Day at a MX track

[sparky3008]

4 friends and I took the day off Friday and went to a MX track. For most of us it was the first time and none of us are really jumpers.

We arrived around 9:00 am and had the tracks all to ourselves and didn't leave until 2:00pm

We started on the beginner track to get a feel of how our bikes would behave when landing and I think we all quickly realized our suspension was not up to 30' jumps and neither were we.

We moved onto the advanced track which is not a track that you can take slow. The jumps are meant for just that, advanced riders. If you come over a jump slow the apex goes straight down on the other side and landing on your front wheel. Not jumping far enough lands you on the face of the next hill and bottoming out. I had a few mishaps on this track, one of which I landed solid on a hill, bottomed out and it felt like someone had taken a hammer to the bottom of my feet.

We moved onto the intermediate track which is where we stayed most of the day. A lot of good table tops that even if you didn't make it to the landing hill you still had a decent landing. Lots of sharp turns and I was the first to crash for the day breaking my starter button so I had to kick it the rest of the day and the hot start button came in very handy.

3 of my friends raced a lot and were constantly trying to out jump the other and by the end of the day I too was feeling a bit more confident on the jumps.

A lot of fun but something that made me realize how truely amazing these guys are that race MX and do the incredible things that they do. My hat goes off to them, they are truely great riders and athletes.

If you like dirt at all and have only ridden harescrambles or trails like me I can't recommend enough at least once trying a MX track...

 

[dcarver]

what track were you at Sparky3008?

NEVER MIND... did you know that most dirt bike riders have all fallen way too many times causing damage to the cranium scareabellum thus resulting in the inability to read the complete post??

 

[sparky3008]

what track were you at Sparky3008?
NEVER MIND... did you know that most dirt bike riders have all fallen way too many times causing damage to the cranium scareabellum thus resulting in the inability to read the complete post??

Mine would have been pretty if anyone was around to see/take pictures.

I came off of turn and spun the rear tire and I went flying and did a nice roll, I guess my wrestling/hapkido training came in useful for something

 

[yamaholic]

Weight the outside peg heavily during tight turns, especially sandy or muddy turns. Stay neutral on the bike with your elbows out as far as you can.

Also don't be afraid to use your butt to bring the backend back in if it starts sliding out. Countersteer some too and the back end will come back in line. Otherwise..when in doubt, gas it!

Please be careful at the advanced track. Doesn't sound like you are quite ready for it. Don't be ashamed to keep up your buddies...Live to ride another day!

Sooo...can you wheelie the bike through gears yet? How about power slides???

 

[sparky3008]

Weight the outside peg heavily during tight turns, especially sandy or muddy turns. Stay neutral on the bike with your elbows out as far as you can.
Also don't be afraid to use your butt to bring the backend back in if it starts sliding out. Countersteer some too and the back end will come back in line. Otherwise..when in doubt, gas it!

Please be careful at the advanced track. Doesn't sound like you are quite ready for it. Don't be ashamed to keep up your buddies...Live to ride another day!

Sooo...can you wheelie the bike through gears yet? How about power slides???

Yea, I am still working on the cornering technique. I am getting better at moving my body to the opposite side of the turn, (like putting weight on the outside peg). When you say "STAY NEUTRAL" what do you mean?

The wr has a different angle in the forks than other bikes, many actually lower the forks a few mm's to help in the turns, I haven't done this and don't know that I will.

Wheelie's are not something I really do much and therefore not very good at. The wr will come up fairly easy in second if I do it right. A friend of mine who has the crf450x took my bike for a ride and was very impressed with it and he loves to do wheelies.

Power slides I can do them to the left pretty well, it is just a matter of leaning it over enough. To the right I am not as coordinated. Kind of like my spin kicks I am better to the left than right even though I am right handed, go figure.

I just put in heavier springs Sunday. I went from .43 to .46 but will need to adjust the rebound and compression more as I start at 10 out on each which might be a little stiff.

I am much more willing to push dirt and take advice and learn dirt than street.

Street is just too costly to wreck and it only takes once to total a bike and end up dead.

 

[yamaholic]

By neutral, I mean to let the bike move under you as you maintain a heads-up, elbows out position. I normally let my leg/foot do the body english thing. Stick out that leg as far forward as you can to the inside of the turn. But keep your body position relatively upright. That technique will help to keep you from sliding in the first place. Where you make body movement changes is when you start to slide.

