Dirtbikes help or hurt??

[Lowe119]

I've been playing in the snow with my dirtbike and wondered if it was helping my skills or hurting them..
I was sliding both wheels through turns and working a combination of throttle, weight distribution, and steering to get the best speed and traction. I was getting good, but the style is not like road racing.

• I'm dabbing instead of dragging knees.
• I'm letting the bike do all the leaning instead of getting myself down.
• And I'm sliding like McCoy through corners.

Besides staying in shape, do you think there are any real benefits from this or could it actually hurt me? I know my softball swing used to adversely affect my golf swing..... ??? :-/

[stumpy]

 I think they Help, You get that same loss of traction...Re-gain traction feel. You learn to control your panic button when things get squirly. I'd rather learn to control a front end slide on ice than on concrete ;) So I think it helps, But it can hurt too. OUCH when you fall ;D Heck I think it helps when I pull the E-brake on my car...Backin' it into the driveway. And I really do 8)

StUmPy

[Super Dave]

Well, physically, you can get hurt.  I always had a rule that I couldn't ride a dirt bike 7 to 10 days before an event.  You'd always put a foot peg through you thigh or something.... :o

But, just like anything, if you're working out on the dirt bike, it's either got to be something that physicially motivates you, like lifting weights, or that you're working on specific techniques that apply to road racing.  If you're just riding around doing the same thing over and over, you might just be doing the same bad habbits but this time on a dirt bike.

Or you're just having fun.

[Lowe119]

Well the last time I took out the dirtbike, I was in about a foot of snow. At first, I tried to stay on my "path", but quickly realized it was more fun to peg it and bomb around the field. I did things that I NEVER even thought could be done.
For example - I was doing doughnuts at a 45 degree lean angle - with both wheels sliding - without putting my leg out.
Then I would get some good speed and shift my butt to start a turn that is like the doughnuts - just to shift to the other side to turn back.
I guess the roostertail was tremendous.
Sure - there was a few times I leaned to far or hit an ant hill and flew over the bars, but man it was fun.

I don't know what I learned, but I did some really cool stuff with leaning, weight shifting, and steering. - And I was SO SORE when it was all over  :P ;D

I am not the type of person to workout just to workout - I can't lift weights, run, or do a stepper. That is why I got the dirtbike - to have fun with the side-effects of getting into shape and maintaining some sort of riding skills.

[MJFRacing]

I've heard a lot of the top pro guys got their start in the dirt. Wayne Rainey is the best example! Many others have done flat track racing as well. It's supposed to get you used to loss of (and then regaining!) traction.