Riding styles, tips, questions etc..

[WHITEROCKET5.9]

thought this would be helpful for some of the less experianced people like myself to ask and learn things about riding and maybe what to do in certain situations that you might not be sure about.

 

[WHITEROCKET5.9]

ill start er off, when watching the bike go through the corners i notices some of the guys have theri leg up by the side of the number plate, is this jsut so they can turn sharper(get lower to the ground) or is this so theirs more weight on the front tire to grip???

 

[Arctra]

ill start er off, when watching the bike go through the corners i notices some of the guys have theri leg up by the side of the number plate, is this jsut so they can turn sharper(get lower to the ground) or is this so theirs more weight on the front tire to grip???

I believe one does that to get the weight forward so the front tyre grips better (as you mentioned), the rear is unloaded so can whip around easier by simply pivoting around the front tyre contact patch (which is effectively the fulcrum in terms of leverage) rather than solely replying on the front wheel turning and the back wheel following it. The idea of getting your weight forward is why bike design has been moving more and more towards flattening out the seat near the tank so you can shift your weight forward easier.

Another advantage of having your leg out in front of you is that if the rider over balances it is easier to just drop your heal to use your leg to recover balance. If your leg is still on the peg or by your side it is more difficult to get it into a position that can recover your balance, and once you do it is likely to be yanked backwards so will be no use for recovering and also increases the likelihood of twisting your knee/hip. If your leg is out in front of you and the heal hits the ground your knee can flex up the correct way, however if it tries to flex the wrong way (called hyper-extention) you can cause serious damage to your knee - that's where the knee braces idea comes in. Contrary to popular belief, knee braces don't protect your knees from twists, they only really protect them from hyper-extending.

 

[Chayzed Pilot]

It MAY make the bike turn sharper, yes, and also make the front end grip, but, depending on what the turn is like you also may want to be in the middle of the seat, or back on the seat. It is kinda a feel thing and getting to know what your bike does in different situations.

 

[Aviduser]

Thinking of what I need to improve on...

The only thing really I have trouble with is rocky/loose corners in tight single track. It'd be nice to carry more speed through. I typically stand up through these and basically coast 'till I'm squared up then back on the throttle. I suppose there's not much else you can do?

 

[ioneater]

Rocket,

If you ever have the opportunity to attend a Shane Watts Dirtwise course, do it! Even their DVDs are really helpful. Covers all the basic off-road techniques and more advanced stuff if you're ready for it. I actually have slowed down since taking his course trying to reprogram from crappy technique and ride correctly. Guys i ride with have noticed how much better i am in technical stuff, although i do it slower and more methodically. If could ride more often i know the speed would come. Hope this helps.

 

[Arctra]

The only thing really I have trouble with is rocky/loose corners in tight single track. It'd be nice to carry more speed through. I typically stand up through these and basically coast 'till I'm squared up then back on the throttle. I suppose there's not much else you can do?

I struggle with them too (amoungst other MANY things) and from what I understand there is a technique where you basically ride with your foot on the rear brake so it is nearly always dragging and use the engine to over power it. I watched a World Enduro Championship show that covered Mika Ahola's HM Honda and his mechanic said that was a technique he used (called it a Finnish Style) and as a result he needed special rear brake pads that could handle the heat without fading and wearing too badly through a race. I have seen (briefly) 1 guy ride like that in my life and he absolutely rocked in the tight single track. In the loose stuff it kind of makes sense too as you are effectively emulating a manual form of traction control. Of course, I'm sure the fact that he had awesome body positioning over the pegs and handlebars had a alrge part to play in the overall stability of the bike too, but it may be something you could investigate?

 

[HuskyT]

Find a buddy that is a good MX rider and start tagging along watching, then copy. Or , sit by the side of the local MX track and watch good riders go by and then head out when traffic is slow and practice practice practice...don't be afraid to talk with guys in the pits.... they will help you.

Your friends are the guys that tell you what you suck at and how to improve it...

Also IMO Huskys turn way different than Jap bikes... work your outside to inside and inside to outside a lot to get fluid in both inside and outside turns... point that toe on corners, no lazy foot or leg...

I just rode Weston Pieks (pro) SX MX CRF450 2009 practice bike from a year or so ago at Milestone Ranch MX... man could that bike turn...

T

 

[ray_ray]

It MAY make the bike turn sharper, yes, and also make the front end grip, but, depending on what the turn is like you also may want to be in the middle of the seat, or back on the seat. It is kinda a feel thing and getting to know what your bike does in different situations.

Bermed and rutted corners are a couple places this 'foot up and out front' technique can be used ... I was reading an article where someone suggested you pretend to try to kick the front fender to get your foot up by the fender ...

Thinking of what I need to improve on...

The only thing really I have trouble with is rocky/loose corners in tight single track. It'd be nice to carry more speed through. I typically stand up through these and basically coast 'till I'm squared up then back on the throttle. I suppose there's not much else you can do?

Not sure about here but when I can get up on the pegs, I'm usually a lot better off than when I'm sitting ...

 

[WHITEROCKET5.9]

lots of good info here

thanks gang!

