What riding tips would've helped you tremendously if you had known them as a beginner?

kb228
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kb228 5/31/2018 8:12am
5/31/2018 8:12am
Remove the front brake from your bike. How you gonna hold the throttle wide open with your fingers on the brake?
bvm111
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bvm111 5/31/2018 8:16am
5/31/2018 8:16am
Ken202 wrote:
Practice, practice, practice.... Re-ride the sections of the track you hate, not repeatedly hitting your favorite jump.
Been riding 30 years and this is great advice, at my age I tend to only have fun on the sections I like. Next weekend I’m only spending time on the side of the track I don’t like!
Bruneval
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Bruneval 5/31/2018 8:37am
5/31/2018 8:37am
Stand up.

And stay on a 125 until you have it cracked.
Dcope17
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Dcope17 5/31/2018 9:24am
5/31/2018 9:24am
Roe273 wrote:
Not to shoot holes in that theory, but simply staying on the gas 20 seconds longer does not decrease your lap time by 20 seconds.

Unless you're talking about staying off the gas for 20 seconds when the gate drops.

The Shop

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kage173
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kage173 5/31/2018 11:40am
5/31/2018 11:40am
Spend your money on lessons instead of your bike.

I see guys all the time out there with brand new bikes saying they're going to buy this or that part (or suspension tune) or upgrade to a 450 like that's the thing that's holding them back. Bro it ain't the bike that's holding you back. It's you that's holding the bike back.

Get lessons, practice technique, then practice it some more, then get in shape. Then start thinking about mortgaging your future on the bike.

stillwelding
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stillwelding 5/31/2018 4:39pm
5/31/2018 4:39pm Edited Date/Time 5/31/2018 4:41pm
Ride or race with faster riders. That was a tremendous help to me when I started racing. A lot of my friends were expert riders when I was a beginner. It showed me what was possible.
brettmx
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brettmx 5/31/2018 4:59pm
5/31/2018 4:59pm Edited Date/Time 5/31/2018 5:05pm
brettmx wrote:
Don't get advice off the internet. You don't "grip" the bike with your legs and knees, if you do that the bike cannot "work" underneath you...
Don't get advice off the internet. You don't "grip" the bike with your legs and knees, if you do that the bike cannot "work" underneath you. Unless you're looking to become the next Ronnie Mac.

My advice find a good pro level rider who can spend some time working with you.
HusqFan3 wrote:
Interesting comment. I was just about to ask another poster to expand on his comment to grip bike with your knees which is super common to...
Interesting comment. I was just about to ask another poster to expand on his comment to grip bike with your knees which is super common to hear. I’m 36 and just started riding again for first time since i was about 10-12 so am the epitome of a beginner. I’m constantly hearing/reading grip the bike with your knees so have tried incorporating into my riding but every time i try it always feels super awkward and counter-intuitive to the equally as prevalent advice of standing up. i.e. exactly how does one grip the bike with ones knees while standing?.?. Anyways, I went and rode Washougal last weekend and rather than gripping the shrouds with my knees i started gripping the frame with my boots and not only did it feel way more natural but i noticed an instant improvement controlling the bike in virtually all situations. Interesting how common it is to hear the advice to grip with your knees yet i don’t think I’ve ever noticed a pro rider doing it but perhaps my perception is just off.
Titan1 wrote:
Since you should be standing up most of the time, it would be impossible to grip the shrouds without doing a pelvic thrust then entire time...so...
Since you should be standing up most of the time, it would be impossible to grip the shrouds without doing a pelvic thrust then entire time...so that is poor advice (sitting in a corner is different)...

For 90% if the time you’re riding...you should be: butt over the back of the seat/rear fender, knees bent, balls of your feet on the pegs, toes pointing in, bent at the waste, head over the handle bars, elbows up...gripping the frame with your ankles, lower legs.

And then:

Hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders loose...holding yourself on the bike with your legs, and supporting your upper body with your core muscles (not your arms/upper body).
And continuing with bad advice from an internet thread.

"So I read this post that said I should have my butt over the back of my seat, and my head over the handlebars, be on the balls of my feet, toes pointing in, bent at the waste (sic), elbows up, gripping the frame with my ankles, lower legs"

"And so what happened"

"Well I got last place and everyone was laughing at me when I got off the track."
"They did say I could be the next Ronnie Mac, or something like that".

