Do Dirtbike riders make better road riders?

[Jackrat]

I stick my leg out for balance mainly,I have caught the bike a few times in the sand and that's why I walk like John Wayne.

[Two Smoker]

While i would love too, i havnt got much dirt riding experience and no MX or trial experience....... My belief is that you can get new skill and modify them to other situations with any sort of riding..... Just like you can learn new skills on all bikes....

ON the posite CT110, i have learned extreme skills in low speed handling and balance, i have also learnt about powerslides (using opposite lock pushing my leg forward and keeping the gas on) and wheelies from the postie bike..... All valuable knowledge and skills that i may have to bring up in riding too come.....

[Drunken Monkey]

You should make the effort, 2 smoker. I learned so much from 1 day of mx'ing through the dunes and forests at Helensville, indespensible things like:
1 - just because your bike is sliding, it doesn't necessarily mean you've lost control (yet!)
2 - get the confidence to apply more power to get out of trouble, instead of always relying on backing off/braking

Not to say you can't learn these things on a track either...

In respect to the start of this thread, improving your handling skills is an important part of becoming a better rider (road or off), and while these don't necessarily improve your traffic 'street smarts', anything that improves your skillset must be good for you?

[Firefight]

While there are plenty of very good riders that have had no off road background, sorta naturals I guess(thinking of a couple of young guys I ride with), I know in my case, yes for sure, Ha ha even if I did manage to ride into a bit of a drain last week, I know that my time on Motox, enduro and cross country, do help me with my road rideing.

I think the whole balance thing, and peg work(ie ride for 3 hours mostly on pegs) does teach you heaps of bike control via body movement, I still find myself standing breifly on pegs in metal , . I know one of the hardest things we come across at Woodhill, is convincing newbees to stand on the pegs, But man when they finally do it, the smile on thier face . I guess its the same as weighting the pegs only a bit more involved.

F/F

[Motoracer]

Ha ha even if I did manage to ride into a bit of a drain last week, I know that my time on Motox, enduro and cross country, do help me with my road rideing.
F/F

I would like to say that FF made top efforts to use his dirt skills by trying to ride through the drain and get the bike under control but unfortunately the drain was just a bit too unstable for a sports bike. At times like these, you just wish you were riding a bike like Motus'.