TEN THINGS PRO RIDING TIPS FROM THE STARS

(1) Riding tips. No matter how good you are, motocross is never perfect; everyone makes mistakes. Even the top riders still practice the fundamentals. We asked a few of the heavy hitters what they’re doing to improve and what tips they have for our readers. 

(2) Hunter Lawrence. “One thing that I focus on when I’m riding now is being present in the corner or wherever I am on the track. Sometimes a habit other riders get into, and I’m guilty of it as well, is being at one point on a track and looking up ahead and anticipating the next section before getting to it.” 

(3) Austin Forkner. “I learned quite a bit working with “Ryno” (Ryan Hughes) last year. One of the things I needed to work on was not rounding out my back so much and instead rotating through my hips more on the bike.” This technique of “unlocking your hips” gives you more leverage for weighting the pegs and helps create traction. “It sounds stupid, but even with something as simple as bending down and picking up your phone, rotating from your hips to do that will train your mind to make that feel normal and to make rounding your back out feel abnormal.” 

Cooper Webb riding on the balls of his feet.

(4) Cooper Webb. “I think there has been a switch, as we’ve seen with Chase and Jett. Technique has always been important, but I feel like it’s back in style now. This last year, I’ve been working on getting my foot position right—riding on the balls of my feet with my toes pointed in. I’m also trying to stand a lot more. I see how much Chase and Jett stand on the motorcycle. I work on sections throughout the week at the Star facility, and when we’re doing that, we’re very technique-based. I’m not the flashiest guy, but I think being a well-rounded rider is important to have a successful career in the pro ranks.”

Chase Sexton has been focusing on getting get starts, but working on his technique.

(5) Chase Sexton. “Becoming a top rider requires an everlasting evolution of your technique and fitness. This year, I’ve focused on starts, as the race is easier to manage when you start up front. I work and train with my dad; I have never really worked with a trainer. My dad knows me best. He can guide my technique, whether I’m sitting too far back in the turns or not being on my feet enough.”

Chance Hymas reccommends standing up more.

(6) Chance Hymas. “I love doing stand-up drills or feet-on-the-peg drills. If you watch me, I stand up a lot and have my feet on the pegs a lot. Learning that balance and staying neutral on the bike is something I think helped me a lot, and you can still go fast and do your motos, and push hard if you want to. That’s something that has helped me. It connects the dots with other fundamentals, too, like keeping your elbows up.” 

(7) Justin Cooper. “I started doing 30-minute motos when I was on 85s. I wanted to copy what the pros were doing and see what it was like. Any chance I could, I wanted to match the pros. Even today, I’m the type of guy who needs a structured program. I can’t just do a couple of laps at a time; I have to commit to doing a moto to stay engaged.”  

(8) Ty Masterpool. “Something great for training for Supercross is riding in a variety of conditions. For me, I’ve been riding many different tracks, whether in Texas or California. The different conditions help that much more when putting the wheels on the track on race day.”

(9) Drew Adams. “Racing is the best practice you can get, and all the racing I did before my pro debut was a smart choice. Having a good training partner can also help. Seth Hammaker just moved down to Florida, so we’ve been training consistently together. Keeping to a schedule is something I’ve been learning is important, too. Everything in pro racing is punctual, so seeing the different times riders eat or how they prepare before the race has been something I’m studying.”

Jordon Smith leading with his left leg, but not dabbing his foot.

(10) Jordon Smith. “One thing I worked on coming into this year is keeping my leg up in the turns. I have long legs, and I’ve had a lot of front-end tucking issues over the years. I’m kind of skittish sometimes in the turns. I’ll dab my foot sometimes, even when it’s not necessary. It causes more problems than it helps, especially when my leg is dragging behind me.”