In this article we will give you all of our tips and tricks on how to pull the holeshot every time. The most important part of any race is the start. It can make the difference between winning and losing, running out of tear offs, eating roost, getting tangled up with another rider, and just make your life harder during the race.
Starts are the most important part of any motocross race.
Tip #1 - Get a front starting device and try a rear
There is no doubt that starting devices have become a staple of the sport since we invented them. Every pro runs one and anyone doing any good at amateur nationals runs one. This is a no brainer, but the starting device has revolutionized the sport of motocross and is ABSOLUTELY need in order to pull a holeshot. Anyone that tells you they don't need a starting device for good starts is either racing against very slow people or doesn't actually get good starts. Check out our Button and Ring Features tabs to learn why the Tamer device is the best on the market.
The rear device is beginning to be used more and more by the pros with Club MX, Motoconcepts Racing, Team Tedder, and many others. The rear device takes time to get used to like any other thing to improve yourself. It has been proven to lower starting times to 15ft with tools such as Litpro and slow motion cameras. Give it a try and focus on the other tips to get it down.
Tip #2 - Prepping your starting gate
I have seen to many kids at training facility's "practicing starts" without ever prepping there gate. The only thing they are doing is teaching themselves bad habits so that when the gate is prepped at a race, they are unable to do a good start. YOU MUST PREP YOUR GATE ON EVERY START THAT YOU PRACTICE. Below we break down exactly how to prep your gate.
Make sure when choosing the gate to try and pick the least deepest and straightest rut coming out of the gate without compromising where the gate is.
Make sure that your mechanic is wearing a good pair of shoes or work boots. (These bikes have a lot of power, so the gate needs to be packed in well.)
Take a look at the dirt behind the starting gate and decide if you are going to use the top or bottom button. We recommend using the bottom button about 85% of the time, but if it is blue groove with limited traction then use the top button. However, when in doubt use the bottom button.
Take the center of your shoe and scrape off both edges of the rut pushing the dirt into the rut behind the gate. The goal of this is to make your rut behind the gate as flat as possible for a great launch.
Find any other tacky dirt that you can either in the starting gate hole or around your rut and push it into a pile in your rut right where the gate drops.
Begin packing all the dirt in the rut as hard as you can starting from the back of the rut and moving forward. Stop when you get to our pile of dirt that we have up by the starting gate.
About 3/4 of the way from the back of the rut, begin to make a ramp with the pile of dirt that you have there making sure to leave room for the gate to drop right after it. the ramp should be about 1/2 inch taller than the gate when it is dropped. MAKE SURE THAT THIS RAMP IS GRADUAL AND IS PACKED IN VERY TIGFHTLY SO THAT IT DOES NOT COLLAPSE INSTANSTLY.
check to make sure that there is nothing impeding the gate like rocks or dirt from dropping all the way.
Give it one last pack and check and you are ready to go.
Tip #3 - Starting position with front and rear device
If you are only using the front device then go to the next tip.
When using the rear device a slightly different starting style is needed to execute it perfectly
Latch both devices.
Take the play out of your pants so that you are locked in.
Lock boots in front of foot pegs making sure that your toes are pointing slightly inward so that your knees have a strong grip on the bike.
Sit up front by the gas cap while still leaving about 3 inches from it.
When using the rear have your upper body in more of a vertical and upright position rather than entirely over the bars. This is because the rear device does not allow the bike to wheelie at all so your weight is better used slightly shifted back for more traction.
Keep your head looking out ahead of the gate and watching the gate with your peripheral vision for faster reaction time and a straighter shot out of the gate.
When using the front and rear, you will most likely be wide open when starting on the gate, but play with different throttle positions to see what works best.
IF YOU'VE DONE IT RIGHT THEN YOUR BODY WILL NOT MOVE AND WILL REMAIN PERFECTLY LOCKED IN AFTER YOU HAVE DUMPED THE CLUTCH.
Tip #4 - Starting position with only a front device
Latch device.
Take the play out of your pants so that you are locked in.
Lock boots in front of foot pegs making sure that your toes are pointing slightly inward so that your knees have a strong grip on the bike.
Sit up front by the gas cap while still leaving about 3 inches from it.
When using only the front device, you will need to have your chest positioned further over the bars but this can vary depending on your bike size.
Keep your head looking out ahead of the gate and watching the gate with your peripheral vision for faster reaction time and a straighter shot out of the gate.
When using the front and rear, you will most likely be wide open when starting on the gate, but play with different throttle positions to see what works best.
IF YOU'VE DONE IT RIGHT THEN YOUR BODY WILL NOT MOVE AND WILL REMAIN PERFECTLY LOCKED IN AFTER YOU HAVE DUMPED THE CLUTCH.
Tip #5 - What to do after the gate
One of the biggest mistakes I see is people go over the gate and all of their technique goes out the window. You have to remain rigid on the bike so that no weight or power is lost by your body moving on the bike.
Keep your legs locked in in front of the pegs for as long as you can before shifting.
Keep strong arms, elbows, and shoulders so that you are not pushed around by anyone next to you.
DO NOT DOUBLE CLUTCH THE BIKE AFTER YOU HAVE ALREADY RELEASED IT.
Follow these tips along with our other resources on the site to perfect you starts and get the holeshot every time. Videos are coming soon.