TrackMaster

Member
Mar 15, 2001
212
0
And almost my first endo! The biggest jump ive done before today was just barely a foot of air. I found some jumps at a friends, they were about 3-4 ft tall. My first attempt, i hit it in 2nd, and let off before I hit it.. NEVER DO THIS!!! My front end just dropped! I somehow saved it, but i did a little nose wheelie for about 10yards! Then I finally got used to it, and hit it in 3rd pinned, and I got about 10 feet of air. It was sweet! Im sure you guys are thinking "10 feet? thats it?" :D I think its pretty good for my first time, and only been on a real dirtbike for 4 monthes (and 2 were very snowy)

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My name used to be NewMotoXer, but I no longer consider myself to be "new" to dirtbikes. But my new name doesnt quite fit me just yet.. :)
 

Jeff Gilbert

N. Texas SP
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Oct 20, 2000
2,969
2
Good feeling isn't it? Gotta be careful letting off the gas don't ya?
What kind of jump was it? Did it have a landing or was it one of those that throws you up and from there your on your own?
Look at all the question marks I've left!

I remember the 1st time I really caught some air, my daughter said "wow dad," you jumped as hi as the trailer. Of coarse from her angle that was about 5' hi and about 30' in distance. It was great at the time and it keeps getting better. It's a good idea to video your riding and look at it to see how you can do it better. The 1st jump is the hardest I think and you learn how the bike and you react and then it really gets to be a rush.

Congrats on you accomplishment.

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"Nature Boy"
 

Rob_43

Member
Apr 7, 2001
22
0
Cool.

As for me I am still thinkin about my first jump lol......Why, you ask? I am scared shi#less to try it. I have seen so many people eat dirt on there first one....but someday I will do it.

I hear the advice of "not letting off the throttle"

Anything else?

Thanks


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Rob
2000 Suzuki DRZ400
 

13wish16

Member
Nov 22, 2000
14
0
don't give to much throttle, I just went of my jump gassing it right while I was going off of it and I almost looped it, its scary when you're about 10 feet high and your bike is verticle.

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It's good to wish!
 

Jeff Gilbert

N. Texas SP
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Oct 20, 2000
2,969
2
Originally posted by Rob_43:
Anything else?

Depending on what type of jump, you need to be standing in the attack position (most likely), elbows up, back slightly arched, knees bent, keep your wrist parallel(sp) with your arms, grip the bike with your knees and ankles and hold a consistant throttle till you are airborn. You can manipulate the bike in the air with your body and if the front is too low gas it, if the front is too hi pull in the clutch and tap the rear brake. Get back on the gas when you land so you are not thrown over the bars, a body in motion tends to stay in motion even if the bike doesn't.

It's ok to land slightly on the front wheel 1st as long as your back on the gas but be prepared when you get traction, it can pull you off the back if your not ready.

Good luck and I hope my description didn't bore you.

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"Nature Boy"
 

LB400

Member
Apr 9, 2001
59
0
I'm not much of a jumper, but I DO know to gas-it if you're coming down nose first, and hit the back brake if you're going nose high.
The higher you go, the more time you have to think about these things, and to pull off a tear-off, or wave to the croud (only in my dreams lol).

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TrackMaster

Member
Mar 15, 2001
212
0
Its a great feeling! The jump didnt have a landing to it, but the landing was downhill. So it was kinda nice.

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My name used to be NewMotoXer, but I no longer consider myself to be "new" to dirtbikes. But my new name doesnt quite fit me just yet.. :)
 

Dirteater

Member
Jan 24, 2001
60
0
Saturday was my first sucessful real jump too. I want to tell everyone. Even about the rightous endo I did trying to show off to everyone. Thankfully it was a soft part of the dunes I landed in. What made my jumps sucessful was my buddies advice. He said to let the bike do all the work while launching and in the air. Wow those three feet of air really felt like 50. Congrats on the accomplishmant.
Zack

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Ridin' till I can't
'98 RMX250
'84 XR250r
Laid to rest:
'73 TC125
 

Kwackers

Member
Sep 15, 2000
66
0
Like some others here I don't claim to be a jumper but I can remember my first jump well because it was not long ago. My advice would be attack position, 2nd gear, not too fast so that you then feel comfortable to accelerate up the face of the jump. If you start off fast then you will have a tendency to panic and throttle off just at the wrong moment at the top of the jump. It is the acceleration more than the speed that determines your take off angle.Watch others and pick a jump that seems to offer a long floating jump rather than a high jump. My first jump ? Too fast, panicked, throttled off, kissed the front wheel, somehow fell back onto the seat, gassed it while falling, wheelied and flipped over backwards ! Couldn't stop laughing for ages. Great feeling on each jump thereafter and never stopped learning. The most important piece of advice, and the hardest, relax.

