There were many good posts on the “mental side of jumps” thread. I especially liked the posts by Joey1 and Gabe so if you are a beginner go back and read them again. I thought I would share the approach I used to become comfortable with jumping doubles. I don’t know if this will work for everyone because I came up with most of this on my own. Much of what I have listed will help build your confidence which is absolutely essential. If you are not sure or scared to jump then wait until you have the skill base and confidence.

Walk the track and inspect the jumps before attempting them. Look at the height and launch angle. Look at the peak for a smooth, even take-off location. What is the dirt like on the jump? If it is soft then it will be sure to develop ruts and lips that will affect your jumping. Check the direction of the jump, especially if it is a blind landing. Some jumps are placed near a turn that require the proper approach angle. I showed up late to a new track once and could not walk the track before practice. There was a big long table top and when I hit it the first time I landed on the side of the jump and was lucky enough to save it without crashing or hitting the fence along the track. On that jump you actually had to approach the launch ramp on a slight angle to follow the contour of the track.

It is just as important to study the 2nd jump as it is the launch jump. Look at the peak and angle of the landing ramp. If it has a smooth peak and gradual slope it will be much more forgiving than a jump with a sharp peak and short slope. I strongly suggest all beginners only attempt jumps with a smooth peak and forgiving landing slope.

Now for the technique I came up with myself, I have not heard of anyone else doing this but it definitely helps me. While walking the track I pace the distance from the peak of the launch jump to the landing of the 2nd jump. By looking at the height and angle of the launch ramp and the distance to the landing area I can calculate what gear and RPM to use. I have paced off the distance of every double jump at the local practice track and at every race track I attend. I now know that the average chest-high launch ramp with an average 45 foot gap requires 3/4 throttle in 3rd gear with my quad. If the angle or distance is different I adjust accordingly. And yes I know that everyone has all 70+ foot doubles at their track but I have paced off numerous jumps at many local and national tracks and the average is right around 45 feet. Another trick is to pace off the distance of the table top you have been jumping and compare that to the distance of the double jumps. If the launch height and angle is similar then you already know what gear and throttle setting to use.

Throttle control is everything. A slight adjustment of the throttle before take-off can have a huge impact on far you will jump. The biggest problem most beginners have is letting off of the gas while on the launch ramp because of uncertainty or fear. You can have the proper approach speed at the base of the jump but if you let off the throttle while going up the ramp you may not make it. I am still amazed how much affect a slight throttle adjustment can have even the last few feet before take-off. Find a jump with a forgiving landing and practice slight throttle adjustments to learn the effect on your quad.

The first time you attempt a jump plan to over jump it slightly. Over jumping is not near as bad as coming up short. And remember most beginners tend to come up short so try to err on the safe side the first time. Before the approach you should remind yourself which gear and throttle setting you want to use - and stick to it! Remember that mid 4th gear is faster than 3rd gear pinned. And of course this requires that you know what gear you are in at all times. If I lose track of my gear selection during the heat of battle I will not jump the next double until I know for sure what gear I am in - it is better to be safe than sorry.

Another technique you will need to practice to become comfortable jumping is controlling the quad in the air. Once you are starting to get some air on a table top or easy double start letting the quad move around underneath you. At the height of the jump just tilt the quad to one side a small amount and then bring it back even before landing. It only needs to be an inch or two to start but eventually you will gain the feeling of being in control while you are in the air. A lot of riders jump so stiff that the quad is controlling them and you definitely want to be in control of the quad. Another benefit of purposely tilting the quad while in the air is you will start to learn how to react should it become necessary. Some jumps will unexpectedly launch the quad on an angle and instead of panicking you should just tilt it back to level.

What to do when something goes wrong:
Coming up short - you told yourself not to let off the throttle at take-off, but now halfway to the landing you can tell you are not going to make it. This will be a hard landing but there are a few things you can do that may keep you from crashing. (1) Hold the throttle wide open, the gyroscopic effect will stiffen the rear suspension. (2) Land with the rear wheels first so the quad is better able to absorb the impact. (3) Center you body on the quad, bend your knees and prepare to absorb as much energy as possible with your arms and legs. Be flexible upon landing but don’t let yourself smash into the bars.
Front end too high - probably caused by too much throttle at take-off, poor body positioning, or the angle/face of the jump. Three things need to be done immediately: (1) Pull in the clutch. (2) Slam the rear brake to stop the gyroscopic rotation of the rear tires. (3) Lean as far forward as you can.
Rear end too high - probably caused by letting off the gas at take-off, poor body positioning, or a kicker lip at the top of the jump. Three things need to be done immediately: (1) Thrust your weight to the rear of the quad by pushing away from the bars. (2) Peg the throttle so the gyroscopic effect will help lower the rear end. (3) Hang on and keep the front wheels pointed straight.
Over jumping the landing ramp - OK this time you didn’t let off the throttle and now you are soaring over the landing ramp of the 2nd jump. This is similar to preparing for coming up short. Peg the throttle, land rear wheels first, and prepare to absorb a hard landing.

