you, won't be these lanes though... am gonna avoid them for a while lol 😆
@@Saddlebags73 Yup, I had hoped to be able to scoot off on solo explores with the Toe-Rag, but this ride showed me that is not a good idea. Not on lanes I don't know already to be safe
Don't beat yourself up, those lanes on the Levels east of Hailsham are appalling. I had a torrod time there on my CRF250 late as it was getting dark. Combine dust everywhere. I've retried to do them a number of times but not succeeded due to the state of the ground. Sad thing is there are some really cool ones you'd have loved about 5 miles north of where you struggled!
Cheers Miles, I will venture back into East Sussex, but I'll be avoiding the marshes lol 🤣 Ahh cool, will have to try those. I'll be getting my Beta back on the road soon for winter riding, that bike will be far more manageable for me on the tricky stuff 🙂
Blimey, that was pretty hardcore, I will struggle to match that with my Meteor !!! Before you mentioned it, I was thinking that a good half a foot down on each side would have been useful. It’s ok being on tippy toes until the going gets tough and the ground uneven ! Here’s hoping you get a lower seat soon 🤞 Very impressed by how you got through it though, kudos to you. Ruby says she would have jumped up too if you had passed her but only to lick your face off with fluffy kisses ❤️❤️❤️🐕 Good job H-D, looking forward to tackling a trail with the Classic 350 as soon as it is run in ! Cheers buddy 🍺 ER.
Aye, was far harder going than I was expecting for the day for sure! :D hahaha Yup, getting a solid footing makes a world of difference, the trouble here was that there were multiple hidden ruts, so where you thought there would be ground to get a foot to, there wasn't, and the weight of the bike means that once it is going, it is generally going, so best to just get off it! Hopefully the low seat will arrive in the country soon, I really hope it helps. Ahh Ruby is the bestest! :D How many more miles for the Classic to go?
@@HippoDrones I think I’m at 1600 km / 1000 miles now, so about 250 miles to go. Shouldn’t take long, every day is a riding day now, just need to find the time ! I think I should be hitting a trail with it within the next month and I think it will do well. The suspension is plusher than the Meteor’s, it’s a bit easier to stand up on the pegs and I think it will chug along in second gear without feathering the clutch just as well as the Meteor did. Put some nobblies on one, a sump guard and maybe a high level exhaust and I think it could make an awesome old school scrambler. RE need to make it happen, I’d buy one ! Yeah I thought that about the ruts. Like you say, if the ground was beneath you, you could have used a foot to hold the bike up but when the ground isn’t where you expect it to be, because your foot is going into a deep rut, then the bike can get away from you before you can catch it. A perfect storm of shite 💩 Still, it looks like the Toerag copes well with being dropped, so that’s good to know I guess ? Enjoy your evening mate, Ruby says she likes your videos because they have dogs in them ❤️❤️❤️🐕 Cheers 🥃 ER.
I think you did well given the conditions. It may be good to plan in a cafe break halfway round. Any chance of getting the standard seat re-sculpted to suit you?
We did have a break planned, but I massively miscalculated how far we'd cover in the morning, so should have put a break in a lot earlier. I could, but it is really comfy, so I'd need to buy another seat to do it to, and by the time I'd gotten that and paid for it to be resculpted it'd be quite an expense. I'll only use the lower seat for trail riding.
You end up with about ten comments as I'm watching and commenting at the same time haha.. That bridge was a bitch! Why do they always put two steps in the same distance apart as our wheels? LOL
Hahaha, more comments the better mate, glad you are not bored watching! :D Yeah, am pretty sure the distance between those steps is intentional to make it hard for motorcycles to use.... My Beta would have breezed it! :D
Just goes to show that easy looking lanes can be difficult. Make sure to stop for a breather when you need to- don't feel like you have to push on for those you're out with. Sometimes a quick recce on foot will give an idea of conditions and where to place your wheels. A choccy bar would be a melted mess, try cereal bars.
I liked the content, but one question came to mind, have you ever done an ADV course, I don't mean 'out with a mate' but a 1 or 2 day course on how to ride in different terain and over/around obsticles as it's all about bike control and not knackering yourself. I' m sure the must be properly run courses in the UK. Yes they cost money but a weekend well worth doing. Also train the things you learn well before attemptng the first offroad. Ps don't take choclate takedry energie bars instead or you'll be having fun spooning the choclate out of your pocket after the next fall 😋
Hi Richard, thanks 🙂 I've not taken any formal training no, I've been trail riding for 4 years though, this is just my first big bike. Adv training would be a good idea though as a heavy bike is a world apart from a trail bike or enduro bike! 🙂 Hahaha... yeah chocolate in summer would be pretty messy 😆 Thank you for the advice Richard 👍
@@HippoDrones i feel your pain mate. that grassy rutted one you did was like ice when i went. check out my East sussex trial vids. they will make you feel better :o)
That's the worst part of doing that on a big bike. Picking up the bike sucks the energy out of you, then you lose the dexterity to ride well, and drop it again. The camera never makes things look hard, and cameras don't show when stuff is slick. Hope all is well with Phil and he will be fine with a little rest.
Aye, I'm so glad I wasn't by myself... the trail that was the worst, was the one I thought was going to be the easiest! :D Yeah, hahaha that is so annoying about GoPro footage, it never makes the terrain look anywhere near as challenging as I felt it to be (note neither Pez or Alan fell off on the "hard" bits) :D Phil was a little sore for a couple of days, he is all fixed now... he does need new handlebars though.
Seriously, I think most of your falls were down to the stock tyres. Apparently they are good on the street, but lack lateral grip on soft surfaces. I suspect they are very cheap ex-factory as more and more bikes seem to come with them as original equipment. Look at Michelin, Metzler, Mitas...in descending order of price...for proper adventure tyres. And don't be afraid to let them down a bit so they work. If you want to stick with Pirelli, try MT21s.
I ditched the stock tyres prior to collecting the bike, it has Motoz Tractionator Adventure fitted now, and they are great, sadly it was my ability that failed me here! :D Am also running them at lower pressures, although not hugely low as no rimlocks on the wheels. Top tips though Richard, thank you for the tyre suggestions, I'll look into them when the Motoz tyres are up for renewal! :-)
Hahaha, yeah, I knew it was going to be a climb, but hadn't planned on how scrabbly it was going to be paired with wet chalk :D Was a proper good workout that! :D
Me at the beginning of the video: “I wish we had country lanes like that around here“ Me at the end of the video: “I don’t want to ride motorcycles anymore“ 😂😂😂😂😂
Hahahaha :D I was utterly exhausted by the time we got to the cafe, def needed food and water :D The drama didn't stop there either, on my way home I had a deer run out in front of me, the ABS definitely works!: D
@@AmenMoto we had a few splatters, but nothing to actually get us wet... I was soaked with sweat though, so may as well have rained on us too! :D hahahaha :D
Top tip, but I do already have a Camelback, although I have a shoulder injury which makes wearing a rucksack pretty painful, especially on a bike where my arms are also up to hold on to the bars. I normally bring a bottle of water, but forgot to pick that and an energy bar up off my kitchen worktop before leaving the house. School boy errors, hopefully a lesson I'll not need to learn a second time! :-)
@@HippoDrones shoulders are a bitch, I've just had a cortizone injection, bursitis issues. Not cured it yet, might need another. I think I need to get to the gym when I get some decent painfree movement back ;-)
People with more experience may correct me here as I may be wrong but I think a little more speed helps with heavier bikes to keep the momentum going forward. I only have the CRF250 but picking up speed in ruts helps keep the bike straight and moving forward
Absolutely, but a side effect is that when you fall, you hit harder and hurt more and break more bike :D It is also harder to stop a heavier bike with momentum than it is a lighter one, but it would def be easier if I rode those bits faster I am sure.
