Fine-Tune Your Game

Racing on two wheels in no way resembles racing on four. New racers may find this surprising, and maybe even a little frustrating, but, just as with everything in the world, there are strategies you can learn that will make you a superstar in motorcycle racing before you know it.

I discovered a few tips while tearing around the tracks, bumbling off onto the shoulder, and knocking both my character and other racers across the asphalt. It's my greatest pleasure to share them with you here on the off chance they will save you from taking your own hard knocks.

Are you ready for two-wheeled competition?

Pay Attention
Your mother said it to you. Your teachers said it to you. Your girlfriend said it to you. Maybe even your boss said it to you. "Pay attention." Well, I'm saying it to you now. Don't think you can go zooming around the track willy-nilly at the highest possible speed. You can't. You'll end up off the track.

Your A.I. opponents have already figured this out. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. If you watch how the A.I. handles itself on the curves and straight-aways, you'll gain some important clues. In particular, pay attention to your opponents' speeds. If they're going fast, then you can as well. The moment they slow down, however, it's a safe bet that there's a curve coming up that's just waiting to toss you off the track.

Mooks drive on four wheels. Racing artistes drive on two.

This game isn't about getting as far ahead of the pack as you can—at least, not in the beginning. Once you have a feel for when to brake and when to accelerate, then you can show off. Until then, save yourself some frustration. Even if you're in first place, don't be a hero. Keep them behind you, but let them stay close.

Hand-in-hand with my advice for you to pay attention comes my second piece of wisdom. I suggest you slow down. Your opponents brake a lot. In car racing games, the driver rarely seems to brake, zooming at extremely high speeds around the track. When you're on two wheels, you have to slow it down. Two wheels do not hug the road in quite the same way that four do. You have to be savvy, not speedy. There's the real difference. Mooks drive on four wheels. Racing artistes drive on two.

Yes, you have to be moving to achieve that angle.

Sit Up Straight
Again, a bit of advice you may have heard a thousand times when you were a kid: "Sit up straight." But this time, it actually serves a purpose. When you want to slow down, you can do so more efficiently if you sit your character upright and brake at the same time. Pull down on the left thumbstick to have your driver sit up on the bike. Pull down on the right thumbstick to brake. Doing both these moves at the same time increases wind resistance which helps to slow your forward momentum.

This brings me to the dual-analog control. Use it. You don't have to. You can brake and accelerate with the buttons, but you'll have more subtle control if you use the two thumbsticks. So, use them. The left directs leaning (directional), sitting up, or hunkering down over the bike. The right directs braking and accelerating. Combine the various options to more subtly maneuver your bike.

Take those curves and show 'em who's boss.

Check the Map
Don't worry, I'm not suggesting that you stop and ask for directions; however, I do recommend that you use your minimap to its greatest potential. Because of all this slowing down, it helps to know what's coming. You have to know when there's a curve approaching and how tight it is, so you know when you have to start braking.

A large portion of the game's strategy involves knowing how fast you can take curves of different degrees. If you're coming up on a hairpin, you have to slow down much more than if you have a smooth bend ahead. Thus, for the hairpin you have to start slowing down sooner. Your goal is to brake as late as possible while still managing to make it around the curve. This is how you win races.

No matter what, keep a cool head. Don't panic, and don't over-adjust. It's easy to whip back in the other direction if you've leaned too far to one side, but the ensuing whiplash unbalances your character. If you go easy, then you won't feel the need to jerk anything. And you'll be surprised at how you can pass your opponents with a less aggressive strategy then you would use if you were on four wheels.

Article by Angel Leigh McCoy