Jumping question (not the same old stuff)

[HajiWasAPunk]

For those who haven't read, I just recently switched from a CR125 to a CRF250 and I had a heckuva time jumping the 250F. I think it was mostly just me riding it without confidence, almost like I was waiting for something to happen? The result was a lot of jumping with bad form and a lot of unintentional whip. After several weeks (and more riding class) I'm back to where I was on the 125 and really can't tell much of a difference? From what I can tell, good technique and confidence are what is mostly needed to jump well.

 

[High Lord Gomer]

Haji...try squeezing the bike with your knees / calves all the way up the jumps and into the air. It really can make a difference, especially on rutted jump faces.

 

[HajiWasAPunk]

Haji...try squeezing the bike with your knees / calves all the way up the jumps and into the air. It really can make a difference, especially on rutted jump faces.

That's exactly what our instructor told me. That and that my feet were too far forward on the pegs (instead of being on the "balls" of my feet, I was on the arches). He basically said my whole lower body was just being lazy and flat-footed. It was strange but it was like so many of the things I had learned I just wasn't doing? And I don't really know why except to say "the new bike thing" was in my head. Or just that I've only been riding for a few months and the old beginner bad habits were looking for a place to come out!

Anyway, the squeezing with the legs thing has taken care of the problem and I'm back to clearing 50-60 foot tables without whipping, and I love the 4-stroke now. Great recommendation!

 

[Masterphil]

You should always be squeezing with your legs, it really reduces the strain that your upper body. The only way to save it if you get cross rutted it to correct the whip in the air. Also, make sure you aren't leaning the bike over on the face, as that is how you initiate a whip.

I don't like going off jumps on the balls of my feet, the arches are a much stronger place to land if you come up short. If you do take off on the balls of your feet, make sure that you are able to shift your feet forward in the air, casing a jump on the balls of your feet is a surefire way to break something down there.

Sunday, I had a couple of guys come out to my place to ride. I have a step-jump and the face of the take-off is about 3ft wide. We had 6 ruts deep enough to drag peg if you seat-bounced the jump going up the face of that thing by the end of the day. It was quite a challenge not to wad it up on that thing, because each rut launched the bike differently than the others.

 

[HajiWasAPunk]

Masterphil, do you have your own track? What do you use to groom it with, if so?

 

[Masterphil]

It's a mix of a couple of jumps, some wide open sections, and some woods. I barrow an uncle's tractor when I need to use it. It's all getting pretty ate up now, it's been about a year since anything but a dirtbike tire has groomed it.

 

[MX-727]

I use a disc harrow for deep work and then go over it with a tooth harrow to smooth it out.

A good single piece of equipment might be a do-all, but I haven't tried one.

What do you have for a tractor?

 

[Masterphil]

It's a Cub, not sure how to tell you what size it is, but I've had good luck using a blade or gill grader on the back. All the grooming it really gets is an occasional re-facing a jump (or making a new one), and knocking down the ruts with the gill. The front bucket handles all the real dirt moving.

 

[CamDayKX125(4)]

Hitting a jump(Kx 125)

If it's a jump that you can get over 10ft+, let the throttle ride out before you hit the jump, then brap the throttle on the jump.If it's a smaller jump, hit it in high rpms.(especially on a bike smaller than a 125.)

 

[BDAY]

when i jump i will let off jut before the jump with the bike just on the edge of the power and then pin it as the front wheel gets to the base of the ramp, i do this when it's a short jump that i might over shoot. if its a long one it's just WOT.