How much dirt is reasonable for a big adventure bike?

Between 40 and 60% for a comfortable day. More dirt doesn't mean a better route: it means more time and more fatigue on a heavy bike. Corally treats it as a preference, so if the area can't give you that much it tells you.

Can a big bike do orange sections?

It can, with good hands and no hurry, but they shouldn't be the norm. If an orange section cuts across a good route, look at its reason: a short rocky climb goes; a long broken descent is better detoured.

What about two-up or with luggage?

Lower the maximum difficulty to 30 or 35 and ask for less dirt. The extra weight shows mostly on descents and in bends with loose gravel.

Does Corally know whether a track is broken today?

No. It knows how it's recorded on the map (type, surface, grade, condition) and the real gradient of the terrain. A track the rain wrecked last week may still show green: the terrain comes first, which is why the route goes with the road exits marked.

Adventure bike routes for big bikes: which dirt tracks suit you and how to plan them

Last reviewed: October 16, 2026

A big adventure bike is a touring bike that accepts dirt, not an enduro with panniers. At over 200 kilos on dual-purpose tyres you enjoy firm, wide tracks and have a bad time on loose rock, deep ruts and broken descents. The good route has plenty of the first and none of the second, and that gets decided before you set off.

Which terrain suits a big adventure bike

What a big bike likes: wide forest track, compacted dirt or fine gravel, open bends and no blind crests hiding a washout. Reservoir service tracks, half-paved farm lanes and empty mountain roads are its habitat: lots of kilometres, little risk and plenty of scenery.

What gets it into trouble: fist-sized loose rock, ruts that grab the front wheel, sand and mud, and broken descents, where the weight pushes and the front brake makes the decisions. A short rocky climb goes with commitment; the same rock on a descent, on a 230 kg bike, is a different sport.

Which Corally colours are yours

Corally colours every section by its difficulty: green (easy), yellow (medium), orange (hard) and red (expert). For a big bike the natural terrain is green and a good part of yellow. The planner's Maxitrail profile starts from a maximum difficulty of 45, just below where hard sections begin, and you can lower it further if you're loaded or two-up.

Look at each section's reason, not just its colour: a yellow for a moderate gradient on firm track is a stroll; a yellow for rough surface and ruts deserves a second look.

What to leave out

Three things a big bike should avoid by default, and Corally leaves them out if you ask:

Singletrack and footpaths: narrow, rocky and steep, and closed to motor vehicles in most regions anyway.
Very rough or near-impassable tracks: grades 4 and 5, where a light bike plays and a heavy one falls over.
Fords with water: with the weight and the seat height, a river crossing where you can't touch the ground is a bad bet. The fords on record appear in the roadbook at their kilometre.

How to prepare the route

Ask for less dirt than you'd like the first time in a new area. 50 to 60% dirt on a big bike is a lot of good track, and the tarmac in between is for linking up and resting.

Read the roadbook before leaving: section by section, with terrain, difficulty and warnings. If there's one orange section in an otherwise green route, it's most likely a broken descent or a stretch of rock; avoid it from the planner and Corally suggests another way.

Show the road exits if you ride in a group: on a heavy bike, knowing where you can reach tarmac in ten minutes turns a breakdown into an inconvenience.

Common mistakes

Following a friend's GPX recorded on a light bike without checking it: what's "a bit rough" for them can be a descent with your bike on the ground. Run it through the checker at your level and you'll see which sections will cost you.

Raising the difficulty because "the bike can do it": the bike can; the question is whether you want to pick it up. Set it for you, not for the brochure.

Forgetting fuel: a big bike drinks more on dirt. Corally warns about long stretches without a fuel station and shows the ones near the route with today's price.

How to do it in Corally

Pick the Maxitrail profile: it starts from maximum difficulty 45 and 60% dirt. Lower the difficulty if you're loaded.
In the app, the "Take it easy" level asks for the same without touching anything else.
Turn on "no singletrack" and, to play it safe, "take the easier option if there is one".
Check the roadbook: ford, gradient and broken-section warnings come with their kilometre.

Plan a route for a big adventure bike

Frequently asked questions

How much dirt is reasonable for a big adventure bike?: Between 40 and 60% for a comfortable day. More dirt doesn't mean a better route: it means more time and more fatigue on a heavy bike. Corally treats it as a preference, so if the area can't give you that much it tells you.
Can a big bike do orange sections?: It can, with good hands and no hurry, but they shouldn't be the norm. If an orange section cuts across a good route, look at its reason: a short rocky climb goes; a long broken descent is better detoured.
What about two-up or with luggage?: Lower the maximum difficulty to 30 or 35 and ask for less dirt. The extra weight shows mostly on descents and in bends with loose gravel.
Does Corally know whether a track is broken today?: No. It knows how it's recorded on the map (type, surface, grade, condition) and the real gradient of the terrain. A track the rain wrecked last week may still show green: the terrain comes first, which is why the route goes with the road exits marked.

Guide written by Corally from riding experience and from how the planner works. The difficulty of each section comes from public, community-made data and may differ from the terrain: what you see when you get there, the signs and each region's rules come first.