| There are a great many attributes that make for | | | | good track knowledge and an insight into what will |
| a good dirt bike rider and the best dirt bike riders | | | | serve you well when you?re racing. |
| are those who can combine the skills it takes. One | | | | Practise sessions provide you with an exceptional |
| of the most important things you need to | | | | opportunity to learn a few more tips and tricks of |
| become one of the few good dirt bike riders is | | | | the course. Not every course is the same and not |
| the right temperament. You need to combine | | | | every starting gate is the same. Wait for the |
| confidence with humility. That is, you need the | | | | other racers to start so you have a little room |
| confidence to be brave and take a different line; | | | | and have a couple of practise goes at the start. |
| otherwise you won?t be overtaking the leading | | | | Work out the gear and line you need to take out |
| riders but you also need to be careful not to | | | | of the gates. It might just give you that all |
| become over confident. Over confidence | | | | important lead from the very start. |
| invariably leads to rash decisions and reckless | | | | Use the first lap of your practise session to ride |
| riding and eventually dirt bike accidents. It?s a fine | | | | around at a reasonable pace, but not too fast; |
| line, but it?s a line you need to riding on to be | | | | everything will look a lot different from the back |
| successful. | | | | of your bike that it did when you were walked |
| Skills dirt bikers need to master. | | | | the track earlier. Don?t just look at the line you |
| Apart from having the right attitude to racing you | | | | are riding, have a good look around, see if there |
| obviously need the riding skills that set you apart | | | | are better lines to follow and work out the best |
| from the rest of the pack. Balance, agility and a | | | | lines for the jumps. |
| very good knowledge of racing lines. A very good | | | | Hit the first corner well and you can set yourself |
| tip is to walk the track before you race it; this will | | | | up for the rest of the race. Getting a good kick |
| give you a valuable insight into the racing line and | | | | from the gates can put you in a strong position |
| the jumps on the track. As an extension of this, it | | | | that will see you near the front few riders. Once |
| is also very helpful if you can see a couple of | | | | you?ve beaten the start, you need to make sure |
| riders on the track so you can learn from their | | | | you can hold on to your strong position and don?t |
| mistakes and also learn from what they do well. | | | | throw it away by getting caught up in the fray |
| Combine all of this and you will have gained a | | | | that always surrounds. |