Like already mentioned. Drive belt is vulnerable to rock kick ups. A costly repair if damaged.

 

I own some property that I had planned to build on. 2.5 miles of mostly hard pack ETexas red clay. Decided not going to do it, ok on a good day, slick as glass when wet, shifty after the county passes though and grades it, and then there's a couple of creek crossings with wooden bridges that overflow 2-3 times a year.
If you have no choice, just do the extra cleaning and maintenance.
FYI if you hear Banjo music - DON'T STOP.

 

Living here in the woods of deep East Texas, living on and driving on dirt roads is a way of life. You will get used to it. DO NOT RUN A PERFORMANCE AIR CLEANER (K&N). Run a stock air cleaner. Keep a extra on hand. Clean it weekly, change it when it won't clean any more. Close up your oil change interval. 2500 vs 5000. Keep it clean. Dust will get into all of that rubber and you will develop squeaks everywhere. Those little rubber grommets under your bags that hold mufflers. The grommets under the bags. And so on.
Country living is great. Been doing it for decades. Enjoy!

 

I'm surprised nobody suggested a mud flap on the front fender...


As far as looks, they will get dirty if you ride them... Nothing looks better than a touring bike (or any for that matter) that is covered in road dust and dirt. Some people think shiny bikes are the bomb, I like bikes that look ridden. Not a rat bike, just ridden.


As far as riding, sit upright, hands loose on the bars, gentle nudges to stay on course...

 

A friend of mine has a few acres accessible only by dirt roads. His only complaint is in the spring when the melting snow turns the road to soup. He's usually 2 to 3 weeks behind everyone else getting out for a ride but wouldn't think of moving.

 

Just stay on the gas.

 

I like to paint a realistic picture. I live in very rural Texas on a paved county road. I have driven and ridden many dirt roads.

You will enjoy the peace and quiet. It's nice not seeing neighbors. My nearest neighbor is 5/8 mile away. I'm sure the land is nice but, my guess is, that dirt road will get old pretty quick. Trust me, the county isn't going to grade the road as often as you may think. Rain alone will cause holes making the road bumpy. And, I'm assuming, you won't be the only one driving the road. The road will eventually become Mogul Highway. It will be like going over speed bumps every hundred feet. Even when the gravel is packed, it won't be smooth and flat. Even in a car, you won't go more than 20-30 mph without giving yourself whiplash. It will be a very long 1.5 miles.

You'll be getting plenty of therapy. Your bike will only be clean from the time you finish cleaning it until you hit the dirt road again. Your cars will be filthy all the time as well. If you purchase a new vehicle, buy one the color of the dirt. That way, when it gets dirty, the dirt matches the paint color.

Here are a some other considerations when living off the beaten path:

1. If your rural postal regulations are like mine here, you won't get mail delivered to your driveway. Here in Texas, the rural postal regulations state that if you live more than one mile round trip from the nearest point of delivery along the mail route; you won't get mail delivered. You'll either have to erect your own mailbox (per regulation) at the nearest point of delivery or get a PO box.

2. Think about directing an ambulance to you property. First, will they even find your place? Second, they won't get there very fast if they have to travel 1.5 miles on a dirt road.

3. Delivery services (UPS, FedEx) may have trouble finding your place as well, especially if there is a new driver. If you require a PO box, some won't deliver to PO boxes. Remember also, some online stores won't accept PO box addresses. In addition, the Post Office won't deliver packages to your place either. Your billing and shipping addresses will likely be different. If some online stores can't verify your shipping address they won't accept the order. It can be a pain in the ***.

4. Local gas stations are more expensive. The local grocery store may not have the freshest produce, meats, etc. Services (electrical, plumbing) may not be local and you'll pay more for them travelling to your place.

While on the subject, I don't agree with those that say riding on a dirt road won't affect your paint or chrome. Three miles frequently on a dirt road is going to kick up pebbles and rocks in the best of circumstances. This usually isn't good for painted or chromed parts. Dust will also get into places you can't clean.

Good luck. I'm sure it's nice.

 

Thanks for the advice guys. Turned out the farmhouse was less of a fixer upper and more of a faller downer so we are passing on this one. I figured I would be riding over 300 miles of dirt road a year at the least.

I appreciate the feedback from those who have a dirt road as part of their commute. Pretty much as I expected and some great info as far as preventative measures.

I'm looking at another place with about a quarter mile of dirt to get to it. Neighbors are closer but there is room in the budget and on the property for a huge shop so that's nice.

 

A quarter mile of dirt is a good start to a ride. and a good end.


My driveway is that long, a few turns, gravel, some bad spots, uphill both ways.


Big difference in dirt road and gravel road. Out here a dirt only road is not passable after
a rain even with a 4wd vehicle.

 

Dirt is one thing, gravel is something elses. I have about a 1/4 of gravel where I live. I bought a new Limited in August and have to deal with this short stretch of gravel between my garage, and civilization. A big heavy bike like this which is top heavy to start with, can be very tricky to ride on gravel. It's just like driving on marbles. That big back tire wants to do everything but go straight. You can try and go down the smooth path in the middle, but it will kick up dust in all the hard to reach places. If you have to stop, be careful where you put your feet down, because they can slip out on the pebbles, and over the bike goes. Most of the time, I ride through the mowed ditches the neighbors have, but riding the slopes can have it's problems too. I sold my 6x10 trailer with my last bike, I used to haul it back and forth to the school when I wanted to ride, will be looking for another now, before I tear my new bike up.