Dirt Bikes: Safety Tips For Summer Riding
Your dirt bike has your back when you want to indulge the adrenaline junkie side of you. These are the perfect machines for those who love heart-pounding and fun-filled activities. However, to have a great yet safe time, there are some things to take into consideration before and during your rides.
At Lawton Motorsports we want you to have the safest dirt bike rides so we’ve collected some important information that you should know. If you’re looking for dirt bikes for sale in Lawton, OK, contact our sales department to check out the models we have in stock. We’re proud to be the chosen dirt bike dealer for our friends from Edmond, OK.
The Soil
The best sort of track for dirt bikes is one that holds water without becoming like clay. This is because the more clay soil has, the harder it becomes to keep the bike upright. Soils like blue grove are essentially hard-pack clay, and can eat away at your tires. As a matter of fact, it's the worn-out rubber from your tires that turns the soil blue. There’s little to no traction on such soils.
A lot of regular dirt bike riders love loam tracks. Loam is basically a mixture of silt, sand and clay, and it creates a really stable track. This soil has the right amount of drainage, offers good traction and in case you fall off your dirt bike, it’ll be less painful than other types of tracks.
Your dirt bike is built to handle different types of terrain but sand tracks are where a lot of riders face a bit of an issue. Sand is extremely slippery so you have to keep the throttle going if you want to stay upright. Sand is pretty hard to navigate and you’ll need a special set of tires to tackle it.
Chalky soil is found on motocross tracks and it is also often found in backyard tracks. This type of soil is often combined with other kinds of soil to get a better texture for dirt bike riding. This soil does dry out very quickly so it has to be watered down more often.
Safety Tips
As a dirt bike rider, you’re going to be indulging in a fast-paced and high-risk activity, so there’s always the risk of getting hurt. Some of the most common injuries are broken collarbones, broken wrists, broken ankles, dislocated shoulders and ACL ruptures. To avoid this happening to you, there are some safety precautions you should take.
A lot of the collarbone injuries suffered by dirt bike riders occur because they try to stop themselves from falling by using their hands. This is our reflex reaction when we start to fall, but when you’re going at much higher speeds, your arms (and your collarbones) end up facing a much greater pressure. Try to avoid getting too close to other dirt bike riders and stay upright to avoid this from happening. For added protection, you can wear a neck brace.
To avoid injuring your ankles and wrists, you should study the course carefully before you ride it to see the problem areas and have a strategy planned out for them. Despite that, you can still take a tumble so wear wrist and ankle braces for protection. Motocross boots can also give your feet and ankles added protection.
Your ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) connects the thigh to the shinbone. If you attempt to perform jumps with your knees bent, you can rupture them. Shoulder dislocation and ACL ruptures can be very painful and need extended physiotherapy to overcome, so you really want to avoid them. Wear shoulder supports and knee braces to protect yourself from these injuries.
Stay Cool
You don’t need us to tell you that riding your dirt bike can get you hot and sweaty. Keep your fluids replenished by drinking water before you begin and putting a hydration pack in your backpack. This way you can drink water without having to stop and park your bike. Take short breaks to cool down, and use that time to eat a light snack, drink water and let your body rest. You should know your limits and never push your body beyond that.
When your engine gets heated, it can cause you discomfort so place a heat shield on your bike to keep the heat off you. Remember that your bike will also start to heat up so give it enough breaks. Always use fresh coolant in dirt bikes. A common motocross trick is to remove a full gas tank and place it on ice before the gate drop. While you don’t have to do this, it lets you ride your bike for a longer time.
We hope you’ll find this information useful! If you’re looking for quality dirt bikes, contact Lawton Motorsports and we’ll show you our wide selection. If you need professional dirt bike service or repair in Lawton or Edmond, OK, contact our parts and service department for further assistance.