I've done a few motorcycle track days at Buttonwillow and Laguna Seca and what is really great about those track events is that there are instructors available to anyone that wants one to go out and follow you and help you out.

My best advice is if you are at a practice day and you see one of the fast guys out ( an over 30 rider is your best bet)- first go and watch them for a bit in different areas and then go ask them if they could take a few minutes to ride behind you and maybe watch in a few places and provide some input. Tell them you'll buy them a beer.

Bermworm
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Bermworm 5/31/2018 5:05pm
5/31/2018 5:05pm
Best piece of advice I was ever given "Slow down you'll go faster" they called him the "Professor" for a reason.
Andy7
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Andy7 5/31/2018 5:25pm
5/31/2018 5:25pm
aharper33 wrote:
One tip I learned from an old pro when I first started riding was to wear ear plugs. His philosophy was that most people ride to...
One tip I learned from an old pro when I first started riding was to wear ear plugs. His philosophy was that most people ride to a noise level. So the louder your bike is the perception is that you must be going fast.

Another thing is I wished I would have tried more than any riding technique is trying different types of racing, not just motocross. Like hare scrambles, desert, GNCC type racing, WORCS type racing, just anything to test your skills. I think the skills you need for racing in one form translate to another form more than people realize.
Absolutely agree with the noise level. Sometimes I shift because I "hear" the bike is revving hard, and when I get out of the track friends tell me: "why don't you even get into the powerband?".
plowboy
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plowboy 5/31/2018 5:37pm
5/31/2018 5:37pm
I said earlier that there is no substitute for seat time. I should have added that if you aren't trying to improve your technique and lower your lap time constantly...you're just wasting gas. Braking later, on the gas sooner, shifting faster, constantly finding better lines,body position....you can't just burn laps. You have to be in search of improvement. I see that the top level guys use fitness training to get/stay in shape. They practice but not nearly as much as you'd think. They are freaks. For the average Joe it takes tons of time on the bike to NEVER even be near the natural talent level they were born with. The best us mere mortals can hope for is to be competitive amongst our equals...to finish a race without throwing up or being too weak to load the bike.
Drtbykr
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Drtbykr 5/31/2018 5:43pm
5/31/2018 5:43pm
A chest protector is great.

jstein639
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jstein639 5/31/2018 5:57pm
5/31/2018 5:57pm
Worry about corner technique instead of jumping the biggest jump on the track
wreckitrandy
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wreckitrandy 5/31/2018 6:33pm
5/31/2018 6:33pm
stillwelding wrote:
Ride or race with faster riders. That was a tremendous help to me when I started racing. A lot of my friends were expert riders when...
Ride or race with faster riders. That was a tremendous help to me when I started racing. A lot of my friends were expert riders when I was a beginner. It showed me what was possible.
Just don't cut across in front of them and break their leg.... It really is good advice though. The same with music. Play with better players. It's the quickest way to learn.
smoothies862
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smoothies862 5/31/2018 6:44pm
5/31/2018 6:44pm
I developed a bad habit of not looking ahead. I can feel it and yell at myself lol. its crazy how much better you ride when you do it. I might actually do a whole lap sometimes looking ahead.Dizzy
Titan1
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Titan1 5/31/2018 6:44pm
5/31/2018 6:44pm Edited Date/Time 5/31/2018 6:48pm
HusqFan3 wrote:
Interesting comment. I was just about to ask another poster to expand on his comment to grip bike with your knees which is super common to...
Interesting comment. I was just about to ask another poster to expand on his comment to grip bike with your knees which is super common to hear. I’m 36 and just started riding again for first time since i was about 10-12 so am the epitome of a beginner. I’m constantly hearing/reading grip the bike with your knees so have tried incorporating into my riding but every time i try it always feels super awkward and counter-intuitive to the equally as prevalent advice of standing up. i.e. exactly how does one grip the bike with ones knees while standing?.?. Anyways, I went and rode Washougal last weekend and rather than gripping the shrouds with my knees i started gripping the frame with my boots and not only did it feel way more natural but i noticed an instant improvement controlling the bike in virtually all situations. Interesting how common it is to hear the advice to grip with your knees yet i don’t think I’ve ever noticed a pro rider doing it but perhaps my perception is just off.
Titan1 wrote:
Since you should be standing up most of the time, it would be impossible to grip the shrouds without doing a pelvic thrust then entire time...so...
Since you should be standing up most of the time, it would be impossible to grip the shrouds without doing a pelvic thrust then entire time...so that is poor advice (sitting in a corner is different)...

