Slower to go faster

PRESENTED BY ANSWER RACING and SWAPMOTO LIVE

Welcome to the new Answer Racing Moto Tips feature! Answer Racing has been producing the highest-quality motocross and off-road gear since 1976, and this month launched its new line of 2020 apparel. With riders like Alex Martin, Ryan Villopoto, Nick Wey, and Mike Sleeter flying the Answer flag, there is a wealth of knowledge and know-how when it comes to riding a dirt bike efficiently and effectively in the Answer camp. Each week, Answer will bring you some riding tips to help you become better at the sport you love! Have a specific skill you’d like to improve? Comment below and we will cover it in a future post!

Hard on the gas everywhere doesn’t always mean a fast lap! You have to look at a track as a whole and recognize how your line choices or speed in one spot will impact the next segment. Identifying what works best for the setting is an important part of this week’s Moto Tip, as told to us by Nick Wey, so this is more a mental technique that you’ll make use of every time you ride.

“Sometimes there are spots where you need to sacrifice speed to help set up for or maintain momentum for the following section. You will need to decide if that means braking at earlier points, letting off of the throttle sooner, or even clipping a jump short to scrub speed, all so that you can correctly hit your marks. What you can consistently and safely do, lap after lap will always be the way that works best.

“If you are patient and plan ahead, you can make up a lot of time by maintaining momentum all the way through, rather than being hard on the brakes at the last moment or hammering the throttle to pick up speed suddenly.

“It’s important to maintain proper technique at all times, especially when you are slowing down. This isn’t the best time to rest or get too relaxed, because you’ll need to be attentive and ready for the next section.”