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Joel Robert shows how a six~time world motocross champion takes whoop-de-doos for a couple dozen fascinated Powder Puffers.
by K. C. Brintnall
If you're going to get some tips on
how to ra~e motocross, it seems
reasonable to get them from the best
source possible. Wh= Jeanne Allen
decided to set up a motocross school for
Powder Puffers, it seemed logical to get
the best instructor available - 250cc
World Motocross _Champion, Joel
Robert.
Talking Joel Robert into giving a
motocross school for girls isn't the
easiest thing in the world, but Jeanne
knew that Robert has a soft spot in his
heart for Powder Puffers, and with a
little fast talking she was able to'
cQnvince him to take some time out of a
full schedule on his recent visit to the
U.S.
Once Robert had cons= ted to teach
the girls, Jeanne took care of the rest of
the details. Indian Dunes agreed to set
aside a newly prepared course for the
event, and Hercules Dist. Ltd. loaned a
125 Puch for Joel to use.
The class was limited to 25 girls, so
many who had hoped to participate
were disappointed and after a short
Poop item appeared in Cycle News,
Indian Dunes began receiving calls from
as far away as Phoenix, Ariz. from
prospective students.
On the day of the class, I showed up
at Indian Dunes a bit early, anxious not
to miss a minute of this momentous
occasion. When I arrived, most of the
girls were standing around in small
groups talking quietly among
themselves, or out riding around,
warmingup their bikes.
As I looked around for familiar faces,
I noticed that most of Southern
California's top female racers were
there, with the notable exception of
AMA Amateur Janene Pennington.
When I asked one of the other girls
about this, I was informed that Janene
was getting married the next day, so her
absence was understandable.
More important, Jeanne and Joel
Robert had not appeared and, as the
time passed, we became more and more
anxious. Finally, 45 minutes late, they
appeared, explaining that Robert had
car problems, but that now we could
begin immediately.
Robert seemed a little shy and
somewhat ill at ease with so many ladies
hanging On his every word, but as soon
as the girls mounted their bikes and
donned helmets they took on a more
familiar appearance and he regained his
composure.
As the group gathered around him,
Robert began his lesson by explaining
the importance of finding a motorcycle
to fit you. By closing your eyes and
relaxing your arms out in front of you,
you can determine where your
handlebars should be. Also, a rider
should be able to hold her hand and
forearm in a relaxed srraigh t line, and
not crimp the wrist when using the
throttle, clutch, or front brake.
Robert wen t on to slress the
importance of proper posture on a bike.
When riding normally or seated on a
bike, a rider should be careful to sit
neither too Iar forward or back on the
seat, and the body should follow a
straight line from shoulders to hips to
balls of the feet on the pegs.
To 'emphasize the importance of
proper seating, Robert mounted the
bike improperly a few times and fell
over, showing how easy it is to lose your
balance wh= sitting incorrectly.
He also pointed out that many of the
girls were riding bikes that were too tall
for them; that a rider should be able to
touch the ground on both sides of the
bike with both feet flat on the ground
and knees slightly flexed. If a bike is
slightly too tall, this can be easily
remedied by taking some 'of the padding
out of the seat.
As Robert was talking, a new face
joined the group. It was Janene
Pennington " who had apparently
dt.cided that her wedding was no reason
to miss an opportunity to learn a few
things about motocross from the World
Champ.
Preliminaries out of the way, it was
time to learn a few practical things
about cornering, and Robert led the
girls out onto the course toward a
moderately tight left·hander.
He explained the basics of handling
such a comer: go into the tum as fast as
possible, downshift and use the fron t
brake right before the turn, and come
on the throttle smoothly and as soon as
possible coming .out of the turn. At the
same time, he recommended using the
inside leg for balance, knee sligh tly
bent, just gliding the foot over the
track.
Robert then rode through that
section of the course a few times
exhibitln.,g proper form and making it
look sooo imple. Then it was up to the
girls to show what they had learned.
Joel rulhes "Modem Cycle" mega'ine . .oc:iate editor Jeanne Allen on the outside line. All the girls "lIreed that he was
"fas~".
At first,
Joel
shouted
recommendations as each girl rode past,
but soon he picked up a sl=der branch
to smack the gloved hand of riders who
were not using their throttle, brake and
gears properly. After a few more
minutes, he was using a small log to
threaten riders who were not in proper
form.
Not wishing to make things too easy
for his studen ts, Robert then placed his
borrowed Puch down in a part of the
tum where the riders couldn't see it as
they started into the corner. This served
the dual purpose of forcing the girls to
the inside of the turn and teaching them
not to panic when they saw a fallen
bike.
With a devilish gleam in his eye,
Robert continued to place logs across
the course un til there was only a tigh t
path that a rider could take through the
corner without attempting some
unorthodox Trials riding.
Once..Robert was convinced that the
girls had sufficien tly improved their
cornering style, he called a short break
and roared off to his car for a beer and a
cigarette. (When you're six time World
<;hampion, you can get away with that
sort of thing.)
By the time the break was over,
rumors of Robert's presence had spread
around Indian Dunes and, like the Pied
Piper of Belgium, he had collected a
group of spectators fascinated by the
goings-on.
Next on the agenda was a lesson in
cornering in a sweeper, and everyone
listened in tently as he explained his
technique. He suggested going toward
the turn as fast as possible, shutting off
the throttle completely a few yards
before the turn. Both front and back
brakes can be used for this type of turn,
but he reminded his' studen ts that if
they found it necessary to tum the
front wheel of the bike, they should not
use their front brakes at the same time.
Actually, he pointed out, it is much
better to lean the bike into the turn
rather than turning the wheel.
As the riders began to practice these
newly learned techniques, Robert
positioned himself on the track to show
them where to shut off going into the
comer, After a few minutes, he
abandoned his passive role and was once
again threatening the slow-to-Iearn with
a stick..
Finally, unable to stay off his bike
any longer, he began riding through the
corners with the girls, riding jUongside
the ones who were having problems to
show them how he wan ted them to ride.
If a rider had mastered the cornering
techniques and was moving along
rapidly, Robert would give her a head
start and then zoom up behind her at
breakneck speed, attempting to pass on
the inside or outside whenever he had a
chance. This not only showed a rider
where she would be vulnerabl" in a race,
but helped bring out the competitive
edge and pushed the girls to go faster.
Unfortunately, one time this
teaching aid backfired, as one of the
riders panicked when she saw Robert
charging up behind her and jammed on
her brakes. Since Robert's front wheel
was wedged under her bike at the time,
he had no choice but to make an
unseemly get-off. Maybe Sylvain
