Tips For Summer Dirt Bike Riding

Summer brings out the adventurous spirit of adrenaline junkies and you can see them chase thrills with their dirt bikes on various heart-pounding trails! However, because there’s a great risk factor with these vehicles, there are some safety precautions that should be followed to ensure the day stays fun-filled. 

As your local dirt bike dealer in Carson, CA, SoCal Honda Powersports wants you to stay safe while enjoying thrills. Read our tips below and if you need more information or are looking for dirt bikes for sale near Los Angeles or Long Beach, contact our helpful sales staff for further assistance!

The Terrain

The ideal type of track for these bikes is made of soil that holds water without becoming like clay. If the soil has a lot of clay, it’ll become hard for riders to stay upright. Blue groove soil is mostly just hard-pack clay, which damages your dirt bike tire. It’s the rubber worn off from your tires that turns the soil blue. This terrain offers little to no traction.

A lot of dirt bike riders prefer loam tracks because of the increased stability they offer. Loam is a good mix of silt, sand and clay so it has better drainage. It also provides much better traction and will be less painful for you if you fall on it. 

Your dirt bike is designed to handle a number of different terrains but sand tracks can be very challenging for many riders. Sand is very slippery, so you’ll need a different set of tires than the standard ones and you’ll need to keep the throttle going if you want to stay upright.

A lot of motocross tracks feature chalky soil, and it’s also a favorite for creating backyard tracks. This type of soil is usually combined with other soils to give it a better texture for riding. It dries out rather quickly so it needs to be watered down frequently. 

Staying Safe

There’s always a level of risk in any fast-paced activity like dirt bike riding. There are many cases of riders getting injured. Some common injuries are broken collarbones, broken wrists, broken ankles, dislocated shoulders and ACL ruptures. There are some precautions you can take to avoid these happening to you.

It is a natural instinct to extend your arms to try and break your fall, but at fast speeds, this can be a greater impact than your arms or collarbones are ready for. Most trail bike riders break their collar bones because they try to stop themselves from falling by using their hands. Try to avoid collision with other riders and keep your dirt bike upright. You can wear a neck brace for added protection.

One way to avoid injuring your wrists and ankles is to go and have a look at the track before you begin riding. You can look for any problem areas and prepare strategies to get past them. Despite that, you may still fall, so protect yourself by wearing wrist and ankle braces. Motocross boots give your feet and ankles added protection.

Your ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) connects the thigh to the shinbone; these get ruptured when you perform jumps with knees bent. Shoulder dislocation and ACL ruptures are intensely painful and can require extended physiotherapy. Wear shoulder supports and knee braces to protect yourself from these injuries. 

Keeping Cool

When you spend hours on your dirt bike on a hot summer day, you will start to sweat. You have to replenish the lost fluids by drinking water and keeping a hydration pack on you while you ride. These packs let you sip water without stopping your bike. Take short breaks to keep cool and away from the sun. You can use this time to eat light snacks, drink water and rest your body. Know the limits of your body and do not exert yourself to a breaking point. 

To ensure you don’t end up feeling uncomfortable, place a heat shield to keep the heat off the engine away from your legs. Your bike will be feeling the effects of the summer sun so give it a rest, too. Always use fresh coolant in dirt bikes. 

We hope this information will help you experience hours of safe fun on the track! For more information or if you’re looking for dirt bikes for sale in Carson, CA, get in touch with SoCal Honda Powersports and one of our helpful staff will gladly assist you. We are proud to be the preferred dirt bike dealer for Los Angeles and Long Beach!