How To

25 Start Tips Of December - Day 22

Start Posture

December 22, 2015

Photo by Shan Moore

When it comes to doing well in Supercross (or motocross), one of the keys to success is about getting a good start. Some insiders will even go so far as to say it’s 90-95% of the game. Of course, you have to be fast too, but putting yourself at or near the front of the pack after the start of the race certainly increases your chances of getting on the podium.

Dirt Rider recently spent a day with Justin Barcia at his practice compound in Greenville, Florida, working on an upcoming story for the April issue of Dirt Rider magazine called "The Art of the Start". We also spent a day with off-road star Charlie Mullins at his place in Hickory, North Carolina. Barcia was the king of the holeshot in 2015, grabbing 11 Motosport.com Holeshot Awards during this year's Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Series, while Mullins is a former GNCC and national enduro champ who gives us his tips on getting a good dead-engine start.

DR contributor Shan Moore picked the brains of these two powerhouse riders to find out the secrets behind their impressive start techniques. After collecting all the data, we decided we couldn't just sit on this treasure trove of information until release date, so Dirt Rider is leaking part of the info on the web for you to implement into your own start routine.

Here's tip #22:

Start Posture

I’m sitting down with both feet on the ground and I’m in the middle of the seat but I have my back hunched over with my head toward the handlebar to keep the weight on the front end so it doesn’t come up.

If it’s a mud race, I like to be back on the seat and put a little more weight on the rear tire so you hook up. But typically it’s just right in the middle of the seat. Some guys run a bump on the seat just so they know what where they’re at on the seat, but I prefer a stock seat.