Favouritest thing to do on a dirtbike

[Graeme M]

We all love riding and racing, but what's the best thing about it? What really gives you a buzz?

For me, the thing that used to trip my trigger was wheelies - I did them everywhere. I wasn't that great, but could happily wheelie most things as far as I liked. Nowadays I can't do one to save myself, which is a bit frustrating. Close behind was hillclimbing - as a kid we used to find the biggest hills we could and ride up em. When I look at some of the stuff I was game to try back then... yow.

Racing wise, the top thing for me was the start of a DT race - the reactions, the speed, that crazy rush for the first corner. Loved it.

Nowadays, its just the atmosphere. When I get to a vintage meet and unload the bike and look around and there's old bikes everywhere and guys talking and fettling and fiddling. Bloody ripper.

[Wombat]

Back in the day it was probably hammering out of a corner and lifting the front wheel for a looong wheelie.
My home track (Stanmore) had a start straight heading slightly uphill, so as you entered the straight the back end would drift under power and the front wheel would lift.
With not much effort it would stay there for a gear change or two - a sort of 'power sliding crossed up wheelie' if that makes sense.

I miss that...all my co-ordination appears to have gone in the nearly 30 years since I raced... I understand your frustration, Graeme.

[Gerard De Ruyter (Twistandshout)]

for me it was bushbashing - heading out into the kuring-gai chase of a saturday with mates on a scrappy pack of half-assed 70s road/trail/mx bikes.....to return six hours later dirty, smelly, bruised, battered, with tattered bikes, half being towed, and massive smiles on our dirty young faces. 

we went to places deeeeeeep in the bush that called on your every riding and survival instinct to get you through and back.  body english plus every other language in the book.  did stuff that none of your non-riding mates at school could dream of doing.

[mx250]

Oh dear, can I number the ways  .

How about the holeshot to the first corner - he who dares wins or, first to back off is a whimp and a loser . Ah the ardrenalin.

How about dicing for a mid field position with someone you have never meet, on a perfect traction grass track moto circuit, cornering, drifting with you handlebars within inches of the ground, with your hand and bar end between his front wheel and cases, and trusting him.  Then that wonderfull sensation of 'up and over' in a change in direction from one maxium lean angle to another, and have him 'lean on you' with his hand and bar end between your front wheel and cases, trusting you. And do it for 5 laps but never know him from Adam. On the limit .

How about doing 160kph broadsliding along the Coopers Creek on a Translap without another living soul within 100kays .

How about been fit enough and good enough to ride four of your mates bikes to the top of the knarly hill, jog back down, do it again and  still beat them all to the top of the hill and be ready to 'push on' before they have drawn breath .

How about been fit enough and good enough to push/ride your bike across the swamp, go back get your 17yo son's bike and then push/ride his bike out, and still kick his arse on the trail .

How about been total exhausted and sharing a water bottle and a quite moment with your son and talk about drugs; "why would you do drugs when you can have this?" .

How about that wonderfull sense of satisfaction and achievement of laying your hand on the trophy at an open meeting.

How about a morning of Trail riding around Menai and then skinny dipping with the girls back at the water hole.

How about....jsut sitting around with ya mates remembering.....

[VMX247]

Watching my husband face when I kick start the bike and don't do my usaul trick of gettin kickback into my leg,
 f.... that hurts (he taught me well) and then takin the black mutts for a run in the forrest   

[YSS]

48 Fourstroke Sidecars (2 rows ) going for the first corner with over 100 km/h on full dusty french track.
Thats adrenilin , fear , exitement all in one . Takes you two more corners to realise , you got through ....with out beeing tiped and run over.

[NR555]

You can't beat a holeshot   

[VMX247]

48 Fourstroke Sidecars (2 rows ) going for the first corner with over 100 km/h on full dusty french track.
Thats adrenilin , fear , exitement all in one . Takes you two more corners to realise , you got through ....with out beeing tiped and run over.

holy moly and I thought speedway would be a extra large buzzzzzzzz,your mouliculs in ya blood must of be going haywire  

[firko]

Mine's not so much a feeling you get on a bike but a feeling you get with a bike.
It's that feeling you get when it's 4am, you've just left the city limits, Van Morrison is belting out Tupelo Honey on the stereo, a cup of steaming Java blend is in the cup holder, your best mate in the passenger seat and the Maicos on the trailer are clearly visible in the rear view mirror.
Sometimes the journey is what life is all about.

[Tom]

i Agree with Firko leaving nice and early to get to the race meet in the ute bikes in the back dad constantly saying "have ya checked the bikes? are they still standing?" haha and im a relative newcomer to the sport  i gotta say my best feeling so far is railing into a nice berm/rut laying the bike right over handelbars cm's from the ground looking back just as you leave the rut watching the backwheel spraying roost all over mate you just battled to get into the rut  gotta love it   
                      Tom

[oldfart]

Enduros did it for me    sitting on the line waiting  for the clock to tick over , and your off . Virgin  country that have you have NEVER riden before and riding @ 110 % every corner was a challenge .
Timed sections was my speciality 

Yes and the satisfaction of just being there .

[felix7]

Just one little thing - letting go of the clutch. I've just started (badly) back in VMX after 35 years without even looking at a bike. I remembered all the clumbsy moves and panic before getting to the track, the hassle of bike scrutineering, the paperwork and the cash, how to lean over the Bully's seat and find neutral, how to kick the Bully over (without falling over and getting it to kick back), and the butterflies at the start. But the biggest memory is that evaporation of all the work and home-related shit when the clutch lever is released. No more hassles (other than the first corner) and no work or home stress. Even pain is barely felt. That's why I'm an old codger and why I went back into the smoke and noise of a VMX pit. And I'm not alone!   

[Graeme M]

Man, there's some great stuff so far in this thread. This has to be one of the greatest sports/hobbies/passions.

I mentioned about wheelies. I have an enduring memory, I think it's from about 1985. Me and a mate riding along the beach at Rainbow Beach in Queensland. Perfect sunny day, midweek, got the place pretty much to ourselves. The sky is blue, the ocean that brilliant dark aquamarine colour, waves rolling in to crash on the beach. We are both on the back wheel, just humming along. His front wheel has stopped and the sun sparkles on the rim and spokes. We've just spent a morning ripping up some great sandy tracks through the forest and now we are heading home along the beach. That was pretty much perfect, I just remember thinking that it couldn't get any better.

[husky61]

Wheelies on an undulating beach

[pokey]

Getting as much air under the bike as i can. Nothing beats hitting  that bottom corner just right on our old track at 40 acres (which is now a resort) and having the little Suzy singing as she sailed off the lip past (or over the top of if they were brave enough to ride my line) those pesky 125s and landing halfway down the straight to put another square side on the steel rim and slide  in to the next corner and be as wide as I could.
 Also helped to ensure you lined up the launch zone or that lake got awefully close.
 I dont mind a nice challenging hillclimb either. Mt Tallawahl at Nabiac was the proving ground for all the guys in the area. Was an old dozer track that was meant for downhill traffic. Tight steep and twisty with small platforms where you could throw the bike sideways to get a bit of wheelspin to help pick the revs up.