Jumping on an ATV can seem dangerous. But if you know what to look for, and practice the right way, it can be done safely, and is really a lot of fun. If you’re new to jumping on an ATV, it is best if you take it slow at first. Learning the feel of your quad is a must. I highly recommend wearing safety gear before attempting any jumps on your four wheeler.
Basic safety gear includes: Helmet, goggles, boots, gloves, pants, and some type of body armor. Safety gear will keep you protected in case of an accident. Remember, you’re launching yourself and a 400 pound machine into the air. Better safe than sorry.
To check out some of the best gear to keep you safe, visit the Recommended Gear section of this site. Safety first.
The first thing to remember when jumping a quad is to keep the front wheels slightly higher than the rear wheels on take off and landing. This will help keep the landing smooth, and it is an important thing to remember when jumping. If you land with the front wheels first, the landing could be rough, with the potential to fall off the quad and cause injury. Landing with all four wheels at the same time, could bounce you off the four wheeler.
Another thing to focus on when jumping, is your body position on the quad. You want to be standing, or at least have your butt raised off the seat a bit. This will help you use your legs as suspension along with the suspension of the machine.
If you’re sitting on the seat when you land, you could be thrown from the four wheeler. When the quad hits the ground the suspension will compress. When the quads suspension rebounds, along with the your body’s downward force, you could be bounced off the ATV.
Standing not only helps your legs become extra suspension, it also helps you move your body around to correct the quad’s angle on take off. The key here is to allow the quad to move around underneath you. You should easily be able to shift your weight forward or to the side to make minor corrections to the ATV’s take off angle.
Always begin with smaller jumps when riding a new quad for the first time. Every quad behaves a little differently, and it takes time to find what works for you. To get the perfect jumping angle, try to focus on throttle position and body position.
When you approach the jump, stand slightly with your body weight slightly to the rear of center. You want to get some of the weight off the front end. Keep a steady pressure on the throttle to prevent the front of the ATV from lagging down. If you don’t keep the front up, you risk nosing down while airborne. That’s when the front of the quad lands before the rear.
The throttle shouldn’t be all the way maxed out, but you don’t want to give too little throttle either. If you are approaching a jump to fast and need to slow down, that’s ok. Hit the brakes to slow yourself, and right before launch hit the throttle again.
The main points here are to keep the quad in a straight line when jumping and try not to tilt the machine.
The right side of the ATV needs to be even with the left so that the right rear tire and left rear tire touch down at the same time. Not landing properly can be dangerous, bend an axle, or throw the rider from the quad.
What do you do if you tilt mid-air? You need to correct yourself in mid-air so that both your rear tires land at the same time. Something as simple as a bump in the track that only one tire hit could send you into a tilt. You can easily correct yourself though by shifting your weight to the higher side of the machine. This is why standing is so important when jumping. It’s best to focus on getting your weight onto the left or right foot peg while you lean in the proper direction. Shift your weight to your left leg or right leg to easily correct a tilt from a standing position.
What do you do if your quad gets sideways? Keeping the quad in a straight line when you take off and land should prevent this from happening. But if your rear tires slip on the take off, this could still happen to you.
Keep calm and keep the front wheels pointed in the direction the quad is supposed to be going. If you can’t re-align by just shifting your body weight, lean to the opposite side of the kicked out rear end. Keep on the throttle and hang on, the quad should straighten back out on landing. If the front tires are pointed straight in the direction you want the quad to go, then as soon as they touch down they will grip the trail and straighten out the machine.
Everything doesn’t always go exactly as planned, especially once you become airborne. There are a few things to look out for when you move onto bigger jumps. The most important, and dangerous, is if you get the quad vertical. If you hit a steep jump with too much throttle, or pull back on the handle bars too much, you could find yourself in a nose up vertical position. If the rear end kicks up on you while airborne, you could be in a dangerous nose down vertical position.
How do you fix it? Try to fix being nose up vertical by leaning forward onto the handle bars.
Try to move as much of your weight forward as you can. Get off the throttle immediately and hit the rear brakes hard. How can using brakes while airborne be helpful? It does help a little by stopping the rear tires rotation. Once the rotating rear tires stop, the inertia from them will be transferred to the front of the quad, helping bring the nose down a bit.
