Off Road Accessory Review

Children that race motocross at a young age do it for one of two reasons.

1. They really want to because it’s fun.

2. A parent made them or coaxed them into it.

When choosing an activity such as motocross racing as an activity for a child make sure that it is QT. Quality Time.

Over the years I have watched some children race because a parent bought them a bike and the needed kids motocross apparel. They weren’t really into the experience. You could see the child clam up just before the race. Almost scared.

A child should not clam up or look scared. If the child shows any sort of reluctance or mood change, stop immediately. Very few children will grow into enjoying racing if they began being scared of the track, or scared of failure. The child may still enjoy a casual ride that can be stopped and started at the child’s leisure. The casual ride may be the type of QT your child desires. So take a close look at your child’s demeanor at the track. Decide if a race track is the QT your child needs.

AMA flat track racing has experienced a positive change over the last few years. Some changes in the rule book have allowed for more manufacturers to compete in the flat track series. Harley-Davidson and Honda have been the 2 main manufacturers from the early 90′s to 2008. In 2009 brands like KTM, Suzuki, Yamaha, and even BMW had a platform to enter the flat track fray.

The Singles Grand National Class uses single cylinder bikes to compete on flat track and TT courses. You will find the majority of these riders wearing full dirt bike gear including goggles and motocross helmets. The twin class uses twin cylinder bikes that are heavier, but faster. These riders wear full leathers and full face helmets.

The racing in these 2 flat track classes is handle bar to handle bar all the time. These riders can see speeds up to 140 mph. The next AMA Pro Flat Track Race will be in Lima, Ohio at the Allen County Fair Grounds June 26. Action packed racing you don’t want to miss.

Freestyle Motocross has grown over the last 10 years. The tricks are bigger and the athletes have to work harder to keep up. How do you become a freestyle motocrosser without the tools that the pros have? Don’t have a foam pit? Don’t have a competition ramp? Well try this.

After a dirt bike rider has become somewhat of an expert on handling a bike in the air and landing perfectly almost  every time try some light mid air tricks. Take your hands off the bars, try a huge tail whip. Tricks that you may have done before but never really analyzed. Next strap on the motorcycle body armor and go to step 2. The back flip. A back flip on a dirt bike has become a basic trick in freestyle motocross. If you have never done it before try a BMX bike first. Get the feel of the ramp and the rotation. If you fall off the bicycle you have less chance of injury especially with full gear. The bicycle will give you a good idea of what to expect. Now multiply the weight of the bike by 5, and multiply the speed by 4. If you still want to try, you may have what it takes to be a freestyle rider.

Mattias Ekstrom took to the track at Northern California’s Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California on Father’s Day weekend. Mattias, a Red Bull driver, a former WRC Rally racer, and a 2 time DTM Champion showed that he can run with NASCAR’s finest.

The Swiss driver was far from his off road roots behind the wheel of 2 separate NASCAR race cars in 2 separate classes. Ekstrom held his own against the Sprint Cup drivers early on leading the race for 7 laps and running in the top ten for the majority of the day. In the last quarter of the race NASCAR regular Brad Keslowski took Ekstrom’s hopes of a top 10 finish away with bonzai move that put Ekstrom in the grass and to the tail of the lead lap cars. The Red Bull driver would pass 14 cars in the final laps finishing 21st. Ekstrom performed well without his off road helmet on this weekend.

My son’s birthday is right around the corner, and I have been scrambling to develop some ideas for presents. The last few years I have taken the easy route and purchased him gift cards, but this year I want the gift to be more personal. A few weeks ago, he mentioned an interest in motocross racing, so I thought this would be a good theme for a birthday present.

I’m not going to go out and buy him a racing bike, of course, but supplying him with some of the necessary kids motocross gear is definitely a viable option. Once I give him the gear, we will see if he is truly committed to developing the hobby or if it is just a passing fad. If he’s into it, maybe I’ll save up and invest in a bike for his next birthday.

Racers of all ages eventually learn the lesson that mental preparation is just as important as physical and mechanical preparation. Teaching a young racer ways to prepare mentally at a young age can be just as beneficial as seat time.

One thing that is common among top professional athletes is the way they prepare. Pre-game rituals are repeated by pro athletes to help lead them into “the zone” timely. Routine and repetitive preparations can be seen in pro golfers, basketball players, baseball players, fighters,  and racers. Batter’s box routines, free throw line routines, and pre-race routines are valuable to help the mind recognize that is time to preform. Build a pre-race routine with your child that is easily repeated and done before every race.  When the motocross helmet is strapped on allow your child to have time for his routine. Soon you will see better hole shots and over all better performance.

Instead of using general references to kids and motocross racing at a young age, offroadaccessoryreview.com has brought in an expert in the field. Introducing Cody DeRuyter.

Cody just finished his first year of competition on a motocross bike. He currently rides a 50cc Cobra sponsored by Ikon Ink. Cody is just beginning to hit his stride on the track finishing in or near the top 5 at nearly every moto. Cody is pictured here all decked out in his kids motocross gear ready to hit the track for his second moto. We will be following Cody throughout the remainder of the season documenting the ups and downs of shredding the track at early age. Good luck Cody.

The writers of off road accessory review have been hard at work looking into all types of off road racing action for the latest news and details. Although we tend to focus on Motocross racing, we want to include all forms of off road racing. We will write about the safety equipment used, the racers, and any form of motorsports that has a link to off road racing or its most famous racers.

We want to recognize the versatility and success of motocross riders like Rickey Carmichael, Travis Pastrana, Corey Hart, and Jeremy McGrath who choose to shed the motocross apparel and test their skills in another form of motorsports. We will also follow racers who have roots in off road racing but have moved on to other forms of motorsports.

Off Road Racing includes Sprint Cars, Midgets, Trophy Trucks, Desert Buggys, Rally Cars, Dirt Late Models, and of course Motocross, Supermoto,  and Freestyle Motocross.

Stay tuned for more racing information.

As mentioned in the previous posts, all the equipment we have discussed so far is essential when buying an off road vehicle except for the jersey and pants. Motorcycle Body Armor is essential as well if you plan on testing your limits.

Motorcycle body armor offers protection for elbows, spine, lower back, hips, shoulders, forearm, and bicep. An experienced rider on a quad or dirt bike that plans to learn freestyle or big air tricks without a foam pit will need some form of body armor. Remember when Travis Pastrana did his double back flip at the X Games? It looked like his Jersey was stuffed with hay or pillows. He was actually wearing body armor with thick shoulder and back protection. Any rider thinking of trying tricks for which they have a 50% chance of success should invest in body armor. Many top motocross apparel companies market different levels of protection.