A couple things you wish you knew when you started riding..

[TheLane]

Mine are.

1. when jumping, straddle the seat with your legs.

2. when jumping, move around in the air, control the bike, not let the bike control you.

3. remember to check your F***ING lug nuts on your wheels before riding.

4. lean on the side you wish to turn (hey....some people dont know this when they first start riding)

5. Dont switch lines during practice to try and avoid the faster rider.

6. tire pressure is your friend.

7. have a surplus of cash.

8. ABSOFU**INGLUTELY have insurance on your bike....and if you use it dont telll em what you were doing.......(they dont like that)


Anyone got anything new to add?

[rbgnwa45]

4. lean on the side you wish to turn (hey....some people dont know this when they first start riding)

Got that right. I once went snowmobiling with a moron who leaned the wrong way, I leaned the right way and got yelled at!

Dirtbikes...

- put your foot out as you'll most likely slide out the first day, and it will make your heart pound. Get used to it.

- don't practise clutch-wheelies from a stop and then let go and land on your knees.

- don't look back and think your arms won't move the bars.

- don't buy < 1990 2-strokes.

- don't misjudge a mud holes depth when it's not your quad.

- bring a cell phone.

- bring a knife (legal?)

- bring water

- wooden ramps aren't stable for jumping.

- for 80cc+ 2 strokes, get a feel for the power band in 2nd-3rd gear because 1st will most likely be too much kick for your first time.

- let your bike cool off.

- buy a machine with an engine that'll stay cool in those riding conditions.

- boots. gloves. Knee pads aren't a stretch.

- look behind you before turning left/right so you don't get run over.

- don't rip up the lawn, somebody is gonna yell at you.

[DnB_racing]

I wish I knew that loud pipes will close trails

I wish I knew how lucky I was to be able to ride from my backyard and not have to trailer

I wish I knew how to eliminate spotted salamanders from the earth

But most of all I wish I knew that the 10000 acres of woods right near me would always be open for off road use (but they weren't)

if I had to do it again I would have made sure everyone I saw would have respected the trails a lot more,

and would have been more involved in forestry management, and would have payed attention of all the board meetings that the tree huggers attended, and would have fought to keep my playground open!!

[Canadian144]

Well as the owner of an LTR450 and two CR125s.... the main thing I wish I knew was:

-how much of an addiction it becomes!

I looked back to one of my first posts on the ******** and I said I was just going to install a Yoshimura Cherry bomb and a Uni air filter, and leave it that way. Look at all of the stuff I ended up doing haha.

Not to mention also venturing into dirtbikes! I just finished a complete, bottom up rebuild on my 2001. Now I've got close to $300 or $400 just invested in specialty tools for doing motor rebuilds.

[TheLane]

Originally posted by DnB_racing
I wish I knew that loud pies will close trails




:devil:

[Tommy Warren]

jumping wooden planks on milk crates only works when your going slow:grr:

[blaster12s]

i wish i knew a stock quad cant last on a mx track......$$$$$

[CJM]

When jumping dont throttle up or down, keep it at the same point till you hit the air then let off. otherwise when you land if you let off the front dips and you can fly off.

Some like to blip it to make the quad go straight up on a step up-do it wrong and your not gonna land correctly and your gonna come down on the front or fly off.

Dont try and straddle ravines, the bieks gonna tip to one side and roll over. I wish I would listen to this one, I keep doing it lol.

Your not superman, if the jump or obstacle makes you uncomfortable looking at it dont attempt it!

ALWAYS wear a helmet! idiots who dont wind up with brain damage usually.

[Fear250r]

Originally posted by rbgnwa45

- don't buy < 1990 2-strokes.




The best 2 stroke quads were already built...

[TheLane]

ohhh ohhh another one

Be really careful loading your quad in the back of a truck using a ramp and the tailgate....It can close on you.

