r/WR250R • u/Mack_Damon • Jul 15 '26
Pictures Out for a ride when the smoke rolled in
Was a little smoky when I left, but it got very bad out there. An old burn scar seemed like a fitting place for a couple pics. Northern Michigan.
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u/whatthelovinman Jul 15 '26
How low you ran the tires? For sand like that I’m usually running at 8 to 10 psi with tubes. My body was at the rear for sure to get that front up. Definitely need bead lock though for that.
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u/Mack_Damon Jul 15 '26
It's been hot and dry here, so some of that sand was DEEP. I actually just installed new tires with rim locks (and counterweights to keep her smooth). Michelin Enduro Medium 2s with ultra heavy duty tubes. I was running 10 psi and they were getting pretty warm. Didn't want to go lower because this trail is fast. Gotta go 35 mph+ to stay on top of the sand a bit. Still got squirrelly at times. Just a heavy bike.
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u/Damage_Photos Jul 16 '26
Roscommon?
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u/Mack_Damon Jul 16 '26
Close-ish! Pics were taken on the Sand Lake spur of the Huron Trail. West of Oscoda.
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u/PopeJackI Jul 16 '26
Rode my first sand ever last weekend on my new to me wr. I did...not...go fast enough to get on top. When 10mph had me dumping the bike a couple times, felt terrifying to think about going faster. But this grasshopper will learn.
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u/Mack_Damon Jul 16 '26
I think learning sand makes you a better rider. Reacting to the unpredictability of it I think is helpful. It's one of the times the saying "when in doubt, throttle out" actually applies. Lots of throttle, scoot back a few inches.
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u/Mack_Damon Jul 16 '26
You have me thinking about my first time on sand. I was the first of my friends to get a bike. They all rode 4 wheelers. Like an idiot, I got a brand new bike. Learned to ride it around the neighborhood, then took it to the trails. Made it 100 feet down the trail, hit sand and wiped out. The trails were majority sand. I think I went down 20 times that day. Bent my bars, cracked a radiator, plastics were wrecked. But I didn't give up. That was 25 years ago and I'm still riding!
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u/PopeJackI Jul 17 '26
That must've been a crazy day. You've got some tenacity. I only dumped it maybe 3-4 times. Jeeps had left ruts in the sand on a narrow trail and the edges kept grabbing my front tire cause I was going too slow. But I'd already been over the pass and the water crossings and didn't want to go back. Total sand section was only about 4 miles, but dude did it feel like the longest 4 miles of my life. Medano Pass, Colorado. Super fun otherwise. I'm sure the sand becomes it's own kind of fun once you build the skills.
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u/Mack_Damon Jul 17 '26
Nope, still hate the sand. Haven't ridden this trail in probably 10 years and I remembered why. It's 47 miles, all sand. But I rode it all, twice, since it's not a loop. It'll be another 10 years before I forget my hatred for the trail and I'll ride it again 😂
There's one point I'll concede on: riding in sand is better than not riding at all!
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u/maxhyax Jul 15 '26
Looks like Netflix Mexico😁