300km round trip over various terrain but around 50-60% of it on unsealed roads, one unscheduled stop when a puddle was a bit bigger than I thought and electric bits got a bit wet, 10-15 minutes to dry out and it was all go again
That’s a very good effort that distance on gravel in one day, I guess most Brits Won’t experience gravel roads like ours much, but the A10 (like most old Brit bikes) is VERY good on gravel for a road bike, keeping its line and generally feeling safe at speed.
For others reading, there is a huge network of gravel roads in nz, basically where the low usage doesn’t warrant sealing the road with tarmac. So called dual purpose bikes are popular here as a result, but my brothers gs1150 does not feel as safe on gravel as my A10.
I’m a bit of a novice on gravel but I’m gradually getting to grips with the “just go faster” advice! 80kmph is my confidence limit tho. My bike gets the “dust covered” look like yours only a few times a year. There is gravel involved in March, for the 2020 BSA National Rally (NZ).
The few times I’ve ridden on gravel on a modern bike have not gone well, a triumph street triple I owned was like riding on marbles, I guess due to the wide rear tyre, and the last straw was when it slid sideways down (an admittedly steep) camber on a straight section, nearly dumping me in the ditch at the side, oddly my goldwing is ok, apart from uphill sections where the rear can spin easily, and i would not want the job of lifting it back up if I did tip off it!
Couple of random pics from trips involving significant gravel attached, one from Taranaki on my b31, on the way to Auckland and shortly before the primary sh*t itself, the other on “moderns” from Apiti beach (nth Island east coast, near pongoroa).
And yes nz is motorcycling heaven.