Yeah, shame about Phil's screen and bars. He def needs a detachable screen for it so he can take it off for green lanes, and put it back on for commuting with.
Excellent! First one who don t care if bike get dirty..its beauty from Italy and its smooth horny ride, but she likes hard also,i have one and i love her very much for now,she is the special one.time will answer the qestion about quality..if you are type of biker who cares mainly for power on bike it not bike for you to buy.
Both my Aprilia and my Beta are on stock gearing, seem to work fine for me, am not competing in hard enduro (which is probably good considering my weak ability! Hahaha), just gentle trail riding, and with a lot of tarmac to cover between lanes, it is nice having the legs on the Beta to get that covered. It does need a new chain and sprocket set though, so I might try a different ratio, what chain and sprocket make do you recommend for enduro bikes?
The standard sprocket size on the Beta 390RR are 13/49 so going 14/50 would actually be a higher gear ratio so the bike would not be as nippy on the trails, but would be a little faster on the tarmac. What was the stock gearing on your 500?
Couple things, you did great. Falls happen, be prepared for them, always. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. You weren’t breathing until you fell, practice steady breathes while you’re riding, especially while the trail is easy. I could tell you were actually holding your breath a couple times. You were tensing up hard to keep the bike from going over every time, that’s what kills your energy and strains your muscles. You’re not riding alone, you’ve got help to lift the bike back up, so worry less about dropping it and conserve your energy. Never, ever ride off road without water. Hydration pack, full to the brim, always. Pack water bottles to top it off when it gets low. Use electrolyte powder or tablets. Snacks, always. Low carb, some sugar, something relatively healthy. You did great with the route planning, if you’ve never ridden the trails before, how would you know the difficulty level? Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. Now go back out there and hit all those trails again. I’m not a professional but I’m speaking from 20 plus years of off road experience. Love that Tuareg.
Thank you Asah, yup they definitely do happen! :D hahahha
I think you are right looking back, I was def concentrating too hard on riding badly than breathing and keeping the oxygen flowing. I very much tensed up and wasn't relaxed, especially more so after each fall. As you could see, by the last trail I was done, my energy completely used up. Proper school boy error forgetting my water and snacks, they were sitting on my kitchen worktop waiting for me lol :D A lesson I learned from trackdays is to stay hydrated and energised, was just in a rush leaving the house and forgot to pick them up to put in my tail bag. Lesson well learnd there!
Absolutely regarding the route, you don't know until you ride them, but I should definitely have planned in some stops at a cafe or something half way around. I'll probably take my Beta 390RR next time I do this route as it is close enough to be able to get to on that bike, maybe practice the lanes I struggled on on that a few times before hitting them on the big bike again.
You might not be a pro, but you speak wise words mate, thank you! :-)
I have been riding just 4 years in the dirt, I love it, but it is such a learning curve compared to tarmac. The Tuareg is an awesome bike, so happy with it.... just wish it was an inch lower! :D
@@HippoDrones Very glad you found value and wisdom in my feedback. Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated. Speaking from experience because I’ve been there for sure. There was one time I even drove almost 2 hrs to ride somewhere and forgot my helmet lol Never forgotten snacks or water tho that I recall. Also a Beta brother. Owned a 2016 300 RR since new and still in love with it. Hope to add the Tuareg to the Italian stable as my first street bike possibly next year. Love the content and seeing what green laning is all about on your side of the pond :o)
@@BoogiemanMoto ahh nice, I considered the X-Trainer 300 originally, but thought with the amount of tarmac we have to ride that the 390 would be better suited.
If you get the Tuareg, I hope you enjoy it as much as I am mine, at least when I'm not falling off it that is! 🤣
I have the same problem. I imagine the worst place to fall, I fall exactly where I did not want to....Look left, fall left....Thank you for the wonderful content!
Maybe a bit of target fixation on my part caused that one?
Don't beat yourself up too much Pete ,we all have days like that ,as long as you can take something positive from it then you can chalk that one down to experience.
You had the courage to get totally out of your comfort zone & try some new lanes.
This time of year with long grass ,hiding the perils underneath,you can be grateful that its only your ego thats bruised ,could have easily injured yourself .
Keep your chin up & live to ride another day.
Cheers Joe, I definitely need to learn lessons on route planning if I am to lead more rides, it is easy to over reach on distance and not consider how long the routes take. But am not beating myself up on falling off... the tumbles beat me up enough! :D but def learnt that I need to be more aware of how a trail can change from easy to tricky. It is great to ride new lanes though, but should possibly ride with someone familiar with the new areas so that they can choose more suitable routes for the bike etc.
Yup, the grass hid all the ruts, so hard to pick the right line through them, and getting cross rutted sucks on it lol :D
Thankfully no damage to the bike and I was mostly unscathed, my wrist is still sore, not sure if I fractured it, but it'll be right in a couple of weeks.
Cheers Joe, take care mate.
Enjoy seeing the bike being used for what it was designed for.. Crash, bang, wallop,, get up, smile and go again.... The dings and marks, take the newness off, then you can really start to chuck it around... 😁
Hopefully my ability to hold it upright will kick in soon. It might be a middle weight adv bike... but it is still bloomin heavy to pick up! 🤣
Really enjoying your Tuareg videos, you did really well on those trails on 200kgs+ of metal, slow spills are an inevitability especially on damp grass! Always a nightmare :( May I ask how tall you are? Cheers, new subscriber! :D
Ahh thank you again 🙂
I am 5'6" with a 29" inseam, so the Tuareg is just a tiny bit too tall for me to be able to get a foot down with confidence. I have recently ordered the low seat for it, which I am hoping will help when out on the trails 🙂
Ahh cool, I hope you enjoy the content I put together, thanks for coming along for the rides! 🙂
That looked hard work, I was knackered just watching it.
Hahaha, aye I was whacked by the time we got to the cafe Frank.... I should have cut the ride in half and had a food and fluid stop in the middle! :-)
Them noises at the beginning - they're SO familiar LOL - it is what makes us adventure riders. Falling off is ADV law haha.
Haha, yeah... am not sure we are selling it! 🤣
You seemed to stay upright and at pace on your trip mate 🙂👍
@@HippoDrones wider trails helped, you're absolutely right about my upload settings mate, I sometimes get it right and then I struggle with how to do it the next time, blurry as! I need to make a step by step list on how to do it. I managed it on one of Chantal's videos where she fell off, lovely footage.
@@TheRiderGuider UA-cam's video compression of 1080 is mad. Am sure it is worse now than it used to be too!
Well THAT was a baptism of fire!!
My main take from this - no you were not over-confident, it was fine to acknowledge how well you were feeling with the bike. There is little you can do when the front wheel dives sideways - it will only ever correct in time if you're going fairly fast and on the pegs, I know, I've done it both ways.
What I think you really needed was a reset after fall #2 at the latest. Park up where you were for 20-30 minutes, reset your mind and body, I felt you must have been time-pressed, because you kept riding when you shouldn't have I think Pete.
