Does dirtbiking/supermoto help with roadracing?

[andrewf125]

I'm thinking about picking up a supermoto bike next year to supplement racing wsmc.

I'm relatively new to racing so I'm wondering if I should focus strictly riding Willow or if it would be beneficial for me to practice supermoto to get the feel of sliding the bike at safe speeds?

[mduncan]

I am a new racer this year, too. I just bought an old dirt bike for the same reason. I also found this flat track school coming to Los Angeles in December called American Supercamp that teaches you to slide. Not quite supermoto, but seems like it will definitely help the bike handling.

http://www.americansupercamp.com/camps.shtml

Mark

[herz526]

Yes, most definitely. Let me borrow yours so i can practice I know Freddie Spencer's school did a half a day runnin around sideways on xr100's to get used to sliding.

[Latebraker]

Off-road riding experience helps in roadracing.
I'm not so sure you will be backing that motard into corners as soon as you think, but learning to keep your cool when things get out of hand is probably the most important lesson one can learn from dirtbikes, and apply to the road/track.
Saddle time off-road is a great way to learn these skills without paying such a heavy price when you make a mistake (another term for learning) compared to making a serious error on the big track at WS.

[wsmc27]

^^^ I see young young Jeff Ward wheeling a Mini-Trail Honda at Saddleback Park around 1970-1971 in that avatar in last post.

Cool.

On topic: Dirt bike training is awesome. Or so I recall.

[Latebraker]

I overshot T3 a few weeks ago and was really glad I had "muscle memory" from years of off-road riding.

It helps.