Dirt Bike Safety
for Motocross, Off-Road and FMX

Dirt bike safety is something thats important whether you're new to the sport of riding dirt bikes, or you've been riding for a while and know your way around the motocross tracks & off-road courses or you're even gassing it off the FMX hits.

If you're new to dirt bikes then knowing something about safety around dirt bikes before you run out and get your adrenaline fix is even better, so... before you sling your leg across the seat and take off on an open class bike, it would probably be wise to review the Tips & Resources listed here first, as the dirt bike safety tips & resources could save you some pain and money later, possibly minimize injury or keep you from getting terribly wadded up on a motocross track, in the woods somewhere or possibly even help prevent a bad case of "Rolling Down the Windows".

It really doesn't matter if you're the fastest and smoothest or you constantly ride out of control, pain has no discrimination and some dirt bike safety tips as well as having the proper safety gear could save you or someone else some pain and a trip to the crash house AKA "The ER"

If you're going to be heading out in the woods and riding off-road disciplines but you're not real familiar with what's out there, you may want to take a look at the off-road elements you're sure to encounter while riding off-road as this is a good "heads up" before you throw a leg over a dirt bike and take off into the woods.

"The Dirt Bike Safety Gear Everyone Should Have For Every Ride"

The safety gear listed below is fairly complete and since you really should have all that is listed here, there's a link to each products category which will provide some additional, useful insight and fitting into these popular safety products.

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  A Helmet- A good helmet is absolutely critical to have if you're riding a dirt bike as this is what protects your head, so be sure to get a quality helmet that fit's properly and wear it with it properly secured every time you ride.


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  Goggles- When purchasing goggles, you may want to get "Tear-Off's" which are compatible with your goggles, as having tear-off's can provide you with a new field of clear vision in an instant after getting pelted with a face full of roost.


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  A Neck Brace- Neck donuts were once considered the best thing for neck protection but nowadays, neck donuts are no longer considered adequate, and having a high quality neck brace is something that is just about as important as a helmet as the current crop of neck braces do a tremendous job of reducing the likelihood of a serious neck injury.


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  A Chest Protector- There are many different styles of chest protectors available and the use of one is highly recommended as a chest / back protector (also advertised as a "Roost Deflector") can help dissipate the energy generated in a crash helping to protect internal organs & other body parts from impact damage in the event of a nasty get-off.


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  Drinking System- A hydration system is a must if riding off-road or cranking out long moto's, as a drinking system can carry fluids that are easily consumable when riding and critical for survival.

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  Under Gear Shorts- Under gear shorts are good to have as they help prevent chaffing and irritation when riding, as well as sparing others from having to see you in your underwear around the camp or pits when changing between riding gear and street clothes or vice versa.
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  Knee Braces- Knee braces are another product designed for dirt bike safety that anayone who rides a dirt bike should have, as most who ride on a regular basis, won't ride without knee braces after a 1st use and knee braces are an excellent piece of protection to be wearing every time you sling your leg across the seat of a dirt bike.
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  Moto Socks- Moto socks are a great invention and something to have as they help prevent chaffing and irritation from use of knee braces, as well as providing a little extra padding and comfort around your foot while wearing motocross style boots.
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  Boots- A pair of quality motorcycle boots are highly recommended as using these in place of a standard boot can offer a lot more protection to your lower leg, ankle and foot area and should not be left off of your list.

Alright, Once you're decked out in all the dirt bike safety gear, it's almost time to go tear up the neighbors yard to try everything out (After all, It's better their yard than your own isn't it?) then it'll be time to take it to a track, off-road area or FMX compound and log some seat time or hang time, but before you do that, you may want to check out the dirt bike safety tips below.

Some Real World Dirt Bike Safety Tips To Keep You Relatively Safe

One of the number one dirt bike safety tips that is also the easiest to remember is to never ride alone, especially if you are riding off-road type of disciplines. Additionally, as mentioned below, "Don't Ride Over your Head" is another good one, and "Dress for the Crash, Not the Ride" is still another, but still yet, another excellent dirt bike safety tip would be... Don't sit around watching "Jump Videos" such as Nitro-Circus then go out and try to duplicate what they are doing without prior experience in hucking these monstrous gaps. Pain may be temporary, but it is real and you'll likely get a painful reminder of that if you try what is done on these type of videos without already having the experience required.

If you plan on spending any time practicing your skills on a motocross track and you're not comfortable on the jumps and you hear a faster rider approaching from behind, do NOT try to "move over" to get out of a faster riders way when rolling a jump, as this can get you landed on, or cause the other rider and yourself to collide and both of you end up on the ground. If a faster rider is coming up behind you at a faster pace than you are riding, just remember: You're in front of the faster rider so he or she will see you and plan his / her line accordingly to safely pass you, and the same goes for any other slower rider and the best thing you can do is simply hold your line. Additionally, If you are a slower rider, you may want to stay on the right side of a motocross track's lanes, and hold a straight line so as to prevent being run in to by a faster rider, or even prevent a faster rider from making a mistake that could injure someone due to having to avoid somone moving into their line.

If you are planning on riding off-road type of disciplines or simply trail riding with friends and / or family, be sure to stay on well marked, and / or frequently used trails so as to prevent any occurrences with fencing and avoid any unforeseen surprises such as holes, abandoned mines, well pipes, debris, ditches or drop offs, all of which could be disastrous if encountered suddenly at speed. If you missed it above, we covered some of the most common off-road elements you're sure to encounter on a trail.

If you are looking for some hang time, and you're thinking about hitting some FMX ramps or dirt to dirt jumps, be sure that you start small and gradually work up to the larger jumps with more height and distance, otherwise you may find yourself in a rather painful situation.

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In Closing...

If you are new to the sport of riding dirt bikes, and you've been around plenty of muscle cars and things of the like, or you're just power hungry, it's recommended that you do NOT run out and get the most powerful and massaged CR500 or 4 stroke you can find. Not yet anyways...

If you truly want to get ahold of some power, A CR250 2 or 4 stroke has more than enough (if not too much) power for pretty much any use or rider that is average sized. If you're considering these tips for a younger rider, it is pretty much dependent on their size and age as to what size dirt bike to put them on, but a local motorcycle dealer should be able to direct you in the right direction as far as this is concerned, and if you are considering purchasing a used dirt bike to get started in the sport, there is an article on things to look for when purchasing a used dirt bike that is recommended reading.

If you'd really like to go about the whole dirt bike safety concept wisely, you may want to contact the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) by calling (800)-446-9227 or by visiting the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Online and find an instructor in your area, then arrange for some entry level lessons on motorcycle safety, as well as if you're not certain about what size bike is best for you or a family member, you may want to ask a Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructor which size bike they feel would be most appropriate for you or the person you plan on sending off on a dirt bike.

And wrapping it all up, here's a couple dirt bike safety tips to remember...
"Don't Ride Over Your Head"
And
"Dress for the Crash, Not the Ride"

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