Once you've had a fall you're going to struggle a little, more than one fall then it's just going to keep going that way, tensing up, slowing down, not looking ahead, expecting the worst - all of that creeps into the ride in spite of best efforts.
Yes the lower seat will help when you have to paddle, but really a bit of momentum standing on the pegs will overcome more of those tough parts than we think.
It's telling that none of my many crashes have happened when I was standing on the pegs ;)
Great, honest video mate, I still think you're doing awesomely - we all have days like that, and yeah even on a non-crash road ride I've gone from totally at one with the bike to uncomfortable on it, just after a short break.
It certainly was mate, I def felt the heat hahaha :D
Saddle time will help a lot, and yes, being on the pegs really helps too... just harder to get a foot down then... which wouldn't have helped as had no where to put a foot down due to the other ruts lol :D I definitely need to work on my route planning and put in stops to rest and hydrate... and I need to bring water, school boy error that one!
Yeah, you are bang on the money David, each fall dinks into the confidence and like you say, you tense up more and more till you are rigid and can't react to the ruts changing, all leading to the inevitable next off.
I think if I had been on the Beta, I would have faired better as I am happier on that bike when it gets rough under the wheels, and holding speed on that is easier as it doesn't maintain the momentum, so you can reign it in if it gets a bit wild, which on a bigger heavier bike is much harder to do. I am amazed at some of the stuff you get up to on yours with more road bias tyres and a smaller front wheel.
Cheers David :-)
Watched your ABR vid then came to this one. On the ABR course you were saying you would stick to the "easy" bits and all I could think was how the hell do you stay upright on that terrain!! Now I see why you said the ABR course was easy!! Total respect for your skill and tenacity, combined with the humility to learn. I have never been off road and probably never will (not intentionally anyway). The closest I can get is, along with motorcycling, I ride horses and on Thursday had a fall while jumping an 18 hand horse. Got back on, but after being winded, bruising a rib and my neck, concentration was near impossible and energy non existent. At least I didn't have to pick the horse up 🤣 Like you, I will be back to it asap (hopefully next week). Anyway although off roading isn't my thing I really enjoy your vids and look forward to watching your progress. Cheers, Andy. Oh and selfie with Fortnine was ace.
Ahh cheers Andy 🙂
Hahahaa... yeah the ABR course was mostly "easy", I was a bit nervous after losing my confidence a little in this ride, but it was also having so many other riders around as I am not used to riding in big groups, especially not on dirt.
My skill is not very skilful lol, but I am willing to learn and improve.... saddle time will help on the Aprilia, as will maybe getting some training and also getting out on my Enduro bike a bit more too.
I love horses, a friend taught me to ride many years ago, I am definitely not a natural on a horse hahaha... but I very much enjoyed the riding I did. They are scary huge to fall from, 18hh is pretty tall, no wonder you were winded and battered from coming off it!
Thanks again for the comments mate, really appreciate them! 🙂
enjoyed this vid not because you came off, just the riding of new lanes :)
Hopefully with the adv bike, I'll be able to explore more places further afield 🙂
The falling to the left was definitely suspiciously well timed, but the swans were gorgeous.
It was my swansong! :D
Not a bike I've ever seen yet in person, but seems to handle you beating it really well! 👍😉
I'm obsessed with a bikes weight & you said here exactly why...If you ever need to pick them up by yourself! 👍😎
Brilliant vid dude! 👍❤️
Hey John... yeah, even the middle weight bikes like this and the T7 are heavy when you are tired.
Lots of fun playing on them in the wilds though! 😁
Sorry but that was really funny it reminded me of the time I got stuck in the snow 3,500 meters above sea level on. a snowboard trip really knackering being an asthmatic and I was cursing everyone and everything, I love your philosophical conclusion though. You live and learn, Well done m8 that was brilliant. 😊🙏🏽👌🏼PS just put my deposit down on a Tuareg.
Hahaha... no need to apologise for finding it funny Ricky, I do too looking back, although I was utterly shattered by the end of the ride! I think there is always a lesson to be learned when out on a ride, be it tarmac or dirt... So when I have a tough day, I can still get a positive outcome from it by learning lessons :-)
Ahh awesome stuff, what colour did you go for? You gonna be trail riding it, or mainly tarmac?
You can't beat a light bike for off roading and enduro tyres i take my hat off to you
:D aye, lighter and skinnier make these ruts a lot easier! :D
Felt for you on this ride. Better prep next time fella & you'll enjoy it more.
Aye absolutely mate 🙂
Awesome trails - was chatting with my brother the other day (he's up in the Borders) and he tells me it's a struggle to find legal tracks unless you're in Wales. When the lotto win kicks in -I'm flying you out for couple of weeks riding - thousands of kilometres waiting for exploration.
Scotland doesn't have any "green lanes" as such, but in England and Wales we have a good amount of them... but some parts have less than others.
Haha... Lotto win FTW 😁
Awesome video HD, amazing how much energy adventure riding takes out of you, definitely need food and drinks in the bike, very familiar watching the falls 😂😀🍺
Cheers G, haha... yeah mega energy burn, I might get fit if I keep this up! 😁
You take your KTM to even more extreme place to punish yourself with... although you have a bit more leg length than me! 😁
Great video, really enjoyed it, and your comments. I honestly think you did really well and completely agree with your lessons learned! Like you I'm somewhat vertically challenged when it comes to touching the floor on adventure bikes so I feel your pain! I've got a Beta X-trainer that I've used for some pretty gnarly green lanes in Wales & have just bought an Aprilia Tuareg for more "gentle" local stuff & a bit of touring. Think I'll make sure I take a friend with me when I go off road on it! Cheers🙂
Ahh thank you for saying Nigel :-) I think even now after almost a year later, I'd still struggle on those lanes on the Tuareg, and it is not because the bike can't do it, I have a lot more experience, but my height is definately a hindrence! :-D
I was very tempted by the Beta XTrainer, but went for the Beta 390RR instead, a bike I love... but also a bike that was very tall... I had mine lowered 2" so it is possibly slightly lower than the XTrainer now! :-)
Always a good plan, especially on unfamiliar lanes/trails to have a wingman! :-)
Ty for taking a look :-)
Great vid bud. Great to know it’s not just me learning the hard way. 👍🤪🏍
all bikes get tyred, they need to Bike Nap :D
@@HippoDrones 🤣👍
@@WheelieGoodTV :D
Man I even had to have a rest break during your ride. I'm thinking for your riding I'd have to have something lighter, lower and most importantly a bike that I felt comfortable gassing it up a bit when you need momentum.
When I get winded I'm more likely to crash. Getting some rest when I get tired really helps.
I have a Beta enduro bike, but am wanting to travel further than that allows. It would have been a load easier on this ride had I been on that
Great intro, the bike was hedge cutting.....
I did see Phil's video the other day and probably a wise move for him to go home after his off, judging by the amount of leg work!!!
Welcome to East Sussex, a baptism of fire!!! I could feel your pain after about 20 minutes in, on the Pevensey levels. You didn't even notice the Swans at about 23 minutes, you where puffing so hard. I've done this trail and it wasn't as hard then or overgrown, I think I picked a lucky day and I was on my light weight CRF!!!
You did very well mate considering your bike is heavy and tall and you did learn your lesson. No damage to the bike or yourself, so all good. I suspect the ZZZZZ's came to you easily that night.
