General
What Is A Supermotard?
Is It Supermotard or Supermoto?
Do 'Motards Require More Maintenance than Multi-cylinder Bikes?
What Bike Should I Buy/Build?
Are There Any Supermoto Mailing Lists or Forums?
How Do I Stop My Husqvarna SM610S 'Surging'?
My CCM 604/640e Has A Handling Problem...
What's The Cheapest Way To Tune My 'Motard?
How Do I Register My Converted 'Crosser For Road Use?
What Road Tyres Suit 'Motards?
How Do I Perform A Stoppie?
How Do I Do A Wheelie?
My rear stop/tail light keeps blowing...
Are there any common faults with KTMs?
Are there any regular 'motard meeting places?
Would a Suzuki DRZ-E make a good 'motard?

Racing
Will A Standard Factory 'Motard Be Competitive?
Riding Techniques
I Want To Go Racing - Who Do I Contact?
What Tyres Should I Fit For Racing?
What Tyre Pressures Should I Use?
Which Engine Tuners Specialise In 'Motards?
Knee Down Or Foot Out - Just What Is The Best Way To Corner?
Are There Any Regulations Regarding The Construction Of A Racing 'Motard?
How Do I Cut My Slick Tyres?
What Do I Need To Take To A Race?

GENERAL

What Is A Supermotard?
That depends on who you ask, what country you're in and what, if any, supermotard championship rules the answer is based on.

Generally speaking, a supermotard bike is a single cylinder, dual-terrain motorcycle that's based on either a motocross or enduro machine, that's been fitted with road-based sports tyres. As 99% of road going sports bikes at the moment come with 17" wheels as standard, supermotard bikes also use 17" wheels as any other size vastly reduces the rider's choice in tyre. Having said that, as 16.5" rear wheels are becoming increasingly popular with Grand Prix riders, it won't be long before 'motard riders have that choice, too.

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Is It Supermotard or Supermoto?
Actually it's both. There's no hard and fast rule as to what name is or isn't correct. The name supermotard was originally coined by the French as it was a direct translation of the US TV race series that created the idea of a dual-purpose motorcycle - Superbiker. However, the French word 'supermotard' does not refer to a person but to the type of bike, so while the word originally came from the US TV show it does not translate as Super Biker.

However, as most of us thought otherwise, when the sport started to take off back at the end of the '90s the word supermoto was created ... by the English (even though it sounds French. It was thought that if supermotard meant a super biker, then supermoto meant a super bike.) Although most non-English speaking countries still call the bike a supermotard, other countries, especially the UK and US, use the newer word supermoto.

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Do 'Motards Require More Maintenance than Multi-cylinder Bikes?
Quite simply, yes. Tuned single cylinder engines are far more likely to go wrong when compared with a similarly tuned inline four motor. Having said that, as long as you look after your 'motard more competently than the average biker does their road bike, then you shouldn't have any problems.

The only thing about 'motards that really makes them more high maintenance than an inline four are the vibrations that are part and parcel of single cylinder engined bikes. It doesn't matter if your 'motard is a four or two-stroke in this instance as both types of bike require regular checking of every nut to make sure they're not working loose. For this reason it is highly recommended that when you remove a nylock nut you replace it with a new one - a little thread lock won't go amiss, either. And if this sounds too much like hard work, then just remember that Harley riders seem to cope even though a twin shouldn't have this problem in the first place...

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What Bike Should I Buy/Build?
If you're after a supermotard but don't have very much money then an already converted two-stroke motocross bike is probably the best way to go. The one thing to remember about the ex-motocross bikes, though, is that their engines are very high maintenance. Although the engine in 'motard guise won't be abused to the extent it would've been in its original environment, you'll still need to replace the piston rings incredibly regularly. Okay, not to the same extent as our motocross cousins have to (a Honda CR500, for example, is supposed to have a new spark plug every 7.5 hours of racing, the cylinder head cleaned after the same amount of time ... which is convenient as the piston and rings should be changed at the same time, too), but if you want your bike to remain in absolute tip-top condition then you better be either very rich, sponsored or a pretty good mechanic. Oh, and if you're racing your two-stroke then you must use fully synthetic racing two-stroke oil (not the cheaper fully synthetic two-stroke oil for road bikes), the prices for which start at twelve quid a litre.

Honda's CR range and Kawasaki's KX motocross bikes make excellent supermotards.

If you've got a little more money, or you're not the world's greatest mechanic, then you really want a four-stroke bike. In my personal opinion four-stroke 'motards are also a lot easier for a supermotard novice to ride and race - especially if that novice has little or no off-road experience.

When it comes to four-stoke 'motards there are basically three very popular factory options, and also one popular convertible bike. The three factory options are CCM's 604e and still available 640e, as well as their new R30 (the first CCM that really looks like a road bike rather than a racing 'motard); KTM's 640LC4-E (electric start), 620 SC (kick-start only and aimed squarely at the racers) and their 640 Duke II, which is their most practical road bike; Husqvarna's electric-start SM610S makes a great road bike (although many owners complain about a slight carb glitch which only seems to be cured by replacing the entire carb) while their kick-start SM610R is a firm favourite with racers. The SM610R, although still available at the time of writing, has now been replaced with their latest race missile, the SM570R.

