jumping a quad

[ae13291]

hey guys, i was interested to know if there is any special techniques to jumping our 400ex's? i always wanted to know the correct way to do it, i have tried to go on little jumps but i always end up wheeling of it, i want to learn how to do it good so i can go over the whoops better at a constant speed, right now i can hit some good whoops going like 3rd gear pinned and i can get the whole quad off the ground jumping across some whoops, but i want to be able to do it at a lower speed and be able to get the whole quad off the ground and not just wheelie off to the next whoop. but my main concern is to get some advice from you guys so i can learn the right way. thanks guys

[Newrider08]

Practice makes perfect, I sit farther back on my seat on whoops to let the suspension on the front soak it up a bit but really jumping is just something you learn by doing

[drew416ex]

Yeah always keep your front end up in whoops. If you let it drop and you are moving a decent speed, bad things can happen. As far as jumping its hard to tell you without showing you. Watch other guys and see how they do it. Thats how I started.

[matt14c]

Going fast over whoops is what you want. You want to skip over the top of the whoops. If you start hitting everyone and just making jumps out them it will fatigue you much quicker. The best way i learned to jump was follow somoene else that was doing the same jump that you trust and you know will land it. Just keep back 20 ft or so just for the worst case scenario like engine failure or snapped chain. Instincts almost take over once in the air especially if you have alot of time on the bike. Practice on table tops they give you alot more room for error as opposed to doubles or triples. Your land on a flat surface not casing another hill. A 40 ft double and a 40ft tabel top is still a 40ft jump just ones looks cooler and takes less dirt to build! On an atv you will know when you land wrong there not as forgiving as a bike. But its mainly like Newrider said Practice makes perfect.

[ae13291]

thanks alot guys, i do try and lean back on some of the whoops, but with my rear shock settings i stand up on all the whoops, but it does get tiring after a while. before a jump is it wrong to give full throttle? or would the quad just wheelie up? and do i have to preload the rear suspention before i jump?

[nskukalek79]

i think it's best to let off the gas right as you leave the face of the jump..if you hold it on you will probly weelie and land wierd...if you can just stay with the same throttle and let off at the top..if you do weelie in the air you can stomp on the back break and the momentum of the rotating wheels will make you arc forward a little

just start little and move up to bigger jumps when your comfortable doing them

[NacsMXer]

Originally posted by nskukalek79
i think it's best to let off the gas right as you leave the face of the jump..if you hold it on you will probly weelie and land wierd...if you can just stay with the same throttle and let off at the top..if you do weelie in the air you can stomp on the back break and the momentum of the rotating wheels will make you arc forward a little

just start little and move up to bigger jumps when your comfortable doing them

Not a good idea to let off on the face of the jump....that usually is a recipe for a huge nose dive. Much better to stay steady on the throttle off the entire jump or chop the throttle just as you leave the face.."blip at the lip" in other words.

[mooseracerX]

I race motocross on a 400ex. Here a video to watch if you want to. I'm the one on the orange Honda.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIFOPiF0Hoc

[drew416ex]

There are a lot of different ways to jump depending on the jump itself. There are some that you will let off the gas as you are leaving the jump, some you will stay on the gas the whole way, and some that you will blip the throttle when you get to the top. You just have to go by how the quad reacts. If there is a jump that you nose dive on, give it a little more gas when leaving the face. IF there is one that your nose is too high on, let off a little. The more you practice the better feel you will get on what to do and what not to do from one jump to another. Eventually it will become second nature.

For jumping try to be a steady speed and give it just a little more pressure to the throttle as your hitting the face. Not a full out rev just more to keep the front end up more. Try not to come in slow and punch it near the face of the jump because your going to spin and wear it out real quick. Sometimes jumping if you hit them at a constant speed you nosedive. Never cut back on the gas before a jump or you will nosedive. The 400ex is really well ballanced.