Jumping

[TraumaRN]

I am pretty new to jumping quads and want some tips. I have been practicing jumping off of small jumps and table tops. I don't feel as if I'm catching much air, but my friends are telling me I'm going pretty high/far. It just doesn't seem the bike is in the air it's so smooth. A couple of times I've had a rough landing, the first being an unexpected jump out at Dumont which had my feet near the front wheels, my left hand somewhere near the front fender, my right hand was gripping the bar like I had a pornstar's t*t in my hand, and the seat was left with a pucker mark. That was ugly, but my friend said I was about 5 feet high with little forward momentum. He praised me for hanging on.
Anyways, should you hit the jumps standing?
Clutch in or out while in the air?
Any tips would be great!

[banzairx7]

I am by no means a pro at jumping but heres what I do-

You definitely want to be standing, sitting is very, very bad.

as I approach the face of the jump I'll hold the throttle steady for the few feet before it to kind of settle the bike. Then I accelerate up the face and keep on the gas until I'm in the air. If your not on the gas when you leave the jump you'll nose dive every time.

Then in the air I let off the gas. If you don't the motor will rev to oblivion. You can adjust the attitude of the bike in the air. I'm not good enough to do this yet. I'm usually holding on for dear life :eek: But giving gas in the air will raise the nose, hitting the back brake will lower it.

If I'm going to land on flat ground I try to land back tires first. Being on the gas a little when you land seems to soften up the landing a bit too. It also gets you going again that much quicker.

I'm sure some a lot better than me will correct any thing wrong I've listed. The good news is I have yet to crash jumping and I've been to a few motocross tracks and cleared what I think is some big stuff. Maybe I'm on borrowed time

[theJeStEr1340]

I am not that great of a jumper either, but Definately stand up, when in the air let off the gas, I like to "blip" the throttle in the air because the sound of my motor revving freely calms me down and it keeps my back tires moving in the air so when I land if my finger falls off the gas (when I can barely hold on) I don't go over the handlebars because of the engine breaking.

When you are going up the face of a jump make sure to look at the lip, where your tires are gonna hit especially, I find this helps me get ready to compensate if the bike does not fly strait.

here is a pic of me hitting a tower jump at a local track.

[CdaleRacer0128]

take your time and learn jumping at your own pace one thing. take a little single jump, with no landing and practice controlling the pitch of the ATV in the air. You can do this by hitting the throttle more on take off, less on take off, the same amount right up the lip, bliping the throttle, hitting the gas in the air, and finally when you have mastered all of them, and when you need to get your front end down in a major jiffy.. if your atv looks like this : / in the air, then pull in the clutch, and tap the rear brake.

Table tops are easy to learn on as well. take them at any speed you think that can get you around halfway. Then increase gradually, until you think you have enough skill and momentum to clear it. Be careful, sometimes when you case a table top ( land half on landing half come up short) it sometimes can jar you up pretty well.

Be loose in the air, and let your body language direct the quad.

Double jumps should be your last step, once you have mastered clearnig and landing a table top with the nose slightly down right before the rear tires, and back on the gas for the next jump, take on a double. It'll be the same thing, minus the dirt in the middle so it looks more intimidating.

Ask me if you have any other questions!:cool:

[TheJaspMan]

As a very novice jumper and someone who likes the ground. All I can advise is to take your time and be comfortable. There is no sense in rushing something like throwing yourself in the air on a 350+ pound machine.

I started on uphill jumps. I small jump in the middle of an uphill will send you a good ways, but you don't get high off the ground. They were much more forgiving. Then I went to table tops. There is a natural progresson.

And as LurkerBlaze says: if in doubt GAS IT! :eek:

[Cdale_racer_669]

i went out on the track when i got my 300ex and it all came naturally:p lol must be something wrong with me. im not saying i hit 80 foot doubles my first time, but i was clearing all the tabletops and the two stepups

[theJeStEr1340]

Oh yeah, 1 more thing is if you have commited to a double do not uncommit yourself.. could be very bad.

[Sandstorm]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ******
[B]something I learned a few weeks ago is sitting on the quad when hitting the face:( it "bouces" you up and gives you a lot more air with less power.


Yup that's how I do it.. Unless the jump doesn't have a smooth transition at the very bottom I always sit and then I stand as I get to the top. The momentum lifts you and the quad up.. You will be surprised at how high you will get with this different approach.. Your body will also be over the center of the machine instead of the attack positon. You can decide if you want to be in the attack position or stayed centered and move the bod accordingly to adjust for the landing.. Here is a pic of the sit and stand as I'm in the air..

[Exodus]

All of these tips are good ones, theres a thousand ways to jump a quad, and theres only a few that dont hurt. I only jump sitting when I want to seat bounce a jump or I cant get crouched. When you are sitting on the quad and jump, the center of grafity isnt where it should be on the quad and usually you end up with a back of the quad to low. When I roll up to a jump for the first time, I have jumped a lot of jumps so I kinda now what gear and how fast, but I always hit it a little strong, its better to clear that double and land on on the flat then face into the landing and try and save it. Take your time, keep a feel for the quad in the air and try and pin point what end hits first. Ideally, you want the rear tires to touch just before the fronts on most jumps, when you get more control in the air, let the front end come down on doubles. I pratice alot on small 25 to 30 doubles, I let the front of the quad come down in the air and try and hit the downside on the landing perfectly, when you can do that, then start on bigger doubles. You'll know when you hit a double perfect when you land and you dont feel the inpact. Tables are the best place to start in my opinion, there very forgiving when you under jump and usually have a long landing. I would start there and find a comfortable place to be on the quad, ideally crouched with your butt about 3 inches off the seat in attack position. Keep the throttle steady until you hit the face of the jump then accelerate up it, when you get the air, feel the quad, if the front end feels low, blip the throttle, that will bring the rear down. If the front end feels really high, pull the clutch and tap the rear brake. You can tap the rear with out killing the motor without the clutch pulled in, but its a flip of the coin, sometimes my foot beats my hand and I do that. If it kills it, I have never landed without the motor restarting when I hit. As for the lip not being straight, dont worry about it, if one side is a little higher than the other, when you hit the jump lean to the high side just a little, the quad will fly a little sideways and try to turn sideways in the air, be ready to rip the throttle strong to get the rear down and as soon as you hit the ground get back on the throttle. That holds true for almost every jump, even if you have to turn shortly thereafter. The old moto of when in doubt, WFO is a good moto to have. I've saved myself a lot of get offs by hitting the throttle instead of the brake. Biggest thing I can offer is watch other guys hit whatever jump you want to try and mimic what they are doing, ask them what gear they hit and what throttle position. And dont ever second guess it once you think you want to jump it. Keep it in your head that YOUR GOING TO HIT THIS, if you doubt yourself, you wont pull the trigger and end up on your melon. Be safe and have fun. Bottom line.

[theJeStEr1340]

QUOTE

Originally posted by Exodus
Keep it in your head that YOUR GOING TO HIT THIS, if you doubt yourself, you wont pull the trigger and end up on your melon.  Be safe and have fun.  Bottom line.

I used this method yesterday. I kept wimping out on this double (probably 25') and last lap I was out there I was like Stop being a pansy and hit it. So I did, but I let off on the lip and cased it...