If you fancy building your own bike then the Honda XR650 is very possibly the most common four-stroke choice for 'motard conversion (there's certainly quite a lot of them raced in the UK, and raced very competitively, too), although Yamaha's YZ426F & WR400F bikes are also rapidly gaining in popularity.

Then there's the exotica - The Husky NOX is simply gorgeous, as are VOR's pant-wettingly superb 450/500 SM and Supermotard R Competition machines. There's also Husaberg's FS 400e, FS 650e, FS 400c, FS 650c, Gas Gas' SM125, SM250 and FSE 400 and the slightly unusual looking Vertemati S 501 (kick-start) and SE 501.
Learners aren't left out, either, although these bikes will all need restricting for UK learner use; Husqvarna's SM125, and Derbi's Supermotard 50cc.

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Are There Any Supermoto Mailing Lists or Forums?
Oh yes.

Mailing Lists:
Supermoto - English
US Supermoto - English
Svenska Supermotard Klubben - Swedish
Supermoto Australia - English
SuperMotards Forum - Multi-lingual
CCM Mailing List - English
KTM Supermoto Mailing List - English

Online Forums:
Thumpertalk Forum
Henke's World Of Super Motard Forum
Visordown Forum
Insanespeed Forum
Mono Maniacs Forum
New England Dirtbikes Forum
KTM Talk - all KTMs
MotoZine Forum
Dirt Rider Forum
Bike And Furious - Italian

There are more, in many languages, which will be added when I find the correct URLs for them.

If you're new to mailing lists then please read this FAQ about them. This FAQ also covers Usenet and Newsgroups, too.

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How Do I Stop My Husqvarna SM610S 'Surging'?
There are three ways to approach this problem. The first two involve buying a specific jet-kit for this bike. Both Dellorto (the manufacturer of the carb) and Husqvarna sell performance jet kits that will help lessen or remove the 'surging' felt at 4,000rpm, but you won't get the full benefits of these kits if you don't then have your bike professionally set-up by a competent mechanic on a dyno. Although most owners consider this route to be a perfect solution to the problem, some owners can still feel a slight 'surging' after this fix. But all is not lost as there is another option...

And that option is to throw away the Dellorto carb and replace it with a Keihin FCR one instead. This carb is of the flat-slide variety that also has an 'accelerator pump' fitted as standard. 'What's an accelerator pump?' It consists of a small jet that sits in the bell mouth, which is activated by the carb throttle assembly, and sprays petrol directly into the air flow to help with low to mid-range power. These types of carb, when in banks of four, are the carb to have fitted to your road-based drag bike - and the carb that many owners of other makes of supermotard also replace the standard item with - as the increase in throttle response in the low and mid-range of the engine is incredibly noticeable. When used in conjunction with a race can, this carb can give your Husky an extra 10bhp as well as improved throttle response and a smoother accelerating engine.

Since the above was written, Husqvarna have released their 2001 model which has a remapped CDI that, when retro-fitted to previous SM610S bikes along with a jet kit, removes the surging problem without having to resort to changing the carb assembly.

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My CCM 604/640e Has A Handling Problem...
A few people have said that their CCM 604/640e has a front-end chattering problem. What's odd is that this problem definitely doesn't effect every bike (admittedly I've only ridden around eight different 604es, but as only one appeared to have any sort of front-end problem at all, which may have been down to the tyre, this statement would seem to be correct).

The only thing that really stands out as a possible cause is that the front forks are very sensitive to the amount of air above the fork oil (this is the correct way to check fork oil capacity). As it would appear to be utterly unbelievable that Paioli would occasionally supply inferior forks (although CCM have stopped using them and have switched over to WP instead), if it isn't the fork oil height then this just leaves the possibility that the rear shock needs to be set-up very carefully, or that the canter-lever geometry is seriously flawed - which seems very unlikely as the pattering only effects a very small number of bikes.

So, if you've got a front-end problem on your CCM 604/640e, the first step towards possibly curing it would appear to be checking the fork oil air gap very carefully. If that doesn't work you'll have to methodically change the settings on the rear shock until the pattering goes away - start with the standard settings and change one thing at a time by only one click each time. It's also very important that you set the rear suspension sag (the amount of travel, without a rider, that the rear of the machine has when it's lifted so that the rear shock is at its most extended - in other words, the amount of travel that's been used before you sit on the bike) to the factory recommendation of 15-25mm. The pre-load should also be set so that the rear drops 80-100mm when you sit on the bike. Some owners have also found that dropping the yokes 10mm helps keep the front wheel 'planted', too.

For those of you who don't know how much the rear effects the front (on all bikes with suspension) ... too much rear rebound throws the rear of the bike upwards and forwards which transfers the machine's weight into the front tyre's contact patch which can cause it to break lose and chatter. But if you have too little compression or rebound, then the rear of the bike squats, removing weight from the front tyre's contact patch which can also cause it to break lose and chatter.

