Knine
09-19-2007, 10:33 AM
SAND
• Stay centered on the bike. If you’re too far forward, the front end will knife. Too far to the rear and you’ll never be able to turn. A good sand rider doesn’t use very much energy simply because he doesn’t move around on the bike that much.
• Go light on the rear brake. You don’t have to brake that hard because the sand will do it for you. As soon as you roll off the throttle, the bike will lose speed on its own.
• Steer with the rear wheel. If you wait until you’re in the turn to open the throttle, it’s too late. You actually have to start gassing it before the turn. Just grab a handful and drift the rear end around. Sand is super forgiving of too much gas. If you were that aggressive with the throttle on hardpack or in mud, you would be asking for trouble.
• Don’t worry about the ruts. Riders see sand ruts from other bikes and try to follow them exactly. It can’t be done, so don’t try. Those ruts aren’t that substantial—just plow through them and make your own.
• More throttle cures almost anything. Sand only gets nasty and unforgiving when you aren’t being aggressive.
• Stay centered on the bike. If you’re too far forward, the front end will knife. Too far to the rear and you’ll never be able to turn. A good sand rider doesn’t use very much energy simply because he doesn’t move around on the bike that much.
• Go light on the rear brake. You don’t have to brake that hard because the sand will do it for you. As soon as you roll off the throttle, the bike will lose speed on its own.
• Steer with the rear wheel. If you wait until you’re in the turn to open the throttle, it’s too late. You actually have to start gassing it before the turn. Just grab a handful and drift the rear end around. Sand is super forgiving of too much gas. If you were that aggressive with the throttle on hardpack or in mud, you would be asking for trouble.
• Don’t worry about the ruts. Riders see sand ruts from other bikes and try to follow them exactly. It can’t be done, so don’t try. Those ruts aren’t that substantial—just plow through them and make your own.
• More throttle cures almost anything. Sand only gets nasty and unforgiving when you aren’t being aggressive.