Hunting through the various Versys oriented boards, it seems there are more than a few threads on banged up Versii. Am I just reading the same posts over and over about high-side, low-side, rear-ended a truck, lost it in the rain Versys mangulation... or has there been an unusual number of unlucky versys pilots?

My last ride was a KLR 650, and I often felt like there were too many untimely deaths for experienced KLRistas, and wondered if green was an unlucky color.

BTW.. I now have 175 miles on my 3 day old Versys and I think it's a fine scoot. My Corbin flat KLR650 shaped backside is starting to mold itself to the Versys saddle, although I may need to build the nose up on the seat to keep the 'boys' happy. I have one floppy mirror that I cannot seem to keep in any one position for more than a few miles. I changed the oil last night and swapped out for some Rotella and a Puralator filter from Advanced Auto. I LOVE the motor, and have been a good little motoscooter, keeping her generally around the 4000 rpm mark with only a few transgressions into the higher rev range just to keep my sanity.

Oh yeah, and I've been stopped at Hwy Patrol roadblocks twice in the last 6 weeks and checked for license and insurance... won't be long before they know me by name.

Had my first mishap this past Sunday while heading to NC for vacation.

I hit some really loose stuff turning onto a street two blocks from home and was all over the road, kept it on two wheels but hit the curb pretty hard. Came away with a bent front wheel and a few sore body parts. Ordered new wheel, should have early next week, I hope.

I sure missed a great vacation.

ive had about 2-3 close calls but nothing major.

I was heading up to the mountains the other day in NC. There were two cars in front of me and an 18 wheeler behind me. The first car started slowing for a turn and when I checked my mirror for the truck's proximity I guess I looked to long. When I looked back at the cars they were stopped. The first and worse thing I did was lock the rear tire. I began to fishtail. The bike was easy to control if that makes sense. When I came to a stop, I had steered the skid to right side of the second car, and stopped about six inches forward of the rear bumper. Close. It was good day of riding after that once I got the seat out of my rump. That pucker effect was rough.

Had the front wheel slide out on gravel that washed onto the street from my neighbors driveway. The bike was three weeks old. Scratched the cowl and left mirror, tweaked the bars and shift lever a bit. Still rides great, will replace the bars after vacation.

The tip over switch works!
If it was going to happen I'm glad it did before the Givi's came in.

Dan

The first day I was riding my first bike (my new V) I was on a sleepy little road doing about 35 mph when a suburban driving soccer mom came flying around a blind curve 2/3 of the way in my lane. Luckily I was on the inside of the corner...2 ft. over and it would have been an untimely end. It was all I could do to not turn around and send a rock through her windshield! All that to say it can happen to any of us at any time so keep your heads up...and that suv driving, phone-talking, soccer moms are the devil.

I don't feel so bad now. First day of riding after the MSF course on my brand new Versys. Came to a stop sign on a left hand sloping side street, went to put my left foot down and, OOH CRAP, nothing there and over I went bike and all. Bent the shift lever (I bent it back right then and there), and snapped the ball off of the clutch lever. Besides my pride, effort from picking the bike up going up hill, thats the only damage sustained. Boy did I feel like an idiot, thank God no one was around to see me. :eek:

I started a thread about my mishap; took a turn, hit gravel and went down. For a bike that is labeled dual purpose it doesn't handle all that well on gravel. There are few other people that say they tires are slick once you get leaned over a little to far. My brother-in-law and I were talking about it and he agrees that the bikes height and riders center of gravity might because some of these issues, I am not a rocket scientist though so I wouldn't know for sure.

I was wondering the same thing as the first post in this thread. Could you guys who have had "incidents" please tell us what kind and how much experience you have?

For you guys hitting gravel, I don't think that's the bike or the tires fault. The gravel is moving under the bike as you ride over it (like trying to walk on marbles). You've got to always look at the road and know what you're riding on/into/over and avoid, slow down or straighten up when you get to something slick like hot tar, gravel, oil, water etc. If you see some gravel covering the road, straighten up your line until you make it past the slick stuff. Don't go into turns that you can't see into so fast that you can't slow down to avoid a collision, or debris in the road.

I had the bike begin to fish tail on me when I locked up the rear brake the other day, which is why I'm looking for some better brake pads to help give me some feedback.

