This is kinda a hard subject to comment on.
There are many factors involved in calculating your approach to big air. I guess if you knew the weight of your quad...the distance of the jump...the angle of the lift-off....You would be able to make a mathematical computation that would give you the speed....
My best guess is that since..most sport quads don't have speedos, and finding the exact angle of the take-off is next to impossible unless you where the one who engineered the jump.......
I would practice on some of the safer tables....I have a few jumps that I made where we practice just what your talking about....Experimenting with speed and angles.
I really enjoy jumping my quad...but can't afford to be tied up in the hospital with busted bones. But after a while and a few jumps and or crashes....You get kinda used to judging a jump by appearance. And since moto cross tracks can change pretty dramatically from heat to heat.....The approach may never be the same...
But to answer your question. I think practice is the best way. I know from experience that looking at the face of a serious jump can be a scary thing. remember that a dirt bike is much more forgiving than a heavier quad.
Good luck and be safe.

 

Hit it in 5th gear WFO. Assuming you landed ok, You can Then figure out how far you flew and you will now have a way to measure all other jumps...


RoostKing..

 

I ride on a motocross track made for dirtbikes. The owner has set up some jumps and we have gotten to the point of taking most of the jumps. The longest one is about 45 ft long. My question is, on a double or triple, how do you guess or calculate how fast you need to be going to clear the jump properly the first time. I.E. when i go to a different track, and there is a 35 foot triple, how do I know how fast I need to go without coming up short or long. (if no one else is there that jumped it before) The track i deal with has mostly tabletops, so it is not a problem for me to be short or long. On a double or triple, the landing is much more precise.

 

I hope you were kidding Roostking, because thats definitely how its done, because every jump will have different slops which changes how high and far you go dramatically. First of all just kinda hop off the the jump to see how the quad reacts to it. then increase your speed until you land at the face of the landing jump. After that you should have some idea what kind of speed is needed to clear it. Just remember, its better to overjump rather than underjump in most cases (Unless its a tabletop, then you can usually come up a little short but if its far enough that you will hit hard like a 40+ft tabletop then land with the gas on to keep you moving forward upon landing).

Basically it takes practice and experience, because some jumps will launch you higher than it will farther at increased speed, so it may take more speed to clear that jump verses one the same length or even longer that will launch you more forward and vise versa. How you know that is to gain experience as to knowing how it feels when taking practice runs and knowing what kind of speed is needed.

Good Luck,

Sickman

 

It's simple, line up for the jump, nad take it slow enough to land in the middle of the two jumps. Once you can judge the the speed needed to land at the face of the second jump, It's to figure out how much speed is needed to make it over.

 

practice, practice practice.... it just takes practice to learn the feel for new jumps. if you are at all unsure, DO NOT ATTEMPT IT. safe is much better than sorry. and you'll eventually be able to do those jumps with time and practice, practice, practice...
good luck


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TRX250R

remember "Stupid Hurts" ; ride safely

 

Depending on how you have your machine geared, you should take most big jumps 40 ft and longer in either 3rd or 4th gear, depending on the style of the jump. If a jump has a really steep launch I tend to like to go over it in 4th with less throttle and then downshift in the air. If a jump has left lift I like to be in a lower gear so I can snap my throttle to get a little more lift.

Basically, if you get used to your track it will be easier for you guesstimate jumps at other tracks. Another way would be to watch other racers and see whtat they do over jumps that are giving you trouble.

Another thing to remember is that on a short attempt jump(a jump that is close to a corner or right after another jump) you will probably be having to go about as fast as you can go to clear it. If you go through a rythm section you can usually carry the speed you used to clear the first series of bumps/jumps to clear the next jumps with just a quick throttle burst at the peak of the jump.

Remember, that no matter what anyone tells you, you have to use your own instincts. As, your skills increase and you gain experience you will be able to feel the jumps and what it will take to clear them. Also you will see what is the fastest lines on the track and how you want to go through rhythm sections. Dont be a follower on the track, try different lines, and you may learn somethng new, just because everybody else is doing something exactly the same doesnt always make it right.

Adam Smith
99 400EX

 

I agree with RoostKing and cw821! Just cruise over a jump to see how it launches you and how far going slow. If it's a big jump, I always hit it pinned fourth or fifth(such as a triple) so I know i'm definitely going to clear it. I've come up short before, and it's more painful than to overjump anything.

 

go as fast as you can the first time and if you want to you can slow down and catch the downside of the double or triple