Feel Like A Pro - Dirt

[potter0o]

Anyone have experience or knowledge of this school? A local school is organizing a training session with them in Chehalis, WA. Looks interesting to get some dirt cross training for this commuter.


Dirt bike training and flat track racing school

 

[Antarius]

Yes.

Brian Bartlow is a local road racer / dirt racer who has taught and helped many many riders in the area and beyond in both disciplines. You won't be disappointed.

 

[Rapturee]

link wasn't working when i tried it... :{)

 

[potter0o]

link wasn't working when i tried it... :{)

Looks like it's down. I had trouble with it last night. Maybe it sleeps in the hot evenings

 

[DCTFAN]

This type of training is the best bang for the buck.
Playing in the dirt lets you push your cornering skills to the limits.
Worth every penny, IMO.
If you're in the East coast, I recommend "Cornerspin"- Road Racing in the Dirt

 

[potter0o]

I have signed up for the program. Will be taking both days on the 6th and 7th of October. Coming from Canada looking for the most bang. There are some openings still for Sunday the 7th if anyone is interested. I am not being compensated for this. Sharing the details in case anyone is interested in the remaining spots. I have copied the program details below.

Date: Oct 7, 2018 (10 students per day)
Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Cost: $300 USD (includes bike and gear rental, snacks and lunch)
Location: Chehalis, Washington - Brad Baker's Ranch (AMA Grand National Champion)
Instructor: Brian Bartlow (5 Time Flat Track Champion)

Learn the fundamentals of balance, focus, throttle control, body positioning, braking techniques, controlled slides, passing strategies, hydration and nutrition. The morning consists of multiple drills, followed by timed events and afternoon racing.

Dirt track training has been the preferred method for motorcycle athletes and has been used by World Champions in road racing. It allows the rider the ability to push harder at a lower speed and still build on the confidence needed to be a better rider. No matter what method of rider you are, be it road, dirt, trials, motocross or street, this program is for you.

 

[potter0o]

I'm really enjoyed today's program. Body position is totally different to street stuff. Legs are gassed out from pressing down on the pegs and gripping the sides of the bike. Will try to post some images when I get home. Another day of riding in the morning. Highly recommended if you want to invest in some different rider training.

 

[potter0o]

Below is the link to the video done up by my local riding school. It was done at Brad Baker's ranch. I didn't know anything about him as I knew nothing about flat track. This is his personal track that he has at his ranch that he uses for training. He is recovering from injuries at the moment is my understanding.

The first day was dry. A little bit muddy in the morning. The riding position puts you almost right on top of the gas tank and your elbows up driving the front end down in turns to get traction. Exiting the turns you push your upper body away from the handle bars to transfer the weight to the rear tire to get acceleration traction. Body position is opposite the turn which is a very foreign concept to me as a street rider. I fell a lot leaning into the turns on day one. They had a grader on site to refresh the track and had a pick up doing the raking. Some AMA pro riders were on hand as guest instructors. Seeing them tear around the track really gave you an appreciation of what is possible. I don't think I could have gone anywhere else to have this type of track experience.

Day second day was wet and muddy. A really interesting experience in the worst conditions that most would not ride in. I make a couple of appearances in the video. My muddy bike is the one that is close to the end.

Pacific Riding School with Feel Like a Pro Dirt (Brad Baker Ranch) Oct 6/7 2018 - YouTube

 

[670cc]

Very cool. I see some KLX140s in that mix. It’s a fun, user-friendly bike. I have one.

Hope you get out on some trails, too!

 

[potter0o]

Very cool. I see some KLX140s in that mix. It’s a fun, user-friendly bike. I have one.

I think you nailed the bikes. They were nice and relatively light which was very useful when I had to pick it up over a dozen times.. Gives me a new perspective on the fun factor of a small bike off road.

 

[670cc]

I think you nailed the bikes. They were nice and relatively light which was very useful when I had to pick it up over a dozen times.. Gives me a new perspective on the fun factor of a small bike off road.

Yes, they are light. The mid sized 140L model weighs just 209 pounds (95 kg). I had one of those, and later replaced it with the larger wheeled 140G model, which I think weighs 218 pounds (99 kg). Has all the power I need, but the ultra light weight is why I like them.