Finally, the 450 class! Like my 250 class walkthroughs, this will be on Hard mode. So great to be on a bike that has more power and speed. I also much prefer the deeper, less raspy sound of the engine. It has however taken some time getting used to, as with that added power and speed, you can easily overshoot the landing points required to hit the big jumps. These first two rounds are at Anaheim 1, and Glendale.
450 Anaheim 1
Quite unexpectedly, this time it was raining heavily at this venue. Since I had just come off a 250 West championship in heavy rain though, I knew full well by now to not lean forward on fast flats. I managed a near perfect start, which allowed me to clear the field on the outside and get the holeshot. The 450 had no trouble clearing the low jump triple into the tight right berm thereafter. The double/triple combo after that usually landed me atop the 3rd jump of the triple, but I attested this to the slower conditions of the mud.
The right turn afterward over the bridge jump, followed by a short straight and whoops, leading into a big air triple was a bit less of a problem to maintain speed on, though the first lap I did land atop the 3rd jump of the triple there too. Again, considering the conditions, a 250 would have struggled far more. The 180 left berm and long rhythm section with all double jumps thereafter was pretty easy. I mean the only concern is not over gassing it on the 450.
The big air double gap jump across the starting chute after the left turn under the bridge jump was easy to get speed for without even hitting the berm, as was the big air double gap jump just after, which crosses another part of the starting chute. Despite this though, I only hit the toughest rhythm section thereafter well 3 of the 6 laps. This is no doubt due to my overshooting the small jump double in order to link together two more doubles after, the first of which has an on/off landing on a tabletop. Have to tame that beastly 450!
The 180 right berm thereafter, and fast whoop section, followed by a fast flat, leading into a 180 right berm and the finish line big air double, was cake for the 450. I just had to remember not to lean forward on the flat, as in the rain, it's slower, not faster. Despite my blowing the tougher rhythm section half of the laps, I managed just under a 16.9 sec lead on Eli Tomac at the last time check.
450 Anaheim 1
450 Glendale
This stadium has far more big jumps. I ended up slipping in behind the pack at the start, and sneaking between them and the apex pole. The 450 made easy work of not only landing the small double jump to hit a triple/triple/triple combo thereafter, the power of the bike doesn't require you to land that small double precisely at all either.
After that it's just a couple of left lean hops over small jumps taking a left turn into a fast flat, followed by a 180 left berm, then over a small double, onto another fast flat, and a right turn into a semi short rhythm section. This rhythm section has a double/double/triple, which can be done via on/offing on one of the two tabletops, or both. Oddly enough I struggled with this section more than the longer, tougher rhythm sections.
After the triple it's over a small jump and into a high, steep, 180 right berm, onto a long, fast flat, and into a sweeping left with a low slanted berm. After this berm I decided the rational way was to moderate speed, stay left off the lower small jump on that side of the track, to hit a low double jump. This most of the time set me up well for yet another triple/triple/triple combo this track has.
You then have a 180 left berm, which leads into a fast whoop section. It has some various height jumps near the end of it, including a very short flat section though, so care is often needed if you get bounced up high, which can and does happen. This is followed by a 180 right berm, into a short section with 3 med to small jumps, which can be easily tripled with the 450.
You then launch into a big air double off the finish line jump, which I got in the habit of taking with a sort of scrappy, speed scrubbing scrub. This ensures not overshooting the 2nd jump of the big air double. Ideally (and quite often), it gave me the best of both worlds, a momentum sustaining downslope landing, yet being far enough away from the next 90 degree left to not over shoot it. This turn also has 4 semi small spaced out jumps leading into it, so can be tricky to set up for. It helps to have the distance often needed for any line adjustments going into it.
And here's the other reason setting up well for that left turn is crucial, there's a big air triple right after it, and another 90 degree left turn right after that. As well, there are 3 spaced out med jumps after that second left, then you only have a short flat, and back into that first rhythm section. So you really want to be in control to set up for that. I used the same technique for hitting the triple/triple/triple combo as off the start, using the small jump double. The only difference is, on any laps after the first one, you have to focus on moderating your speed, as you're coming in hotter off a straighter line.
