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Getting
the Holeshot is one off the most exciting and adrenaline pumping
aspects of racing. To be a complete racer, a good start technique
is an essential ingredient and life is made for easier to out
in front than dealing with roost and dirt.
THE
GATE:
Take the time to have a good look at the start area and choose
the best possible gate. When making that decision take into consideration
where the gate is in relation to the inside of the first turn,
the rut behind the gate, as well as what’s in front of the
gate because no longer can you prepare the dirt in front of the
gate. “thank’s to MA” The surface will determine
how much traction is available as will any moisture.
Now if the corner is sharper than 90 degrees, most Pro riders
draw an imaginary line back from the turn to start and any gate
in that area is usually the prime area, then look at the ruts,
traction and what’s in front of you to select the best gate.
If the first corner is less than 90 degrees, most pro riders will
start from a little wider as this will allow you to carry more
momentum thru the turn as starting wider doesn’t make it
as sharp. Again look for a gate that offers you a good rut, traction
and no mud in front. Look for a rut that is straight especially
in front of the gate, you can work on the rut on your side of
the gate but as of this year you can’t work on any rut that’s
on the Track side.
Clean the rut out as best you can pack the rut in the try to make
a hard base and if possible build a little ramp up at the front
of the gate.
Holeshot Suspension install’s Rebound Seperator Vavles in
the rear Shocks this will give you a 1 to 1 ½ seconder
quicker out of the gate????
BUTTON OR NO BUTTON
The benefit of a start button is to change the weight of the bike
to reduce wheelies when accelerating from the start, With the
button locked down it puts more weight over the front of the bike
and lightens the rear, the only problem with this that the rear
is your traction, So to compensate for this Holeshot Susupension
installs an RSV to the rear shock with keeps the rear wheel and
traction on the ground to launch you quicker out of the gate.
If you are on a rock hard concrete start then a Holeshot button
is probably not the best option.
TECHNIQUE
My advice here is to keep it as simple as
possible. With 39 other riders around you, there is already enough
to worry about – throttle, clutch, brakes, timing the gate
drop, and smooth power. Find a simple technique and stick to it.
1)
Select a gear that will jump from the gate consistently well and
produce good power. For the majority of riders, 2nd gear is all
ways the best, After Holeshot Suspenson sets up a rider with an
HSS “A” kit some of the riders claim a 3rd gear start
is the way to go, the reward is a great if done right, 3rd gear
starts are either great or terrible??? Up to yourself and confidence.
2) Now, run both feet down. It keeps your weight central, give
better balance and allows the bike to drive out directly without
you having to climb all over the bike to steer. Sit at the base
of the seat and bring your head and chest down over the cross
bar, BODY POSITIONING IS VERY IMPORTANT YOU’RE THE CENTRE
OF GRAVITY.
3) Your fingers should be on the controls with the clutch right
on the pick – up point, and run the throttle constant reasonably
high in the REVS, No Throttle chopping. The challenge is to keep
your weight forward as you quickly release the clutch and drive
the bike out under full power. Be strong in the upper body and
stay over the front and keep your head down, if you lift your
head your body tends to come with it and you will wheelie.
WHAT
TO WATCH
Some watch the starter, some watch the pin that holds
the gate, and some watch the gate. My advice is to watch whatever
you see move first that you can consistently recognize, If you
have trouble picking up the starter or seeing the pin move, focus
on the gate and use all your concentration on it,
Reaction time is all about concentration so use all of your mental
energy to focus on and react.
LAUNCH
As the bike drives from the gate stay aggressive on it
and over the front. Listen to your bike to make sure you hit the
shifts at just the right time. Remember, over-revving the motor
is just as bad as shifting way too early when you have the bike
under control and heading in the direction you need. Focus on
the first turn and head directly to where you want to go.
Be Aggressive, someone shutting of early and other riders running
into them causes more accidents, so go in with the field or, if
you have done everything right there is a good chance that you
will go into the corner first “HOLESHOT”. If you shut
off early there is a good chance that you will be run over from
the other 39 riders, “GOOD LUCK”
Rider
Sag
Setting your ride sag on your rear shock will have an effect on
the way your bike sits out on the track. Too much sag and your
bike will sit low in the rear, wallow around and will turn about
as sharp as the titanic. Too little and your bike will be prone
to head shake, sit high in the rear, kick under brakes and will
over steer and tuck through corners. In both scenarios front wheel
washouts are a common crash in result from incorrect ride sag.
