So besides being p* off by finding my paycheck lighter because of new taxes, I was thinking about buying a cheap dirt bike soon.
My first EVER motorcycle experience was at the MSF course. I then bought an old F4i. After first season I then got my current 600rr. I've been thinking about getting a dirt bike as I never rode one before and hear that they are a blast (and make you a better rider).
I'm curious as to how many people rode dirt bikes before getting a street bike. Were some like me where the street was the first experience? For the experienced riders, does dirt help with street riding as well?
Yes its a great idea. Watch out tho dirt bikes can get really expensive. spend a bit more at the start so you can have a lot of fun down the road, they are great for learning and a blast to ride. Get a dirt bike with a title so maybe you can make a motard oneday!
I'm in the same boat first time riding was in the MSF and have come a long way from there. I also want one to rip and tear around in the desert with my buddies who all ride.
But riding dirt will not exactly make you a better rider. Riding dirt obviously gets you familiar with a motorcycle if just beginning and will teach you a different style of riding.. But for those who say being a dirt rider for years will make you almost an expert at riding isn't true..
My buddy(s) brothers have been riding nationals since they were kids and one is actually pretty good. One got a 919 for his first bike and has gone down making the common beginner mistakes coming into a corner too hot just as I with no riding experience straight into MSF.. The younger one the (national champ) got a r6 a few months back and has almost gone down a few times him self with the common sport bike mistakes..
Riding dirt will get you the basics but street vs dirt are 2 different animals. But again its better than nothing but don't spect to ride dirt and street for a few months and come out rippin like Rossi doesn't work that way.
But they are fun as hell and you will probably love it. Having riding experience or not.. If anything since you ride already you'll probably pick it up a little quicker but again it doesn't mean you'll be bubba Stewart out the gate.
i rode dirt bikes long before i got my street bike and yes it can make you a better rider but they are still two different animals that handle different.
i came from riding a crf-250R and now a 600rr which is my first street bike and yes i am a better rider because of it, i breezed through my msf course because i already had the basic skills needed from riding dirt bikes but i still needed to learn how to ride my 600rr because it handled different,had a lot more power and was heavier.
Rode dirt for 17 years before getting on a 600rr and the transition was cake. The dirt teaches you well my friend. I'm only 22 now but rode and raced dirt since I was 5 years old. First time I got on my RR it honestly felt like I was riding my dirt bike. Obviously not completely the same but not totally different either.
It's definitely an improvement on both your riding aspects because you can push yourself a little harder on the dirt with less consequence (speed/turns). What kind of bike are you planning on getting if you dont mind me asking?
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I ride both dirt and street and I feel like my previous experience on dirt helped to make learning street easier. It gave me the basics of riding a motorcycle but like has been stated before they are two different animals. Dirt is sure a lot of fun though but easy to get outta control on and crash as well. My first dirt crash I went over the bars and when I landed I tore my right thigh muscles because of stupid mistakes. So like every bike just ride to your ability level and you will have a blast!
thats a tough one. i guess it helped me some just with basics of riding i suppose and knowing the street is harder than dirt, but in all honestly not even close to the same unless you ride the biggest dirtbike that they make and ride it like you stole it. They steer nothing alike the power is completely different. They are fun, but if your doing it to improve skill, waste of money
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MachineGunMyers - Xbox gamertag
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grew up riding dirt.. since i was 6 years young. I am now 22. I still ride dirt a lot and this is my 6th season riding street. It makes you a better rider to an extent. Ive grown up and around motorcycle my whole life so i was kinda born into it.
I strongly recommend dirt experience and firmly believe that it makes you a better rider. I rode and raced dirt bikes for 10 years before getting on a street bike. When the back tire on my CBR slides or starts skippin around during a hard stop, it's not a big deal because you expect that to happen in the dirt. You learn good body position - both sitting and standing and you learn how to use your front brake effectively.
I don't know ... I just think that dirt riding makes for a lot fewer surprises on the street. IMHO ...
