Sand hard on things?

[300rman]

Does riding in the sand tear your stuff up?
my buddy went to silver lake for a weekend on a brand new 400ex and came back with torn out rear-end bearings and a few other torn up things.

does the sand tear your stuff up, or was he just unlucky?

[super90]

Well if your seals are bad I know the sand could get in there and ruin stuff. But after a long long time in the sand I think it could act as a sand blaster would but with less force. I know riding in dunes/ near salt water will rust bare metal and chains too.

[RedRider_AK]

Sand puts constant strain against the drivetrain of the machine, because you're always scooping sand and not just rolling on it. Yeah it's a little harder on bearings and stuff.

[300rman]

i meant like the sand tears out your bearings in a weekend type tear up. not so much added strain on the tranny, that would be an obvious point lol......ever walked a distance in the dunes? it sucks ass

[Rustytinhorn]

Sand and mud are probably the two hardest elements on your machine. Sand is relentless. Once it gets in crack it will sit and grind away at your machine. Sand is hard on your seals. It will stick to any slightly tacky surface, including any surface with oil or even oil residue on it, including chains. Once you get sand in your bearings, chances are youll never get it all back out. Better to just get new bearings. The best thing to do to protect against sand is to have a clean, tight bike. No oil anywere. That means seals and gaskets must be in excellent condition.
So to answer your question, no, your bike should not get torn up in one trip if it is tight like said before. If you have bad seals, and you get a little sand past them, it probabily wouldn't take very long to start eating at your bearings. But having them "torn-out" after only one trip.....he must have been eating a lot of sand. But then again, crazy stuff happens all the time. Yes, sand is hard on a machine.

[breastman569]

i have done more damage to my machines in the desert than in the sand and ive been ridding in the dunes for a very long time. if your not and idiot and keep your rig clean and keep up on the maintenance than there is no reason for anything to happen. i hate it when people say how bad the sand is for your rides and most of these people have never ridden in sand before. 300rman if you have the chance to ride in the sand do it! dont be a pussy because you think the sand is going to rip your machine apart because it wont.

and RedRider what are you talking about that your always scooping sand what do you think the bike sinks in the sand and you have to dig your way out the whole time your ridding? have you ever felt how soft the sand it? just like anything else once you get rolling your right on top of the softest, smoothest terrain that you can be on.

[300rman]

im going to the dunes this summer. just trying to get an idea of what to expect.

[cr480r]

im going to the dunes this summer. just trying to get an idea of what to expect.

Expect to have a blast... sand does wear on things, but its nothing to be concerned with.. Your buddies 400ex was just a fluke... Here in oregon the biggest threat to the machine(and rider) is other people running into you...

[Tri-Z Pilot]

If it was a brand new machine, you know not everything that rolls off the assembley line is put together is 100%. The first time I ripped on my brand spankin new 01 blaster (15 mins new), I came off a little bump and felt the ass end sag then watch the rear tire roll past me. As it turned out when the dealer assembled the bike they forgot to install a cotter pin on the castel nut. Got $300 worth of credit and my blaster fixed, man I miss that thing!

[Rustytinhorn]

Expect to have a blast... sand does wear on things, but its nothing to be concerned with.. Your buddies 400ex was just a fluke... Here in oregon the biggest threat to the machine(and rider) is other people running into you...


Very well said.

True True. Your more likely to crash or be crashed into first before you lose a bearing to sand.

[The Goat]

ever have a romantic interlude on a beach? same principle. it gets...EVERYWHERE lol