I took an off-road riders course on my modded livewire, here's how it went

Cool to see you out doing it. Are you feeling like you chose the right path here? I wasn't completely clear if you had a off road motorcycle background. As a Mt biker the idea of taking my LW off road seems crazy. Even a 300lbs dual sport sounds wacky but at least they have the clearance etc etc. So sort of want the light weight zero for this. But I don't think I would ever want a 1250GS. If I am gonna be hopping over logs ain't no way I want some crazy big bike. Maybe a 800 but probably even lighter. At some point it just seems like take a more comfortable bike and a chain saw and shovel. I do the common thead video of the xmas tree cutting. I think I am sort of at best a scrambler guy. Otherwise just put on the hitch rack and give me something more fun. Have you looked into the chain conversion?

I was wondering that too. Do the electrics gain some range offroad with the lower speeds?

Travesty said:

Awesome video! Looks like a blast! I'm curious how the terrain effects your range vs the other bikes. In theory I would think you would get much better range and they would get much worse at the lower speeds your doing.

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That was my theory as well, however I believe the weight plus a constant traction slippage (on gravel at least), climbing terrain, and some aggressive tires - range gets hit quite a bit. When I was running the scorcher adventure tires (stock Pan America tires), my wH/mi was around 120-122, however with Anakee Wilds (50/50), my range is around 135 off-road. This is all before adding my bags and gear for weight - so it's looking like I'm going to get 90-100 miles at best off-road. I've yet to have the opportunity to test the range fully, as it takes a bit longer to traverse off-road.

xophere said:

Cool to see you out doing it. Are you feeling like you chose the right path here? I wasn't completely clear if you had a off road motorcycle background. As a Mt biker the idea of taking my LW off road seems crazy. Even a 300lbs dual sport sounds wacky but at least they have the clearance etc etc. So sort of want the light weight zero for this. But I don't think I would ever want a 1250GS. If I am gonna be hopping over logs ain't no way I want some crazy big bike. Maybe a 800 but probably even lighter. At some point it just seems like take a more comfortable bike and a chain saw and shovel. I do the common thead video of the xmas tree cutting. I think I am sort of at best a scrambler guy. Otherwise just put on the hitch rack and give me something more fun. Have you looked into the chain conversion?

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Thanks. This project isn't just about having an off-road capable motorcycle - anyone can buy one that is decently ready to handle the task. I wanted a project that would challenge me, force me to learn new skillsets and do something that I thought was incredibly cool - take a livewire and have my own Long Way Up adventures. There will always be something better, faster, lighter, more agile, etc around the corner - I didn't want to chase shadows, just wanted to follow a passion of mine which is riding LiveWires and having a blast.

As far as chain conversion, it's certainly possible and is more durable. Just comes down to the effort required to design, test, prototype, etc. If I start to hit walls with what the bike can manage, I'll look into it. However, if Ewan and Charley can manage 13k miles with a belt, I think I should be okay for a while.

Makes sense. On both counts. I mean your typical off road isn't flat. I am sure you get less on regen and you are probably climbing and descending way more.