How much does motocross experience matter?

[Kyinal]

I'm getting alot of conflicting opinions when I read around about how much motocross experience translates into road bike experience. I lived in a rural area, and we did ride our bikes on paved back roads a fair amount due to the lack of law enforcement and the fact that the logging roads had alot of bridges removed. So, I have a mix of trail/road/MX experience. I rode from when I was about 11...I started on an XR-80 until I moved back to the city at 19 and sold my CR-250. I've also ridden scooters in urban traffic before, but nothing bigger.

That said, a sportbike is an entirely different animal than a CR-250...but I also know that when advice is being given, it's being given to people with little or no on a motorcycle. Of course, a 600 CC Sportbike is also a guided missile, so I take the advice given on it very seriously.

[dieziege]

There was someone on range day 2 of my MSF class who had a dirt bike and "years" of dirt bike riding experience. They were retaking the day 'cause they had failed the test... twice before... that was their third try.

"It's different...You don't have all the lines and stuff on dirt."

I don't know if they were clueless or not, but they didn't think dirt riding experience helped them with the MSF course or riding on the street.

Shrug.

[CORSCO]

Dirtbike experience, I believe, plays a huge part in riding on the street. I began riding when I was seven...thats alot of time in the dirt.
Where the experience came in handy for me is when I would have the bike step-out on me, or slide from an oil slick, or even having to lock up the brakes.
Knowing how the bike handles under these conditions from dirt riding was a huge help for me.

[Kyinal]

There was someone on range day 2 of my MSF class who had a dirt bike and "years" of dirt bike riding experience. They were retaking the day 'cause they had failed the test... twice before... that was their third try.

"It's different...You don't have all the lines and stuff on dirt."

I don't know if they were clueless or not, but they didn't think dirt riding experience helped them with the MSF course or riding on the street.

Shrug.

I'm kind of guessing they were clueless judging by the "You don't have all the lines and stuff on dirt" comment. Or they were exaggerating their experience level. Some people own dirt bikes and take them out once or twice a year, just like someone with "Years" of snowboard experience or "Years" of boating experience could have little experience at all.

[dieziege]

Impossible to say how experienced they really were. I will say they weren't joking with "lines and stuff" comment ... the problem was hard braking (they were used to feathering or ignoring the front brake) and "precision" riding... they said they were pretty much used to going wherever they wanted and not riding where they might have to stop suddenly... now they were being asked to stay between the lines and such.

They thought their dirt habits were interfering with the street habits though.

Can't dismiss it without more info than we have.

[Kyinal]

I'd venture to guess that just messing around in the back roads on trail bikes....riding a motocross bike in a competitive race seems to be about the same as comparing cruising down the highway on a standard bike and racing Moto GP, one is fairly relaxed, and the other i

The braking thing is about right. When I first rode, we were encouraged to ignore our front brake, because the big concern was going over the handlebars. But when you race, the front brake is by far the most powerful brake, even in the dirt, and it's critical to use it, but you have to pay attention to avoid locking up.

Dual Sport riders seem to have no problem mixing the two once they have the skills. The main problem with dual sports always seemed to be tire related to me. Agressive Knobbies don't like the pavement...at all, and street legal knobbies seem to be significantly less grippy in the dirt.

Obviously they didn't race much...when it comes to the line thing. Picking a line is very important in motocross, especially when dealing with ruts near the end of a race day....Alot of the time, if you fight the terrain, you'll end up thrown. Lines let you pass, and reading the "Dirt" is just as crucial as reading the pavement when it comes to riding on a track.

Still, after all this reading...,I'm leaning twords getting a Ninja 250, used if I can find one, because I don't feel like being a crash statistic, or shelling out a huge amount of money for a bike right now.

[bok]

one thing that could hurt you from riding dirt bikes is the habit of putting your foot down. I've never ridden dirt, but ive seen videos where dirt riders put their inside foot down in a turn and kind of use it to pivot...that would hurt on the street i think. not sure if that's a common thing on dirt or not, but something to be wary of i guess.

if you haven't taken an MSF course make sure you do that as well. the dirt experience will help, but the MSF experience is invaluable.

[rnr262]

I think it helps as far as you're familiar with the clutch, throttle, brakes etc which can be a big hurdle for some. You may still have some learning curve as far as braking on pavement, turning, and getting used to all those vehicles around you that may not see you.

It it was me, for my own safety, I'd have the attitude that I know nothing about motorcycles and am learning from scratch.

[Bachstrad37]

Having dirt experience helped me tremendously with transitioning to road. I've seen both bad and good, but mostly good. The biggest habit I had to overcome was my foot being used as a pivot. Dirt bikes weigh a heck of a lot less than my current 670lb. cruiser. I relied on my foot heavily to brace when riding dirt. Relying that same foot while overcompensating a turn on the road with a cruiser will lead to a dumped bike and not to mention a lot of pain.

That is the biggest difference.

Another challenge is knowing cage driver habits pending on the terrain you wish to ride in. You have so much more variables while on the road from various size of cages to road rage. The last thing you want to worry about is your competency on a bike. As far as a 600cc sportbike as the tool used to transition, I wouldn't. I had that same option and could have bought any size/type of bike I wished. However, that 250 Ninja is an amazing bike to learn on. I highly recommend that if you're going with a 1st sportbike.

[Nibblet99]

I think in ecsense, having dirtbike experience will mean that yes you can have a more powerful bike and control it, BUT its best to have a bike you don't need to think about controlling, whilst you learn to deal with a whole new set of hazards.

also its worth remembering that a lot of thinks you'll have to re-learn. riding roads on dirt covered knobbly tires just isn't going to be the same as riding on sticky sports tires. not to mention the different riding position.

I find my sports tourer seating, tends to make me fixate on only whats ahead. not a good idea when trying to get used to the hazards of a road.


So yes it helps.. but over estimating, could turn out to be a bad thing.

At the end of the day though, I don't know your mind set, or how you ride. I just hope you choose carefully, with a lot of forethought.