How to Do Table Tops on a Dirt Bike

For motocross table top jumps, two ramps are set one in front of the other with a space in between. The area between the launch ramp and the landing ramp is filled in with dirt so that it is flat like the top of a table. This ensures that the person jumping won't fall into a deep, empty space if he fails comes up short of the landing. This can be a tough jump to pull off, especially when the distances to the landings can be 100 feet or more.

Things You'll Need

  • Motocross bike
  • Safety gear
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Instructions

    • 1

      Wear your safety gear and get comfortable on your bike. Practice accelerating and braking on level ground, over smaller single jumps and around berms. Focus on smooth acceleration and braking and train your brain to avoid abrupt moves.

    • 2

      Approach the tabletop in a catlike crouch. Stand on the footpegs with your rear off the seat. Balance your bodyweight so you stay in the center of the bike, not too far over the back wheel or the front. Keep your knees and elbows bent and your chin up, looking forward. Accelerate smoothly up the face of the ramp and keep the throttle steady as your bike leaves the lip and takes flight.

    • 3

      Keep the weight of your body balanced and neutral as you float through the air. Your eyes should look ahead to the landing.

    • 4

      Adjust the balance of the bike, if needed, to match the angle of the landing ramp. This can be done by pulling in the clutch and tapping the rear brake to point the nose of the bike down. If the nose needs to come up, applying some gas will bring the back wheel down and the front wheel up. Both of these techniques use the gyroscopic action of the back wheel while the bike is airborne.

    • 5

      Spot the landing as you touch down. Remain standing with your knees and elbows bent to absorb the shock, and stay loose and fluid. Give the bike some throttle when you land to stabilize the chassis and power away from your table top jump.