Motocross Training Blog

Jumping Adjustments

I had a question from someone who was having the same problem I used to have. When I first moved up to big bikes, my rear tire would always kick to the side off of jumps. The reason might have been that I was about 120 lbs! But that really shouldn’t have been the issue. There are actually a few solutions to this if you are having trouble.

One thing to remember is to charge up the face. If you are just cruising, your forward momentum is not as strong and any kicker and abnormalities in the face will have a greater affect on your rear tire. You don’t have to be pinned; just a steady handful will get you through the face with ease. Body position is big as well. Having a neutral position on the bike always you to have an even amount of weight on both the front and back. This ensures that you go off the lip on an even level. And as always, GRIP WITH YOUR KNEES!

Once you are in the air, you want to stay relaxed. This will make you more efficient in making mid air adjustments. You won’t panic and freeze up, which is probably the worst thing you can do. Remember to give it gas to pull up the front and tap the rear brake to bring the front back down. If you are still out of whack, use your lower body to pull the bike back straight. Using your footpegs as well might be a good idea.

One final thing to keep in mind is to make sure your sag is correct. The rear shock must be probably adjusted in order for your suspension to work at its best. This was my biggest problem when I first moved up. The suspension wasn’t revalved for my weight. So, the rear end would kick me all over the place. However, I am not an expert in suspension, but that has always helped my riding when I felt uncomfortable for some odd reason.

Watch how Chad Reed tries to bring it back….notice his legs (54 seconds)

Navigating rough sweepers

There’s nothing better than a smooth sweeper.  You can get on the gas hard, break the rear end out and drift like a flat tracker.  It’s one of the best feelings in the world.  However, when you start getting some slower people on there who chop the throttle, things tend to get rough by about mid day.  Plus, the track is getting dried out and the bumps and ruts get bigger and bigger.  There are a few things to remember, but one trick that might make a rough sweeper more enjoyable.

Let’s start with a smooth sweeper.  Normally, when it is freshly groomed, you can pretty much take any line you choose.  A good thing to remember is to not have any pivot points.  You want a smooth arc throughout the corner and keep a steady handful of throttle (if the soil is on the softer side).  You want to keep your head up, elbows up, and weight on the outside foot peg.  I prefer to sit down when it’s not rough, just because it looks cooler to me.

However, when things start to get a little bumpy, your favored line may not be the best option.  The edges are the best place to look.  The inside cuts a lot of distance of the track, but the outside maintains more speed/momentum.  So, the decision is yours to make and decide which line is better.  If you have a big jump after the sweeper, maybe the outside will be better because you can have that speed to huck over the jump.  But if there is another corner after the sweeper, the inside could your best bet.  Like I said, it’s up to you to play around with line selection.  As things get rougher, standing up is a better choice.  You have more control of the bike because your legs have more leverage to grip the bike in the bumps.

Now, when the line you take is just a curved whoop section, there is something that you can do.  You normally would hear a pro recommend squaring up a sweeper, but this is the time you can.  As you approach your line that is covered in moguls, you can aim between them, pivot and square up the sweeper.  It is sort of like squaring up a bowl turn; you want lean the bike and lock the rear brake up.  You want your rear tire to slide between the two bumps so you face the exit of the sweeper.  It sounds weird, but it works if you do it fast.  It takes some practice to get the precise down, but once you do, it will make a difference on how you get through the rough sweeper.  Just remember to look ahead, elbows up, stand up (when it’s rough) and grip with the knees.  Keeping a higher gear to chug through also helps, so keep it smooth and clean!

Is Vitamin Water right for Racers?

I see it all the time.  It is like the new Gatorade and 50cent even has his own flavor.  What is it?  Vitamin Water.  From the sound of it, Vitamin Water seems like it is the real deal.  A multivitamin in a refreshing beverage…but who makes the beverage; Coke does.  Everything that Coca Cola makes, you should basically stay away from.

I drink this stuff too.  I’m not perfect in any way; I actually love this stuff.  However, it is LOADED with sugar.  It is basically like drinking a can of regular Coca Cola.  In a regular bottle of Vitamin Water, it has 13g of sugar per SERVING.  Now, there are 2.5 servings in a bottle.  Do the math (for those of you who aren’t good at math, that’s 34g).  I down a bottle like it’s nothing.  So, the Vitamin Water is a nicer way to call soda, a soda.

