DL650 In The Dirt

Let me preface this by saying that I've never ridden a dirt bike. In my world, "dirt riding" means gravel roads, dirt roads, and front yards. Period. I wouldn't take it onto a dirt bike track, through a lot of mud, in sand, snow, or ice - on purpose.

But this is a blog about riding in the mountains - and if there is one constant when it comes to mountain riding, it's that conditions will change. Most of the best mountain riding is done in remote, rural areas. You're going to get chased by dogs. You're going to see cows. You may spot a llama or an ostrich. old men will try to kill you with tractors. Cell phone reception seems like a distant dream - if it's not coming from a satellite, you ain't picking it up.

In these remote areas, the main challenges are 1) weather conditions, and 2) road surface conditions.

1) Mountain weather comes up fast and leaves just as quickly. The weather on one side of a tunnel or a pass can be sunny and warm, and it can be cold and raining on the other side.

2) Road maintenance varies. Some roads, like the Blue Ridge Parkway, are nearly flawless for the most part. Others, especially in rural areas, are chewed-up, bombed-out and depleted. Even paved roads may have loose sand, and trailers kick up gravel on the insides of turns. Also, paved roads abruptly, unexpectedly may turn into dirt or gravel roads, then change back to pavement again, then back to gravel, etc.

Not being a dirt rider per se, I can say that the Strom is a great bike for rough roads, dirt roads, and gravel roads. Why? Because first, you have excellent control over the bike - you have handlebars! You have a high, SUV-type seating position to see what's coming up. You can stand up on the pegs easily. You have a 19-inch front wheel to minimize bumps and help you maintain control. Finally, the cable-operated clutch is light and easy to operate without fatigue, which is critical, because slow dirt riding requires a lot of clutch work.

Liquid cooling means you can chug along all day at 5mph. The large gas tank and excellent fuel mileage - 45-55mpg, easy - mean you can wander for hours without getting stranded.  Also, the bike has excellent ground clearance to clear obstacles and ruts.

It's not a dirt bike - but it is "dirt-bikey" enough to get you where you need to be in the mountains.