As you get faster you'll alter this technique slightly

A lot of the technique depends on the type of traction you expect (and what tires you have, how much power you have). On my old WR400, I just steered with the throttle on loose terrain. But in muddy conditions it was all about just staying upright and getting through the section. If I had to *** a foot to the ground..oh well. My YZF250 doesn't quite have the power to steer with the throttle, but it makes up for it by being easy to correct when it does start to slide.

By far the best thing you can do is to LOOK around the turn. Look exactly where you want your tires to be coming out of the turn. That's the exact place you'll likely go if you LOOK. Just like on the street.

 

[sparky3008]

By neutral, I mean to let the bike move under you as you maintain a heads-up, elbows out position. I normally let my leg/foot do the body english thing. Stick out that leg as far forward as you can to the inside of the turn. But keep your body position relatively upright. That technique will help to keep you from sliding in the first place. Where you make body movement changes is when you start to slide.

I think what you are saying is what I am trying to achieve only right now I am exagerating it as the bike was washing out on me badly in the beginning.

On a few turns I was actually leaning like on a street bike and that was frightening.

I will definitely concentrate on the elbows out, body upright next time.

I am putting my leg out though.

Thanks for the tips...

 

[mbottoms]

Great to see you got out there Sparky.

To me, MX is very addicting.

Every time I go to the track, I don't want to leave and can't wait to get back.

After you have gotten a little more practice under your belt, try signing up for an AMA

sanctioned event. Get in there with the intermediate class and have fun.

It doesn't matter how well you do, because the battle for last place is just as exciting as the battle for first.

At my age, winning the event isn't the point, the point for me is to be competitive with the guys that have similar skill set as me.

I can't describe the wonderful feeling that results from a good ride and passing one or two of your buddies.

You will be hooked

Mark

 

[dcarver]

Get in there with the intermediate class and have fun.

You want to get poor ol Sparky killed? Intermediate class? Ohhh Yeah..

Me thinks a Novice or even Beginner class might be a better place to start.

I admit it's been some time since I did an AMA event, mosty race with OTHG and OTMX (over 30, over 40) groups..and those Intermediate classes are freakin' fast.. :blink:

 

[mbottoms]

Your prolly right DC, I get all fired up just thinking about banging bars.

Yea-Haa.

Lets Ride,

Mark :clap:

 

[dcarver]

I am very lucky.. I have my own watered sx/mx on the property..

It's funny... when I've had a few beers and building the track on the tractor, I keep thinking.. ahh hell, that double aint' big enough.. .got push it out farther and make it taller..

Next, day, in the saddle, and it's OMFG what have I done?

 

[mbottoms]

I have a close friend that is in the road construction business and has all the heavy equiptment. We did the same thing on 10 acres that he owns.

Unfortunatly, the city put a pipe line thru his property and destroyed our track.

I am trying to find a set up much like you describe that you have, that would be sweet.

Mark

 

[sparky3008]

I don't enjoy the MX track enough to do a race day anyway so no chance of a "intermediate class" race.

I love riding with my friends and even with them I don't race. I pick my pace and I ride it, if it happens to be the same pace as someone else then that makes it even more fun.

I ride with an x-racer and he makes it a point to pass us in the 2 mile woods trail as many times as he can and we don't care if he passes us all day long.

We had one guy crash last week and end up in a hellicopter, he will be ok but it puts a damper on the fun.

We had a brother of the x-racer crash a while ago and is now parallyzed. I would rather just get out and have fun and it still keeps my skills sharpe.

My Wr wasn't meant for MX and it shows. With stiffer springs in it now it is better turning and takes the rocks much better but still is no YZ...

You guys be careful, have fun...

 

[FJRandy]

Good job Sparky! Sounds like you had fun out there. I'll be passing by Breezwood on my way to the in-law's in PA next week.

MX???? BTDT. Woods riding is more fun for me now. MX these days is just a bunch of pretty boys who need big jumps to look cool. No more speed and strategy on the track these days.

To others....say what you want about my "pretty boy" comment. I still go to the races and see this attitude every time. Kids these days lost touch with the main reason we race. To have FUN! I'm blown away at how many novices are pulling up in motorhomes with a box trailer in tow. Like I said, these kids lost touch. Actually it's the parents who lost touch. The kids are just going along with it.