The Versys is certainly not a dual sport bike. The suspension is way too stiff and unforgiving, the tires are 100% street bike tires, and the front tire is only 17". Even a dirt bike leaned over in a turn on the street will slide around when it hits gravel on the road. I think an advantage to learning to ride on the dirt is that you get a feel for a bike sliding all around and riding on different surfaces.

I got stuck in a crack infront of my house. i was about 45ft away from my garage. only 1 mile on it. Cracked the low side cowling and snaped off my foot peg. about $500 in parts later...

4 of my friends have bikes. all 4 of them droped it during the first week of ownership. all of them minor things in the driveway. but now over 3000 miles and all is good :)

by the way this was no average crack... i have never been on my own motorcycle (i took an msf safty corse) and after years of driving on that street i didnt realize it was going to be a problem. this thing was a few inches deep and just as wide as the tire. some kid pulled out the rubber in the street to expose the crack.

This is not intended as a direct comment on anyone else's post, its just my thoughts on the matter. I've been riding bikes for 35 years, professionally, for commuting, and for fun. I've had one spill, early on, that taught me a major lesson. Never assume that because you know a stretch of road it means you can push the envelope on it. Conditions can change daily, let alone week to week. Of course, we will still "push it" from time to time, but we have only ourselves to blame if something bad happens.
Also, I have 2 basic rules when riding. 1) Everyone in a car is an idiot. 2) I'm invisible to all the idiots. I know its not always true, because I drive a car as I'm sure many of you do as well. But these rules serve as a reminder to me that I should never take anything for granted out there. Don't feel bad if you fall over. These machines only have 2 wheels and physics dictates what will happen if everything isn't just right.
We can't control every situation, but we still have the ability to affect the outcome in the majority of them. Practice, don't just ride. What do you practice? Whatever it is you feel the least comfortable with is a good place to start. I had to put about 500 km on my Versys before I really felt "at one" with it. If you don't ride on an almost daily basis, I recommend doing some practice slow turns, quick stops, and quick turns from stop. Do this at the start of your ride. Its a great way to wake up your body and brain. Think of it as a warm-up before your run. Have fun out there and keep the rubber on the road :)

I wrecked my FZ1 going slow a few years ago, being stupid, ran up too close to a car that stopped and I laid it down. :( It was a good lesson all the same.

Popster has some good advice, I agree 100% about the cagers, I always slow way down if I come up on anybody getting ready to turn or pull out of a drive way.

I mentioned looking for debris and stuff in the road that will screw you up, but don't fixate on it! We tend to ride where we look. If you see something that scares you, don't stare at it. Look where you want to go, look through the turn to where you need to wind up. Glance at the road surface enough to make sure you're not going to take a line on a bed of gravel mid turn, then get your eyes back where you need to go. Don't take left turn so close to the center lines that your body and bike are on the wrong side. I don't know why, but EVERY single time I ride some bozo takes a turn 1/2 into my lane, with out fail. Being slightly on the right side in a left turn has its advantages.

If you need to turn more, you can usually lean a little more and turn the bike sharper (mind over matter). I've got some riding pals that say they always freeze up in a panic and have a hard time with this, but it's saved my but more than once by forcing the bike to turn a little more at the last moment by leaning it way over. Just don't over do it, and of course if you're really pushing it already you may be out of luck.

(the edit feature stopped working for me....)

by the way this was no average crack... i have never been on my own motorcycle (i took an msf safty corse) and after years of driving on that street i didnt realize it was going to be a problem. this thing was a few inches deep and just as wide as the tire. some kid pulled out the rubber in the street to expose the crack.

This sounds like an edge trap - Hough explains this in several of his books. I got caught yesterday in an edge trap - that I shouldn't have. I passed a car on new asphalt and when I went into the oncoming lane I realized my mistake. The pavement dropped down to the old pavement about 3". The pavers only paved the lane I was in and not the oncoming lane. Luckilly no car was coming my way because I knew if I turned back on to my lane that the bike would have fell over immediately. I stuck it out until I could rejoin my lane about 500 yards later. I just didn't see the differential between the two lanes - I'll be adding that to my list of things to look out for.

