Australasian Dirt Bike — January 2018

214 | JANUARY 2018 http://www.adbmag.com.au

HOWTORIDE/ADBGARAGE/WERECOMMEND/TECH/KIDZKORNER/USEDRIDE/

WE’VE ALL COME to that gnarly section
of trail that requires you to drop off a ledge
while being careful not to send it off the
cliff that follows. It’s a fi ne balance of
throttle, body position and brake, making
sure you don’t over jump and that you don’t
come up short. In this situation we had to
jump the fi rst ledge and clear the second as
the space on the fi rst one was not wide
enough to stop and reassess. In the words
of Larry Enticer, just gunna send it!

1/ SPOTTER
It’s important to spot your landing before
you start your run up. Make sure you can
see a clear path with enough room to stop
with a bit of run-off room. Do not look
down at the gap you are going to clear. Get
your body in a neutral position, with your

legs ready to spring and arms ready to lift.

2/ SPEED DEALERS

Launching off the drop with the right

speed is the most important aspect of this

technique. If you’re going too slowly you

may come up short or run too much

throttle at the last minute and risk

spinning the wheel and dropping the

front-end. Cover your clutch to ensure

perfect power delivery and hover over the

front and rear brakes so there’s no delay in

stopping before the next ledge.

3/ LEVEL HEADED

It’s important to keep the bike level as

your rear wheel leaves the ledge. If you

roll the throttle on too hard and lift the

front, you risk landing and whisky

throttling as your body falls backwards.

But you don’t want to land fl at either. You

want the bike at about a 20-degree angle.

Stay off the brake and throttle while you

sail through the air.

4/ MR FREEZE

If you freeze halfway through, you’re going

to feel it in the landing. And if you land

with the brakes on you’re going to use all

your suspension travel. So keep focussed

on your landing and how little braking

space you have. Keep your knees bent

ready for impact and your head up.

5/ GUTTER BASH

To soften the blow of the landing, try to

get your rear wheel to contact the knuckle

of the rock before the rest of the bike

REAR GUARD

JUST

GUNNA

SEND

IT!

LAUNCHING DOUBLE

DROPS IN TIGHT

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