How to Ride Off-Road Motorcycles - by Gary Laplante (Paperback)

About the Book

How to Ride Off-Road Motorcycles schools the reader in all the skills necessary to ride safely and quickly off-road.

Book Synopsis

Off-road riding is one of motorcycling's most popular pursuits and also one of its best training grounds for improving street-riding skills. Off-road riding takes many forms, from motocross and enduro racing, to dual-sport day trips, to trail riding, to adventure tours. No matter the specific pursuit, all dirt riding (and much street riding) shares the same basic skill set.

How to Ride Off-Road Motorcycles schools the reader in all the skills necessary to ride safely and quickly off-road. Chapters cover the basics, such as body position, turning, braking, and throttle control, then proceed to advanced techniques, such as sliding, jumps, wheelies, hill-climbing, and more. If you've ever wanted to try dirt riding or if you're an experienced rider looking to sharpen your skill set, How to Ride Off-Road Motorcycles is a perfect riding coach.

From the Back Cover

To the uninitiated, riding an off-road motorcycle may look as easy as sitting down, putting your feet on the pegs, and twisting the throttle. But for anyone who has ever tried to tackle an off-road trail or even a gravel road on a dirt bike, they know that there is so much more skill involved than meets the eye. At any given moment, both hands and both feet are busy working the clutch, brakes, and transmission. At the same time, the rider is transferring his weight just so, all while applying a precise amount of throttle to keep the bike upright and moving. In other words, it's not as easy as it looks! Learning to ride a dirt bike with no guidance is not only risky and time-consuming, but prevents you from reaching your full potential. In "How to Ride Off-Road Motorcycles, "author Gary LaPlante takes his many years as a dirt bike riding instructor and lays out a proven step-by-step practice guide for any rider interested in heading off-road or sharpening his bike-handling skills. He begins with the basics of shifting, stopping, and turning, and moves on to more advanced techniques such as hill climbing, wheelies, jumping, and power slides. How to handle specific trail obstacles such as rocks, ruts, and water crossings is also detailed in the colorful how-to photo sequences found throughout the book. Gary also gives sound advice on how to choose the bike that's right for you and how to maintain it for optimum performance; how to deal with the weather, altitude, and trail conditions found throughout the country; off-road etiquette; and racing techniques for motocross and trials competitions. Additionally, he makes it clear how street riders' on-road skills are improved by understanding how to handle a bike off road. Following the steps in" How to Ride an Off-Road Motorcycle "is the best investment you can make to ensure a safe, enjoyable, and rewarding dirt bike experience.

About the Author

Gary LaPlante (southern California) has over 43 years of experience riding, racing, testing, and working on a wide variety of motorcycles. During that time, Gary developed excellent teaching and communication skills by working in key positions in the motorcycle industry and having over 12 years' experience of personally teaching riders almost every week while operating MotoVentures Inc., which offers tours, training, and trials services in Anza, California. Gary's diversity of technical riding skills and wide range of professional experience has enabled him to create his own teaching curriculum, which is what How to Ride Off-Road Motorcycles is based upon. www.motoventures.com

Lee Parks is the author of the best-selling riding skills book Total Control. Based on his internationally renowned Total Control Advanced Riding Clinics, Total Control is considered by many to be the riding skills bible. Parks formerly edited Motorcycle Consumer News, Motorcycle Product News, and Motorcyclist magazines. He is also the owner of Lee Parks Design, a motorcycle glove and apparel manufacturer in Apple Valley, CA.