Body position accounts for much of trials technique.
With such light motorbikes,
where and how you move your body has a huge impact on what the motorbike does.
This happens less with a heavier enduro motorbike.
But it is still a critical part of good riding technique.
First, you will be standing on the footpegs most of the time,
so you can move your body around to maximise traction and control.
Experienced enduro riders will usually only sit for sharp corners, very difficult terrain,
or conserving energy on an easy section.
This should be your default standing body position.
Bend your legs, but keep your lower legs vertical.
This puts your bum toward the rear of the motorbike.
This will help with traction.
It also gives you lot of stability on the motorbike, especially in rough terrain.
Crouch lower when you need to lower your centre of gravity,
for situations like fast acceleration, soft and or mud, gnarly terrain, high speed, or rocky terrain.
This will be harder on your leg muscles,
so return to the default body position when possible... or just slow down and sit instead.
Your elbows are always up and out to give you maximum control.
Point your toes in so that your ankles grip the bike.
This should naturally lead to gripping the bike with your legs when needed.
This means you won't have to hang on to the bars so tightly,
so your upper body, arms and hands won't tire as quickly.
Whatever you do... don't stand with straight legs!
This is very unstable and you will get thrown around more,
and lose control easily in rough terrain.
Get someone to check your body position for you.
You might think you are placing your body over the rear of the motorbike...
but you could still be doing it wrong.
The great thing about this body position is it works for both hill climbs and descents,
because your centre of gravity is low.
The only time you should need to move forward on the motorbike is for extreme steep sections...
then return to your default body position to keep that rear wheel weighted for traction.
A quick note. Many riders say this body position will be too tiring.
But if you keep your lower legs vertical,
this position will mainly use your 'quad' muscles, and shouldn't be too tiring.
However, if you are unfit you may need to do some
exercise if you want to use the best body positioning.
And for us older riders, the Steg Pegz can help as well!
This positioning makes the transition between standing and sitting easy,
with maximum control of the bike during the transition.
The sitting position should always have your bum in line with the footpegs.
This is usually sitting at the very front of your seat.
Again, always keep your elbows up and out for maximum control.
It's best to have your toes on the footpegs when sitting,
so your boots aren't pointing down and exposed to the terrain.
Your foot should always be covering the rear brake for immediate use.
Trials riders often teach themselves this by practising with the rear brake constantly on,
but just varying it to suit the conditions.
It's not a bad idea for cross training too.
A common problem for beginners is not looking ahead far enough.
Looking down at your front wheel or an upcoming obstacle will hamper your riding.
Even when crossing a large log, or hopping up a ledge, you need to be looking head.
Trust your brain to react instinctively
while tackling the obstacle as you consciously plan on your next moves.
Trust us, you will be a better rider for it!