1702 DT final

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How do you... Set a world
record jump?
Answered by Robbie Maddison - Robbie is one
of the world’s biggest nutcases, with a mile-long
list of stunts and first feats to his name, from
jumping Tower Bridge to the world jump record of
392-feet..
How do you jump 392 feet? You need to soup-up your
engine, stiffen the suspension and get the right ramp.
Then you need to let go of the will to live and focus on
the dream of flying!
I probably don’t do the kind of research that many
would consider to be enough when it comes to my
jumps. I grew up on bikes and I have a sense for if I’m
going at the right speed and what the ramp’s angle
should be. Reaching 392-feet is the result of a lot of trial,
error and commitment.
I hit the ramp at 115mph and that’s when you really
need to start concentrating. There is an art to flying a
bike and it rests around the clutch, throttle and rear
brake. If you rev the engine the bike will raise its nose;
brake and it drops its nose. While this sounds easy, get
these inputs incorrect and it can all go horribly wrong.
The biggest mistake is slowing the rear wheel down
too much to alter the front end as you really only get
one shot at adjusting it. On a perfect jump you should
get over the midway point with the bike horizontal
having not made any adjustments. But then you have
to land…
Landing is a huge impact, so much so I have had to
have a lot of back surgery. I let the rear wheel hit the
ground on full acceleration a second before the front
lands. This allows the back to take off and moves some
energy forwards, softening the hit.
Another requirement of long-distance jumping is having
big balls! You need to take some of your brain out and
pack it into your testicles!
STREET
14 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
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