It is a good idea to pull in on the clutch to keep the engine from stalling. If you are still going to land on the back tires with the front end way too high, be prepared for the machine to jerk forward. Lean into the landing, keep the throttle off, and keep your body position forward. Be ready for the handle bar to jerk forward. If you need to you can loosen your grip. You don’t want to be thrown in front of the quad while it’s still moving forward after landing.
This is one of the scariest scenarios in my opinion. When the rear of the quad kicks up behind you and you have the nose of the quad facing downward.
This can happen sometimes right as you hit a jump, it is not very common though. You definitely don’t want to land in this position. Move your weight to the back of the quad as soon as possible, while pulling back on the handle bars. Hit the throttle to spin the wheels. This has the opposite effect as using brakes in a nose up vertical position, and the rotating tires could help level out the ATV. The rear end should drop back down and level your machine out for a safer landing.
If you are new to jumping, be patient and practice a lot before trying any big jumps. The people getting 20 feet of air have likely been jumping for years. It is best to develop your skills on smaller jumps first. Things can go bad quicker on bigger jumps where more speed is required.
Remember the basics, wear a helmet and protective gear, and have fun learning. Don’t try anything that is too much for your abilities. We all start somewhere. Go slowly over the jump at first, getting no air, just to get a feel for the jump and the terrain.
Then go a little faster, about half speed, to see how things feel before taking on a new jump.
While you’re in the air, check your landing zone for obstacles such as rocks, logs, or other riders. Use your legs as an extra set of suspension. Try to ride loose on the quad and get a good feel for the machine before trying anything dangerous.
Take your time to get a good feel for the quad. While airborne, even the slightest change in position can make a big difference. Stand on the quad with both feet on the pegs and squat slightly towards the rear of the quad. Be ready to shift your body weight at any time. If the ATV starts tilting, lean against the tilt without over correcting.
Try to land with the back tires touching down just before the front tires do. Start off small only hitting smaller jumps until you build up your experience. Get a feel for the jump by just driving over it slowly at first.
When in the air, use your body weight to control the quad, and use the throttle and brake to level yourself out if you need to.
If you start to go sideways, shift your body weight to the opposite side and keep the front wheels pointing the direction you want to go.
Remember the basics and wear protective gear. Most importantly, have fun! After you get good at jumping, you could even throw in a trick or two.
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ATV Riders Forum > ATV Riding & UTV Racing Information > ATV / UTV Racing > Learning to Jump
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09-24-2002, 10:31 AM
I am fairly new to the 4-wheeler sport, and have a membership to a local Sand track. I have ridden dirtbikes all my life, and street bikes since 16, but I am having a bit of difficulty with jumping the new honda! Can someone give me some tips on how to set up for a jump, and landing a jump? Do you stand? Do you sit?
DarkStarRacing
09-24-2002, 10:38 AM
start small and practice table tops before you start jumping gaps, once you start clearing the table topss move up to the doubles, you definetly want to be standing when you jump and at a good postion try not to lean when your climbing the face of the jump.
..example, i see people lean foward as there climbing up a jump and it throws them into a nose dive when they come off the lip. if this happens where you begin to feel like your nose diving hit the gas hard, it will bring you up a bit. make sure you don't let off the gas untill your completly off the lip of the jump ir you will nose dive, some guys keep a constant throttle and when you about to land give it some gas so you stiffen the rear shock and won't bottom out as easily..these are just my opinions there may be a better way to jump but this is basically what i do..good luck and practice makes permanace
09-24-2002, 10:42 AM
Thanks, I have been attacking table tops, and having some success. My biggest issue is with the landing. Sometimes its hard and my feet almost slip off! I managed to clear a double - although it was a small one. I haven't had any issues let with diving, as I'm always on the gas during the launch. A couple times I landed on the back tires though!
YLW400
09-24-2002, 11:24 AM
If your feet are slipping off, you need to invest in some nerf bars.
ASAP. You leg under the tire of a running 400EX could be bad:eek:
DarkStarRacing
09-24-2002, 11:45 AM
Originally posted by YLW400
Your leg under the tire of a running 400EX could be bad:eek:
yea thats tru :D
09-24-2002, 11:52 AM
Umm.yeah - I've already experienced that!
Pulled me right off the bike - straight into the dirt!
What do nerf bars do?
