Weighting the outside peg?

MadEarthWorm · Dec 31, 2004

Hey folks,

So after a month of being sick I'm hitting the farm for some technique type practice and I'm still trying to figure out the whole outside peg thing. I watch tape over and over to understand what I've been reading but when I get out there I have a hard time actually shifting my weight to the outside peg when I'm turning.

I thought you kinda push down and out on the peg but that just pushes right off the seat and the bike just kinda wants to drop onto its side--it feels funky. Should I be going about it differently? :coocoo:

It seems that when I just ride without consciously trying to "weight" the outside peg I feel more comfortable. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks for any help!

tnrider · Dec 31, 2004

i think it depends on the corner. when railing a berm - i am "somewhat" on the seat with weight transferred through seat to wheels - i am inline with the bike similar to riding upright on level ground. when cutting a tight turn - i push the bike down with my arms and outside knee, weight the outside peg heavily as my inside leg is out front - off the peg - to catch any slide and my rear is off the seat - almost on the high edge of the seat depending on the intensity of the turn. i am more upright in a tight turn like this and the bike is down doing the turn.

when i have not ridden for some time it takes me a while to get comfortable again too. to help me along, i take out the xr70 or ttr125 for some exaggerated low speed warmups in the yard before pulling out the crf450...

tony91 · Dec 31, 2004

I always thought "weighting the outside peg" meant moving your rump to the side you're trying to weight. I'm curious to see what's said here.

biglou · Dec 31, 2004

If there's a nice berm, I usually let centrifugal force hold me in to a large extent. Weighting the peg helps, but on flat turns, it's incredible how much it helps. I kinda "hover" my butt, or unweight it from the seat as much as I can by standing on the peg.

It's hard to describe, but this dude on an RMZ250 blew my doors of this afternoon on an uphill sweeper, I was fixated on the angle of his bike even over some "pothole" type dropouts. Simply amazing. I had to pull of and weep softly for a minute before I could continue...

MadEarthWorm · Dec 31, 2004

Thanks for the feedback so far. I'm going to make note of my rear end positioning tomorrow as I think that's something that I haven't thought about much. I also have to see what works best for certain corners. I'm barely "railing berms" but this might help.

Thanks guys...

CaptainObvious · Jan 1, 2005

Here is an exercise for you.

Ride in a large field and make "figure-8's". Do the entire 8 while standing. Instead of "weighing the outside peg", simply lift your foot off the inside peg. Build up your speed with each new 8. As your speed increases, play with the throttle, trying to drift the rear. Notice the difference in control when your inside foot is lifted.

Continue the exercise while seated, adjusting your body on the seat (sit on the crown of the seat) and applying weight to the outside peg. Rather then trying to force the weight to the "outside" of the peg (a practice that can cause your foot to come off the peg), try pressing your knee into the tank.

Remember, no one technique will work in every turn.

MadEarthWorm · Jan 2, 2005

Thanks for the help, I will try that--that's the sort of exercise I need.

I worked on my body position a lot yesterday and I think that I've been riding too far forward in some turns and because I'm tall (6'2") my body was working against the bike that was sorta preventing the bike from "laying down" a bit more.

RM_guy · Jan 3, 2005

What you are really trying to do is position the center of gravity over the point where the tire meets the dirt. Weighting the outside peg is one technique to position your body and shift the CG. It takes practice to know when you need to do it but generally flat, slippery turns with no berm benefit the most.

There was a good thread on this a while ago. I'll see if I can find it.

RM_guy · Jan 3, 2005

Here's the thread I was reffering to.
http://www.dirtrider.net/forums3/showthread.php?t=18216

MadEarthWorm · Jan 9, 2005

Thanks for the link, the thread was helpful.

High Lord Gomer · Jan 10, 2005

OMG! Pace yourself, YT_Guy! It's still January and you've already been helpful.

I shudder to think of the pressure March is going to put on the old man!

RM_guy · Jan 10, 2005

:laugh:

berudd · Jan 10, 2005

I think get the idea here that yeah, you wanna do this. You asked what you are doing wrong. I suspect it feels wrong becuase it is different. I think you have generally the right idea. I would recommend that instead of the figure 8 you start with a circle. That will allow you to concentrate solely on the lesson at hand: weighting the peg and body position. Change directions for the 8 adds complexity and makes you think aobut more stuff at once. Therefore, it is harder to focus on the lesson. When you can rip around the circle (and "rip" is relative) in second gear with a bit of slide in the rear wheel move on to the 8's I would not expect this point to come until you have been doing circles for some time.

