This article is NOT intended to qualify you for the Red Bull X-Fighters free style championships. It is only to give some BASIC guidelines for those who would like to start jumping some dunes on their Quads or bikes. We have many riders who would like to learn to jump, but are often too scared to even attempt a jump.
If you stick to the basic guidelines and keep things within limits, you “should” be safe and enjoy many jumps without incident. I will use some photos where I am teaching John-John (aged 9) to illustrate my
explanations:
1. You need to know what dune you can and cannot jump. The pros, or riders that race on MX tracks, can just about jump any dune or hill they like. Their ability to control the bike once it is airborne allows them to compensate if the launch was not perfect. For the rest of us, we must look for a dune that will allow for a good smooth launch and landing. Just like I teach a student pilot that he cannot do a good landing from a bad approach, I teach people that we cannot jump any dune if the run-up to the dune was not smooth and steady.
2. You need to look for a dune where the sand does not start at an angle, but rather flow with a “curve” into the dune. If you approach and suddenly “hit” the dune rather than there being a natural “curve”, it puts you off balance and immediately you will feel uncomfortable. Initially only jump dunes that are flat on top. This helps with the landing and they are a lot more comfortable to jump than dunes that slope down during landing. Guys that get a lot of height prefer (must) landing on a down slope, but again that is for guys that really get airborne.
3. Also ensure that the dune is “long enough” so as to ensure that you are stable in the climb before you leave the crest. If the dune is very “short” and some of your momentum is still in a “horizontal”
direction then control is very difficult once you leave the crest. The more time/distance you spent running up the dune the better. This will ensure that you are steady, your momentum is in an upward direction and in the same direction as the dune. If the run-up and “entry” to the dune was smooth, and you have “stabilized” going up the dune then you are bound to have a good jump. You can see from the photo that the “launch” is perfect and it is just and extension of the dune….
4. Control your attitude. If the launch was good then controlling the quads attitude is fairly easy. To start with you want to have no acceleration or deceleration as you launch from the dune. You should reach the speed you are happy with (will discuss speed a bit later) before you “launch from the dune” and then keep that throttle position as you get airborne. If you are accelerating as you leave the dune the quad will have the tendency to increase its nose up altitude. (Pitch back). The opposite if you are decelerating when you leave the crest the quad will pitch nose forward. Again the pros can compensate for this, but these pitching motions (due to acceleration or deceleration) are normally dominant and will determine the final results/attitude of how you will land. If you launched with no acceleration then you can, by means of the throttle, control small attitude changes to ensure a good landing. By opening the throttle once in the air, the bike/Quad wants to pitch-up, and by closing the throttle it wants to pitch forward. Body position also assists in controlling the bike’s attitude. Too far back = nose up and too far forward = nose down. For initial jumping just jump
from your normal standing position. You will soon get a feel for what works for you and can then slightly adapt.
Tiennie is a tall rider and prefers to jump with his arm extended. This puts him far back and in almost all his jumps his front end is high during the jump and landing. I sit a lot more forward and in general land with the quad in a level attitude. (See the photo with me left and Tiennie right) If you have launched with a neutral body position, and with zero acceleration or deceleration, the quad should follow and
curved trajectory and will have the tendency to touch front wheels first. On the initial jumps, where your height was not a lot, this Closing the throttle during the launch!! should be ok and you can start to compensate for this by opening the throttle in the air or “slight” acceleration during the launch. If you hit the jump a bit fast and close the throttle before you launch, and keep it closed during the jump, you will have excessive nose forward. (Beware, see photo.) There is a lot regarding body position, throttle control and even brake application, but for now, and hopefully the level of jumps you will start with, these are the basics. Also remember that you need to “hold” the bike with your boots/knees. By “clamping” onto the frame and tank with your knees and boots you will ensure that you don’t end up in a situation where you separate from the bike during the
jump.
5. Speed. What is the correct speed?? When I see a dune that looks like it could be good for jumping I cross the first time very slow. Often my rear wheels would not even leave the ground. This attempt is 
only to feel the entry. Then on the second run, if the entry and the slope felt good, my second jumps would be only a couple of feet. Again just to get the feel for the dune. It is only on attempt three or four that I would go for height or distance. The golden rule is repetition!! Do it over and over, starting slow, and only increasing the speed if on several jumps the launch, “flight” and landings were perfect.
Never attempt to jump a dune at an offset angle (only at 90degrees), with a Quad, until your experience level is such that you control the bike with ease once airborne. You will land at an angle and often on one wheel and offset to the direction of travel!! You are bound to roll the quad on landing!!
Take it one step at a time and do it to enjoy it, not to show-off. (Ha-ha says the preacher….)
Ride Safe and Go for Gold
John Basson
Published October 2012
