jumping

[ScottYZ250]

I understand that jumping will take a while to learn, but every time I try to get the bike even a little bit off the ground, the bike rolls over the lip of the jump (hill) and my body flies in the direction the bike should be going. I've been told to just give it more gas, but I'm afraid that the bikes going to fly one way and I'll fly another. What is a good (slow) way to ease myself into the art of getting air. I just want to be able to jump a few feet so I can get used to it. Any ideas how to learn this without killing myself?

 

[Captain Midnight]

Your just driving over the top, and not jumping over the top. You need to stand up, weight to the rear, sqeeze the bike with your legs, you can hit the jump slow if you want, but you have to gas it going up and off the top. If your not on the gas, or if you chop the throttle at the top, you will endo. Good luck, wear your gear.
Midnight

 

[86KDX200]

MY BEST FRIENDS WHEN JUMPING IS THE GAS AND BRAKE. IT JUST TAKES PRACTICE ON KNOWING HOW MUCH GAS TO APPLY AND TO LEARN THE BALANCE OF YOU AND YOUR BIKE. LIKE CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT SAYS, WEAR YOUR GEAR! I HAVE ENDOED AND BROUGHT THE FRONT END UP TO HIGH MANY TIMES. NOW I LIKE TO THINK I LOOK COOL WHEN GETTING AIR. AFTER A WHILE IT BECOMES NATURAL.

PJ

 

[bud]

I'm pretty much a newbie myself, but I can say one thing for sure: the mx track isn't the best place to learn. The jumps at my local track are too steep, so you get more height than distance. It doesn't help confidence much seeing kids getting 10' high off these jumps either.

I found the best place to practise jumps was on my parent's farm, where there's grassy mounds of various sizes in one pasture. Jumps where you get 20' of distance, but only 3-4' off the ground are much less nerve wracking than those ones where you have to get 6' or more else you endo. And grass is better than hard dirt to take a spill on

<FONT SIZE='1' FACE='arial' color='gray'>
[Edited by bud 07-29-1999.]

 

[ScottYZ250]

thanks for the tips fellas. I'm going riding Saturday so I'll let you know if I survive.

 

[tim]

so did you survive?

 

[ScottYZ250]

yes, I survived. I never really got around to working on jumping too much. I did climb my first "adult size hill" though. I was soooo jacked up that I spent the rest of the day going up it over and over. I didn't have the nerve to come back down it, so I had to make about a 5 minute detour to get back to it again each time, but it all worked out.

 

[MHudson]

Dude just move back on the bike and pin it!

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CR500's RULE!! Too much is never enough!

 

[singletracker500]

I agree WR4fun...let's go find some hills!

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John
91CR500
It doesn't hurt till the bone shows!
[email protected]

 

[YZ 250 Weasel]

I Love hillclimbs myself and I have to admit, the downhill part still scares the crap out of me. I'll try the biggest, nastiest hill I can find, but I'll try even harder to find another way down. If there is no other way down, I usually sit at the crest of the hill and pick out my line and say my prayers for about 15 minutes. I know the secret is to just attack it and feather both brakes, but I am still soooo intimidated with going back down the hills. As for jumping, I have given up on that. I have landed a few big jumps, but I have wiped out on more than I've made. The thing with jumps is there are so many different types that require different technique that I just can't master it. I'm only 27, but my body is too old to learn from my mistakes, so I have learned to be content with conquering nasty trails and monster hill climbs.

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Matt W
1994 YZ 250
"Don't worry about me, how's my bike" ?
http://www.mindspring.com/~wilford/willy.htm

 

[Reeko]

You are never too old to learn.
I am 34 and have taken up MX/SX for only the last year. I have gone through the falling more often then not phase and have broken my tailbone jumping.
However, I am getting more confident on jumps of 30 ft or less or on large Table Tops. The big 50ft doubles I have not tried yet.

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Reeko
99KX250
98XR400

 

[Shaltac]

I'm 27 too, and just relearning how to ride (switching to a 2 stroke when the last 4 stroke I rode was years ago) I pogoed really bad and took a bar in the chest. It hurt for about a month and a half and I still have a lump. The next purchase I make is something I never thought I'd need. A chest protector, boots, and knee guards. I'm getting too old or something but it takes me twice as long to shake this sort of thing off. Just protect yourself and have at it.

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27 year old male seeks quality time with young beauty. She must be green, displace 200+ cc's and like to take a beating. Call 199.2KD.X200 for a good time!!!

 

[Reeko]

HAve you seen those Sumu (sp?) Wrestling suits? The ones where they inflate and make you look like you weigh 400+lbs.

Perfect crsh protection.


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Reeko
99KX250
98XR400

 

[ScottYZ250]

I still don't have the nerve to gas it enough to get off the ground. My body wants to fly into the air, but the bike stays low to the ground.

 

[Reeko]

Scott,
Start small. Build a mound of dirt, maybe 2 ft tall. Not to sharp an angle. Practice going over it faster and faster. DOn't just try to goose it as you approacfh it. Work on getting to a particular speed and then maintain a fairly neutral throttle. (I mean the amount of throttle to keep you at that speed but not accelerate).

