It turns out riding a dual sport motorcycle is nothing like riding a bicycle and contrary to what you might think it’s actually the opposite side of easy. Yes, having an engine makes going uphill a bit easier but having a gas pedal actually gets you into trouble more than it gets you out of trouble. Riding through sand felt like trying to ride a 400lb moving pogo stick across a sea of marbles. The only thing harder than the actual riding was having to pick up the massive machine off the ground when I fell over, twice.

It was an unbelievably challenging and rewarding experience and I have a new found respect for the guys who race across anything on a dirt bike. I think for the time being I’ll stick to racing my mountain bike.