Hitting a Metal Ramp

[Flyhigh]

I have never hit a metal ramp before, but I think I should get one since I am really wanting to get some air to pull off bigger tricks. Are they very hard to get used to for the first time? Should I have someone make me one? Do you have any tips or suggestions for me as to what I shuld expect or watch for? Thanks

[crustyfmx250]

well 1st off, id say be sure of your skill before you tackle a ramp.As long as u can jump big dirt hits, it should be ok tho :)

All u hafta do on your first jump, is just make it simple, like at 30ft, that way you wont be hurt too much if u screw up.

I had very little experience when i hit mine, and it was fine, bike felt nice thru the air :)


Best tips i can give are to build a BIG landing (with a safety deck) and to take things slowly, dont just pull it back to 90ft or something, take some time at each smaller gap, gettin used to it as u pull it back further.

Oh, and make sure your suspensin isnt crap, make it nice and stiff incase of overjumpin
;)

[crustyfmx250]

...and i just read in another post that u ride an XR250...upgrade b4 hitting a ramp! :D gotta use an MX bike (but u probably already knew that anyway..:))

[Flyhigh]

Yes, I know I have to upgrade first. I would never hit a metal ramp with my xr unless I was hoping to die! he he. I am really looking towards the CRF450 or CR250, but from what Ive read and seen, I think I wanna go with the CRF450 (any thoughts?) and modify it to make it more trick. Also, I was thinking that b4 I spend alot of money on a metal ramp (the CRF will make me broke as it is) Maybe I should build a dirt ramp about the same as the metal one, and then put about a 1/2 inch wood over the dirt(so it won't rut out) and try to figure out how I could get the wood to stay put on the sections of the dirt its on. Then, over the wood I could put a very thin layer of like plastic so water wont get into the board as much, and then on the very top, I would put a strip of carpet upside-down so I could have nice traction on the surface. Then I would nail it all together and after a while when I get some money, and get more used to hitting bigger jumps, I would go for the metal ramp. What do you think about that?

[shaolin]

you can put that conveyer belt stuff over your dirt jumps, vrusty said it was pretty good. also, go for the cr250.... just because

[mulcs]

nmate you wnat a ramp go for it, you can jumop ramps on a four stroke, mate of mine has a xr 250 and has been jumpin my ramp, not far only at about 40 foot but still hes jumpin it, put the ranmp close if you wanna try it and get a feel for the ramp, same as crusty said, anyways hope that helped.

[Flyhigh]

That conveyer belt idea seems pretty good, Where could I get some of that? Also, what is it that they use in FMX comp's where they use dirt jumps, but they have something on top of them that is pretty much like the conveyer belt stuff it seems like. ???

[REISERFMX]

i've only been jumping ramps for the last three weeks, but i love it. i get a lot higher arch and time to throw what i want! i would have hit one a longgg time ago, but it took me this long to get the $ to have dave from freestyle industries make me one. i recently held a jump show with my ramp and riders like myles richmond, tommy jean, kenny bell, and lonny fritch all said they liked the way my ramp set them up high. my ramp felt best at a gap of 75 feet, which would set us near 35-40 feet up. if you're serious about jumping, and are committed to progressing, its worth the monmey. never make one yourself. a lot of compicated welds, angles, etc, too easy to mess up or make a low quality ramp. there are a lot of different rmaps popping up lately, different angles, height, lengths, etc. anyways, if you want to jump, the only way to get better is jump both ramps and dirt!

[Flyhigh]

I know, I am gonna have to wait until I get the money too. Like I said, I'm trying to scrap enough money together to get either a CR250, or a CRF450, so I am probably gonna just get some dirt and make a ramp. I would like to get the metal one, but I think I'll just have to settle for a while. How much did yours cost?

[shaolin]

im not sure wether its the stuff the promoters use, but its probably just as good an easier on the tyres if there using something like line x (i think its called line x)

[AusFMX]

I know some guy who's mate has a FLAT, not curved ramp. Its pretty awesome for distance, and cheap and easy to build. Just felt like letting ya'll no.

[Flyhigh]

How much would some of that Line X cost? If I put that on top of the conveyer belt stuff, if might give it better traction, and be better. The belt by itself seems like it would get pretty slippery.

[REISERFMX]

it will run you near 300-450 us dollars. talk to a local shop, tell them you'll run there logo on bike or ramp and/ or will promote their product.

