Gravel Roads

[foggyhelmet]

First and foremost reason I got the pcx-150 is the gas mileage and the nimble feel with a straightforward look. Anytime I need to port around town it's a no-brainer. Saves money and adds fun.

Now, talking about road trips I've taken it out on the highway and it works fine. I don't feel the need to be a speed demon....happy just trucking along at 60 mph and braving the crosswinds. Still fun. Love it.

Now, there are some gravel side roads I will be wanting to traverse. Probably about 15 out of 250 miles. Not just pea gravel but some big rocks too. The idea is not for off-roading sport it's mostly to access locations that do not have fully paved roads yet. I just want to take it easy, ride the gravel roads, enjoy a stop or two, and turn around a day or two later and head back.

I've seen some videos of riders taking it on dirt roads that are fairly flat and there's no issue there.

My question is will my clearances be fine so long as I watch for dips? Is there anything I could damage on the pcx that would make the ride over gravel not worth it? Tire-wise I would probably get something with better tread.

Is it possible to complete the trip, make it home, wash it down and still have a fully functional bike?

I can sense there might be issues, but I want to see if anyone has personal stories or perspective that might give me a good idea of what the pcx-150's capabilities are and direct experience with gravel of different sizes.

[you you]

First and foremost reason I got the pcx-150 is the gas mileage and the nimble feel with a straightforward look. Anytime I need to port around town it's a no-brainer. Saves money and adds fun.

Now, talking about road trips I've taken it out on the highway and it works fine. I don't feel the need to be a speed demon....happy just trucking along at 60 mph and braving the crosswinds. Still fun. Love it.

Now, there are some gravel side roads I will be wanting to traverse. Probably about 15 out of 250 miles. Not just pea gravel but some big rocks too. The idea is not for off-roading sport it's mostly to access locations that do not have fully paved roads yet. I just want to take it easy, ride the gravel roads, enjoy a stop or two, and turn around a day or two later and head back.

I've seen some videos of riders taking it on dirt roads that are fairly flat and there's no issue there.

My question is will my clearances be fine so long as I watch for dips? Is there anything I could damage on the pcx that would make the ride over gravel not worth it? Tire-wise I would probably get something with better tread.

Is it possible to complete the trip, make it home, wash it down and still have a fully functional bike?

I can sense there might be issues, but I want to see if anyone has personal stories or perspective that might give me a good idea of what the pcx-150's capabilities are and direct experience with gravel of different sizes.

I think that if you potter along the off road sections you will be fine

[Mel46]

We have on occasion taken our scooters onto dirt roads, but we rode them very carefully. Even the best riders won't ride on gravel roads with no concern for what is under their wheels, but with care you should have no problems. There is a plastic pan on the bottom of the scooter that will protect most of it.

[Mgalutia88]

My personal experience on large gravel wih stock tires was that 10-15mph was max speed to be comfortably in contral and not have the handle bars riled out of my hands. It was not enjoyable at all but worked. Ground clearance will be a non issue. I would try something like a city grip? In a 140/70-14 for the rear to help stability.

[maddiedog]

I don't see you having any issues. I've traveled on a lot of gravel roads and some fire roads through a forest. I never had an issue, even on a couple of minor creek crossings or in the rain. Just make sure you don't go in deep water (if you get water up to the fairings, you likely will get water in your crankcase or final drive), and be careful with road tires, it can get squirrelly. Don't expect to haul ass, most of my offroading has been at under 10mph.

A member here, Snoopy, took his PCX all around the world, including thousands of miles of offroading. He only ran into a problem when the engine threw a rod, most likely from water intrusion from going in too deep of water.

[you you]

Are these country roads?

Do they take you home?

[Mgalutia88]

How many miles did snoopy have before he hydro locked it?

[maddiedog]

Thread of his epic journey here:http://hondapcx.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=526, post about bike doom here: http://www.andrewcharnley.com/?i=conten ... ead&id=361

Hydro lock / video of ridiculous creek crossing: http://hondapcx.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t ... 870#p11870. I'm unsure how many miles he had, or how far he went after he hydrolocked before failure. Hydrolock requires a complete rebuild, and he didn't have that option, so I'm 99% sure that was the root cause of failure.

[foggyhelmet]

We have on occasion taken our scooters onto dirt roads, but we rode them very carefully. Even the best riders won't ride on gravel roads with no concern for what is under their wheels, but with care you should have no problems. There is a plastic pan on the bottom of the scooter that will protect most of it.

It's done well so far. Added city grips recently so we'll see how those do off road in the near future.

I've found having 'skis' help a great deal for slips. I do have to break a rule and let my legs hang off the sides with minimal ground contact. Using legs as guides and balances not as brakes. Was able to do a ton of sandy terrain that way.

If I haven't added actual skis to my bike in ten years, I will be surprised. For ice, of course. The PCX is a very versatile bike.

[you you]

We have on occasion taken our scooters onto dirt roads, but we rode them very carefully. Even the best riders won't ride on gravel roads with no concern for what is under their wheels, but with care you should have no problems. There is a plastic pan on the bottom of the scooter that will protect most of it.

It's done well so far. Added city grips recently so we'll see how those do off road in the near future.

I've found having 'skis' help a great deal for slips. I do have to break a rule and let my legs hang off the sides with minimal ground contact. Using legs as guides and balances not as brakes. Was able to do a ton of sandy terrain that way.

If I haven't added actual skis to my bike in ten years, I will be surprised. For ice, of course. The PCX is a very versatile bike.

Excellent, post some skis pictures