I can't really say I'm a dirt rider, although I've ridden in the dirt a couple of times on my supermoto. The SM track I go to has a dirt section, and I always have a hell of a time figuring out how to get through it w/o crashing.
Actually.....I have yet to figure out how to get through it w/o crashing at least once, but I've never hurt myself doing it, so there is that.
I took my SM out to the desert to ride some washes (packed dirt, sand) last March, and it was really fun. Having street tires made the ride REALLY squirrely, and I washed out my front end a couple of times when the sand got too deep. It was entirely expected though, I'm riding with freekin street tires in the sand for cryin out loud. Its that fine line between going fast so that you don't sink and crash, and not going so fast that you lose what little amount of traction you actually have.
However, with that being said, I think having done that little bit of off road riding has made me a better track rider, simply because I'm not so tight when the tires get a little loose now.
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I think dirt riding is great to learn with. I started on a street bike first, find the biggest difference is you need a smooth throttle on street bikes more so then dirt. I'm wot all the time in Dirt
Ya, my rear slid on some mud going 65 on a busy road and that scared the s@#t out of me. So I can see how dirt may be prepping you for that stuff. This will be my first track day, so I doubt I will be leaning and pushing it so hard that the dirt riding experience would pay off. One day though, I do hope to ride both.
I'm in the same boat first time riding was in the MSF and have come a long way from there. I also want one to rip and tear around in the desert with my buddies who all ride.
But riding dirt will not exactly make you a better rider. Riding dirt obviously gets you familiar with a motorcycle if just beginning and will teach you a different style of riding.. But for those who say being a dirt rider for years will make you almost an expert at riding isn't true..
My buddy(s) brothers have been riding nationals since they were kids and one is actually pretty good. One got a 919 for his first bike and has gone down making the common beginner mistakes coming into a corner too hot just as I with no riding experience straight into MSF.. The younger one the (national champ) got a r6 a few months back and has almost gone down a few times him self with the common sport bike mistakes..
Riding dirt will get you the basics but street vs dirt are 2 different animals. But again its better than nothing but don't spect to ride dirt and street for a few months and come out rippin like Rossi doesn't work that way.
But they are fun as hell and you will probably love it. Having riding experience or not.. If anything since you ride already you'll probably pick it up a little quicker but again it doesn't mean you'll be bubba Stewart out the gate.
Dirtbikes will definitely not make you pro but if you actually practice on a motocross/supercross style track (not desert riding) with real jumps huge ruts, braking bumps, whoop sections etc I firmly believe that you will be a much better rider than a person who starts off only riding on street. A dirtbike rider with motocross experience will transition into riding street bikes much easier than a person from street to dirt. After learning to riding dirt, street bikes are much easier to learn on since they are much more stable and have a less aggressive hit down low. Racing motocross is much more physically demanding sport than any form of sportbike racing, it beats the living **** out of you and its a much more aggressive form of racing. You cannot race a motocross bike with a broken leg like Rossi did in motogp
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thats a tough one. i guess it helped me some just with basics of riding i suppose and knowing the street is harder than dirt, but in all honestly not even close to the same unless you ride the biggest dirtbike that they make and ride it like you stole it. They steer nothing alike the power is completely different. They are fun, but if your doing it to improve skill, waste of money
Street is not harder than dirt
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2007 CRF450R Brraaap! SOLD
2002 Corvette C5 Z06
I can't really say I'm a dirt rider, although I've ridden in the dirt a couple of times on my supermoto. The SM track I go to has a dirt section, and I always have a hell of a time figuring out how to get through it w/o crashing.
Actually.....I have yet to figure out how to get through it w/o crashing at least once, but I've never hurt myself doing it, so there is that.
I took my SM out to the desert to ride some washes (packed dirt, sand) last March, and it was really fun. Having street tires made the ride REALLY squirrely, and I washed out my front end a couple of times when the sand got too deep. It was entirely expected though, I'm riding with freekin street tires in the sand for cryin out loud. Its that fine line between going fast so that you don't sink and crash, and not going so fast that you lose what little amount of traction you actually have.