For 90% if the time you’re riding...you should be: butt over the back of the seat/rear fender, knees bent, balls of your feet on the pegs, toes pointing in, bent at the waste, head over the handle bars, elbows up...gripping the frame with your ankles, lower legs.

And then:

Hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders loose...holding yourself on the bike with your legs, and supporting your upper body with your core muscles (not your arms/upper body).
brettmx wrote:
And continuing with bad advice from an internet thread. "So I read this post that said I should have my butt over the back of my...
And continuing with bad advice from an internet thread.

"So I read this post that said I should have my butt over the back of my seat, and my head over the handlebars, be on the balls of my feet, toes pointing in, bent at the waste (sic), elbows up, gripping the frame with my ankles, lower legs"

"And so what happened"

"Well I got last place and everyone was laughing at me when I got off the track."
"They did say I could be the next Ronnie Mac, or something like that".

I've done a few motorcycle track days at Buttonwillow and Laguna Seca and what is really great about those track events is that there are instructors available to anyone that wants one to go out and follow you and help you out.

My best advice is if you are at a practice day and you see one of the fast guys out ( an over 30 rider is your best bet)- first go and watch them for a bit in different areas and then go ask them if they could take a few minutes to ride behind you and maybe watch in a few places and provide some input. Tell them you'll buy them a beer.

I’m confused, Are you saying you shouldn’t grip the bike with your legs?

And that riding position I described was taught to me by a pro rider at a riding school (and i see it used by pros from Moto to off road). And I’ve seen it taught by other pros as well. Though I’m a Vet A rider myself (be it a mid pack one), I didn’t come up with it on my own, but it helped me get from the B class to the A class.
JChambers48 5/31/2018 8:52pm
5/31/2018 8:52pm Edited Date/Time 6/5/2018 9:05pm
biggest tips for a 450 is:
1. Riding a gear higher
2. Be smooth
3. Riding on the balls of your feet and hinge from your hips.
4. Don't use the clutch like a 2T unless you are Eli Tomac
SWMX
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SWMX 6/1/2018 4:08am
6/1/2018 4:08am
sand tracks- the more you give it the more the rear comes around.

look ahead, keep your elbows up, ride with your legs.

Pit Row

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murph783
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murph783 6/1/2018 4:12am
6/1/2018 4:12am
Titan1 wrote:
Since you should be standing up most of the time, it would be impossible to grip the shrouds without doing a pelvic thrust then entire time...so...
Since you should be standing up most of the time, it would be impossible to grip the shrouds without doing a pelvic thrust then entire time...so that is poor advice (sitting in a corner is different)...

For 90% if the time you’re riding...you should be: butt over the back of the seat/rear fender, knees bent, balls of your feet on the pegs, toes pointing in, bent at the waste, head over the handle bars, elbows up...gripping the frame with your ankles, lower legs.

And then:

Hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders loose...holding yourself on the bike with your legs, and supporting your upper body with your core muscles (not your arms/upper body).
brettmx wrote:
And continuing with bad advice from an internet thread. "So I read this post that said I should have my butt over the back of my...
And continuing with bad advice from an internet thread.

"So I read this post that said I should have my butt over the back of my seat, and my head over the handlebars, be on the balls of my feet, toes pointing in, bent at the waste (sic), elbows up, gripping the frame with my ankles, lower legs"

"And so what happened"

"Well I got last place and everyone was laughing at me when I got off the track."
"They did say I could be the next Ronnie Mac, or something like that".

I've done a few motorcycle track days at Buttonwillow and Laguna Seca and what is really great about those track events is that there are instructors available to anyone that wants one to go out and follow you and help you out.

My best advice is if you are at a practice day and you see one of the fast guys out ( an over 30 rider is your best bet)- first go and watch them for a bit in different areas and then go ask them if they could take a few minutes to ride behind you and maybe watch in a few places and provide some input. Tell them you'll buy them a beer.

Titan1 wrote:
I’m confused, Are you saying you shouldn’t grip the bike with your legs? And that riding position I described was taught to me by a pro...
I’m confused, Are you saying you shouldn’t grip the bike with your legs?

