Whats the best riding tip(s) or technique(s) that helped you become a better rider?

Spend as much time on the bike as you can.
Practice and practice.
Enjoy the learning process.
Be patient.
Take calculated risks - dont be a pussy and dont ride over you head too fare. Dont be a moron.
Ask other riders to watch you ride - then give you feedback.
Do repeat drills in short sections of a course.Use these repeat drills to a) master the section and b) learn the art of bike handling.

Have fun shredding.

Ake knows!

you can't win a race while laying on your face.

you can always break later.

Stand up as much as possible.

The first advice my dad gave me when I sat on my first bike was probably the most helpful: Sit on the gas tank.

Since then the advice has come from different places, including personal experience, and probably includes:

Stand up
Look ahead
squeeze bike with knees/lower legs
Use the front brake more

man....what Titan1 said plus staying on the balls of your feet will get you further in moto or the trees than anything....that coupled with getting your butt in shape and being able to stay on the bike has helped me more than anything.

Desire and motivation
Get your eyes checked...if you can't see it you - you can't process it - if you can't process it you WILL ride slower.
Front brake is important...allows you to go deeper into a corner.
Brake before the corner and accelerate through the corner.
Learn to be smooth

1) Get in shape
2) Master starts
3) Master cornering

Kenneth Gundersen (ex GP rider) told me that I was going fast enough if I could keep my feets on the pegs while cornering.

But off the seat
Elbos up
Head over the cross bar

If you ride a 450, run a gear higher and lay off the clutch... if you ride a 125, don't do that!

I'm still telling myself every time i ride that i don't need the death grip on the bars, breathe and hold on with my legs. I might never learn the finer techniques of riding.

when in doubt gas it out, balls on the tank, and look as far ahead as possible.

Control the bike with your knees and ankles and just use your hands to work the controls. Keep your feet firmly on the pegs except going into corners. Don't do anything suddenly if smoothly will work.

Look as far ahead as possible

Ride to have fun, enjoy what your doing while doing it.. If you start putting pressure on yourself to do this and to do that its distracting you from the reason of why we all ride which is because its down right the best thing on this god given earth.. Technique will come with seat time its like your body knew the whole time what to do.. So needless to say just enjoy every second and have as much fun as possible while on the bike your skill and technique will all come soon enough!

Look at the end of ruts and gas it. Straight ones and in turns. Look as far ahead as possible.

push with your arms.

The further ahead you look the faster you will go

Isn't that about the same as saying becoming a better rider made me better rider.

Standing on the balls of your feet, hugging the bike with your legs and feet (keeping feet pointed in, not duckfoot style)

Always look where you want to go (DO NOT STARE AT ROCKS! You will hit them ).

Smooth is fast

In a turn you are either braking or accelerating. If you coast the bike will want to stand up and/or you might lose traction.

What this guy said, I squeeze the shit out of my bike when standing and sitting both. This helps keep the bike in control. Outside of that just get comfortable on the bike and set it up for you (suspension, lever positioning bar angles etc.) One of the biggest things is to build confidence. That comes with tons of time on the bike and riding with other guys that are faster than you.

The front brake thing is big too, this helps position the weight of the bike more forward and so you can steer with the front of the bike vs the rear and keep traction and momentum.

I know a lot of guys around here (Fort Dodge, Iowa) went to various riding school one big one was Shannon Niday. You can really see a huge difference in their technique after spending some time with that guy. Great posture and fundamentals.

Be smooth. Don't rev out the bike. Stand up, look ahead. Ride with your lower body, not your arms.

Basic principals I try to follow.

I can't believe nobody said "unlock your hips"

I would say for me was...Sit up on tank. That was huge help.

Balls of your feet. Force yourself to do it. I regret spending most of my childhood riding in the arches. Ride mx a lot, not for the jumps, but for the corners.

Unlocking my hips

There is no replacement training for time in the saddle...ride no matter the weather or how you feel.
Get your butt off of the seat.
Stand up as much as possible.
Rode on the balls of your feet.
Always ask somebody a lot faster than you to critique your riding.
Always (or when you can) ride with guys faster than you are.
Be patient.