Mountain biking (off-road)
Pros: A good way to build cardiopulmonary fitness, with some direct benefits in terms of reflexes and balance.
Cons: Risk of training injuries increases in proportion to reflex and balance benefits. Every season some racer sheepishly misses his first race because of an off-season mountain-bike wipeout.
Swimming
Pros:An excellent means of building cardio fitness and total body strength with a low risk of injury. This is Val Rossi's favored off-season workout.
Cons: Requires access to a 25-meter (or larger) pool for serious training. Lower-body range of motion does not mirror motorcycle ergonomics.
Elliptical trainer
Pros: Mimics cross-country skiing, long described as one of the ultimate total-body fitness activities. Upper-body activity mimics motorcycle steering effort.
Cons: Pricey as home-fitness tool; lower-body ergonomics don't mirror those of motorcycle riding.
Rowing machine
Pros: An excellent total-body strength and cardio training tool with ergonomics very close to motorcycle riding. Nicky Hayden's personal trainer recommended this for the U.S. star.
Cons: Not all gyms have them; pricey as home-fitness tool.
Road cycling/Stationary bike
Pros: An excellent means of building cardio fitness; range of motion mirrors motorcycle ergos. Sete Gibernau averages 300 miles a week during the off-season.
Cons: Relatively little upper-body muscular training.
HONDA XR100R
Words: Mark Gardiner
The ultimate training tool
Physical training is all about finding your limits and pushing yourself. But riding well is also about finding the limits of your motorcycle. Sooner or later this means learning to ride at--and beyond--the limit of traction. The problem is on pavement there's a thin line between sliding and highsiding. Ouch!
Motorcyclist contributor Kenny Roberts was one of the first people to realize the safest way to develop sliding skills was by training at slow speed on small dirtbikes. Over the years his mini-flattrack training methods have been widely copied by other racers, as well as adopted and evolved by several riding schools. While any small dirtbike can be used, the gold standard has long been Honda's XR100R. The balance skills and reflexes transfer directly onto bikes with 20-30 times the power.
Riding schools such as Danny Walker's American Supercamp (www.americansupercamp.com 970/223-0525) have used and abused XRs for years and found them almost impossible to break. When Walker sets up his XRs he makes only two changes: He fits a Renthal handlebar that's a little more crashworthy with a better bend for dirttrackin', and he mounts a Dunlop 501 Elite front tire backward on the rear rim. The stock knobby has too much grip to slide smoothly, and it chews up tracks.
If there's a downside to the XR's legendary durability, it's that the little bikes command top dollar on the used market. According to the Clymer Powersport Vehicle Blue Book, '90-'00 XR100Rs should retail between $730-$1295. Riders over 6 feet and 200 pounds, who can be cramped on the tiny 100cc XR, can use the slightly larger XR150 or 200 models to similar effect.