And that riding position I described was taught to me by a pro rider at a riding school (and i see it used by pros from Moto to off road). And I’ve seen it taught by other pros as well. Though I’m a Vet A rider myself (be it a mid pack one), I didn’t come up with it on my own, but it helped me get from the B class to the A class.
Yeah I’d be curious to hear what you’re suggesting if not that
metal_miracle 6/1/2018 4:20am
6/1/2018 4:20am
Press my knee against the gas tank in turns, was one ting that no one told me..

also i had known to use light front brake drag in turns, to help stay i the rut.
mxtech1
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mxtech1 6/1/2018 5:39am
6/1/2018 5:39am
Roe273 wrote:
You aren't gaining 1 second for every time you hold on to the throttle 1 second longer. When you shut the throttle off, you are transitioning to the brakes and slowing down.

The actual time savings would be a somewhat complex calculation. At best, you might gain a few tenths of a second in each corner, or about 2 seconds a lap faster in your scenario.
526
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526 6/1/2018 6:14am
6/1/2018 6:14am
Buy A Honda
brettmx
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brettmx 6/1/2018 1:53pm
6/1/2018 1:53pm
brettmx wrote:
And continuing with bad advice from an internet thread. "So I read this post that said I should have my butt over the back of my...
And continuing with bad advice from an internet thread.

"So I read this post that said I should have my butt over the back of my seat, and my head over the handlebars, be on the balls of my feet, toes pointing in, bent at the waste (sic), elbows up, gripping the frame with my ankles, lower legs"

"And so what happened"

"Well I got last place and everyone was laughing at me when I got off the track."
"They did say I could be the next Ronnie Mac, or something like that".

I've done a few motorcycle track days at Buttonwillow and Laguna Seca and what is really great about those track events is that there are instructors available to anyone that wants one to go out and follow you and help you out.

My best advice is if you are at a practice day and you see one of the fast guys out ( an over 30 rider is your best bet)- first go and watch them for a bit in different areas and then go ask them if they could take a few minutes to ride behind you and maybe watch in a few places and provide some input. Tell them you'll buy them a beer.

Titan1 wrote:
I’m confused, Are you saying you shouldn’t grip the bike with your legs? And that riding position I described was taught to me by a pro...
I’m confused, Are you saying you shouldn’t grip the bike with your legs?

And that riding position I described was taught to me by a pro rider at a riding school (and i see it used by pros from Moto to off road). And I’ve seen it taught by other pros as well. Though I’m a Vet A rider myself (be it a mid pack one), I didn’t come up with it on my own, but it helped me get from the B class to the A class.
murph783 wrote:
Yeah I’d be curious to hear what you’re suggesting if not that
So I describe it like this. You're not riding a horse so you legs need to kept close to the bike. However the bike has to be allowed to do it's thing between your legs up to the point when you need to stop it from doing it's thing. You'll always be pressing-- NOT SQUEEZING against the bike depending on what's going on-either one side or the other. About the only time I ever squeeze the bike is going up hill, typically out of a corner- where I don't want to have my arms holding me on. Where my body position is depends on where you are on the course. I may be standing forward with my upper body (chest) over the bars or I may have my hips back with my butt a couple of inches off the seat. It's impossible to describe which body position is needed for each section on the internet, that's why I keep saying get someone to help coach you.
Titan1
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Titan1 6/1/2018 2:23pm
6/1/2018 2:23pm
Titan1 wrote:
I’m confused, Are you saying you shouldn’t grip the bike with your legs? And that riding position I described was taught to me by a pro...
I’m confused, Are you saying you shouldn’t grip the bike with your legs?

And that riding position I described was taught to me by a pro rider at a riding school (and i see it used by pros from Moto to off road). And I’ve seen it taught by other pros as well. Though I’m a Vet A rider myself (be it a mid pack one), I didn’t come up with it on my own, but it helped me get from the B class to the A class.
murph783 wrote:
Yeah I’d be curious to hear what you’re suggesting if not that
brettmx wrote:
So I describe it like this. You're not riding a horse so you legs need to kept close to the bike. However the bike has to...
So I describe it like this. You're not riding a horse so you legs need to kept close to the bike. However the bike has to be allowed to do it's thing between your legs up to the point when you need to stop it from doing it's thing. You'll always be pressing-- NOT SQUEEZING against the bike depending on what's going on-either one side or the other. About the only time I ever squeeze the bike is going up hill, typically out of a corner- where I don't want to have my arms holding me on. Where my body position is depends on where you are on the course. I may be standing forward with my upper body (chest) over the bars or I may have my hips back with my butt a couple of inches off the seat. It's impossible to describe which body position is needed for each section on the internet, that's why I keep saying get someone to help coach you.
Well, maybe we are just misunderstanding each other then...I've always been taught, and use myself, that gripping/squeezing the bike with your legs is how you keep the bike under control, and hold yourself on the bike.

