5 Common Beginner Dirt Bike Mistakes
Whether it's a motorcycle or dirt bike, it takes time
to get used to your ride. Every rider, no matter how experienced or
trained, can tell you at least one story of how they made
embarrassing beginner dirt bike mistakes in their early days of
riding. Mistakes happen when you're learning how to ride, but the
most important thing is to learn from these errors and become a
better rider. Additionally, you want to know the common mistakes
beginner riders make so your first drop, spill or crash isn't a
harmful one.
Here are five common beginner dirt bike mistakes new riders often
make:
1) Going Too Big In The Beginning
Dirt bikes come in all different sizes and sometimes
beginner riders like to invest in the fastest and highest cc ride
the second they get their license. Motorcycles are in a lot of ways
like cars in a lot of ways - do you really think your first car
should be Ferrari?
It's this type of mentality that gets dirt bike riders injured.
It's always smart to start small. While you want a
bike that fits you, you also don't want to start on a ride that
usually is more than 250 cc or 350 cc. It takes time to get used to
your ride so don't think you're a pro the second you pass a
motorcycle class.
2) Improperly Balancing Your Bike
Another problem that seems to plague beginner riders
is understanding balance. It's important to know the weight of your
bike and how your own weight affects your riding. When you're
starting out, it's common to feel uncomfortable in your
positioning. This is just because you're not used to balancing the
weight of the bike. The best way to handle this is start out slow
when taking off and always be ready to stop and balance your bike.
The more control you have with your bike, the better you'll be able
to balance and avoid tipping over.
3) Misusing The Clutch And Throttle
Your clutch and throttle are probably the two hardest
things to get down when you're learning how to ride. It takes
constant practice to get a good feel of what is commonly known as
the
friction zone. The friction zone is simply the balance between
letting up on the clutch and figuring out how much throttle is
needed. Your friction zone is found when you start to the feel the
bike pull forward and how much pressure you can release on the
clutch.
If you stall your bike a few times, that's completely fine. But
before you go out on the road, you truly need to have a knack of
the friction zone and that's only achieved by constant
practice.
4) Looking Down Or In The Wrong Direction
Many riders have a tough time getting their
vision down when first riding a dirt bike. It's far too easy to
look down when you're riding to make sure you're shifting
correctly, going the appropriate speed or to see if you're in
neutral. To significantly reduce the risk of crashing, always keep
your head up and have a clear vision of where you're going. It's
commonly said to look where you want to go. This is especially
helpful when turning. When you look where you want to go, your body
turns appropriately with the bike the right direction.
5) Not Having The Right Gear
Getting your first dirt bike is an exciting time. However, many riders get too amped to ride and don't invest in the proper motorcycle gear first. Before you hit the dirt track, invest in proper dirt bike boots, a full-face helmet, goggles, motorcycle jacket, knee and elbow pads and gloves.
