BACKFLIP
It should be noted that anyone attempting a backflip on a motorcycle
is inherently risking loss of life and limb, and is putting their own
health and possibly the health of those around them at severe risk!
This manuever is for highly experienced riders at a professional
level, and should not be attempted without proper equipment such as
riding gear, helmet, boots, and a FOAM PIT!
First off, to start learning this trick, you'll need a smaller
motorcycle to make the rotation easier, and the trick less dangerous.
An XR 50, TTR90, or KLX110 are good examples of "pit bikes"
that will make learning backflips much easier.
To even attempt this trick you need a Foam pit, at least fifteen feet
wide by twenty feet long, and at least five feet deep. (see pic below)
Foam for the pit may be found anywhere in the country at scrap foam
outlets, matress factories, or from companies that sell foam blocks.
Seat foam and old couch cushions make great scrap foam when the
upholstery is removed.
Its also a good idea to build a crane system using a hoist of some
sort to pull the bikes out of the foam after you have jumped.
To get the feeling of the backflip, its not a bad idea
to brush up on wheelies first.
The basic idea of a backflip is to begin the rotation
on the ramp, then allow the bike and your body to rotate through the air.
For the most part, the rotation is already commited
when you leave the ramp. Riders who attempt to flip at the end of the
ramp, or in the air, will end up rotating halfway and land on their
heads. See Pic.
The above rider didn't complete
the rotation on the ramp and is now along for the ride. Good thing he
is landing on soft foam.
To begin the rotation, you must keep low on the bike
as your front tire hits the ramp.
With your rear end slightly towards the back of the
bike, as your front wheel travels about one-third of the way up the
ramp you must lean back so that your arms straiten up. At the same
time, tilt your head back slightly. The trick is to let your arms
straiten out but not to bend your torso backwards.
As you can see from Nate
Adams above crash on his first-ever back flip attempt, he started his
rotation after his bike left the ramp. You can see how his torso is
bent drastically to try and compensate for not rotating on the ramp.
At this point, its too late. This is why here at FMXschool.com we
stress learning this trick into a foam pit using a smaller motorcycle
(pit bike).
To complete a successful backflip, a
rider must rotate on the ramp itself, thus starting the rotating of
the bike while it is still on the ramp, so that when the bike is in
the air, it continues its rotation until it lands or is somewhat
slowed down by the rider.
As the bike is midway up the ramp, you should already
have your arms straitened and locked. As you leave the ramp, your
body should be positioned slightly back on the bike (..still) and
your arms should be locked strait with your head looking back
slightly. See below image.
The above rider is just about to
leave the ramp completely. As you can see, his front wheel has
already left the ramp surface. His arms are locked strait, as is he
is riding a wheelie off of the face of the ramp. His body is
positioned back on the bike, but his torso is still strait, with his
head looking back to keep him from becoming disoriented.
On the flip, Greg Hartman
(professional freestyle motocross rider on the IFMA tour) sais:
"On
the flip, most people focus on pulling really hard with your arms
and looking back. In reality, you don't actually pull with your arms
at all. The most important motion in learning to rotate a flip for
the first time is getting your weight to the back of the bike as you
go hit the ramp.
Moving
your butt back is the most important aspect of a back flip"
In the below image, you can see that the rider has moved slightly forward after leaving the jump to control the rotation of the motorcycle. His head is back still, ready to spot the landing, and his arms have bent slighty to allow this but are still fairly strait.
As you leave the ramp, its also important to keep your head looking
back in order to keep yourself orientated and to spot your landing.
As your butt and your head lead your bike and body in the flip, its
important that your head stay slightly back to keep things smooth,
otherwise you may under rotate slightly, or land unknowingly because
you weren't paying attention to where you were in the air.
The above image shows a rider who didn't keep his arms strait enough
or his head back after takeoff. Because his head wasn't leading the
flip, his feet naturally came off the pegs because he was
instinctively trying to land on his feet.
STEP BY STEP ILLUSTRATION WITH NOTES.
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