From: "C.D.Damron" <damron@lex.infi.net>
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.rotorcraft
Subject: Re: Helicopters, Motorcycles and Gyroscopic Precession
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1999 19:34:53 -0700

If you come off a big jump, you can definitely notice it.  In fact, it
becomes critical on long jumps.  Show jumpers have known this for a long
time, only in the 80's has it become an important part of riding.

The masters of the long jump have it down to an art, but in my case, I could
usually stop a slowly increasing pitch by braking and lowering my frontal
area.   I don't think you can save a blown jump, but you can fine tune your
landing and in many cases arrest a bad rotation trend.

When I was riding and racing, jumping was not a big part of the sport.  The
suspensions of late 70's early 80's dirtbikes were nothing like they   are
today.   The development of the mono-shock led changed the entire sport.
Consequently, using the technique wasn't well known or practiced.   Today,
with pre-teens jumping 100 feet, it is an accepted and critical part of
riding.

cdd


Badwater Bill wrote in message <380e9da1.261724597@news.earthlink.net>...
>On Thu, 14 Oct 1999 19:39:17 -0700, "C.D.Damron" <damron@lex.infi.net>
>wrote:
>
>>On a motorcross bike, you can adjust your pitch by braking the rear wheel in
>>flight or gunning it, in mid flight.
>
>Sure!  I've never thought of it but that's straight forward.  If you
>gun it, you pitch up from the torque.  If you brake it you pitch over.
>Have you done this yourself?  How dramatic is it?  Can you pretty much
>control your pitch accurately?
>
>Bill
>