 

[ray_ray]

I struggle with them too (amoungst other MANY things) and from what I understand there is a technique where you basically ride with your foot on the rear brake so it is nearly always dragging and use the engine to over power it. I watched a World Enduro Championship show that covered Mika Ahola's HM Honda and his mechanic said that was a technique he used (called it a Finnish Style) and as a result he needed special rear brake pads that could handle the heat without fading and wearing too badly through a race. I have seen (briefly) 1 guy ride like that in my life and he absolutely rocked in the tight single track. In the loose stuff it kind of makes sense too as you are effectively emulating a manual form of traction control. Of course, I'm sure the fact that he had awesome body positioning over the pegs and handlebars had a alrge part to play in the overall stability of the bike too, but it may be something you could investigate?

Dragging the rear brake in the faster stuff helps hold the rear end planted ... I use it way to often in that manner but have never tried dragging it tight ST riding ... I'm usually feathering the clutch to maintain traction and regulate speed there ...

 

[BadMotoWeazal]

Not that this is the bible of riding or anything.... But Dirt Bike & Dirt Rider have some annual mags that come out with good technique. Here are a couple of easy reads on the Net for Pro Riding Tips:

http://www.dirt-bike-tips-and-pics.com/cornering.html

http://www.dirtrider.com/riding_tips/index.html

And here are a couple of book/magazines that are my favorite reads when I'm in the "water closet" LOL. Repetitious reading, repetitious riding = mad skills

http://www.amazon.com/Pro-Motocross-Off-Road-Riding-Techniques/dp/0760318026

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.htm...110944&ci_sku=B003J7WQNU&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001

And of course as mentioned above...if you can get in one of those Shane Watts riding schools do it. Shane also made a great video called "Dirt Wise" never gets old & is a great tool for learning.

 

[ray_ray]

I read that kind of stuff all the time and watch videos of the PROs alot ... And every so often, something rings a bell for me .. The biggest issue I have is applying all of the correct movements \ techniques as it unfolds in real time ...I'll do a track section, come out of it really slow or miss my line and I'll have to stop and try to figure out what just happened to cause such a pathetic effort ...

So what I like to do now for tracks, is just go over different sections of a track at ~1/4 speed over and over ... maybe 8-10 times in a row in one section until I get a good feel of what I need to do to execute the turn or jump correctly ... This includes doing multiple lines through the corner or jump also ... After I can carry some speed through a section or get the movements down ~correctly, I'll add a couple sections together and run through them just trying to keep my movements correct ... Some where down the line I'll try to do a lap carrying some speed at this practice ..

ST not so easy practicing as it is all so different ... But I had to get better at riding ST here to protect my bike and just not look like too big a wuss to these hard a$$ trail riders here ... Two things pushed me forward here in my riding... 1) feathering the clutch to control my speed and traction... I'm on my clutch now very often, all day in the trails... 2) Keeping forward on the bike ... This hooks back into the traction issue, weight forward, less traction on the rear ... I was riding a few inches too far back on the seat or standing and not leaning forward quite enough to keep control of the bike in many situations ... Being up and maybe ~over the bars is where I need to be to control the bike in the tight, winding stuff ... ESP on uphills ... Moving forward on the bike cost rear traction BUT feathering the clutch was the ticket for controlling the rear wheel traction ... After reading over and over about the slipper \ rekluse clutches or whatever those devices many of you guys are using, it started to dawn on me that I need more cow bell ..... I mean clutch action

 

[WHITEROCKET5.9]

MORE COWBELL**************************************** l..l,

 

[ray_ray]

MORE COWBELL**************************************** l..l,

Cowbell is one word? It's the little pieces like this that add up to a full rounded rider ... And don't be afraid to homestead on your clutch ...

 

[WHITEROCKET5.9]

i had to google after you asked i wasnt sure myself haha

 

[ray_ray]

Myself, I've never worn one ... I always like to move around in stealth mode, undetected, silent, but not deadly ...

 

[WHITEROCKET5.9]

mud and mx jumps any pointers???? i rode the track once when it was sloppy and hittin the jump the bike felt as it was sliding sideways on the preload. its been rainy and im itchin to ride it but dont want to end up in the hospitol lol how do the pros haul ass on the muddy tracks is it mainly tire selection?

 

[ray_ray]

mud and mx jumps any pointers???? i rode the track once when it was sloppy and hittin the jump the bike felt as it was sliding sideways on the preload. its been rainy and im itchin to ride it but dont want to end up in the hospitol lol how do the pros haul ass on the muddy tracks is it mainly tire selection?

The only tip I have for mud is to pray for sunshine and wait till it drys .... Out of all the moves the PROs make, I can't comprehend how they go so fast in the mud ... Its like they hardly slow down in it ... I even roll mole hills when it is muddy ...

 

[rocko]

This is really basic but I found it helpful on jumps:

Stand up on the pegs, and stay on the throttle through the jump. if you jump and you're sitting down the bike might launch you up when the suspension rebounds on the landing. If you let off the throttle when you jump your front wheel will be okay but your rear wheel will kind of launch up and you'll probably end up landing front wheel first.

As for turns what I learned is to rotate my body either clockwise or counter clockwise depending on the turn. Picture you are above the rider looking down at them. For a right turn the rider should rotate their hips clockwise so their left knee shifts forward and their right leg is out at about a 45 degree angle. As the bike leans to the right the rider's weight kinda shifts left to balance the shifting of the bike's weight to the right.
If you're bike leans really far over you switch the grip of your top hand to how you would grip a screwdriver. This is what I learned at a flat track school.

This is a picture of my brother doing these steps:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/capfacsurf/3809319813/in/faves-25893484@N06/

He went to the same flat track school...several times.