I have a question about riding technique. I am still learning how to drive a manual ATV. When I had an automatic it had casing in the whole area where the feet go. Now that I am not riding the trailblazer 330 anymore I am having trouble with jumps.

When I jump my feet come off the pegs and when they come down they will either hit the clutch or the brake...and it will happen just has not yet, but not hit anything at all and go to the ground. I know I need to get the nurf bars but I also want to learn good technique.

How do you jump (I am not talking crazy jumps, when I am riding in the dunes I always jump a little after coming off a hill) and keep your feet on the pegs? Do you decrease speed near the top of the hill, stand up (that seems to take power away from me, but I could be imagining that).

I am 125# and riding a Suzuki Z400.

thanks,
Michelle

 

you MUST not sit and jump, keep off the seat, and your feet on the pegs. find a nice gear, take a run, and go.
But lets say your coming out of a berm into a jump and your in second, to get a good air, hammer the throttle down (while setting), and keep high rpms. By the time you'd hit the jump you'd be in 3rd or 4th, croutch up, off the seat, and you can do various things here.
1) you can take the jump the way you are
2) you can seat bounce, by compressing the shocks all the way right before you get to the jump (compress the shocks by pushing your legs down hard on the pegs) the compressed shocks will decompress as soon as you come off the jump and you'll go a little longer, if your timing is good.
3)... im sure there are more ways
One more thing, you really do need nerf bars while jumping, in my opinion.
If your foot comes off the peg when your landing, your foot/leg is gonna end up under the back tire.

If your quad is at to much of an angle backward in the air, more like a wheelie jump, tap the back brake, it will even you up.
If your quad feels like your going to flip over forward when you land, give it gas (in mid air). This will also level your quad.

So.. thats about all i know... or can think of... so...
have fun

 

oh yeah, the reason to not sit while jumping is because when you land, the shocks are going to compress and throw you off (if your sitting)

 

Tactical has the #1 thing to do right on. Get up and stand on the pegs. You have a lot more control over the quad when you stand. You can pull back on the handlebars if you sense the quad going into a nose dive, move your weight forward to compensate for a high angle tail landing, and you can control side to side movement to make a level landing. Each bump or hill is different and will need to be taken at a proper speed that only experience can teach you. Start small and gain confidence.

 

You will eventually learn the "feel" of the quad, but only through experience. Like Moos said, start out small. Gain the confidence and skill and you'll be going big in no time.

Another reason to stay off the seat when you jump. The landing is going to be a big surprise to testicular area, and it won't be a happy one.

 

Ok, I am definitely doing something wrong then because I don't stand up very often and get my weight off the seat and onto the pegs. I see people do it at the dunes though, people who look like really good riders. They also seem to do this thing where they put their butt way back in the air while they are in the jump (up in the air).

I have a small track on my property with a nice table top so I am going to practice before I head out to the dunes this weekend.

VERY helpful information though, I see why getting your butt off the seat helps after reading what you guys wrote. Seems like you would be controlling the bike that way instead of the bike controlling you (which is how I feel sometimes).

P.S. No testicular area But I understand what you meant!

 

Well, you never know if someone forgot to write "this one time, at band camp..."

 

hahaha...that movie was epic. It came out my Junior year of HS and I, being named Michelle, having played the flute and attended band camp in the summers used that line probably more times than one should in my senior year.

And over the past decade or so since it came out I have said it not realizing I was saying it because I was actually telling a story about something that happened at band camp!

 

On the approach you want to be in a gear that will provide you with the speed you need while keeping the rpms up. Before you hit the ramp you want to have the ball of your feet on the pegs and be squatting over the seat. If its a bigger jump I will also squeeze the motor with the inside of my legs. Two very important things you also need to keep in mind. You have to commit to a jump do not back off of the gas at the last minute or you will nose dive. Second is having your rear shock adjusted to properly. On the upper part of the shock there is a adjustment for your rebound (H is for hard and S is for soft) and on the very bottom of the shock is a compression adjustment. Play around with them. It will make a huge difference.

 

Redneck is right, DO NOT SIT when u jump. You should always get off the seat and stand on the pegs, on my warrior the heel guards are missing but I have gotten use to not having tem I d