If you question if weighting the peg helps or not do this. In a flat turn, preferable at least 180 degrees or even in your circle, enter the turn without any weight in the peg, Keep the throttle steady and go quick enough that traction starts to become an issue. Then, half way tthrough the push down on the outside peg. Not enough to pull your butt of the seat but enough that you can feel most of your weight in the peg. You will feel the bike sttle into the turn and become much more stable. You are giving the bike a lower center of gravity which helps it turn better. I alos recommend that you do not support any of your body weight ont he bars. Obviously you have to hold on but don't hold yourself up. The loser you can focus your weight the better. Incidentally, not holding yourself up with your arms will also help arm pump.

Oh, and I doubt you are getting to far formward on the bike. It is possible but this had been an area of focus for me lately and I am getting much farther forard and man it makes a difference. If you are loosing the rear end, lean back, don't slide back. Keep you butt in one place. It is quicker to lean to the front or back to control traction.

High Lord Gomer · Jan 10, 2005

MadEarthWorm said:
I thought you kinda push down and out on the peg but ...

Down and IN on the peg. Think of it as pushing down and in with your whole lower leg while still supporting most of your weight on with the foot on the peg.

Come on down...*someone* will show you, since I can't right now. :ugg:

MadEarthWorm · Jan 11, 2005

AAhhhh....Maybe that's why it felt so funky to me trying to push down and out.

Hey Gomer, you alright? Ivan mentioned you had some kinda ejection the same day his bike seized but it didn't sound serious...It sounded more like one of my avg crashes.

BEEF706 · Jan 11, 2005

MEW, do you ski? if you so a good way to think of it is to drive your knee into the tank like you were carving a ski, the outside peg is kinda like a downhill ski when you turn and the knee motion moves your body to the balance over the outside peg. You also might try this one, move your crack over the outside edge of the seat when you turn, this also weights the outside peg and leans the bike for you. if you have a gripper seat you wanna aim the center of your backside for the line between gripper and non gripper material. :cool:

RM_guy · Jan 12, 2005

High Lord Gomer said:
Down and IN ...Come on down...*someone* will show you, since I can't right now. :ugg:

Whaaa?? :think: Now what have you done???

MadEarthWorm · Jan 12, 2005

MEW, do you ski?

I am going to try it this year, so far only snowboarding, but I understand what you are saying.

Thank you.

High Lord Gomer · Jan 12, 2005

RM_guy said:
Whaaa?? :think: Now what have you done???

New Years Eve I came up short on a 70' double, rebounded up and over, and landed the second time on my head with the bike on top of me. Supposedly the bike did a few more rather impressive flips after that, but I failed to see those.

I didn't break any bones (the 4 teeth don't really count as bones), but it has burt as bad as any crash I've had before. Still have some numbness on the outside of my right hand/arm and the right side of my face. I can move my neck some, now, and the muscles across my back aren't locked up as bad as they were the first week.

No brain damage but I'm still waiting to see how the neck stuff works out.

The wierd thing is I have jumped that thing several hundred times. Here is a shot of me coming at the landing correctly:
http://TheMXTrack.com/Mikecomingdown2.jpg

...and one of a friend that I took from behind:
http://TheMXTrack.com/OtherMike.jpg

RM_guy · Jan 12, 2005

Ouch!! So did you get poked by a stick? ;) I'm glad it wasn't any worse.

High Lord Gomer said:
...No brain damage but ....

Weeelllll, how would ya know ?? :yikes:

High Lord Gomer said:
...a friend that I took from behind

:ohmy: :laugh:

High Lord Gomer · Jan 12, 2005

When I typed that I thought, "That doesn't sound right...but I'll leave it to see which perv notices it!"

RM_guy · Jan 12, 2005

Me! Me! Me! I'm the perv that caught it! Can I get my prize in vCash, I'm collecting it :laugh:

Speedfreek · Jan 13, 2005

Don't worry RM_Guy ,from what I've read Gomer will give you a prize :nener:

MadEarthWorm · Jan 16, 2005

Glad nothing is broken. I know how painful a neck injury can be; I hope you feel 100% soon.

soulmate33 · Jan 16, 2005

Speedfreek said:
Don't worry RM_Guy ,from what I've read Gomer will give you a prize :nener:

Don't you mean Gomer will give him the BIG BONUS? :p :rotfl:

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