Fear Of The Fall
I had a major crash in March 2008 and had only ridden a few times until I got my bike back. I noticed the fear then, fear of riding fast, jumping and little things like simply laying the bike down in a berm, etc. When my dirt bike was supposedly fixed, I took it out on the trails and jumps and found myself almost frozen with fear. That same day, I had another major accident that was not my fault (the fork was so stiff, a small mud puddle became a huge crash). I am now looking for a pro to work on my bike and get the repairs right this time. But the fear of the fall is still great. I used to be the fastest on the track and now other slower riders pass me with no problem. Can you help my state of mind?
Chandra Alleman
Burlington, NC
Chandra, do you remember the movie Top Gun? Specifically, do you remember that really intense scene in which Maverick and Goose get caught in a flat spin and Goose ejects straight into the canopy of his F-14? Well, Maverick's courage didn't come back immediately after that, and it may similarly take you a few more rides before you're back in the zone. Don't despair; just work your way back up to speed slowly, and as you gain confidence and become more natural on the bike the fear will simply dissipate. If that doesn't work, try clutching a set of dog tags, or just sing "You've Lost that Lovin' Feelin'" to yourself while you ride. It helps, I swear! -Chris Denison
Crystal Baller
Your magazine is awesome! I have learned so much from the articles. I have been riding for 10 years, since I was four, and I am on a Yamaha YZ125 right now. I've been wondering what '09 450 to get when I am 15 or 16 years old, and I was reading the '09 Honda 450 impression in your December issue (page 72), but I am an off-road rider and later in the article it said it dies easily and it is not an off-road bike, so I looked in the October issue and the Yamaha sounded a lot better. I don't know, maybe I'm a Yamaha rider, but the white one looks cooler than the Honda, too. Oh, and test the YZ125 against the KTM 125 SX, please!
Justin
Vernal, UT
Are you a little psychic moto-Buddha? You're predicting the future of Dirt Rider and you don't even know it! In our February issue, our 2009 450 shootout gives you a quick impression of how these race machines work (or don't work) in off-road-ish conditions. Here in the near future, you'll be enjoying a five-way 125cc comparison featuring stock Yamaha and KTM 125s, a stock KTM 150 as well as some modified big-bore 136cc and 144cc Yamaha machines. Now, tell me what else we're going to do. Am I going to ever learn how to scrub a jump? Why do I look a lot slower in video than I feel? Please help. -Jesse
Please send all mail to drmail@sorc.com or Dirt Rider, Attn: Letter Rip!, 2570 E. Cerritos Ave., Anaheim, CA 92806. You must include contact info in order to be eligible for the Letter of the Month prize. All letters may be edited at our discretion. And include your full name so every Matt or Jeff doesn't claim your letter.