Jumps - How soft are you?

Sure I could ask this on Dirt Bike World but they would all laugh at me. There are more old blokes in here, and some are either new or returning to dirties, so you may be in the same place as me.

I'm pretty shit on a dirt bike. Much like road bikes, I enjoy it very much but I'm not very good at it. I like single track/fire trails and would much rather see if I can cover all of a 200 acre property in a day than spend three hours doing laps of a motocross track trying to get faster lap times or nail that rut or jump.

But anywho, I am shitscared of doing medium to big jumps these days.

Back when I was 18 and bullet proof and first learned to ride a motorcycle I used to be more confident on jumps, I even did a few doubles at some property we went away to one time for the day/weekend. I wasn't scared to hit jumps at speed:

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These days it could be because of the years I've spent on road bikes, or that I'm old and soft and scared of breaking bones, or out of practice or that I don't know the limits of the dirty's suspension, but I'm scared to hit jumps and fly.

Any tips of how to get back into it? I spent a few hours at the local MX track on the weekend, but most of it was on the ground or being soft over jumps or riding the track up the back of the place without the big jumps.

A little help? Or should I go ask over at DBW and take the pizzling on the chin like a man?

Im a bit of a softy.
No doubles for me, unless little ones.

Ill have a go at tabletops but.

I love a goos track, but massive jumps just annoy me. I love the braking and accelerating out of corners.

I like single track/fire trails and would much rather see if I can cover all of a 200 acre property in a day than spend three hours doing laps of a motocross track trying to get faster lap times or nail that rut or jump.

That's me to a T except "nailing the Rut / Hill"...... gotta love a challenge

Seriously how do you jump on a dirtbike- I find the bike rises up to meet my body and I'm sure it is wrong.

Same as above, haven't hit doubles for about 12 years and don't really plan on doing it.

Little to mid table tops are all good and enjoy tracks but more mx tracks rather than supercross tracks.

Seriously how do you jump on a dirtbike- I find the bike rises up to meet my body and I'm sure it is wrong.

Same as jumping on a pushy. You just control it when it is coming up, you dont fight the bike on the up.

Chrisso is a bit of a demon at MX jumps. There are a few at Tracks he rides at that he has to hit pinned in 5th to get over so he knows his stuff pretty well. He's done plenty of MX schools when he was a kid and he's just stuck with it so he has no fear re jumping. Me on the other hand I'm a puss. However the two biggest things are

Keep your body upright as you go up the face of the jump irrespective of the angle of the bike

Don't back off until after your rear wheel has left the face of the jump. This is one of the biggest mistakes people make

All else being equal you should then land as you intended. If you feel like your going to nose it on the landing give it a panic rev in the air to bring the rear wheel down. If the front is too high tap your rear brake to bring it down. It all sounds easy in theory.

Start with tabletops and just jump a little further each time.

We grew up in a time when if you jumped a bike like they do now you would break every bone in your body when landing and end up with 2 shockies implanted in your hips. Suspension travel was nothing like it is now, when they brought in the single shock we couldnt afford a new model bike back then on hay carting wages so we had to ride around on shitters behind our mates on the latest

I never did MX and never really learnt to jump as such, in the last year or 2 I have heard of so many mx'ers breaking both ankles it convinces me not to go stupid on jumps, I will give them a go but i dont find it necessary out on the trails unless you absolutely need too.