First time on a freestyle motocross ramp?
One of the most common questions in freestyle motocross riding techniques is "How fast do I go when I hit a ramp?" and "How do I lean on the bike?".  Here are a few steps to follow when leaning to hit fmx ramps.

1) Set the ramp up at a small distance.
        When you get your ramp set up for the first time and are ready to get riding, start off small. Normally we recommend around 35 feet, but depending on your skill level you may want to start smaller. Beginner riders should start maybe around 20 feet, novice/intermediates at 35-40 feet, and expert or advanced riders around 45'. Ramps toss riders futher than they normally expect, so its good to  ' work your way up ' .

2) Practice hitting the ramp in second gear.
       125's and 250's alike should start in second gear. When the ramp gets to 45 feet and above, 125's should start clicking third and getting used to the powerband in third gear. 125's can hit ramps upwards of 60 feet in second gear, but its good practice to have ramps down with third gear if you are on 125's in case you encounter ramps 60' and above.
        250's should start out in second and stay there. At extremely small distances, *blurp the powerband before you get to the ramp and "blurp" it again as you leave the ramp. This will get you accommodated with the power band while in second gear. As you work your way back to 45' and above, the proper throttle technique to use is to roll on the power as you leave the ramp. Start towards the ramp in the lower rpm range and accelerate as you approach the jump and keep accelerating as you leave the ramp/lip. 250's can generally hit ramps up to 75 feet in second gear.

3)Work the ramp further and further away in small increments.
      Start small and work your way up. If you are a beginner starting at 20 feet, work your way up in 5 feet increments, and familiarize yourself with each distance before moving on. The same applies for more advanced riders, but they may be comfortable bumping the ramp back in 6-8 foot increments. From my experience, bumping ramps back more than 8 feet at a time can result in a distance that is a little hard to judge and you may find yourself casing the jump or severely overjumping.

Click here for Johnny Jones' tips on hitting a freestyle ramp for the first time

Body Positioning

Here the author has just hit the "sweet spot" of the ramp, and is keeping his legs bent slightly but still stiff, in order to properly preload the bikes suspension, which will ensure maximum height and distance.

The above image depicts the proper body position while leaving an fmx ramp. The rider is standing with the legs slightly bent, with the arms bent silghtly. The riders head is up and over the handlebars looking forward to the landing.