Smooth or not so smooth riding?

sandtrack315
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Philadelphia, PA, USA
5/31/2023 7:01pm

Smooth riders use their legs and let the bike work, aggressive riders use their arms and work the bike, which includes revving it out. I think different sections and tracks require different styles. It’s why Eli has been so good outdoors, he can do both. It also takes more fitness to ride like Eli and Barcia do. 

1
BeachMX
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Anza, CA, USA
5/31/2023 7:10pm

I always feel like the guys that rev like mad are 'stop-and-go' looking and don't flow. Of course there are exceptions, but all that revving looks like a lot of wasted energy

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TbonesPop
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Gilbert, AZ, USA
5/31/2023 7:21pm
BeachMX wrote:
I always feel like the guys that rev like mad are 'stop-and-go' looking and don't flow. Of course there are exceptions, but all that revving looks...

I always feel like the guys that rev like mad are 'stop-and-go' looking and don't flow. Of course there are exceptions, but all that revving looks like a lot of wasted energy

Question, did you mainly learn to ride on a 2 stroke or 4 stroke?  Growing up on a 2 stroke, its hard to get away from revving to a certain degree.  I know I don't need to rev a 450, but its habit from growing up riding 2 strokes.  And I'm not talking about revving like Barcia, I'm talking about just keeping the RPMs up going into and through your corners while working the clutch.

1
5/31/2023 7:22pm
Gravel wrote:
Watching Windham, Bayle, Reynard, Everts, etc ride has always been a thing of beauty, but it’s the guy who gets to the checkers first that gets...

Watching Windham, Bayle, Reynard, Everts, etc ride has always been a thing of beauty, but it’s the guy who gets to the checkers first that gets paid.
 

Hannah said something like “I don’t want the message to Yamaha to be that Hannah got third, but he was really smooth, I want it to be that Hannah won.”

Flatliner wrote:
All those guys won though... Reynard, without his shoulder issues could have won races in 99-2000.  He's who I try to ride like to this day...

All those guys won though... Reynard, without his shoulder issues could have won races in 99-2000.  He's who I try to ride like to this day.

 

He looked great in 98 form & style was much better than on a kx125 way too much sitting. Damon Huffman has the smoothest most perfect style on a 125.  The hottest natl ever in 97 he beat the unbeatable rc.  It really comes down to technique & staying loose.  If you hv a ton of injuries or your body is basically wore out. Go smooth with Zbradshaw aggression in corners. 

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The Shop

jambalaya
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Spring Valley, CA, USA
5/31/2023 7:25pm

Think smooth is the generally better way to go. 
 

I even think there are guys who despite moving around a lot are very smooth. RV and Anderson come to mind 

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TbonesPop
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5/31/2023 7:39pm
TbonesPop wrote:
That's a great point, in fact I had a discussion with a riding buddy about it last weekend.  With Chase and Jett having such flawless form...

That's a great point, in fact I had a discussion with a riding buddy about it last weekend.  With Chase and Jett having such flawless form and being so fast combined with the training that AJ and the moto academy is doing, it has really put a spotlight on rider technique and form - for many good and valuable reasons.  With all that said, if you back and really study the form and technique of RC and even Stew (along with other elite riders), they were far from picture perfect, yet they were some of the fastest in the history of our sport to ever throw a leg over a dirt bike.  Arguably 2 of THE best.  Not trying to diminish the importance of form and technique, just making the point that a rider can go REALLY fast and have a ton of success in our sport even without the best form or riding technique.  Hard to argue with the success of those guys.

WarrenMX wrote:
Technique and therefore speed has evolved. It would be like saying, McGrath didn't scrub so therefore no one needs to scrub now in order to go...

Technique and therefore speed has evolved. It would be like saying, McGrath didn't scrub so therefore no one needs to scrub now in order to go fast and win championships. I think if RC and Stew were hitting their prime now, they're riding styles would be closer to Jett and Chase, just like if McGrath was in his prime right now, he'd be scrubbing every jump like a boss. 

