Hi all. I just came across this and thought it may be of interest to someone. Bob.

Dirtwise Off-Road Riding Tip by Shane Watts, World Renowned Off-Road Pro & Trainer
Point six of being in the correct standing position is the placement of your head. As you are riding down the trail in the standing position, not really accelerating or decelerating, you should have your head located over the handlebar mounts. This allows you to stay centrally located on the motorcycle which maximizes your ability to control and maneuver the bike, plus react easier to the trail conditions and obstacles present.

When you are decelerating or riding down a hill, you need to move your body and head position further back on the motorcycle to help counteract the forces created with this action, that is you being thrown forward and/or the rear of the motorcycle coming up off the ground. Utilizing the effect of gravity on your body weight is the key with this. You achieve this by bending at the hips and pushing your butt towards the rear of the motorcycle, and by straightening your arm out the further you move back. The heavier the deceleration or the steeper the downhill, the further you need to move your body weight to the rear of the motorcycle. For the most extreme of these trail circumstances, you will be at full stretch with your butt out over the rear fender of the motorcycle.

When you are accelerating or riding up a hill, you need to do the opposite and move your body and head position further forward on the motorcycle to help counteract the forces created with this action, that is you being thrown back and/or the front of the motorcycle coming up off the ground. Again, utilizing the effect of gravity on your body weight is the key with this. You achieve this by bending at the ankles and somewhat straightening out your body the further forward you go. The heavier the acceleration or the steeper the uphill, the further you need to move your body weight to the front of the motorcycle. For the most extreme of these trail circumstances, you will be at full stretch with your head out over near the end of the front fender of the motorcycle.

The final key point of your head position is to remember to be looking forward down the trail, not down just in front of the front tire. Not only does doing this give you far greater balance, but it also gives increased time to identify, interpret, and react to the obstacles and conditions that are approaching on the trail ahead. Too many riders have crashed due to this one reason of not looking far enough ahead to give them the adequate time to avoid these possible accidents.

Be sure to catch the October issue of the TT eNewsletter for more, exclusive off-road riding technique tips. Also, checkout my website for additional tips and training resources. Keep the rubber side down! Shane
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