The Art of Cornering...

On the surface, motocross may look like a sport that is simply focused on being the fastest person on the track. In the grand scheme of a race though, there are so many more technical elements that play into the overall success or failure of a rider.

While overall speed control in the straightaways and off of jumps is absolutely crucial to the overall success during a motocross race, one of the most important elements is how a rider goes in and out of turns. These spots on a track and make or break an entire race, so knowing the proper techniques and strategies is essential.

Balance and Weight Distribution

It doesn't matter how fast or slow you go into a corner, if you do not have your body adjusted properly on the bike, there is no way you will be successful. Just like riding a standard bicycle or even riding on a roller coaster, if you lean into the turn, you will be far more successful and each turn will be much smoother.

This method may be a little tricky when you are first starting out, but the more practice you get in, the better and better you will get. When you re just learning the basics of turning, one of the most common moves is for a rider to stick their leg out to try to give themselves some support while they are leaning. You should keep your inside leg on the pegs until you get leaned out and started into the turn. At this point, you can then extend your inside leg and let it skim the ground as you go through the turn. Make sure you do not fully plant your foot into the ground as this will cause you to slow down and can lead to you crashing the bike and/or getting injured.

Speed

No matter what spot you are at on the track, having proper speed control is vital to racing efficiently. This is especially true when it comes to going through turns.

To make a quality turn that you can easily control and use to your advantage, having great throttle control is essential. When heading into a turn, whether it is beamed or flat, you should always let off the throttle and even hit the brake if need be. If you are hitting the turn at a fast speed, the bike can slip out from under you on a flat turn, or send you jostling around the bike on a berm.

When you are getting out of the turn, proper acceleration will help you use your momentum to your advantage and get throughout the corner smoothly. By letting off the brake and touching the throttle not too heavily, you can smoothly make your way out of a corner and back on to the straightaway.

Follow a few of these simple tricks and be sure to get plenty of practice in and you will be mastering cornering in no time.