Tight muddy corners - sliding the back
 

A professional racer recommended coming into the corner, lock the rear and part way round get on the gas to continue the slide - i.e. rear wheel steering. An interesting point he made is the front wheel has a lot less to do and while the rear sliding is fine sliding the front puts you on the floor - I never thought of it like that.

We did a few practices and I did quite well (in our group) I would say as my balance is quite good at this sort of feet up braking / power on stuff. I'd never really considered it for races though - more for show, I guess I'll have to get practicing! There is a race near me - next spring now which is purely tight woods corners and I always wondered why I was slow!

I have been practicing this is single track and find it difficult, but on the odd occasion when I pull it off it's a great feeling. Agood drill in an open area is to get on the gas in 1st or 2nd, lock it up, slide 90 degrees standing with feet on the pegs then gas again over and over again.

thats the best way to describe my technique on a trials tire,200 or 300 the sliding technique works great threading through the tight twisting corners that are loaded with mud,allows you to keep the front end pointing where you want to go while the rear slides you into your corner,allows you to have a nice straight line coming out

+1

Also allows you to keep the bike more vertical, which is important with a trials tire as they let go fast if leaned too hard with no berm.

In the Shane Watts riding class I took he pretty much poo pooed the idea of the brake slide for most situations. His views were 9 out of 10 times you're not gonna get it right and spend allot of excess energy correcting either the under or over slide. In racing conditions it's super hard to do it consistently where every corner is different.

Highly recommend his class by the way. Very informative and a ton of fun for 2 days. And oh what a treat it is to watch him ride. He makes everything look soooooo easy.

Pause for thought.
 

Im no expert but i treat every corner differently.

What about this. Braking on aproach to the corner change down a gear. Turn the front wheel sharp into the corner whilst whacking the throttle on in turn bringing the rear wheel around whilst counter balancing using body weight and throttle control???

Just a thought.

I'm no expert but all the mud riding i've done over the years I prefer the brake sliding in sand conditions but all mud is different and most is unpredictable you may be able to get the rear to snap back in line but its a gamble because if it doesn't snap back in time you can break something (bike, body, etc.).
If you know your muds then with the right kind I beleive in the sliding technique BUT you better know your mud.
I would recommend practice in sandy slippery trails to get used to the feeling (of your rear end trying to pass you) and master your brake, throttle crontrol then go find a large open flat (as possible) space with that super slippery clay like mud and start playing. I'm talking about that mud thats like standing on an ice cube.
That being said you will see that its real hard to know where the limit of traction is and how easy it would be to get it wrong and cost you time and possabily the race.

Ron
2004 ECDE200

Brake slide to power slide. I do this alot. When it's dry, slick and dusty, the bike is gonna slide unless you ride sedate. I find this technique very usefull, but you gotta practice all the time because conditions change and you gotta be able to adjust. I can generally do feet up brake slides to about 75 degrees and then finish up with the clutch and throttle. Every so often I lowside, but I'm going so slow by the time the bike goes down, I am ready and I pick it right up and continue on.

What works best for me is putting most of my weight on the front end. Do my braking before the corner, and then smoothly accelerate threw the corner. I feel being smooth is the key. You can go can change your braking and how fast you go, as you get a feel for how slippery the mud is in the area your at.

excuse the soap box rant but ...
I belong to a club that puts on several large rides a year and see the time and effort they put into trail work and landowner relations ..

Keep in mind that the brake slide/rear steering technique can raise hell with trail erosion. On a track/ competion event sure, dedicated ohrv area umm ... maybe .. someone still has to fix that trail. On a recreational ride put on by a club on land they don't get to use every day ... ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! If a landowner goes out and sees what 200 brake sliding, throttle twisty dirtbikes have done to his land .... chances are he won't be inviting them back! I've ridden behind some guys that are one man trail wrecking machines. Just something to think about when you are roosting merrily along.
That's someones dearly loved personal possesion flying out from under your back tire