Squeezing the bike with my legs on the balls of my feet still allows the bike to do its thing (rocking forwards and backwards) but prevents it from getting out of control (going side to side, or swapping).

Check out this link from MXA and Kevin Windham:

https://motocrossactionmag.com/we-ride-kevin-windhams-geico-honda-crf45…

"And although Kevin doesn’t use knee braces, which often tear up the side panels and frame, he squeezes so hard against the subframe that it causes the side panels to bow in. These areas have been reinforced to prevent the side panels from bending."

Is he riding a bike wrong? Is his bike not able to "do its thing"?

Look at this video of Stephan Everts...watch at 1:01

https://youtu.be/pC6gKIiC98Y?start=61

And here is a picture of the exact form I was taught to use (and still-try-and use) and as I described in my post that you said was bad advice: and he carries it all the way around the corner:




How can you say its bad advice?




brettmx
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brettmx 6/1/2018 3:57pm
6/1/2018 3:57pm
Titan1 wrote:
Well, maybe we are just misunderstanding each other then...I've always been taught, and use myself, that gripping/squeezing the bike with your legs is how you keep...
Well, maybe we are just misunderstanding each other then...I've always been taught, and use myself, that gripping/squeezing the bike with your legs is how you keep the bike under control, and hold yourself on the bike.

Squeezing the bike with my legs on the balls of my feet still allows the bike to do its thing (rocking forwards and backwards) but prevents it from getting out of control (going side to side, or swapping).

Check out this link from MXA and Kevin Windham:

https://motocrossactionmag.com/we-ride-kevin-windhams-geico-honda-crf45…

"And although Kevin doesn’t use knee braces, which often tear up the side panels and frame, he squeezes so hard against the subframe that it causes the side panels to bow in. These areas have been reinforced to prevent the side panels from bending."

Is he riding a bike wrong? Is his bike not able to "do its thing"?

Look at this video of Stephan Everts...watch at 1:01

https://youtu.be/pC6gKIiC98Y?start=61

And here is a picture of the exact form I was taught to use (and still-try-and use) and as I described in my post that you said was bad advice: and he carries it all the way around the corner:




How can you say its bad advice?




Watch how he starts into the turn and what his body position is like through the turn. They are completely different, except if it was a big sandy turn he might have stayed back-it all depends. So, how do you know you're in the position that you believe you're in?.
Titan1
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Titan1 6/1/2018 4:12pm
6/1/2018 4:12pm Edited Date/Time 6/1/2018 4:26pm
brettmx wrote:
Watch how he starts into the turn and what his body position is like through the turn. They are completely different, except if it was a...
Watch how he starts into the turn and what his body position is like through the turn. They are completely different, except if it was a big sandy turn he might have stayed back-it all depends. So, how do you know you're in the position that you believe you're in?.
I don't know man...besides leaning a bit further back when he got on the brakes, leaning a bit forward when he got on the gas he basically stayed in that same position through the entire turn (no way you could say his position in the turn is "completely different" than when entering it)....

Anyway, of course our riding position changes based on the terrain-we aren't robots and I'm not saying we have to stay perfectly in that position without moving...but that position is the basic "attack position" from which all riders should train themselves to be in most of the time. We lean forward up hills, or when we accelerate, we lean back more when braking or going down hills, we sit in corners, sometimes we are leaning off of either side of the bike to keep the bike in the line we want, etc. etc....but the basic attack position (as I described and as used by Everts) is the position we all should return to after moving around the bike, and that all new riders need to learn.

McGrath does a great job explaining at 11:43 of this video (then listen to what he says about squeezing the bike at 17:06, and being in the neutral riding position AND squeezing the bike at 19:50):

https://youtu.be/kSfbb4-ZG8s?start=703

But I've got to know...was Windham riding his bike wrong when he gripped it so hard it caused the side panels to bow in?

brimx153
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brimx153 6/1/2018 11:18pm
6/1/2018 11:18pm
Don't brake to late . Slow up on the way in .to make the mid corner roll fast and exit really fast .
drt410
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drt410 6/1/2018 11:29pm
6/1/2018 11:29pm
Go faster than everyone else.

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