Ride dirt?
- Thread starter Eddie
- Start date
tdelegram
Control Rider
As a former GNCC, MX and SX racer and owner of a 1.2 mile mx track on my farm, yes, yes and yes. But we ride year round, also think about some of the smaller air cooled bikes like the 140's and 150's, they are great to learn how to slide the front and rear without as much drama as occurs on the bigger bikes. I am uploading a video now that has 10 - 12 guys from the track out on my farm being terrorized by me during the labor day weekend. It was a great day for payback for all the CR who are fast on the pavement but are lost in the dirt! I won't name names but you all know who you are.
tdelegram
Control Rider
I am going to try to get into the office tomorrow with the fast wifi, my home stuff is too slow and keeps aborting the upload. 250's are fun but tough as a beginner bike especially on an MX track. The 250's are about corner speed and reving the motor to make power. When you come out of a turn and need grunt to clear a jump it's way easier to do that on a 450 than a 250. The compromise is the KTM 350, either way, it's much easier to de-tune an MX bike for trails (lower gearing, fly wheel, clutch....) than to take a trail bike and make it MX capable. The closest MX capable trail bike now is the KTM XC line, but once you get into low level competition speed you'll start to exceed the suspension. Honda and Yamaha have trail models but the suspension isn't up to snuff for light MX duty, you'll be blasting through the stroke and bottoming out the suspension. Just so you know what you're getting into, riding fast in the dirt is much more tiring than fast on the track, the only rest time I get in the dirt is in the air, the rest of the time your standing to absorb bumps with your legs, or moving to aid turning, braking and acceleration. Watch the pro guys and you'll see very little time sitting, usually to enhance rear wheel traction (sitting way back on seat) or to seat-bounce jumps (sitting to add more preload to rear suspension to increase height and distance on jumps), rest of the time they are standing or moving on the seat side to side. In reality its great physical training for track day riding.
Eddie
Member
Interesting, I would have thought most would recommend starting on the smaller bike, as with the track. I can get a 450 for about the same price. Would you suggest that route?
Shocking you would reference a KTM!
Definitely looks like a physically intense activity for sure. A good workout that's fun at the same time sounds perfect.
Shocking you would reference a KTM!
Definitely looks like a physically intense activity for sure. A good workout that's fun at the same time sounds perfect.
The most important thing about dirty riding is LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! I grew up in southwest PA and we could ride for days all over the place. I'm now in Baltimore and unless you know a farmer close by, you have to drive a considerable amount to get to a legal place to ride. I really miss riding dirt bikes, but really can't afford (time and $$) to do track days and dirt.
tdelegram
Control Rider
Jim, next dirt day you have first right of refusal on my wr450, any help punting Sanders and Farrel off the track would be appreciated.
I might just take you up on that!
rhill
Member
Same here, except started in central PA riding quads...traded the quad for a street bike(before ever throwing a leg over one) and fell in love. Moved to Cleveland and got tired of commuting to decent roads and migrated to the track. Have a dirt bike, but have only rode it 3 times in more years.
tdelegram
Control Rider
Depends what you want to get out of it. If more about throttle control, braking feel, and sliding the bike, get the small air cooled one that can double as a pit bike. If you really want to ride an mx track go with the 450, they are much easier to ride and you can lug the motor and still have torque to get you out of trouble. If youre doing MX don't skimp on the helmet and look into a leatte neck brace, rest of the gear you need but you can do on the cheap through close out at year end or Craig's list.
PS, see if you can find orange and black riding gear, it's the best colors!
Jim's right - however I also grew up in SW PA. Moved away for a long time and then moved back. Most of the places to ride around here are gone due to development. It's actually why I finally sold my last dirt bike 9 years ago. You now have to drive really to ride anywhere, and the places to ride are few and far between. When I was much younger the hardest part of going for a ride was avoiding police when taking a short cut on a country road to get from one trail head to another.
The hardest thing for me was having enough gasoline to keep riding! Can't tell you how much I loved the large fuel tanks the cars had back in the day. You could alleviate a few gallons at a time and they would never notice! Hell, we had three snowmobiles that we rode all over the place during the winter. The cops didn't care too much unless you were messing up someone's yard or something. I remember pulling at least 20 other kids on their sleds behind my snowmobile once. Good times!
Dirt is a great workout, fun to play around on, and a great way to spend the day/weekend. Sure good riding is about a 2 hr drive from me but its well worth the time. And Tom's property is awesome. And I'll take getting punted in the dirt any day....just means I've got more to learn. Get your payback while you can.