| Suspension Plus Tip of the Month |
Going into the corner, you want your tires to get the most traction possible. Brace your upper body behind the handlebars when you get on the brakes, and squeeze your lower legs and force the bike into the ground.
Look at Outside Lines- December 10, 2007
Outside lines of a track can have smooth lines that might allow you to miss bumps when you are faced with rough straightaways or corners and crossing over the same bumps at different angles can make them easier to ride.
Practice Restarts- November 11, 2007
When practicing starts on your four-stroke, stall on purpose a few times and get comfortable with the starating procedure of your bike. This will help you not to panic in case you stall it during a race.
Watch Your Shoulders- October 28, 2007
Always keep your shoulders in line with, or parallel with your handlebars, when your corner. You will never have a problem in corners, especially rutted ones, if you always stay in line with your bars.
Toes Up In Ruts- October 28, 2007
It is important to ride on the balls of your feet when there are deep ruts that you have to ride through. If you don't do this, there is a chance that you will catch your toes on the sides of the rut. It will also help to point your toes inward, towards the bike.
Look Ahead- October 22, 2007
Try to always look ahead when you are riding, this will help you anticipate the obstacles that are approaching.
Ruts in Corners- October 7, 2007
A tip that can be helpful when there are deep ruts in corners is to look at the end of the rut. If you stare at the rut right in front of you, you are more likely to lose your balance. Focus on the end of the rut or the exit of the corner.
Choose New Lines - October 1, 2007
Don't just settle into the same lines that eveyone else picks. Look for other parts of the track that you can take advantage of, especially in the really rough sections. Chances are there are other lines somewhere other than the one everyone else is taking.
Set Up For Corners - September 23, 2007
Sometimes you can setup for a corner following jump, ahead of time, by angling your takeoff so that you land in the direction of the turn. If the corner is really close, you can even sit down in the air and get your leg out in preparation for the turn.
Plan Ahead- September 16, 2007
Sit Crooked in Corners- September 9, 2007
Use the Engine Braking- September 2, 2007
If you ride a four-stroke, take advantage of engine braking when slowing down for a corner. Engine braking, combined with the front brake, can virtually eliminate the need for the rear brake on hard-packed tracks."
Riding on the Front End- August 26, 2007
When charging, always try to ride as far forward on your dirt bike as you can, except when braking. This keeps the front of the bike weighted for better cornering and it puts less stress on your arms and upper body when you are accelerating. The best examples of riders who do this are Travis Pastrana and James Stewart.
Take Up the Slack- August 19, 2007
You might want to try this on starts. Let the clutch out just enough to take up the slack in your chain. At the same time, hold the front brake. This gets the bike sort of 'preloaded' and ready to fire off the starting line.
Pre-Jump - August 12, 2007
When outdoor tracks are rough, find a small bump on the face of the jump to use as a pre-jump, and clear the kicker at the top of the lip. Hit the jump with your legs locked, and "bunny hop" off the jump before the lip.
Attack Downhills - July 30, 2007
Attach steep downhills as if they were flat straightaways. Ride a higher gear than normal, so you have some power on tap to gas it over bumps. It also helps to take a deep breath and loosen your grip just before you start to descend.
Focus on Turn One - July 22, 2007
At the start of a race, after the gate drops, focus of the first turn and where you want to go. Don't become distracted by the riders on the sides of you.
Weight the Outside Foot Peg-July 15, 2007
When cornering, make a conscious effort to weight the outside footpeg with your boot. This will help the bike get good traction, as well as help you get the bike leaned over to make a good directional change.
Upshift for Whoops-July 9, 2007
You never want to be halfway through a set of whoops and have your bike run out of power or hit the rev limiter. Always upshift once or even twice before entering a set of tricky whoops that you can not jump through.<>
Walk the Track-June 30, 2007
If you have the opportunity, take the time to walk the track to check things out. You will be surprised at how much you see and the lines you will find.
Watch Other Riders-June 24, 2007
From Thursday on before race day, try to stay away from red meat. Instead, eat lots of poultry and pasta. Drink plenty of water before race day to hydrate your body. Don't wait until the night before to begin drinking water. It is too late then to start hydrating your body.