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What's The Cheapest Way To Tune My 'Motard?
The cheapest way to get more out of your bike is the age old solution of throwing your road legal can away and fitting a race one instead; get the carb re-jetted (using either a Dynojet or factory kit), fit a K+N air filter (especially if you own a CCM as the factory filters have no central core to stop the filter deforming at higher RPM and getting sucked towards the carb mouth thus decreasing the air flow when your engine needs it most) and then get the whole thing professionally set-up by a competent mechanic on a dyno.

The gains won't be huge, but they will be noticeable - and your bike will sound incredible, too.

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How Do I Register My Converted 'Crosser For Road Use?
What you will need:

• Proof of age (unless you want a Q-plate, but then insuring your bike will probably be more expensive). Classic services (0161 775 9567) can do a certificate based on the frame number - they charged £29.38 (as do Honda, only they're two weeks quicker) but some manufacturers, Kawasaki for instance, don't charge at all.
• An MoT (quote frame number). Daylight use only is easy, all you need is a horn (the Megahorn for pushbikes is about £8 from Halford's). This saves any hassle with lights and indicators. Also remember, you must have legal tyres and a BS193 stamped or engraved silencer. A Speedo' is a legal requirement but not necessary for an MoT (but you can get one for £6 at Halford's).
• Insurance, again based on the frame number.

• Phone your local Vehicle Licensing & Registration Office, tell them what you intend doing and they will send you form v55/5. Fill this in, enclose the documents above, along with the fees for tax and registration and within seven days they will send you the new tax disc and registration number. It's unusual but if they are in a bad mood they may want to inspect the bike. If so, it's just to check the frame number.

Thanks to Steve for writing this topic.

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What Road Tyres Suit 'Motards?
At the moment the choice of tyre for your supermoto is fairly limited - unless you're one of those lucky people who doesn't ride in the wet, the cold or on slippery, greasy winter roads as you can, therefore, use 'ZR' rated tyres without having to worry too much about getting them up to operating temperature ... unlike the rest of us. As this list is aimed at riders who need tyres that will work in all weather conditions, the following list of tyres are all 'H' rated, except for the Pirelli MT60 R, the Michelin Macadam M50E and the Avon AV37/38 which are all 'V' rated.

AVON
Tyre Type	Available Profile
AV37/38 - Road	160 profile only ('V' rated)
BRIDGESTONE
Tyre Type	Available Profile
Battlax BT96 Supersport Racing	150 & 160 profiles available
Battlax BT92 Sports Mileage	150 & 160 profiles available
CONTINENTAL
Tyre Type	Available Profile
None	Touring tyres only
DUNLOP
Tyre Type	Available Profile
GPR 70 R	150 profile only
METZELER
Tyre Type	Available Profile
MEZ-1 Racing Radial	150 & 160 profiles available
MEZ-1 Radial	150 & 160 profiles available
PIRELLI
Tyre Type	Available Profile
Dragon MTR02	150 & 160 profiles available
MT60 R	160 profile only ('V' rated)
MICHELIN
Tyre Type	Available Profile
Macadam M50E	150 profile only
Macadam M50E	150 & 160 profiles available ('V' rated)

Of the above listed tyres, Dunlop's GPR 70 R and Pirelli's MT60 R appear to be the most popular choice for road riders, with Bridgestone's Battlax BT92 running in third place.

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How Do I Perform A Stoppie?
Okay, before you even consider trying to do a stoppie make absolutely sure that both your brakes and your front tyre are warm. Either go for a bit of a ride or drag the front brake around the car park/up and down the road you're practising on for a minute or two.

The next thing you need is a decent surface to practise on - until you get good, you want a proper tarmac road with no camber (use the centre of the road if that's nice and flat) otherwise you'll struggle to get it up and control it which will just batter your confidence.

So, your chosen surface is good, your brakes and tyres are warm, you're wearing a lid and gloves, you're ready to roll. Get up to around twenty/twenty five mph, move your body as far forward as you can making sure you feel perfectly comfortable ... and don't forget to grip the tank with your knees. Now, pull the front brake lever so that the forks dive. As they reach their lowest point progressively squeeze the lever more. You need to squeeze rapidly but you do not want to snatch at it. All of the above should happen in the space of around one second.

If your rear doesn't rise, try again but be a little more 'positive' with the brake lever. Obviously, it's much better to build up your braking forces until the rear rises rather than going at it all gung ho and flying right over the 'bars. Some bikes also need a more vicious technique than others. My KTM, for example, requires a pretty violent transfer of weight to get the back up whereas an R1 requires almost no effort at all.

Now, you may have seen some people bouncing on the seat before doing a stoppie. Although there's nothing wrong with this technique per se, you shouldn't have to do it unless you're trying to stoppie a bike that shouldn't be able to do it (which isn't a 'motard), you're trying to stoppie on a less than prefect road surface or you're trying to stoppie at pretty serious speed. As for this technique, you'd do everything listed above but this time you push down with your legs and then do the rapid but progressive braking just as the rear suspension unloads.