02exchic
09-24-2002, 12:13 PM
Nerf bars go under, out and around where the foot pegs are. I guess you could say that they fill up the space between the front and back tires. They are like a protection basket for your feet. Keeps them up with the bike instead of off on the ground or under the tires. :huh
09-24-2002, 12:40 PM
I guess they are on the list of things to get.
YZROOSTINYA
09-26-2002, 07:18 AM
you can also"pre-load" or compress the suspension by pushing down the quad as you are on the transition of the jump.
stay on the gas and stay centered on the quad. if you come up with the nose in the air grab the front brake and you will notice the bike come back down immediatly. if you are gonna nose dive , grab the throttle and it will level you out. if you land on your back tires its not that big of a deal as long as your not too far back. you can always tap the rear brake to brng the front to the ground if your gonna flip. the prob about land ing on two wheels only is your not using all the suspension at one time so you will hit harder. stay loose and adjust yourself as to where you need to be in the air. absorb the landing with your legs and arms. when you stay on the gas the suspension wants to lift so it sorta counteracts taking a big hit and will prevent bottoming. plus it will make yo faster since you are on the gas right away.
thats pretty much the basics. watch out for doubles. you DONT wanna case out.
the better your suspensuion is the better you can jump
Nausty
09-26-2002, 04:39 PM
do a search in the open forum, there was a thread a week ago where I we went into how to jump.
Derek
09-26-2002, 09:23 PM
NEVER i repeat NEVER hit a jump sitting down!!!!!!!!
Nausty
09-26-2002, 09:34 PM
what do you mean never? If you know what your doing hitting a jump sitting down can save lots of energy in a race and can actually stay in better control in certain situations. But you need to know when and know how the quad reacts.
Derek
09-26-2002, 09:36 PM
Yea nausty your right. But when i hit the 40 footer sitting down i got bucked off. IT HURT!!!
Nausty
09-26-2002, 09:41 PM
lol the video in the video section of that fat lady jumping a motor cycle is why. But if it is something like a drag race to a ski jump and you know how the bike is gonna pivot in the air then thats the time to do it or right out of a low speed berm to a step up or something like that where you have to pitch your nose down anyways.
Derek
09-26-2002, 09:44 PM
Yea i think im going to start practiceing that.
I need to learn to bring my nose down. My nose keeps coming up when i jump.
400exBro
09-27-2002, 05:25 PM
ottawa929 i suggest you give splash n dirt a call and order a set of ac pro peg nerf bars, they are out of montreal wihich isn't far from you, their number is in my signature on their web page.
good luck with jumping it is fun once you know how to!!
Bro
Varmit57
10-01-2002, 08:41 PM
You may also want to check out a web site called www.racingsmarter.com there is a directory there that has a boat load of infomation... Most of it is for bikes but still fits in a lot of cases........
10-01-2002, 10:29 PM
First of all, I would tell you to stay within your limits, and get comfortable with your quad. Many injuries happen because people get outside of thier limits. Second, The best advice I ever got was, "Your quad will pretty much do the same thing in the air that it will do on the ground". Giving it gas will bring the front end up just like riding a wheelie, and tapping the back brake will bring the front end down.
Try this ride a wheelie, and tap your back brake. You will notice that it will bring your front end right down. Also, use your handlebars to move your quad. Front end too low pull up on them. Too high push down on them. I would reccomend that you always start out jumping standing up, and keep steady on the trottle. If you let off on the throttle on the face of a jump that will for sure make your front end dive. Don't think about it too much. Just go out and start small, and work your way up, and you will get the feel of it.....shooooo
Buy a Huevos video, and watch those guys. They have pretty good form.....ya, pretty good....lol
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Stels ATVs have long conquered the expanses of Russian off-road. If you ask any quad rider what he likes most about this sport, you will most likely baffle him, it is so difficult to choose one from the whole host of sensations.
Someone will remember the indescribable feeling of speed, someone likes riding in the mud, and someone loves to fly over the dunes. However, for many, jumping on a quad bike is the most exciting experience. ATV jumps vary from taking off a little on a random bump to flying off a springboard, but it's definitely one of those hard-to-forget-feelings, just as hard to forget any feeling of free-flying. After all, the heart stops even for those who simply watch the flight from the side. nine0003
However, in order for the thrills not to have tragic consequences, it is necessary to prepare not only yourself, but also your device before flying. How to ensure your safety when jumping?
