i did feel better eventually and rode home without a problem - of course that was on rodes and not gravel. i take that back - there was a problem. took the road going north out of rock in the cave state park which turned into gravel and then rutted gravel. weill i was having trouble turning around. when i finally did, there were my two buds, one laying on the ground sleeping and the other leaning back on his backrest sleeping. cracked me up.

the funny thing is that i use to have (back in the day) a 750 honda (big bike back then) with bags and a windjammer and i use to take that trailin on dirt trails.

amazing what 35 years will do

 

Don't feel bad. There isn't a one of us that likes a big road bike on gravel. Hell, I just dumped the dresser two weeks ago trying to back up in a gravel lot at a concert we went to; and I'm not a rookie. Just keep the skills sharp and keep ridin'.

 

This last Sunday my wife and I we riding down a paved road which abruptedly turned into a gravel road, Wally Road for those that know the Mohican area, well as usual I'm looking around at the scenic view and heard the noise change of my wifes bike tires hitting the gravel so
I had a split second of a warning, my wife seemed to handle the gravel better than I did, I swear I almost started wobbling at first (lost a few heart beats and almost sh*t my pants) but straightened out. My friend do not feel bad because when it comes to gravel most riders have an inner fear of going down.

 

Why not just trade it for a Dyna or Sporster - you get to keep riding and easy to control even on gravel roads.

 

you go tthe wrong bike for that kind of riding....

 

Yeah, I live in the high desert of CA and gravel is everywhere...especially on corners it seems. Lots of gravel roads here and I do not ever go on them. Harleys with their smooth tires are an accident waiting to happen.

 

Riding on gravel is one thing, but having to go up a steep incline, need to stop, and then turn is quite another. That would give the heebie-jeebies to almost anyone on a big bike. Things went bad, it could have been much worse, and you came out of the ordeal bruised, battered, but OK. So, in the end, life is good. Dang gravel roads!

 

WHAT? No way....my front tire hits gravel and it gets so squirrelly that it is major pucker time. I stay away from gravel roads as much as possible. But what really gives me nightmares is those metal drawbridge road grates when it is raining.

 

That's one of the main reason I never ride dirt or gravel roads. If I ride up onto a gravel road unexpectedly, I turn around and find another way.

 

It's happened to those of us who are vertically challenged. Just chalk it up to a learning experience and avoid those situations. The Ultra is such a great bike doing what it was designed to do....touring on paved roads. Don't give up on it. the ego will heal and no harm done.