This sounds like an edge trap - Hough explains this in several of his books. I got caught yesterday in an edge trap - that I shouldn't have. I passed a car on new asphalt and when I went into the oncoming lane I realized my mistake. The pavement dropped down to the old pavement about 3". The pavers only paved the lane I was in and not the oncoming lane. Luckilly no car was coming my way because I knew if I turned back on to my lane that the bike would have fell over immediately. I stuck it out until I could rejoin my lane about 500 yards later. I just didn't see the differential between the two lanes - I'll be adding that to my list of things to look out for.

this is close to what i had. i am a very novice rider. i just hit 3000 miles, i strive every day to become a safer rider. now i just know to keep a very very close eye on the road. I just made a mistake that i will never make again.




what book are you talking about by hough?

Proficient Motorcycling
http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1933958359/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215460906&sr=8-1
and
http://www.amazon.com/More-Proficient-Motorcycling-Mastering-Ride/dp/1931993033/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215460983&sr=1-2

Ordered the Kawasaki/Givi side bags for mine when I bought it-They came in a week later after I had gotten used to the bike. Went on easy enough-but when I pushed her into the garage, i forgot to adjust for the extra width, bumped my truck with the bag, and down I go. Of course I ws on the wrong side of the bike and could do much but guide the fall to a semi soft spot(paint can) and keep it from going all the way down to the cement! Picked it up and had zero damage-Whew!! Glad no one saw that!! Then the other day I had a light change on me at a known bad intersection and I grabbed the binders- The back locked momentarily and I had to ask myself if that just happened?! It controlled really great and stopped no probs. Blame it ion the greasy road!!(my friend just laughed. Of course the most sickening sound happened 15 years ago several times- I might add. Pulled into a car wash set the side stand walked away to get change and whats that I heard?clang!! Side stand just folded- Thats one of the worst sounds you can hear!! LOL

what book are you talking about by hough?

David Hough as HeeHaw provided the links for. Hough should be your primary read right now. His writings will save your butt. The reason I knew about edge-traps is because of Hough, I know many of these things because of Hough. I read his books over and over again. Before I even grabbed my first pair of handle-bars I read Hough.

Then the other day I had a light change on me at a known bad intersection and I grabbed the binders- The back locked momentarily and I had to ask myself if that just happened?! It controlled really great and stopped no probs. Blame it ion the greasy road!!(my friend just laughed.

I'm going to say it again, 'Read Hough'. I know I'm being preachy but you never grab the binders, it's a squeeze. Also, you put on the front brake a second before you add the rear. This allows the weight to transfer onto your front wheel to prevent it from locking up. Then just rest your foot on the rear brake - that's enough to help you scrub off speed. Also, knowing that was a bad intersection meant you should have been prepared for a quick stop by resting your finger tips on the clutch and brake. You can tell me to stuff it and I don't mind - but we are here to help each other stay alive and not just show off our shiny new bikes. :)

I agree with Ocean on the Hough books - I made my wife read Proficient Motorcycling cover-to-cover before I agreed to take her out on the road with her new (first) motorcycle. As I'm getting reacquainted with riding this year (after a few years off), I had read the book too and it reminded me of a lot of things I had forgotten.

As I said to my wife, as a new rider, her mental attitude hasn't yet adjusted to the level of discretion she needs to ride a bike in traffic (we're in NJ where people are very aggressive and careless). The Hough books provide practical information about the different situations, like edge traps, that you'll encounter.

We have been riding with me in the lead most of the time and for the couple times that I let her lead in order to evaluate her riding, I could tell that she wasn't recognizing some risks by her not slowing down for certain situations where I would back it waaay down.

On the other hand - I've had a few wake-up calls myself in the last few weeks and have picked up the book a couple times to just refresh and hammer the information into my skull.

I think my primary problem is that I have a tendency to let my mind wander at points (especially after I've been riding a while). It's a mentally challenging activity at all times, and it does take some time to acclimate to the demands riding places on you.

I've started wearing earplugs every time I ride and I've noticed a lot less fatigue at the end of the trip than I had before. I also don't have nearly the problems with my hearing that was coming back without them (ringing/tinnitus).

Both of Hough's books are great. I borrowed both from my Karate instructor and studied them cover to cover before taking the MSF BRC to get my license. I'm going to purchase my own copies soon as refreshers. :thumb:

I think my primary problem is that I have a tendency to let my mind wander at points (especially after I've been riding a while). It's a mentally challenging activity at all times, and it does take some time to acclimate to the demands riding places on you.


