How To Do Log Pivots On A Dirt Bike

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Hey guys, being able to pivot your bike over logs is a really handy skill to have out on the trails. Today I’m going to break it down for you into a few simple steps.

The first step is going to be weighting the suspension. There are two ways to go about this and I’ve seen it taught both ways. You can weight just the forks, or you can weight the suspension evenly by weighting the foot peg. My go-to is usually to weight the suspension evenly because I find that I get better traction that way. I am a light rider so finding traction can be tough for me. When I weight the suspension evenly, I am compressing the rear which drives those nobbies into the ground for traction, as well as compressing the forks which creates stored energy to help me get that front end up more easily.

The next step to a good log pivot is going to be a good clutch pop. The idea is to get that front wheel up nice and high with as little forward momentum as possible, which means you don’t want to use a lot of throttle. This will ensure that we are in full control. I’m not going to go into great detail about the clutch pop here but let me know in the comments below if you’d like a more in depth video on clutch pops.

Here is a quick run down. The clutch pop is here to add precision and control to our maneuver. With the use of the clutch, we are not going to need much throttle at all to get that front wheel up. The key to a good clutch pop is proper timing and proper use of the clutch lever. It is a very subtle movement with the clutch lever. You shouldn’t be pulling the clutch all the way in and then letting it all the way out. You should be right on that engagement point. If you time your clutch pop right with the weighting of the suspension and the application of the throttle, that front wheel should come up no problem.

The next tip is to start out at a slight angle. So your bike should be leaning a little bit towards the log you’re pivoting over. This way, when those springs release and you add throttle, the bike is going to spring up and over the log instead of straight up and back down.

Pivoting over a log can be as simple as these first three steps. As long as you get that front wheel over the log, you can usually push off with your feet and call that a success.

As you get more and more comfortable with this maneuver, you can do things to make it even smoother like staying on the throttle a little longer to get that rear wheel over the log without needing to push. If the log is really big you might even need to apply something similar to the double blip technique to help get that rear wheel up and over the log.

Let’s go over these tips one more time.

Make sure to weight your suspension. This will help you with traction but it’s also important to store energy in those forks so that when it releases, it helps to lighten the front end.

Use a controlled clutch pop as you apply throttle for control. The better your clutch work, the less throttle you’ll need. Do your clutch pop and apply your throttle right as you’re at the bottom of your suspension compression to get the most out of it. Timing is key

Compress down at an angle so that the bike springs up and over the log instead of straight up and straight down.

I hope this introduction to logs pivots was helpful. As always, let me know in the comments what you think and thank you all for watching.