I was raised in rural Iowa and lived on a gravel road. I took comfort in knowing that inevitably I was going to be in a ditch and hit a deer.

I would abuse my FXR like a dirt bike, farm fields, dirt roads, and gravel.

Opposing traffic on gravel I would back off on the throttle and slow down. Trucks kick up rocks and you're going to catch a good one eventually.

Country intersections of gravel and paved roads can be slippery with loose material.

 

Keep spare underwear in your saddlebags.

 

Brakes aren’t linked at the speed you’ll be going on gravel...
don't fret that...

pc

 

From what I've read the brakes link up at above 20-25 mph. It's not unusual to drive faster than that on gravel roads.

 

I (along with two friends) rode my Ultra while pulling a trailer to AK in 2000 over many miles of grave roads and once a stretch about 25 miles long of construction that was muddy and nasty, fortunately with only one incident, which ironically happened when on of the guys stopped and his right foot slid on some sand/gravel.....only injury was to his pride

I still believe that the two most unnerving rides that I've had were once on a gravel mountain road in the Tetons and the other during a ride through Yellowstone as they were preparing the gravel bed for new asphalt. In both instances, I was almost amazed that I (or no one else) had dropped their bike(s).

Many years ago, I was in TN visiting my cousins to show them my new '92 Heritage and while coming down their driveway (too carefully) I used a little too much front brake and my front wheel slid out from under me and I had the bike on the engine guard but not fully on it's side !

 

correct, but the reflex also works dynamically with speed and amount of brake pressure... and in conjunction with your ABS.
So, OP has an 1/8 of a mile of gravel and is cautious, he’s not going over 25... no reflex linking...
OP is cautious on the gravel, he’s not applying heavy pressure on the brakes, so no linking...
And, for others that may be, if linking occurs, and skidding becomes a possibility, ABS applies.

Cool, eh... ride on...

pc

 

So I have been living in the WNC mountains for three weeks now and loving it here. I have mostly mastered the gravel roads leading to my house.
So my next question is gravel on the paved roads, especially in the curves. I’m nervous that if I hit a patch of gravel that the bike might wash out from underneath me. Sometimes the gravel has forced me to choose the center of the road and that can be dangerous as an oncoming vehicle could be over the center line. I find myself slowing down to pick the correct line in a curve to avoid the gravel.
Am I being a *****?

 

No. Gravel in a curve will take you out. I always enter turns later, and slower if I anticipate the possibility of gravel. One day after work I was really tired. I was in a rush, and took a shortcut. It was a twisty-turny 2 lane. I spaced out on a 25mph curve sign and entered at 55. I knew I wasn’t going to make it so I stood the bike up straight, braked hard and then straightened the curve by riding on the shoulder for about 50 ft. Luckily the shoulder was firm and I was able to return to the 2 lane, when I came out of the curve. There was a car in the opposing lane. You should have seen the look on his face when he saw me coming off the shoulder.

I went back a few weeks later to analyze my screw up. Saw the 25 mph sign. That curve had a 50 ft descent into a wooded ravine. It probably would have taken a while to find my decomposing body.

 

No you are not being a *****. Gravel and a corner can get you quite easily if you aren't paying attention.

By the way I am jealous of your snowbirding. lol.
I to am sick of the FL heat, 94 all this week and humid. If I could find part time work up there I would buy a place in a heartbeat. Nothing like the fresh air of the mountains compared to a FL summer. We like the Franklin area alot, not to big but has most of what you need. Have fun my friend, I'm envious.

 

Gravel in a curve can get you for sure if you aren't careful. Around here after a hard rain there will be gravel washed from the roads and driveways onto the highway, sand is even more dangerous than gravel imo. I hit a patch of sand the other day on a corner and my back end probably slid close to a foot on me at about 60mph. That will make your @ss pucker up a little.

This time of year I'm pretty cautious riding rural roads. Gravel, sand from spring rains, tractors/implements haying season, & people not use to seeing many bikes on the road from over the winter. Takes some extra caution in the Spring.