After practice, or in between motos when you are relaxing and cooling down, close your eyes and ride laps around the track in your head. Think about the lines, the bumps and the jumps. It will keep you sharp.
Unlike other turns, an off-camber corner requires you to sit down much earlier, so that both of your wheels can grab traction. You must flow through these types of turns with a relaxed approach.
You have heard this often in racing, but it is totally true. Sometimes, being more technical and precise through a section will produce faster lap times than charging in wide open and out of control.
The biggest mistake amateur racers make is riding in too low of gear and revving their bikes out. Basically they are trying to be aggressive, and they think that if they sound fast, they will go fast. You need to shift up, ride smoother and make less noise.
Some people say thtat getting time on the bike is the most important thing when you are practicing, but you should give it 100% every time you are on the bike. If you don't practice at 100%, how can you expect to comfortably race at 100%.
The first practice session usually sets the tone for how your race is going to go. Don't take too long building up your race pace, because it may never come.
Between your motos, get out of your gear, if it is hot. Don't walk around in the sun. Conserve your energy. You need to lay down and rest. Be sure to hydrate yourself and even eat something light for energy.
If you are racing side-by-side with another rider, be sure to keep your elbows up and out, so that it is your elbows and not your handlebars that will make contact with the other rider. If you tangle handlebars, you are most likely to crash.
It pays to get back on the ground and on the gas when clearing another obstacle is not required. Jumping really far just for the sake of catching air is actually slower.
A common mistake that riders make is turning the throttle wide open as they exit corners. Turning the throttle on smoothlywill provide more consistent traction, less wheel spin and require much less energy.
You should always try to stand as much as you can. Sit down at the last second when entering corners and stand up as soon as you can when exiting them. When you stand, you can use your legs as additional suspension.
Sometimes, if you come into a rutted corner too hot and aren't lined up perfectly, you can tap you front brake to help keep your front wheel from riding up the sides and out of the rut.
A lot of boots nowadays have replaceable arches, but that's not where you should be standing, anyway. Try to ride on the balls of your feet. That allows your ankles to work with the suspension.
Make sure that you have your goggle strap nice and tight. Once you start to sweat, the foam will compress and if you don't have the strap tight enough the goggles won't seal against your face and this will let dirt and mud in."
| Let the Bike Pull Your Feet - January 28, 2007 Instead of hanging off your bike and letting it pull you by your arms, lean forward and grip your bike with your thighs, knees and lower legs. You legs are much stronger than your arms, and riding like this will help you conserve energy. |
| Watch and Learn - January 21, 2007 When there is a tricky jump on a track, you can usually figure out how to do it just by watching. Find someone of your similar abillity who is jumping it, then listen to their engine to figure out how much gas tp give it. Watch their body English to see how the lip of the jump throws them. |
| Body English in Hard Pack - January 14, 2007 Going fast in hard-pack conditions requires way more rider input and body English. Stay forward to weight the front end when entering turns, and lean back when exiting. This will keep your front wheel clawing for traction going in, and the rear gripping the ground on the way out. |
| Worry About the Whole Track - January 7, 2007 Lots of amateur riders show up to a track and worry about one big jump. They spend all morning concentrating on clearing the one big jump and don't concentrate enough on the rest of the course. Entering and exiting corners porperly is more important than one big jump. |
| Use the Rut - December 31, 2006 A lot of riders hate ruts, but a rut is a traction tool, and it can allow you to rail a corner faster than if it were flat. Get your inside leg up and out of the way, dragging you foot is the worst thing you can do. Use the rut to accelerate hard out of the corner, because it will keep your rear wheel from sliding out. |
| One Finger Clutch Control - December 17, 2006 Using just one finger on the clutch is better than two because it allows you to disengage and engage the clutch more smoothly. When you use more than one finger, the action tends to be more jerky and less fluid. |
| Be Aggressive - December 9, 2006 In a race, the first few laps are critical if you want to do well. In the beginning stages of a race, especially if you have gotten a bad start, the majority of your passes can be made. Don't follow those ahead of you or wait for an opening, make things happen. |
