nosedives
  • Guest

    nosedives

    by Guest » Fri Nov 19, 2004 5:31 pm

    how do i prevent my bike from nosediving? it seems like right after i leave the jump my rear spring compresses causing me nosedive! i have the right springs but i think it may have something to do with compression damping, what would i need to set my susp at (softer or harder)?[/list]
  • ev
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    by ev » Fri Nov 19, 2004 5:39 pm

    suspension setup???
    don't think so
    if you have the urge to play with your suspension, try a bit less rebound

    and
    move your butt furter back
    and/or
    keep the throttle open
    and/or
    keep your foot off the brake
  • Guest

    by Guest » Fri Nov 19, 2004 6:28 pm

    trying a bit less rebound sounds more accurate than the others you mentioned, so i will try that. I will use your other solutions as last resorts, cause it seems like i am doing those correctly.
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    crfsonly
    Owner
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    by crfsonly » Fri Nov 19, 2004 11:09 pm

    you didnt mention the bike you're riding..but if it's not a water cooled crf then you are faced with significant compression braking when chopping the throttle...even the smallest of variations in throttle position can cause the front to drop if you don't recognize it and counter it with your weight/body position. even on a water-cooled crf there's compression breaking...not as much but it's still there. sometimes when going up the face of a jump a rider will back off the throttle without even knowing about it as their body position changes due to the angle of the face. just watch that. if you're mechanics off the face are correct then it's got to be suspension or the jump face itself (like a 'kicker').

    good luck and post some pictures of this nosedive =D>
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    Monkeywrench
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    by Monkeywrench » Sat Nov 20, 2004 11:21 pm

    I love jumping, and made an interesting discovery which I overlooked at first: maybe it is the jump itself? Here's what I discovered last week, though probably elementary to seasoned riders... :roll:

    Was having a tough time with nose-downs, on about half of the attempts I was making while in 3rd gear. (All the 2nd gear jumps went fine). I thought my body position or throttle habbits were at fault until I had a friend video tape some footage of the particular jump I was having trouble with. Now throughout the taping I tried varying body position and speed, wanting to be able to see what the differences were in playback. Hitting in 2nd gear was fine, but about all the jumps in 3rd gear produced results less than "safe".

    We watched the tape in half-speed playback right on the camcorder, and noticed right away that the suspension was completely squashing out when entering the face of the jump. This was a relatively short jump, and the only one which wasn't flooded out from recent rains, or we would have gone elsewhere. But the major problem was that this jump had (in some spots) a harsh angle between the take-off and jump face... something I didn't figure would matter much - hey that what shocks are for, right? Well kind of.

    example of what this jump face was like: If you hold your left hand flat out in front of you, and force your fingers upward sharply with the palm of your right hand, that's how certain spots of this jump face were. Almost a direct, hard 45-degree angle -- just too drastic of a transition for fast speeds, instead of a smoother arc.

    With the forks and rear suspension bottoming out so quickly, the jolt continued through to my body position, affecting the important take-off stance. In playback, we noticed when I hit the jump fast, the suspension would bottom instantly and my upper body continued forward just enough to mess up a good in-air stance.

    A little more compression damping has helped, but I learned not to hit jumps so hard when the take-off transition isn't sloped smoothly. It's like asking for a rough landing. Not that it isn't fun trying to learn how to overcome the bike wanting to nose-down during sharp jumps... but moving to a smoother jump has made it possible to hit this one faster, making the in-air time more enjoyable and the landing MUCH less "OH NO-ish!" :P

    Hope this helps.
    Also, maybe try a different jump if you can. And make sure the top of the jump is smooth as well (sometimes they get a lip worn into them). All of this I've noticed can affect how you end up coming down.