If you hit the jump with a constant speed, you don't risk jumping too nose high. Work on doig this over and over until you are comfortable with a small single jump. Then you might work on things like more or less throttle to affect your attitude and also how far you launch.

It's really cool to play with an extra blip of throttle to help launch you but don't worry about this until you are comfortable with the jump.


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Reeko
99KX250
98XR400

 

[YZ250man]

At my in laws there is a small dirt mound (for my younger kids to play with their trucks, etc) that I use to teach my 10 and 12 yr old to jump. Once my 10 yr old got 'some' confidence just dropping off over it, I told him to come around in 3rd and let it flow over. It was a beautiful jump; about 4 ft high and about 15 ft, and landed perfectly. When I looked over to him, through his full face helmet, I could see his face was red and he stopped over by me, removed his helmet and was wide-eyed!! When I told him to do it again, he said, "Nope!".

He did do some more later, thoough in second gear but with great fluidity.

I got goose bumps reading thise stuff about the hill climbs! I love hill climbs especially when I had my 83 XR 350. There was this one hill that I used to have problems with a previous bike (YZ250), but the XR would ease up awesomely. I had a blast that first day going up AND down, though first time going down was intimidating.

Now, on my WR, I'm a little nervous about going up big hills (flashbacks of 2 strokings coming back!). I'm going to try some tomorrow though.

I've learned the best way to learn was to drop off (like BKX says), that way you learn how to position yourself. Once you do enough then just jump some small 'bumps' (2 ft, not steep) and just flow with it. Once you get that good feeling from a good jump, it's addicting!

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Dave
89 YZ250WR

 

[ScottYZ250]

What do you guys mean by "drop off"?

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[YZ250man]

OK... say you're riding along and then you come to a "cliff" (that is, from the top of the cliff to the "bottom" is about a foot or so), if you just kept going, rather than just slow down and go over the 'cliff' slowly, you'd be dropping off.

I was never much of a teacher, but I think you get the gist of it. It's just like you're riding on a driveway and at the back end of the concrete driveway (like mine) there is about a foot to the ground. Now, going over slowly will possibly drag the pipe on the edge of the concrete, but if you kept a steady pace, you'd drop off.

I used to do that, except my drop off in an old riding area was like 2-3 feet, and I'd go faster and faster, practicing landing a little front heavy (cuz I liked it, plus I'd be in position to take off with less wheelspin and keep momentum upon landing).

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Dave
89 YZ250WR
P.S. ScottCR250...I used to have a girlfriend that worked at the Livermore Labs back in the early 80's.....small world here...<FONT SIZE='1' FACE='arial' color='gray'>
[Edited by YZ250man 09-17-1999.]

 

[bigair56]

I've always tried to keep the throddle (spl?)even when I jump, but I always endo. I need more torque on my bike... even blipping the throddle I land nose way first.

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Sincerely,
Me

 

[ScottYZ250]

Thanks guys, I'll practice drop-offs when ever I get the chance.
Dave, are you still in the area? I can use all the riding buddies I can talk into going. I enjoy riding with vet riders because I tend to try more things.

ScottCR250
...if you're bored, twist the throttle and shift up!!

 

[sled J]

along long time ago at Royal Blue in East Tenn. On a 1974 xl250 we come to a high wall(strip mime) called the wall. To some no big deal? To me awse some Wall dude. Iwhent down it 3 times before I tride to too gooo up it. Imade it had fun, soo just work on it!

 

[Skystutts]

Hills?
I Love Hills!
YZ250Man,
We need to go ride some hills sometime!

To the jumping.
The drop offs are a great idea. small mounds (terraces in a pasture) are good. What helped my sons most (mind you I am no jump expert. Probably couldn't even do a double at a mx track. I can, however, jump everything I need to jump on the trail) was a small ramp I built in the back yard. It was about 16" high, 10' long, and 4' wide. It was long and wide enough not to be scary and only high enough to get them off the ground. They landed on their front tire a few times but it was low enough not to hurt. Eventually they were sailing up to 15' off this low, small ramp.

It might work for you?

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Skystutts
CR250
Hero in Training

 

[cr250]

I think jumping is awesome and I'd love to get bigger air.&nbsp;&nbsp;Lots of gas and a prayer works for me but what about landings?&nbsp;&nbsp;Mine are very rough.&nbsp;&nbsp;I'm on a 250 and I weigh 125lbs I think a suspension change is necessary... But How?

vanessa

 

[JG]

When I jump I'm usualy in 3rd gear, and let off the throttle right before I'm about to launch. If I pin the throttle, the front end sticks straight up (not a good feeling). Should I continue the way I've been jumping or should I learn to hold the throttle while launching? Maybe lean forward a little?

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-John
99'RM300

 

[alee]

Depending on the lip I'll usually a) stay centered on the bike at an even constant throttle or

get up over the bars and run it WFO

I guess it depends on the bike a lot too if I let off the throttle before the jump I'm lucky if the rear wheel doesn’t pass over my front. I had my suspension re-valved and this made a huge difference in the way my bike launches off a jump. (it made a huge difference period!) I’ve been improving with my jumping just not as fast as I would like too (doubles and triples make me real nervous I hate coming up short)




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Arthur Lee
99 KX 125