This game can be frustrating at first, but once you get into the groove it's excellent.
I’ve posted most of this in different places around this board, but I thought I’d put it all in one place so it’s easy to get to.
Overall, SX is all about momentum (thanks, CurtDogg 785!), so you want to keep that going without slowing down to win.
Bike choice: I use 450’s exclusively, since they’re the most powerful bikes in the game (as opposed to the 250’s or 125’s - the “MX Lites”)
Tuning: For SX gear settings, I tune the bike almost all the way to “acceleration” and away from “top speed”. SX tracks are tight and technical with very few straights and tons of corners where you need lots of acceleration to get you through. A few taps on the brake setting to the rear also may help. Suspension goes toward “hard” to soak up bumps and landings a little better. Tire choice doesn’t seem to have much effect.
Jumps: For more air, flick the stick back and then forward to lean off the jump and increase your airtime, called “pre-loading”. The height depends on how fast you flick, and make sure to go completely from backwards to forwards, timing the backward flick at the base and the forward flick as you reach the top of the jump. It’s not necessary to do this on every jump, as the tracks are designed to carry speed naturally in some sections. Do practice laps and memorize the ones where you need to flick, usually on the large jumps called “triples”. Also, when landing on the “down” face of jumps, try to set both wheels down at the same time to carry the most speed. You can do this by either leaning forward on the left stick as you land or by holding the brake (left bumper) to “gyro down”, a process that involves stopping the tires spinning and naturally nosediving the bike a bit.
Corners: two ways to do this: 1. “Squaring Up” – As you come into a corner hit the brake while turning in the direction you want to go, then pop the clutch and lay on the gas. It takes a few minutes to get used to as doing this will turn you really fast, but it can help in tight corners. 2. “Coasting” – In this method, you stay high on the berm (the top lip of the banked part of the corner), lay off the gas midway through, and pop the clutch and get out of there. You carry more speed this way through the corners, so it comes in handy for the ones that aren’t too tight. Also, it’s okay to SLOW DOWN: For the really tight corners, ease your speed off BEFORE you turn, then pop the clutch after you get going in the direction you want to
Whoops: this is that part of the track that is made up of a series of small bumps in a row, usually during a straight, where you bounce like crazy. Make sure you’re going to hit them straight, pop the clutch as you go in, and lean back with the left stick. This carries most of your weight on the back tire so you can bounce along the top of the bumps. But be careful… steering while doing this is difficult.
Technical sections: these are the parts of the tracks where there are a number of mid-sized jumps in a row. Timing is important to get through them, and you basically have two choices: 1. double them – this means taking two at a time, like if there are six jumps in a row you take them two by two by two. 2. triple them – more difficult, but also faster. It means taking three at a time, soaring over the one in the middle… so, three and then three. If you mess up your timing and land on the face of the next jump (and DON’T bail), sometimes it’s better to slowly coast over the top and start over on the next one. If you keep trying to blast over them you’ll land on the face of every one, and that’ll cost you time-a-plenty.
Pack riding: Try to stay clear of contact... for some reason, the physics engine will turn you completely around if you're touched, especially off the start. If you're in a pack and getting slammed around just don't make any sudden moves with the gas or brake and go straight. Maybe ease off on the gas and let them pass you by so you don’t wreck… and then park those goofballs on the next turn if you’re angry enough!
Clutch work: maybe the most important thing for SX tracks. Popping the clutch (left bumper) gives you a burst of speed, even if you’re already moving when you do it. Practically anytime you're in the air, pop the clutch before you land and you'll really pick your speed up when you hit the dirt. Use it at the start as well: before the gate drops hold the clutch and the gas, then release the clutch and off you go..
And finally…
How NOT to case every freaking jump: Casing, or landing so hard on the face of a jump that you shatter your pelvis, sucks. Use the above settings (especially the acceleration one), use a 450, use the preload properly (flicking the stick back and forth quickly on a jump face). Make sure you have as much speed out of the corners as you can get, and that you’re approaching the jump straight on. If there’s a jump you just can’t get over, consider not trying to triple it and double it instead if you can. It’s slower, but you won’t wreck. You can also try to “scrub speed” (holding the green button and wagging the bike to one side or the other using the left stick) so you land shorter, but oftentimes this puts you in the flat and you wreck anyway. And practice, practice, practice – know the track.
I hope this is helpful, and I apologize if it’s covering ground you already know about. Also, the above tips mostly apply to ATV’s as well (except cornering in quads is a bit slower and not as tight, keep that in mind).
Please let me know if there are any questions and please feel free to add. Have fun!
Victim of the E74 error - Xbox 360 #3, comin' up.