Take care mate
Mate, I slept like a log lol :D hahaha
I remember watching your East Sussex lanes videos and they all looked a lot friendlier with you riding them! :D hahaha Def more overgrown now, hopefully some TRF guys will go ride them a bit and flatten out the ruts for me before my next visit! :D
@@HippoDrones I found the trails better further North in East Sussex, Crowborough, Heathfield, East Grinstead, Jarvis Brook, etc much more pleasant. Can do a stop at Groombridges, Cross in Hand.
The Downs with all that chalk, very different, as you well know.....All good stuff though mate.
@@davexs ahh ok, well have to check out that cluster of lanes
You did well be there. Impressive.
Could have done weller 😁
Nearly hit a deer on the way home too, ran out in front of me!
The ones that are difficult are the best, glad you didn't hurt yourself too much though!
Indeed mate. Cheers Carl 🙂
Mate I thoroughly enjoyed that and could connect with you all the way.
As you know I tend to off road on my own and with a bike circa 1/4 a tonne I don't push myself as much as I should.
I think you've inspired me again to step out if my comfort zone
Hey Paul, seriously don't step out your comfort zone if riding solo, this proved to me how much of a bad idea that is. I'd have been totally screwed if I'd dropped the bike out by myself any more than once as it saps your energy so much picking them up!
Def get adventurous when out with others though, maybe hook up with your local TRF and get on some ADV bike rides with them! :-) Our local group often do ADV guided rides of varying difficulty, I should take my advice and join them on one as well! :D
Lol, East Sussex is a cake walk - until you hit the Pevensy Levels! I've nearly lost my bike down there a couple of times, all good fun......just don't slide into one of those ditches!
Haha... I've seen some videos of people ending up having a swim down on them! 🤣
Get your mind off just the route 🤣🤣🤣 hope old mates knee is ok, you did well on the slippery grass 😎👍
Aye, I find it a lot easier when I am not thinking about the route... will have to get Pezza back in the route running seat as he is far better at it than I am. Phil took a few days to recover, but I think he is fine now, he knee had proper swelled up though, looked pretty sore!
Hahaha... not that well! :D
@@HippoDrones all looked like fun 😎👍
@@crugwrf Once I got my breath back it was :D
Great vid Pete! Don't worry we're all learning some stuff from these vids! Probably learning more from your falling than your plain sailing! Looks like a great location.
I managed to get to Salisbury Plains on the way to Bournemouth the other day with wife's brother-in-law as pillion! The Guzzi was flawless but the weight with full hard case luggage, although providing a reassuringly sturdy footing, gave me cause to keep my speed below 25 lol! The fields of poppies down there are amaze-balls! Cheers for the heads-up on Salisbury though.. we both had some good laughs and got to see some awesome sights in the Cotswolds! 😎🤳
Pillion has decades of experience on MX tracks with his KTM, but on this trip I might just have convinced him to go Enduro!
Thanks again bud, stay safe!
Ahh thanks mate :-) Hahaha... yeah is hard to learn from the easy rides! :D The route was really fun, I'd do things in a different order if I was to do it again though and cut out the tougher parts. It is annoying because I thought the marshy bit where I came off twice was going to be really easy riding and it had lovely views, but I'll not do that bit again I don't think unless it is wet to soften the ruts :-)
Awesome to hear you got down to Salisbury with the Guzzi, yeah I bet it was quite a weight with a pillion and luggage. I will have to get back over there again soon, I imagine the poppy fields looked awesome, I love the colours of spring and summer.
Haha, tell him the real men ride enduro! :D hahaha :D
You too mate :-)
That looked hard work, what a ride from start to finish 👍
It was far harder than I was expecting! :D hahaha... all good learning stuff though :-)
Looked like very rutty sloppy conditions on those trails. Don’t think it’s all down to you or the bike. If you get chance have a trip up to the Yorkshire Dales and Moors. We have some spectacular routes which are largely rocky trails with much less slippy slides stuff. Ideal for adventure bike trips!👍
Hey Tim, I very much look forward to exploring up the country when I get the chance to :-)
Thanks for taking us along, those green lanes look awesome 😁
No probs Michael, thanks for taking a look :-) Yeah, a lot of them I'll happily ride again, some I'm less likely to rush back to though! :D hahaha
Interesting watch. The bridge and the truck looked tight too. I take chocolate and a bottle of water out with me on longer road runs. When I did the off roading courses on the GasGas it was the relatively innocent looking grass sections that caught us out the most
Yeah the bridge was a bit of a surprise, would have been far less of an obstacle had we come at it from the opposite direction. I waited for the truck to move for ages, but they were adamant that they wouldn't move out the way so had to squeeze past it. I normally do too, a bar of chocolate and some water is a must on rides like this, I just rushed out the house in the morning and forgot to pick up my bottle and bar from the fridge.
Absobloominlutely Don, the grass hides a multitude of sins, and is also really slippy even on nobby tyres.
Enjoyed that, and I wouldn't want to see you hurt of course but the offs were funny, ruddy hard work mind, I'd take pezzas bike any day over the Aprillia for sure that day. Still, you did it so that's another badge on your arm well done. Very good vid that 👌👏👏
Cheers mate... haha, yeah the postie-bike would have been a wedge easier for sure 🤣
Crackin watch good fun but bloody hard work by the looks of it, and yes for sure a lower seat would have been a great help for sure .😊👍
Cheers Mal. Hopefully Aprilia will sort it out soon 🙏
Thoroughly enjoyed that Pete, you were puffing hard as a choochoo after dropping it. I'm presently car-powered as finished work one friday night, hopped on the bike & started to ride home... travelled all of 5ft before stalled it & was unable to get my foot out fast enough to prevent the bike toppling over & destroyed an indicator(my 2nd set) I was uninjured until I tried to lift the bike & have really screwed my back(presently on diazepam + morphine)I did eventually get it upright(took 3 tries)& have replaced the indicators but don't have the cash for it's MOT/Insurance just yet so its SORN'd for a few more days(been off the roads about 3-4 weeks)Even travelling by car is painful as I have got mahoosive speed cushions whichever direction I go & any form of jolt wracks my body with pain. I've had to quit work(was takeaway delivery driver, and their delivery vehicles are tiny Aygo's which I simply can't get in/out of often)which with the rapidly rising cost of living will mean getting the bike road legal again is going to take even longer. Fortunately, my partner also works as a takeaway delivery driver but using my car which being a 2.5 ltr automatic diesel Volvo V70 means once fuel costs are accounted for means she's pretty much working for zero.
Sorry to hear you are broken again Chegs. Hope you heal fast.
Didn't I hear that Bo-Jo had put in something to make MoTs every 2 years now due to the energy crisis or somit? Be handy for you if so!
@@HippoDrones I've not heard that, else guess where I'd be planning on heading even if only for a halfhour to clear my head. Only thing I've heard BJ utter was lies(what party? I haven't been to a party & no rules were broken...even if I was fined for it it doesn't prove I broke the law..ad-nauseum)
@@chegson2wheels686 no idea if it got implemented, but maybe worth checking out.
@@HippoDrones Just googled it & found "The government decided against raising the MOT age to 4 years. This means you still need to book an MOT once your car has been on the road for 3 years." so not risking getting my bike seized by overzealous plod with sod all else to do on a sat/sun afternoon.
