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1. When I was on 60's, I got my feet tied to the footpegs and was turned loose in a very, very muddy field. Rode through a full tank of gas learning how to ride in mud and keep my feet up. Falling was a bitch though and I learned real quick it wasn't a good idea.
2. Also when I was very young, my dad would take the seat off my bike and make me run practice laps at full speed without sitting. Taught me to stay off the seat as much as possible.
3. At Gary Bailey school, I learned how to pick a rut and then look ahead and not focus on the rut. I got over my fear of ruts that week and never had a problem with them after that.
How many times have you heard people say.... I was wide open down the straight, and they or you were only 3/4 throttle!
Of course I'm talking 2 strokes here, but, seriously after I apex and roll the throttle I try to stretch the throttle cable and it's amazing how much quicker it makes things go.
That and grip with my friggen knees!!!!!
Attend a riding school, you're never to old to learn something new. Have someone video tape you so you can see what you are doing right, and doing wrong.
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2. A downhill is just a straightaway at an angle.
3. Momentum is your friend.
4. Learn to actually use your front brake.
5. Races are won in the corners.
I noticed I hadn't been making sure the throttle was to the stops when it should have been.
I decided to make absolutely sure the throttle was wfo, and it made me faster, more aggressive, and more aware.
Relaxed Intensity.
do laps completely on the seat. do laps completely standing up. learn to take turns with your outside foot off of the peg, it is very difficult.
slow is fast
Try to stay calm on the line, and don't stare at the gate until the last possible moment. You can only "Super-concentrate" for a few seconds.
Treat every straight like the start straight, every lap.
Don't coast into the corners, either be hard on the gas or hard on the brakes.
Water, water, more water, and 8 hours of sleep for 3 days before the race. I never sleep good the night before a race, get your rest in the days before.
Convince yourself you are the fastest, baddest mother fucker on the line and KNOW in your head you can smoke every one of those fags
Either full gas either full brakes.
Pop wheelies down the straightaways.
Most important, ride with buddies slower than you, you'll feel faster.
hope this helps.
Pit Row
The biggest help was probably gaining confidence in a fun, pressure free environment. Free riding with friends, etc.
Tight, slow, trials type riding in rough terrain is excellent practice for MX and enduro. Why? Because it teaches you balance and control and it forces you to learn to operate all your controls quickly and instinctively regardless of whether sitting or standing. What this means on the MX track is that you will be able to shift, clutch, and brake regardless of the situation and without conscious effort. The biggest mistake I see beginner/novice riders making is sitting down way too early before a corner. They have to because they can't effectively operate their clutch and brakes while standing. This results in them sitting where all the braking bumps are which beats you up and makes you even slower.
Whenever I hear simplistic advice like "tape your feet to the pegs", remove your rear brake pedal", "remove your seat", "hold that fugger to the stops", "all throttle or all brake, nothin in between" I ignore it. I get the sentiment but it's way over simplified and doesn't help create the basics of balance and control. Technique should come first and then the speed will follow. Also, the throttle and the brakes are not on/off switches. There are lots of positions in between. Use them. WFO is not always the answer. That's why KW was praised for his throttle control and smoothness.
Also, most local riders have horrible endurance. Anyone can go fast for a lap or 2 but most fade after that. Get in shape and concentrate on riding longer motos when you practice.
Year 1 - Didn't know what to expect, went out and tried to finish. Starts are important but not everything in cross country.
Year 2 - Knew more of what to expect, tried to ride at a consistent pace and not waste all the energy on the first lap.
Year 3 - Learned that wrecking and stalling are the biggest time and energy wasters. Take a few extra seconds to save a minute of kicking and picking up the bike. Won my class but it was the slowest class so it's like saying I was valedictorian of summer school.
Year 4 - I'm learning that those trees are more intimidating than threatening. You can ride through most of them a lot faster than your mind thinks. Year 3 I mentioned that I learned to take a few seconds to save some time. This season I'm focusing on picking up seconds where I can and pushing. It's easy to separate from other riders and then start slowing your pace. Next thing you know, others have been pushing their pace more than you and they're passing you.
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