If the bike feels like it's going too high for you, do not panic and grab more brake - you must release it. This is very important as I'm sure you can imagine. And because you're not trying to do a standing stoppie, the forward momentum you'll still have will stop the bike going over the front. It's probably also worth pointing out that once the rear goes up you'll need less front brake pressure to keep it there.

Stoppies aren't difficult, but like most things, they do require practise. Just take your time and enjoy. And as you get the hang of it start to increase your speed so that your stoppie becomes longer and, therefore, even more impressive.

Warning - there's no such thing as a 'safe' stunt. Once you're on your bike no one can help you if it all goes wrong, which, sooner or later, it will. Always engage your brain before you engage first gear, and never forget that if you do the stunts then you'll also do the crashing. It's the way it is and there's no escaping this very simple, unarguable fact.

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How Do I Do A Wheelie?
First off I want to point out that this answer is not aimed at people who can already get the front wheel in the air, so it won't describe the slightly more advanced technique of 'clutching it up'. It's also not aimed at those of you with 500cc two-stroke engines, as all you need to do is open the throttle. This answer's aimed purely at 'motard riders whose bike is reasonably modern, has a healthy engine and who can't wheelie - yet.

Now we've got that out of the way… The easiest gear to wheelie in without using the clutch is, obviously, first. Move your bum back along the seat slightly to move the centre of gravity towards what will become the pivot point, get your foot over the rear brake pedal (notice I said over not on - you don't want to be dragging the rear brake, just covering it) roll up to between fifteen and twenty mph and either snap the throttle closed and then snap it open again (this technique is not even remotely mechanically sympathetic and also results in quite a vicious launch) or, while still gently accelerating, snap the throttle open. No matter which tecnique you end up using, only your wrist should move - if your arm moves at all then your technique isn't smooth enough and can cause the bike to veer off line, resulting in the bike either going where you don't want it to or actually weaving while on the back wheel. Different engines have different reactions times so you'll need to experiment a little with just how long a gap you leave between closing and opening the throttle if you use the close/open technique. As for how much to open the throttle ... we're not talking about banging it to the stop, more like the way you'd accelerate aggressively away from a junction or traffic lights. You're not trying to scrape the mudguard so be careful with your right hand.

When the front first comes up you will snap the throttle closed again - everyone does. The thing to remember here is to take your time learning how to wheelie. Do not try to get the bike vertical as this will come with time and practise. You simply can't rush these things. Start very low and work your way up, while always concentrating on smoothness not height. Also, keep your arms relaxed while gripping the tank with your knees. Flap your arms around and the bike will lose its stability, which, rather obviously, could cause both you and the machine to part company leaving you with a very large repair bill and, very possibly, badly mangled bones, too. Do not continually blip the throttle while on one wheel, either. Although there's at least one wheelie school in the UK that teaches wheelies this way, they're 100% wrong and are teaching people to crash (which is why you'll never find their name or homepage anywhere on this site). After the initial launch the throttle should be used so gently anyone stood watching or riding next to you should barely hear any change in engine revs at all. If your engine goes 'brap, brap, brap' then, on a road bike, you're simply not in control, plain and simple. Nor, because the bike's moving around quite a lot, are you likely to feel anything start to go wrong with the wheelie - well, not until it's too damn late to do anything about it, anyway... If you're having to brap the throttle rather than keeping it nice and smooth then drop some height out of your wheelie and practise holding a smooth throttle.

If the bike starts to weave when on one wheel, put the damn thing down immediately. If you don't you're looking at enjoying a one-wheel tank-slapper. Initially the weave will hopefully be very minor (unless you've really cocked up the launch) so you should have enough time to be able to land the front wheel reasonably safely as long as you put it down straight away. If you think 'it's okay, it doesn't feel that bad' and don't put the wheel down then that weave will almost certainly become violent, leaving you in a situation where the chances of saving it are less than 1% - and that's being generous with the odds. Although I'm not trying to teach anyone to suck eggs here, but if the wheelie isn't smooth, then it isn't safe. Fact. Remember, if you land your wheelie safely then you can have another go - crash while on one wheel and you may never get the chance to ride again, ever...

As I'm sure you can imagine, first gear can be a little vicious but it does get you used to the wheel not being on the tarmac and your 'bars being in your face rather than their usual position. But for more control second gear's a lot easier even if it is harder to initially get up. Again you'll be using the exact same throttle techniques as above but this time you'll be rolling along at around twenty five mph. You will need a more violent throttle opening action but it won't come up as fast as before and will be easier to control via the twist grip. Start off using first gear, though, as it is initially easier and you'll need the confidence this will give you before you'll get your bike up in second.