I have the same issue - but I think a lot of riders do. It's why Hough and others say, 'Keep your mind on the ride all the way to the garage.' When I start thinking about the tuna casserole or the lawn that needs mowing - I know I need a break. I practiced yoga for many years and still do a small practice - but the whole idea about yoga is not the exercises at all - it's the focusing of the mind on the task at hand. Motorcycling requires this same level of awareness.

Sadly, I'll have to get in on this list. I had about 200mi on the bike and ask my wife if she wanted to take it around the block. (her first ride) So we spent some time going over the controls and shifting, turning, braking, etc. When she felt OK, she took off for a slow ride. A little shaky, but seemed to do OK. When she came back, she decided to turn in the driveway, but with the cars setting there, she didn't want to pull all the way in, so she wound up stopping with the rear tire on the street pavement and the front tire starting up the incline of the drive which put her foot right at the trough of the curb...the ground was suddenly about 5-6 inches lower than it would be if the bike was on flat ground. Once the tip-over momentum started, she couldn't stop it and over the bike went.

I now have a nice two-finger clutch handle and a few scratches on the alternator cover...but I guess it gives the bike character.

I'm going to say it again, 'Read Hough'. I know I'm being preachy but you never grab the binders, it's a squeeze. Also, you put on the front brake a second before you add the rear. This allows the weight to transfer onto your front wheel to prevent it from locking up. Then just rest your foot on the rear brake - that's enough to help you scrub off speed. Also, knowing that was a bad intersection meant you should have been prepared for a quick stop by resting your finger tips on the clutch and brake. You can tell me to stuff it and I don't mind - but we are here to help each other stay alive and not just show off our shiny new bikes. :)
I should be a little clearer- I have been riding for 20 years now. I am still getting used to the versys which is why i applied the brake a little too judiciously. I am a very cautious rider due to a wipe out over 100 mph (being stupid of course) 16 years ago. I dont take chances as a rule, but I am interested in looking more at the book you mentioned. I had more than enough time to make the light-but I would have left my riding partner behind so I chose to stop.

I had browsed Hough's "Proficient Motorcycling" over a year ago while I was spending a couple of week-ends at my son's house over in Seattle. I was very impressed by both the content and his style.

I had filed the info in the back of my pea-sized old brain, but had forgotten the name of the author... this reminder caused me to go to the Amazon site and order both the original and the follow-on, "More Proficient Motorcycling".

Will give me some life-saving reading while working some grave yard shifts in the near future. :thumb:

My wife did two zero speed drops on the right-hand side while trying it in a parking lot (she's a little short for the bike).

And, I had a slightly more exciting drop on the left side while trying to start on a hill... :(

Ahem. Anyway.....

In general, I'd say that almost any drop is going to fark up your levers, and that a drop on the left side seems to do a lot more damage... However, the handlebar end-weights seem to really help by keeping the cowlings off the ground (at zero/low speeds anyway).

The bike needs crashbars that protect the alternator cover and lever guards (or pivot-style levers).

Here is mine, I started a new thread then found this thread on crashes.

Had quite the experience on the Versys (500miles on it so far) day before yesterday.

It was hot (87 F) and sunny and hecka humid. My wife wanted to mail some letters, so we went for a ride. Normally we walk to the post office, but on the V was it a 30 mile trip. Coming back across the Mississippi on the half mile long, 2 lane, busy, with about a 1 foot wide shoulder highway 20 bridge she gets fidgety and says something I can't hear in my ear. Then at the half way point she just slumped down and hit my right elbow with her helmet. OH ****! I grabbed her left leg to keep her on the bike and slowed down until we could get over. At about 30mph I hit the kill switch and just kicked it down thru the gears to slow up while still holding her on the bike by the leg with my left hand. At about 5mph I flopped it over the curb and onto the grass.

After a check out she is ok, the bike has some small scratches on the plastic by the engine and my jeans are grass stained. The only injury she got is a big old bruise from me grabbing the meat of her thigh that hard for that long.

Turns out she said was feeling sick. We figured out that she had been working in an un-air conditioned office all day and didn't drink any water before we went out and got overheated/dehydrated.

So, that is my scariest ever experience on a motorcycle. It will probably be a while to work back up to going 2 up again. At least now the first scratch it taken care of.:) The V had no problems other than it wanted to be turned off for a bit to reset after laying on it's side.