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Honda Rippin'

Member
Feb 19, 2001
42
0
Jumping is fun! If it wasn't for jumping, I'd quit riding. Well, maybe not, but they are a big part of riding for me. I have a table top as my jump so the landing is flat but it's good to get used to my new bike. I started tearin' it up tonight. I had a friend watching. He says I'm getting about 7 to 8 feet up in the air and about 15-20 of distance. That's alot more than I was able to do on my XR...safely. About a week ago I turned spode and tried to jump all the way across my table top (35 feet across, dumb huh?) and my suspension just didn't hold out so I landed and the bike bucked me off. It hurt, I got a huge gash on my arm but I had some air! The tips about revving to bring up the front end and pulling the clutch in and hitting the rear brake work but that only works if you're in the air long enough for your brain to figure it out. I probably have enough time to do it, I just don't. :). I've found that if you sit a litte back on the bike you can keep the front end from wandering up and down and land flat, or in my case, the front wheel lands just a little before the rear. Try this out a couple times and get positioned where you can get the bike to land in the position you want it to. It might take a couple times to get it where it's most confortable. It works for me. This actually works, just don't get too far back or forward.

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Ridin Red
'87 Honda XR 100 (4 Sale)
'99 Honda CR 80 Expert
Now serving roost roast trackside!
 

Hucker

~SPONSOR~
Sep 15, 2000
999
0
I was actually getting in the air this past Friday. Only about 2/3 feet, but hey you have to start somewhere. Later in the day after hitting this same jump, I decided it was time to step it up a notch. Well, here I go, about 3/4 of teh way in 3rd. Going pretty fast, position was perfect, speed was good, but forgot one thing. I let off the throttle and like everyone said, landed nose first. I didn't wipe out, the bike didn't buck me off, but DAMN does my neck hurt. I have no idea how high I was, or how far I went. I'm guessing about 6 feet up and maybe 15 feet long. I also landed in a rut, that didn't help. But I felt pretty comfortable. This weekend the video camera is coming out, so if I have the *cough* balls *cough* to try it again. Maybe you guys can critique me :)



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'91 RM 250
 

motor86

Member
Dec 25, 1999
41
0
I remember my first real jump. It was about a year ago on the first day I got my KDX. I was riding it up to a 45 degree slope that went up maybe 3 feet. I was just coasting up over it and maybe lifting the front tire. I was going half 1/4 throttle in first. So I wondered what would happen if I hit it at half throttle in 1st.

I came up to the jump at half throttle, but I forgot the first gear part. I was in second. I was going up the ditch and gunned it. I must have flown 4 feet in the air, and only about 8 feet foreward, all while pointing almost strait at the sky. When I got in the air, I paniced and let off the gas, then as I came down I hit with the rear wheel first and landed hard. The front end started to come down but I somehow panic-grabbed the throttle and floored it. It lifted the front end back up again and I rode a wheelie until I could get my head together and let off the gas.

Wow! I will always remember that one. My brother-in-law watched it happen and was laughing too! It was pretty funny now that I think about it. But it was one scary ride for about the 4 seconds that it lasted.

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motor86
85' KDX200(mine-for sale) 96' CR250R(mine)  81' YZ125(Dad's)  81' CM400 (my street bike)
Motor86's home page
 

FMX_novice

Member
Jan 5, 2001
161
0
I remember my first jump. It was right before the winter and I was so amazed that i could jump. I dragged my yuppie dad out of the truck and made him watch me do my jump which got about 2 feet off the ground for about 10 feet. He was underwhelmed and that really pissed me off. So i got my friend to show me how to jump and i am really good at this one with about 25 feet between the gap and 12 feet of height. My dad was to "yuppied up" to come out of the truck and watch this one. I bet he thinks that i am jumping 3 feet now. Ohh well he'll know what hes missing when i ty him to the truck bring out the dirtbike and forge his signature on the application then tie him to a fence post near the track. He will see the light and understand baseball is boring as heck compared to the most amazing sport in the world. Im talking about harness racing! Jk mx more like it

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MrYZ

Member
Feb 2, 2001
7
0
I'M FAIRLY NEW TO JUMPING ALSO BUT I HAVE FOUND THAT WHEN YOU HIT A JUMP YOU NEED TO BE CENTERED ON THE BIKE ON THE GAS AND AFTER YOU HIT THE JUMP DEPENDING ON THE POSITION OF THE BIKE INDICATES WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
IF YOU START TO COME DOWN ON THE FRONT END STAY ON THE GAS IT WILL LEVEL THE BIKE OUT AND IF YOU START TO COME DOWN ON THE BACK TIRE HIT THE REAR BRAKE AND IT WILL BRING THE FRONT WHEEL DOWN AFTER A WHILE IT BECOMES LIKE SECOND NATURE.

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HOWELL RACING
IF YOU WOULD HAVE LEARNED TO TWIST INSTED OF STROKE YOU WOULD BE A MOTOCROSS CHAMPION BY NOW
 

N.H. Hick

Member
Mar 10, 2001
34
0
congrates. did you scare the hell out of yourself when you did it? my firt was on a 125. i had to jump off the bike to just keep it standing. couldn't touch the ground if i wanted to...... anyway i came around this berm, on a part of the track i wasn't experienced enough for, 3rd pined and got about 12 feet of air and missed the landing ramp buy 20 feet. OOOHHHhHHH my god that hurt. dumped the bike and iced the ribs. my friends just laughed.


after that i needed to clean my pants.
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ah hick
TUCK AND ROLL!!!!!!!