The following are only general recommendations, different riding
styles, tracks and manufacturer brands may vary these setups.
“Check you bike manual for mm sag settings”
• Measurement No1: Place the bike on a centre stand with
your wheels un-weighted. You take a measurement from the rear
axle to a fixed point vertically on the guard above Making a small
mark with a pen on the guard for a reference point is a good idea.
• Measurement No2: Take the bike off the stand, place the
rider with gear on the bike with a normal riding position (not
too far forward or too far back) with their feet barely touching
the ground or on the pegs with someone helping to aid balance.
Take another measurement from the same two points as before.
Too much rider sag indicates you must increase pre-load to the
spring by firstly loosening the spring adjuster found at the top
of the spring. Then adjust by turning the lower adjuster ring
clockwise. NOTE: Mark the position on the adjuster ring and Shock
body “ONE COMPLETE TURN EQUALLS 3mm ))))Too little rider
sag indicates you must decrease pre-load by turning the spring
pre-load adjuster counter clockwise. Next you should check your
bike’s free sag.
• Measurement No3:?Take the bike off the stand and bounce
on the bike to allow the suspension to settle. With the rider
off the bike take a measurement between the same two points again.
• Free sag:? Subtract measurement 3 from measurement 1.
Your bike should sag approximately 25 – 35mm by itself off
the stand after your have set rider sag. Hint: Less than 25mm
indicates a stiffer spring is needed and more than 35mm indicates
a softer spring is needed
Adjusting your suspension
After setting the bike to your weight and speed, further adjustments
can be made whilst at the track through the use of the adjusters
that come standard on your motocross bike. Spending time to “dial”
your bike in will result in a safer easier ride that grips harder
to the track, allowing you to (most importantly) set faster times
and win races.
Compression adjusters: Hard to Soft
These adjusters generally determine how hard or soft your suspension
will be, but will mainly be a fine-tuning adjuster. The compression
adjuster on your forks can be found at the top of twin chamber
forks and on the bottom of forks fitted with conventional cartridges.
Consult your manual if in doubt. When adjusting these settings
wind the adjuster all the way in (clockwise) with a flat blade
screwdriver then count in clicks out (e.g. wind all way in and
count back out 12 clicks). Winding the comp adjuster clockwise
will effectively slow the dampening circuit resulting in a harder
ride and adjusting anti-clockwise will result in a softer ride.
The compression adjuster on your shock generally comes with two
settings on late model MX bikes, enabling you to adjust the high-speed
circuit and the low-speed circuit. Some bikes still may only have
a low speed adjuster screw. The adjuster is found on the shocks
reservoir with a high-speed outer ring usually adjusted by a 14
– 17mm hex socket and the low speed adjusted by an inner
screw. The high-speed adjuster is counted in turns (e.g. wind
clockwise all way in and back out 1 and 1/2 turns). A large T-bar
is the best tool for this job. You will mainly need to adjust
the high-speed circuit for increased dampening on heavy landings
found on big jumps and G outs found through the track. The low-speed
circuit is mainly adjusted for bumps in and out of turns and low
to mid size hits.
Rebound adjusters: Slow to fast
The rebound adjusters on your machine enable you to control the
return of the stored energy created by the spring. Too little
or too much dampening will result in bike that kicks and is hard
on your arms. These adjusters are quite sensitive and should be
used carefully. They are found on the opposite end of forks to
compression and on the lower shock clevis. They are adjusted similar
to comp adjusters winding in all the way in clockwise will slow
the dampening circuit and winding out will effectively speed it
up. After you have your base settings and spring rates set by
Holeshot Suspension you will need to head out to your local tracks
to get some settings for the various conditions encountered. All
testing that you do should be recorded. Holeshot Suspension offers
track tuning included in their Suspension Service, Tire pressures/brands,
fuel load and track conditions all should be recorded as they
all have an effect on your suspension. Starting with your base
settings all-testing are best done with one change at a time with
rider feedback and a good eye from a friend deciding on improvements.
