Can't find the nerve or balls!!

[Elmo777]

OK here is the deal, I own a 2002 wr 426 bought it new and have loved it since the day I brought her home. I have made alot of the mods that I needed to to make it competitive on the track as well as the trails. Now here's the problem, I'm 36 years old, married with 4 kids and when it comes to taking the big doubles and triples, the nerves are flat out gone. I don't know if it's cause I've been busted up enough times that I've wised up or need a skirt. So how do you get that no fear mentality back cause I can't seem to find it.

Any ideas would help.

[joosca77]

I actually had a large problem with big jumps being a psychological barrier. I ended up becoming friends with guys that were doing them and would follow them up and brake off the top and watch them and get the idea of the speed. We would do that about 10 times and then I would follow them off of it turned out I never crashed.... although I did learn to prepare to brake hard if its coming into a turn

[mxmark]

I am 38 with one child and I used to race pro in the 80's. I still find myself not wanting to do some of the double and tripples. I just follow my freinds that are doing it and I make it. Thanks Mark

[sako_aper]

I have joosca sit on his bike by a jump and watch me until i go over it a couple times and then finally hit the jump.

[aaronc]

I found this double out in the middle of nowhere that nobody was hitting and it was my first real double, so i rolled it a few times, got scared and left, came back and rolled it again, left and came back, i just told myself to quite whimpin out i hit it came about 3 feet short, did it again perfect. So what I'm trying to say is if you want to jump it bad enough you will just tell yourself to toughen up and do it, and you either will or you won't and you will just want to jump it that much more next time

[RedRider98]

just go for it, that's how I clear all the new jumps for me.

[carlsbadmotoguy29]

As the all knowing Yoda once said, "Do, or Do not, there is no try."

And when your flying towards a sixty foot triple you better not TRY, you better do it!

[stevecg]

Ride more.

The more comfortable you get on the bike, the more stuff you'll try.

Also go riding with guys that are really good. It will really help with your progression. Nothing like a little peer pressure.

And remember FEAR is Fiction Exceeding Actual Reality.

[condog_aus]

I got back into it a few years ago after a good break and am now 33 with 2 kids. I understand your concerns. Its cause your now more intelligent and understand the correllation between mindless throttle twisting and pain.

The best advice is to go practice more. Build yourself a few small doubles to practice on and then enlarge them once you lose the skirt. Remember now that you have to make it home to kids you need to ride slightly more conservatively. That doesnt mean you cant win races. It just means you have to do enough practice and reinforce the correct techniques into your nervous system so that you can ride faster with bette control.

Take it slow and enjoy it. Even though your memory remembers you riding well your nervous system has retrained for all your new things youve done.Practice all the correct techniques until they are automated. Search this site.

You will re-learn quicker than most beginners, but you have to take time to train the brain and reflexes.

As Claudia says it wont happen overnight but it will happen.

[dmoney2023]

I am 28 and I just started riding a couple months ago. I hit my first double about three weeks ago. Man my heart was pumping like crazy. I like the idea of following people up to the jump. That way you can get an idea of the speed you need to have. As far as positioning, find a jump that is a double, but a very soft one, that only has a little hump on the landing, so even if you case it you won't kill yourself. Or I like to work on tabletops until you can clear them. Us old guys got to hold our own against these minors. They can't drink or even vote, but man some of them are so fast!! Good Luck!!!

[ridingagain]

I can't seem to get over it either but fear is a good thing. I don't suggest forcing it. I still struggle to make the landing areas on long singles and one day I was frustrated and just decided to go for it. Dumb idea. I looped it and broke the collarbone. I thought I was forcing myself to overcome the fear of being in the air longer. I failed to realize its the other factors, not the added airtime itself, that make it difficult--my acceleration was faster, the jump face and takeoff came on a lot quicker...that same jump I tried at least 20 times at 1/2-3/4 throttle was totally different when I went for it pinned. I learned my lesson the hard way.

[Yamaha35]

If your afraid of it, your not ready. There is no reason to try something your afraid of. Most of us are out there for fun not to be a pro. There's no time limit on fun. If you don't know if you can do it or not then you should not do it. When you see a jump and your scared, its probably out of your skill level. Don't do it. Follow the advice from others by starting small. Once you don't have to think about those you will find yourself jumping bigger and bigger without thinking about it. practice practice practice. Fear is there for a reason...to keep us from doing some stupid stuff that will get you hurt!

[Baron Von Beard]

Confidence is a tricky thing. I am mid 20's and have been riding on and off my whole life, but just recently started riding MX. I was riding the track, hitiing a few tables, but my buddy told me that I definitely could clear a double that was on the track. It isn't big, maybe 35-40 ft, but i was scared $hitle$$. As I rode around the track, I tried to build my confidence, luckily I had my wife, kids, best friend and his wife and kids there, otherwise I most definitely would have Pu$$ed out. Once I got to it, I grabbed throttle, didn't let off, and actually overjumped it. Luckily I have a friend that knew that it wouldn't kill me if I did overshoot it. Needless to say, I now do it without even thinking about it.

I have found that it is best to take each jump seperately while you're still getting comfortable. Pick a jump that you want to do, cruise the track, save your energy for that one, and keep going around until you get it down. After that, pick the next jump. If you think about going fast around the whole track, and try clearing everything all at once, you'll only end up not doing anything.

[glenrmz]

I'm in a similiar situation with regard age, kids and balls. I've stopped beating myself up about it and just accepted that my balls have shrunk with age. If you keep rolling obstacles long enough eventually you end up jumping them out of frustration. It just takes months instead of minutes to clear everything on the track. And just as you do they change the track. bastards.

[T-Web 60]

I dont think jumping doubles and triples on a wr, which is made to be a trail bike, is a very good idea in the first place

[YZ155]

"And just as you do they change the track. bastards." Ain't that the truth hahahahahahhaha.

[tnl]

Or "tell yourself to toughen up and do it" as you call it and come up short and hurt yourself badly.... I don't think so!

[BeRmBlaStEr69]

Just ride more it will come back to you.

[TTRer]

Ride more, if that doesn't work decide whats more important, Being able to work and put your kids through school or jump some jumps on a dirtbike? you decide.

[chewgravel]

I am reading this with interest because I too am afraid.

Actually more afraid of coming into corners with speed than jumping. Though I haven't actually jumped a double. I am at the point of catching a little air, and liking it enough to want to go bigger.

For me the fear is a weird feeling. I used to be a big risk taker. I was a career firefighter and evented horses as a hobby. But somehow managed to feel in control enough to be comfortable with most situations. Because in my job and in my hobby I had the education to handle the challenges. Basically a step by step learning procedure. When it got to the big picture, all the little pieces were in place. With mx, I have kind of thrown myself into it. No one showing me what to do. So to conquer the fear, I am trying to go slow and break it down. Do only what I KNOW I can do, and push the envelope a little at a time.

It helps that my only real goal is to have fun.