We're going to walk you through how to use LITPro to perfect your starts (also known as Gatedrops). Motocross and Supercross style starts are just like all other aspects of the sport in that nothing replaces getting your reps in. You can't expect to be any good at it without a ton of practice. With LITPro you can keep track of what technique, or bike setup is working, you can aim for a goal and track your progress towards that goal.
Why practice Gatedrops?
In professional Motocross and Supercross everyone knows the "key to the race is' #1 get the holeshot, but thanks to our friend and statistician Arich Knaub we pulled a few new numbers out (stats from the 2021-2024 Supercross, Motocross, SMX seasons):
- No rider won a race that finished the first lap 9th or worse
- 65% of riders who got a holeshot finished on the podium
- 75% of riders who got a holeshot finished in the top 5
- of those that won a race, 47% were in first by the end of the first lap
In the amateur ranks there's certain to be a wider set of possible outcomes given any race, but the stats above are really fun to think about and underscore the importance of practicing starts.
What you need to get started
- iPhone or iPad (not yet available on Android)
- Precision GPS device (Racebox Mini S, Racebox Micro, XGPS 160, HDGPS see list of precision GPS devices available now)
- Knowledge of how to record a session on LITPro (see here if you are completely new to LITPro)
What's a good goal to set for yourself
Working with professional athletes and teams we arrived at a gold standard for dirt (not grate) starts on a 450cc, measured up to the 15 foot (4.6 meter) point. Our gold standard is 0.85 seconds. That is a really good start! The first 15 feet in a start are of critical importance because it happens so quick you can't fix a problem that happens before that point, plus you are most likely already getting pinched off if you are at all behind at this point.
So what goal should you set for yourself? This depends on your skill level and many other things, but for sure go give it a try and see how you compare to our gold standard for starts.
How to Practice Start/GateDrops
These are the steps to keep in mind when you are at the track with your bike and are ready to practice starts. For a start to be analyzed in the LITPro system you must accelerate from a complete standstill, to at least 60 feet in a mostly straight line. This means that we'll often detect starts even when you are just accelerating to get on to a track (i.e. even when you aren't intentionally practicing starts).
IMPORTANT: When connecting to a RaceBox Micro or RaceBox Mini S, use Manual Mode instead of Smart Mode. (This is because SMART mode stops recording when you come to a full stop)
- Find an open area with at least 150 meters / 500 feet of straight stretch, draw a starting line in the dirt, or use a real start gate.
- Attempt multiple starts in the same session, preferably 2 or more.
- After completing the session, end recording and sync the data.
- On the track config selection screen tap the menu button:
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Then choose "Analyze Gatedrops Only":
See full instructions on practicing starts here.
How To Analyze your Gatedrop Sessions
Once you've got sessions recorded that include starts, then watch the video below for a dive in to how to analyze your starts.
How to Analyze Gatedrop videos with LITPro VISION
Another powerful LITPro tool at your disposal is the VISION video analysis capability. You can take high frame rate video from your iPhone and easily make visual comparisons between two starts.
- Set up a camera positioned to capture the points of interest. Whether you are interested in clutch, throttle, foot placement, shift points etc you need to set the camera up accordingly.
- Record at least two starts from the same camera position and angle (you need at least two videos to make a good comparison). More tips here.
- Follow the steps in-app to synchronize the videos as described here.
Conclusion
Go practice your starts and let us know how it goes in the comments below.