Take-Off Options

Navigating Rut Ted Jump Faces W/ Geico Honda’s Jimmy Decotis.

If you had to pick the most daunting challenges on a motocross track, chances are that ruts would be the top choice of many racers. Oftentimes, track conditions can be so soft that the ruts continue all the way up the face of a jump. There aren’t too many riders that love these conditions, but the truth is that everyone has to navigate rutted jump faces now and again, and hearing some tips on the subject was something we thought could help everyone.

Enter Jimmy Decotis, the friendly GEICO Honda rider currently contesting the Monster Energy Supercross 250SX West Coast Series. With a stature that’s on the shorter side, “Jimmy D” hails from the Northeast where he’s spent plenty of time riding and racing in rutted conditions. “I’ve been pretty good in ruts growing up, and I’m not as good on the hard-pack stuff!” Jimmy said. “I enjoy ruts; I think a lot of it comes from training down at South of the Border during the summertime, and that entire track is ruts. I think that really helped me. For me, it’s just riding the ruts and being comfortable on them, and the guys that win when it’s rutted are the guys that are comfortable in the ruts and ride them all the time.” So while it definitely takes practice, we sat down with the number 57, and he was nice enough to give us some specific tips on the subject of rutted jump faces.