Make Good Use of Your Off-Season by Preparing Yourself, Your Bike, and Your Body for Next Season

December 13th, 2008 • Motocross Tips

Motocross is a fair weather sport, and unfortunately, this limits it to a little more than half the year for us northerners. Most riders take the off-season off, but I strongly believe that the offseason is a great time to improve your performance for the upcoming year. I’ve posted before on what I plan to do this winter, but this is meant to be a guide more specific improving your motocross performance over the off-season.

Train, Train, and Train Some More

-Photo by mrflip on Flickr.

Fitness is extremely important to your performance in motocross. Both strength and aerobic training off the track can be the difference between a stellar and a subpar season on the track. Contrary to popular belief, the off-season is not a good time to make huge gains in your physical fitness. Rather, the off-season is your chance to lay down a solid physical base for which you can build upon during pre-season training. During race season, most riders focus on riding and recovering based on motocross, forcing them to neglect their training. this is one of the reasons why off-season training is so important. Unfortunately, according to Aldon Baker, most riders underestimate the benefits of off-season training.

Unfortunately, many MX athletes short change their off-season training by jumping ahead and making it sort of a mini-Pre Season period by doing anaerobic intervals and generally race-type workouts. What a shame.

I totally agree with Aldon on this subject. The off-season is an incredibly crucial time of the season, and training correctly during this time period can have huge benefits come race time.

Sponsors

Motocross is a very expensive sport, there is absolutely no way around it. Thankfully, numerous companies donate thousands of dollars a year to give amateur riders sponsorship deals. The deals you receive can range anywhere from 15% and even up to 75%. Regardless of the degree of the support they provide, every little bit helps riders to reach more races with less of an economic impact on their life. There are a number of different ways to go about reaching out to, and hopefully getting accepted by various motocross companies:

• 
  Sponsorhouse: Sponsorhouse used to be the premier motocross online sponsorship community. It was the first of its kind, and gained many users because of its ease of use. However, I feel that the quality of the site has significantly decreased since its acquisition by Loopd.
  • MXSponsor: Another internet sponsor site. MXSponsor was second to Sponsorhouse, but it comes with a twist. MXSponsor allows you to send unlimited sponsorship requests for free, then you can pay for the service. This is a cool idea, but now that Sponsorhouse has free accounts, it seems a little-old fashioned. However, I do feel that the site is much cleaner and easier to use than Sponsorhouse
  • Snail-Mail/Email: (Photo by youngthousands on Flickr)
    Definitely the old-fashioned method compared to the flashy websites, I actually prefer this method. I feel that the profile options provided by Sponsorhouse and MXSponsor are limiting in their options and place you in a cookie cutter system that is not always the best for your needs. I would much rather design my own resume, and send it to sponsors myself. This method is cheaper, easier and more flexible. Unfortunately, some companies are preventing this method, which I fully disapprove of.

  Sponsorship is a great way for riders to limit the extreme costs of racing. Whether you apply online, or through snail/E-mail, be sure to always to courteous, professional, and thankful of your supporters.

  Prepare you Bike

  Winter provides a much needed break from wrenching for motocross mechanics throughout the country. However, while winter is a good time to rest, it is also an opportunity to prepare for next season. If you are using the same bike as last year, its not going to prepare itself, and your new 2009 model is not going to get set up sitting in a crate. If you are using the same bike as last year, here are a number of things you should do before winter is over:

  • Wash your bike before winter gets here: No one wants to be using a power-washer when its 30ºF. Don’t just spray it off either. Use your powerwasher and take all the plastics offs. Get it as clean as you can. This will make it much more enjoyable to work on throughout the winter.
  • New plastics+new graphics=new look: If is amazing the amount that new graphics and plastics can do for the look of your bike. Why spend more than $7,000 on a new 450 when a few hundred can have your ‘08 looking shiny again.
  • Grease bearings + cables: Stiff, squeaky, and dry bearings can ruin a race weekend. Not only are they annoying, but if you let them get dry enough they can affect your bikes performance, and can actually damage it in the long run. Be sure to grease wheel bearings, headset, swing arm, and shock bearings in addition to throttle and clutch cables.
  • Send you suspension out: Sure, you had your suspension revalved at the beginning of last season, so it’s all set for 2009, right? WRONG! While a revalve is a great way to set your suspension up for you, your suspension still needs to be properly maintained. After a year of racing, your suspension is more than ready for at least an oil change, and probably needs various parts throughout the system replaced. In addition, if you’ve changed drastically changed weight/riding style/ability, it may be time to get it revalved to your new specifications. I recommend Factory Connection, as they have great service, competitive prices, and most importantly do great suspension work.
  • Go through your motor: After a hard season of riding, your motor most likely needs at least some maintenance, if not an entire overhaul. If you’re on a two stroke, replace the clutch and top end and check the crank for wear. If you’re on a four stroke, check the valve clearance, check the crank, and consider replacing the top end. I recommend X-Pro Motorsports for top notch motor-work.

