Off Camber Turn Technique
by
Paul Aschmann & Tom Kraft
Photography by Brian Bunn

Off cambers turns can be really tricky, especially when the ground is really muddy or very dry and dusty. As with any obstacle, preparation is key and practice makes perfect. A crucial aspect to off-cambers is line selection, 90% of the time the corner will have 2 lines, a very tight inside line and a berm or slingshot line around the outside. Watch the line during other practices and use the one which looks faster. During your practice use both lines and sort out which is your fastest line. During your race it’s going to be difficult to use the same line every lap because of other riders, so it's important to make sure you are comfortable using both.

Step 1. Setup
As mentioned, pick your line, if you are going to use the inside line, make sure your braking is complete before the corner to avoid your wheels loosing traction while braking and washing out. Move your body position forward and sit as far forward as possible for traction and have your front foot out for stabilization. If you are using the outside line, carry as much momentum as possible, get your braking done and remember to look ahead and draw an imaginary smooth flowing line through the berm or edge of the track. PHOTO

Step 2. The Corner
On the inside, throttle control is going to be extremely important, be smooth and avoid using the clutch if possible until you are exiting the corner. Make sure your body is forward on the bike, get your head over the handlebars and keep your inside foot forward next to your front wheel. Put as much weight as you can on your outside footpeg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This will load the suspension and flex the sidewalls of your tire to create a lot of traction. If the corner is really tight and steep try to avoid using your foot as a pivot point (don’t put your foot on the ground), as this will cause you to loose your balance and traction. If there is a rut available you can lean the bike over a little bit more than normal and you can be a lot more aggressive. If you are using the outside line, attack the corner, and as with the inside line, move your body weight to the front of the bike and get your front foot out, weight onto the outside peg and be as smooth and flowing as possible. In both cases be sure to keep an upright body posture and keep those elbows up! PHOTO

Step 3. Exiting the corner.
Know which exit line you are going to use and keep looking ahead, get onto the gas as soon as possible while being smooth and keep your body forward for front end traction and control. Once you have rounded the apex of the corner start applying gas smoothly while maintaining traction. Depending the following corner and your line selection you can often slide or drift the bike out of the exit to gain some time. PHOTO