how to practice on dirt?

[lonesoldier84]

ok, i try to spend some time doing low speed practice under 12 kph, and emerg braking, and proper cornering for higher speeds (30-70kph)

now I have been working on threshold braking on gravel. what is the best way to practice this? I have so far found where my front wheel locks, but my rear wheel is being tricky as i wear sidi vertigo boots and figuring out how much im pressing the lever in is a bit tricky. I tend to either underbrake the rear brake or lock it up. rarely do i get close to the "threshold braking" im looking for on the rear wheel. I will be getting in some time on a DRZ400 on the dirt coming up shortly so ill be working on a bunch of stuff on that.

but what advice can you guys give me?

to keep this simple:

I am sitting on the DRZ400 its early morning I have ALL day to ride it and practice. What are the various things I should be working on and what drills are best to practice those skills. By drills I mean something very specific so I can lay it out when I get out there.

thanks all

 

[wrightme43]

Man on dirt makes it a question I dont know the answer too.

Have you looked here?

ThumperTalk

 

[Johny Bravo]

I have practicet on dirt and sand many times. The trick is to lower legs near the ground ant thus lowering center of the weight. This way the bike becomes easier to handle ot bad road such as sand ot dirt.
Also at this condition try to accelerate rapidlu to practice where the rear tire moves when spinning!
Hope to be helpfull!

 

[lonesoldier84]

good info johnny

what are all the things i can learn on the dirt which will help me on the street??

 

[Red Wazp]

Riding on a dirt bike gets you used to the bike moving around under you.

Other than slow speed manuvers on the 6 where I will drag the rear brake for control I use only the front brake for serious braking on the street. Under hard braking the rear will lock up causing a loss of control.

Pratice panic braking at speeds 45-70+ mph. This kind of braking may save your butt in an emergency. Our bike has very good front brakes.

 

[trailblazer87]

ok, i try to spend some time doing low speed practice under 12 kph, and emerg braking, and proper cornering for higher speeds (30-70kph)

now I have been working on threshold braking on gravel. what is the best way to practice this? I have so far found where my front wheel locks, but my rear wheel is being tricky as i wear sidi vertigo boots and figuring out how much im pressing the lever in is a bit tricky. I tend to either underbrake the rear brake or lock it up. rarely do i get close to the "threshold braking" im looking for on the rear wheel. I will be getting in some time on a DRZ400 on the dirt coming up shortly so ill be working on a bunch of stuff on that.

but what advice can you guys give me?

to keep this simple:

I am sitting on the DRZ400 its early morning I have ALL day to ride it and practice. What are the various things I should be working on and what drills are best to practice those skills. By drills I mean something very specific so I can lay it out when I get out there.

thanks all

STAND UP! Ride standing the whole time. You have way more control this way. Which model DRZ? I have the dual sport, though it gets a lot more dirt time than street. If it is new, get rid of the stock tires, get some good street nobbies, I run the D202's and find that I end up with more traction all around on these than on the stock deathwings.

Steve is right about Thumpertalk as well. I am a member there also and there DRZ section is enormous. Trust Eddy as well.

Get used to short shifting on the DRZ, this is a motor that is pure mid range. There is no need to find the rev limiter.

Practice braking, get used to how they feel in different types of terrain. Adjust the suspension as well, stock settings are a little on the loose side. Get used to spinning the rear tire and feeling the rear end slide around. Once you get the hang of it, try wheeling. You can power up in first and second with practice, and clutch up in third. When you hit a whoops section, learn to get back in the seat and use the throttle to keep the front end light. Trust the bike, my DRZ has taken me places I would never have thought possible. A good ride should be a workout.

If you have any questions regarding anything mechanical on the bike feel free to PM me. Thumpertalk has a good crowd in the DRZ section. The rest can get a little rowdy at times. Don't get political if you don't want to be flamed.

Good Luck, Good riding and have fun:thumbup:

 

[HavBlue]

I started life on two wheels in the dirt and still love every minute of it. To me, dirt first is the best way to learn skills in terms of balance. It is also an awesome way to get a feel for input and feedback because the one thing that will always be constant in the dirt is movement. You are constantly adjusting things from weight transfer in terms of ride position to weight offset in terms of balance on one side versus the other to help you turn. You will also note the change in braking as the rear brake in dirt will often be used to help in turning. Locking up the rear in dirt is a given as is trail braking to set the front forks. Regardless, it all requires a feel and lots of saddle time. Play with the bike, let it slide out and hook up. It's all a rush and I love it.

 

[OkieDavid]

My time in dirt saved my bacon two days ago. Came off highway speed onto a paved side road a little fast (allowed myself to get "pushed" by a cager.....) onto a sheet of gravel that wasn't there yesterday. Had already downshifted and when I dumped the clutch the rear wheel locked. Back end came sliding around and I just rode her to a stop and complete stall. Never even got my heart rate up as it was such a natural feeling/reaction from the dirt. To cover the screwup I immediately began slapping at my throat and collar as if a wasp had gotten in.....

 

[HavBlue]

My time in dirt saved my bacon two days ago. Came off highway speed onto a paved side road a little fast (allowed myself to get "pushed" by a cager.....) onto a sheet of gravel that wasn't there yesterday. Had already downshifted and when I dumped the clutch the rear wheel locked. Back end came sliding around and I just rode her to a stop and complete stall. Never even got my heart rate up as it was such a natural feeling/reaction from the dirt. To cover the screwup I immediately began slapping at my throat and collar as if a wasp had gotten in.....

