cross threading????

[sdkx500]

Okay.... I have been working on my "attack" riding form.  I was riding in an area which was mostly rocks and decomposed granite.  The trails were crossed with drainage erosion ditches carving up the trail.  Front tire went one way and the rear tire remained in the trench swinging the bike out and firmly planting me on my ass.  It seemed that i had 2 much weight up front in my attack position which didnt plant the rear enough to get out of the trench.

Any words of wisdom?

[mikesmith]

I always "scan" ahead for something like this comming up so I can react to it.Say it was a small log,you wouldn't want all your weight forward,youd gas it and pull up (like a rowing motion) and plant the bike were you want it,I'd do the same on some ruts.I'ts hard to explain in writing or with out seeing the terrain,but experiance helps a lot.You know that didn't work so try the same rut with a different approach,try to learn what works on it and what doesn't.If I mess up on a area I'll go back and try it a differn't way and learn from my mistakes.You think you had to much weight up front for the conditions(loose granite with ditches)sounds like your right,so try it again with your weight back,pullup on the bars,give it some gas,experiment.I dont think I'm giving you a clear cut answer,but what I'm trying to tell you is move around on the bike.Dont plant your self in one spot if the terrain is changing, change with it,react to it.Sorry if this isnt the answer your looking for,but sometimes I do these things without thinking about it,I just react.

[John]

I don't know if you are squeezing the fuel tank / saddle with your knees? If not, try it! When you do, you will feel more comfortable and become "one with the bike". The bike is less likely to surprise and push you around (and eventually throw you off). The total moving mass (you and the bike) will become more solid and you will stay on track even under harsh conditions. I even squeeze the tank when I am sitting down. You know you are on target when your knees are sore after a ride.

When you squeeze the tank with your knees, do also tense your stomach muscles. If you do, you and the bike will be rock solid!

As a bonus, when you have got this right you will be able to relax some with your arms.

And yes, Mikesmith is right, moove around on the bike. Use your bum to move the weigt back and forth, sit down close to the handle bars in the corners etc.

/John

[teamgreen500]

This will sound funny; but, it sounds like you were in a "Blip and Hop" situation.

When you are in one of these "Either/Or" situations...you have to choose a side and get there. In other words...you pick what side you want the bike to be on (As in what side of the rut you'd like BOTH wheels to be in) and hop on over. Usually accompanied by a "Blip" of the throttle to give you a nice bit of lift.

Have you ever done a "Bunny-Hop" on a bicycle? Samething. You are (Literally) bouncing/hopping over to where you want to be.

Watch a "Freestyler" blip the gas just as he's leaving the top of a jump. That last little extra "touch" of acceleration is where he's getting his extra lift and mobility. He's also aided by the "Rebound" or "De-compressing" of his suspension. These are the very same forces/effects that you're looking to harness.

There are people that'll say this is more difficult on a big K5...Wrong!...with firm (Yet plush enough to be good in the tight stuff...) suspension settings and good jetting, my K5 is EASIER to do this on than most bikes. I just re-learned this myself at a night-race on a brand-new/de-bugged WR450...it didn't hop, flick or jump as good as my K5!

Watch R.C. or Bubba at a SX or MX when they're comin' up on traffic. They make line changes in the middle of a "Whoop" section using this very technique.

Practice and enjoy!

Manny

[mikesmith]

John's right about squeezing the tank a-lot,It'll save your arms and back from being tired,think of where ever your in contact with the bike as your pivot point with the bike(weight on pegs only-the pegs are your pivot point,knees sqeezing tank-tank is your pivot point).Now that doesn't mean to always sqeeze the tank at all times,if you take a big hit(like a log or braking bump)you want the bike to come up between your legs or you might get po'goed over the bars,your legs are part of or an extention of the bikes suspension.Pro's can wear out a set of pants at the knees in one race from gripping the bike.I just want you to realize that as  conditions change you react to them in differn't way's,I think you took the advice of "head over the front # plate" as the only position to be on your bike, I dont want you to think of always gripping the tank to end up "catapulted" over the bars.Watch a faster rider,or a video of a Pro(Destry Abbott had some good clips at one time on his web site of him attacking differn't conditions)to see how they react/move around on the bike.Dont plant your self,and be carefull.

[sdkx500]

thanks for the tips.... I think alot of it was that i was riding at 4500 ft without rejetting.  It was really blubbery and i was having trouble "blipping" the throttle.