Crossing a river?

[captinktm]

I have just read an article in this months ABR about river crossing and how it should be done.
I have to disagree on most of the major points.

Firstly, Just walking into an unknown river has to be done properly. You should if possible take a stick or some sort of support and enter the water facing up steam. If the river is deep then walking sideways helps. If the water is deep and flowing fast then you will need to find a safe diagonal route heading up steam at an angle of 45 degree (ish). You also have to find an easy out. Probably even more important than where you get in.

Secondly, if the water is over a 300 mm deep(ish) and moving then you enter with the bike facing up stream 45 degrees to the current and try to cross at this angle (ish) you will find that with a strong current the bike will still naturally want to cross the river in a straight line this is call ferry gliding. You should keep the bike at this kind of angle because once turned down steam your troubles will really start. You should maintain a constant throttle and use the clutch to adjust your speed, maintaining forward momentum at all costs. This may mean hopping off (up stream side) a pushing! Never over rev the bike, just steady as she goes.

Thirdly, Do not stand up unless you are 100% sure of the condition of the river bottom, and current, even then I teach guys to sit down with there legs off the pegs. If you are an expert then stand, but I have seen some top guys, including Enduro World Champs take a swim because a rock as taken their front wheel. This way if you hit something unexpected or the current takes your front wheel you have some chance of saving it. If you are standing the bike will be in the water before your feet have a chance to steady the bike.

Fourthly, even if you manage to kill the engine before its submerged, I would not risk starting on the button. It really depends on the situation but it takes milliseconds for water to get into some air boxes.

Another tip with carbed bikes is to make sure 2 of the 4 float bowl vent pipes are routed up to the head stock. This will stop the death cough half way across the river.

[SteveR]

Cannot see much (if anything!) to disagree with there, especially No3!! (thumbs)

[Richard Simpson]

Sound advice...

[minkyhead]

deffo feet down ...last year there wer 8 bikes under on the strta ....standing is vanity not sanity for me

i would say if the currant is that strong you have to angle the bike to follow it like a crown green bowl you want your head testing but that just me ...h e he

[Tramp]

Well...best advice is dont go in water...yeh I know now lol :whistle:

We did the strata last dry august and we walked the wide deep bit 2 on one bike and apart from wet boots nothing happened.....compared to my portugal episode..

Ive since found very few rivers dont have bridges near by ...deep puddles on uk byeways are just as bad, hidden objects in muddywater..

[Kenbo]

So how do they do this?

Urals crossing a river

[captinktm]

So how do they do this?

Urals crossing a river

This is not the first time they have done this, and they do exactly as I said or they would now be in the Black Sea. Oh and they are crazy Russian's

[Kenbo]

Understand everything you are saying. The angle approach and sitting down to catch the bike if it slips

I take it that the bikes in the film must then have had the air intake changed in some way before they enterd the water. Just it looks like at some point the whole bike is submerged.

[captinktm]

Understand everything you are saying. The angle approach and sitting down to catch the bike if it slips

I take it that the bikes in the film must then have had the air intake changed in some way before they enterd the water. Just it looks like at some point the whole bike is submerged.

Yes I agree at one point the bikes are under water, they may well have had remote breathers, but as long as you keep moving forwards you will probably get away with it. KTM enduro bikes are best with the river coming from the right (opposite the air filter cover) Then I have had the water coming over the seat and still made it. Anther reason not to over rev the bike, because if you are they are taking in a massive amount of air and surviving a quick dunk in unlikely.

[captinktm]

Well...best advice is dont go in water...yeh I know now lol :whistle:

We did the strata last dry august and we walked the wide deep bit 2 on one bike and apart from wet boots nothing happened.....compared to my portugal episode..

Ive since found very few rivers dont have bridges near by ...deep puddles on uk byeways are just as bad, hidden objects in muddywater..

I was doing the Welsh Two day one year and it was monster wet. Strata Florida was proper death, with the first cross being so deep the sidecar guys carried the outfit through. At the half way point a guy in front of me (probably with a brain) jumped in to the water with his RMX 250 smoker flat out, no he did n't make it and the engine had hydro locked and ripped the barrel out of the crank case! One of the leaders lost his bike which they found 2 weeks later down steam, it had no plastic's or tyres, in fact only the engine and frame where recognisable.