Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126429
Body control Mechanical controls The number one rule for tough terrain is stand on the pegs. The knees 'should have a slight flex. The legs should be spread for slower riding. Trials riders refer to this as "letting the bike work" between the legs. Centering. This is trials champion Lane Leavitt's term for keeping the body over the line of the tires as the bike is leaned between the legs while running over surface irregularities. Clamping the legs around the tank at these slower speeds counteracts body centering. If the bike is deflected off center, the rider can easily be thrown off balance. Lateral movements control balance. Inside/outside body positioning becomes more important for balancing the bike as speeds slow. It becomes the sole factor of control for the zero mph turn - a favorite trials trick. Forward/rearward movements control traction. A rider moves forward to weight the front tire or reduce traction at the rear wheel: rearward to lighten or lift the front wheel or weight the rear wheel for more traction. A simple guideline: Lean toward the wheel in traction trouble. Leg suspension. The legs offer more travel and more damping control than any mechanical suspension device. Use of leg suspension is suggested for jump landings and riding over obstacles. As a trials rider approaches a large obstacle like a rock, log or ledge he will dip doWn and back to help lift the front end onto or over the face of the obstacle. Then, just before the moment of impact he will spring (or thrust) his body forward and upward. straightening his legs. In extreme applications the rider can hop off the pegs or at least achieve a virtually weightless contact with the pegs. This reduces weighting on the rear wheel while unloading the shocks to increase travel for impact. The rider should simultaneously' back off the throttle just before rear wheel impact. Rebound of the rear wheel is slowed by using the damping in the knees. Photos often give the illusion that the rider is squ.atting down, but what is really happening is the bike is rebounding up to the rider, controlled by the flex in his knees. . Anticipation of impact. This is an advantage that no mechanical suspension unit offers. Anticipation allows the rider to use leg suspension and also correct for wheel deflections over rough terrain. A trail rider should be prepared, then let his body take over to compensate and correct. Foot position. Some trials riders adopt a toe or ball-of-the-foot stance, feeling it offers them more mobility in rough twisty going. Toe riding is a good tip for wiggling through rocks because of the increased foot protection if offers. Footpeg weighting. Footpeg pressure can be used to steer a bjke at speed. Pressing dow11 on the :c-ft ~g win cause the bike to head to the left. The outside peg should be weighted for slow turns (right peg in a left turn). Jam it into the ground. This improves both balance and traction as the bike is leaned over. Traversing cambers calls for extreme pressure on the downside peg. This lessens the chances of the rear wheel sliding out downhill. Opposite body weighting. This is handy for nipping by trees leaning into a trail or avoiding a rock outcropping at engine case height. It calls for a brief reversal of form - leaning the bike away from trouble while compensating with body positioning. Over very slippery surfaces the rider can keep the bike upright instead of leaning it into the tum and compensate with inside body lean. One concept many riders fail to grasp is that the throttle and the brakes are opposite ends of the same control pole. Ideal throttle or braking control requires maintenance of traction. Learn to look for surface traction patches or islands of grip midst the rubble and slime. Throtde control Steady throttle control. This method should be used whenever abrupt throttle application could spin or slide the rear tire. Usual situations are loose stones, slippery cambers. rocky creek beds, loose slopes or extra slippery challenges. Attack!coast or on!off throttle control. This method is used to feel for traction and to preserve it. Accelerate to store up speed and then back off to coast over the poor traction areas. Minute adjustments are made to maintain optimum traction. Attack/ coast control is generally necessary to ride up and over obstacles. When a trials rider crests the top of a six-foot ledge, odds are his throttle will be off. He has used momentum (attack) coupled with rolling (coasting) to make his climb. Store it up now, spend it later. Many riders make the mistake of approaching an obstacle at a comfortable rate of speed and then attempt to dial on more power once they are at the critical spot. Unfortunately, the critical area is where the throttle should be reduced or turned off. Momentum has to be built up early so it can be spent (by shutting off the throttle) to hold or rega~n traction over rough terrain. It's not the easiest concept to grasp, but it is essential for mastering rough terrain. Traction patches. These are the surface areas where the rider can store up his momentum or slow quickly with maximum braking ~fforts. Even a couple of feet of good surface allow the rider to tum up the wick so he can then coast over the next spot of rubble. A trained trail eye can pick up these islands of "gripability" and head right for them. Traversing a camber. lean bike into slope. keep body centered over tires. Weight on downhill footpeg. Keep weight back for steep drops. Note forefinger on clutch. ready for use it bike stalls. Bernie jams down hard on the pegs (above) as traction starts to slip away. (Below) Backing off on the gas helps. too. Brake control Almost everyone knows the front brake is the best stopper. But many riders don't know that the front brake can be locked up without crashing the bike, provid'ed the front wheel is kept pointing straight ahead over a smooth surface. Traction patches are the key to maximum braking efficiency. Just as with the throttle, the rider should be feeling for traction with the brakes, backing .off momentarily if it starts to go. Looking for and utilizing' traction patches is especially important for the slow twisting downhills where the rider can't just tum on the gas and ride down. Going to maximum braking will keep the bike's speed down and under control so the rider won't be forced to attempt to brake hard over Joose or slippery surfaces. Avoid using the frG:::~ b-rzk~ in rocks or rubble as much as possible. This transfers weight to the front wheel which should be kept as light as possible. Outside body weighting helps tight turns at slow speed. (Below) Keep inside leg against bike. outside knee away from bike. Wheel awareness A key to better trail riding is looking for lines for your wheels and knowing how to put"them there.. . . Front wheel control. Developing the ability to lighten, skim or carry the front wheel opens the door to more demanding off· road adventures. Front wheel lift is also a handy way to protect your feet in rocks. Wheelies aren't just for show. They are good practice and quite handy for unicycling over water crossinKS' 19