Rocky downhill into berm, need help

[SpeedyManiac]

On a little practice loop I do, there is a rocky downhill, not too steep but steep enough, very bumpy, that goes into a berm around a tree. I am having trouble judging the speed I need so that I'mf ast yet stay in the berm. Today I came into it too fast and highsided and crashed. This berm needs some rebuilding, but is there anything else I can do?

 

[BillyWho]

Originally posted by SpeedyManiac:
On a little practice loop I do, there is a rocky downhill, not too steep but steep enough, very bumpy, that goes into a berm around a tree. I am having trouble judging the speed I need so that I'mf ast yet stay in the berm. Today I came into it too fast and highsided and crashed. This berm needs some rebuilding, but is there anything else I can do?

If your having trouble judging speed,the best thing would be instead of or along with fixing the berm, smooth out or go outside of the braking bumps in the last 10-15 feet before the corner.This will help you set up for the corner by letting you focus on the transition from braking to cornering body positioning.It also sounds like the corner is an off camber if it's on a hill,which makes it critical to keep as much pressure on the outside footpeg as possible during the entire turn.Just try it,you'll be amazed at how well the bike steers and hooks up without wanting to highside!After you have the corner and entrace speed down,move back over in to the braking bumps and build back up to the speed you were going without them.If you smoothed them out,they'll be back soon enough,but it will be too late cuz you will already have it mastered!One more note is off camber turns are very hard to master and you treat them the same as flat corners with no berm which is pressure on the outside peg and a gear higher than normal and slipping the clutch to control power.Practice Makes Perfect!

 

[SpeedyManiac]

Thanks, my bike is an XR100R, so it isn't the best for anything resembling MX, but I'll try. I've been trying different lines, hitting the berm from one side or the other (this berm is 180 degrees, and I go partially back up the same part). There aren't any braking bumps, it's just the ground is very bumpy. This is a fairly new loop so the ground is still grassy. I'm going to have to rebuild that berm soon, it's getting really hard to stay in it while trying to use some speed. I am using third gear, then once I go back up the hill, shift to fourth for another hill, then fifth to hit a small jump. I would appreciate any other ideas. Thanks.


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The Original Speedster
1985 XR100R
1978 XL250S