mike_nelson

Member
Oct 10, 2000
38
0
I just had a quick question, I have a kdx 220 a sweet bike that i just got about a year ago so i'm still learning. I was just wondering what is that fastest way to take turns? I shift my weight and turn but i want to take sharp fast turns such as how the mx racers do. Should i give it alot of gas and hit the rear brake? But then what do i do on right turns? I have been practacing a few power circler once awhile. And maybe it's just cuz my bike is to big for me i'm 5"9 130 lbs (16 years old) and i have a hard time in tight situations like on a tight trail my cousin can whip his xr 200 around while i strugle. thanks for any advice someone has to give.
Mike
 

mike_nelson

Member
Oct 10, 2000
38
0
flat turns!! it's when i'm just ridin at a moderate speed and kinda want to whip the bike to turn sharply or when i'm on a trail to make a quick turn around. thanks for any help you guys have to give even though this is a real beginners question.
mike
 
Jan 16, 2000
26
0
First off, your cousin probably whips it around because his XR has a lower center of gravity than your KDX. Anyway.

Ever heard of countersteering? It's a streetbike/road race trick that works in dirt too.

Start off in a nice easy flat spot. Get going in 2nd or 3rd, NOT wide open. Then push forward GENTLY on the right grip just a bit. That will turn your bars slightly to the left, BUT your bike will go right, because the bike's direction goes left, but the center of gravity is still straight, so it falls in the direction that it is unsupported in. Experiment with it, once you get used to it, you can get aggressive with it and really turn quickly. START OUT SLOW, though! I don't want your injuries on my conscience. Good luck

------------------
Me - 94 RM250, NOT good
The boy - 99 CR80, getting better

My web site - www.us51mx.com
 

krash133

Member
Feb 2, 2001
41
0
The fastest way to take sharp flat corners or flat corners is to get the bike to slide. This is not an easy thing to do, and takes practice to get right. Also your size will be a small dissadvantage, because you might have a harder time of moving the bike around.
Allright, first before you start a slide you want to be seated to keep bike consistently weighted entering the corner while leaning into the corner. Then you want to start the rear end slide with the rear brake by smoothly getting on it. As the rear end brakes loose and starts to come around, you want to simultaneously start opening the throttle and releasing the brake to continue the slide around the corner. Manipulate the slide by leaning back and forth, and tilting the bike more or less. To get out of the slide lean back on the seat and/or tilt the bike up to let the rear end get traction. It takes years of practice but it is much faster.
A good example of the extreme case of this is the speedway bikes. They don't even have brakes to start the slide, they just throw the small bike into the corner
Here's a link to some videos;Try the third one. http://www.speedwaybikes.com/video/index.htm
 

Mike-200

Member
Aug 22, 2000
33
0
Another way to slide the back end into a turn is to let off the trhottle very hard. Go into the turn with the throttle open, then when you want to slide, shut off the throttle very quick. The bike is putting weight on the rear tire when you are giving it gas. This increased weight bias makes for more traction for the rear tire(invision your car leaning bike when you floor it). When you suddenly let off of the gas, w=the wieght bias returns toward the front, and the rear tire has less traction. Ideally, the back end will slide out, and as it does, you apply more throttle back into it to regain traction, once your headed in the right direction. This too is a diffucult technique, but it can be done. I believe that this is how superbikers slide into a turn, and I know that rally drivers will do this as well. If you just want to look cool, or turn around real quick, then weight the outside peg and pin it. All that fish tailing scrubs off speed though.

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'98 ktm 200exc
 

Fred T

Mi. Trail Riders
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Mar 23, 2001
5,272
2
Mike
No lie, just practice figure 8's of different sizes. It will get you used to turning in both directions at different speeds. When you are confident then berms, ruts will be less of a problem.
 
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