Rear brake tapping

wjp · Apr 3, 2006

Hi,

There's a 50 foot jump at my local track thats giving me a little trouble.
There's a real big kicker just before the jump (after a corner), once pasted that I then gas it until I reach the bottom of the jump from there I keep the throttle neutral and this give me a good position in the air and for landing - I can tap back brake and bring the nose down a little - However I'm always landing on the end of the jump/casing the top. I'm about 3 to 6 feet sort of the downward slope landing. I just can seem to make the landing ! :think:

Watching some other riders I see that they are on the gas all the way off the face, they then tap the rear brake bring the bikes nose down and in good position for the landing.
However when I try this - I tap the rear brake (whilst holding the clutch in!) and not much happens!! :( I end up coming down with the front of the bike real high . Its does adjust the altitude a little - but not much.

So what am I doing wrong? Do I need to take the rear brake more early once in the air (am I doing too late). Do I just need to get over the front of the bike more? (I'm not on the gas real hard)

Any tips would be great appeciated?
cheers,
Wayne

Okiewan · Apr 3, 2006

How much effect the brake tap produces is related to the speed the wheel is turning....
Are you sure you can't keep the front down with body position alone?

Masterphil · Apr 3, 2006

wjp said:
...I then gas it until I reach the bottom of the jump from there I keep the throttle neutral...

Keep it pinned and shift your weight more forward. Brake taps and panic revs are only supposed to be used when you messed up your body positioning off the jump. Sometimes it helps not to watch the fast guys, but to watch the guys that are clearing it in your class. Trying to do what an A rider can do is senceless, as he's likely going much faster in the corner prior to the jump.

Seems that there is a reoccuring theme in MX: There is no problem that more throttle won't fix.

AXE_1967 · Apr 3, 2006

I was watching the good guys at my local track sunday come over the finish line table top. They were hard on the throttle all the way untill they were air born, they practically cleared the 50' top before I noticed the back tire stop to tip the nose. When it did stop, it was only for about a second. I also noticed that they were in a nuetral possition on the seat. Not all of them were doing it though, the best one out there would top the jump and lay the bike sideways for a flatter trajectory and land in the exact same spot every time on the down slope and his wheel never stoped. I learned alot just standing on the side watching those guys. I think the most emportant thing I noticed was the possition they were in before they left the jump.

HajiWasAPunk · Apr 3, 2006

Okiewan said:
Are you sure you can't keep the front down with body position alone?

+1

Masterphil · Apr 4, 2006

AXE_1967 said:
I think the most emportant thing I noticed was the possition they were in before they left the jump.

+2

wjp · Apr 4, 2006

Masterphil said:
+2

Ok,

thanks guys. So you're saying that its a case of body postion not being good. :think:

So I need to get my weight way more forward as I take off the jump? I really can make that much difference?

thanks

HajiWasAPunk · Apr 4, 2006

yes, body position makes a huge difference. At our riding class, the instructors picked a jump to work on this with us. It was a 65 foot table 2 jumps after a turn (meaning there is plenty of room to get setup and have speed). Everytime over it he asked me to keep getting further and further out over the bars while not letting off the gas at all (4th gear pinned on my bike). Finally after 30 minutes of this over and over, I had my head out over the bars at take off with the gas cracked open. The result was the bike nose lowered while in the air and a the landing was smooth like hot butter. From that point I just kept experimenting with how far over the bike to get but you can come off the face sky high and make some drastic corrections with body position alone.

Masterphil · Apr 4, 2006

Watch the pros race supercross. On some jumps, their hip bones are practically touching the handlebars. Body positioning always feels exagerated compared to what it really looks like.

YamaB · Apr 5, 2006

+1 on body position... I've always thought of the rear brake or hammering the throttle as things you combine w/ body position to make an even more drastic change when you screw up coming off the jump...

Masterphil · Apr 5, 2006

The only problem with the panic rev is that is dosen't really work with a 125. Most of the time you're going to be hitting that jump at near the peak RPM of the engine, and unless you upshift in the air, a panic rev really isin't going to spin up the rear tire much faster than it is already going.

twoofeach · Apr 5, 2006

Masterphil said:
The only problem with the panic rev is that is dosen't really work with a 125. Most of the time you're going to be hitting that jump at near the peak RPM of the engine, and unless you upshift in the air, a panic rev really isin't going to spin up the rear tire much faster than it is already going.

Maybe not, but it will give notice for the rest of us to watch. :yikes:

Benny477 · Apr 5, 2006

One other option

Do you know how to seat bounce? On the take off you could seat bounce to get your extra height needed to land on the down side of the landing.

Okiewan · Apr 5, 2006

You BETTER know what you're doing if you try to seat bounce. That'll get a less experienced rider a face plant.

JST122 · Apr 5, 2006

I am discounting what your saying but Im not sure that he wants to attempt seat bouncing a 50 foot table if he hasnt mastered making fine adjustments from brake tapping and "panic" rev yet. The seat bounce is a little bit more advanced technique and can get you into some trouble if you dont do it right. In any event it is usually best served for jumps that you cant get a good run at to get your speed up, so usually jumps immediately out of corners.

JST122 · Apr 5, 2006

Okiewan said:
You BETTER know what you're doing if you try to seat bounce. That'll get a less experienced rider a face plant.

shoot I need to type faster or be less longwinded. :nod:

Benny477 · Apr 6, 2006

Wait a minute

Okiewan said:
You BETTER know what you're doing if you try to seat bounce. That'll get a less experienced rider a face plant.

If your attempting a 50ft jump and brake tapping(which I`m still trying to master) I`d say your fairly experienced rider. One other option you might try( which has the same principal effect as seat bouncing) is to stay in your attact position approaching the jump,dip down over the bike on the face of the jump and spring up as you lift off it to get extra height.All your trying to accomplish is compressing the suspension before lift off. Try a smaller jump first and practice the timing.

Rear brake tapping

wjp

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