How Long Does It Take To Learn To Ride A Dirt Bike?


When you watch a professional dirt bike rider take a corner and ride at a very high speed, your adrenaline rises automatically! The next thing you wish for is to find yourself in their place!

Riding a dirt bike isn’t rocket science and it needs you some time to learn. The basic riding takes approximately 6 months but it depends on an individual’s learning skills as well as their availability.

Is Learning To Ride A Dirt Bike A Difficult Task?

Nothing comes easy in life and is dirt bike riding. Becoming an expert feels good and it gives you great satisfaction and pride. All you want is to go round the neighborhood and legalized roads to just showcase your expertise. One thing that you need to remember is that there is a price to pay.

Learning to ride a dirt bike is not only challenging but it is also risky. This is the reason why beginners are advised to train using bikes with smaller engines and upgrade gradually. One of the most disappointing things in life is luck of progress.

 If you make the wrong choice of a bike, that might be the end of you and your dream of being a professional rider. Therefore, it is important to sit down and decide on the best bike to start with. You can go for trail racing or choose motocross racing depending on your preference.

How Much Time Does It Take To Be An Expert Dirt Bike Rider?

Apart from being a risk-taker, learning to ride a dirt bike requires a lot of patience and commitment. Learning the basics of dirt bike riding takes a few months but being an expert can even take years. There is no set time limit for learning to be a professional dirt bike rider. This is because we all have different abilities and our understanding levels are very different.

When it comes to training to be an expert, there are a few things you need to consider.  Some of these include: mastering the mix of mental and physical strength, getting the right mentor as well as having techniques and balance needed in the sport.

 At the same time, you will need a lot of sacrifice and commitment. Remember, the more committed you are, the less the time taken to master the skills needed. Therefore, if you have set your mind to be a professional rider, make practicing a full-time affair.

Which Is The Best Bike For A Beginner?

As mentioned above, dirt bike riding is not an easy affair. And at the same time, it is risky and involves several falls and bruises before you gain confidence. Therefore, if you are not confident enough, you can start off with a mountain bike.

The fact that a mountain bike uses the same principles as a dirt bike makes it the best choice for a beginner. It is advantageous to start with a mountain bike as it is easy to control and much slower. This gives you an easy time off-road riding as well as the rough terrain.

Choosing a mountain bike means you will understand the off-road experience using a less-overwhelming way. Precision is one of the most important skills needed in bike riding. Once you learn how to go in a straight line, the second most important thing will be cornering, these skills will be much easier with a mountain bike and will pave way for your dirt bike riding experience.

What Do I Need To Know About Riding A Dirt Bike?

There are a few things you need to learn about riding a dirt bike. Some of these are listed below:

  • Balance: balancing on a bike is never easy whether you are a child or an adult. The phrase “it’s like riding a bicycle” tells it all. The good thing however, once you become good at it, there is no turning back. The speed and the sheer weight involved in riding a dirt bike makes it a challenge for many.

Although sitting down feels more comfortable for a beginner, riding the bike in a standing position gives you better balance. Standing helps you have better control of your bike which is impossible when sitting down.  

  • Throttle and Clutch Control: a few things you need to learn about the throttle are: when to let it up, how far to roll it and the best timing. There is no difference with working with a clutch. Things get more difficult when you’re expected to work with both at a go. Unfortunately, there is no shortcut to this, the solution is practice and more practice!
  • Body Positioning: there is some correlation between balance and body positioning. However, when hitting berms, taking jumps and cornering, your body-positioning skills matter a lot. Better body-positioning reduces fatigue and prevents losing control. This again takes practice and more practice as well as patience.
  • Memory: dirt bike riding is not only about strength as it involves a lot of mental game. When in a race, it is almost a balance of brawn vs. brain. Once in a while, you might encounter a new challenge or obstacle that will require quick thinking to overcome it.
  • You will also need to remember the motocross tracking layout. When preparing for a ride, learn and master your route and familiarize yourself with the various obstacles on the way. This makes you a better racer than your competitor who only thinks about improving their speed.

Winding Up

Dirt bike riding is simply a game of the wise. Everything you do is all in your brain. As much as you spend so much time practicing and perfecting your skills, learn also to engage your brain when need be.

Nobody gets to the race to lose but your winning will definitely be determined by how much prepared you are to win the game. Give your best, work hard, get into the race and leave everything to God! The race is yours to win!

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