buy a couple Shane Watts vedios and then practice, better yet take one of his classes he is all over the country dirtwise.com. Or chick out Pugetsoundsafety.com and I could be your instructor and I will be on my KLX.

 

Hello.... Online Bookstore | Motorbooks | Qbookshop

I have several books including....
PRO MOTOCROSS AND OFF-ROAD RIDING TECHNIQUES

They are reasonably priced, if you live near a big city with a used book store, you may find some there, but it is easier just to order one.

You could get some videos on riding, or watch youtube posts, or SupperMoto on the tele.

 

Just ride ride ride.. The best thing I ever did was be unemployed for two years. I road about four times a week for two years straight. Best two years of my life!!! hahaaaa

Just keep at it.

 

Lots of good advice here. Nothing substitutes for getting out an riding.
Here's an Amazon link to an off road classic. It was written in 1972 but the methods are still sound.
Riding the Dirt by Bob Sanford:
Amazon.com: Riding the Dirt (9780878800124): Bob Sanford: Books
You can read this book in one day (if you can find a copy) and pick up lots of tips.
Congratulations on your new bike.
An instructor at a motorcycle safety class I took used to say that:
"Owning a motorcycle is like owning your own amusement park ride."
Rob

 

Until you have some experiene all the books in the world won't make you a better rider, only time will. Once you start to feel comfortable abord the bike you can use some of the stuff you either read or see on vids. You will learn somethings wrong, that's ok as I have been a racer as well as an enthuiast and I still have bad habbits and just do somethings wrong as that is not how I learned it. I'm 50 years old and been on bikes 45 years and I'm still learning.

 

I have a Dual-Sporting video that has some very good riding info on it. I forget the name of it right now... Oh, here's the website: Dualsport Riding

The other thing I have done is to spend an afternoon on You Tube... there are LOTS of riding tips there by various professional riders.

However, as others have indicated, there's NO substitute for practice...

 

Thanks for all the replies and great advise. I do have a good bit of offroad riding experience, mostly on the little DR. I just wanted some tips on improving my form (vs. practicing my bad riding habits), and you guys have pointed me in the right direction. My biggest challenge right now is that I have to ride alone a lot and its hard to push your limits if you know that the buzards are going to be the first ones at the scene of the accident.

 

hey Gary where are you? do you know Roy from Roy?
We just spent the weekend with him at the D-100 and he gave my daughter some lessons; they always listen better to "new" people.

 

Lj where are you? there has to be people to ride with! check your "local" forums Google can be your best resource.

 

I'm self taught too. They didn't have schools or instructional videos back when I started. Our wheels were still made of wood, and we got lots of splinters.

But seriously, with the availability of those videos and schools today, you can save yourself a lot of time, skin, and bike parts by taking full advantage of them. If they'd been around when I started, I would have looked at videos and such until I went crosseyed...as much for the entertainment value as the hard won experience displayed by whatever professional is presenting the vid. And while not even among the professionals is there only one-and-only way to ride a dirt bike, they all have some really good techniques and knowledge to share, and you can pick through what seems to work for you. Yeah, I stumbled and bumbled my way through the learning process, but I would have benefited greatly from the wealth of knowledge and experience available in a simple video these days. Take advantage of it. And while watching vids or going to school isn't going to turn you into a Dick Burleson...yes, he rode wooden wheels too...you will get some very neat moments of..."Oh, that's what he meant!"... as you ride and try to employ the skills explained and shown in those vids.