AMetts wrote:
very true, things have just evolved. Same guy will have a higher max speed riding with modern day technique vs back when RC and Stew were...

very true, things have just evolved. Same guy will have a higher max speed riding with modern day technique vs back when RC and Stew were the man. 

Also seems like with the modern technique the way these guys ride there seems to be much less exploding off the bike type crashes, mainly the kind that Stewart use to have. I believe he rode a bit flat footed at least at times. 

Maybe so or maybe not (no way to ever know for sure), but RC and Stew were still way faster at the time with their old technique when racing other riders riding with the newer technique at the time.  Fast, talented riders are always going to be super fast.  I could see how the newer technique may have kept James off the ground and thus had a longer career, not fully convinced it would have made him faster.  I'm not trying to diminish the newer technique.  As for McGrath, maybe he didn't scrub back in the day, but he sure as hell could absorb the face of a jump which is in effect done for the same reason as a scrub - keeps you low over a jump while maintaining speed and getting the power to the ground sooner.  Again, I'm not opposed to the newer technique.  I'm always working on my form when practicing at the track.   Kind of makes one wonder what's the new technique fad going to be 10-15 years from now.... 

brimx153
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6/1/2023 5:01am

Imo Jett rev s the bike high enough , I definitely wouldn't call him a lugger . Yea it's not barica or Eli level but he revs alot more than roczen . A few years ago bikes were a bit different. They seem to be able to rev alot further and free . I always find it mad how much more most US rider rev the nuts out of the bike . But in mxgp you can definitely see over the last few years they are reving higher too. . Look at any of the go pros from mxgp they roll the corner but rev the crap out of it everywhere else 

AMetts
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6/1/2023 5:02am

I think we can all agree unless you are A class or higher and what you're doing to is working then we should all be striving to ride more smooth and composed. Most of us 30 year old weekend warriors probably aren't super fit and riding smooth for sure saves energy and is probably safer as well.  

and for god sakes try to keep your damn feet on the pegs that goes a long way to being smooth, see so many guys just dangling their foot off for no good reason (down low not up and forward). Especially in the harescrambles/enduro stuff. 

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brimx153
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6/1/2023 5:04am

Marv and Caroli was always smooth riders . But they rev the crap out of the bikes . 

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brimx153
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6/1/2023 5:11am
Someone once reported that on data collection while RC was at Honda more than 90% of the time his throttle was open it was full throttle...

Someone once reported that on data collection while RC was at Honda more than 90% of the time his throttle was open it was full throttle during races.

I think it just depends on the rider, and it's nice when there is a mix of styles.

Is nt  there stories of him breaking throttle cable s by being so hard on the throttle . Crazy 

Gravel
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Ridgecrest, CA, USA
6/1/2023 5:31am
AMetts wrote:
I think we can all agree unless you are A class or higher and what you're doing to is working then we should all be striving...

I think we can all agree unless you are A class or higher and what you're doing to is working then we should all be striving to ride more smooth and composed. Most of us 30 year old weekend warriors probably aren't super fit and riding smooth for sure saves energy and is probably safer as well.  

and for god sakes try to keep your damn feet on the pegs that goes a long way to being smooth, see so many guys just dangling their foot off for no good reason (down low not up and forward). Especially in the harescrambles/enduro stuff. 

Agree 100%. 

BobPA
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6/1/2023 5:51am Edited Date/Time 6/1/2023 7:07pm

I think Jason Anderson has a great mix of smooth yet aggressive. It seems like he can turn it up a notch if need be. Similar to Cairoli in his prime. 

Eli and Herlings absolutely punish the track when they are pushing.... Finesse goes out the window and it is awesome to watch, same with Barcia.

Guys like Sexton and Dungey make it look impossibly easy. They look like they should be cruising around in 20th whilst simultaneously setting the quickest lap. 

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motomike137
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Fenton, MI, USA
6/1/2023 7:44am

I think being smooth and going fast is a lot harder than it looks. I like watching guys who are a little more animated but do it with style personally. I like to watch guys like Hannah, Magoo, James, Barcia. That being said you can't argue with how Jett does it or how Kenny or say JMB did it with immaculate efficiency. 

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