Dirt biking n00b

[SMOKEU]

I've been riding road bikes for a few years now, but I recently got into dirt biking with a 1973 TS185. Has anyone here got any tips to help me go from road to dirt?

I'm never quite comfortable riding on gravel with the back end sliding around the way it does.

[Motu]

Go too fast, fall off, pick it up, go fast again, fall off, pick it up - repeat. You won't die, but you will learn how to ride.

[mossy1200]

Go too fast, fall off, pick it up, go fast again, fall off, pick it up - repeat. You might die, but you will learn how to ride.

Fixed that for you

[tigertim20]

I've been riding road bikes for a few years now, but I recently got into dirt biking with a 1973 TS185. Has anyone here got any tips to help me go from road to dirt?

I'm never quite comfortable riding on gravel with the back end sliding around the way it does.

its a very different style - watch a few moto-x vids, youll notice the riders are barely ever seated - up on ya feet, grip the tank with your knees and ride the cunt.
start off with some cruisy trail rides, and work your way up to some gnarly fire breaks etc - like riding a road bike, it takes practice. the back end skating around is something youll get used to in due course.

look up local moto-x clubs, most of them have 'have a go' days like at trackdays, (usually on flat tracks) and you can get out there and have heaps of fun - I did it years ago on an old DR250s, best fun ever! got passed a lot but had an awesome time and I learned heaps.
Added bonus, dirt hurts less that tarmac, and your 185 aint gonna go as fast as your 600!

[unstuck]

You use your legs and feet heaps more offroad, good boots and pants are a must. Just ride heaps,if your into it you will get better quickly. Spent most of the weekend with a couple of young fellas riding around on the riverflats and it seems to me , the more relaxed they were the better they rode.Have fun.

[Fast Eddie]

sink a few beers and open the throttle right up.

works every time

[SMOKEU]

Just ride heaps,if your into it you will get better quickly. Spent most of the weekend with a couple of young fellas riding around on the riverflats and it seems to me , the more relaxed they were the better they rode.Have fun.

Trouble is I only have the chance to ride every few months because I don't have any legal way of getting my bike to any offroad trails.

sink a few beers and open the throttle right up.

works every time

Usually a sly cone works pretty well for me.

[Leyton]

I'm never quite comfortable riding on gravel with the back end sliding around the way it does.

I'm not sure if your is nuts as me.. but when I used to ride road I had a rule when it came to gravel on my shiney YZF-R6 '07, Don't drop below 60km/hr!

Eg...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOly0TpqSoQ

My point is, it does not matter what the bike is. As long as it has two wheels, gyro effects are in your faviour to help stabalize the bike.

Confidence is amoungst the biggest thing I found when recently getting back into dirt.., build it slowly, don't give yourself frights, it just builds barriers that lead to reactions and actions that go against harmony with ya machine on the ride leading to further mistakes. Ride within your comfort.. and push it some from time to time, give yourself a chance to settle.

You are going to come off, dirt riding is like that Most of the time it is becase the torrain is slippery, and it means your not going too fast and its a soft landing anyway, so as previously said. Pick the bike up and carry on, it's all apart of it

Few n00bie traps coming into winter riding... that I discovered

Muck fill's your nooblys up, making riding much harder to maintain traction and stop that front from washing out. The only solution is to ride fast enough to flick the mud out, you acaully have more control going faster, its just a mind game 3rd outing in my bike just been, and I am only starting to get the confidence back that I left behind 15 years ago when I was 14 yrs of age to fearlessly tackle stuff that seamed inposible a few rides back.

All the best dude!

[buffstar]

Its pretty much the opposite of riding a road bike... instead of leaning into the corner and laying it down you want to lean against the corner and be sitting on the opposite edge of the seat, - when cornering while standing you need to weight your opposite peg and turn your hip in towards the number board.
Standing up is the way to go whenever you can as this centers your weight better over the bike, clutch control is everything! having your index and next finger always on the clutch & brake lever is helpful too - its really hard to explain via a forum.......
there are some coaches available like Broxy, Chris Power and Chris Birch (when he is in the country) although I have no inkling what is available in the south island - there are some DVDs you can get? it depends what sort of riding you want to do motox or trail/enduro
Time on your bike is the best teacher - every time you fuck it up you learn something

Mainly tho I think its about having FUN! and watch out for trees - they seem to jump out infront of you regularly

hope you have a blast!

[ktm84mxc]

The things I've had the most fun is getting out there in the rain & mud blasting around in it you learn so much about throttle/balance controls the bike.
Off road momentum pays a huge part of getting around a wet/greasy track it will take time to learn but it is fun.

[Transalper]

Trouble is I only have the chance to ride every few months because I don't have any legal way of getting my bike to any offroad trails..

Yea, so what kind of riding are you looking to do again? I don't enjoy MX circuits. Organised trail rides are ok from time to time but cost too much for me to do lots of them.
Doesn't require much effort to go for a hack up the Waimak. There are tracks along both sides.
Do you want to go Friday? Seems I am free till mid afternoon.
If we get on ok I may be convinced to get you out there a few more times in the coming months but you do need to give it a good regular go so you don't forget what you learned last time until you get the hang of it.... actual off road riding that is.

[SMOKEU]

Yea, so what kind of riding are you looking to do again? I don't enjoy MX circuits. Organised trail rides are ok from time to time but cost too much for me to do lots of them.
Doesn't require much effort to go for a hack up the Waimak. There are tracks along both sides.
Do you want to go Friday? Seems I am free till mid afternoon.
If we get on ok I may be convinced to get you out there a few more times in the coming months but you do need to give it a good regular go so you don't forget what you learned last time until you get the hang of it.... actual off road riding that is.

I'm not into doing any proper MX (after all, my bike is a 39 year old trail bike so it would be silly to try the things a more modern bike can do, and even though my bike is in a rough condition I want to look after it). A bit of slow paced, casual trail riding is just what I'm after. I'm keen to go on Friday and could chuck in a bit of fuel money if you could pick me up from my place as I'm in Cashmere and don't have a trailer/truck/van.

I'm pretty sure we've met at least once before a couple of months ago, we were on a KB WNR and you overtook me over Gebbies pass while I was riding a blue GSXR600 SRAD.

[Transalper]

...I'm pretty sure we've met at least once before a couple of months ago, we were on a KB WNR and you overtook me over Gebbies pass while I was riding a blue GSXR600 SRAD.

Knew we had been on at least one WNR probably to Little River but sorry I do not remember which face in the crowd was yours... and you know all those sporty bikes look the same to me now too

I can normally get two bikes in my van, that's mine and your's in this case.
I'll pm you to hook up.

[thecharmed01]

Go too fast, fall off, pick it up, go fast again, fall off, pick it up - repeat. You won't die, but you will learn how to ride.

hahahahaha that's how I roll yo!

[thecharmed01]

Trouble is I only have the chance to ride every few months because I don't have any legal way of getting my bike to any offroad trails.

Where are you?