Getting Out Of A Rut
There are really two kinds of ruts - short ones and long ones. And there are different techniques for riding each. 

For short ruts the idea is to pick up the front wheel and carry it to the other side. You should be in the standing position, with legs bent and elbows up. Steer with your body and the rear wheel. And with only one wheel on the ground there's less chance of crossing ruts. 

For long ruts, you should be in the standing position, picking aroute and lining it up. Select second gear and accelerate at and through the rut. Always look well forward; have your head over the filler cap and body weight to the rear. Bend your knees and get your elbows up ! Keep the bike upright and use your body to steer. The quicker you hit it the easier it'll be, believe me !

The secret of getting out of a rut is speed. The faster you attack it the easier it is. Only in really extreme conditions - where the track is a bog or the ruts especially deep - should you sit and paddle.


Making A Pass
Safe, clean passing is an art - and a joy to watch when executed properly. Learning to pass your opposition is what racing is all about, and being able to come from behind is what makes a champion. Most riders can win from the front, but only the best can win from the back. Once you have learnt the art of passing it'll bring a whole new concept to your racing, and you'll start to enjoy yourself more.


Walking the track

You should first start thinking about passing when you walk the track. Not only should you be looking at the racing lines but also be looking for the alternative passing ones because nine times out of ten you'll have to pass on a different one from that of the racing line. After you've walked the track and picked out the possible passing spots try them out during practice. Often what looks like a possible passing line is not when you put it into practice.

Where to pass

The entry and exit of a corner are often the best places for passing. On the entry to the corner passing is done by out-braking the other rider on the inside of the approach. For this technique you must learn to keep the power on longer and to break harder and later. It's best to make your pass on the inside because it's safer and the rider who's on the inside has control of the corner.

Passing on the outside of a corner is the long way round and must be done at a greater speed; therefore you increase the risk of a crash. The other thing to remember about passing on the outside is that the inside rider can easily ride you out.

Passing on the exit is done by getting the power on before the other rider. This is usually done by squaring off the corner.

You start by outbraking your opposition round the outside, but instead you'll turn tight and switch across the back of the other rider. You're then in a straight line and geting full traction to make your pass as the opposition is still cornering.

Passing on straightaways is done by out-powering the opposition, or having got the gas on first coming out of the corner before. Try to keep a wide berth on these sections as the speed is a lot greater and the danger risk higher.

Riders on your pace

Passing slower riders is often an easy enough task but getting by riders on your own pace is a different problem. You must learn to outhink them. Normally there are only one or two places on the track where you'll be able to pass them, so try and fool them in these spots by showing them your front wheel for a couple of laps on the outside and then going for your real pass on the inside on the third lap.

In a rut

Ok, so you're coming through the field, when you catch a particular rider who is slower than yourself. You spend a couple of laps trying to pass him with no success. Why ? Because you've got into a rut and slowed to his speed. This is something that happens to every rider at sometime, but don't let it become a habit. Don't spend too long trying to pass a rider.

These are a few basic and safe passing manoeuvres. Learn to carry them out correctly and your results will improve.


The Holeshot
Before you go to the line, try and watch an earlier start. Take note of how long the starter holds the riders on the line, or for any slow falling gates.

Ideally it's best to take the shortest route to the first corner. But if it's a tight turn, start further out. Also you want to be able to see the starter; watching for body movements as he pulls the gate.

Before you line-up, get your mechanic or friend to hold your bike while you prepare the starting groove. I stamp down the loose earth and make sure there is no big lip over the startgate. On theother side of the gate I stamp down any bumps for a smooth exit.

When I'm on the startline I close my eyes and countdown from five, going through everything I should do to get the holeshot. At this point I think you should be psyching yourself up, not trying to psyche out other riders.

Your bike should be square on to the startgate and upright, not leaning at all. When the 30 second board comes out, assume what I call the fighting position; elbows up with weight forward over the bars. But not so much that you're overbalanced. This is an aggressive stance and with your elbows out you can fend off other riders.

I have three fingers on the clutch and keep the throttle open a quarter to one third - and constant ! The position of your feet is important. For a 125 or 250 starting in 2nd gear I have my left foot on the peg ready for a quick shift to third. My right foot is firmly on the ground jammed in front of the footpeg.

This not only helps my balance, but ensures my leg doesn't swing back at the start and possibly tangle with the bike's rear wheel or another rider. With a 350 or 500 I keep both feet on the ground - in front of the pegs - ans start in third gear.

When I'm on the line I see very little but the 30 second and five second boards and the starter. If I can't see the starter I focus on the first moving part of the startgate.

