Should I be leaning more forward?

I wish I could make myself DO what I KNOW… Last weekend I went out to Podium 1 for a Sat./Sun. Practice/Race weekend. The track was prepped and watered to the n’th degree. The dirt was deep and soft; a perfect traction situation if there ever was one. So, what’s the problem!? My problem is that I know I need to squeeze with my legs, keep my weight forward to help counteract acceleration, and hold on to the bars only tight enough to operate the controls. Too damn bad I can’t make myself do it! By the time I finish the first lap, and actually realize that I need to be squeezing with my legs, my hands have already turned into big balls of non-responding crap. The next three laps are a struggle just to hold onto the bike, much less ride at a pace that I KNOW I can ride, a pace that I rode ALL DAY the day before without too much problem.

This pisses me off so bad. I’m not even riding hard enough to get winded after a moto. I know I can ride much faster than I do during a race. I just can’t seem to get my hands/arms to cooperate with me long enough to finish a moto. If I ride easy, they don’t cramp. It’s the constant acceleration, holding myself onto the bike with my arms instead of my lower body, that is killing me.

Clearly, what I'm currently doing isin't working! :bang: I know I need to squeeze more with my legs, but do I really need to lean further forward? Or do I need to scoot further back on the seat AND lean more forward. One more example of dirtbikes not fitting tall riders. This pic is a pretty fair representation of my form mid-corner:


(Now THAT is one HIGH QUALITY photo!!!)

HajiWasAPunk said:

That picture is throwing me off, it looks like your head is out over the bars and yet you look fairly straight from the waist up and and also look like you maybe a a sitting a little far back (which would seem not possible if your head is out over the bars [you do look tall though])? Tough to tell from just one pic. Is your outside elbow up? That will definitely help (see below).

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That's my problem! Even though my head is over the number plate, I'm still too straight, AND I'm sitting too far back. I've already got the bar mounts moved and turned to the farthest forward position that they will go!

You're right about my elbows, I havent even been thinking about keeping them up.

Okie, that was my first experience with truly loamy dirt. The stuff was amazing. I never had to worry about washing the front or losing the rear no matter how hot I came into the corner.

This sucks. Finally getting serious about racing and having to undo 5 years of bad habits. :bang: