Steep loose downhills

[slickpuss]

How about some tips on riding down some steep loose rocky hills with the occasional jumps and turns. I keep getting freaked out then I lock up the rear brake and then I lose any decent speed and control. I want to be able to sail down them hills and not worry about missing a corner.

 

[Glitch]

You gotta lean real far back, apply as much pressure as possble to front and rear without them locking up. Then when you get to the turn, lock up the rear and slide the bike into the rut for the turn, if no rut, then still apply pressure to rear to try and turn the bike. Just from my experience though, someone might have better advice.

 

[beer_stud_76]

i don't know if this is the best way, but i just put her in first gear and use the big ol XR600 engine to slow me down. i don't "sail down the hills" but i don't lose much time either. its common knowledge, but keeping your wheels turning is the key to good down hill controll and technique. if you lock up a wheel you have lost a good deal of your ability to control the bike.

jeremiah

 

[Fe_princess]

Since I have a two-stroke, I either pull in the clutch or just put it in neutral (depending on the degree of steepness).
Like Glitch said, lean as far back as possible, but it's better to stand. It can give you more weight on the back wheel.
I try not to use any front brake and use the back only.
If I start to get too sideways, I let up a little to straighten myself out or barely tap the front.
Having your front wheel spinning without any drag will give you more stability.
Good luck, Fe.

 

[D36-108A]

Pretty much what Glitch said. On the real seat-suckers, I would use the rear so much I would continually lock it up, but then let it go so it started spinning again, then get back on the brake as much as I could until it locked up, ad nauseum. I don't know about neutral or the clutch; I want as much engine braking as I can get. Stalling when you lock up the rear is likely, but you can just pull in the clutch a second and release it to bump start. I can't imagine not using the front brake; I'd just pick up speed like the proverbial snowball.

For some of hills, you just can't slow down enough and you have to go with it and be a little out of control.

If there are waterbars or jumps or something, just be sure you are lined up for any turns beyond them before you hit the jumps.

 

[23jayhawk]

I try  to target sections of the trail that look reasonably dry, or are free of the larger rocks, then brake hard on those sections. If the trail is wide enough you can weave back and forth from bank to bank, as the front wheel starts up the side of a bank, you can maybe get a couple seconds of front braking while it has some weight transfer on the side knobs.

Look for braking where you can get it. :eek:

 

[Psyco Diver 69]

I guess its the aggresive side of me but I go down the full throttle and if I need to stop or something that requires my slowing down, I just lock up the rear brake and put a lot of pressure on the front brake, but don't lock it up, or you could go for a nice tumble don't the hill.