Never look directly in front of you at the start. I find I can concentrate longer if I look sideways at the gate, narrowing my field of vision.

When the gate drops dump the clutch, give it full gas and get your feet up quickly as possible. Never back off. If the front wheel comes up play on the clutch to get it down. Same with changing up; keep the throttle open and power shift. You should never shut the throttle until youreach the corner. And as you get underway, move your weightfurther back to get drive to the rear wheel.

That's it. Now get out and practice. 

Going For The Brakes
There's definitely a right way and wrong way when it comes to braking.

Starting with the 'wrong way' : The chances are you'll be sitting on the seat with your arms by your side and all your fingers hanging over the brake and clutch levers. Immediately your weight is in the wrong place ( too far forward ), and there's little chance of quickly shifting from your chosen line. To emphasise the weight distribution problem, note the height of your rear fender. If it's high, it means the rear is light and is likely to kick.

Not so in the 'right way' : My elbows are up in the aggressive attack position, weight over the rear, but head and shoulders forward. My legs are still absorbing any shocks, while my right foot is on the rear brake which lowers the rear-end and cuts down on kicking. I have two fingers on the front brake lever ready for only one positive squeeze, while I have two fingers on the clutch lever preparing for a quick exit from the corner.

How To Ride Sand
Sand...No problem if you're Dutch, but for the average rider the thought of it is almost enough to turn him into a marshal. But fear not, Dave Watson explains the secrets of mastering the soft stuff.

Riding sand can often prove a major problem for many riders. Soft sand tends to control both bike and rider instead of the other way round, so here are a few tips to help you overcome your problems.

Stand Up
Standing up and a smooth throttle action are the secrets of being able to ride sand. You should be stood up 80 per sent of the time. Your weight must be to the rear of the bike and your elbows should be up. Do all this and you'll have more control over your bike because your front wheel will be light and skip over the sand. The only time you should be sat down is at the start line and on some smooth bermed corners - even then it should only be briefly ! The reason you need to stand up so much is so you can absorb all the bumps and make your bike lighter so it won't bury itself in the sand and the deep holes.

Throttle Action
A smooth throttle actionis the other important factor in becoming a good sand rider. You must never ride with an erratic throttle action. Your throttle action must be smooth, and should be from quarter throttle to three quarter on the rough sections and from quarter to fullthrottle on the smooth parts ofthe track.

Front Wheel Light
Try and keep your front wheel as light as possible by pushing your weight to the rear of the machine. It's best if you can have your front wheel hovering over the top of the sands and bumps, and steer your bike with the backwheel.

Suspension
Your suspension should be set up a little harder than normal to help keep you up out of the sand. It's especially important to have your front forks harder because soft front forks in sand often cause a rider to crash over the handlebars. Another trick is to drop the forks through the yokes. This raises the fron end and will make it easier to liftthe front wheel over the bumps.

Clutch It
The use of the clutch can be very helpful in deep, power-sapping sand. The clutch should be worked in deep sandy corners to give the bike that bit more power to get out of them faster. And also be prepared to use it on landing into sand from a jump.

Front Brake
The use of your front brake should be kept to a minimum in sand. It'll cause your front wheel to bury itself and increase the risk of a crash.

Once you've learnt to ride sand properly, it really can be a lot offun. So I hope these few tips will help you master the art of riding in that soft yellow stuff.

Racing a 125
125's need to be revved, clutched and ridden hard to make them go fast. Keeping your 125 in the powerband is the most important aspect of racing one. There is no such thing as a 125 with lots of bottom-end, so you must keep them screaming well up the power band. This is best done by using one finger on the clutch lever most of the time in readiness to keep the bike on song. Needless to say, a good operating clutch is essential.

Momentum

You must learn to keep up good momentum, especially through turns. This will ensure your speed down the straights. The start-stop technique of the 500 in a corner will stop your momentum and kill your speed for the straight. So use the berms when possible to blast around the outside and maintain speed.

Gearing

Your gearing and gear changes are two more points to concentrate on. The gearing on a 125 is very critical; you make more gear changes on a 125 than you do on a 250 or 500. You should try to gear your bike so you make as few changes as possible; the fewer gear changes you make the more time you will save. 
Gear changing is also very critical, you must get to know your bike and what revs it is giving maximum power. If you change gear too early, especially on a hill, your engine will start to labour. If you overrev your engine you'll find your bike will go slower. So get to know at what rpm your engine gives maximum power.
As 125s are so light they are easy to throw around which makes them fun to jump. I found that many jumps can be attacked flat out and because the bike is light you don't get a heavy landing. But be prepared to get on the clutch when landing if you have a lot of air time.