The amount of vitamins you get from a bottle is somewhat respectable.  You might get half of the daily recommendation for the big Vitamins like C, B, Zinc and Chromium.  Again, the amount of sugar just outweighs the benefits from the vitamins.  Ryan Hughes is a big fan of all natural, organic foods and beverages.  And this makes more and more sense each time I read a label of a new drink.  Brightly or fluorescent colors are usually high in sugar and not a normal occurring thing.

So, you might as well take a multi-vitamin with a glass of Coke, because that’s all you’re doing.  I hate to sound like a “food Nazi”, but in order to better your training; your diet needs to be clean.  If you win a race, reward yourself with a bottle, but don’t consume it instead of water.  That’s what the advertisers want you to think.  They want you to think that this stuff is better than regular because it has “vitamins.”  Sure it has a good amount, but the massive amount of sugar cancels any benefit you would get from the vitamins.  So, my advice is to cut back and drink Vitamin Water as a reward, not as a replacement.

Racquet Ballas

I’m not the biggest fan of tennis. It just doesn’t get me excited as much football or motocross. However, if you analyze the game and the condition of the tennis players, there’s a page racers can take from ole’ Federer’s book. Like I said, tennis isn’t my things, but racquet ball is another story. It is a faster pace and requires you to be on toes the whole game. “Four wall” is even more intense and the benefits are ideal for moto.

Four wall racquet ball is perfect for motocross actually. The fast pace keeps the heart rate up throughout the game. By the end of the first game, you will see how much cardio you can get from just that one game. Another good thing is the explosiveness needed by your lower body. Like the plyometrics article earlier, racquet ball requires you to think and react quickly and sprint to the ball if needed. An example of the plyometric – like requirement in racquet ball is jumping. If the ball is going to go over your head, you might have to jump as high as you can to reach the ball. Your legs use a lot of force and get a great workout.

This can be pretty tough if you have been playing a long set; so, your anaerobic capacity is worked as well. But you have to play hard to get that benefit. Your hand – eye coordination is also improved and your reaction time is cut down dramatically….better starts….maybe??? Your upper body is also getting worked as well. The explosiveness is here as well. Swinging the racquet in a controlled manner definitely requires some strength and again, coordination. If you think you are in shape, play a few games of four wall and it will put you in your place real quick. It is really great if you are tired to jogging or hitting the stationary bikes. Plus it is something that you and friend (that doesn’t moto) can enjoy.

Racing under the lights

Supercross is coming up and the Nationals are officially over.  The U.S. Open marks the beginning of the night time riding for the pros.  Racing under the lights can be really fun, especially in front of a crowd.  However, there is a big difference between riding at night and during the day.  And it’s not just the sunlight!

Actually, that is a big factor.  The sunlight heats up the Earth, obviously.  But, it is the way in which the sunlight dries the Earth that you should be concerned about.  In the morning, fog is everywhere.  The moisture from the dirt rises up above the ground and condenses, resulting in a “thick mist.”  When the sun hits the mist, it evaporates and the moisture is dried up and the track slowing gets dried as well.  When the sun goes down, the process starts up all over again.

So what does this have to do with riding?  When the sun goes down and the lights come on, the moisture collects on the track.  This results in softer conditions or slippery if its clay (or possibly hard packed).  So, you need to be prepared on and off the bike to make these adjustments.  It would be a lot like riding in the morning because it is still early and the fog is still somewhat over the track; plus your track probably waters the track as well.

Another thing to remember is the lighting.  Shadows are created by the gaps in the lights, so ruts and braking bumps may appear differently in the day than the night.  A good idea is to make sure that you have clear lenses on your goggles.  There are enough distorted hues from the lights, you can do with the red, yellow or mirrored lenses at night.  Just go to a few night practices if you can, it will make you appreciate the day time ride and make you a better rider.

Barcia At MTF

This is a video of Justin Barcia before he went pro.  I like it a lot because this just shows how far he hangs everything out.  This style as crazy as Stewart’s was when he first came up on the “old school” KX125