Answer Racing Moto Tips | Scrubbing
Share
Welcome to the new Answer Racing Moto Tips feature! Answer Racing has been producing the highest-quality motocross and off-road gear since 1976, and this month launched its new line of 2020 apparel. With riders like Alex Martin, Kyle Peters, Ryan Villopoto, Nick Wey, and Mike Sleeter flying the Answer flag, there is a wealth of knowledge and know-how when it comes to riding a dirt bike efficiently and effectively in the Answer camp. Each week, Answer will bring you some riding tips to help you become better at the sport you love! Have a specific skill you’d like to improve? Comment below and we will cover it in a future post!
Everybody wants to scrub! The way James Stewart laid his bike sideways off a single jump at Budds Creek in the early 2000s changed the sport, to the point that the technique has become a staple of every top racer’s style. Local riders have attempted the same thing with mixed results, some times to the desired effect and most other times to disastrous crashes, so we asked Nick Wey for some advice on the matter. “The theory behind scrubs is that you can slow down but use the brakes the least amount possible for a jump that you don’t have to accelerate to clear,” explained the skilled rider. Read on to learn more, but remember to practice first on smaller jumps and work your way up as Wey said, “A jump that you have a hard time clearing, because the distance is so far that you need to accelerate as much as you can, is not a jump you need to practice a scrub on!”
APPROACH
The level you turn the bike sideways and scrub depends on the condition of the jump, like how steep the jump face is, how long the jump is, and if there are ruts on the jump face.
Which way you scrub will depend on the way that the track goes up to the jump and after. If you are going into a left-handed corner, then you probably want to scrub the way that will put your left foot closer to the ground, and vice-versa for a right.
Where there are ruts in the face of the jump, it makes it tougher to get the bike sideways.
IN THE AIR
Start leaning before you leave the face of the jump. When you go off the jump, you want to make sure that your inside foot is on the footpeg as much as possible because it is very easy to catch a toe on the takeoff and drag your leg off. A nac-nac scrub on a very fast straightaway is not what you want to do.
Once you are in the air, use your arms and outside leg to push the bike down a little bit while maintaining control. Because you hit the jump at an angle to scrub, turn the bike in the air to the direction you want to go when you land. Straighten the handlebars so that the front wheel doesn’t catch wrong at the landing.
