Application of power: How we apply the power to control the bike.

First let’s revisit how our friends in Japan designed our bikes. If the bike was remote controlled it would do everything perfect, then you put a rider on it and it ruins the precise balance and the bike cannot do what it is designed to do. Simply put you must be in the neutral position so the bike may perform as it was designed. Your weight mass centered over the engine (between the pegs and handlebars)

Second the engineers decided that in order to win races we should design the bike to work with the power on, the more the power is on the better the bike will work, that is how we will win! It corners under power, the suspension works under power and it jumps under power. Want more control? Add more power!

How are we going to take full advantage of this design principal without everyone going WFO and ending up in the fence?

Enter the clutch feed! The idea is to get power as soon as you can to the bike without necessarily going any faster. By decreasing the coast time you are gaining control sooner in the corner by applying power with a clutch-feed. The power on gives control.

The front and rear wheels doing separate things, once you apply power they get in-line and you are now commanding them where to go.

Practice clutch-feeds through corners, ruts and turns.

Even a little power will give you a little control…I’ll take it! Once you apply power it must be progressive! Do not come on then off, do not come on and then go flat. You must progressively apply the power to full throttle. A smooth progressive arc is what you are after like the pros and how it happens is smooth progressive power.

What will happen when you chop the throttle? Bike will stand-up or if you are really laid over it will fall over! The power is what keeps the bike up in a rut or berm, no power and you fall over. Progressive power is the key, starting as early as you can, but not too early where you have to chop it, which upsets the bike.

75 Foot SX triple in First gear. How do the pro do it do it, there is no run at it? Clutch feed! It can be said that motocross especially Supercross is a series of clutch feeds – Bbraapps all over the track or even the trail. Over doubles, logs, square edges etc.

In essence you are cheating the system applying power to the bike before you are actually ready to go faster. Hence giving you the control that you want.

Application of power is Brap, brap, brap, brap, brap through the corner or section to again gain control of the bike. It is a progressive interval of power ending in full throttle. It is an option to use and either Brap, brap is used or a clutch feed in every corner.

The point is to get on the power sooner than later to gain control. You are not necessarily increasing speed, but you are increasing control even if it is only half the time (on-off-on-off). Tires are opposing and then being directed with power on in pulses.

This works in many situations not just corners. Need control but don’t want to go faster? Sand, mud, ruts and corners anytime you need control apply power.

Select a few sections on your track to practice brap, brap, braps.

Now you have two powerful techniques that work in harmony with physics and the design principals of your bike. Now try the combo Brap, brap, brap turning into a clutch feed! Now your talking! The reality is we could work on that for the whole two-days at our school!