Of course, you shouldn't do extreme sports without protective equipment, make sure that your body is protected as much as possible and at the same time the equipment must be of high quality to provide sufficient freedom of action. Try to get a complete set from boots to a helmet and goggles and be sure to protect your body well, because you will be in the air with a device weighing several centners, in case something goes wrong you will need reliable protection.
nine0003
First of all, you need to remember the basics of jumping, which is that when taking off and landing, your front wheels should be slightly higher than the rear ones, and you need to keep the ATV in the air in such a position during the entire flight. Then the rear wheels will touch the ground on landing earlier than the front wheels, which will soften the impact when touching the ground. Landing on the front or all four wheels takes most of the impact on the ground, which is enough energy to throw you out of the saddle. nine0003
The second rule of extreme jumping is not to sit while jumping. You have to stand in the ATV, or at least raise yourself in the saddle, only then your legs will act as an additional shock absorber, helping to soften the impact. Otherwise, having taken a hit on the fulcrum, you can easily fly out of the saddle at the moment when, after compression, the shock absorbers are again unclenched. Allow the craft to move under you in flight, and by lifting yourself off the seat, you will have more freedom to move your body and balance, which will allow you to adjust the angle of the entire craft-racer system.
nine0003
There are two ways to achieve the desired angle, controlling the position of the body and using the accelerator. When approaching the liftoff point, lean back to lighten the load on the front wheels, control the throttle smoothly, preventing the ATV from tilting forward after the liftoff. If you understand that the speed for the jump is too high, slow down slightly, and just before the takeoff, release the brakes and squeeze the gas. It is important to choose the right acceleration so that it is not too large and at the same time too small. In general, the choice is determined by many parameters and is usually selected individually by the rider for his ATV. That is why you can move on to ski jumping only after preliminary training on small jumps. This is especially important if you are riding this ATV for the first time, before going into sharp turns, experiment on small obstacles. nine0003
When jumping on a quad bike, you may find that not everything goes as it was originally intended, and you usually notice this when you take off from the ground.
Your ski jump might actually be steeper than you thought, you might yank the handlebars too hard or add too much throttle and the quad will become vertical in the air. In this case, begin to shift your body weight forward by pushing down on the handlebars to lower the front wheels down. Release the gas and apply the rear brakes. Oddly enough, they can help you even if the wheels are no longer touching the ground. The fact is, stopping the rotation of the rear wheels causes inertia to lower the front wheels down. In order not to cut off the engine, do not forget about the traction when braking in the air. If you land with your front wheels up, slow down, shift your body weight forward, and be prepared for a sharp rudder jolt. One of the dangers in this case is to fly forward and get under the wheels of your own ATV. nine0003
If the rear wheels are up, shift the weight back and press the gas, this is one of the most dangerous situations that should be avoided as much as possible. However, if you do not get confused, you will be able to level the ATV in the air.
Remember that while jumping on an ATV is similar to jumping on a motorcycle, one of the main differences is the need to watch four wheels instead of two. Do not allow the ATV to skew, otherwise you run the risk of simply breaking the rear axle when landing. Remember that the wheels should touch the ground at the same time, if you feel the ATV lean to one side, you need to shift the weight to the opposite leg and try to straighten it in the air - this is another reason to stand rather than sit in the saddle when jumping. nine0003
What is the most exciting thing about riding ATV ? Someone will say that speed brings the most sensations. Some will advocate track racing or mud riding. Others will say that the most interesting thing is to ride in the dunes, participate in high-speed races, or just ride on the rear wheels. But don't forget about air. Nothing beats jumping, whether it's a small hillock, a huge diving board or a sand dune, nothing beats the feeling of free flight.
If you have your own style, then you can impress your friends even more. How to do this, and stay safe and sound? nine0003
It goes without saying that protective equipment is absolutely essential. We recommend a complete set of protective equipment, including boots, gloves, long pants, a helmet, goggles and possibly also a torso protector. It is quite obvious that any action in which you, along with a car weighing several hundred kilograms, fly up into the air, requires good protective equipment.