I managed to hit both of the triple/triple/triple combos on the track most of the time, which was no doubt what helped me reach a just under 16.4 sec lead on Blake Baggett at the last time check, despite not doing so well on the shorter rhythm section.
450 Glendale
450 Anaheim 1
Quite unexpectedly, this time it was raining heavily at this venue. Since I had just come off a 250 West championship in heavy rain though, I knew full well by now to not lean forward on fast flats. I managed a near perfect start, which allowed me to clear the field on the outside and get the holeshot. The 450 had no trouble clearing the low jump triple into the tight right berm thereafter. The double/triple combo after that usually landed me atop the 3rd jump of the triple, but I attested this to the slower conditions of the mud.
The right turn afterward over the bridge jump, followed by a short straight and whoops, leading into a big air triple was a bit less of a problem to maintain speed on, though the first lap I did land atop the 3rd jump of the triple there too. Again, considering the conditions, a 250 would have struggled far more. The 180 left berm and long rhythm section with all double jumps thereafter was pretty easy. I mean the only concern is not over gassing it on the 450.
The big air double gap jump across the starting chute after the left turn under the bridge jump was easy to get speed for without even hitting the berm, as was the big air double gap jump just after, which crosses another part of the starting chute. Despite this though, I only hit the toughest rhythm section thereafter well 3 of the 6 laps. This is no doubt due to my overshooting the small jump double in order to link together two more doubles after, the first of which has an on/off landing on a tabletop. Have to tame that beastly 450!
The 180 right berm thereafter, and fast whoop section, followed by a fast flat, leading into a 180 right berm and the finish line big air double, was cake for the 450. I just had to remember not to lean forward on the flat, as in the rain, it's slower, not faster. Despite my blowing the tougher rhythm section half of the laps, I managed just under a 16.9 sec lead on Eli Tomac at the last time check.
450 Anaheim 1
450 Glendale
This stadium has far more big jumps. I ended up slipping in behind the pack at the start, and sneaking between them and the apex pole. The 450 made easy work of not only landing the small double jump to hit a triple/triple/triple combo thereafter, the power of the bike doesn't require you to land that small double precisely at all either.
After that it's just a couple of left lean hops over small jumps taking a left turn into a fast flat, followed by a 180 left berm, then over a small double, onto another fast flat, and a right turn into a semi short rhythm section. This rhythm section has a double/double/triple, which can be done via on/offing on one of the two tabletops, or both. Oddly enough I struggled with this section more than the longer, tougher rhythm sections.
After the triple it's over a small jump and into a high, steep, 180 right berm, onto a long, fast flat, and into a sweeping left with a low slanted berm. After this berm I decided the rational way was to moderate speed, stay left off the lower small jump on that side of the track, to hit a low double jump. This most of the time set me up well for yet another triple/triple/triple combo this track has.
You then have a 180 left berm, which leads into a fast whoop section. It has some various height jumps near the end of it, including a very short flat section though, so care is often needed if you get bounced up high, which can and does happen. This is followed by a 180 right berm, into a short section with 3 med to small jumps, which can be easily tripled with the 450.
You then launch into a big air double off the finish line jump, which I got in the habit of taking with a sort of scrappy, speed scrubbing scrub. This ensures not overshooting the 2nd jump of the big air double. Ideally (and quite often), it gave me the best of both worlds, a momentum sustaining downslope landing, yet being far enough away from the next 90 degree left to not over shoot it. This turn also has 4 semi small spaced out jumps leading into it, so can be tricky to set up for. It helps to have the distance often needed for any line adjustments going into it.
And here's the other reason setting up well for that left turn is crucial, there's a big air triple right after it, and another 90 degree left turn right after that. As well, there are 3 spaced out med jumps after that second left, then you only have a short flat, and back into that first rhythm section. So you really want to be in control to set up for that. I used the same technique for hitting the triple/triple/triple combo as off the start, using the small jump double. The only difference is, on any laps after the first one, you have to focus on moderating your speed, as you're coming in hotter off a straighter line.
I managed to hit both of the triple/triple/triple combos on the track most of the time, which was no doubt what helped me reach a just under 16.4 sec lead on Blake Baggett at the last time check, despite not doing so well on the shorter rhythm section.
450 Glendale
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