What are your favorite kind of jumps? I like table top jumps because I can't ever case the jump and ruin my spine. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

I like fall-away jumps the best. These are the kind of jumps where the ground falls away on the other side of a jump, like over the top of a sand dune, etc., which gives you a nice smooth downhill landing area.

One time some buddies and I were jumping off of the razorback at Sand Mountain, UT, which is a huge fall-away jump off of a dune that goes all the way up the ridge of the 700 ft high Sand Mountain. We were on our dirt bikes, and from the bottom of Sand Mountain I watched both of my friends try the jump first, and neither one of them had enough speed to fully clear the top of the dune and land on the downhill face of Sand Mountain. I assumed they were attempting it in third gear, so I tried it in fourth gear on the CR 500 that I had at the time (my friends had been in second gear!). I remember thinking "I'm a dead man" as I looked down at the face of Sand Mountain dropping away from me, as I was still going up and away from the mountain on my CR 500. Man was that a long hang time. By the time I landed I had lost all forward tragectory, and the CR was coming straight down. Good thing it was a steep downhill landing, or I would have impaled myself like a bug on a windshield. As it was the CR bottomed out both ends so hard you would have sworn it was going to break the bike in half. When I got to the bottom of the hill my buddies were yelling and hooting, and slapping me on the back, asking me to do it again. No way was I doing that one again, I was shaking so hard I almost couldn't get off the bike.

Still, fall-away jumps are a lot of fun. The biggest I have done on a quad is an 80 foot fall-away jump off of a dune at St. Anthony's, on a DS 650. Did you know the frame of a DS 650 digs a big trench in the sand if you land it hard enough? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

That's a great story DV...some of those you really got to have ballz to hit right...scary coming over the top and looking almost straight down.

My buddy and I were out trail riding and found a nice one where you really had a steep climb then a real short transition to the fall away. About a 40' drop but you had to hit it pretty hard. First few times we both backed off. I finally said screw it, I'm hitting it pegged in second. Hit it good, caught some descent air at the top and began my fall. Scared me so bad I nearly crapped. Only went about half way down the hill before I landed smooth, but still scared the chit out of me. Haven't hit that one again.

I'm with Mark, I like a nice table top, or even a double with a smooth transition.