Don't even consider trying to change gear while on one wheel until your wheelie is perfectly smooth and controlled. As with everything two-wheeled, smoothness is the key to success. As for the technique of changing gear mid-wheelie - once you're up on one wheel and the bike is perfectly upright and 'floating' (you'll recognise this sensation the second you manage it) throttle off slightly while at the exact same time changing gear without using the clutch and then return the throttle to exactly where it was before you changed gear. Sounds like too much to remember? Then don't do it until it sounds reasonably easy. Wheelies look superb when done right, but if you crash you'll look like a twat and nothing more. And if you're unlucky, looking like a twat will be the least of your worries compared to the injuries you may have…

As for vertical wheelies - the only safe (not that there's any such thing as a safe stunt in all reality) way to do them is by using a very difficult balancing act of throttle and rear brake. Don't even consider trying to do them until you're able to put the front wheel at any height you choose (whether that's two inches off the road or three feet) as you won't have enough machine control to practise this type of wheelie remotely safely. And if you're not capable of pulling a 100% smooth wheelie (including 100% smooth throttle control) then if you attempt a vertical minger you will crash.

Warning - there's no such thing as a 'safe' stunt. Once you're on your bike no one can help you if it all goes wrong, which, sooner or later, it will. Always engage your brain before you engage first gear, and never forget that if you do the stunts then you'll also do the crashing. It's the way it is and there's no escaping this very simple, unarguable fact.

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My Rear Stop/Tail Light Keeps Blowing...
Due to the amount of vibration single cylinder machines produce, predominantly the more competition orientated ones, blowing stop/tail lights does become an irritatingly common problem. However, there are solutions.

If you're running a converted off-road machine, with a standard shaped motocross mudguard, then most electrical shops (such as Maplin in the UK or Radio Shack in the US) sell red LED strips that can be easily fitted beneath your 'guard. Apart from looking good, they're almost indestructible, too. In the UK, some police officers seem to think LED rear lights are illegal - they're wrong. As usual, the police don't seem to know their own laws.

If your bike's like the KTM LC4, where the rear light is integral to the mudguard, then there's also a solution for you that doesn't require replacing the 'guard. Beed Speed are a UK-based mail order company who produce LED bulbs that fit standard bayonet mounts. In other words, their bulb fits pretty much every stop/tail unit made, but uses LEDs rather than a fragile filament, which shouldn't be susceptible to the engine vibrations that kill traditional bulbs.

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Are There Any Common Faults With KTMs?
Yes, but not many, and, obviously, not every bike is affected by any of these faults.

• The fork seals on new bikes can begin to weep very quickly. Bizarrely, once they've been replaced the new seals last just as long as you'd expect them to.
• KTM went through a pretty long phase of supplying weak clutch cables. This doesn't appear to be true any more, but keep your cable clean and lubricated anyway - just in case.
• There's a bearing behind the clutch basket which has been known to collapse on 2002 models. If it does then the damage to your engine can be excessive. However, on the 2003 models, KTM have replaced this bearing. Thankfully, this new bearing can be retro-fitted and is a reasonably easy job to do, as long as the old one isn't damaged. Even if your engine is perfect, you should consider fitting this bearing anyway - it could save you a lot of money in the future...

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Are There Any Regular 'Motard Meeting Places?
At the moment we only know of two meets in the world. One is on Sundays, after midday, at the White Hart pub, Puckeridge, Hertfordshire, England. There's a page on this site for this meet, and the regulars who turn up there (known as the Mental Militia). Click here for more details.

The other is a KTM meet in the San Francisco Bay Area, on every third Sunday of the month between 10am and 1pm at Alice's Restaurant, 17288 Skyline Blvd, Redwood City, CA 94062. More details here.

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Would A Suzuki DRZ-E Make A Good 'Motard?
You'd certainly think it would, but apparently not - at least, not for a road-going 'motard, anyway. According to an official Suzuki technician:
'There have been isolated instances where 'E' models, when in SuperMoto trim, have suffered from big end failure.'

This problem stems from the con-rod and small and big-end bearings that are used in the 'E' model but not in the 'S'. The 'E' was designed specifically for short bursts of full power and not extended periods of use that the bike would be subjected to on the road. This problem is apparently exacerbated if the bike is also re-geared for non-race use.

In other words, if you're not racing then use a DRZ-S model for your 'motard conversion and tune it, rather than the 'E'.

Thanks to Alan Weaver for bringing this to our attention.

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RACING

Will A Standard Factory 'Motard Be Competitive?
The simple answer is - Yes. Unlike most motorsports, being competitive in supermotard racing is more about riding talent than 'who has the most money wins'. Obviously, a knackered old heap, even with a great racer sat on it, will struggle but if your bike's well maintained and has a healthy engine then where you finish in a race will have just as much to do with your talent as anything else.

There is one thing you should remember before you even consider racing, though - racing is a lot more stressful than road riding for your engine which means you'll need to pamper your bike far more than you do your 'significant other'. And that means, even though you've just bought a perfect bike you're still going to have to spend money on it to keep it that way. Even though supermotard racing's probably the cheapest racing around, that doesn't mean it's cheap. And one more thing - racing's dangerous. You may walk away from a huge crash yet spend half a year recovering from a simple drop, it's all down to luck, but losing your job because of a racing crash, no matter how small, will hurt far more than the accident itself. Obviously, if you also ride on the road then you're probably more at risk of a serious injury than you are on the track, but it's still worth remembering, just in case. In fact, if you signed an employment contract for your job, you may find hidden in the small print that your employer can sack you if you go racing in the first place.

