I'm wondering what you guys think is the most harmfull type of riding as far as wear on a DS. Sand, cross country, motoX, trail riding, snow?
It's been my experience that sand is most likely the best if you stay out of the salt water. I'd say trail riding through muddy water the worst. It's the hardest on all the bearings, joints and chain. Not to mention damage from rocks and roots.
It's funny because when I see bikes for sale people always want to downplay sand riding.

 

I think I would agree with your opinion. Perhaps it is the image of Glamis and all of the wold things that used to go on there. Though unless you are driving through fires I think the sand is going to be much, much nicer.

 

I know as far as motor wear goes, I ride much harder in the sand than anywhere, dunes are the absolute only place my machine gets pushed to its limits, with the highest and longest reving and power needs for big bowls and massive walls of HP robbing sand. On trails and all other riding its all short sperts of full throttle but never maintained for long.

but for chassis wear and tear I agree the mud is hard on joints pivots chains and sprockets, and rocks do a lot of bashing if you're in a hurry too. and the ultra fine dust during dry weather our Indiana trails have is much harder to filter than sand.

 

15 foot blind drop offs can do some damage that and un-seen desert fissures/aka sinkholes after the rains .....

Seriously tho ... I would have to agree that muddy water would be the king if for no other reason that this will be the combo that most ATVs ever see. Sandy salt water would be worse but how many people ever get to play in that ?
Motor wear ... what Hightower said! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

I agree that for the motor there is nothing that requires full throttle all the time like sand. I do believe though that mx riding is for sure the hardest on the machine. My list of repair parts is over $6000 in just a year and a half. The pivot points just need to be greased to make them last forever, but I have replaced every metal part that attaches to the frame and the frame has cracked in four places now on me. I grease the a-arms and swingarm every 5 hours of riding (every day), and they have not wore out on me in over a year now, but the a-arms, swingarm, subframe, steering stem, handlebars, tie rods, ball joints, footpegs, axle, front wheel bearings, have all been replaced at least once. Now, if I were 150 lbs lighter, I do think the results would be a little different[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img].

Justin

 

BajaIowa...that uphill double in your pics page.....is that take off ramp for that double next to that stop sign?

 

The picture with the stop sign that you can just see the top of a jump at the bottom, it is a 40' jump that downsides into a ravine and then you climb up the tall side and shoot off the top. The rest of the uphill double pics are from the top of that big hill where we shoot off of it. The call it gravity cavity, because if you do the first jump into the bottom you will scrape your skidplate all the way along the bottom of the ravine before going up the hill. The uphill takeoff ramp is about 60' or 70' long and pretty steep.

Justin

 

BajaIowa, those are some great pics. Action shots even[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

 

Ok.....I was thinking that was a heck of a double!!! Those are some good shots...you ought to try getting someone downsiding that 40' jump...might be a good pic too.