help on the startgate

[rampent125]

I was just wondering if anyone had some tips for gettn away clean and straight from the start gate ,I dont want the holeshot but I dont want to crash the gate

[mitch]

hav u got starters on your forks

[yamaha_54]

right click, save taget as HERE (http://progressive.stream.aol.com/time/gl/mx/videos/2004/012605ivan_dl.mov)
its ivan tedescos tips on getting a good start from transworldmx.com

while we are on the subject of starts,

doesn anyone have any tips for dead engine starts? i will be doing then this weekend

[Shifty]

If you want a tip for making your reflexes quicker, try holding your breath in before the gate drops. Don't let it out till it drops. For some reason it increases your senses. Don't ask me why, got the tip from a mate's mum who was in the army.

[ad_man53]

Concrete
1, clean the concrete
2, Spin the wheel for a couple secs as the 30 sec board up,
3, keep you bum in between the tank and airbox and lean ur body wieght back,
4, Apply the front brake, keep the revs about half way, let the clutch out just enough until u can feel it trying to push the bike forward
5, roll off the start with out too much wheel spin, be really smooth with the clutch. as the gate drops lift ur feet to put all the wieght to the ground, get ready to move ur wieght forward as u hit the dirt.


Dirt,
1, compact the dirt were ur bike will go,
2, apply front brake, and let clutch out just enough until u can feel it pushing the bike
3, keep right up on the front of the bike,
4, about 3/4 throttle when the gate drops open it right up and let out the clutch fairly aggresively,

[stavross]

let the clutch out just enough so its kinda pushing the bike foward (similar to what adman said) when the 5 second board come up... keep your feet in front of the pegs, wieght foward...

there are alot of tips on the net so maybe go to a website mate...

[ranchstyle]

also if ur havin trouble keepin the front down and wanna get further over the front. u can put both feet down in front of the pegs. your nuts will probably be resting on the tank cap. once you go and to keep ur weight forward, use the back of ur heal to change up gears. this is good in realy grippy dirt.

[mulisha_fmx]

Get those starters on your forks with them the front wont lift up more than an inch without them the front will go sky high.

[redbull_fmx]

Originally posted by yamaha_54
right click, save taget as HERE (http://progressive.stream.aol.com/time/gl/mx/videos/2004/012605ivan_dl.mov)
its ivan tedescos tips on getting a good start from transworldmx.com

while we are on the subject of starts,

doesn anyone have any tips for dead engine starts? i will be doing then this weekend

I did them when i raced enduro. Make sure you warm the bike up and take it for a ride for aroung 5 - 10 mins right b4 your race then you just hope it starts first kick and as soon as it starts take off. put the bike into first before you start it so its quicker to take off.

[twothreesix]

with Dead engine starts just relax when you kick it over. Ive seen guys go nuts kicking it but it just wont start, you gotta be smooth and take your time

[Robbo66]

Depends what bike you have. A bigger bore big doesn't need as much throttle. Just be steady with the throttle, and use the clutch to keep the bike in it's Maxium power range, while also in the maxium traction range.

Practise makes perfect, and nothing comes easy.

[BeRt_250f]

some people even look at something in front of them like say a lil rock or something and the first thing they see move is the gate so yea thats when they go...


thats what mark kirkman does

[mezza_fmx]

what do these starting things on your forks do?

[redbull_fmx]

It compress them down so your front wheel wont lift as much off the start

[hoppa24]

just put it in second, hold it wide, and dump the clutch! thats wot i do!

probably cos im fat and weigh a ton so i can keep the front down easier!!! haha!

[Lee_250f]

Whats the g-o with dead engine starts? Is it where you have to run to your bike jump on it and go? Or where you just have to kick it over and off you go?

[scobes]

Originally posted by Lee_250f
Whats the g-o with dead engine starts? Is it where you have to run to your bike jump on it and go? Or where you just have to kick it over and off you go?

I think you mean lemans starts, which is where somebody holds your bike about 15 metres from the start gates. All the riders line up at the start gates as normal but with no bike. Same 30 second board and same 5 sceond board then everyone runs to there bike and jumps on and starts it and off they go:D

[soul_MX]

if ur next to a good starter watch his front wheel when it moves dump it!

