MX Technique: hands on the bars

[breakdirt916]

where do you put 'em?

Gary Semics @ Thumpertalk says this:

#5 Overgrip and elbow position. Keep your elbows up and out away from your sides.
A rider is giving up a lot of control if he or she has a style of grabbing the grips straight on and riding with their forearms parallel to the ground. By doing this they don't have the correct leverage factors between their upper body and the motorcycle. It's also more difficult to open the throttle.

High over grip and high elbows will enable the rider to have full range of the throttle through their full range of body positions on the motorcycle. This technique also gives you the correct leverage factors between your body and the motorcycle through your full range of movement.

the first 2-3 times I went out there, my arms were bent, elbows in and forearms parallel to the ground....almost like my street position.

I tried this yesterday, and it didn't feel right...uncomfortable, and started to get shoulder pump!

put it does allow you to push down on the bars in turns more...not sure if I'm getting faster, but I'm going to keep trying it out

[Chippertheripper]

Watch any mx race on tv...they're all doing this^.
Also, if you run wraparound handguards, bark busters or cycras or whatever, slide your hands all the way out so the heel of your hand is against them-for maximum leverage.

[Paul_E_D]

Like this:


It's like adding traction control to your bike. It does take years of practice to get it right. Why would you expect it to feel natural the first day? If motox were easy...

[Imbeek]

As a long time motocross guy and street rider before I started doing more paved trackday stuff recently, arm position was one of the major differences I noticed when receiving advice on Body position at track days. Elbows up definitely favored for absorbing whoops and for proper body position and weight distribution in mx, and the opposite for road racing.

Keith code's Twist of the wrist II video (u can find it on Vimeo for free) gives an interesting explanation of why he recommends the opposite for road racing...basically advising forearms perpendicular to the steering head angle for efficiency of bar input and leverage for braking and acceleration.

As for the bark busters...Bark busters or the equivalent are definitely necessary for riding fast in tight woods, but I made sure to never leave them attached for motocross after one incident when I went over the bars and was still holding onto the grip when the top of my forearm hit the top of the bark buster...trapping me and effectively saying "now yous can't leave!" (Lol) to my arm and hand...that sucked big time and could happen with spirited woods riding too.

[Paul_E_D]

Oh yeah, and riding motocross requires muscles! Shoulders especially.

[Pittenger5]

Oh yeah, and riding motocross requires muscles! Shoulders especially.

Well, Im fucked

[Paul_E_D]

Pretty much

[breakdirt916]

I'm just going to practice it more...my arms are nowhere near that position in the photo

I'll take off the plastic hand guards next time too; what I also read is that I should be braking and clutching with 2 fingers, not my whole hand, so 2 fingers stay on the levers and 2 on the bars...but the plastic hand guards get in my way of doing it

[B440]

I'm just going to practice it more...my arms are nowhere near that position in the photo

I'll take off the plastic hand guards next time too; what I also read is that I should be braking and clutching with 2 fingers, not my whole hand, so 2 fingers stay on the levers and 2 on the bars...but the plastic hand guards get in my way of doing it

Sounds like your levers are mounted too far outwards? Every time I get a new (used) bike I have to fix the levers as they stick out further than the bar ends!

[Imbeek]

I'm just going to practice it more...my arms are nowhere near that position in the photo

I'll take off the plastic hand guards next time too; what I also read is that I should be braking and clutching with 2 fingers, not my whole hand, so 2 fingers stay on the levers and 2 on the bars...but the plastic hand guards get in my way of doing it

Mx bikes have clutches and trannys that can take a lot of abuse...lube the hell out of your clutch cable and even try just the middle finger on that lever, no need to pull it all the way in either, once under way. adjust it with enough play and at an angle where you can reach it with one finger without changing hand position (elbows up requires lever angled down more than elbows down). in heavy braking bumps for downshifting, don't even use it... As far as braking with the front, one finger might be enough there too, and where I live in Southwick it is so sandy that on the track many people don't even use any front brake. Again, opposite of road racing.
Might seem like a small distinction between one or two fingers on the levers, but leaving that index finger around the grip is MUCH stronger than holding on with just pinky and ring finger.
Some of these things might help reduce arm pump and shoulder fatigue...
Ps without bark busters, if you hit a tree with the bars or go down with hands still in the bars, prepare for those fingers to get smashed by the clutch lever if you don't get them out of the way!

[Svenny]

I use 2 fingers for clutch and 1 finger for front brake,....you do it for a while and it becomes 2nd nature...but now I ride the VFR this way which is a bad habit. Rotating your levers down a little will help you to keep your elbows out more....and if you're in woods, keep the barkbusters on - you'll be glad you did some day.