Build a Jump for a Dirt Bike
Want to build an awesome dirt jump for your dirtbike? It is really easy do by yourself! Here's a few steps to making one safely and making one that totally rocks!
Steps
- Decide how much you want to spend on it. The cost in money and time can get pretty expensive if you want to make a big, high quality ramp.
- Decide how big you want it. You may want to see existing jumps online or in person to get a feel for your desired size.
- Decide on the materials. If it is in a field or other out-of-the-way place, a plain dirt-ramp might be your best bet.
- Find a good, open location. For small, mobile ramps, a low-traffic street or if you have a nice big driveway/car repair lot. Nothing is worse than building a great jump and coming back the next week and it's destroyed by an angry property owner, or the cops!
- Get the right materials and tools for the ramp. (Listed below.)
- Decide what kind of jump you want to make:
- a 'double' (one jump and one catch),
- a 'Step-up' (The landing is higher than the take-off),
- an 'Step-down' (The landing is lower than the take-off),
- a 'kicker' (just a good ol' dirt jump),
- a 'spine' (a jump on one side and the catch is the the other side),
- a 'table top' (two jumps with a bridge in the middle to land on or do tricks on).
- a 'rhythm section' (link your jumps together to create clean and flowing lines)
- Decide how large the jump 'gap' will be, if you want one.
- Start digging a hole for your jump, or if there are a lot of rocks just take the top layers, or use a wheelbarrow to haul some dirt from somewhere else.
- For a jump with a gap, toss the dirt before or after the gap.
- For no gap or a shallow gap, dig to one side or the other side of the trail.
- Pile dirt where you want the jump. Keep in mind the landing doesn't have to be as big as the jump. For a table top pile all the dirt in one spot then shape it out to form a top.
- Shape the piles of dirt into the jumps. Take your shovel and shape the jump ramp in sort of a concave curve, this gives you more air and you get high, which equals more distance. Take your time so it looks good and works right, make sure not to make it so steep you flip when you hit it. You want the jump and catch to be fairly wide so you have a better chance of hitting it well.
- The catch ramp can either be slightly concave or be flat. Think about the landing and shape it accordingly.
- Take a few runs at it and adjust the ramp. If your front tire comes up too quick then take some of the curve out by adding dirt to the middle or off the top, if you're over shooting the landing, you may want to move the catch ramp.
- Grab some Sweet Air!
Tips
- Plan first! You don't want to do the labor to find out you didn't make enough room to land or turn-out after the jump.
- Make sure that you have the correct materials to make the ramp! There is nothing like making something and then realizing that you don't have the required materials!
- Look at your health insurance! Make sure that you are covered for the damages that may occur!
Warnings
- If someone is riding along and doesn't see the jump or goes to one side to avoid it they may hit the hole! To avoid this, get the dirt from somewhere else. Make sure its not your neighbors' front yard!
- When making the landing Make sure you don't have it too close to the jump. A gap may be intimidating but an over shot catch ramp can damage your bike or you!
- Building a riding jump can be dangerous, don't do anything you don't feel comfortable doing, if you think it's too dangerous make a smaller one or find something else to do.
Things You'll Need
- Open legal space to build the jump
- Plans for the jump, including style, size, and materials. These can often be found online, or from a catalog.
- Shovel
- Pickax
- Backhoe or an excavator and bobcat
- if you don't have much dirt and your building a tabletop you could put a shipping container in the middle but make sure you put dirt on top
