Dirt Bike Training in Singapore: Lessons on Body Position, Ruts, Logs, and Hill Climbs
On a recent trip to Singapore, I spent some time coaching a rider through different off-road skills. What I love about these sessions is that every rider already has some strengths — and once you recognize those, it’s about fine-tuning and building confidence. Here’s a breakdown of what we worked on, and the key lessons that can help any rider improve.
Getting Comfortable in the Attack Position
Right away, his positioning was solid. He was standing up, elbows out, ready to react — exactly what you want in the attack position.
But one thing stood out: he was a little too rigid. Being locked into place makes it hard to let the bike move beneath you. I explained that it’s not just about being in the attack position — it’s about being able to move within it.
When you shift direction, you should get lighter on one foot peg and lean the bike with your legs. When you accelerate, slide your weight forward to keep balance. It takes practice, but the more you move in rhythm with the bike, the smoother you’ll ride.
Standing vs. Sitting: Don’t Sit Too Soon
Another habit I noticed was sitting down too early on rough terrain. That usually comes from a bit of hesitation or fear — which is natural. But the problem is the bike ends up beating you up more when you sit too soon.
I encouraged him to stay standing the whole way through those rougher sections. The terrain wasn’t steep enough to require sitting for traction. On true hill climbs, yes, you can sit for more grip on the rear tire, but for uneven ground, standing gives far better control.
The other big point was throttle. He was riding a little stop-start — slowing down too much, then having to gas it again, which makes things jerky. I reminded him that keeping a steady throttle is the real secret. Flow is everything.
Tackling Ruts Without Fear
We then worked on rut riding. Singapore trails can get deep, and when the rut starts to swallow your wheel, it’s easy to hesitate.
I had him focus on two things:
Lift the front wheel slightly at the entry.
Use momentum — not flat-out speed, but just enough roll to carry you through.
He tried again, and right away he made it further. A small push with the outside foot peg while accelerating gave him even more balance.
The deeper the rut, the more you rely on momentum and confidence rather than fighting the bike.
Riding Logs and Small Obstacles
Next up was logs. For newer riders, they always look bigger than they really are. I demonstrated how to pop the front wheel up: compress the suspension, steady throttle, and then drop the clutch as the forks rebound.
Once you get the timing right, it feels effortless — and it’s a skill that translates to so many other obstacles, like curbs, roots, or small ledges.
Hill Climbs: Building Speed the Right Way
When we moved to hill climbs, I noticed he was hitting them too gently at the bottom, then trying to make up speed halfway up. That almost never works — the bike loses stability and starts fighting back.
The fix? Start with a little more momentum before the hill, then hold a steady throttle all the way up. Smooth, not aggressive. That way, the bike tracks straight and stays balanced.
Roots and Line Choice
Roots can be intimidating, especially when they angle across the trail. The key lesson here was about line choice.
I pointed out that if you hit a root diagonally, the bike just wants to slide along it. The solution is to turn early, get lined up, and hit it straight.
And just as important — decelerate slightly as you roll over. If you keep accelerating, you’ll lose traction. But if you build speed before the root and then ease off, the bike grips and carries you cleanly across.
Wrapping Up
What stood out to me from this Singapore session was that the rider already had a strong foundation — a good attack position and solid focus. The next step was simply learning to move more with the bike, stay standing longer, and trust momentum over hesitation.
These same lessons apply anywhere you ride. Whether it’s ruts, logs, hill climbs, or roots, success comes from body positioning, throttle control, and confidence in your line choice.
At Dirt Bike Academy, we bring these skills to life with hands-on coaching across Vietnam and beyond. If you’re looking to sharpen your technique or push yourself on new terrain, our guided lessons and tours are built to help you ride smarter, smoother, and with more confidence.
