Dirt Bike Riding Tips for Beginners

A dirt bike is a great way to get out and test your skill with a bit of speed and adrenaline. When you are just starting out as a newer rider, it can be intimidating at first to tackle this beast of a bike. If you are new to riding, there are a few basic things you need to master to ensure a safe, fun ride every time you take the bike out. Let’s take a look at some dirt bike riding tips for beginners to help you make the most of your ride time.

1. Take a course if possible: One of the best yet most often overlooked dirt bike riding tips for beginners is to take a course. A riding course is great whether you just bought your bike and are brand new to riding or you are more comfortable with riding but want to start riding competitively. A course can teach you all of the basics in safe learning environment and give you a few pointers along the way from people who already know how to ride like it’s second nature. Most courses can be completed in the span of anywhere from a single day to a few weeks, depending on the course and schedule. If you have the opportunity to take a class on riding, it can be a great chance to master this type of riding. You can also ask more experienced riders in the community if they have any tips to help you start out riding. Most riders are happy to talk shop about riding and give you a few pointers.

2. Pay attention to body position: Aside from taking a course, there are a few basics you can glean and work on independently to master this type of riding. The most important thing to learn in this type of riding is how to position your body correctly during the ride. While other riders make it look it is just a matter of either standing or sitting while riding, there is more to it than that in dirt bike riding. The right position is commonly called “attack position” and it gives you all the basics of how to position your body during a ride. This is basically taking a stance that positions your head directly over the handlebars in a crouching stance so the body isn’t leaning straight up or leaning back. This allows you to use your knees for a better grip on the bike’s gas for better overall control and helps maintain balance and agility. It also lets you find the best location on your foot pegs for your feet based on your size and comfort. You want the pegs to be centered under your feet but this looks different for every rider so this stance helps you find that center and keep it while riding. This riding stance also lets you lean forward a bit so you can keep your arms and elbows out and away from the body for better control and steering.

3. Don’t abuse the clutch: A lot of new riders abuse the clutch and it negatively impacts their riding ability. One of the best dirt bike riding tips for beginners is don’t abuse the clutch by doing things like using it when downshifting, slowing down for a turn, or coming up on rougher terrain/jumps. This interrupts the speed and flow of your ride so it’s best to use the clutch sparingly and learn how much speed you can handle when making a turn or jump instead of riding the clutch.

4. Use brakes correctly: When you brake too hard on a dirt bike, the rear brake can start to cause the bike to buck and you end up thrown off the bike in an accident. The key is to drag the brake instead of grabbing it because this will keep the suspension from bouncing around which is what causes you to lose control and go in a tailspin or bucking motion. You should practice dragging the brakes at slower speeds at first so that if you do get thrown off, at least you won’t be going fast enough to hurt yourself too much. The bottom line is you never want to just grab the brakes because you will get thrown off so learn to ease into a slow down rather than a sudden stop.

5. Learn the right way to use your feet: Another important dirt bike riding tips for beginners is to use your feet the right way. When rounding a corner, riders put their foot out like a landing gear. This tilts the bike to one side and helps with weight distribution as you round the corner. While this is an important part of riding, especially for competitive riding, it can easily lead to blowing out your knee or twisting your ankle when done wrong. So, how do you do it right? The key is to make sure your leg is straight out with the toes pointed up rather than down or just dangling the foot so the foot doesn’t drag in the dirt. Like anything in dirt bike riding, this will take practice to get the hang of it, but once you get it, riding will become easier and more comfortable and you won’t even have to think about it.

6. Keep practicing: Like anything in life, in order to get at good at dirt bike riding, you need to keep trying. Don’t be discouraged if you take a few tumbles or spin out when you first start out. The key is to keep practicing until these elements of riding become second nature and you don’t have to think about it as much. From the attack stance to how to ease on the brakes, all of these come from practicing until you get it right. The good news is that even the pro riders started out just like you, trying to learn and master the basics. Remember, the more you ride and practice, the better you get at riding!