@@chegson2wheels686 ahh fair enough
Awesome footage and ride on some spectacular lanes buddy. Enjoyed this one 👍👍
Cheers mate, was def a challenging day 👍
I think you done great! 🙌 It’s a tall bike and rutts are a nightmare regardless, you got back up and carried on. It really can affect confidence, it’s a mental battle after a drop.. as well as fatigue if a few drops! When I first got my 390 I went to Haggs bank and lost count of the drops! 🙈 Keep it up bud, great video and beautiful bike, the Aprilia is now top of my wish list.
Cheers 2WF :-) yup, very tall, especially for a shorty like me! :D
I am ok with some rough days if they help me have more good days! It is mad how fast you can get drained of energy doing this, especially when I'm an idiot who forgot my water and chocolate! :D
I bet that 390 felt heavy by the last drop of the day? :D
Thanks again mate :-)
@@HippoDrones Yeh, I got got so tired Nigel had to take my bike to the top of ‘long cross’ for me! 🙈🤣 But I’ve came a long way since then, I’m willing to bet I’d smash long cross now! A few months and I bet those trails you were on will be easy on that bike. 👍😎
@@2WheelFreak I'm in no rush to take the bike back down a couple of them lol, might take the Beta down them though, I can get my feet down easier on that, and it is easier to control a lighter bike! :-)
@@HippoDrones Once you get the lower seat you’ll be fine on the Touareg! 👍 I’m short too, the 390 is pretty tall but fortunately it’s light and well balanced, not too heavy.. if it tips I can catch it but it took me a while to get that confidence. At Haggs I had only had it a week and first time off road. Now it’s no problem. The lower seat will make a big difference, but.. I wouldn’t be surprised if you gain confidence/experience on it you might put original seat back on after some time.. 🤔
@@2WheelFreak that is why I'm not gonna modify the stock seat, it is comfy for distance so will put the low one on when going to get dirty, and stock when day to day/touring 🙂
I definitely would have struggled with some of that stuff, so glad I ended up bailing out early.
It's very easy to get drained of energy on these rides.
19:26 - You couldn't have timed that any better!
Yeah, it wasn't fun at times, and not having eaten or drank anything all morning was a really bad idea.
Hahaha, the question is, would I have fallen off had I not said that then? :D
School of hards knocks! I started doing off road about four years ago aged 64. Every time I go out I learn so much. Be interested to know just how much air you did have in the tyres? The ruts can be your friends as it can make it easier to get your feet down on both sides as you negotiate them. More riding on trails you know, trying out different tyre pressures and suspension settings? More sag in the rear to help with getting your feet down? Just thoughts. Keep plugging away. No one said riding a bike was easy 😉
Absobloominlutely 🙂
Same, I started in 2018.
I have an enduro bike as well, which would have made this ride easier, but am wanting to improve on a heavier bike.
My tyre pressures are at the factory recommended pressure for dirt riding. It has tubeless wheels, so can't run them as low as you can tubed tyres. Yeah ruts can help get a foot down, but the grass etc was so overgrown, I couldn't see where the next rut was and couldn't get my foot down annoyingly. All good lessons though, and although this ride was tough on me, I think overall it was good to have a day like this.
Well done! Glad you survived.
Cheers Michael, haha me too! 😁
That looked like a rough one! Sounds like you've got a good outlook on it, and I respect you for being able to take stock of things honestly. Better to learn the hard way than never at all, etc., and so forth! I'd say the good news is you found out a few relatively simple changes in the future can make a significant difference. Hopefully this wisdom did not come a too high a cost- I'm sure you had some scrapes and bruises after those falls!
Haha, aye Mark... I earned my supper on this ride! 🤣
In this game, it is all about self improvement, so if you refuse to learn, you are only harming your future enjoyment of green laning/trail riding.
Thankfully not a single scratch on the bike worth worrying about. I ached for a couple of days and I think I injured my wrist, but I'll mend 🙂
Don't be too hard on yourself Pete those slippery ruts can catch anyone out. But yeah getting your feet on the ground a bit better will help a lot in some situations. Great ride man and awesome to see your offs captured in glorious high definition from multiple angles 😁👌
Do we really fall off if it isn't on camera? 🤣
Yeah them ruts sucked, wiped me out of energy and you just couldn't see them half the time to know if you were gonna get cross rutted. Good lessons though, and the bike did great, no damage either other than to me! 🙂
@@HippoDrones what damage did you do to yourself mate? Or just getting knocked up? You sounded a wee bit tired 😁
@@MVDBR I think I fractured my wrist possibly, other than that, just knocked up :-)
Hahaha... yeah, just a tad :D
@@HippoDrones oh shit have you had it x-rayed yet? 😫
@@MVDBR nah, just taking it easy with it, it isn't broken, but stings when I twist it. I broke it coming off my Beta in 2020, and just loaded up on pain killers and beer lol, can deal with this no worries, that one stung for weeks! (should have probably gone to hospital for that one lol :D
Can you imagine that ride on your previous V85 ... lol, I looked at the Aprilia but honestly for that kind of stuff 300 or 400 cc is as big as I want to go.
The V85 would have given up at the chalky climb near the start! 🤣
Yeah, certainly the latter half would be better suited to an enduro bike
Platform motorcycle boots - the way forward!
Hahaha 🤣
We don’t have lanes like these is south Australia, they look so much fun. If I wanted to do them anyway I would need buy a more appropriate bike. The gsx would not cope . I hope your friend is ok. You are braver than me mate. Wow that lane had everything including bridges. Need that lower seat mate, take care. 👍
I don't know about south Australia, but another channel I follow in QLD has a wedge of fun playing on the trails, is brill to watch, I hope to go join them for a spin on the bikes one day if I can.
Hahaha... yeah, you def need the right bike for it, and a naked sportsbike, is not the right bike! :D
Falling off is par for the course on dirty bikes, we just have to accept that they will take a battering! 🙂
@@HippoDrones yeah unfortunately it is illegal in South Australia to ride any forest lanes. We do have plenty of 4wd tracks and some amazing private lanes that you can pay to ride
@@slakk5093 that sounds pretty cool 😎
Great video and well done for sticking out despite sounding physically and mentally exhausted.
Every day is a school day and planning an off road ride is harder than a road ride because you often don’t know the situation on the ground until you’re in the thick of it.
Top tip: if I’m out on the bike all day, especially when off roading, I’ll take a Camelbak. Snack wise, I’ll take a chocolate bar of some description, such as a Boost or a double bloody decker.
As for the mishaps, it comes with the territory when off roading and my confidence often outweighs my talent 😂😂
Cheers mate, I was almost at breaking point at times. But yes, each day we learn something, we become all the better for it.
I used to do the Camelback thing, but really don't like wearing a backpack when riding, my shoulder has an injury which makes it really uncomfortable for me sadly. I actually had a bottle of water all ready to bring and some chocolate, but rushed out the door and forgot to pick them up. I keep them in my tail bag with my tools :-) Good tip though for those that can wear them! :-)
Indeed, it is all part and parcel with the terrain, all good fun and no damage to the bike, so other than a sprained wrist, it was a good day. I did nearly hit a deer on the way home off camera, thankfully my Spidey-Sense told me to drop speed just prior and then the thing ran out into the road in front of me.... got to test the ABS on the bike! :D hahaha
@@HippoDrones your “Peter Tingle” saved you 😊
I was also going to suggest the water/chocolate in the tail pack but my comment was like war and peace.
