Landing in motocross: why it matters more than the take-off, how to build up with small jumps, and when you do not jump at all. With injury data.
The honest answer: The landing decides whether a jump ends well. You touch down on the landing slope of the jump, with both wheels or slightly on the rear wheel, the legs cushion the impact, and the throttle stays steady. Whoever jumps too short or too far lands on the flat part or the obstacle, and that hits the back.
And here is the part almost nobody tells you up front: there is no study on landing technique in motocross. What is supported are the consequences of bad landings. In a five-year analysis of spinal injuries in the United Kingdom, 174 patients had spinal injuries, 54 percent of the injuries needed surgery, and the most common was the burst fracture at the junction of thoracic and lumbar spine (95 cases) [1]. In the older European analysis of 1,500 accidents, 26 spine fractures led to permanent neurological consequences in eight patients [2]. And in supercross it was shown that injuries from risky jumps at relatively high speed range from contusions to serious injuries, especially of the spine [3].
All moves below are coaching practice and carry no source number. So for this guide: build up instead of shortcuts, with a coach.
Realistically: this is an intermediate skill with high risk. You learn it through small, manageable jumps and only then larger ones.
Walk the jump on foot: where does the landing slope start, how long is it, what is the ground like? Never jump when you cannot see the landing zone. The tabletop, as a practical term, is the flat part between take-off and landing slope.
Milestone: You can describe the landing zone and point to the middle of the landing slope.
Roll the jump first at low speed, without flight, or let the motorcycle roll over the crest. You learn the shape. By the FIM Europe rule, under medical flags you roll each jump individually [4]: that is your base too.
Milestone: You roll the jump cleanly ten times.
When touching down you stand on the pegs, elbows and knees slightly bent, gaze forward. The legs absorb, not the arms and not the back.
Milestone: You see on video that your legs cushion and your back stays straight.
Keep the throttle steady on touchdown, not suddenly closed and not yanked. A slight tilt of the motorcycle with the rear wheel first is common. If you tip too far forward, you give the front wheel too much load.
Milestone: Five landings in a row in which the motorcycle stays calm.
Increase the jump distance in small steps, only on jumps that an instructor discusses with you. Whoever skips a step jumps into the unknown.
Milestone: For each jump you have a decision and a fallback plan.
Have yourself filmed from the side for the first landings and watch the landing in slow motion: do the legs cushion, does the back stay straight, does the motorcycle stay calm? If not, go back to the smaller jump. That is coaching practice. There is no study that supports a specific landing posture.
On the landing slope, with both wheels or slightly on the rear wheel, standing on the pegs, with bent legs and steady throttle. The legs absorb the impact. There is no study on the posture; it is coaching practice.
You land on the flat part or against the edge, and the impact goes into the body. Spinal fractures are common in motocross and often need surgery: 54 percent of spinal injuries in a British series were operated [1].
No. Under the yellow flag no jumps should be attempted [4]. Under the medical flag you roll each jump individually [4].
There are no reliable data on that. As a rule of thumb in practice: when the smaller jump sits repeatably, you discuss the next step with the instructor.
We did not find that in our sources and do not claim it. In FIM Europe competitions unmodified upper-body protection is mandatory [4]. Ask your club or instructor about equipment.
The Scrub in Motocross: What It Is, When It Makes Sense and Why It Is Not a Beginner Trick