it isnt as bad as you would think , the big problem is the front tire acts like a plow in the thick stuff. some enduro tires a set of progressive front fork springs to stiffen up the front suspension and a good set of rear shocks will do you just fine I have rode mine down forest service roads to get back to some good fishing spots. you will need to clean your air cleaner much more frequent and I wouldnt reccomend an exposed element air cleaner

 

I don't like gravel on the road, nevermind all gravel.......yikes not a chance.

 

I avoid gravel on the bike and in the stang but if I have to I just go slow to keep from kicking up rocks. Only 3 miles, go for it.

 

Zeb & jwb47 nailed it IMO. He**, I don't have a garage, so I have take my bike off-roadeverydayto park in my basement, (45% grassy hill to my basement).You should see me trying to get it out in the morning with dew on the grass and riding it up to the road, (Yeah, fell a few times).As long as you keep the speed down, the rocks really wouldn't fly up & scratch the bike. Thesmooth groove tires don't grab the rocks like the knobbies on the dirt bikes. Trust me-Been there & done that. The dust is worse than the gravel, because the dust gets in all those tight places making for a hard time to keep clean if want a show winner.

Side note-My wife didn't want me to have scoot at all, but I gota sporty less than a year into the marriage (defying her wishes)....I made my choice...So now she is called DX...I still have the Sporty, and now have an '06 Yamaha Kodiak 450 fourwheeler, and now deciding on what the next bike will be: dirt/enduro type, a custom chopper, or touring type scoot.

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Turned 40 Y.O. 7 years ago, had never ridden a bike, much less owned one. Had recieved a promotion/raise at work, and decided (with the wife's blessing) on a "reward". One big problem though was we live out in the country, and the normal way to town is 4 miles of gravel. Found a 1996 250 Honda Rebel still on the showroom floor that had 13 miles on it from them mostly pushing it around the showroom floor. I was really hesitant to buy a heavy bike to learn on, especially on gravel. It has about 4000 miles on it.
Broke down in May and bought a XL 1200 C. Figured out if I ride it half the time, what I save on gas makes the payment. (My 2500 Dodge Ram is a real fuel hog, and the Rebel just was not enough to run the highways for any extended distance).
I can reach asphalt in just under 2 miles, but it adds about 4 miles on to my drive to and from work. The good news was that they had yet to grade or gravel the road this spring, and it was great to drive the bike on, but was dusty. Bad news is that the past week they graded, widened, graveled, clean out ditches on the normal way to town. The short route was only touched about 3/4 miles to the turn off, but right now, it would be like trying to drive on marbles.

Do I like it? Nope. Is it going to stop me from riding? Well, maybe for the next week or so until the gravel clears off, but typically no.

I can clean the bike today, ride it into work tomorrow and it will be dusty. Guys at work make their share of comments, but I just laugh. Life is full of trade offs. I'm not willing to move from the peace, serentiy, privacy we enjoy, just so my bike does not get dusty. With the HD, I NOW enjoy riding, and am also not willing to give it up because my bike gets dusty.

The air filter absolutely needs to be cleaned much more frequently, but will buy a spare filter, switch them out, and clean the removed one when I do. Minimum down time of the bike, and don't have to worry about the filter drying until I can ride.

Much to my suprise, the 1200 is more stable on the gravel than the Rebel. BTW, we kept the Rebel and will use it to teach my son to ride. Cleaned both on Sunday, jumped on the Rebel for a quick ride, and it really made me appreciate the 1200. Still was a good choice to learn to ride for me.

 

Take some advice and get the used sportster with a chain drive. You can thank me later. Belt drive Harleys and a gravel roads don't mix. Sooner or later a piece of gravel or rock will find its way between your belt and rear sprocket and poof. You will be shelling out some serious hard currency to replace a rear sprocket, belt or both.

Barstow