Another top tip is to be fully hydrated before the off (I was a personal trainer in a former life).
@@EpicMotorcycleAdventures Yeah, and a night on the beers prior is never a great way to start the day either! :D hahaha
@@HippoDrones most definitely not 😂😂
@@EpicMotorcycleAdventures :D
That looked tough, big school day for sure! Guessing you nearly went head first into the river somewhere near Hailsham, and Ive just looked and that looks like it's part of the southern TET loop, which I'm itching to do as soon as I can. Was thinking of taking the T7 as it's overwhelmingly road miles, but having watched that i think I'll take the CRF450. By the way, as I said before, OS Map App is amazing, almost impossible to get lost, only need that one thing on your bike so keeps the cockpit uncluttered. Great watch, thanks
It was definitely a school day on the big bike, at least it gave me practice on getting off it at the rush 🤣
I'll have to check out the app. Can you put gpx files on it for navigation?
Yeah was part of the TET 🙂 and the ruts on the places I came off were so hard to see, so a lighter bike would be easier
@@HippoDrones Yes you can export/import to the app, so say you could receive it from a mate via air drop on your phone, or import it via the desktop version. I did a video on navigation, I just tend to get up the green road map, find the lanes, plot them onto the OS map desktop version on my big Mac and then when you save them on the desktop version they are automatically sent to the app version. Ive been mountaineering and mountain biking most of my life, was a map reading instructor in the Army, and this is by far the simplest system to use, way better than Garmin and birdseye which is shite. Now it's not a sat nav, it won't tell you when to turn, but how hard can it be following a line on a screen? The app also allows you to download the maps for any set route you have, so it would do this for just going off the cuff, but if you have a GPX file or a route you are following it will allow you to download the mapping for that route, therefore if you lose phone signal it will still work as it uses the phones GPS to navigate. I love it, would only consider buying something else for a trip out of the UK.
@@HippoDrones sorry that was me replying, not... me... regards, Mike
@@mikefletcher6595 that sounds awesome. I'll probably give it a go. Is it a subscription, or is it a one time purchase?
@@HippoDrones £25 a year, but for me it's worth every penny - just always remember to download any GPX routes you create so if you switch you dont lose them
Awesome ride. Def lessons learned. Regarding water, ever since I got my Krieger 3L water backpack, it’s been my best friend no matter how long or short the trip is. Btw, how’d those oem crash bars hold up in these drops? I mean did they help avoid any contact or scratches to the body panels, etc? Thanks again for sharing the footage.
Hi Jay :-)
For sure some good lessons learnt here on this ride for me.... main one being get my mate Pez to lead the rides again... he wasn't going to be coming, which was why I organised this one :-)
The engine bars did great, not a mark on the bike and the stock handguards survived fully intact too! :-)
Those were some hard slaps in the intro!!
Oh that's a lot of growth to push through!! How would you even turn back there if you wanted to? Just have to push on thru!
Yeah that sucks, as a fellow crappy knee human tho they can just go weak after a knock once the adrenaline wears off then you're in trouble.
Both sides is for a pincer movement so they can getcha :D That's honestly why I love the cardos, I can just constantly check is everyone ok when I'm leading, easier than always checking.
Haha you went and jinxed yourself :D
The horses decided for an ambush rather than a pincer movement, interesting.
Dear god man that was a slap, you're a durable fella aren't ya :D
That was tight with the truck, you'd wonder why he didn't just pull forward for you all, would have saved a possible cuddle with a side of a truck for one of you!
The rear view of the reedy noms crash was mad, it looked like the bike just decided to go, and fast!! Glad you're ok from that one! Nice bloody save man!!!!
You'll be fit as a fiddle doing that a lot!! I can nearly feel the muscles wobbling!! I'd have just laid down with the bike a while! Man that trail is crazy that the bike just goes with no warning!!
Not that you over estimated your ability man, just tyres as well, but definitely breaks and all the foods etc :)
I’m a teacher. I read shorter essays.
@@hachewie I'll write you single line comments from now on :P
Hahaha... hard and fast! :D
It was mad how overgrown some of the trails were, is like the Sussex lot don't ride them very often! :D Phil has had a run of bad luck on the lanes, he is comparatively new to it all, and I am pretty sure I went through similar when I started, and came off far more than he has... I think he needs to rethink having a screen on his bike though! :D
I don't get why they think it is helpful or sensible to use both sides on a singletrack lane, madness... and if any of us had clipped either of them, we'd be the inconsiderate Wayne Kers!
Hahaha... can you imagine my heavy breathing in your ear for a days riding? :D I don't think they like me that much! :D hahaha.
I knew it was 50:50 as to which way they'd go, at least they were pretty... horses :P
Ha, am not feeling so durable now, think I probably fractured my wrist as it still isn't right... be fine in a few days though, so all is good. Yeah it was mad how fast it went... and had to happen literally just as I mentioned not falling to the left! :D I thought I was gonna be getting wet on that one! :D
I most definitely got a work out this ride, I should do it more often... might even get fit like you say! :D After the last off, I was rather fed up to say the least... wanted to down tools and walk home, but didn't have the energy. It really wasn't the tyres, it was all on me and my [lack of] ability, but had I been hydrated and energised, I possibly may have avoided one of them just by making better decisions. Thankfully on the ride home after I had my brain on as a deer jumped out in front of me, got to test the ABS and grip from the nobby tyres then I did for sure! :D
@@TheGorillaBiker You can’t. It’s not in your personality. I love your essays. They have better structure and grammatical content than most of my student’s work.
@@HippoDrones You'll need to get to them more often and clear them out with your face :D Yeah once he keeps enjoying it and learning without too much damage he'll be grand! Haha yeah probably best leave it off for now :D
I'm telling you man they were going to pincer you until the beauty of the Aprilia stunned them, but yeah it makes no sense. Just didn't think I'd say.
That's......a fair point :D You could turn each other down maybe :P Lovely horses indeed :P
Ah yeah those miraculous healing wrists of the Hippo Droneses I know them well....get it checked ya sausage :D Glad you didn't end up going for a swim too!! That'd have sucked.
Ah fair, once you're tired and out of breath your brain doesn't really work at 100% anymore anyway so it definitely contributed I'd say, reactions and all that take a nose dive.
Oh lovely, glad you didn't hit the thing!! The Tuareg would have really gotten a test then....also....I seem to have been magically unsubbed from Pez >:(
Oh MY,,Reminds me of the first time I took my buddy off road, but we had water🙃. That was a rough ride bud. It was also some extreme growth, terrain,,,well I think you had it all in that ride and also looks like yall got out of there in time before the rain hit. Those clouds looked pretty ominous and cool at the same time.
Yeah, thankfully the rain held off until our ride home.
It was def a rough ride, but valuable lessons learnt 🙂
@@HippoDrones Ahh, thanks goodness for the rain holding off. That would have been a nightmare. Yeah we kids tend to learn lessons the hard way sometimes 🤣. At least now, as older kids, we are more capable of applying what we have learned.
@@BigDaveTALKS The only trouble is we don't bounce as well as we used to! :D hahaha
I am happy with the bike so far but here in the States I am unable to get any accessories as of yet. I need the low seat and crash bars bad. 29-inch inseam is a real hazard for my confidence, so I have not pushed the boundaries yet. Hopefully the aftermarket industry will get products up soon.
