Cleared my first Tabletop

[Shevalik]

Hey everybody, first post here....I am a general lurker. This past weekend my son and I went riding at the local 350acre riding park. We had a blast and I actually got enough courage to hit a table top with enough speed to clear it :aj: . I would realistically estimate it at 20-25 foot from launch to landing. This probably isn't that big of a deal to most of you, but I have to give a little background here. I am 33 year old with about 40 hours of experience on a dirtbike. All my other cycle experience comes from my harley (Been riding it since I was 18)

The first two times at this park I would hit the table top and land mid way through it, but never had enough guts/speed to get beyond it. I have read a number of the posts where fear has been a big factor on jumping. I have to say this, if you want to learn how to jump, start with a small tabletop. Hit the face where you just barely get the front wheell to come off the ground and get used to the feel of the takeoff. Then increase the speed to where you just get both wheels off the ground. Keep gradually increasing the speed, once you get to where you are landing in the middle of the top, you can get used to landing correctly. Then slowly push yourself to increase speed and airtime.

I did this on a CRF230 and landed perfectly. I was so pumped, I just kept cutting back through the mx track to the table top and did it like 5 times in a row.

I felt like superman the whole weekend. :laugh:

Shevalik

 

[Flyboy500]

No nose dives please. They HuRt.

Great! Now go for a tail-whip :laugh: Now that you did that try to get your bike to move in flight under "your control" Front end up and Front end down to match the angle of what your going to land on. Front up (Nail Gas) Front down (Tap Rear Brake) Note: You can bring front end down much more than you will bring front end up. Now you'll be ready to enter the x games... :p Pain comes with age... Ouch! :laugh:

 

[Anssi]

That... is how it begins.

 

[joereitman]

Just remember- clutch it before you brake tap...

 

[fzr]

What happens if you don't pull in the clutch and just use the rear break?? I havent tried either yet, but I'm wondering how my brain will work with having to think about doing both things in the air instead of just the break.

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

What happens if you don't pull in the clutch and just use the rear break?? I havent tried either yet, but I'm wondering how my brain will work with having to think about doing both things in the air instead of just the break.

Let me answer your question with a question.
What happens when the back wheel quits turning while the bike is in gear?

Okay, I guess that may come accross at smart a$$ so I'll answer. The motor dies. :whiner:

 

[fzr]

Even if its just for a second or two?

 

[Flyboy500]

A Second or Two.......

Tap the Brake for a Second or Two while in the air without using the clutch will stop the motor fast... After all, the brakes stop you quick when rolling... In the air there is very little load on the brakes. So it won't take much to stall. Oh no the landing could get really UlGy... :laugh:
Learn to use the Clutch when brake tapping in the air...

Good Luck B Safe...... :)

 

[High Lord Gomer]

One neat thing about killing the motor in the air is that it gets *real* quiet...until you land!

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

One neat thing about killing the motor in the air is that it gets *real* quiet...until you land!

ya, the silence is deafning! :eek:

 

[tnrider]

i can show you the result of going downhill on a mx track when the bike stalls... funny thing is the rear end of the bike wants to lead (very quickly) and it does a neat whip for you - if you hang onto the handlebars - may result in a twist break of your humerous like it did to me - not fun...

oh, one more thing - in addition to the silence that gomer mentioned - there is those few seconds of life that is erased. you may recall rear wheel getting squirley and then nothing but dirt and gas tank view as the world starts to come into focus.

remember - stalling is BAD!!!

 

[MXboy00]

I must have been getting lucky then on my RM100. :eek: Whenever i'm out there pushing myself to go faster I often forget to clutch before brake-tapping. Hasn't stalled yet on me. Maybe I should attempt to keep beating the odds? :cool: lol jk...i'll try and keep it in mind. :clue: