Slowing down on face of jumps

[MoO_coW]

I was looking through a magazine and they had an article on going fast. One of there techniques was slowing down on the face of a jump. Anyone got any info on this? Like if you would change gears or what break to use or anything? Thanks

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

Not sure why you would want to slow down while already on the face of a jump, then again, that’s one I haven’t tried yet. Yesterday I was experimenting on hard acceleration up the face, I missed the up shift on approach and was already on the face by the time I grabbed that next higher gear and was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting the worst but it actually felt good. In the past I would hold a somewhat consistent throttle but was trying accelerating instead, by the time I realized what I had done it was too late. The cool thing I noticed was the angle I could achieve while hanging was more easily manipulated with my throttle control, I could notice a drastic difference from the centrifugal force of a faster spinning back tire. Hope all that made sense.

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"Nature Boy"

 

[MoO_coW]

That way you can go faster and get faster lap times. I already now how to manipulate my bike with the throttle and have my own technique down. Thanks though.

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

I guess my question to you is how can going slower make for faster lap times?

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"Nature Boy"

 

[MoO_coW]

You are going faster on the track so you have to slow down at the last possible time so your going as fast as you can through the rest of the track.

 

[yamadawg]

Originally posted by MoO_coW:
You are going faster on the track so you have to slow down at the last possible time so your going as fast as you can through the rest of the track.

I dont understand please explain.Seems to me consistancy is the key as that improves lap times improve.

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it dont hurt till the bone shows.

2001 YZ 250

 

[TrackMaster]

I think Moo's talking about slowing down right at the last minute before you hit the jump, so you dont hit the jump to fast and go flyin over the next corner, or jump or something like that.

yamadawg: Hes talking about going faster around the track than usual and coming up on the jump too fast. Consistancy is the key, and Moo's talking about increasing that consistancy, but not too much as to mess up the jumps.

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My name used to be NewMotoXer, but I no longer consider myself to be "new" to dirtbikes. But my new name doesnt quite fit me just yet.. :)

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

Originally posted by TrackMaster:
I think Moo's talking about slowing down right at the last minute before you hit the jump, so you dont hit the jump to fast and go flyin over the next corner, or jump or something like that.

I guess it was the phrasing that through me.

I would think that the face of a jump would not be the best place to begin slowing down in most situations however I never really thought about it cause I'm not that fast.
Seems to me if done in a race situation and you nail the brakes on the face of a jump, you might get ran over or landed on. Maybe you guys can enlighten me cause it might be something I'm missing.

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"Nature Boy"

 

[Tony Brown]

It may refer to a common practice of dragging the rear break slightly on the take off side of a jump. It gives a lower trajectory over the jump. Gary Semics explains it better than me in one of his books / videos, i'll try to find it. Basically he is saying that air time is lost time as the bike can't be driving forwards. Big air looks cool but isn't always the quickest way.

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07

 

[MoO_coW]

Let me elaborate. You're going along a long straight with a jump 200 feet down. The jump is a low 3rd so you go into high 3rd and at the last moment(the face of the jump) you slow down to low third so you loose the least amount of time? Understand now? I wasn't sure how to put it. I was just wondering how to go about and it also if you could get into say 4th on that straight when's the best time to switch into 3rd for the jump. Thanks

[This message has been edited by MoO_coW (edited 03-18-2001).]

 

[MX-727]

I know exactly what you are referring to. It is an advanced technique that I haven't had much success with. I think, as with all things, it requires a lot of practice. I'm still not comfortable with it and fear that I will cause myself to endo. You can see the faster pro riders even locking up the back tire on the face of some jumps to get their speed correct. I wish I was fast enough to have to slow down for a jump. :(

 

[krash133]

Dragging the rear brake off the jump is mainly for fast jumps that you would overjump otherwise. It doesn't upset the bike on takeoff that much because dragging the rear brake holds the rebound of the shock together. The shock doesn't rebound as quickly and you fly lower to the ground and not as far. It just takes time and practice to learn the technique.

 

[MoO_coW]

Well how do I know how much to do it? It doesnt seem like I have time to make any adjustments or anything. Thanks

[This message has been edited by MoO_coW (edited 03-19-2001).]

 

[yamadawg]

I dint know moO anytime I have slowed on the face of a jump,of course I not sure if you mean choping the throttle or not,I get the rear of the bike to high.I try to maintain my throttle and try to absorb the jump with my body some what like you do in bmx racing.

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it dont hurt till the bone shows.

2001 YZ 250

 

[Ocracing]

Hmmm.

Well, I am not what you would call a pro.. but.

I would think that let's say ol' Travis is flying through a whoop section @ 50 mph.. and after that section is a 70 foot Triple...

If he was going to fast after he came out of the whoop section, obviously he would still want to clear the triple to "make up time".. so he will drag the rear brake to his liking, whether it be off the face of the jump, or before it...

I wouldn't recommend everyone to try to do this, as it is VERY difficult to perfect.

I will leave this technique to the pro's for my riding sessions lol...

:)

Curt..

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2000 YZ 125 - #26
-Outta Control Racing-
Goodies?: FMF Goldseries Fatty Pipe, Power Core 2 Silencer, Boyesen Carbon Fiber Racing Reeds, Excel Rims, Renthal Twin-Wal Bars, Wiseco Pro Lite Piston Kit, Sunstar Sprockets, DID ERT Gold Chain...

 

[Reeko]

OK,
I have been to tracks that you have more than enough straight before a jump to overjump them. In my slower days, (OK, I'm not that fast, but am getting better)I used to just get up to the correct speed to clear the jump. This meant I wasted time coasting between jumps.

My faster (former Pro) friend told me, it's not about clearing each jump, and riding from jump to jump. Rather, go as fast as you can, and think of the jumps as speedbumps you need to slow down for.
When I see him jump, he is slowing down, scrubbing speed on the jump face at the last minute. Also, he is allways way back on the bike as opposed to me being over the front, since I am jumping on the power, and he doesn't need to.

 

[MoO_coW]

Well thats the thing. Because I only weigh 115 pounds when I lean back as far as I can and let off the gas at the jump I still almost endo. Guess I need to get some meat on me to try this :)

 

[Randy KX125]

I read the same article that MoO is speaking of. It was by Mike LaRocco. He said on difference between his level of riding and amatuers like us is the brake on the face of the jump. This is done because the are going so fast on the jump they actually have to scrub speed off at the last minute. this accomplishes two things: 1. Prevents them from over shooting, and 2.) Allows them to be going at maximum speed longer. Sort of like braking for a turn at the last moment...

My skills are nowhere near that level. I still give a blib on the face of jumps....The thought of SLOWING down before a massive supercross double (or triple) is beyond me, and most of us. Like Mike LaRocco said, it's one thing that seperates us from them....

If you are going to try this very ADVANCED technique, please use extreme caution.

There are alot of other places riders at our level can make up time (try corners, starts, and whoops).

Randy

 

[Coach in ND]

ITS AN ADVANCED TECHNIQUE BUT VERY EASILY LEARNED. INSTEAD OF REVVING OFF THE JUMP, HAVE ENOUGH SPEED TO CLEAR THE JUMP BEFORE YOU GET TO THE FACE SO YOU DON'T HAVE USE THE GAS AT ALL ON THE FACE OF THE JUMP EXCEPT FOR MAYBE A BLURP TO KEEP THE BIKE LEVEL. THIS WORKS GREAT ON ALL TWO STROKES ( ONA FOUR STROKE IT WOULD MEAN CERTAIN DEATH) ITS SMOOTH AND YOU LAP TIME WILL IMPROVE.

 

[MXRacer9]

the technique on slowing down on the face of a jump is simply this: if you are scared to hit a jump tapped out and go big, you have an excuse because somebody told you it would make you go faster. anyway, you said you endo any time you let off the gas on the face of a jump? well thats like a natural thing dood, i did it like 4 years ago, and I WILL NEVER DO IT AGAIN! lol, 3 ribs is what i gave up in that one......i still have a scar in the form of tire tracks across my chest! haha, anyway, just hit the jump tapped.......if you say so, it may be faster to slow down....but do you think carmichael or mcgrath slow down on the face of jumps to IMPROVE their lap times?!?!? Thats a scary thought. what is the world coming to? first renegade cows now slowing down on faces of jumps?....people these days...... :confused: hehe ever heard of the term: go big or go home?

*Big bikes should be afraid.*

MXRacer9
2001 KX85 (mod)
2001 KX85 (stock)