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Riding Techniques
If you just ride your 'motard on the road then you can simply ride it like any other bike, but if you want to get the most out of your bike, or you want to go racing, then there are some basic techniques that are worth practising.

The first one is just where to sit. Under heavy acceleration, especially on wet or slippery surfaces, you need to get as much weight over the rear wheel as possible. To do this sit as far back on your seat as possible. Obviously this means you're taking a lot of weight off the front of your bike, but as the front wheel has little to do while accelerating this isn't a problem. Going into a corner, on the other hand, is another matter entirely. Just before you hit the brakes, slide your body right up to the tank so that you've got as much weight going into the front tyre's contact patch as possible. Yes, this can mean you're more likely to pull a 'rolling stoppie' into the corner but just as the front tyre does very little under acceleration, the rear tyre does very little under braking. This seating position should also be used on aggressive standing starts.

Now we come to the best thing about riding a supermotard bike - sliding it into corners. If you ride a two-stroke 'motard you'll find this technique very difficult indeed, but on four-strokes it's actually pretty easy ... once you've got over the fear of sliding a bike around, anyway, as it goes against every road rider's idea of how to ride. The first thing you need to do is find a nice quiet road with little, if any, traffic that, preferably, has a side road for you to slide in to. Now, ride up to the corner and take the racing line into it. Hopefully this corner is a first or second gear turn. If it isn't take a line in to it that makes it one as you don't won't to be going too fast at this point. When you're happy with your racing line, again race up to this corner, but this time leave your braking until pretty late so that you're taking the turn in a racing manner. As you approach the turn you want to be in at least one gear higher than you need. As you hit the brakes (both of them, not just the front) select the gear for the corner and then release the clutch lever - no going through each separate gear or blipping the throttle between changes ala road racing - and you should feel the rear start to slide controllably. You shouldn't need much rear brake as you want the wheel to continue to turn as it slides sideways. If you feel the rear wheel juddering (you'll instantly recognise the feeling if/when it happens) then you're in too low a gear for your entry speed - feather the clutch slightly and it will go away. And that's it. Overcome your fear of sliding, add a little practise and you too can look like Stephane Chambon. Hey, I said look, not be as quick as...

There's one more thing to talk about now and that's how to stick your foot out while cornering. Yes, I know it seems stupid but there are a couple of things to remember if you do it. The first thing is not to dig your foot into the floor as you corner - your foot should be above the surface and only touch down if the bike slides. You also want to make absolutely certain that your foot is pointing the same way you're travelling, which is the same direction your front wheel is pointing. If you do have a slide you want your foot to kick the bike up, but you also want your leg to only move in its natural plain of travel. If your foot's pointing slightly sideways then, if you're unlucky, your foot could grip the surface and twist in an unnatural direction that can end in anything from a sore ankle or knee to utterly shattering your leg. And because the break's caused by a sideways force you're not just looking at a bad break, but a spiral break which is the type of injury that almost cost multi World GP500 Champion Mick Doohan his leg. And don't forget to make sure your toes are hard against the engine casings when you put your foot back on the pegs as you don't want them digging into the tarmac if you loose control just after the apex or if you hit one of the conveniently placed tyre/hay bale walls as this could also result in your foot being spun sideways with the same possible results as mentioned above.

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I Want To Go Racing - Who Do I Contact?
FIM World Championship
UK
Ireland
Switzerland
USA - Super TT
USA - Superbikers
France
Belgium
Greece
Czech Republic
Germany
Portugal
Italy
Europe

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What Tyres Should I Fit For Racing?
Unsurprisingly I recommend Michelin tyres which, coincidently, are what most UK racers also use. But that's not really what the question means. Rather than which manufacturer to buy, the question relates to what type of tyre you should use for a given track and/or weather condition.

100% dry track, no off-road section	slick front and rear
Damp track, no off-road section	Cut front, slick or cut slick rear
Wet track, no off-road section	Racing wet front and rear
100% dry track, off-road section	Cut slick or wet front, cut slick rear
Damp track, off-road section	Cut slick or wet front, cut slick rear
Wet track, off-road section	Racing wet front and rear

Just remember that a racing wet tyre is not designed to be used on a dry track and, therefore, may not even last a single day's racing. If you've got a spare set of wheels then that will help. Or if you have a set of tyre levers then you can choose what tyres to run during the day.

As for the actual tyres themselves - slicks come in three basic flavours: soft, medium and hard. Deciding which type to go for will depend on your riding style, bike and, to a lesser extent, the track itself. Only time and experience can tell you which one will suit you the best.

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What Tyre Pressures Should I Use?
Although there are no rules etched in stone for this question, the general consensus is that 25-26psi is the optimum pressure for both two-stroke and factory 'motards alike.

