Hill climbs and looping...

[cleoent]

I find myself having a hard time keeping the front end down on the ground on steep climbs, but even more so when there is a turn involved during the climb. I find myself chopping (doh!) the throttle to make the turn and then on giving it gas again the bike wanting to loop.

The xr250 this technique was fine (works with the kdx200 too), either the geometry of the bike was different and not as easy to loop, or maybe the power was just smoother. Either way, i know the new bike isn't the problem, it's my technique.

Any tips for me?

Currently i sit down. I try to stand but i feel like i'm pulling the bars up and that's only going to make things worse. Have about 3 yrs of riding experience it feels like i'm a n00b all over again!

I bought the bike with a full fmf system, could it be the PO put a torque pipe on here and that is causing just too much oooooomph? I doubt it, i'm sure its on me, any tips would be great.

Thanks!

[scheckaet]

If you have a KX front end maybe the fork is too high in the triple clamp?
Or maybe the sag is not right on the rear?
Just guessing idk

[cleoent]

stock suspension with xr400 springs up front...

[Mr. Wibbens]

are you RB'd yet?

[cleoent]

nope...

[Mr. Wibbens]

well that'd be a place to start

also might want to try a stepped seat, sure has helped me!

[cleoent]

So u believe it's just a power delivery problem and not a technique i can work on? What's a stepped seat?

[krazyinski]

If you had an auto clutch it would slip just enough to keep traction and keep you from looping or spinning.

I think your just not slipping the clutch enough.


if you are slipping on the seat and pulling the bars thus looping the bike with you weight then you are in need of training on technique.

You should be leading the bike up hill head over the bars, feet on the pegs stance should be related to the steepness of the hill.

A powerfull two stroke takes clutch and throttle finesse to climb.

as said above if the bike is out of balance via sag or forks to high to stiff of springs rebound to quick to much compression .


try smaller stuff and work up to medium then hard all the while seeing if you can lead the bike.

maybe your bars are two high

when setting up my new bike I moved my old bars (favorites) over to the new bike, I had handling problems the bars would not let me get in th correct position.

Your not new to this just new to the bike can some times take a while to work out.

[hockeyboysomers]

I think it's clutch technique also. In his original post he doesn't mention using the clutch at all. Going up a large hill I slip the clutch like crazy. I also seem to have better luck if I'm in second gear on the pipe, and downshift quickly If I need first gear. I also try to keep my weight over the bars.

[skipro3]

I agree. Get in a gear that doesn't give so much torque, like 2nd or 3rd and slip the clutch. Keep it in the lower end of the rpm's as well.

Sit WAYYYYY forward. Imagine trying to read something on your front fender. Nuts up against the tank filler cap.

[Green Hornet]

What gear r u using on this hill??

[cleoent]

I have a video of me riding and can you show you guys, let me find a link....

[kawagumby]

Sitting firmly down while hillclimbing is the main problem IMO. Your weight should be on the footpegs even if your ass is slightly touching the saddle. With your weight firmly on the footpegs, when the bike front end begins to rotate up you can loft that ass slightly and lean over and forward so your chest/head is in a position to look down quickly at your front fender on really steep stuff. Think of the footpegs as the pivot points what allow you to move freely around above a bike that is rotating forward and back as the terrain steepness changes. Don't forget to hold onto the bike with your inner thighs/knees too, so your arms aren't tied up with holding-on rather than controlling the bike.

One trouble with sitting is that the man/machine center of gravity is too high to quickly manuever the bike; the other thing is that when using the seat to hold most of your weight, you tend to slide back when encountering any kind of mischievious steep terrain- which, of course, encourages a loop-out. As others here have said, the clutch is like a variable speed tranny and can help get past those places where you just don't have the time or willingness to take the chance to shift - (read: the inevitable neutral or false neutral at the vertical top of a killer hill). God, I"ve had my fill of those....

[GS]

A video of you looping? YEEEEHAW!!

[cleoent]

uploading now. It's a 50mb file with me and a few buddies riding. I'm the one in green on the kdx. I'm not the only 2 stroke that had a problem, but as you will see in the video a much more experienced rider takes my bike up the hill without any problem after i fail 3 times.

The next week i went to this hill and it took me two tries and i got up it, except it wasn't pretty and i only got over the ledge because of sheer luck, i was on one wheel at the 12 o clock position... :(

BTW - i do sit pretty far forward... i think what i'll have to do is start standing.

Vid: (give it another few minutes to upload, but this will be the link...

http://www.cleoent.com/vids/gnarlyhill.wmv

[GS]

Careful that you don't let that ONE hill psych you out. Bad vibes that disconnect your brain simply due to 'experience' with that one spot.

Sometimes it's best to move on to the next one and return to it when you have a little success under your belt.

There have been times when I don't FEEL psyched out, but the evidence indicates otherwise........

Your mileage may vary!!

[cleoent]

You're absolutely right, this just happens to be one of the hills i have trouble with on video.

If you'll notice, in the video i'm doing fine, and then i hit a bump, wheelie a bit, chop the throttle and have trouble getting my momentum back.

[blimpman]

>My opinion is that you should stand up and get a better run up the hill initially. Noticed that one of the riders made it up easily at a faster speed. Wish I could give that hill a try....

|<

uploading now. It's a 50mb file with me and a few buddies riding. I'm the one in green on the kdx. I'm not the only 2 stroke that had a problem, but as you will see in the video a much more experienced rider takes my bike up the hill without any problem after i fail 3 times.

The next week i went to this hill and it took me two tries and i got up it, except it wasn't pretty and i only got over the ledge because of sheer luck, i was on one wheel at the 12 o clock position... :(

BTW - i do sit pretty far forward... i think what i'll have to do is start standing.

Vid: (give it another few minutes to upload, but this will be the link...

http://www.cleoent.com/vids/gnarlyhill.wmv

[Mr. Wibbens]

This is a stepped seat



One of the best mods I've ever done other than the RB mods

Keeps your ass from sliding back to far thus keeping you from looping

[2001kdx]

Looks like you guys had a ball.

It's your technique. It's not a power issue, or a seat issue.

You need to put some more weight over the front, as you simply don't have the momentum to sit mid-way on the bike like the other guys and not loop.