How to Jump Big Bikes like Dakar Rally Racer Toby Price
Pro tips on how to launch and land a big bike on natural bumps and rises.
It’s not easy to find motocross-style jumps out in the desert. It’s actually incredibly rare to find one of natural origins. But when you increase speeds in excess of 50 mph (80 kph), natural bumps and rises in the road can get you airborne. Or if you ride as fast as Dakar Rally racer Toby Price off-road (up to 112 mph or 180 kph), those small rises in the road can become high-speed supercross jumps.
In this video, the Australian off-road champion and Dakar Rally stage winner talks about the technical aspects of jumping a big bike at speed and demonstrates some impressive airtime on his Dakar Rally Bike.
A Rally Bike carrying 9 gallons of fuel is similar in weight to an adventure bike, so much of his advice applies for approach, body position and landing. One thing Toby Price forgets to mention though is that you’ll need huge cojones to jump a big bike at these speeds and with this much elevation.
But before you head out to the desert to practice your 5th- and 6th-gear jumps, understand that an unsuccessful landing at these speeds is almost guaranteed to put you in the hospital. Also keep in mind that Toby is riding a factory-prepped Rally Bike with 12 inches of travel and a race-stiff suspension. So if you are thinking about getting this much air on your stock KLR650, think again.
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