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Which Engine Tuners Specialise In 'Motards?
The following tuning emporiums either specialise in 'motards or single-cylinder engines:

Dyno Torque Unit 20 Sapcote Business Park Smallheath Highway Birmingham West Midlands B10 0HR Tel: 0121 772 2453 KTM & Four-Stroke Engines	Bob Farnham Tuning Newhaven Farm Grave Lane Staplehurst Kent TN12 0JP Tel: 01580 893577 Two & Four-Stroke Engines
HM Racing 81 High Street Green Street Green Orpington Kent BR6 6BJ Racing: 01689 862398 Dyno: 01689 856595 Special: 01689 859211 http://www.hmracing.co.uk/ Husqvarna and Two & Four-Stroke Engines	Slipstream Tuning Unit 1, Block 5 Vestry Trading Estate Otford Road Sevenoaks Kent TN14 5EL slipstream@tinyworld.co.uk Tel: 01732 743248 Fax: 01732 743385 Yamaha XTZ & Four-Stroke Engines
Graham File Tuning Unit 22 Kengate Ind Est Dymchurch Rd Hythe Kent CT21 6LU Tel: 01303 262222 Two-Stroke Engines

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Knee Down Or Foot Out - Just What Is The Best Way To Corner?

Well, if the answer's 'what everyone else does' then the overwhelming answer must be foot out motocross style. But, considering supermotards have a combination of road and off-road capabilities surely the rider, too, should exploit the two different riding styles?

Let's look at the theory. Why does a rider stick out their foot? On the motocross track the answer seems fairly obvious - to kick the bike up when the inevitable happens and one of the tyres lets go. If the rider didn't have their foot out then the law of probability says they'd crash, losing valuable places in the race and, therefore, valuable championship points (there's also the problem of ground clearance when in ruts etc., but that's not particularly relevant in this case). A motocross rider will also stick his or her foot out to increase the weight going through the front tyre to stop the front washing out in a corner. But is the same true for 'motard racing? Just what are a 'motard racers priorities during a race? To finish and, hopefully, to win - and if winning's not possible, to then at least get as many championship points as possible out of that particular round.

And how does that rider obtain that goal? By circulating as quickly as possible and by reducing the possibility of crashing to an acceptable level - of course, that level of acceptability will be different for everyone, but the basic premise remains valid.

On a tarmac surfaced circuit how can a rider increase their corner entry, mid-corner and corner exit speeds? The entry is pretty obvious, practice braking to the point of locking up and flinging the bike onto its side as hard as you can. Whether you're hanging off the bike or sticking your foot out will make no difference here. However, your corner exit speed, and therefore your speed along the next straight, is in many ways dictated by your mid-corner speed which must therefore be one the most important areas to improve - unless you brake so early everyone comes sailing past you, obviously, but that's a slightly different argument…

So, what's the best way a rider can increase their mid-corner speed? By riding in such a way as to allow the bike to travel faster for a given level of traction. If you ride around the corner with your foot out motocross style, you must push the bike down - but this means the bike is at a fairly high level of lean and, thus, a reduced level of available traction when compare to the road racing technique of hanging off the bike as this actually pushes the bike up, which puts the tyres onto a larger contact patch for the same speed - and that larger contact patch equals more traction. For a knee-scraping rider to equal the low level of available traction that the foot out rider has requires the knee down rider to traverse that same corner at a higher speed.

Plus, although the foot is stuck out to kick the bike up in a slide, just how much use is that foot going to be at the levels of lean and cornering speeds faster riders achieve on a tarmac surface where their handlebars are only around four inches above the track surface and their leg is effectively pointing horizontally to the floor? At motocross speeds it may help, but at supermotard speeds..?

As for the forward weight transfer of the foot out style? Well, there's no denying planting the front even further is no bad thing, but isn't it possible to also load the front with the knee out technique, too? Yes it is. Because you're sat as far forward as you can get going into the corner, you're already in the correct forward position for knee scraping. If you're body is also hanging off the side you're moving the bike's weight lower, for better corner speed, and still loading the front as you're moving your entire body weight not just your leg.

Obviously, when it comes to racing off-road, the entire priority of the rider changes. Yes, the main requirement is still to go as fast as possible, but now the speeds are relatively far lower yet the chances of sliding has increased dramatically. In this situation, hanging off a bike may lessen the lean angle and, therefore, the chances of sliding, but if you do slide will hanging off allow you to stay up right, to not crash, to finish the race, to gain those all important championship points? No, it won't. Just as road racers hang off their machines for very good reasons, so motocross racers use their feet to save potentially terminal slides and to increase the weight through the front tyre to hopefully make losing the front less likely, too. But surely that technique will also save a tarmac slide? Well, it might, but then that same technique has also raised the potential of sliding in the first place when the road rider's style would have allowed you to corner at that same speed with a far lower possibility of losing traction.

Now, before every supermotard racer reading this starts foaming at the mouth about the points raised, let's get one thing straight - we're blatantly talking about absolutes here. Absolute tarmac and absolute off-road. Except 'motard tracks aren't (or, at least, shouldn't be) a single surface type, they're dual terrain, they're both mud/shale and tarmac, so just what is the answer? Well, that's pretty simple - whatever a particular corner requires. You may have a 90% tarmac circuit where only one corner would actually be quicker if you hung off the bike, so surely that's what you'd do? If the circuit's wet using your foot may help in the slower corners where losing traction's a very large possibility; if a corner's covered in mud from the off-road section then using your foot may again be the best way to navigate that particular corner. And, if knee-scraping's so alien to you that it makes you slower no matter what the conditions are, then either practice or stick with what you're comfortable with. Quite simply, there is no definitive answer, only possibilities that a rider can exploit fully to become as good as they can be. And that's the reason for writing this, to give you, the racer, more possibilities. After all, you can't just tune a bike by choosing between the different possibilities of tyres, tyre pressures, exhausts, state of engine tune, type of engine, different suspension settings etc. until you find a combination that works best, you can also tune the rider until you find the best combination of riding techniques that work best for you, too.