    good luck,
    matt
    2006 450R
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    zak13
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    by zak13 » Mon Apr 09, 2007 9:06 am

    steady throttle hitting the jump and if it still does it
    PANIC REV
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    Jethro
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    by Jethro » Sat Apr 28, 2007 11:32 am

    simple. your chopping the throttle to early
    "Running is not a plan, Running is what you do when the plan fails"
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    marks crf
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    by marks crf » Mon Jun 16, 2008 4:31 am

    hey try putting your handle bars forward maybe 1 to 2 cm should do it
    i use to have my crf250r bars back and very time i went for i jump i all most faceplanted it :D thats when i put my bars a tad forward it felt unco (uncomfortable) but within 20 mins i was on the track and getting faster and no nose dives (the secret is if you have the bars forward more your naturally going to pull up on the bars) now i can whip it :D :D :D :D
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    ship_killer6666
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    by ship_killer6666 » Fri Jul 04, 2008 5:54 am

    preload the suspension while on the jump (before getting in the air)
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    Skoot22
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    by Skoot22 » Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:41 am

    Its your technique. Not the bike. I can jump any bike, it doesnt matter how it is set up. 90% rider 10% bike

    Hit the jump in 1 gear lower but at the same speed or faster. Keep the throttle steady and or accelerate through the jump. Learn to preload, and start doing it on all jumps. I even play around and preload Whoops to double in and out of em. Don't jump in first gear when learning. Its too unpredictable IMO.
    Scott
    05 CRF450X
    Bakersfield, Ca
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  • dobent4@yahoo.com
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    by dobent4@yahoo.com » Fri Jul 04, 2008 11:41 am

    What Skoot said, that really covers it all.
    Sometimes there can be WAY too much thinking vs. performing the basics right. They're called basics for a reason, meaning they get done that way every time or bad things happen. Doug
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    lavajava
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    by lavajava » Tue Oct 07, 2008 1:37 pm

    Skoot22 wrote:Its your technique. Not the bike. I can jump any bike, it doesnt matter how it is set up. 90% rider 10% bike

    Hit the jump in 1 gear lower but at the same speed or faster. Keep the throttle steady and or accelerate through the jump. Learn to preload, and start doing it on all jumps. I even play around and preload Whoops to double in and out of em. Don't jump in first gear when learning. Its too unpredictable IMO.


    what is preloading. im very new to jumping. I either nose dive or stand it up. never a smooth jump. its driving me nuts becouse my kids do it like its nothing
    If you aint wreaked it you aint riding it.
    06 CRF450- Me
    04 CRF450- 15yr old son
    04 CRF50 and 04 PW50- 5yr old son
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    marks crf
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    by marks crf » Wed Oct 08, 2008 12:47 am

    its just before u leave a jump u compression/bounce the suspension
    this will get u to greater heights and make u stay in the air longer
    my #00

    5th gear PINNED on the 250
    6th gear PINNED on the 125

    My van is the only TRUE factory rig
  • fast4fun
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    by fast4fun » Fri Nov 28, 2008 4:41 pm

    I'm new to dirtbikes and love the jumping. I've found over the past couple months that throttle and body position matter the most. As I got more daring in my jumps I found that I had a hard time getting my body settled before the jump which lead to some unpredictable and dangerous flights. So I backed off and spent time hitting the mid size jumps over and over. This past weekend I learned to preload the suspension to get over the kickers on some jumps. It's like a bunny hop. What a difference it makes when your back end isn't thrown in some random direction.

    I also found some random dirt piles about 3-4' tall that I would do single slow speed jumps over to get used to the throttle needed to take off and land evenly. I have to admit that these are a lot more fun than they look. I set up three in a row and before I knew it I was jumping off the side and landing a couple feet to the left without wiping out. Good times. It's a great feeling when you feel one with the bike and in control.

    One Question, There is a long table top with a steep face that scares the hell out of me. I feel like I'm going to be launched to the moon. And If I end up 3/4, I hit a pit rather hard. I just can't get the courage up to hit the far landing. Any suggestions?
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    marks crf
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    by marks crf » Sat Nov 29, 2008 12:22 pm

    well fast4fun watch other riders jump that jump and maybe follow them and try to have the same speed they are and its better over clearing a jump a tad than under clearing it 2 meters :shock: :shock: and there's a way to jump its called overjumping for speed alot of pro riders do this on low long tabletops and high and short tabletops as well but remember practice makes perfect
    my #00

    5th gear PINNED on the 250
    6th gear PINNED on the 125

    My van is the only TRUE factory rig

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