DThe MXGP of Castilla la Mancha was one to remember. A whole weekend Cozar was in the grip of rain and the accompanying mud. Some riders were delighted with the mudfest, others would have preferred to stay home.
Either way, driving in the mud is no picnic, but you can make it a lot easier for yourself by following our five tips.
Count your teeth
Power is nothing without control. In muddy conditions, a lot of power is useless because it only creates extra wheel spin while you mainly need traction. Before you stand in front of the mirror with your mouth open: count the teeth of your rear sprocket and take one or two teeth off. This will ensure a less brutal engine and you can pull longer in the same gear. An extra tooth in the front is also possible.
Another way, if you have the option, is to set your mapping switch on the handlebars or via the app to a less aggressive setting.
Stay clean
The best way to win a mud series is to take the holeshot. You are free from roost for longer and can choose the best lines perfectly, without other competitors forcing you into unwanted ruts. By the time you start to lap slower riders, you will have built up a sufficient lead to do so with the necessary caution.
Take a look at Liam Everts
In school you never copied but now you are allowed to and it costs nothing. Learn from the grandmasters! His father was able to do it like no other and his son Liam also got that talent from an early age. Stand up straight on the footrests, look far enough ahead and adjust your posture when the situation requires it.
Lean back when accelerating to give your rear wheel extra grip but change this position again when turning into the corners. Keep your feet low and close to the pegs for balance and control. In corners you can create extra stability by applying light pressure to the outside peg. Maintain speed as much as possible because this way you don’t fill your tires with mud. Train when the tracks are wet, that way you will learn something.
Ignore the gray matter
Look for tracks with firm ground and avoid deep watery ruts or thick mud. Sometimes the outside lines are more efficient than the inside lines. Don't risk choosing tracks when you don't know what to expect. It is tempting to choose the tracks that others take but be creative and think "out of the box". Often an outside in a corner is not damaged and you can pass "on the outside". You will cover more meters but the speed is higher.
Prepare your engine
Your machine will easily gain 20kg so make sure it picks up as little gunk as possible. Spray the insides of your fenders and radiator flaps with silicone spray, fit a mesh in front of the two radiators and run with anhydrous coolant.
Why change the coolant? In muddy conditions, the build-up of sludge restricts the airflow through the radiators, causing conventional coolant to boil. The boiling point of waterless coolant is approximately 55 degrees Celsius higher, so you don’t run the risk of things boiling over and ruining your engine. Tim Gajser has been doing it this way for years, so why shouldn’t you?
It is the very logic but we repeat it: lower your tire pressure. The tires adapt better to the surface and the contact surface becomes larger, which creates more traction. Due to the lower pressure, your tire will also deform faster and thus better drain the mud.
Photos: Ray Archer, Fullspectrum Media and Honda Racing
Tekst: Danny Hermans