Yes, you become so used to the bike pretty much being all over the place that while on the street it is not normal, the brain takes over and that Rolodex in you head autoreacts thus saving your butt. Yesterday I went out for a short ride on the Sporty and could of been out all day but to me it was far more important to spend most of the time in the dirt with my grandkids. One day in the not to distant future they too will be on the street and the time they spend in the dirt may one day save their butts too.

While living in California a life long friend of mine that rides and races an open class 540 KTM wanted to hit the streets after 30 plus years of dirt. He went out and bought a Buell Ulysses. His riding skills (dirt) were beyond reproach however, he had no street time playing with cagers. The first ride we went on was up state highway 38 to Big Bear. We stopped for lunch and it was so funny when he told me about how scary the streets were with all these cages around. This is the difference as you can never teach the multiples associated with cages while you are in the dirt. So for me and my family it boils down to start them young and dirt first.....

 

[lonesoldier84]

My time in dirt saved my bacon two days ago. Came off highway speed onto a paved side road a little fast (allowed myself to get "pushed" by a cager.....) onto a sheet of gravel that wasn't there yesterday. Had already downshifted and when I dumped the clutch the rear wheel locked. Back end came sliding around and I just rode her to a stop and complete stall. Never even got my heart rate up as it was such a natural feeling/reaction from the dirt. To cover the screwup I immediately began slapping at my throat and collar as if a wasp had gotten in.....

drz here i come!!!

anyone wanna buy an fz6 with scuffed up right side?

 

[VEGASRIDER]

drz here i come!!!

anyone wanna buy an fz6 with scuffed up right side?

Part it out!

 

[lonesoldier84]

kept the fz6, but gonna take the drz out shortly (its my cousins)

all the advice here will come in handy

 

[SpacemanSpiff0x0]

Dirt skills are the best to learn simply because if you are wearing the right gear you can push yourself way beyond your safe riding limits and, most of the time, end up with nothing but bruises and broken clutch levers.

The advice on standing up all of the time is the best. It may feel strange at first but you are in way more control as this lowers your center of gravity and makes it easier for you to rapidly transfer weight. One thing that most amateur to mid-level riders do NOT do is grip the bike with their LEGS. A quick way to tell how good a rider is is to watch their body for a few turns. Good riders and above have their legs clamped on the bike and their top half is loosey goosey. A rider with less experience will still stand up (if they are worth their salt at all that is) but you can see their legs getting sloppy and the arms and shoulders tensing all of the time.

As for threshhold braking on the dirt...that's a tough one. Back brakes on dirt are mostly for sliding as the quality of the terrain is always in question. Downshifting usually works better as it is basically the dirt equivalent of ABS. Your wheel will slide...but the continued rotation helps keep it from getting too out of shape.

One thing to remember when trying to bring dirt skills to the road (and I learned this very recently in a not-so-fun experience) is that the mechanics of the front brake are completely different. You will learn not to trust the front brake on the dirt as it is a guarnateed way to wash out and end up on your head...but on the street it will save your life.

 

[HavBlue]

Dirt skills are the best to learn simply because if you are wearing the right gear you can push yourself way beyond your safe riding limits and, most of the time, end up with nothing but bruises and broken clutch levers.

The advice on standing up all of the time is the best. It may feel strange at first but you are in way more control as this lowers your center of gravity and makes it easier for you to rapidly transfer weight. One thing that most amateur to mid-level riders do NOT do is grip the bike with their LEGS. A quick way to tell how good a rider is is to watch their body for a few turns. Good riders and above have their legs clamped on the bike and their top half is loosey goosey. A rider with less experience will still stand up (if they are worth their salt at all that is) but you can see their legs getting sloppy and the arms and shoulders tensing all of the time.

As for threshhold braking on the dirt...that's a tough one. Back brakes on dirt are mostly for sliding as the quality of the terrain is always in question. Downshifting usually works better as it is basically the dirt equivalent of ABS. Your wheel will slide...but the continued rotation helps keep it from getting too out of shape.

One thing to remember when trying to bring dirt skills to the road (and I learned this very recently in a not-so-fun experience) is that the mechanics of the front brake are completely different. You will learn not to trust the front brake on the dirt as it is a guarnateed way to wash out and end up on your head...but on the street it will save your life.

All true but remember to duck if you are trail riding in a wooded area cause them branches will take your butt right off them pegs.

 

[Dunno]

Dirt skills are the best to learn simply because if you are wearing the right gear you can push yourself way beyond your safe riding limits and, most of the time, end up with nothing but bruises and broken clutch levers.

The advice on standing up all of the time is the best. It may feel strange at first but you are in way more control as this lowers your center of gravity and makes it easier for you to rapidly transfer weight. One thing that most amateur to mid-level riders do NOT do is grip the bike with their LEGS. A quick way to tell how good a rider is is to watch their body for a few turns. Good riders and above have their legs clamped on the bike and their top half is loosey goosey. A rider with less experience will still stand up (if they are worth their salt at all that is) but you can see their legs getting sloppy and the arms and shoulders tensing all of the time.

As for threshhold braking on the dirt...that's a tough one. Back brakes on dirt are mostly for sliding as the quality of the terrain is always in question. Downshifting usually works better as it is basically the dirt equivalent of ABS. Your wheel will slide...but the continued rotation helps keep it from getting too out of shape.

One thing to remember when trying to bring dirt skills to the road (and I learned this very recently in a not-so-fun experience) is that the mechanics of the front brake are completely different. You will learn not to trust the front brake on the dirt as it is a guarnateed way to wash out and end up on your head...but on the street it will save your life.

Spot on mate :thumbup:

Dirt biking is a great way to get used to the bike moving underneath you. Let it slide on the dirt & when the bike steps out on the tar you wont sh#t yourself.