[cam-1]

Just a question. Why does Danny Ham at the line, look on his right all the time? Is he watching the man release the gate? is he looking at a mechanism that gives you an early indication?

[KC#97]

there was a local guy who use to look backwards when he was on the gate. I could never tell if he went by the sound of the bikes or if he had someone there giving him a signal of when the guy was dropping the gate but he was holeshotting so it worked somehow.

[ad_man53]

That was Kade Mosig, at pakenham he was looking behind everyone at the guy pushing the pedal, Looks real wierd

[KC#97]

nah this guy was a snr at maffra sale, now that I think about it, I think it might of been his brother.

[Axel57]

Originally posted by cam-1
Just a question. Why does Danny Ham at the line, look on his right all the time? Is he watching the man release the gate? is he looking at a mechanism that gives you an early indication?

Hehe yeh Danny Ham always looks to the side, guess he is looking at the guy that releases the gate, wierd!! Everyone has there own way of getting better reaction times and stuff and Hammy most the time does holeshot a lot of races so whatever it is its working for him..

[ad_man53]

he'll be looking at the pin that holds up the gates,

[ad_man53]

WATCH YOUR OPPONENT’S GATE PIN
"At the start of a race, never watch your own starting gate, because it is the last thing to move when the starter pushes the release lever. Instead, focus on the little pin that holds the gate next to you up because that is the first thing to move." - Nathan Ramsey

[dano_125sx]

when u are on the gates and he holds up the 30 second board then 5 seconds is it 5 seconds untils it drops . would it be better to count down on watch the pin

[KC#97]

it isnt a definate 5 seconds, I been in a race where the gate dropped straight away and in a race where Ive counted to 5, and hit the gate cause it took longer. Generally it is similar for each race, so watch the starter for races before hand and will give u an idea if its a quicker start or if he holds u

[Axel57]

You would probably be better wtaching the pin, you dont know how long the guy will take to count down 5 seconds, could take forever or it could be really quick so i would recommend looking at the pin, whatever your comfy with is the main thing..

[ad_man53]

Umm also, watch some one else's race and watch the pin and see how fast the gate falls, some fall real fast so u can leave when u see the pin or the bar start rolling, and others are slow, so if u take off when the pin drops u can still get caught on the gate.

What i like to do is pull my bike back about 1 foot and slowly let the clutch out just enough to roll u, then u kinda have a rolling start.

All u can do is watch the starter and how he does it and watch how fast the gates fall, and practise to get ur reaction time lower.


Also, as soon as u start moving get ur feet up to the pegs. and once u got some speed start leaning back so the rear end digs in better.

[Robbo66]

If you watch other races also, count how long till the man drops the gates. See if he does it by a specific time. In the rule book, it it supposed to be 5-10 seconds, once the 5 second board is displayed. But 99% of them barely go higher then 5.

I also like to start back and roll. Your chain is tightend when it's under load, and all your gears and clutch are under load, so there is no slack. So you can get drive straight away also.

[redbull_fmx]

I know you wouldnt be dumb enough to do this but Never try to cut in front of people as soon as you take off ride in a straight line all the way to the first corner then start cutting people off theres nothing worse than someone riding directly in front of you right after you left the gate and hitting them.

[kiwichop]

two feet down, keep them down untill you need the next gear and whatever else the other guys said, oh and dont go wastin you coin on starter buttons, I still dont use them and my starts are just fine, but I think im the only one in my class without em

[skywalker]

yeah i dont have "starters" either and i have no trouble at all keeping the front down.

also before you push ur bike in front of the gate try to clear as much dirt as you can from around and under your gate, just to help it fall a little quicker.

and also spin your rear wheel a little bit when your sitting on the start line to help it get more traction when u take off.

oh and if u do unfortunatly happen to hit the gate, dont take ur time pulling the bike back and then roosting off, just turn ur front wheel to the side and the gate should fall all da way down.;)

[ad_man53]

Some gates will fall forward aswell, but when u hit them it goes over ur wheel and gets caught, so pull ur bike back a little bit and try kick the gate forward, saves pulling it right back