Jumping

[gymrat86]

Hey guys, i am now officially into jumping my KDX 200. I go up to motocross park and practice but i cant seem to keep the front end front coming down first. it seems like when i jump that as soon as im launched into the air my front end starts to fall faster then the rear and im afraid that one of these times im going to go head of heels. please help me. ive done some really good jumps but cant seem to hang on to the technique of keeping the front from going down faster than the rear. also what gear is best for doing a jump? I know that the gear that your in determines how you will finish the jump. i usually go to 3rd gear nothing higher than that. thanks for your time and look forward to hearing from you soon.
-Paul G

 

[RedStreak]

I've run into the same problem as you! I really need help on this one...

JB

 

[ellandoh]

more gas as your going over the lip.

 

[HajiWasAPunk]

I agree with Ellandoh. You're probably chopping the throttle right at take off. Make an effort to stay on the throttle all the way through the take off. Soon you'll be asking how do I get the front end down!

 

[FruDaddy]

Gear choice is dependent on jump length. For example, you like 3rd gear, and maybe that is perfect for a 50 footer, but it may not get you over a 90. For a 25 foot jump, 2nd might be more appropriate. Don't take my numbers as absolute. Your final gearing can affect the jump, and every jump is different, the face cam make a difference. Personnally, I like to jump at around half throttle and keep it steady all the way up the face. My son will often burp the throttle as he leaves the face if he isn't sure he's going the clear the jump. That way he lands with the front a little higher.

 

[tyesai]

You are probably chopping the throttle, stay in it, you don't have to accelerate, just hold it steady.

 

[YamaB]

Keep rolling on the gas as you take off... If you chop the throttle suddenly a split second before take-off, you will cause the bike to jump nose low... If you you hammer it, the front end will be straight up in the air... The key is to find the happy medium...

Other thoughts... The KDX really isn't a jumping bike... Is it possible that the soft suspension is causing problems... Unless I'm mistaken, if the front end is too soft, it will over compress on the face of the jump and cause the bike to try and endo... I'd still bet it has something to do with your throttle control though...

 

[keioffice]

same problem happend to me, i thought i was going fast enuff, then once i got up the jump i thought i was going to slow so i tryed to stop, then i nose dived into the landing jump and broke my arm in to places, if you think your going to fast for the jump dont let off while on or at the top of the jump, let of before the jump then keep the throttle on through out the jump, also you can use a wheight transfer and pop the bike up in the air more and have it a little more striaght, just let of the throttle before the jump while leaning down, gas hard and lift up on the bars at the lip of the jump.

 

[YamaB]

Which brings up another good point... Once you are on the face of the jump, you are "past the point of no return"... Your chances are much better if you just "go for it" as opposed to trying to make last minute adjusments in a panic... I know I went over the bars a few times when I was just learning thanks to getting the "too fast" or "not going to make it" panic feeling, and chopping the throttle and/or hitting the brakes on the face of the jump...

Actually overcoming these unhealthy survival reactions is on of the most valuable skills I believe I've learned in my 13 years of riding... On the street or road race track, when you commit to a corner and get that "in too fast" feeling, you have to just toss it into the corner and put your faith in your machine and riding skills... Same goes with jumps in mx, or tackling knarly obstacles in offroad riding...

 

[Goose91]

Ride as your front wheel is leaving the ground, give it a little gas boost. Or sit back a few inches on the seat. Both maybe just don't gas it real hard and be sitting on the edge of the seat.

Goose

 

[High Lord Gomer]

You don't want to be sitting on the seat when you jump. Best position is normally to be halfway between sitting and standing up all of the way. That way your legs act as a second set of shocks and you have a better chance of not getting thrown over the bars if/when the seat kicks you.

 

[rmzdude]

jumping with front end down first

the other possibility could be that your rebound is to hard,which kicks your backend up when you leave theground,try softening up the rebound by a click or two and give it a try

 

[FruDaddy]

I watched a kid case a step_up Saturday night, over the bars and down the side of the hill. He got right back up, unharmed. Apparently, he saw another rider roll the jump in front of him at the last second, so he chopped it to avoid the body landing. Naturally this dropped the front, so he spun up the rear wheel to bring it back up. Unfortunately, it came up too much. Rear slapped the face, then the front crashed down. If he weren't so near the edge, the landing would have probably hurt a lot more.
Moral of the story: DON"T DO THIS! He probably would have been better off to cut right and whip it. But it was still better than landing on another kid.

 

[High Lord Gomer]

the other possibility could be that your rebound is to hard,which kicks your backend up when you leave theground,try softening up the rebound by a click or two and give it a try

Be careful when/if you do make rebound adjustments on the rear. "Softening" the rebound could mean different things. The adjustment for rebound is a damping adjustment, so turning the adjuster out actually lessens the damping and results in a more "springy" ride. Turning it in increases damping and prevents it from rebounding as quickly.

I would lean more toward a throttle and body position adjustment before suspension adjustment.

 

[SICKSEVENBOSS]

Most likely you are second guessing yourself way to much. If your on a groomed track they have the sections pre-determined. If your dumping out of a berm and only have a short striaght leading into your hit, it's not going to be a very big gap in the case of a double. If you have a long run leading into the hit it's most likely going to be a bigger gap double or in some cases a triple. So when your riding the track it's all about your comfort, if you go into a nice berm and your down shifting into second come out shift in to third, keep the rrrr's up square up your body and as you get to the lip burp it. You should just feel it carry you, if your nose diving you can do a couple of things, twist the **** out of the throttle and hope the g-forces bring the nose up or if you have enough time tap the front brake a little bit, this cause the front wheel to stop spinning, hense letting the back wheel pull the g's. Good luck stay safe and have fun, Also start on tabble tops that way you don't have worry about coming up short.

 

[promuppetmower]

Also start on tabble tops that way you don't have worry about coming up short.

Some of us had to find that out the hard way!! haah BEST TIP OF THE CENTURY!! hah

 

[keioffice]

its all about your position while your hitting the jump, once your in the air its really hard to change your posistion, like this week end my friend crashed bad because he landed on his front wheel and tumbled over the bars because he was so far forward on his bike after the turn and hit the jump like that. But if you are in the air and about to nose dive the best thing you can do is not have your arms alined with the bars and the angle your hitting the ground cause then the shock of your wheel hitting the ground will go up to your arms and break them, thats what happend to me, so you want to push your self up cause its better to go over the bars then it is to take the force of hitting the ground threw your arms.

 

[AXE_1967]

Table Tops

I've got a KX250 and am getting the feel of it pretty good but I'm a little hesitant when approaching jumps. I'm not real sure how much to twist the throttle or what gear to be in to make a successful jump. There are two table tops on my local track and are about 15 to 20 feet tall in which I just ride through them or short it on purpose. I'm am affraid if I go for it I'll land wrong on the down slope and endo. Any advice? By the way I'm 6.1 200lbs if that will help at all.