Four Bike MX Skills You Should Learn

When it comes to motocross skills, there's plenty to learn when you're on the bike, but there is actually a range of off the bike skills that are super beneficial to your racing. We've narrowed down four helpful skills you should consider learning away from the race track!

Fitness: Learning how to train and get fit for motocross is one of the most important skills you can learn off the bike. We all know just how tough racing dirt bikes is, and one way to make it safer and more enjoyable for yourself is to learn how to properly train in the gym or on your cycle/mountain bike. 

It's easy to think you can just do what you think the pros are doing and formulate your own training exercises based on that, but if you're anything like us, then you want to make sure what you're doing during the week is actually going to benefit you on the weekend. Use the resources available to you, and if that means getting the help from a motocross fitness coach, then so be it.

Bike maintenance: If you don't know how to maintain your bike, then you probably shouldn't be racing! Dirt bike maintenance is an incredibly important skill that every motocross rider needs to be equipped with. You don't need to know how to rebuild an engine or service your suspension - you just need to be able do the regulars, such as changing oil, replacing common dirt bike parts, changing tyres, clear and oiling air filters, and more. 

The cool thing is that if you're not on top of these things, there's so much easily accessible information available for almost every task you'll need to undertake on your bike, and we have a wide range of helpful guides that will point you in the right direction.

Sponsorship: Racing motocross isn't cheap, and just the smallest amount of support can go a long way. As most of us know, support isn't easy to come by, which is why we need to be smart and thoughtful in how we go about getting sponsors. 

Learning how to get sponsors takes some research and most of all practice - there will be plenty of trial and error, and that's where you'll learn the most important lessons in getting help for your racing efforts. The biggest factor is that you need to take action - sponsors won't come to you, you need to go to them. So learn the basics in sponsorship, such as approaching the right people and presenting yourself professionally with a valuable offer.

Coaching: The next generation of racers need to to learn from someone, and that person could be you. If you've got experience on your side, then there's no reason why you can't share your riding knowledge with those new to the sport.

The first step is becoming an accredited coach through Motorcycling Australia, which is a fairly simple process, and then from there, you can set up your motocross school and teach riders for the future of racing. It's also a way you can make some extra cash that you can put towards your own racing.