Thanks for listening.

Paul

I havent crashed the V yet, but I did crash my SV a few years back. Got cocky on a road I had never been on and was trying to run down a couple of R1s. They kept holding me up in the turns (the SV rails like the V so you can fly through the turns with major confidence) and then gapping me on the straights. Back in them days, you wouldve thought there was a championship and a check waiting for me at the top of the hill by the way I would charge the roads.

So I decided to pass going into a turn. BAD MOVE! I made the pass safely but it put my entry into the turn all wrong. To make matters worse I came in hot so I was trying to scrub speed. This turn from hell, un beknownst to me, was a pretty major decreasing radius turn. Here is the end result. I got up and walked away (full leathers) and took this shot. You can see how broken up the guys I was riding with were.

I tipped my Versys over this afternoon when it did not catch on the right-side swingarm spool. Should have been wearing my glasses, I suppose. No real damage, though.

But I do understand the loss of concentration very well. It is by far the number one reason for me getting into any sort of trouble while riding. I was riding with a friend a few days ago who was listening to an audiobook with earplugs that completely seal his ears. I wanted to tell him to take the earplugs out and enjoy the ride.

I have dropped mine twice. The first time I rode it to work I grabbed the front brake too hard when I got into the parking space and the bike pitched back on me. I lost my footing. I think I broke it's fall, no damage! Since then I have increased the rebound dampening in the front and it doesn't pitch back as bad. Then a couple of weeks ago I got caught on an uphill start at a stop sign with a rise where I couldn't really see what was coming. Started out too slow and got to the rise were I couldn't reach the ground and dropped it again. This time the cowling around the gas tank and radiator got scratched, the right turn signal shattered and the right foot peg broke off and stuck in the asphault. Everything except the scratches has been fixed...going to wait a little while before I replace those. This is my first bike. Rode lot's of bikes as kid, but never owned one. Just have to learn to think about what I am going to do before I get into these situations.

They say most accidents happen close to home! I was coming home, about to turn in to gravel driveway, but at last moment as putting on both brakes decided to turn early and go through the front ditch. Dry grass big slope for fairly deep ditch, didn't let go of the front brake in time as when the front wheel hit the grass, slid down like SLAP.

I didn't even have time to put my foot down, jumped back up and lifted the bike up (it died as I was trying to lift it). Bent handlebar, scruffed left side case, plastic, bent shift lever, tweaked forks. I fixed it with new handlebar and remounted forks.

The stiff suspension (especially front) makes for slippery conditions if upset while turning, plus the OEM tires are hard and slippery also.

I second reading the book by Hough, my wife and I both read it over and over. I have been riding bikes for 46 years, so you never get too old to learn safe handling practices!

Deer hit me Tuesday night. Banged the heck out of my left shin and broke the left cowling over the gas tank. Had armoured boots and pants that probably helped alot. Didn't go down but thought the leg was broken for awhile. Beware riding at night folks.

I have had my Versys for less than a month and two weeks after I brought it home I was heading to work one morning. And came across of one of our great southern Maryland drivers, large SUV, cell phone in one hand just taking away. The guy was getting closer (tailgating) right from the start of the red light. When the line of car in front of me hit the brake lights and stopped. I had plenty of room between the car in front of me and stopped about 10 feet from bumper. Then all I hear was tires screaming louder and louder, looked in the mirror and the SUV was slidding and turning side ways. When he stop (about 6 feet behind me) I turned to look and he just took off in the other lane. Never put the darn phone down. That was close enought for me to make sure that if I get in that postion again I will be on the outside of lane and watching the car behind me very close. I saw a guy get hit like this about two years ago, was not a pretty sight. Always keep an eye out for the drivers that do not look out for you.

I lowsided my first Versys because I was leaned over so far that the Givi on the right side touched down and picked the rear wheel off the pavement. The footrest had my foot pressed against the engine so hard that I could not move it. I should have had my foot off the rest but I just did not have any ideal that I was that hot into the corner. The Versys slide across the hi-way and flipped when it got to the curb. They just handle so good that you just do not realize just how fast you are going. I know now just how far I can go before it breaks loose. Have been taking it easier on this one. :D

Have been taking it easier on this one. :D

My asss

Deer hit me Tuesday night. Banged the heck out of my left shin and broke the left cowling over the gas tank. Had armoured boots and pants that probably helped alot. Didn't go down but thought the leg was broken for awhile. Beware riding at night folks.


