How To Ride A Dirt Bike For Beginners?
Russell Franklin - September 29, 2022Are you a total novice? Or perhaps you’re new to racing and want some pointers on how to improve? You are, after all, where you need to be. At Dirt Rider, our editors are experienced dirt riders and racers. They are knowledgeable about all aspects of dirt bikes and how to ride in any circumstance. From the absolute beginner to the expert-level rider, you can find tutorials and videos.
Everybody has had to start somewhere, and the majority of us had zero prior experience. It’s intimidating to first learn to ride a dirt bike. Because you aren’t riding on the street, dirt bike riding can be the most forgiving type of riding to learn because there is so much to learn while learning to keep the bike upright. Even if you haven’t yet bought your first dirt bike, we’ve gathered some of the best knowledge that a beginner dirt bike rider could need.
What Do You Need To Ride A Dirt Bike?
The following are the things you’ll need once you’ve completed a training course and are ready to get started:
- Dirt bike
- Transporting a bike with a trailer, truck, or sport carrier is an option
- Tie-downs
- Can of compressed gas
- Helmet
- Pants for riding
- A pair of motorcycle boots
- Gloves\sGoggles
- Protective equipment includes things like kidney belts, knee guards, and chest guards.
How To Ride A Dirt Bike?
1. Start The Cycle
Starting a dirt bike requires turning on the battery. This will not start the dirt bike’s engine and will not charge the battery. This is done by turning the key to the “on” position on most dirt bikes. To turn on the Yamaha TTR-230, you press the “on” button on the handlebars.
Choose whether or not to choke. If it’s warm outside or the bike has been running all day, using the choke is not necessary. If you’re starting from scratch, you might have to take the choke out. There are several ways to access the choke on a dirt bike, but the most typical is a pull-out on the left side of the machine, close to where your leg would be if you were seated.
We’ll need to shift into neutral if this is a child’s bike. If not, we must apply the clutch and shift into first gear. To begin with, you must engage the clutch if your own dirt bike has one, as do the majority of adult dirt bikes.
2. Shifting And Clutch Control
It would help if you used the shifter that sits in front of your left foot peg on a dirt bike for shifting. Since there isn’t a gear indicator on the dash of a dirt bike, you’ll have to get used to feeling for it.
A dirt bike for adults typically has five gears. Press the shifter pedal several times to engage first gear. By putting your toe under the shifter and lifting it just a little bit, you can achieve neutrality.
Given that it isn’t a full gear up from the first, novice riders often have trouble finding neutral. We’ll continue to use the clutch and stay out of neutral for the time being. When you lift the shifter a second time, you’ll be in gear 2, then gear 3, and finally gear 5. Thus, it is 1, 0, 2, 3, and 4.
3. Braking
There are two brakes on your dirt bike. The right-hand brake, which is the silver lever in front of your right hand, is typically the first option for inexperienced riders. I want you to avoid using the rear brake for the first 10 to 15 rides.
Hand brakes are infamous for being awkward. Before using a hand brake, you should get a feel for how it feels so that you don’t fly over the handlebars, even at low speeds. I was only going about 5 to 7 mph when I got on a dirt bike for the second time, so I had to use the hand brake to slow down even more.
I had a mishap when the brake failed, which sent me flying over the handlebars and onto my back. I’m positive I’m the only person who has accomplished this on their first dirt bike ride.
4. Rider Position
You’ll probably be setting yourself up for failure if you simply get on the dirt bike and sit down. For a brief ride on a flat road, it’s acceptable to sit comfortably on the bike. However, as soon as you venture off-road, you should be aware of the proper rider position.
I typically have my butt on the seat and am in a very relaxed and comfortable position when I’m riding down a trail in the woods. But I shift into the correct rider position when I see a pothole or a bumpy section up ahead. In order to maintain the proper rider position while riding a challenging trail, I do so at all times.
Standing upright on the foot pegs is the most crucial component of the ideal rider position. A few inches off the seat, raise your butt. Consequently, as you bounce along the trail, your legs and body can absorb the shock of the impacts. You risk easily injuring your back or spine if you don’t stand up when you cross large bumps.
As you lean slightly forward on the pegs, straighten out your back. You should have the same anticipation as a defensive player getting ready for a play to begin in football or a tennis player getting ready to receive a serve.
How To Avoid A Serious Accident?
It seems like crashing is an easy task, right? Wow, that’s what you say. I don’t need any assistance with this because it’s so easy! When it comes to dirt bikes, besides Jim, I can crash well on my own. Practice will improve your ability to crash.
Most injuries sustained while dirt biking happens below the waist. To significantly improve your chances of avoiding injury to your foot or shin, it would help if you avoided even one mistake.
When you feel a collision coming, don’t put your foot out to try to avoid it. Think about moving at ten miles per hour up a sandy hill when I suddenly notice the bike is slanting to the right.
Where will the dirt bike, weighing 200 pounds, crash to the ground next, even if I try to push it down with my right foot but fail? My foot is directly in front of me, twisted at a 90-degree angle to the bike.
Conclusion
It’s not difficult to ride a dirt bike. A few steps in the procedure might feel awkward after your first five rides when you’re still building muscle memory.
On your initial rides, I strongly advise against cutting corners. You’ll develop bad habits as a result of those shortcuts, which can be difficult to break. In spite of how awkward it may feel at first, trust your teacher and carefully follow each step of this process.
Categories
Tag
10 speed bike 26 inch bike for what size person adjusting bike brakes average bike speed best mini bike bicycle Bike Bike Brakes Bike Chain Bike Cost Bike Frame Bike Pump Biker Shorts Bike Seat Bike Tire Bike Tire Pressure bike tire valves bike tricks Bike Wheel Camelbak cycling dirt bike dutch bikes how fast can a bike go how to ship a bike How To Take Off Bike Pedals how to tighten bike brakes how to use bike pump Kid Mountain Bike Paint A Bike Peloton Bike pit bike Pump A Bike Tire Remove Bike Pedals slope bike Sticky Piston tesla bike truing a bike wheel tubeless bike tires types of bike brakes walking bike what muscles does a bike work winter bike youth dirt bike helmets