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Keeping The Front Wheel Up Crossing Obstacles


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OK...I admit it...I suck and I'm flummoxed.

What I can do, though, is get up onto obstacles that are big enough to make going down the other side front-wheel-first very scary.

This is especially scary on logs that are up off the ground.

Imagine a concrete highway divider...having the front wheel dive down when the rear hits would be a guaranteed trip over the bars.

Don't ask how I know.

How to carry the front wheel instead of nose diving off the other side?

I can't even get it on small (18" or so) logs.

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It`s all a matter of timing. At your age (I think we are about the same) fun is more important. Take a step back, maybe vintage would be better. Back to the question, you have to be 100% in the mind before attempting any obstacle. Sounds like you are getting no lift before the obstacle. The transition to weighting the back is very important. Get someone to take video (Son) to see what you are doing wrong. Good luck Charlie!

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Pick up your feet when the rear wheel gets to the obstacle so the rear wheel can track over it. Start with 6 to 10 inch logs.This only works if you are riding completely over without stopping,if you are skidpanning it I cannae offer any advice as I haven't got the hang of deftly doing that yet.

Oddly,I can scale much bigger logs without drama on my recently acquired SWM than either my 2011 Sherco or my Bitchin' Fantic 240,Hope it doesn't mean I need to switch to riding 4 strokes or something... :rolleyes:

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Im battling with exactly the same thing but have got it right a few times. Im probably wrong but what I found helps to hold the front up is to focus on getting the rear high enough, and then holding preasure. If I try to hold preasure and the rear impacts too low (on the vert side of the obstacle) , my front always drops. If I hold more preasure, the back would probably track over nicer keeping the front up.

Try focus on rear wheel hight in a zap first. You will "feel" when you start getting the right amount of hight.

Saying that, I hardly practice the japzap anymore as other basics are what costs me points and I dont need to zapbig obstacles in events......even though its fun and looks cool when it comes together.

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Hold Pressure! Weight back and straight legs!

Now that air log thing, well, you need some jap zap training! HA!

Hey Mark,

Can you link to any videos showing straight legs? If I don't bend my knees and absorb the impact it always tries to slam my front wheel down on the far side of the log("picking my feet up" exaggerates absorbing the impact and keeps my front wheel up where I want it until I can ease it down with the rear brake)

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Charlie, take it a step at a time, what I did first was to find a square drop off which mimics your dismount, but with a flat approach. Once you have mastered the technique increase the size until you have the drop off equal to your obstacle.

Then revert to the obstacle (smaller size) and holding pressure to push out the front wheel then build back to the obstacle the original size.

Does that make sense? Bear in mind you don't have to get a perfect landing just a push out on the front.

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Hey Mark,

Can you link to any videos showing straight legs? If I don't bend my knees and absorb the impact it always tries to slam my front wheel down on the far side of the log("picking my feet up" exaggerates absorbing the impact and keeps my front wheel up where I want it until I can ease it down with the rear brake)

Hey Doug, that is a good little clip that Lineaway found. The transition happened quick! I had to watch it a couple times. Ryan did a better explanation in one of his vids.

Lineaway, I never rode Pampa, but them NEOTT guys have had some darn good log sections------- they kill me!! literally

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Hey Doug, that is a good little clip that Lineaway found. The transition happened quick! I had to watch it a couple times. Ryan did a better explanation in one of his vids.

Lineaway, I never rode Pampa, but them NEOTT guys have had some darn good log sections------- they kill me!! literally

I had watched that clip many times,It does happen so quick it's hard to decipher what goes on,here's my only backyard obstacle,angled log that is higher than it looks,if you fail it tosses you into garage and tall stump,if you drive over it too hard you can't get turned before shed full of crap.I try to hold that angle until the rear tire is parked on top of log,then drop the front end. Was riding my bud's Ty175 so I kept to the right where it is lower.

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It really wants to pitch you over the bars if you pussyfoot it and don't hang in there when crossing it.I bend my knees as the rear tire climbs onto the log,if I then straighten them moving my body back away from the bike and handlebars over the rear tire you say I'll be able to hang the front tire longer? Set It down gentler? Gonna have to set up some lights in the back yard,damn daylight savings time!

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Yea, even small ones, I like to hit with the front wheel to add lift, cause when the back hits(or the skidplate), things can go wrong!

Timing is everything!

I'm all over the double blip! I'm compressing the suspension by either driving the front wheel into the obstacle or, if it's low enough, dropping the wheel on top of it and dipping my legs to compress...but as soon as the rear wheel hits...the front goes down.

I think I'm not helping the rear wheel up enough.

It's no biggy...at 51 with both knees held together with a clever array of screws, staples and elastic bands, my competition days are long over...just trying to add to the fun by improving bit...all while maintaining what's left of my dignity and trying to avoid the surgeon's knife.

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