I've taken my 450+ lbs Ducati off-road many times.
One day along the powerlines I tried to cross a tiny little stream about 2-3" deep and roughly 4.5 feet across. The bottom was muddy and had deep truck ruts through it. The ruts were maybe 5-6" deep.
I thought hey I got knobby tires so I can skirt around the side of a rut.
Instead the big heavy bike succumbed to gravity and slid right into the rut, knobby tires be darned.
What a time I had getting the thing out of that rut. A light little dirtbike would have laughed it off or never slip in in the 1st place.
At 1st I tried to use power. Hey I've got 110HP I can motor my way out.
On my 2nd or 3rd try I got most of the way out but then found traction in harder soil beneath the mud and torque twisted the bike hard to the right. Over we went into the mud. I found myself pinned under the thing with the header pipe slow cooking my thigh. Couldn't lift it more than a couple inches because of limited reach from my prone position. But it's mud so I did my impression of an earthworm and wriggled my way out. Went around the other side where footing was better and with much grunting got the bike upright. It was tough and I was winded from the exertion. But before I could catch my breath my feet started sliding out from under me because it's mud.
Now we went over the other direction but I managed not to get pinned this time. Back to square one.
With much more heaving and huffing I got it back up again. This time my back was hurting and my muscles got kind of rubbery. My heart rate was way up and I was sweating profusely. It was July and quite hot and humid. My feet slid out again....
Totally out of breath now so just sat in the stream recovering. At last I took another shot. I wrestled and cursed and this time the progress was much slower. And hurt twice as much. Veins in my head were throbbing and a headache came on. But I got it up. I knew if it went down again I wouldn't be able to lift it again. I would need help or a wrecker. This time once was up I quckly started the motor and under power I walked the bike further down the patch of the rut. I got it to a point beyond the stream into the grass and rreeds where eventually it got stuck in more clay like mud. At this point I could let go because the muddy rut could hold the bike up for me now that it was deeper, narrower and sided by harder earth.
I walked around weighing my options awhile and catching my breath. I hurt everywhere now. All my joints were complaining loudly.
Finally I power walked the bike further down the rut and into taller reeds which I hoped had enough roots to make the earth firmer. And sure enough it paid off. I managed to power the bike up and out of the rut now that it had measure of traction.
But I had to go back the way I came because the powerlines road dead ended at the interstate where it was all fenced in. This meant going back through the stream again.
So I picked a line in the dead middle between the ruts and got the bike up to about 18 MPH. Splashed right through the deepest and widest part like it was a puddle. The bottom turned out to be harder there. I discovered this while wallowing around in the water earlier.
I went home and bandaged my leg and then tended to the bike.
Left hand guard cracked up and right mirror shattered like an egg.
Got a takeoff mirror from a guy on the Ducati forum for $15 but the only option for the handguard was to buy it new for some exorbitant amount and wait a month for it to ship from Spaghettiland.
Hot glue gun to the rescue. After 2 years that guard is still holding up too.
This all could have easily cost me a bunch more money in parts and repairs. Possibly a trip to the ER. And then the scary possibility of law enforcement if I'd had to call the wrecker. Around here the cops impound the bikes of riders caught on the powerlines. Scary crap.
I play it much safer now and have plans to just get a cheap 250cc dual sport for mucking around in the woods.
Let this be a precautionary tale for those wanting to take big ADV bikes down trails.
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