Answer Racing Moto Tips | Ready on the Controls
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Answer Racing Moto Tips | Ready on the Controls
Presented by Answer Racing
Welcome to the new Answer Racing Moto Tips feature! Answer Racing has been producing the highest-quality motocross and off-road gear since 1976, and this month launched its new line of 2020 apparel. With riders like Alex Martin, Kyle Peters, Ryan Villopoto, Nick Wey, and Mike Sleeter flying the Answer flag, there is a wealth of knowledge and know-how when it comes to riding a dirt bike efficiently and effectively in the Answer camp. Each week, Answer will bring you some riding tip to help you become better at the sport you love! Have a specific skill you’d like to improve? Comment below and we will cover it in a future post!
Moto Mafia Crew’s Nick Wey has one of the most technically correct riding styles we’ve ever seen, and it’s no surprise that new 250 National Champion Adam Cianciarulo has benefitted from Wey’s year’s of insight and experience. It’s actually hard to take a bad photo of Wey, as he always seems to be in the perfect body position and ready for anything.
This week, Wey offers some advice on being ready on the controls. Take a look at the photo above and you’ll see that even though Nick is ripping a berm for the camera, he is ready for anything with his fingers on the front brake lever and clutch lever.
“The biggest thing I see these days, now that we are in the four-stroke era, is that riders tend to ride with their hands gripping the bars with all four fingers,” he says. “This is because four-strokes are so powerful, you don’t need the clutch to make them go so guys aren’t always ready to stab the clutch to build the rpms up.
“What you also see more nowadays are when guys crash, they get run into by people behind them. This is because riders aren’t as ready to stop or take evasive action. You want to be aggressive when you’re riding and racing with people in a pack, but you have to be ready to slow down or stop. Having your fingers on the control levers can make a difference as that split second it takes to get your fingers off the bars and onto the levers can make the difference between stopping or avoiding a crash.
“I think that riding with your fingers on the levers is a good habit that comes from the two-stroke days, but these days it is a skill that needs to be taught and practiced. Now that my little guys are starting to race a lot more seriously, this is something that we work on a lot because for them racing around other little dudes can be scary. Knowing that you can avoid a crash by being prepared offers them peace of mind and confidence.”