I have the same leg length, yeah, it isn't fun when you need to get a foot down in a hurry. Thankfully I have the Aprilia crash bars already, but, I very much want the low seat to turn up soon! It does make me wonder what the hold up with it is as the tall seat has been released.... odd to prioritise the tall one over the low one IMO.
Fingers crossed more companies get on the aftermarket accessories for us all! :-)
Judging by the lack of handicap ramp on the bridges, I take it that people on Rascal Mobility Scooters are not welcome on the green lanes. ;)
When I get to that point in life, I want a mobility scooter with 1000cc's, knobbies and 10-inches of ground clearance!
Haha, valid point! 🤣 although I think they would struggle with the ruts on the other side 😁
Those lanes were awesome and you were really getting my desire to hit the lanes up... until all the falling off started 😂 just kidding!
I saw the pinned comment and I think you deffo learned loads from this. And I learned too, by extension. And that's the main thing, learned lessons.
Good stuff, Pete! I just need to find the time to come on over, it's been such a busy time for me I have had other things in the diary.
Loved the video, watched all the way to the end despite it being very long 😉 and even let the ads play through. That Charlie Boorman Quadlock one is starting to get on my nerves, though...
I have UA-cam Premium so never see any ads and get UA-cam Music for free with it, so might be worth considering if ads bug you? I made them skipable for those that don't like them too.
Yeah when you have some free time give us a heads up and we'll put a Himalayan suitable ride together for you, won't be these lanes though... am gonna avoid them for a while lol 😆
@@HippoDrones thanks 👍
@@NooBiker 🙂
If you’re trying to put me off green lanes, it isn’t working. Almost though…that looked hard going. Great entertainment and great attitude 👌🏼
Ahh mate, I never want to put anyone off green laning, and absolutely not you, I want to enjoy your videos green laning! :-)
You won’t put me off. It’s a good reminder to be careful though, and not to tackle anything gnarly on my own 👍🏼
@@Saddlebags73 Yup, I had hoped to be able to scoot off on solo explores with the Toe-Rag, but this ride showed me that is not a good idea. Not on lanes I don't know already to be safe
Maybe the lower seat will change your mind 🤔
@@Saddlebags73 maybe, but it is picking the bike up by myself that concerns me the most! :-)
Don't beat yourself up, those lanes on the Levels east of Hailsham are appalling. I had a torrod time there on my CRF250 late as it was getting dark. Combine dust everywhere. I've retried to do them a number of times but not succeeded due to the state of the ground. Sad thing is there are some really cool ones you'd have loved about 5 miles north of where you struggled!
Cheers Miles, I will venture back into East Sussex, but I'll be avoiding the marshes lol 🤣
Ahh cool, will have to try those. I'll be getting my Beta back on the road soon for winter riding, that bike will be far more manageable for me on the tricky stuff 🙂
Blimey, that was pretty hardcore, I will struggle to match that with my Meteor !!!
Before you mentioned it, I was thinking that a good half a foot down on each side would have been useful. It’s ok being on tippy toes until the going gets tough and the ground uneven ! Here’s hoping you get a lower seat soon 🤞
Very impressed by how you got through it though, kudos to you.
Ruby says she would have jumped up too if you had passed her but only to lick your face off with fluffy kisses ❤️❤️❤️🐕
Good job H-D, looking forward to tackling a trail with the Classic 350 as soon as it is run in !
Cheers buddy 🍺
ER.
Aye, was far harder going than I was expecting for the day for sure! :D hahaha
Yup, getting a solid footing makes a world of difference, the trouble here was that there were multiple hidden ruts, so where you thought there would be ground to get a foot to, there wasn't, and the weight of the bike means that once it is going, it is generally going, so best to just get off it!
Hopefully the low seat will arrive in the country soon, I really hope it helps.
Ahh Ruby is the bestest! :D How many more miles for the Classic to go?
@@HippoDrones I think I’m at 1600 km / 1000 miles now, so about 250 miles to go. Shouldn’t take long, every day is a riding day now, just need to find the time ! I think I should be hitting a trail with it within the next month and I think it will do well.
The suspension is plusher than the Meteor’s, it’s a bit easier to stand up on the pegs and I think it will chug along in second gear without feathering the clutch just as well as the Meteor did. Put some nobblies on one, a sump guard and maybe a high level exhaust and I think it could make an awesome old school scrambler. RE need to make it happen, I’d buy one !
Yeah I thought that about the ruts. Like you say, if the ground was beneath you, you could have used a foot to hold the bike up but when the ground isn’t where you expect it to be, because your foot is going into a deep rut, then the bike can get away from you before you can catch it. A perfect storm of shite 💩 Still, it looks like the Toerag copes well with being dropped, so that’s good to know I guess ?
Enjoy your evening mate, Ruby says she likes your videos because they have dogs in them ❤️❤️❤️🐕
Cheers 🥃
ER.
Oh wow, a nice scrambler conversion would be epic... get a wedge of views fitting all the parts too! :D
The bike copes far better than I! :D hahaha
I have to apologize for laughing so hard at your misery. That would be hard even on a light dirt bike. Great Channel
Hahahaha.... never apologize for having a laugh mate... I'd have been laughing if I wasn't so knackard! :D
I think you did well given the conditions. It may be good to plan in a cafe break halfway round.
Any chance of getting the standard seat re-sculpted to suit you?
We did have a break planned, but I massively miscalculated how far we'd cover in the morning, so should have put a break in a lot earlier.
I could, but it is really comfy, so I'd need to buy another seat to do it to, and by the time I'd gotten that and paid for it to be resculpted it'd be quite an expense.
I'll only use the lower seat for trail riding.
You end up with about ten comments as I'm watching and commenting at the same time haha.. That bridge was a bitch! Why do they always put two steps in the same distance apart as our wheels? LOL
Hahaha, more comments the better mate, glad you are not bored watching! :D
Yeah, am pretty sure the distance between those steps is intentional to make it hard for motorcycles to use.... My Beta would have breezed it! :D
Twisted knee. Nasty. Done that.
Yup, crucia ligament damage can be really horrid
Just goes to show that easy looking lanes can be difficult. Make sure to stop for a breather when you need to- don't feel like you have to push on for those you're out with. Sometimes a quick recce on foot will give an idea of conditions and where to place your wheels. A choccy bar would be a melted mess, try cereal bars.
Absobloominlutely 100% 🙂
Yeah... haha, have had some turn into liquid on hot days 😆
I liked the content, but one question came to mind, have you ever done an ADV course, I don't mean 'out with a mate' but a 1 or 2 day course on how to ride in different terain and over/around obsticles as it's all about bike control and not knackering yourself. I' m sure the must be properly run courses in the UK. Yes they cost money but a weekend well worth doing. Also train the things you learn well before attemptng the first offroad. Ps don't take choclate takedry energie bars instead or you'll be having fun spooning the choclate out of your pocket after the next fall 😋
Hi Richard, thanks 🙂
I've not taken any formal training no, I've been trail riding for 4 years though, this is just my first big bike. Adv training would be a good idea though as a heavy bike is a world apart from a trail bike or enduro bike! 🙂 Hahaha... yeah chocolate in summer would be pretty messy 😆
Thank you for the advice Richard 👍
Precisely why I prefer to suffer on the road in order to have a better / easier life off road !!