[This message has been edited by new hampshire hick (edited 04-26-2001).]
 

TrackMaster

Member
Mar 15, 2001
212
0
Originally posted by new hampshire hick
did you scare the hell out of yourself when you did it?

YES!!! when i first hit it... i hit it in 2nd and got scared and let off right before i hit it... i went up and landed on my front end and did like a 10ft nose wheelie... that scared me!! it didnt keep me from jumping again though :)... it was my last time after i hit it a bunch and got comfortable that i got the most air...
 

wayneo426

Sponsoring Member
Dec 30, 2000
810
1
Sandbar, NY
Ive been trying to get the nerve to "just gas it" at the track lately. The faces of the jumps seem to climb around 12 feet, at a pretty steep angle. Im ok, when I get over them, but the way up is still a little spooky to me. They were supposed to build a slightly easier track, but ran out of space, and just went all-out. Oh well!
 

KTA

Member
Jul 14, 2000
288
0
I remember my first jump on the old xr100. I put a piece of plywood on the stonewall, but i wasn't thinking very much, and when i hit it, the plywood bowed down and i was shot strait up into the air, only landed a couple feet passed the wall, bottomed out and fell over sideways with no forward momentum. it was sweet.
 

dell30rb

Uhhh...
Dec 2, 2001
1,512
0
I remember my first few jumps on the old Xr80. Had so much fun! At poole road i was jumping these HUGE (for that bike anyway) jumps that were plateau jumps. I was getting about 6 feet in the air, and going about 20 feet or so long. I bottomed hard for awhile, but I decided to go really fast and try and land in a small dip in the flat ground. I did it, and the suspension bottomed, but not so bad that time. I got to the point where if I would land rear wheel about 6 inches first, and be on the gas all the way, I would not bottom at all. I do remember one time where I got really confident coming up to the jump, and I grabbed a handful. I came into the face fast, but somehow (4th gear in that bike) I landed front wheel about 6 inches first. No biggie, but then the bike got really bad headshake. I recovered the headshake and slammed on the brakes all the way. I nailed a b.ush (had to edit it cause b.ush is a dirty language, and we are not allowed to mention the name of our president) and fell over!

I looped(midair) my CR once, not fun. Had a badly bruised hip. But I rode away from that one. I've only had one bad crash where I wasnt able to ride away from, I did eventually ride off though, but that was after a good 15 minutes spent in pain on the ground, and I had to have someone else pickup/ start my bike for me.

I was on a hillclimb and stalled the XR. Grabbed the front brake and slid backwards dragging the front wheel. The back wheel nailed a tree stump, and shot me off the back of the bike. I rolled the rest of the way down, and got cut up pretty bad on the rocks, and put a dent in my helmet. (I never got K.O.'ed but I was a lil woozy and my heaing went out for a few minutes, then sounded like i was in a well, then came back to normal)

You will crash sooner or later, If you go vertical on your bike chances are a brake tap wont save you. If I loop in midair, i just jump off. You dont want to be anywhere near the bike when it lands.
 

thomas123

Member
Oct 31, 2001
94
0
Congrats on your first jump, just remember, don't ever get over confident and start being lazy about jumping, as it will bite you when you least expect it... A lesson I learned the hard way yesterday (thankfully not that painfully) when I got sideways in the air off a 20 ft jump that I do all the time. I saved it, though I didn't have the time to brake for the next corner... :scream:

Oh well, live and learn...
Thomas
 

KTMKyd

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Mar 20, 2001
238
0
Yeeeeehaw! I just got back from a trip to Oklahoma, and a guy let us come practice at his MX track while he was putting up new track lights, so I got the chance to do some "real" jumps myself. I did one of the doubles about 25 times and I cleared the 55-60' tabletop twice, it was actually scary as heck... well, the tabletop anyway, that's a long way if you think about it and I don't know how high I was but I promise I felt 10 foot higher :confused:
I have ridden at Mosier several times, but I never cleared any of the table tops, got close on the 45', but that was awhile back and I was pretty inexperienced.

My friend did the double about 3 times and it was his first day on a track of any kind! I was glad he did it, but he was mad that I did it because he HAD to do it just so I wouldn't be better than him :debil: He even told me not to try the triple because then he'd have to do it :silly:

Anyway, it feels good to get my first double out of the way, and I really feel more comfortable riding now, and it really boosted my confidence!

All I can say is go to a track, find the smallest double, and go for it! It's well worth it :D
 

High Lord Gomer

Poked with Sticks
Sep 26, 1999
11,790
34
If I loop in midair, i just jump off. You dont want to be anywhere near the bike when it lands.
In most situations, I prefer to take my chances landing with the bike. If figure whatever use I can get out of the suspension to absorb some of the shock of landing is better than landing on my feet / head / butt ...ok, maybe my butt has more suspension! :scream:

Pretty much the only time I get away from the bike (intentionally) is if I think it is going to land on me.
 
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