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Are There Any Regulations Regarding The Construction Of A Racing 'Motard?

At the moment only the ACU have any specific written regulations regarding the construction of racing supermotards in the UK. The main rules can be found in the Racing section of this site.

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How Do I Cut My Slick Tyres?

The thought of taking a tyre cutting gun to a set of brand new slicks is an unpleasant prospect for anyone who's never done it before, but is it really as difficult as it appears to be? No, it's not. If you can afford to spend around two hundred pounds on a tyre cutter then it may be worth your while to buy one - but they're not essential as there's always someone else at a race meeting who'll happily let you use theirs. As for the actual technique of tyre cutting, it couldn't be easier.

First of all, you want to draw your chosen tread design onto the slick using chalk. As for what tread pattern to use, either wander around a supermoto paddock and see what everyone else uses, rummage through the different 'motard websites and have a look at their tyres, or base your pattern on a road tyre. Once you've decided on what pattern to use and have then chalked the tyre you're ready to cut. Start with the gun at 45º to the tyre and then rotate the gun into the rubber so that it becomes parallel to the rim. Push the gun along your chalk line smoothly but do not push into the tyre as this will jam your cutter and create a tread that's very deep. As you reach the end of your chalk line, rotate the gun again, except this time you're pushing the blade up and out of the tyre itself. And there you have it - your first piece of tread.

If you borrow the gun, always listen to what the person who lends it to you tells you. They should have a reasonable amount of experience with tyre cutting and, therefore, should be able to explain the above so that it makes complete sense. If you buy your gun always read the instructions that come with it.

There is another way to get your tyres cut, though. Any large tyre supplier should offer a tyre cutting service, although this service is usually aimed at truck tyres rather than bike ones. Having said that, you may also find that a particular shop will not cut tyres for so-called 'legal' reasons, or they may get you to sign a disclaimer stating that you understand cut slicks are not road legal and you will not be using them on public roads before they agree to do the job. Why these establishments are so paranoid is more than a little puzzling as, generally, you haven't bought the tyres from them so they have no responsibility regarding how you use them - but expect to be given a hard time if you choose this route ... assuming they agree to cut them in the first place.

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What Do I Need To Take To A Race?

Absolute Essentials:

• Helmet
• Googles (inc. tear-offs/roll-offs)
• Gloves
• Boots
• Racing leathers
• Back protector (if not part of your leathers)
• Race licence
• Enough petrol for the day (inc. two-stroke oil if applicable)
• Fire extinguisher
• As many relevant tools as you can take
• Tyre pressure gauge
• Dry/spare clothing
• Enough food for the entire weekend
• Enough non-alcholic liquids for the entire weekend
• Somewhere comfortable to sleep (tent, caravan, van, B&B)
• Toilet paper
• Foot pump
• Gaffa tape
• Cable ties
• Rags/kitchen roll
• Towel, flannel etc. so that you can wash after a race
• More money than you think you actually need
• A sense of humour and a sense of humility

Bloody Handy:

• Spare hand and foot levers
• Spare throttle and clutch cables
• Kidney belt
• Spare tyres with tyre levers and tyre soap
• Spare inner tubes
• Generator and lights (with enough petrol to run gennie all weekend)
• Tyre warmers
• Lockwire and pliers
• Bike stand
• WD40 (or similar)
• Full spare chain (or at least a correctly sized split-link)
• Spare tie-downs/rope

Other Things To Remember:

• Don't get pissed the night before
• Drink non-alcoholic liquids throughout the day (it helps with concentration as you can become dehydrated without really noticing - and getting pissed the night before only makes this worse)
• Make a list of everything you think you'll need and check it before you set off (including money, map, directions, food, drinks, toilet paper, race licence)
• Drop your tyre pressures down (a good starting point is around 25/26 psi)
• If this is your first race then don't be even remotely concerned about being slow as no-one cares
• Take your time to learn the circuit, learn how the bike feels at race speed and how you feel, too, and always walk the track before you race on it
• Do not suddenly change direction if you're about to be lapped/overtaken as the rider behind you will know where he/she wants to do it - if you suddenly do something they're not expecting it could end in you both crashing. Concentrate on what's in front of you, not behind
• If this is your first race, don't worry about what gearing to run or what suspension settings to use, just enjoy the day as you can get into that stuff when you're a little more experienced
• Make sure your bike's perfect before you even set off to the track

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If you have any other topics that need including in this FAQ, or feel that a topic is either badly explained or simply wrong, please E-mail the webmaster.