New Rider

[motorboy]

Greetings from the Pac NW. New rider here, purchased my first dirtbike last September. I'm having a blast learning to ride these machines but the falls, newb mistakes are starting to take their toll so any tips and advice would be much appreciated.

[KKXR400R]

Welcome to ATM!
What bike do you have? What kind of riding do you do?

Advice for a new rider....
Be patient and try to stay on 2 wheels. Sure crashes are a learning lesson but they can also set you back. Try and focus on the basics and you'll get faster in no time. Riding with people that are faster then you helps out soooooo much. Watch their body positions and ask questions . Most people are gracious to help you with tips. A few months ago I started riding with some of the Expert desert racers and everything I thought I knew about riding flew out the window. Keep up with the progress.

-Kevin-

[racerfty]

Riding tips, i really dont have any, just flow with the bike, push the limit to the point where your heart is racing, but you are not closing your eyes.
Crashes happen, i have been rididng for 14 years on a bike and 5 before that on a quad, and if i dont crash at least one a ride, something is not right. ride with guys that are a little better then you, watch learn, and try, pratice corners, every one can go fast strait, the key is corner speed. Watch youtube videos, note the style of rididng the boddy position and set up, return poses. Rubber side down, shinny side up normally helps, unless doing a back flip. and remember when you ride, respect other riders, mother nature, and other people. You dont follow that last one your riding along with many of ours is cut due to loss of good spots. Be safe and have fun.

[motorboy]

Great advice, thanks! I own a 05 Honda CRF450R, I know its not exactly the ideal choice for someone starting in this sport but I got a teriffic deal and couldn't pass it up.
I'm doing mostly trail stuff but would like to eventually get out on the track where I can hone my riding skills.

[Oklahomarider]

The best advice I think is to ride within you limits. When I first started ridng I wanted to be fast the next day, and I thought the best way to get fast was to push it over the edge often but its not. Be patient and you will get better, its all about balance and technique. The fastest advances I made was when I got lessons from a pro rider. He taught me things like proper bike set up (handle bar position, lever position, rear brake height, suspension, etc.) Things that I didnt realize were even wrong. Then proper technique, I got a lot faster,fast, but the best thing was that I was on my way to getting even faster with good technique.

[motorboy]

Patients and proper technique are virtues I'm lacking at the moment, lol. Unfortuantly, that is probably the cause for many of my offroad mishaps. I gotta say thou, this sport does appeal to my aggreasive side of my personality. Kicking up dirt, jumping a 230lbs machine in the air, lofting the front wheel over whoops at 60mph and ending the day(3hrs) absolutley, dead tired, beat down and exhausted. Thats about the most fun I've had in a very long, long time!!

[Flash393]

Welcome to

[ktm_cody_199]

Wow racerfly,I crash like 3 or 4 times everytime I ride thats only if Im really pushing myself.Just ride alot and become best friends with your bike,the more sea time you get the better you will be.Watch alot of old mx videos of Hannah,Rick johnson,David bailey,Mark barnett,Roger de coster,doug henry just to name a few.Everyone can learn alot from them