Cheapest & Most Effective Motorcycle Training Secret!!

How would you like to learn the cheapest, most effective motorcycle training secret of all time?

I see it time & again especially with younger riders at local tracks...parents have spent thousands of dollars on latest bikes, gear, motocross lessons, and equipment. Despite all the expenditures JR still hasn't understood the most basic principle of motorcycle training and continues to repeat the same mistake.

Sitting Down is the biggest mistake a rider can make in motocross. Not only is it wrong to sit while racing the bike, it is SLOW!!

Standing is the best & correct way to ride a motocross bike hands-down. There is no motorcycle training secret that is cheaper & easier than simply standing up, yet when it comes to racing motocross nothing can be harder. It takes endurance, determination, willpower, and strength to force yourself out of the saddle and up on the pegs during a long moto.

One of the first motocross training lessons every rider should learn are the three important "Control Points" on the motorcycle in which you as a rider can carry your body weight. First is the foot pegs, second is the seat, and third is the handlebars. Obviously you must use the bars however lets first review the handlebar control point and discover why this is the least attractive from a motocross training perspective.

Most inexperienced riders get this wrong. A common mistake is to attempt to carry your weight thru your upper body (arms & shoulders) by holding tightly to the handlebars. Unfortunately this mistake causes yourself & motorcycle to be extremely top heavy, and because you cannot flow with the motorcycle causes your body to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. The correct method of racing motocross is to stay relaxed with your upper body and focus on using balance, timing, and anticipation of what's going to happen just before it does to your advantage. By holding onto the bike tightly with your upper body not only will you suffer from arm-pump, but you simply will not achieve the proper timing techniques by attempting to control or force things to occur through the bike's bars.

The second least desirable "Control Point" on the bike is through the seat. In this scenario the rider applies pressure to the top edge of the seat during cornering/leaning in an attempt to manipulate the bike. Obviously there are times in which you must sit, such as the apex of the corner described below. However many riders sit way too often and attempt to control the bike by sliding their butt back and forth on the seat to transfer weight. The correct way is to stay seated in the front part of the seat and lean your upper body back/forth. This technique will transfer more weight to the front/rear of the bike and be much easier physically as your body will remain in the center of the motorcycle. However even with the proper sitting technique maintaining this position still makes the bike extremely top heavy. Think of it as the equivalent of dead-weight attached to the top of the bike. Unfortunately in this position the rider is merely a passenger going along for the ride, and has little control of the outcome as the body (mainly spinal column) must absorb the full energy of impacts over rough terrain.

The final and correct motorcycle training method provides the lowest possible center of gravity on the motorcycle and is an excellent pivot point. Standing allows the riders weight to be completely supported by the lower body (legs, lower back, hips), which is much stronger and less fatiguing, and allows the transfer of the riders weight into the bike thru the foot pegs. With this technique the "Control Point" has now moved much closer to the bike's true center of gravity and allows the motorcycle to handle much better. In the Standing Position the rider has much more control and directional changes can be initiated from subtle lean angles applied below the centralized mass of the bike. As the motorcycle skims across rough ground, the rider can simply "go with the flow" and absorb the energy with the knees and make directional corrections for aiming the bike by making subtle weight shifts on the balls of the feet. The bike is allowed to bounce between the legs and the riders ankles. Balance, timing, control, and endurance are all greatly improved.

For the younger & less experienced riders out there commit this phrase to memory....."Good Motocross Racers Stand The Majority Of The Time!!". From a motorcycle training perspective have a buddy or your parents use a stopwatch to count the time in which you stand per lap...for a large majority of riders I guarantee there is room for improvement.

There is the proper moment to sit on the bike...this occurs at the apex of a turn. This is a very critical point in turning because of the transitions which occur going from acceleration/braking and braking/acceleration. Timing and technique are essential at the apex of a turn as you need to blend the forces of acceleration & braking together to maintain control. Expert riders blend the movements of sitting/bending/leaning/standing into a single, fluid motion as they corner. These riders only sit as they start to enter the corner and have properly loaded the suspension as they initiate the turn. Once pass the apex of the corner the rider immediately returns to the standing position to accelerate and continues the attack on the course.

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