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What is a zap?
A motorcycle trials technique to get over obstacles that jumps the back tire up to the obstacle. Using a small wheelie, the front tire is driven into the backside of the obstacle and the rider compresses both the front and rear suspension preparing to jump. The rider has built up stored energy by revving the engine during the wheelie so that when they jump, they also pop the clutch causing the bike to lift upwards so that the rear tire lands on the obstacle.

When is a zap used?
This technique is best used when an obstacle is undercut and a ride up or double blip will not work. Most often this is done on suspended logs or rock ledges where the rear tire can not ride up the face of the obstacle. The difference between a zap and a double blip is that the double blip drives the rear tire into the face and then up the obstacle, while a zap jumps the rear tire onto the obstacle.

How is a zap done?
The zap can be elusive to newer riders because there are so many smaller subset skills required and the timing of them all has to be extremely precise.

1 The Wheelie
The wheelie into the obstacle has to be low enough on the face to significantly compress the suspension to cause the bike to redirect it's energy upwards. Psychologically it is very hard to drive your front tire into an obstacle. Most often newer riders place the front tire too high. We all have a natural survival instinct to keep us from ramming into obstacles with our front tire. Where you target the front tire to impact depends on the shape and height of the obstacle. I find it is usually around ⅔ of the way up a suspended log and the wheelie is initiated about a bike length back from the obstacle.

2 Building RPM
There is a need for you to build up RPM as stored energy in the bike. Often, riders are inexperienced with building up stored energy in the flywheel or subconsciously afraid to rev the engine. In addition, popping the clutch with the RPM built up can be scary. The taller the obstacle, the more RPM that is needed.

3 Jump and clutch pop
This is where the magic happens. During the wheelie, you will want to be crouched low and ready to jump so that as soon as the front tire hits, you are making your jump move. You jump earlier than you might think. The downward force of your jump occurs simultaneously and adds to the suspension loading from the wheelie impact. The clutch pop needs to occur when the suspension reaches the bottom of its stroke. This will cause the bike that has been wedged into the obstacle to pop up and forward. The window of time for the jump and clutch pop takes place in just 200 milliseconds so the timing has to be perfect.

4 Unload
Once the bike is starting to lift up, you will want to unload, or bend your knees and sit your hips back, allowing the bike to rise up under you. This will help the rear tire track up the face of the obstacle. You may need to slip the clutch or apply the rear brake depending on how high the front tire is and how much energy you carried up onto the obstacle.


The prerequisite skills required to zap need to be honed in and most often a rider's lack of precision with the controls and body movement will result in hours and hours of frustration when trying to learn. It is nearly impossible for your brain to focus on all of the above at the same time. Like baking a cake, you need each of the ingredients to be accurate for the whole recipe to come out right. You need to dial in many smaller micro skills in order to be able to put together all the pieces for zap technique.

Top 5 reasons you can't Zap

1 - Front Tire placement (usually too high)
2 - Timing of the Jump (typically too late)
3 - Timing of the clutch pop (often too early)
4 - Not enough RPM built up
5 - Stiff legs on top


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