Riding in the dunes wears your bike quicker than riding on-road. Sand gets stuck in every nook and cranny of your bike and damages those parts. For this reason, it is necessary to protect your dirt bike’s filter and airbox from the sand, modify the suspension of both wheels, and get the paddle tire for dirt bike.
Balance is the Key
Whether you are riding a bike on packed soil or loose sand, the most important thing is that you maintain balance. Be accustomed to your dirt bike moving underneath you. You have to be centered and balanced over the bike so that your weight can influence the bike to go wherever you want.
Steer with your feet by exerting your weight on the footpegs which means you will be standing. There are some other things that you can do to maintain the bike’s balance while sitting back on your bike. This will make sure that you place less strain on the front tires. However, you should not go completely over the bike as it will result in throwing you off balance.
Keep the Throttle Open
If you ride too slow in the dunes, the sand will bog down the bike and you will fall. By keeping your wrist twisted and the engine revving hard, you can make your bike go wherever you want it to go. It might even feel a little scary, but you will be used to it after practicing several times.
Do Not Use the Clutch
Slipping the clutch is worthless as the rear wheel of your dirt bike will be spinning. The trick is to learn to back down the throttle and to trust the torque to get traction and reduce the spinning. The dirt bike will accelerate as you promptly back off the throttle.
Keep the Engine Running
It is normal to face difficulty in riding in the dunes even after having the best dirt bike. Therefore, you need to try your best to remain afloat. Most people shut the engine as soon as the bike hit a bump. However, you should not do this as it will only put you in more trouble. So, you should make sure that the engine is running at all times. Thus you can gain the bike’s control easily and lead it in the correct way.
Lean Forward Into Corners
This is a helpful tip you should use to power into corners. When you take corners at speed, you should put all the grip on the fore wheel and leave the rear wheel to drift through the sand. In order to do so, shift your weight toward the fuel tank and put your legs forward for stability.
Make Better Use of Your Legs
Riding a bike mainly depends on your legs. You may face many situations in which you have to put your legs down to keep your bike upright. You should also be quick enough to push the bike using one leg from a sudden tilt. In places where you can not move your bike, use your legs to push your dirt bike forward. This happens the most when you ride in the sands. In that situation, use your legs, hands, and general position to keep the balance of your dirt bike.
Learn How to Get Out of Tough Places
Some of the common troubles that you will face during sand riding are sand dunes, sand ditches, and even sand storms. Most probably you will get stuck because you do not know how you can get out of tight spots. This is why we recommend you learn some tactics so that you do not find yourself trapped in the wilds. In such a situation, do not engage the clutch and keep the throttle at its minimum. Doing these will ease the process of getting yourself out of tough places. Sometimes you may have to get out of your bike and push it.
Keep Practicing
Practicing dirt bike riding in the sand can take you a little further on your way to mastering dirt bike riding. Before you head out for practice, read some blogs and watch some videos about sand riding. Put all information you have learned and the knowledge you acquired into your practice.
If you have not ridden a dirt bike in the sand, then you should start with riding in wet sand. You can also spread thin layers of loose sand over packed soil. Overall, you should avoid riding in a mound of loose sand. As a beginner, you will face difficulty in controlling the steer, maintaining the balance, and moving forward for riding in the dunes.
Conclusion
Riding a dirt bike in the sand is difficult; however, it is not as difficult as convincing you to give up. You just need to follow the tips given in this article and practice. During practice, you will realize how much enjoyment you are going to have when you finally ride in the sand. You will also be able to develop your own tactics which will come in handy for sand riding.
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