Ride a Dirt Bike Through Sand

Have you ever been down a trail on your bike and gone through sand and just fallen off straight away? Read this article to be better prepared for it.

Steps

Look for the most shallow and straight rut. Maintain speed and sit as far as you can on the rear of the seat. Just before you hit the bog, roll on a little more throttle.
- Stand up in an attack/crouched stance.
Stay on the throttle at around 50-75% wide open.Do not shift down or dump the clutch as you will start to sink.
Keep your feet on the pegs all the way through. Dabbing one foot down or dog paddling is fine once in a while, but you increase your chances of getting stuck by doing that.

If you are an experienced rider, consider clearing the bog.
- Look for a rock, hump or small log approaching and hit the gas.
- Bounce on the pegs to get the most spring, keep the bike level, and clear the bog.
- Gas it a little before the rear wheel hits the ground.

In more typical sandy conditions, stay on the gas. Drive harder into turns carrying more momentum. Think of sand as a dragging front brake.
- Look for ruts only if you are on hardpack.
If the bike has adjustable fork compression settings, add one or two more clicks compression resistance to help prevent plowing and to help keep the bike level. Leave the rebound damping as is.
- You can use light clutch in turns and a little wheel spin is normal.
Do not use the front brake in sand. This stops your momentum, allowing your bike to get stuck.
- If you overshoot a turn, drag the rear brake a bit. Stay on the gas, thought only at about 20-30% throttle.
Let the bike traverse side to side as it hunts though the ruts on straightaways . Stay on the gas . If there are a lot of whoops, try to gain enough momentum to shift up a gear. This keeps the rear suspension less loaded so it can work better and help the bike get on top of the sand.
- If the front wheel plows abruptly, to avoid a crash, muscle it somewhat straight and add more throttle simultaneously. If you crash, try to roll your body even before you hit the ground .
Keep riding and enjoy yourself!

The more weight on the back the better.
Concentrate and focus on riding . Don't sight-see and don't think about anything else . Stay 100% focused on the moment and what's ahead in the next {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} depending on your speed .
# If you ride in sand a lot and not on paved rods or hard pack, try a paddle tire on the rear . Traction will be very good and it will be much easier to keep the front end light and the whole bike more on top of the sand

Wear all the proper safety gear when riding a dirt bike. (Goggles, pads, and helmets.)