First thing I did with the bike was switch the tyres to more dirt orientated, glad I did else I'd have been on my butt even more! :D hahaha
Sometimes the iron horse just needs to pull over and eat some grass 😉
Mine was very hungry! :D hahaha
that looked like hard work lol. shame about phil, i watched his video.
i did some of those lanes on a long distance trial. i remember that bridge lol.
Def should do the bridge the opposite direction lol... although I'll not be doing a few of those lanes again, at least not on the big bike! 🙂
@@HippoDrones it was extremely wet when we went. it was in september and like a bog lol. i'd given up all hope on one of the sections lol. :o)
@@mellowr1 I had to get Alan to ride my bike out after the last tumble
@@HippoDrones i feel your pain mate. that grassy rutted one you did was like ice when i went. check out my East sussex trial vids. they will make you feel better :o)
@@mellowr1 :-)
That's the worst part of doing that on a big bike. Picking up the bike sucks the energy out of you, then you lose the dexterity to ride well, and drop it again. The camera never makes things look hard, and cameras don't show when stuff is slick. Hope all is well with Phil and he will be fine with a little rest.
Aye, I'm so glad I wasn't by myself... the trail that was the worst, was the one I thought was going to be the easiest! :D
Yeah, hahaha that is so annoying about GoPro footage, it never makes the terrain look anywhere near as challenging as I felt it to be (note neither Pez or Alan fell off on the "hard" bits) :D
Phil was a little sore for a couple of days, he is all fixed now... he does need new handlebars though.
Didn’t realise your Aprilia was fitted with an ejector-seat!
Who has a KTM? 🤓
@@HippoDrones - now corrected! 😂
@@timhicks2154 hahaha 😆
Seriously, I think most of your falls were down to the stock tyres. Apparently they are good on the street, but lack lateral grip on soft surfaces. I suspect they are very cheap ex-factory as more and more bikes seem to come with them as original equipment.
Look at Michelin, Metzler, Mitas...in descending order of price...for proper adventure tyres. And don't be afraid to let them down a bit so they work. If you want to stick with Pirelli, try MT21s.
I ditched the stock tyres prior to collecting the bike, it has Motoz Tractionator Adventure fitted now, and they are great, sadly it was my ability that failed me here! :D Am also running them at lower pressures, although not hugely low as no rimlocks on the wheels.
Top tips though Richard, thank you for the tyre suggestions, I'll look into them when the Motoz tyres are up for renewal! :-)
That looks well steep at 8:40
Hahaha, yeah, I knew it was going to be a climb, but hadn't planned on how scrabbly it was going to be paired with wet chalk :D Was a proper good workout that! :D
Me at the beginning of the video:
“I wish we had country lanes like that around here“
Me at the end of the video:
“I don’t want to ride motorcycles anymore“
😂😂😂😂😂
Hahahaha :D I was utterly exhausted by the time we got to the cafe, def needed food and water :D
The drama didn't stop there either, on my way home I had a deer run out in front of me, the ABS definitely works!: D
@@HippoDrones Yeesh.
It also looked like rain up ahead on the horizon, hope that didn't catch you as well.
@@AmenMoto we had a few splatters, but nothing to actually get us wet... I was soaked with sweat though, so may as well have rained on us too! :D hahahaha :D
Ditch jumping good times! That is...
Until the end☹
everything was great other than my dismounting technique! :D hahahaha :D
OMFG that was a bit of a tough section.. TOP effort. Get a camelback mate ;-)
Top tip, but I do already have a Camelback, although I have a shoulder injury which makes wearing a rucksack pretty painful, especially on a bike where my arms are also up to hold on to the bars. I normally bring a bottle of water, but forgot to pick that and an energy bar up off my kitchen worktop before leaving the house. School boy errors, hopefully a lesson I'll not need to learn a second time! :-)
@@HippoDrones shoulders are a bitch, I've just had a cortizone injection, bursitis issues. Not cured it yet, might need another. I think I need to get to the gym when I get some decent painfree movement back ;-)
@@TheRiderGuider Indeed. I hope you get some pain relief mate
Bloody hell! You’ve had a pasting this time. Hope you & bike unscathed.
Bike is right as rain, no damage at all 🙂
I was pretty stiff for a few days, wrist is still sore, think I fractured it, will be fine in a few weeks.
Weight will always be your enemy off road.
Yup, and partnered with a seat that is a tad too tall, it isn't ever gonna end well in an argument with gravity! :D
People with more experience may correct me here as I may be wrong but I think a little more speed helps with heavier bikes to keep the momentum going forward. I only have the CRF250 but picking up speed in ruts helps keep the bike straight and moving forward
Absolutely, but a side effect is that when you fall, you hit harder and hurt more and break more bike :D It is also harder to stop a heavier bike with momentum than it is a lighter one, but it would def be easier if I rode those bits faster I am sure.
For what it’s worth I think you did pretty dam well with such a big bike
@@iangriffiths9930 Ty mate :-) I do need to get some muscles on me, it is a heavy thing to pick up! :D hahaha
well the bike came out ok at least not the CRF tho
Yeah, shame about Phil's screen and bars. He def needs a detachable screen for it so he can take it off for green lanes, and put it back on for commuting with.
that dude on the light bike should fix his sprocket and get some knobbies
Hahaha... he did better than me! 🤣
@@HippoDrones my 200cc bike I bought in mexico was a beast
:-)
Bloody bridge. Hahahahaha
Pesky thing 🤣
@@HippoDrones my other comment disappeared. What was that bird?
@@hachewie which bird?
@@HippoDrones the one that ran across in front of the bike.
Oh man. Don’t mind me. It was in Saddlebags’ green lane video. I’m an idiot.
Definitely need more speed
Aye.... although I need bigger balls first though! 🤣
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Great vid, thanks so much.
Hahaha, glad you enjoyed! :D
Gravity can be be very unkind!
Bloomin Einstein... inventing it, messed everything up! 🤣
Now try it all again, with a 1200cc BMW Adventure bike…..
Ummm NO.
Ruts! Deranged vegetation! They’re all out to get you…
They are... evil bloomin things 🤣
Excellent! First one who don t care if bike get dirty..its beauty from Italy and its smooth horny ride, but she likes hard also,i have one and i love her very much for now,she is the special one.time will answer the qestion about quality..if you are type of biker who cares mainly for power on bike it not bike for you to buy.
It is a very awesome motorcycle, and it looks good dirty too! 😀
bikes to big. need 500cc enduro
Hahaha, I already have a 390cc Beta :-)
@@HippoDrones what's is your gear ratio? Ever tried 14/50
Both my Aprilia and my Beta are on stock gearing, seem to work fine for me, am not competing in hard enduro (which is probably good considering my weak ability! Hahaha), just gentle trail riding, and with a lot of tarmac to cover between lanes, it is nice having the legs on the Beta to get that covered. It does need a new chain and sprocket set though, so I might try a different ratio, what chain and sprocket make do you recommend for enduro bikes?
The standard sprocket size on the Beta 390RR are 13/49 so going 14/50 would actually be a higher gear ratio so the bike would not be as nippy on the trails, but would be a little faster on the tarmac. What was the stock gearing on your 500?
@@HippoDrones 15/48 or 13/48. Came with both. Trying to find a happy medium between the two. I'll leave it 15/48 and deflate tires as needed