How do you jump?

Stu...

Are you coming on the Ecosse rideout? If so then wait till the Duke's pass section. There's a straight about 2 miles long with 5 jumps. Keep a steady throttle at 70 and grip with the tank with your knees - you will definitely experience air. (Ask any of the SV eccose posse).

If you sit off the seat with bent knees then trust me you're gonna get sore nads when you come down.

I assume non of those arguing about throttle/brake use in the air have watched off road RC racing?

In RC racing, the drivers often blanace the throttle very delicately, for the exact reason that gyroscopic affect does alter the trajectory of the RC car. Think about the weight's involved in an RC car, and the amount of force you'd need to apply whilst it's in the air (bare in mind these things move at 40mph easily).

Now apply the same logic to an MX bike. Also 125cc road bikes used in fields (hey! I was young, ok?!?).

An SV is no different. Once you're up, alter pitch of the bike using the throttle, then pull the clutch in to land (just to be safe - you can try & balance revs to road speed on landing if you want to really show off).

[fizzwheel]

Step 1 :

Dont really pay attention to Amarko when he says "road we are going on has a jump on it and you can't really see it"

Step 2 :

Approach said jump with to much speed, watch Scoobs go over it out of the seat and dont slow down enough

Step 3 :

go over said jump with throttle open not realising its bigger than Amarko described, come right out of the seat, grip tank with knees just about and and land rather un-comfortably thinking "oh feck"

Step 4 :

Watch Dr Rich aka the white rabbitt in your mirror do exactly the same, except he comes right out the seat and his feet come off the pegs to.

Step 5 :

Search for b*ll*x

HTH

When I did the off road day ages ago, they told us, stand up, grip tank with knees and dont shut the throttle when you are airborne, seemed to work out OK, you defiantely want to avoid front wheel first touch down. I found keeping the throttle open meant that I always touch the back wheel down first.

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

you defiantely want to avoid front wheel first touch down.

I did that once as a kid.

In a field, I went off a ~ 4ft vertical drop from one flat field to another. At approx 65mph, closed the throttle just before I went off the lip.

The front touched down fine, then the rear did, and the suspension compressed, then kicked back. The result was me somersaulting forwards, and the bike going over the top of me.

No lid on, and I landed on the back of my neck, and luckily just kept rolling with the momentum. Approx 5 forward rolls later I dizzily stand up.

The chain had come off the bike, but that was about it. Awesome... lets try that again, but properly...

Don't let the front touch down first on the road folks. Mind, no-one here is proposing to jump on the public road are they? Still, private road interfaces hurt just as much...

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

you defiantely want to avoid front wheel first touch down.

Actually this isn't strictly true Fizz. There are certain times when you want the front wheel to land marginally before the rear - ie a downward slope landing.

I competed for years in mountain biking and moto cross. We even have a moto cross jump course on the farm.

On a downward slope landing you want both wheels to land at the same time or the front marginally first. If you land rear wheel first on a downward slope and slam then front down then you can kick yourself over the bars when the rear rebounds out and the front is at full compression.

Additionally if the jump with downward slope has a turn at the end of it then the last thing you want to do is land on the rear then slam the front end down then try to steer round the bend.

Different jumps need different techniques and you should always try to have the suspension as settled as much as poss.

[fizzwheel]

everytime I've had the bike off the ground on the road and the landings were always level so I've never done it in those circumtances.

I just remember the extreme fuel tank to testicles interplay when I've accidently messed it up and put the front wheel down first and its not an experience I'm keen to repeat

I always find when I get it right I never slam the front down, but most of the time I know the road that I'm on so I know theres no corner coming at me so I have time to get the bike setup right before and after the jump.

Originally Posted by Baph

I assume non of those arguing about throttle/brake use in the air have watched off road RC racing?

In RC racing, the drivers often blanace the throttle very delicately, for the exact reason that gyroscopic affect does alter the trajectory of the RC car. Think about the weight's involved in an RC car, and the amount of force you'd need to apply whilst it's in the air (bare in mind these things move at 40mph easily).

Now apply the same logic to an MX bike. Also 125cc road bikes used in fields (hey! I was young, ok?!?).

An SV is no different. Once you're up, alter pitch of the bike using the throttle, then pull the clutch in to land (just to be safe - you can try & balance revs to road speed on landing if you want to really show off).

Have you ever actually jumped your sv for long enough for that to make any real difference? Obviously the pitch of the bike is affected much much much more by the way you leave the "ramp", whether the bike is accelerating or decelerating or on a trailing throttle at a constant rpm.

You have to be airborne for a significant amount of time to be able to adjust the pitch to any meaningful degree using throttle or brake. It's fairly plain to see why an SV650 is nowhere near as adjustable as an r/c car or motox bike.

Originally Posted by sinbad

Have you ever actually jumped your sv for long enough for that to make any real difference?

Nope, can't say I have had the SV in the air for any real length of time.

Still, same rules of physics apply, and it certainly feels like it makes a positive difference to me. Though I admit I may be speeding up/slowing down just prior to take-off (thereby unsettling suspension as well).

[Stu]

Originally Posted by stuartyboy

Stu...

Are you coming on the Ecosse rideout? If so then wait till the Duke's pass section. There's a straight about 2 miles long with 5 jumps. Keep a steady throttle at 70 and grip with the tank with your knees - you will definitely experience air. (Ask any of the SV eccose posse).

If you sit off the seat with bent knees then trust me you're gonna get sore nads when you come down.

Can't wait
so just to be clear, are you saying stay in the seat? and it's just the gripping with your knees that stops you flying higher than your bike does?

Once you happy with jumping Stu,
you realise we are going to need some pictures!!!