[SoCalCRrider868]

Go with the CR250, its lighter, and doesnt have as much engine braking in the air. If your off of the throttle too long, the front end starts to drop on them 4 strokes.

[Flyhigh]

I know thats how it is with most 4 strokes, but thats because of the engine braking. The CRF is supposed to have vitually no engine braking, have better pull, rev higher, and you are able to come around corners quicker and stuff. So the CRF sounds pretty awesome. Also, I have talked to many crf owners who say they have had 2 strokes all their lives, and they would take this over a 2 stroke anyday now. Some of them do FMX as well, and they say they have no trouble with it. I have only owned thumpers before, so I am more secure witht he maintainance with them, and what to do, so Im not sure if I would be able to maintain a 2 stroke as good. I have rode 2 strokes of my friends before and personally, they 250 2 strokes dont seem to be as easy to control as the smooth power of thumpers, and wide powerband and stuff.

[Logan_FMX]

ive heard hitting a ramp is totallydifferent than hitting a normal dirt hit. you dont come screaming into it 3rd gear pinned, you approach very mellow than right before and up the ramp you gas it. just letting ya know.

[shaolin]

i would guess that on a ramp no matter how you come in you would need to have the gas on the whole way up

[crustyfmx250]

heh, u should never let off the throttle on any jump ;)

If u try and hit a ramp the way dzope said, it is the best, BUT u really need to know your bikes powerband well. When u accelerating that hard, it just grips up some much that u just gotta be sure exactly what the bikes gonna do :)

[beaker]

my feind and my self are building a metal ramp, and we both own yzf250's. are these suitable for jumping ramps?
i know since i have had the yzf i have been able to jump smoother and futher than the on my kx250.
why dont any freestyle dudes use yzf's?

[crustyfmx250]

250f's are fine for ramp jumping. Bartram used one for a while till KTM started givin him bikes..

[bryan]

beaker, they're just as good as anything else out there but people don't ride them for fmx usually because they're a little bit heavier

[shaolin]

crusty, on jumps with not much of a lip i dont have the gas all the way up other wise my front end comes up to high from the centrifigul force if i have it on all the way up on some jumps i wont be jumping flat even if i preload as hard as i can

[REISERFMX]

ramp approaches are different from dirt approaches. they are more mellow, but you still get on the gas before you take off. when your on a 125, you still have to do a bit of screaming, but us 250's your job is easy, just put put put, then give it all you got up the face and off the take off. it's weird to hit dirt pinning it, then go to a ramp and jump the same distance, but not with the same amount of speed, i guess it has to do with angles and propulsion, and other great stuff i have no clue about!

[shaolin]

what do you guys think it will be like hitting a ramp on an 80?

[Gropes]

i dont think itll be a problem hittin ramps on a yzf coz at zero gravity before the final started this dude came out on 1 and would have been the smoothest rider all night
he was right on the gas all the way up to and up the ramp and was jumping it really well
so it should be alright on ramps

[Gropes]

i rekon hitting ramps would probly also depend on the way the ramp is
like if it is steep you dont really need to be on the throttle on the up ramp(well thats what it was like on my ramp,when it was at a small gap)
if theyre steep youve got to hit them really slow like the super kicker at the x games
but i dunno that much about hittin normal ramps

[Gropes]

shaolin
i think jumping ramps on an 80 would be ok if youre jumping ramps like liams
but when they are steeper it may react differantly with bigger and smaller bikes
coz with my ramp when my bro was jumping it on his 250 it didnt look like his bike was getting kicked up as much but when i did it on my 80 it felt like i was being kicked up higher
maybe coz its way lighter i dunno

[Nex corporation]

I think my ramp will be perfect for an 80 cause its kinda small, but it isnt mellow. it doesnt look that steep in the pics but it is. Samos ramp will react different to mine but it to should be ok on an 80.

[mulcs]

my bro jumps my ramp on a yz 80, he gets to about 50 foot, so shaolin yah can jump ramps

[Gropes]

the flat ramp is my m8s
we had it 4 a show that we did back in october
i eventually hit it but went way too slow and cased the landing pretty hard
it doesnt send u very high at alonly like 3 foot
so it would be pretty good for a step down into a dam or sumfin like that

[NoFeAr FrEaK #101]

a flat ramp,mmmmmmmm sounds dodgy to me.