scott123007
Well-Known Member
Chris, my intention was not to come off as snarky, but you may have read it that way. Sorry.
Standing on the pegs is the preferred technique for most off road riding, but not for the reasons many think. It does NOT lower your center of gravity, it actually raises it, but it does allow the bike to be moved around more independentlly from you, than if you were sitting. When you "weight" a peg, you are actually countersteering with the opposite hand than the foot you are using, and that is why it "feels" like you are steering with the peg you are pressing.
Just to be redundant about the COG point, imagine that you welded 2 five foot metal beams to your pegs pointing straight up over your seat. On top of that you weld a 100 lb metal ball. At any point starting from vertical, the bike will be harder to rock side to side. In fact, by the time that bike has leaned 20 degrees, it will be virtually impossible to keep it from falling the rest of the way over. Now, if you welded a 50 lb ball on each footpeg directly, THAT would lower your COG.
I actually have many years of off road experience and I can tell you that virtually nothing between riding my Husaberg FE450 and the Tenere off road, is a crossover. Hell, I ride that 600 lb pig with Pilot Road 4's everywhere anyone else rides them, but I wouldn't ride that Husaberg an inch without Knobbies!
If you have found some similarities in how you ride your dirt bike and the Tenere, please share them.
Standing on the pegs is the preferred technique for most off road riding, but not for the reasons many think. It does NOT lower your center of gravity, it actually raises it, but it does allow the bike to be moved around more independentlly from you, than if you were sitting. When you "weight" a peg, you are actually countersteering with the opposite hand than the foot you are using, and that is why it "feels" like you are steering with the peg you are pressing.
Just to be redundant about the COG point, imagine that you welded 2 five foot metal beams to your pegs pointing straight up over your seat. On top of that you weld a 100 lb metal ball. At any point starting from vertical, the bike will be harder to rock side to side. In fact, by the time that bike has leaned 20 degrees, it will be virtually impossible to keep it from falling the rest of the way over. Now, if you welded a 50 lb ball on each footpeg directly, THAT would lower your COG.
I actually have many years of off road experience and I can tell you that virtually nothing between riding my Husaberg FE450 and the Tenere off road, is a crossover. Hell, I ride that 600 lb pig with Pilot Road 4's everywhere anyone else rides them, but I wouldn't ride that Husaberg an inch without Knobbies!
If you have found some similarities in how you ride your dirt bike and the Tenere, please share them.
Last edited: