Pro Riding Tip— Attacking Slanted and Slippery Logs

Hard Enduro ace Nick Fahringer on how to handle slick logs at an angle.

In part 2 of hard enduro ace Nick Fahringer’s series on tackling extreme terrain, the FactoryOne Sherco rider demonstrates how to handle off-camber, or slanted, and slippery logs. Fahringer takes it from here:

“It’s just rained here in this green moss-covered terrain and everything that is not soil is slippery. So you want to be precise and deliberate when crossing a log, particularly an off-camber log. You want to try to collect any energy where you have traction. In other words, apply throttle in areas where there is good traction so you have enough momentum to coast over the slippery parts of the obstacle.”

“Approaching this slanted and slippery log, I coil my body leading into the log by bending my knees and my elbows. I spool the engine up with the clutch slipping just a small amount. Then as I compress the suspension, I roll the throttle on more while letting the clutch out.”Shan Moore
“Next, I rebound the bike to do a double-blip, which is a trials move. For the double-blip, I compress the fork a second time into the face of the log to maximize pressure and rather than to allow the front wheel to deflect. Striking the log with the front wheel and compressing the fork also loads the rear suspension, which I will use to rebound over the log. I try to keep my momentum more forward across the log, because if you push down too hard on the log, the front wheel will slide down the face of it. So we’ll call it a ‘shallow’ double-blip. There are so many different angles of approach when you double-blip your front tire into a log. This particular log, I squared up to be about 90 degrees to it with my approach because it’s on a camber; that’s why my double-blip wasn’t directly on top, nor was it plowing straight ahead. I tried to kind of hit it at that 45- to 60-degree mark to where my momentum is going forward and I’m not putting unusual force on the front tire to cause it to slide. If you smack the rear tire into the log, you’ll cease momentum and the bike could follow the log down the hill.”Shan Moore
“Next, I rebound the bike to allow the rear tire to travel over the log and land beyond it so the torque on the rear tire doesn’t cause it to slide down the log. So now you’re safely onto the next without redirecting the motorcycle due to camber.”Shan Moore
“In summary, this is an off-road version of the trials double-blip in which you load the bike before the obstacle in order to get the front tire up when approaching the obstacle. Then you punch the front tire on a position on the log to allow the suspension to compress a second time. Upon rebounding, the bike is lifting. It’s unloading the suspension and it’s bringing the rear tire up over the log as well as rotating the chassis so that you’re prepared to downside the log instead of the face of the log. So while it’s a cambered log, if you plant the front tire with the right angle and momentum, the bike will continue to go forward. Then as the rear tire lifts, your rear tire is not at risk of sliding, so you’re safely onto the next.”Shan Moore