FMX Insider No.15: Bike Flip History

Welcome to our brand new weekly web-exclusive column, Transmoto‘s FMX Insider. Penned each week by South Australian rider, Ben Heidrich, the FMX Insider will present the story-behind-the-stories of the Aussie and international freestyle motocross scenes.

Tom Pagés’ Bike Flip at X-Fighters over the weekend has definitely shaken the world of motorsports, and has taken FMX to the next level in trick variations. Prior to Pagés pulling it at Madrid, the Bike Flip has never actually been landed to dirt, even though it has been around for a long time.

The trick is called a Bike Flip because that is what it is, a full vertical rotation of the bike. The Bike Flip was first executed on a BMX by Morgan Wade at X Games in 2004. It has since had many variations over the years including Backflip Bike Flips, frontwards Bike Flips and Frontflip Bike Flips. These variations are extremely hard, but possible, due to a BMX bike being so lightweight. A 250cc dirt bike on the other hand, is a different story, weighing 227lbs. It has always been a very unlikely trick to accomplish on a motorcycle, given the weight of the bike and the physics to make it come around and get back on the bike in time to land. I don’t even think I have seen the trick in a moto video game – now that’s saying something!

Three-time X Games Gold medallist, Kyle Loza, was the first to take on the seemingly impossible trick on his motorcycle to dirt. Loza is known for his crazy trick innovation – he was the first to land The Volt which is an off-the-side body varial. He also invented a trick called the Electric Doom which a different body varial in which you put your whole body through the bars and Backflip around back onto your bike. These tricks scored him Gold medals at X Games Best Trick in 2007, 2008 and 2009. He is the only rider ever to win consecutive gold medals for Best trick three years in a row.

Loza worked hard on the Bike Flip in the foam pit for a year leading up to the 2011 Monster Energy Cup. After hundreds of hours in the pit he took it to dirt, only to miss the bike and come crashing down on his feet. Loza tried the Bike Flip again at X Games in 2012 but was still unsuccessful. Since then, we have not heard a great deal about the trick, or if it would be attempted again.

http://youtu.be/pXF4Fbi6Ox0

Just a few days before the second round of the 2014 Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour, an internet video arose of French FMX rider, Tom Pagés, practising the Bike Flip. This sparked a lot of attention and created some anticipation leading up to the event on whether somebody would finally land the trick.

Pagés has always been one for innovation, taking podium finishes without the use of Backflip combos. He is known for creative body varials including The Volt’ and the Special Flip. He has also mastered the 540/Flair and makes use of the trick in his FMX runs.

On June 27, 2014, night of the Red Bull X-Fighters in Madrid, Spain, Tom Pagés made history in front of thousands of screaming spectators. He did the impossible and landed the Bike Flip to dirt. The creative Frenchman modified the trick in a way no one else had thought of and rode away with ease. Instead of jumping a 50ft ramp to dirt, he flew vertically off of the quarter pipe ramp and spun around 180 degrees while he flipped the bike vertically.

This created the perfect execution for Pagés to claim the trick. Pages locked in the Bike Flip along with the rest of his smooth run and took out first place.

We keep on saying this, but seriously… Whats next!?