Yes in Africa i was carrying a spare clutch. You only need it if you dont ;-)

Mollydog, nice shots but look what bikes you have....light DS...
try the same with 210kg plus adventure bike. Way easier to kill the clutch
when you get buried in sand.

Sometimes I think bike makers have entirely missed the point. or at least they don't ride bikes habitually.
For instance my Triumph thunderbird has a six speed gearbox supposedly an improvement from the old 5 speed. But the thunderbird has an immensely flexible engine and does not need six speeds so going up through the box wastes time and makes the ride much more "busy" than it needs to be. what would be good would be to have neutral between 2nd and third and set the rest wider apart. top gear is fine, it does not need all the intermediate gears.. use 2nd as a "normal first gear and the 1st as a super low first so you can creep at tickover without slipping the clutch. Why such a piddly little battery ? especially as it has no kickstart.

Tremens, perhaps thats the problem, 210KGs adventure bikes perhaps adventure bikes should be smaller and lighter ???

or, clutches should be more robust and durable?

Well lets see - I carry clutch cable, throttle cable, rear brake pads, front brake pads, a sprocket set, cush rubber, rear wheel bearings, front wheel bearings, steering bearings, light bulb, all 4 levers, spark plug, innertubes front and rear..... but no clutch plates...

__________________
In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

It's true, some lightweight bikes in my shots but some XR600's too ... and my DR650 was there too on other trips shown.

210 kgs. is just TOO MUCH (for me). (see fallen R1200GS below) Expert level riders can do it but not me.
I've seen guys ride loaded GS's in sand and were able to make it through most times. It's all technique. I believe your 660 Tenere' may be right at the limit for doing deep sand.

My advice? If you can, ride very early in the AM ... sand is damp, not so soft.
Low pressure in tires. Helps!


My DR650 and friends XR600. I also rode a KLR650 around here ... not good!

But my friends XR600 and my DR650 did OK in the deep sand. A little faster pace is better, and tires at low pressure helps too! Stay in right gear and you may not have to slip clutch too much!

Most riders look down at their front tire ... doing that will have you on the ground or stalled, buried in sand! If you look WAY OUT FRONT ... it really helps!


Another fall in deep "Bull Dust" in Copper Canyon. (an area there where NO ONE HAS BEEN!) After 5 falls I took over riding the GS and guy in Yellow Aerostich rode my DL1000 Vstrom. He did better on the Vstrom ... no more falls. I rode the GS and it was TOUGH. I nearly killed myself a few times. The Bull Dust was created from HUGE logging trucks. The "Fesh Fesh"
was about one foot to 2 feet deep in places. You could not see your front tire at all and the deep dust created a "Wake" like driving a boat through water. Very strange! You could not see ROCK, STUMP, HOLE ahead. Very dangerous.

What bike are you traveling on?
I guess if you're traveling for a LONG LONG TIME, and never plan to stop in a place where parts are sold, then I guess you NEED all that stuff.

For me, I like to REPLACE some what you listed above with NEW parts before departure. Cables last years (on my bike), so do wheel and head bearings. Bulbs are sold in any medium sized town. I always begin trip with NEW Battery, new tires and NEW tubes as well. Cush drive can be "improvised" with bits of old inner tube.

I DO carry a spark plug, sprockets, levers (2) and 3 tubes.

Other than starting off the clutch should be either in or out.

Rather than 'slip' the clutch.. 'fan' it - rapidly in and out ... thus the clutch is on and off quickly. 'Slipping' the clutch will rapidly ware it out.. don't do it! 'Fan' it instead.

Sand ... the faster you go the easier it is. There are limits .. but they have to do with the terrain and your confidence. If your slipping the clutch .. you can probably go faster ... more engine power and clutch out. Fuel consumption will be half what it is on sealed tar.

not true.

And that way the bike weights more .. so you'll need a stronger frame, bigger engine, stronger gearbox (heavier) ... so so it goes.

If you want something that you cannot break ... think tank.

If you want to use what you have ... and have it survive ... learn to use it within its capabilities.

Most, if not all, clutches are not meant for continuous slipping. They will ware out fast, over heat with this kind of abuse. It is far safer for the clutch to avoid slipping it.

The above is pretty much how the old guys I learned to ride from explained about how to use the clutch. Basically, don't use it other than starting from a stop. Let it out quickly, don't slip it.

Anyway, that's how I learned. But tough terrain can mean more than normal slipping, especially if riding Trials type obstacles like in the video.

I'm betting that same Aussie guy who makes those fantastic videos would also
recommend carrying SPEED when riding through deep sand. He will also talk about "Vision" and how so many riders get that bit wrong.

I must admit to have done 170,000 on the same clutch on a gs from new is unbelievable,
I think 60,000 miles is the norm maybe 80,000 at a push if its not thrashed