Cross-Rutted

Cross-rutted describes the situation where a motorcycle's front wheel runs in one rut and the rear wheel in another, or one wheel climbs out of the rut while the other stays in it. The two tyres then pull in different directions and the bike becomes very hard to control, often ending in a fall.

It typically happens on muddy forest tracks, sandy trails and motocross tracks with deep braking ruts, when the rider looks down, hesitates or tries to change ruts at a shallow angle.

To avoid it, choose a rut early and commit to it, look well ahead, keep your weight centred and the throttle steady, and keep the bike upright. If you must leave a rut, do it decisively at a sharper angle with a slight lift of the front. If it starts to go wrong, a burst of throttle often straightens the bike.