Good luck and remember to start small and work your way up - Rome wasn’t built in a day!

 

i totally agree with your method of jumping i do the same thing, counting pace's from the take off to the landing has always helped me figure out my lanch speed.i also agree that every one else's tracks have 75 feet or further gaps but my longest is 65 feet which i have jumped in third gear wide open and then started hitting it in fourth at like half to 3/4 throotle which gave me more distance.i also agree with knowing for sure what gear you are in if im not sure i wont jump, better to be safe then sorry.

hope this approuch helps some of you guys get your confidence up.

quad040
'99 400ex: lrd exhaust,lsr axle, swing arm,a arms, and sub frame, full pep zps suspention

'86 250r: lrd exhaust,lrs axle, swing arm, and a arms, works front shocks

 

great post agian.


quad040in your sig. you have a lrs axel.

 

Great post. Although I dont really pay attension to what gear I'm in, I do know when i'm going to make it or when Im not going to make it. If I dont get up enough speed, I usually just go as fast as I can to the face of the jump and then slow down just enough not to slam into the face of the landing ramp.

 

My first true attempt at a double was a true failure. Completely ruined my mental side of jumping. Over the course of the last year, I have retrained my brain to accept the idea of a double. At the last outing to a practice track I not only conquered a double, but landed a triple as well. Here is how I was able to do this.

First off, I knew I needed to be able to jump the distance required by any double with confidence. I used tabletops and ski type jumps (big singles). Over and over I jumped these until I extended my comfortable flying distance. Once I knew how to read the faces of jumps and how it launches my quad at what speeds, I felt ready to attempt a double.

At the last practice track outing, I found a nice set of jumps to overcome the double fear. As I entered the track for the first time, I slowly rode over each jump. Checking everything into my mind from the approach, to the face all the way to the landing. Each lap I went a little faster. Checking my gear selection and throttle at each pass. Once I was getting a little air (2 or 3 lap) I started looking where I was landing in relation to the other face. I would keep extending the airtime to a point where I was on the bottom of the second face. This is the ending point of safe harbor. I would land in this spot for a couple laps just to really get a feel of the jump. Each time thinking of how much more I needed to clear. Would the current gear have enough, or do I need to grab the next one? Once these questions where answered, I would go for it. Making sure I give it a little more than I thought, as a safety net. If I make it, I complete a few more attempts before stopping. Just to make sure I have it down pat. If I come up short, I try and correct my mistakes.

Once I have stopped, I study the jump from a standstill. Because after you complete a new double, it tends to look more realistic in length and height. This is the image I want in my head for judging the next double.

By the end of the practice track outing, I was able to complete a triple with the same method.

 

Great post again Blodg500RX,,,not really anything left to add,,you pretty much covered everything,,,one really important thing to do and learn to do is learning to spot your landings,,,I see so many people just jump and not really look down to see where and when they are going to land,,,they just jump,,hold there breath (remember breathe!!,,just like you would do on the rest of the track) hang on for dear life and not even know when the landing (or crash) is coming,,,trust me I learned the HARD WAY,,,which leads me to the second bit of advice if you are gonna come up short on a true double (the kind of doubles you see on pro dirtbike racing i.e;supercross) personally I think its better to lean forward and let the back of your bike take the hit rather than stiffen up, panic rev, and slam into the top of the double,,,it could mean the difference between walking off the track and being carried off the track,,,that last bit of advice really only applies to true make it or break it doubles and not table tops and such,,,again I learned the really HARD WAY on missing my landings,,,,anyways good luck and have fun flying the friendly skies!

96 Banshee
Too lazy to list all the mods
00 YZ 250

 

good read

 

If you have to ask how to jump it, You probably shouldnt be doing it. I have seen lots of people get hurt riding above there ability.

 

I can jump decent it's just when there is an obstacle I have issues. The fear of not making it. No fear when nothings there. Sand is easy also compared to hardpacked and dunes have perfect takeoffs.. I can't get the rear brake thing down if my nose is too high.. I can do panic revs great.... I do jump sitting down and when I hit the top of the dune I stand up to LIFT the quad up... A video at www.dunereview.com in the vids section under readers rides...