So I have the opportunity to go on a guided multiple day motocross tour. Classified as medium. I mountain bike with a mate who does both disciplines and he thinks I will be fine. My mtb skills are about 5ft drops, 1ft high bunny hops, 6-7 ft gaps etc, 25yrs mtb and normally get down red runs. However my time on a motorbike is just a few times on the road on a 250. So asking how others have found the transition. I got another mate no bike skills at all and even he survived a ktm beginners day. I don’t mind it being tough. My mate reckons after day one I will be into it. I just don’t want to be terrified all day, hold the group back or really serious injury.small injuries are fine. He says often he is going no faster on singletrack than on our mtb’s just that those speeds are maintained on the flat and even uphill. Really what I would like is a day out bumming around before stumping up cash and committing to 5 days but no time. Does it sound foolish, just me and him been riding for years I know his ability is on par with mine and if he reckons I will cope then it gives me some confidence.I am looking to just get down the trails and know for sure I won’t be getting cocky. Any thoughts on the transition between the disciplines.

When you say motocross do you actually mean motocross? Motocross is short man made circuits. Generally a novice can ride a MX track and as long as it’s not too busy it should be safe enough. It will leave you knackered though. Totally and utterly wrecked.

But… you say ‘trails’, which suggests you might mean trail riding. I suspect you’d be fine and not nearly a physically wrecked.

Remember that motorbikes are heavy!
Sounds obvious, but it takes a while for the brain to adjust to the fact that you can’t just catch an MX bike like you would an MTB.
It’s also very easy to over throttle and pull a wheelie (and fall off the back!) on an MX bike if you’re inexperienced.
I’d say even a couple of hours spent practicing beforehand would be time well spent.

A few years ago, before I learned to ride, I went with friends to the Yamaha motorbike place in Wales. There were two of us that had not ridden before and the took us off and did clutch control etc etc. By the end of the day, we were both prrtreety much riding everything the rest of the group was.

To be honest, the strange thing was how slowly the experienced people were riding back down the hill.

Two days, you say? That will be the hardest part – the morning of the second day your body is going to hurt. A lot.

Rachel

Two days, you say?

Gotta love that internet.

What bike is it?
If it’s road legal then probably not a ‘real’ MX bike which are race bikes, more likely a trail bike with a softer tune. I’d say you’ll be OK when you’re cruising, but at slow speed you’ll need some time to get used to using the throttle to get over smaller obstacles that you cannot blast over (because you’d be going too fast for your ability level), so that sort of ‘trials bike like’ riding where you blip the throttle to lift the front, possibly with the back end moving sideways, will catch you out. If you’re wearing the big MX boots (you must) then you’ll be fine. The bikes are not heavy only 105kg or thereabouts. The throttle is your friend.