concrete starts

[YoTRacer158]

a lot of the local tracks are beginning to use concrete starting pads but i dont have much experience on them. can anyone give me some pointers? or should i just practice in my driveway and risk pissing off the neighbors?

 

[JPIVEY]

Take a broom and kiss that front fender when you launch

 

[YoTRacer158]

i know to keep the gate clean....im asking more about body position that should be used and how to apply the power...

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

The track I mostly ride at has concrete

Spin your rear tire just a little bit to get the dirt off the back tire. I ride a 125 also and I always start in 2nd gear, sit on the tank and feather the clutch. When the tire hits the dirt be prepared for the front end to want to come up so stay farward and control the clutch release. It's really not that bad except it's kind of rough on the tire.

 

[YZDezertGuy]

Okay, we've got the concrete pads at all my local tracks as well. I've got one HUGE problem! When i take off, my back tire hook on the gate! The gate falls flush w/ the concrete. Still my back tire grabs it and shoots me a sick wheelie. Any pointers?

 

[daveEX]

ill second that clutch control thing and starting in 2nd gear too.;)

 

[cp380sx]

The key to good starts on a concrete pad is to sit up a little straighter to get more weight on the rear tire. Apply power a little more gradually than you would on dirt to minmize wheel spin. As soon as your rear tire leaves the concrete you will need to lean forward because the tire is goining to bite into the dirt. If you don't time it right you will start to wheelie.

 

[YoTRacer158]

thanks for the input guys, i'll have to give it a try when my collarbone heals up

 

[MONKEYMOUSE]

here ya go! (LONG but helpfull)

TIP ONE: CLEAN THE SKID PAD
Have you ever seen a race car spin out on a curve because there was dirt or sand on the pavement? That is what will happen if you start on dirty concrete. The dirt will act like marbles under your tires. The result? Tire smoke.
Take a broom (even a whisk broom will do) with you to the starting line. Many tracks with concrete starting pads even provide brooms. Clean the pad thoroughly
TIP TWO: DO NOT BOUNCE YOUR BIKE
Gently push your bike up on to the concrete, and position it six inches to the left of where you plan to start. Why be so gentle? If you jostle the bike around, gas can spill out of the carb overflow tubes. Concrete with gasoline on it is akin to Teflon slathered with grease. Once you are ready to go, move your bike into its designated slot.
Remember all the hubbub when Mickael Pichon’s father accidentally dropped a water bottle under Greg Albertyn’s bike during the Supercross series? Clean and dry make a big difference. Water, gasoline and dirt are not conducive to hooking up.

TIP THREE: SPIN YOUR TIRE
Once your bike is in place, hold the front brake tightly and spin the rear tire. Do not do a Top Fuel burnout. Contrary to popular opinion, you are not trying to make the rubber on your tire hot and sticky. Smoking your tire on the line is wasteful and rounds the edges off of your knobs. Instead, you are wiping debris off the knobs to guarantee a solid rubber-to-cement interface. Just spin the tire enough to make it clean.
TIP FOUR: SIT SIX INCHES BACK
On dirt, you want to slide forward on the bike to keep the front end down. In fact, on most dirt starting lines, you want to generate some wheelspin to help launch the bike. Not so on concrete.
Why? Wheelspin on concrete is not controllable—once it starts it can’t be stopped. To keep the rear wheel from spinning, slide backwards on the saddle about six inches. This will put more weight on the rear tire.
TIP FIVE: BOTH FEET DOWN
Most racers start with their right foot down and left foot on the peg (so they can shift quickly). On concrete, always start with both feet down.
Why? Because it centers your weight over the bike and helps keep it from spinning erratically to the left or right when the gate drops.

TIP SIX: DON’T TOUCH THE GROUND
Once the board goes sideways and you are sure the gate is going to fall, lift both feet off the ground simultaneously. It is important that neither foot be touching the ground when you drop the hammer.
Why? By lifting both feet up (even though you are only lifting them one inch) you plant the weight of your body into the rear wheel. If you touch the ground with one foot, you are prone to unweight the bike in that direction.

TIP SEVEN: HOLD THE FRONT BRAKE
Although this tip might seem counterproductive, it is essential. Put one finger on the front brake lever and apply steady, but light, pressure. Do not release the front brake until the front wheel is clear of the gate.
Why? The spinning rear wheel of a motorcycle on concrete has it own precession, gyroscopic effect and weightlessness. When you set the front wheel against the concrete, the rear wheel has something opposing it. This opposing force directs the rear wheel, holds the bike to the cement and aids in getting a straight launch. Do not lock the front brake—just feather it in.

TIP EIGHT: SECOND GEAR
If you start in first gear on dirt, switch to second on concrete. You don’t need low gear ratios to get off of a piece of tractionless pavement. Instead, using a taller gear will help the bike walk off the cement with less spin. Open bike riders can easily use third gear on concrete. Four-strokes have a big advantage over two-strokes on concrete starting pads. Their "every-other" firing pattern almost insures a solid launch.

TIP NINE: DON’T LEAN FORWARD...YET
Resist the urge to lean forward on the start, but be ready to lean forward as soon as the rear wheel clears the cement.
Why? You aren’t going to wheelie off of concrete, but once the wildly spinning rear wheel hits the dirt (and grabs 100 percent traction) it will elevate the front wheel. Be ready.

TIP TEN: CLUTCH AT THE READY
If you get your bike off the concrete without spinning the rear tire, you are on your way to a holeshot, but there is one danger lurking in the dirt—bogging the engine.
Why? A concrete starting pad puts almost no load on the engine. The tire is just a hair short of spinning free, but once the rear tire drops off the concrete, it will bite into the dirt. This transition from no-load to 100 percent adhesion is instantaneous. If you aren’t ready for the change, you will bog—big-time!
You have to be gentle on the concrete (like you are carrying a carton of eggs on your gas tank) and vicious in the dirt (try to break the eggs).

Got this form this site under ridding tips