Warning: this is now a very old vid with horrible resolution ? As ridden by Chuck Norris, Arnie and Steven Seagal, the Suzuki DR650 is only for experienced dirt riders with well-filled pants. Those of you familiar with Chris Birch will know he's been racing a KTM 1190 in enduros. Crazy? Yes but I can see why he's enjoying it. There is nothing like a huge lump of metal between your legs to make you focus, pick good lines, use your body positioning and get your technique right. And the buzz of getting a big bike through some tough terrain is awesome. It also reinforces the fact that we usually put way too much emphasis on bling, or tyres, or suspension or the type of bike we are riding. Yes those things can make a difference, but in the long run it's far more important to learn the skills. But now the engine has been derestricted, FFRC have worked their magic on the suspension, and it's time to pit the DR650 against some dirt bikes. You quickly learn to respect the extra weight of the DR650 in sections like this that are hard enough on the dirt bikes. It's a bike that gives a whole new meaning to heavy metal. It's hard work, but this DR650 is actually fun. The weight makes you really focus on your technique. And things like pivot turns in rocky terrain insist you get the technique right, or it just ain't gonna happen. While the DR650 does finally have some knobby tyres, they are the hard compound Dunlop D606s which aren't known for being good in the dirt. And to make things worse, I forgot to get rim locks installed so the air pressure has to stay over 20PSI or the tyres will slip on the rims. It makes finding traction an interesting exercise, especially on hill climbs. And once you get stuck in a rut on the DR650, there is no bouncing out of it the way you can on a dirt bike... you are usually trapped in it till the end. Anything technical is complicated by the very high gearing. First gear on the DR650 is the equivalent of third gear on many dirt bikes so there's plenty of clutch slipping to get the big bushpig over obstacles.Having said that, the DR650 modifications we've made to the DR650 have transformed the beast into a much better bike. If you are interested, watch our DR650 project bike series over on our adventure riding channel. It was very interesting to even see the dirt bikes occasionally make mistakes when the DR was having no problems. But it was often the other way around too. So there you have it. Many of you asked to see the DR650 on some of our tracks, and the big girl will probably feature a few more times too. Long live heavy metal. Oh and remember if you become a supporter you can access four extra ride vids each month. All for the cost of a cup of coffee. Or any caffeinated beverage. And far cheaper than a cocktail. Neck-s ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t2IopH1AG0

From http://www.crosstrainingenduro.com/ Many of us hate riding in the rain, but often this is because we think we are going to crash, aren't wearing the right gear, or haven't set up our bike properly. Here are a few wet weather riding techniques that hopefully will have you singing in the rain, along with wet weather riding gear and bike setup when it's raining. WET WEATHER RIDING TECHNIQUE Slow down. That's a no brainer. On sealed roads, remember the first 15 minutes is the most dangerous time as all that dried oil and muck on the road is washed away. Ride in the car tracks, not between them where you will find the most engine oil dropped on the road. Ride in a higher gear for better traction and smoother control of the bike. Avoid anything shiny like man hole covers, rail way tracks, bolts in timber bridges. Don't turn and brake at the same time, just do one thing at a time. And if you aren't sure how grippy a surface is, try quickly locking up the rear wheel for a traction test. WET WEATHER RIDING GEAR Wet weather jackets and pants? Staying dry makes a huge difference to how much you'll enjoy wet weather riding. Starting with waterproof jackets and pants, the most expensive option is Goretex like the Klim Badlands gear. It's completely waterproof, breathable and perfect if you have the cash. Next is a quality one piece rain suit like the Won-Z we use, see our review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjoKPm4kCi8 It's quick to pull on and off while wearing your boots and extremely visible to drivers. Visit their website here: http://www.jacksonracing.com.au Next are shower-proof jackets like this cheap one I bought from Aldi. These are great if you expect only light or infrequent showers as they will stay dry for about an hour before the damp starts coming through. Next is the inner liner option like this one on my Klim Induction Jacket. These are handy if you really aren't expecting rain but might be caught out. You wouldn't use this if it rains a lot as they aren't breathable and let the outer jacket get heavy with water which also will cause a chill factor in cool wet weather. Last is the budget option of cheap rain coats and pants. They tear easily, often leak after a few hours, and you usually have to take your boots off to get those pants on. Most of us move on from this budget option pretty quickly. Helmets. Apply some silicon grease to the rubber seal for your visor to keep it in good shape. There are lots of anti-fogging solutions for your visor, a good budget option is applying some soap suds then simply polish off with a soft cloth. Boots. The more you spend, generally the more waterproof they will be. If it's wet all the time, there are expensive goretex boots available. The same situation with gloves, get some goretex g ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zxtuFIcxr8

http://crosstrainingenduro.com http://tractionerag.com http://www.crosstrainingenduro.com http://tractionerag.com For a change of scenery, we are riding the famous Transfăgărășan, the second highest paved road in Romania... perfect for our first Romanian adventure ride. Nicolae Ceaușescu was one of the most repressive communist leaders in Europe and was shot when his government was overthrown. He ordered this 90 km long road to be built in the 1970s between two of Romania's highest peaks through alpine country. Hundreds of workers died during construction, and while it was originally for military purposes, it is now an incredibly scenic route... and awesome fun on a motorbike. So what am I doing in Romania? I'm here to film the Romaniacs event. And do an enduro tour as well as adventure riding in Romania. You can see a pile of videos about all of that on the enduro channel. Today, we are giving the dirt bikes are rest and going for an adventure ride instead. The Carpathian Mountains make for some incredible enduro riding, and adventure riding as well. Our farmhouse is in this beautiful little village, barely changed for hundreds of years, and the various enduro tracks are between thirty seconds to one minute from our doorstep... a bit further though for adventure riding in Romania. The Alpine pass is about an hour away, so we ride through a succession of small villages, and despite the country developing rapidly, it's great to see that Romanians aren't complete suckers for the modern lifestyle. Romanians are famous for their hospitality and it really shows when you are a motorbike. With the dirt bikes we are actually riding on private property of shepherds much of the time. Back home we would be dodging bullets from angry farmers. But here the shepherds just save and say 'buna!' It's the same with the adventure bikes. Friendly smiles wherever we stop. When western Europe is banning most off road riding and putting such restrictions on motorbikes, Romania is like the wild west where pretty much anything goes as long as you respect the locals. Stunning views, a rich culture, great cuisine with this Romanian adventure ride. And of course amazing riding. And then it's time for the hairpins, switchbacks and incredible mountain scenery of the Transfargarasean mountain pass. It's the middle of summer but we can see spots of snow in the distance with this adventure riding in Romania. The road is closed during winter due to heavy snow falls. Back home in Australia our tallest mountains would only be foothills in Romania, so this is truly spectacular riding. And now I can tick off alpine highway riding from my bucket list! Enjoyed this little Romanian adventure ride? Hang around for more! And remember we are regularly punching out videos about our Roman ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpbJnjmfDyE

This is the second training video on our new cross training channel. Subscribe to the new channel to find out when we post each cross training video of about 25 planned over the next few months! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJAvmhgP0h1AEKY8vTEJPJg ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGkrbf90GNg