Learning Stunt Riding

Stunt riding is a professional motorsport that requires a professional approach with regular training. Although far from all of the world's top riders have a personal coach and mechanic, it's obvious that the less time goes on repairs and analyzing mistakes, the more time is left for training.

It's quite possible to master all the basic elements and even some professional ones on your own, without outside help. There are many examples of amateurs reaching a high level and even doing well in competitions while training alone. All it takes is to prepare a stunt bike, get familiar with the theory and practice on a lot as regularly as possible.

Stunt training is very useful for bike control skills. The initial stages of all tricks train extreme riding skills.

A stoppie teaches you to brake hard, lock the front wheel and load the fork on any surface. A drift teaches you to control rear wheel spin and slide at any speed, on sand, in mud and in the rain. A wheelie builds a sense of balance and throttle and clutch coordination. Flat tricks teach you to control the motorcycle's weight using the energy of the suspension and brakes. Acrobatics develop control at low speed in any position.

You can only master these skills on a prepared motorcycle that you don't mind dropping, and only through training. No riding school will teach you this, because they don't have special motorcycles and nobody wants to take responsibility for possible injuries.

There are several articles in our magazine and videos on our channel about preparing a stunt bike. To start with, a cage, an easy clutch pull, a handlebar or adjustable clip-ons and a 12 o'clock bar are enough.

As for riding gear, it's simple: a full set is better, but everything should be comfortable. In practice everyone rides in a helmet, gloves, a back protector and knee guards. Knee guards are very important, but riding boots aren't, because they dull the feel of the brake pedal. Gloves should preferably be light, without hard protection. A chest protector is more comfortable than a body armor jacket: it's easier to take off and put on, plus it doesn't restrict movement.

In this article we have collected training videos on stunt riding from our channel, which will be useful to all beginners and will save a lot of time and possibly health.

Wheelie

The most popular trick, but far from the most useful for bike control skills, is riding on the rear wheel, or the «wheelie». Where to start and how to progress is individual, but there are some interesting conclusions the stunt community has reached based on the experience of many riders:

• A seated wheelie is much harder than a standup one. Many recommend starting with it, because then riding in the standup position will be very easy.
• When learning circles, start with left ones, even though they are harder. Left circles open up more opportunities for learning new tricks. There are practically no tricks in right circles.
• It's best not to lower the tire pressure much and to keep raising it as you progress. At low pressure the motorcycle is more stable and easier to control at first. Low pressure doesn't develop your sense of balance. In fact, being able to ride at low pressure won't let you do a great fast wheelie, including on a stock motorcycle. Professionals ride at pressures from 3.5 to 7 atmospheres.
• The model of rear tire doesn't matter much for wheelies; the main thing is not to use sport tires, on which the motorcycle is very wobbly.
• When learning the handbrake, it's important to be able to use the brake in combination with the clutch, not just the brake alone. Being able to brake without being able to pull the clutch gives you practically nothing. The figure eight exercise, in which you pull the clutch at the change of direction, is great for this.
• Moving on to professional tricks without the basics (circles, coaster, handbrake) is inefficient. It will take more time, there will be more crashes, and the end result will be unsure execution with low consistency.

All basic foot-brake wheelies (seated wheelie, coaster, scrape) can be done on practically any stock motorcycle. Our magazine and the internet are full of such videos. If basic wheelies won't come, it makes sense to practice on simulators: the wheelie machine and the wheelie spider.

Drift

In terms of everyday bike control skills, drifting is the most useful trick in stunt riding. Being able to start, stop and control a rear wheel slide lets you ride confidently on any road in any weather. To learn drifting, it's enough to fit a cage and an easy clutch pull to the motorcycle.

Many learn drifting through the burnout, because the burnout is a very simple trick. In practice being able to do a burnout is almost useless, because the hardest part of learning to drift is breaking the wheel loose in a slide in a controlled way. Nevertheless, the burnout is a useful trick that can easily be repeated on a stock motorcycle and is sometimes used by professionals to make some smoke.

The tire matters a lot in drift training. It's better to use a road tire with a flat profile and stiff sidewalls. It's best not to change the model, so you don't have to get used to it and lose time after every tire change.

On wet asphalt grip is poor, so it's easier to break the wheel loose and harder to get a highside; you can use this at first.

You can drift on any stock motorcycle. Even if the engine lacks power, you can go into a drift through a burnout or by putting your foot out.

Stoppie

A full stoppie with a good roll at the angle is a professional trick. At amateur level you can quite well master a stoppie 180 and a straight-line stoppie below the balance angle with a medium roll. You can't learn the stoppie quickly, through crashes. This trick requires slow, gradual adaptation and a lot of mileage in training. There are no universal methods. Some train by increasing the roll length, others by increasing the rear wheel lift angle. In any case you need to be able to load the fork correctly, not be afraid of locking the front wheel, be able to regain control of the motorcycle and feel the front brake very finely.

• When practicing stoppies, it's important to change the front tire in time, without letting the profile wear down much. That way you won't have to get used to a new tire after every change.

Even professional stoppies can be done on any modern stock motorcycle (except choppers with a raked-out fork). Just watch the runs of Mike Jensen and Joona Vatanen at the start of their careers to see that.

Flat

Flat tricks (whip, shuffle, bunny hop) are interesting because they can be repeated on practically any stock motorcycle. A cage alone is enough for training. Professionals do flat tricks in combination with drifts, wheelies and stoppies.

Acrobatics

Acrobatic tricks are losing popularity in modern stunt riding, because they have nothing to do with bike control skills. But there are classics that remain in the professional sport and will always be part of a stunt show. The cross, the headstand, the volt (a jump with a turn), various positions on the motorcycle and their combinations look interesting and exciting, and audiences love them.

Statistics accumulate, approaches change, knowledge grows, and progress is individual. In any case, this information will be useful to anyone who wants to take up stunt riding on their own. An individual approach is available only in sessions with a coach.