  If, you are lucky enough to be the owner of a shiny new motocross bike for 2009, you still have a number of things to do before it is truly race ready:

  • Customize it: Motocross is a very personal sport. I, for one, cannot ride bike that is not set up to my liking. Before even riding any new motocross bike I replace the bars, grips, clutch and break levers, and tires. Seat covers, foot pegs, and hand guards are also things that some riders change even on a brand new bike.
  • Send the suspension out: Right off the showroom floor is the best time to send your suspension out. Not only is it easier for the shop to work on, but it eliminates the possibility of injury due to riding a bike with suspension that is not fit for your needs. I recommend Factory Connection, as they have great service, competitive prices, and most importantly do great suspension work.
  • Get motor work done: If you are serious about motocross, than motor work can have a large effect on your success. Whether or settle at just porting and polishing or you go for a full motor overhaul, either way will give you an advantage over the competition. I recommend X-Pro Motorsports for top notch motor-work.

  Get New Gear

  
  -Photo by GuyB.

  There is no denying that everyone feels faster in new gear. Something about heading out on the track with a shiny helmet, fresh gear and clean boots makes even the slowest riders feel like heroes on the track. The winter is the best time for fresh gear. Not only are all the new models out, but you have time to look at all the options on the market and get gear that you really like. I love the feeling of starting off at the beginning of the year with clean goggles, a slick helmet, fresh gear and gleaming boots, it adds a whole new dimension to riding and racing. It’s been a while since I’ve had all new gear, so I am definitely looking at picking up a new helmet, gear, knee braces, and possibly boots this winter.

  Plan You Season

  If you take your motocross season seriously, planning before the start of the season could pay off big in the long run. There are a number of important things that you should plan out before the season starts:

  • Organization: Thankfully, in New England, we are blessed with a wide range of different racing organizations to choose from. From NEMA, to NEMX, and NESC, we have many great choices. However, that does not mean that they are all right for you. NEMA is aimed at the younger crowd, and NESC the older. NEMX is placed right in between and is much more laid back than the other two. Pick which one is best for you, and your season will be much more enjoyable.
  • Classification: The class you race in can have a big impact on your racing season. For some riders, the choice is obvious, but for others on the verge of moving up, it can be a little harder. Before the season starts, it is helpful to know which classes you are planning on racing and if/when you will promote to a higher class. Use this to dictate your goals and training schedule for the season.
  • Goals: It is hard to reach your goals if you don’t know what they are. So, plan them out. Decide what place in points you want to achieve and then go from their to accomplish your goals.
  • Training/Practicing Schedule: Training and practicing can help to enhance your motocross program tenfold. However, they must be done right. Your training schedule needs to built around the weekend races so you don’t show up already fatigued. In addition, you need to have time to rest. Motocross is fun, but not everyone can manage 6 or 7 days a week of riding.

  Motocross is a tough sport. It takes talent, conditioning, and most of all a lot of planning. Hopefully, these planning tips will help you to be a little more successful in this upcoming season.

  Ride

  
  -Photo by Willy Volk on Flickr.

  While the offseason can be a great time to relax, plan, and train for the next season, there is no denying that riding is the best part of motocross. So, it makes sense to at least ride some during the winter months. Even if you don’t ride every week, or even every month, the benefits of riding occasionally are invaluable. Getting in a few rides at Mototown, or going to Florida in February can warm you up for the next season without burning you out. Some riders like to keep up a constant riding schedule through the winter. I strongly disagree with this idea because I believe that it leads to burn out before the next season even begins. Motocross is an individual sport, however, so do whatever suits your riding style best.

  Conclusion

  For many motocross riders, the entire year revolves around the summer months. But, this is not the most productive use of the time available. The winter months are crucial time for training, planning, and preparing for the upcoming season. Many riders ignore the gains that can be made in the winter months. Don’t let this mistake happen to you, use the winter months to your advantage, and come out swinging in April.

  Further Reading

  • Off-Season Training Analysis
  • Off-Season Training
  • Winterization for the Body
  • Planning for 2009 (Step 1): Winter Cross-Training

  Tags: 2008, 2009, motocross, Motocross Tips, training, winter

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