Does This NEW Motocross Technique Actually Work!?

Over the past few years proper riding technique has taken a new trajectory when it comes to foot placement. More and more top athletes and coaches are practicing keeping their feet on the pegs, through jumps, through whoops, and now through corners.

In this episode we share our experience conducting a little test and comparing the two techniques. For years motorcycle riders have been pointing their leg through ruts and turns. Is this right or wrong? No one knows!

There is no right or wrong answer and it's too difficult to say that one technique is better than the other. Especially when considering all the different varieties of terrain. There are simply pros and cons to each. Watch the video to learn more and share your experience in the comments below!

00:00 - Intro
01:11 - Pointing Leg
03:38 - Feet on Pegs
05:58 - First Impressions
07:15 - Lap Time Results
08:30 - LitPro Results
12:00 - Conclusion

[SaaMIV]

I think it’s worth keeping the feet on the pegs from a safety standpoint aswell.. less chance of jamming or twisting a knee.

[fredovchinnikoff]

I ride nw. Woods n track, I noticed I flow faster with feet on pegs n standing thru turns compared to when I'm tired n sitting. A good set of aftermarket pegs will insure legs will stay more planted knees holding bike, so when u hit a rock root or run u can steer bike with knees and counter what bike wants to do. Good vid man.

[FastCoachToby]

I usually teach beginners riding with the leg out - and then later do as me, keeping the feet on the pegs in all easy turns ☝ but I still put the leg out in tricky turns, sweepers, and ruts (like most pros) where you foot could get pulled off or squashed by the track 👍

[jasoncree]

I think it depends on the time and place, been through rutted corners with both feet off the pegs

[steve_____K]

Maybe one consideration too is keeping your foot/leg safe through the corner. Many years ago I was helping with the Idaho City ISDE grass track and was observing on a particular corner and I watched a guy ride into the rutted corner with feet on the pegs. Part way in the wall of the rut caught the guy’s toe and in the course of ripping his foot off the peg it twisted and busted his lower leg. I just happened to see the whole thing as it unfolded.

[NorthWestMotos]

As a newer rider I appreciate this content. Most of what I've have been seeing is people say to keep your foot on the pegs, but most of these folks are also talking about motocross tracks. I do try to keep my feet on the pegs as much as possible but it's nice to not feel so bad if I point my leg out in the turn in case traction gets weird. Thanks

[ivyhillmxtraining]

I'm glad you did this video. All you gotta do is watch your favorite pro rider at a race - All of them WILL have a foot out in at least 80% of the corners around the track. The sharper and slower the corner is the more you need the inside foot out if you're leaning (Ruts or not). Next time you try this test, notice how your upper body loses counterbalancing ability. No doubt it's beneficial but there's a time and place for it.

[andrewbecker]

I'm in the first 25 hrs. of operation on a new 450, and I've noticed myself riding faster and more confidently now that the bike is dialed in for the terrain. I've been focusing on using the throttle to steer through corners more often, and keep my feet on the pegs. It's definitely given me confidence and I'm carrying more speed everywhere. If the bike is set up poorly, it's much harder to use this technique because it won't put the power down smoothly. Balance is soo important, and a bike that won't stay under you when pushed causes fatigue way faster.

[rebekahfrench]

We all ride at diffrent levels and as ruts get deeper it can be a challenge to keep foot on inside peg.. but bike control and confidence is paramount.. as we grow older we find the ground gets harder and we dont bounce quite as well..

[Mostviews]

I've caught my foot on so many things especially off road riding I always want to stick it out and catch myself.

[staneverts]

It worked for Stephen Everts and he was rather handy on a bike

[wbvw]

At watching your vid, it looked to me that with the feet on the pegs you got less wheelspin/roost. I would call it a better drive out of a corner.

Now I 'm thinking how the same test will turn out on a 4 stroke, where there is less wheelspin compared to a 2 stroke??
I am feeling a lot for the feet on the pegs on my 4 stroke, except slippery situations. This vid makes it undeniable clear why feet on the pegs! Thanks for this.

[wildsideindia]

Thanks for this video. I recently participated in Rally Of Himalayas 2023...nd I ran a goood 550 km of off-roading from sissu to kaza and return. Mostly i keppt my feet on the pegs with all terrain tyres and not the knobby ones...while worrying that other riders will be way ahead of me. In reality, I was having a good speed and hardly i had to put my feet strangelling in dirt for no reason. Do check my Kaza POV n crash and let me know what u think about it. 🦉

[bobwelch]

Anyone who was fortunate enough to see Bob Hannah race during the 70's would notice that his feet never came off the pegs

[bikerdude]

Ive always rode my bike on both pegs, my friends asked me if i ever feel like ima tip over, but on those sections i do put my foot out

[wouterbeckers]

There is this guy, stefan everts...who did this 30 years ago😀

[raymondharold]

This is a hot topic for MX our grandsons are racing now (3rd generation) and have been applying it a lot the 9 yr old is really good at it and feels comfy with both wheels drifting and doesn’t panic when it happens on his 65 the middle one 7 yrs is good at it but a this point it costs him some corner speed, but he’s really fast on his KTM 50 in the heat of a challenging moto the faster rut’s have revert to foot up for confidence.

[MikeyPsf]

So one thing I learned from a pro instructor was that pointing your leg out also adds much needed extra weight (from your leg) to help the front tire stick in the corner. I like both techniques and have done both but I find that foot out is far better just because of the weight up front and when in deep ruts.

[writehandman]

Look at old photos of Marty Smith and Roger DeCoster and you normally see the leg extended way out and the upper body leaning forward. This transfers a lot of weight to the front wheel for traction. Many riders today extend the leg while the body leans back. Feet on the pegs allows the upper body to lean forward as needed while keeping the legs out of harms way. And on todays tracks you see much deeper ruts than forty years ago too. Feet up lets the foot get swept back and not jammed into terra firma.

[isaacpaulsen]

It seems if you lose front or rear traction in a steep bank turn you potentially pin your inside leg if you go down, with the foot out you can push yourself back up or ditch if you have to.