Super Moto owns you

[Monsterlover]

While reading on the net about sticking my foot out or not (KTM owner here) I ran across this vid

Albert Roca Honda CRF450 vic supermotard TR www.trmedia.net

I've had this bike for a year and a half and am still finding new ways to ride it fast.  It amazes me. 

My latest is sticking my foot out and leaning the wrong way in slower corners.

It works.

It really is a fast way through

[Greg]

Looks fun as hell - wish there was a track around here

[avizpls]

I wouldn't say supermoto owns....you could do that on the monster just as well. Slipper clutch helps.

I favor the second dude's method. Knee down rather than leg out. For left turns, it keeps your foot on or nearer to the shifter so you can press down for the next gear on your way out of the corner (you ARE running GP pattern, right?)

For right turns, it keep your foot on the brake which you HAVE to be doing or your just relying on the slipper 100%.

[kopfjäger]

Supermoto no limits

[silentbob]

I ran my first supermoto race a couple of weeks ago.  I have run the SBK on big tracks and ridden my Husky SMR450 in the dirt and in the canyons but have never been on a supermoto course.  It took a couple of practice sessions to get the hang of it.  I tried following the fast guys and found that they all have very different lines and styles, whereas the superbike guys all pretty much do things the same way.  I found that for most of the course, hanging off and putting my knee down got me through the turn with a much higher corner speed.  Sometimes I would late apex and swoop in only to find a set of forks next to my head, but I would maintain a higher speed and finish the turn ahead of them.  For REALLY tight turns at the end of a high speed straight, I found that braking hard until the front started to push and then turning in with both tires sliding and getting on the gas while the back end came around was a pretty good way to get through a hairpin.  In those instances I would use my foot at the beginning of the turn to stabilize the bike and then pick it up and drop my knee once I was committed to the turn.  In any case I always hung off on the low side of the bike.  Riding crossed up never seemed to provide any advantage for me and I found that on the off camber turns I was faster than the guys who were crossed up.

[Monsterlover]

I favor the second dude's method. Knee down rather than leg out. For left turns, it keeps your foot on or nearer to the shifter so you can press down for the next gear on your way out of the corner (you ARE running GP pattern, right?)

not a chance.

I don't care for gp at all. Beyond that there is no way to make the 950sm gp shift because of the design and location of the shifter shaft.

[muskrat]

   wish we had tracks like that around here.  I'd be all in.

[Scottish]

I grew up riding in the dirt. Seriously I needed to start and stop next to a rock to get on and off the bike. This wasn't a bike with 3ft of suspension either. We're talking early 70's dirt bikes with seat heigths no greater than the Monster.

I mention my riding experience to preface this only because I find I can go either way it depends on the situation. I can cram it to the inside and drag a knee around a corner, I can also sit up and throw out a foot. Knowing how to do both is a great advantage living in a part of the country not known for stable weather(Colorado front range).

Here's my preferrences.


Dry fast riding-get down tuck in throw a knee down.


In rain or other poor traction conditions sit up right and drift thee rear or drop a foot. Either way will let you slide the rear tire.

Not saying it's the correct way but it's my way.... and I love riding in the rain. I totally flat-track my Monster around corners. The twin is great for predictable power delivery. That same power delivery is what makes corners with the front wheel aloft so much fun.  


I was messing around on a friends 690 smc today though, it definitely seemed to respond better to the motorcross style of riding better.

[R0CKETMAN]

"dirt tracking" on asphalt. Gotta love it

Edit: first rider on OP video gets it right. Much smoother. Second guy (knee down) chops every time.

[weemonster]

thats a cart track.

[Greg]

thats a cart track.

Hmmm - Isn't there a cart track right next to the Triumph dealer in San Antonio? Wonder if he'd let us run Super Moto on it? 

[zooom]

Roca is riding alot more Dirttrack/flattrack style whereas Puga is doing more Roadrace style from my perception....the difference being body position with the bike under it versus over top it...

we went into this a bit when I took Cornerspin when talking to XXX and Dillon about the differences with entry and speed. as far as 1 being faster than the other, it depends on the corner and the rider, but it seems with the DT/FT style, you can pick up the bike and throttle quicker, but you have to break and set your line earlier and be much more aggressive about putting the bike into that position.

[RetroSBK]

Yeeehawww... I ride a supermoto as my streetbike...

You ever watch the youtube vids of the guys getting highsided off a supermoto? Thats a rearbrake highside. You get hacked out because you are using the front so hard, turning in late, and using the back torque to induce the slide. You pretty much have to have your foot out, as your footpeg is dragging on the ground...

Wicked fun, my fav bike to ride on the street!

[KnightofNi]

i have never felt comfortable hanging off a SM. even less so when it's still in dirtbike form with knobby tires and a big front wheel. 

i'll always go foot out into corners on anythign resembling a dirtbike.

it's really fun when you get the back end sliding on an off ramp.

[Monsterlover]

im still not so comfortable when the back slides nor do I really know how to make it do that.

when it happens im not flipping out, im just not thrilled. . .