Downhill Pro Racer – Control Tips

Hey! If you are playing Downhill Pro Racer and are having a hard time controlling your bike, here are some tips for you.

Tips for Controls

Leaning and Steering

First, be GENTLE with the Left Stick. It affects both your lean and your steer.

A bike has a very delicate balance, you wouldn’t ride a real bike janking your bars from one extreme to the other, right? In DHPR this is also true. The stick should be most of the time around the center, and almost never go to the extreme left or right.

Note: The left stick also determines your rider Front-Back position. In the vertical axis, you can be more aggressive reaching the extreme. Just you won’t be able to steer the bike much if you hang off the back all the time, as in real life…

Right Stick Steer

You don’t really need to steer with your handlebars, most of the work is automatically done for you.

But if you want to turn your bars manually, they respond to the Right Stick input

Examples of when this can be useful:

1. Whips (experiment with turning in or out of the leaning angle in the air)
2. Linked turns. If you are committed to one turn, but need to quickly change to the other side, turn your bars INTO the lean (countersteer)
3. Slow, tech trails.

Braking

Go slow before you try to go fast.

You have three options for braking:

1. Left trigger = smooth braking (front and rear)
2. Left trigger + Right bumper = hard braking (risk of sliding)
3. Just RB = rear wheel lock (skid)

Pumping to Keep the Bike Stable

Your bike will go all kinds of ways if the wheels don’t have weight over them. To keep them planted on the ground, use Right Trigger (PUMP)

Pumping will push through your rider’s legs, making the bike “heavy” and finding grip.

Pump every downslope with short squeezes of the trigger, you will generate more speed than pedaling.

Going over rough terrain, it is a game of being “heavy” or “light” as you go over obstacles.

Lifting the Front Wheel

If you squeeze Right Trigger, while at the same time leaning back (Left stick back) your rider will pull on the handlebars lifting the front wheel. This is called a Manual.

Bunny Hopping

A bunnyhop is the combination of lifting the front wheel up, and jumping with your feet.

You already know how to lift the wheel. Just press RT and lean back.

The “hop” is performed with X button. When you press it and hold, the energy will start building up. Two seconds of hold is the maximum you can accumulate.

When you let go X, the energy will be released as an spring through the pedals.

So, to sum it up:

1. Press X with more or less anticipation depending on the airtime you need.
2. Pump with RT at the takeoff, and lean back a bit to unweigh the front.
3. As the front wheel begins to lift, release X and the back wheel will follow.

Adjust your Front/Back bias in the air with L-Stick.

Pedaling

Just press Y.

If you lean forward (Left Stick Up) you will sprint harder, but be careful not to do a frontflip.

Tuck

For extra speed, tuck with B on long straights. It will reduce air drag.

Extra Balance

In some spots, no matter what you do, the bike will feel like a wild horse. To mute this reactions, press A. Keep in mind that cornering will be near impossible, so use it with care, only when you want to go straight and level.