The very first thing to remember when jumping ATV - jump and land in such a way that the front wheels of your car are slightly higher than the rear. It is very important to keep the ATV in this position. When landing, the rear wheels should touch the ground before the front wheels. This will allow you to land softer than if only the front wheels first touched the ground, or all wheels at the same time.
Another basic rule when jumping is that the pilot must be standing at the moment of the jump, or at least raise his torso slightly from the seat. In addition to the shock absorbers of your ATV , you will also need to use your own feet as shock absorbers. If you continue to sit, you may be thrown out of the seat the moment the ATV hits the ground - the shock absorbers compress and then decompress. The secret to maintaining control is to allow the quad to move under you a little. Preparing to jump in a semi-standing position will allow you to quickly move your body forward, backward, or sideways to adjust the angle of your car. nine0003
The moment you and your ATV take off from the ground, not everything can go as you expected. The springboard may turn out to be steeper than you thought at first glance. You can pull too hard on the steering wheel, or give it a little too much throttle, and your quad will take on a more upright position than you intended.
What to do in this case? First, try to shift your weight forward while pushing down on the handlebars. You also need to release the gas and apply the rear brakes. Yes, your brakes can help you even in the air. When the rear wheels suddenly stop spinning, the momentum moves to the front of the ATV, causing it to drop slightly. Use the clutch when applying the brakes so that the engine doesn't stall the moment you land. When you land with your front end too high, release the throttle and shift your body weight forward, and be prepared for the handlebars to jerk forward. All this is necessary so that you do not fly out through the handlebars and do not fall under the wheels of your own ATV. There are two main ways to give ATV the desired angle of inclination: using body position and using the accelerator. As a general rule, when approaching the ramp, you need to shift your weight back a bit to lighten the front of the quad. Adjust the throttle smoothly so that the ATV does not "burry" its nose after it takes off from the ground.
If you feel like you're going too fast for a particular jump, brake before it, then release the brakes and hit the gas just before the jump. Acceleration should not be too much, but not too little. For every ATV need practice and find the right spot. Therefore, you should always start with small jumps when you are riding a new or unfamiliar ATV for the first time.
Another problem may be that the rear of your ATV may jump up as you enter the ramp, causing your ATV to flip forward. This is the infamous "endo" - an accident that you must try to avoid at all costs. If you realize at the moment you leave the jump that your rear wheels are much higher than your front wheels, immediately shift your weight as far back as possible. At the same time, press the gas as far as possible. The sudden increase in rotation of the rear wheels will cause the front of the ATV to rotate slightly in the opposite direction. In other words, the rear of the car will drop a little, while the front will rise a little, which will increase your chances of landing in a more horizontal position.
nine0003
Whatever it is, sometimes it does happen. For example, right before the jump, the left wheel hits some kind of obstacle, while the right one goes straight. ATV bounces and leans to the right in the air. In this case, you need to correct your position in the air so that both rear wheels touch the ground at the same time. In this case, this can be done by moving your weight to the left. Here is another reason why it is better to stand up at the time of the jump than to continue to sit. It's much easier to shift your weight to your right or left foot when you're in a looser position. 9 Jump Technique0023 ATV strongly resembles the technique of jumping on a motocross bike. But there is one thing: unlike a motocross bike, an ATV driver must always keep an eye on the two rows of wheels of his car. In other words, the ATV must not be tilted at the moment of taking off from the springboard. Landing after such a jump can be very unpleasant for you, and most likely will damage the bridge of your ATV.
It may also happen that your ATV will turn a little while jumping. This is especially likely if you added a little extra gas before jumping. What to do in this case? First of all, point the front wheels in the direction that the quad would have been facing if you were jumping straight. Tilt your body in the opposite direction to where the rear end of the car turned, keep stepping on the gas and hold on tight. If you do everything right, usually the quad will have time to level off before the moment of landing. nine0003
When you see others jump several meters high, remember that they probably have many years of riding experience. Do not think that you can easily repeat the same maneuver just because you are riding the same ATV. If you're new to riding, be patient and practice more. The higher the ramp and the faster the speed, the more likely something will go wrong. There is nothing that can replace experience. Your skills and craftsmanship must first be worked out on small jumps.
nine0003
The main thing to remember is the basic rules: always wear helmet and other protective equipment . See you on the track!.
Here are some more useful tips:
Never jump from a springboard that is higher than your skills!