Having a quick glance through your race calendar will give you
a guide on the type of tracks you have to be prepared for enabling
you to test on tracks with similar conditions.
Suspension Lowering/Raising
Are you just plain short and struggle to stay upright on steep
hills and bends? 20 – 50mm can make all the difference and
is easily achieved. Lowering linkages on the rear and internal
de-stroking of the front can make your weekend ride much more
enjoyable.
Junior Lowering + Setup – Fast junior riders need a compromise
between height and performance to make sure they achieve fast
lap times. With smaller bikes having less ground clearance and
very often being ridden to their full potential, a good handling
balance is vital. A little lower to help with corner speed but
not so much that it restricts suspension action. 10-15mm is not
really noticeable looking at a bike, but usually improves handling
greatly for the little guys.
Too big for your bike ? This common problem amongst juniors can
be overcome with our in-house fabrication work. It is possible
to raise 65cc/85cc/150cc Minis substantially. Holeshot can also
assist larger senior riders (over 6ft) with correct springs &
settings for their weight and can add bar raisers and modify their
seat foam to help. This will make the transition from sitting
to standing much easier! ?
INFORMATION
ON DIFFERENT TRACKS IN AUSTRALIA
Australia
is one of the most driest country’s in the world, most of
the club tracks are made from dirt brought in locally or from
other places which is then graded into the track and you end up
with a mixture of anything that’s possible, we find ourselves
racing and pounding out practice laps on hard pack clay, soft
sand, rocks, tree stumps, woodchips, concrete land fill and so
on.
Hardpack Tracks
These conditions are often quite slippery both in the wet and
dry and generally have lots of small sharp square edge bumps on
both entry and exit to turns. They are often quite unforgiving
on the rider, making a little mistake will have disastrous consequences.
The biggest problems encountered with suspension on most of these
tracks are a harsh feeling through the forks, headshake, front
wheel washouts and a loss of drive whilst exiting the turns. A
good set-up will require your suspension to be set up for your
riding skills. A common mistake on these tracks is to set your
bike up quite hard for the jumps that in many cases are only a
small percentage of the track. Too hard on the forks will result
in front wheel washouts and a harsh feeling through the handlebars.
You also want to have your rebound set enough to avoid packing
(suspension doesn’t return rapid enough for the next bump
resulting in a lack of grip and travel) on these hard often high-speed
circuits. Having a set-up that is generally soft and relatively
loose will enable you to drive hard out of the corners, lessen
rider fatigue and reduce the occurrence of arm pump that is all
too common with these tracks.
Sand Tracks
Sandy soft tracks found across the country in areas such as QLD,
WA, NSW, and VIC require a completely different set-up. With the
forgiving nature of these soft circuits, the rider can have a
whole lot of fun and let it all hang out with the throttle usually
pinned wide open, even around the turns! The down side to these
tracks are they often sap a lot of energy from the rider with
the big open spaced sand whoops and large braking bumps that form
on the entry to tight corners. Set-up in these conditions is vital
to setting a fast time, as a bad corner or line choice down a
rough straightaway can lose you more than a few seconds. You will
find your bike tends to wallow through the deep sandy whoops and
kicks hard and high in the rear under braking. The key to a good
sand setting is to run your bike stiffer in comp F+R to keep it
high in the deep sand, handle the constant never ending deep whoops
and the usually large jumps and drop-offs found on these tracks.
Tightening the rebound a few clicks from your base setting on
the rear shock (turn in clockwise) will stop it ‘unloading’
whilst attacking rough straights and also help to reduce the unnerving
kick whilst braking. It will be impossible to get up on top of
the whoops and keep driving if your set-up is too soft and loose.
Combination
Tracks that consist of both hard pack and soft surface terrain
will nearly always require a compromise. Generally speaking, hard
pack track with soft sandy sections are often not quite extreme
as a full-blown sand track, but still build the high braking bumps.
More testing to find a balance is the key to success. Usually
a good balance on these tracks is to stiffen the front –
to handle the larger braking bumps – but leave the rear
a little softer to still maintain drive out of the hard turns.