| Flow Through the Corners - December 3, 2006 If you can, try to flow through the corners. This is better than racing in hard, slamming on the brakes, and then having to build your momentum back up. Sometimes, if you charge into the corner a little slower, you can flow through it and actually carry more momentum out of it. |
| Use the Engine Braking - November 26, 2006 If you ride a 4-stroke, take advantage of the engine braking when slowing down for a corner. Engine braking, combined with the front brake, can virtually eliminate the need for the rear brake on hard-packed tracks. |
| Brake Late - November 19, 2006 Practice braking later and later as you dive into a corner. Use some sort of marker on the track for example-a rock, a bump, whatever. Out-braking your competition can help you make a pass, and it can also help cut your laptimes. |
| Have Fun - November 12, 2006 The most important thing is to enjoy yourself. If you are getting burnt out, take a break. Motocross takes dedication, but you have to keep it fun and enjoyable! |
| Keep the Mud Out - November 5, 2006 At muddy races, there is nothing worse than having water and mud squishing around in your boots, you can use duct tape to seal off the top of your boots to keep out the water and mud. |
| Practice Your Starts - October 30, 2006 You need to practice starts each time you ride. At practice before each race, you need to do three or four practice starts there, too, because every start is different. |
| Ride With Your Legs - October 23, 2006 Squeezing the bike all the time with your legs is important, and pressing down hard on the footpegs on straightways will help the bike stay on the ground and get good traction. Make your legs stronger by running, biking or going to the gym, and it will help you save your arms when you ride. |
| Stay Loose in the Mud - October 16, 2006 The key to going fast in the mud is staying smooth and fluid. Making quick directional changes is not good. You have to flow around the track. Look further ahead than usual to see if there are big puddles or other riders crashed. Ride slower and pace yourself. |
| Learn During Practice - October 9, 2006 Never try anything new at a race, whether it is a riding technique or a piece of equipment. Do all of your testing and learning on practice days. Everything should come naturally and feel comfortable on race day. |
| Relax Your Grip - October 2, 2006 If you are a rider who struggles with arm pump, relax your grip on the handlebars and hold on with your legs and knees every time your bike leaves the ground. This will help you loosen your overall grip and help fight arm pump. |
| Don't Give Up - September 24, 2006 Even if you don't win, you can be satisfied with yourself as long as you give everything you have and never give up. If you are racing, there is no letting up or settling. Race hard to the checkered flag, even if there is no one around you. |
| Resist the Brake Tap - September 17, 2006 Tapping the rear brake in the air to bring the front of your bike down used to be the hot setup, but you should learn to drop the front end of your bike using body English. Tapping the rear brake costs you a millisecond each time you do it, because you have to regain forward momentum with the stopped wheel once you touch down. |
| Don't Fear the Ruts - September 10, 2006 If a straightaway is rutted up, lots of riders will go around them thinking it is faster. Wrong! Attack the rut! Get your front end light by gassing it hard and leaning back. Look past the rut and don't get caught staring at it-this will cause you to choke and get cross rutted. |
| Outside Elbow Up - September 5, 2006 When you are making a turn, be sure to keep your outside elbow up. Doing this will help get weight on your front tire, which will then get better traction and keep you from washing out. |
| One-Motion Corners - August 28, 2006 Making a smooth corner is best accomplished when you can do several things all at once: let off the brake; sit down and lean the bike over. When you sit down, the suspension will compress whick will in turn make the bike easier to lean over. |
| Go Out Fast - August 14, 2006 Finish your raceday practice session hard and fast at full race day speed. That way you will leave the track on the same note you want to re-enter it at. Never cruise your last few laps of practice. |
| Stay Loose - August 6, 2006 The looser and more relaxed you can keep your body, the better you will be able to react with body positiong to different things your bike might do. Whether it is shifting your weight to gain better traction or to correct its flight path mid-air, it all comes easier if you are loose. |
| Prep Your Gate - July 30, 2006 Once you pick your gate, take the time to prepare it. If it is concrete, sweep absolutely all of the dirt and dust off of it. Make sure that there is not dry mud underneath your fenders that will fall on it when you rev your bike. If it is dirt, pack the dirt hard so you are not starting in loose pebbles that will make you spin. |
| Pre-Race Checklist - July 21, 2006 The day before the race, make sure that all of your equipment is in order. If you pack your gearbag the morning of the race, you are bound to forget something. If you can, it also helps to load up your vehicle the night before. And don't forget your gas can or bike stand. |
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