Keep Your Mouth Shut!
If you can't keep a secret, don't even think about trying to become a test rider. Never mind the fact that you have to sign your life away to ride many of the bikes that we test; if you give up a secret before it's ready to hatch, you risk blacklisting Dirt Rider from future embargoes with the manufacturers. Some people think it's no big deal and we are being too intense, but we take our testing extremely seriously, and that includes not talking about things until they are in print, because oftentimes the test riders don't really know the outcome of a test. Our best test riders are not only awesome at what they do, but they would have to be water-boarded before giving up the results of a shootout before the issue hits.
Be Professional
As test riders for DR, our guys represent the magazine and are expected to be professional at all times. This includes not riding like a jerk at new bike intros, not showing up to the track in old, haggard or mismatched riding gear and not sending us two sentences of opinion typed on a T-Mobile Sidekick.
Sure, we take care of the gear side of things most of the time, but even this in itself can be a sticky deal, as we have to mix up the brands and styles that we use. "The main issue I run into all the time is what color gear to wear for the photo shoots," says Chris Barrett, who has been testing for DR for a number of years. "Red or blue...or maybe orange...or maybe a mixture of all three. It's pretty complicated stuff, trust me! So in the end, I just let the photographer or one of the editors decide."
In addition to being able to wear the right gear and being free from any sponsorship entanglements, being able to formulate a solid opinion is not only helpful, it's essential; what good is a rider who can feel what a bike is doing but can't put it on paper or, worse, tell the truth? Being punctual is also important, because the sun doesn't wait around for late test riders, and neither do our photographers. And in this day and age of web tests, we often need opinions before the bike has even cooled down completely. But this can still be a challenge, as off-road ace and trusted tester Chris Dvoracek admits: "The hardest thing about testing, for me, would have to be remembering everything I liked and disliked on the bike long enough to get home and write my review. Thank God for tape recorders!"
Be Consistent
As with many things, consistency in testing is key. Know what you like and stick to it, but again, don't be afraid to be flexible. We have many test riders who consistently gripe about a certain handling characteristic or constantly strive for a certain feel in the motor; this is good, because it gives a baseline of sorts for that tester to work off of. There is nothing more frustrating than having a rider help out with a bike test, telling us that the bike was "perfect" only to complain about it in his opinion later. When working with manufacturers, consistency is also important because it provides a common goal to work toward. Tuning a bike to make it corner better is much easier than just working to make it "faster."
Help Wanted
If you have all of the above elements dialed in, then you would probably be a pretty good candidate for being a Dirt Rider test rider. The final step is to make yourself known to us and offer up your services. We truly are always looking for fresh talent when it comes to our testers, and whether you're a blazing pro or just an enthusiastic novice, we can always use the help. However, by far the worst way to approach an editor to be a test rider is to walk right up and demand to be allowed to ride a bike. Instead, it's better to prove that you have the skills to be a good test rider, and that you can follow it up with consistent feedback and valuable opinions.
How exactly do you do this? Write us a test! Sign on to the www.dirtrider.com message boards and give us a sampling of your testing prowess. Better yet, email us your opinion of a bike you've ridden lately, or simply get to know someone who tests for the magazine and then get in to see how the whole process works. We rarely throw new testers straight into a major shootout or comparison, but by starting with a few small opinions it is easy to become a main setup tester at some of the biggest things we do. The point is to start small, be genuine and let your love of the sport guide you-if being a professional test rider is in the cards for you, you're bound to end up there. But if it isn't, simply sit back and enjoy reading the opinions of those working in one of the most unique professions in the entire industry! If you really want to call it a job.
Top Five Modeling Tips
While being a solid photo model isn't exactly requisite to being a solid test rider, the two skills usually go hand in hand. Here are five tips to help improve your skills in front of a camera lens:
1. Have good style. It's easier said than done, but if you look natural and comfortable on the bike, you have a much better chance at getting a picture in the magazine than the guy who looks like he has a broomstick in his kidney belt.
2. Know what the photographer wants. When it comes to doing photos, a good photographer is the boss. What he says goes, so be prepared to hit a corner backwards or do a jump from a deep rut just because the lighting is better there.
3. Get it sideways! As you've seen in the magazine, a good whip almost always makes a spectacular photo. As such, practice getting your bike sideways at any speed, in any condition over any length jump. Oh, and while you're at it, learn to whip it both ways!
4. Slow down. Most of the time, our photographers are shooting at a shutter speed of around 1/1000 of a second. Translation? You only have to look good for a split second, and this is much easier to accomplish if you are going slowly, hitting the exact same line and able to do it time after time while the photographer dials in the settings. The camera doesn't show lap times, and a good photo model knows just the right time to get wicked.
5. Stay clean. Photos just don't seem to look as good if a rider looks like the creature from the Black Lagoon. That's why a good photo model does his best to avoid mud, roost and crashing at all times. It sounds simple, but it really helps to make an image pop when the rider looks fresh!