Too soft on the front will only aid the rear kicking over the
braking bumps, too hard will cause front wheel washouts on the
hard pack. ?Working out a percentage of each section on the track
will give you a good indication on which way to lean towards when
dialing in your machine. Tighten the rebound a little (clockwise
1-2 clicks) on the rear will help with the harsh braking bumps.
Supercross
Super Cross is a totally different world to motocross. With man-made
tracks designed to push a rider and their machine to the edge,
it is critical that you ride a bike that is solely setup and modified
internally for Super Cross. ?Due to the huge jumps and aggressive
stutter bump sections on these tracks, your machine will often
have to be set up with stiffer springs and dampening rates (front
and rear) to suit these tracks. Again these changes should be
carefully made by a reputable tuner. Super cross is a sport that
requires ultimate dedication and as every professional will tell
you, they need confidence in their bike to simply circulate. Never
ride a MX bike on a SX track. Your bike will need to be stiff
enough to give you lift over the jumps and most importantly; save
you from injury from an all too easy over jump. They are usually
so stiff that when bouncing on it back at the workshop it will
seem almost ridiculous, especially on a bike setup for a professional-level
rider that weighs 85 kilograms or more. A balance is needed for
Super Cross, as you need to maintain good drive off the gate and
also through stutters/whoop sections that can become often very
hard pack and slippery or even blow out. A good tip for watching
riders through stutters is to watch the foot peg/boot area whilst
attacking them. Too low and the shock is too soft allowing it
to compress into every whoop. Getting it right you will see the
rider almost ride across the tops of each bump with much more
clearance between the ground and their foot peg. Setting the shock
too hard will result in wheel spin and lack of forward drive sending
the front end down into the often-sharp stutters. Watching the
amount of travel used front and rear whist landing and on the
take off will give you a good indication of whether it is too
hard or soft. Rebound settings are usually valved and adjusted
on the hard side resulting in an almost ‘dead’ like
reaction.
Holeshot Suspension offer’s an Suspension “A”
kit setting for Super Cross
TIPS
ON LOOKING AFTER YOUR BIKE
• Always’ wash your bike thoroughly after riding,
especially on tracks that have an oil-based dirt, or staining
dirt.
Take extra time on your suspension parts, as this will make them
operate more freely if there washed back to brand new condition.
• When washing your rear shock make sure you lift up the
rubber bump stop and pressure wash underneath this. This will
slow down the start of corrosion that will eventually eat at your
chrome shock shaft. Most of the factory mechanics on the USA race
teams never forget this important process when washing bikes.
• It is best to all ways record your clicker / adjuster
settings on your bike even if you never have to change them. This
will help us when you call Holeshot Suspension so we can have
an idea of changes or problems you are having.
• Fork bleeders are a good investment cause you should always
release the air from your forks at the start of each race day
and in between races especially on rough tracks and on hot days.
It is a good idea to form a habit of doing this when you are setting
your tire pressures for the day.
• When you service your Forks you should also service your
shock. The shock is just as important as the forks, it never leaks
as bad as your forks but a worn out shock will become springy
and be unstable and will definitely fade as the race wears on.
Service time on a Rear Shock for a race bike / Enduro, should
be around the 20 to 25 hour mark.
•
Always check and clean your forks are operating smoothly. Dirt
can get through the dust seals and build up in the forks bushes
and sliders, which will cause stiction in the action. They will
feel ‘notchy’ and unsmooth even before your seals
start to leak. This problem is common after a mud race and can
be easily cleaned up with an “MP Seal Mate” or a fork
service. (new bushes may be required)
• You must always grease your swing arm and linkages from
new with water proof grease and keep them maintained with fresh
grease thru out the year to prevent stiction and seizures in the
linkage / shock assembly.
NOTE: Even when you purchase a new bike this should be done before
your first ride sometimes factory assemblers forget to add extra
grease in there.
• Tire pressures are very important and affect’s your
suspension greatly. Always check the pressure before you ride
in the morning and again through out the race day.
Using nitrogen gas in the tires will keep a constant pressure
in them no matter what the conditions are.
• After a big crash it is best to check fork / wheel alignment
to ensure proper handling and steering before the next race. This
is easily fixed in normal cases by loosening and re-tensioning
the fork clamp pinch bolts. Purchase a MP Fork Leveler from Holeshot
Suspension will make this job easier.
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