[Tommy Warren]

Originally posted by TheLane
ohhh ohhh another one

Be really careful loading your quad in the back of a truck using a ramp and the tailgate....It can close on you.

that reminds me...never try to wheelie your bike onto the tailgate of your truck that came off the showrrom floor 3 hours earlier....tailgates aren't cheap

[Aarons 01 400EX]

Dirtbike

- don't try a double or the whoops with a failing rear shock
- don't try loading your dirtbike in the back of an F150 on a 2x4


Quad

- don't try to skim the mud hole at full speed (usually results in the quad stopping and you keep going)

- When hill climbing, get out of the way if it starts to flip

[ridehonda400ex]

Originally posted by Aarons 01 400EX
Quad

- don't try to skim the mud hole at full speed (usually results in the quad stopping and you keep going

That it does;)

[CJM]

Originally posted by TheLane
ohhh ohhh another one

Be really careful loading your quad in the back of a truck using a ramp and the tailgate....It can close on you.

Reminds me, also dont borrow someones homemade wood ramps that dont attach to anything-they will come out from under you.

[OldGuyonaQuad]

Originally posted by CJM
Reminds me, also dont borrow someones homemade wood ramps that dont attach to anything-they will come out from under you.

That's why I now push mine up the ramps.

I would have moved out of NJ ;)

oh same advice on the ice as the mud you never know when one or both sides are gonna cave in.

[250rsforlife]

i wish i would have known to buy a big enough quad when i first started so i didnt have to keep upgrading

[HondaRacing83]

wish i woulda known its gonna be an addiction and another sport.

[ridehonda400ex]

I wish I would have known that Quads and Bikes will become my life.

And that I would become obsessed

I wish I would have known about A.A.D.S.

I wish I would have never found this site because It forces me to spend money!

But Its all good! I love this sport and this website! And the people!

[destey]

z400s have a drain hole for the spark plug that gets plugged up and causes it not to run

Z400s don't have a reserve in the tank. Its some stupid vacuum system that only sucks enough gas in the override/prime setting

carry an extra master link (i carry a whole extra chain)

if you do a complete teardown, label and put everything into baggies. What looks like a pile of cheap parts ends is probably a $15 bushing, $10 seal...

[quad2xtreme]

Riding quads is a time when it is better to be a follower than a leader!

[DnB racing]

Originally posted by quad2xtreme
Riding quads is a time when it is better to be a follower than a leader! ????why? unless your talking about riding on new trails, if so I get what your saying,

but not for racing...following others roost isn't any fun!!

[quad2xtreme]

Originally posted by DnB racing
????why? unless your talking about riding on new trails, if so I get what your saying,

but not for racing...following others roost isn't any fun!!

yep, I mostly ride trails now and definitely did as a beginner. I was the little piggy too many times. :p

[CJM]

I dont mind following, that way if someones gonna hit something first its gonna be the leader.

[TheLane]

Originally posted by CJM
I dont mind following, that way if someones gonna hit something first its gonna be the leader.

The opposite happens in AZ. there is so much dust the leader can see whats coming, and followers happen to hit those cleverly camoflaged giant axle destroying rocks.

[CJM]

Originally posted by TheLane
The opposite happens in AZ. there is so much dust the leader can see whats coming, and followers happen to hit those cleverly camoflaged giant axle destroying rocks.

I ride in a sand pit, it doesnt rain that week it gets DUSTY as hell. Lesson learned is to stay behind leader about a good 50-100ft or be right up thier *** so you can see whats going on.

[TheLane]

Originally posted by CJM
I ride in a sand pit, it doesnt rain that week it gets DUSTY as hell. Lesson learned is to stay behind leader about a good 50-100ft or be right up thier *** so you can see whats going on.


and pray to god they dont get happy with their brakes.

[CJM]

Originally posted by TheLane
and pray to god they dont get happy with their brakes.

Yep.. Gotta be alert and in control and have really good brakes yourself lol.

[brian76708]

a 400ex will never be a 450. i could have paid off the 450 with the money i put into the 400ex.

[CJM]

Originally posted by brian76708
a 400ex will never be a 450. i could have paid off the 450 with the money i put into the 400ex.

Id say thats true but then you could also argue: a 450 will never be as easy to work on as a 400ex nor as bullet proof.

:D