Holy crap! I almost hit a small bear a couple weeks ago. Dern animals man!

I started a thread about my mishap; took a turn, hit gravel and went down. For a bike that is labeled dual purpose it doesn't handle all that well on gravel. There are few other people that say they tires are slick once you get leaned over a little to far. My brother-in-law and I were talking about it and he agrees that the bikes height and riders center of gravity might because some of these issues, I am not a rocket scientist though so I wouldn't know for sure.
FYI - BIG difference between a bit of gravel over pavement, and gravel/dirt road! My KLR will slip on the first and ROOST on the second!:yeahsmile:
Ed

I hit a bear last spring while riding the DRZ. It hurt pretty bad. :(

The Versys will go onto USFS roads ,I made a couple of vids. The camera mount vibrated a lot but you can see that it is a pretty stable bike.

http://media.putfile.com/First-Versys-dirt-ride

I hit a bear last spring while riding the DRZ. It hurt pretty bad. :(

Did it hurt the bear?

The bike?

Or you?

;)

The Versys will go onto USFS roads ,I made a couple of vids. The camera mount vibrated a lot but you can see that it is a pretty stable bike.

http://media.putfile.com/First-Versys-dirt-ride

Are you riding on stock tires?

I rode on a similar road and it took the entire width of the road to keep it moving forward at 10mph. I thought the stock tires grip on loose gravel was horrific, and I'm not planning on trying it ever again without new tires.

Did it hurt the bear?

The bike?

Or you?

;)

Broke it's back. It was shot latter on.

Are you riding on stock tires?

I rode on a similar road and it took the entire width of the road to keep it moving forward at 10mph. I thought the stock tires grip on loose gravel was horrific, and I'm not planning on trying it ever again without new tires.

Those were the stock tires. The other video I have is with the Scorpion Syncs. Check it out. :D

Are you riding on stock tires?

I rode on a similar road and it took the entire width of the road to keep it moving forward at 10mph. I thought the stock tires grip on loose gravel was horrific, and I'm not planning on trying it ever again without new tires.



I've also ridden in some forests on dirt and gravel roads. In the rain. On the stock tires. They seem fine to me.

Seriously, if its THAT bad, check out the suspension and your tire pressure. I don't think the V's tires deserve half the blame they take. If everything is OK, you're probably just not used to how the bike feels on dirt. It's going to move around a bit more under you.


Cool videos Mountain Man.

I've changed my tune on the tires. Not so bad - after what I did with the bike in West Virginia between the curves, the gravel and the back roads. I've got over 5000 miles on them right now and still doing Ok. I'll be looking for replacements soon enough but that's due to wear and not a particular problem with the tires.

Mountainrider:
What tires are you running? Stockers?
Ed

Mountainrider:
What tires are you running? Stockers?
Ed

I have used the Scorpion Syncs, Stradas and now the Avon Storms on the Versys. So far I like the Storms the best. A lot of thread all the way to the edge of the tire. Really feels grippy in the rain. Plus the sides should last a lot longer. :thumb:

I've also ridden in some forests on dirt and gravel roads. In the rain. On the stock tires. They seem fine to me.

Seriously, if its THAT bad, check out the suspension and your tire pressure. I don't think the V's tires deserve half the blame they take. If everything is OK, you're probably just not used to how the bike feels on dirt. It's going to move around a bit more under you.


Cool videos Mountain Man.

You know, there may be an element of truth to that. But I was coming off an actual dirt bike with knobbies, so maybe I had gotten too used to having traction available.

At the time, the V had <100 miles on it and was less than 2 days out of a crate. Front was about 38psi (from the dealer) rear was 32psi (from the dealer).

I now run 31/36 and am much happier.

You have to realize that dirtbikes have about 100mm of sag while most people run about 32mm of street sag. If you do a lot of dirt riding I would suggest making the bike a little softer. I just do it every now and then and I keep my Versys on the stiff side.

I also ride a Husky TE450 with fresh Pirellis. :)

Yeah, the V doesn't grip like knobs, far from it. But it's controllable, mostly. ;) Just don't go balls out like on a real dirt bike.