

One second you are up, then next you are down! I should know despite crossing heaps of craggy creeks my only two failures have both been on concrete causeways because of slime. They look benign, but they can hide slime which has as much traction as ice. Never underestimate concrete causeways.A recent flood may have gouged out some holes, while long periods without rain may have increased the growth of slime in stagnant or slow-moving water. Don’t assume you know the crossing just because you’ve been through before.If it isn’t going to clear, you will need to spend longer probing with that stick. If the water is murky because 4WDs or other bikes have just been through, wait for it to clear. Water always looks shallower than it really is, so use a stick to give you a proper gauge of depth. While your bike is cooling, walk through the crossing to check the bottom of the crossing for mud, sand, clay, submerged rocks, slime, logs and deep holes.You wouldn’t wash your bike as soon as you get home, so you shouldn’t ride a bike with a hot engine straight into cold water. However, if you do have to cross creeks or even rivers, these are the top 10 precautions you should take: Unnecessary water crossings can cause bike damage, injury and can slow you and your mates down as it can take a good hour to de-drown a bike. I don’t want to be a damp squib (pun) on your fun, but the best way to negotiate water crossings is to go around them, if you can. Yet, I’m still extremely cautious and would advise others to also exercise caution. In all that time, I’ve only had two failures and only one of those resulted in a drowned bike. They are a blast and I still enjoy it, even after countless water crossings. Water crossings are possibly the most fun you can have on an adventure or dual-sport motorcycle.