However, with that being said, I think having done that little bit of off road riding has made me a better track rider, simply because I'm not so tight when the tires get a little loose now.
I don't own a super moto, but I've ridden with street tires on my yamaha enduro for about 6 months and it's really not much different when it comes to traction, they kick ass on the road. I've washed out the front in sand once and I know exactly where you're coming from, it's just AWFUL and unpredictable ridding on sand with street tires, especially if it's a mix or you hit soft spots. I also agree about getting use to rear wheel slides though, it helps get you use to initial reaction on any bike after constantly sliding and countersteering.
I'm not sure how so many people can relate to the types of riding together though, they are so different unless you're riding with a motard or with street tires.
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Dirtbikes will definitely not make you pro but if you actually practice on a motocross/supercross style track (not desert riding) with real jumps huge ruts, braking bumps, whoop sections etc I firmly believe that you will be a much better rider than a person who starts off only riding on street. A dirtbike rider with motocross experience will transition into riding street bikes much easier than a person from street to dirt. After learning to riding dirt, street bikes are much easier to learn on since they are much more stable and have a less aggressive hit down low. Racing motocross is much more physically demanding sport than any form of sportbike racing, it beats the living **** out of you and its a much more aggressive form of racing. You cannot race a motocross bike with a broken leg like Rossi did in motogp
All I'm saying is if you play Halo for 2 years and then go buy Call of Duty your not going to be top player as soon as you pop the disc in.. you might be familiar with the controls but the actions, play speed and functions are different. Which yes you will have to learn and get use to..
Obviously you'll know the BASICS of riding but again street and dirt are 2 different animals.
Also you have to remember 90% of the guys asking this question are going to be riding more like
So that 50MPH dirt jumps thing isn't a really valid argument in this thread. And those who say dirt is just like street hasn't ridden one or the other before.. Again Similar in ways but not the same in many ways.
Like many have said they help to an extent. But I feel that they help if you go from dirt to street with zero experience. I rode for a few years before I got my first street bike. Definitely makes you more comfortable with the rear end coming out from little traction, and more importantly braking too hard. The fishtail is just like w/e to me, cuz I am used to it. Big difference with street vs dirt, your front end will wash out real fast if you use the brakes like you would on the street. My brother started on street, few times hes ridden dirt, it scared him. Not the bike itself, but because he wasn't used to the loose conditions, or body posture. Coming from riding dirtbikes to street bikes, it helped me. I learned the basic principles of riding 2 wheels, clutch obviously too.
As far as what kind of bikes. I would stick to motocross bikes versus trail bikes, they are much more fun, and quite frankly the mx can ride trails just fine. I owned a yz125 and it was a great bike. Dirtbikes are a blast! Just don't ride past your ability, just like your 600rr
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Dirt(mx) is a lot more physically demanding than street any day of the week. And the riding concept are worlds apart but seat time on any type of motorcycle will make you a bit more experienced rider
And those who say dirt is just like street hasn't ridden one or the other before..
Don't think anyone said that they are the same ... dirt riding teaches balance, clutch and brake control, bike maintenance habits and develops potentially life saving reflexes that come in real handy on a street bike.
Hopefully soon I'll be able to get one. Thanks for the MX recommendation. My brother who used to ride dirt, suggested a 125 or 250. But are they all 4 stroke now? I remember a time when they were 2. Either way, I kind of wish I had ridden them before street, because it sounds like it would have helped. Oh well, guess I'll just be a street to dirt guy.
I picked this one up last march and it is a blast. More fun than the RR mainly because the places it can go. There are a lot of dirt back roads around me.
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ok so you willing to let me drag you across both and see which one is better? because i bet it doesnt take you too long to come up with a positive answer on that one.
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MachineGunMyers - Xbox gamertag
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ok so you willing to let me drag you across both and see which one is better? because i bet it doesnt take you too long to come up with a positive answer on that one.
Dude he doesn't mean harder as in the hardness of the surface. He means its not harder in terms of how difficult it is.
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