TOM PAGÈS AND THE SECRETS OF HIS FAMOUS "PARACHUTE" MOTORCYCLE

Do you remember the day when Tom Pagès made a spectacular jump by leaping into the void on his FMX bike with the help of a parachute? It was breathtaking! We met him at his home and he shared the improvements he made to his bike with some emotion.

A FEW FIGURES ABOUT THE JUMP

80 km/h in 4th gear.
A 10m high and 76m long ramp.
A 55m jump off the cliff.
A double front flip in the air.
A free fall at 150 km/h.
30 seconds of jump.
170m high.
2 years of training

A true technical feat that hides years of preparations and the modification and design of a unique bike.

MODIFICATIONS ON THE FMX BIKE

What modifications were made to your bike to make this jump possible?

I used my freestyle bike for this base jump project. It was fitted with stronger suspensions to better absorb heavy landings, a steering damper to allow more stable rotations without hands, and a grip to keep my shoes firmly attached to the bike. What is special about this project is that the circuit breaker was added to the base jump. It is usually placed on the handlebar but for this jump it was placed near the tank and connected to the motorcycle seat. The 170-meter high jump required the fitting of a parachute to the bike, which was tucked into the seat.

How did the motorcycle's parachute unfold?

Once I finished my stunt, I first pulled the parachute that was on my back. When the parachute opened, it pulled me off the bike forcefully, I only had to grab the handle on the seat of the bike. This handle is connected to the circuit breaker, the motorcycle engine stopped and the parachute under the seat deployed. The motorcycle landed safely thanks to this system.

AN OUTSTANDING PARACHUTE FOR AN OUTSTANDING JUMP

How was this parachute designed and conceived?

With the help of Loïc Jean-Albert and Fred Fugen, two soul-flyers. They are parachute professionals. They introduced me to Stéphane Zu who developed this entire system.

What type of parachute was used for this jump?

The parachute used for the motorcycle has a vertical fall, which makes it possible to know precisely where the motorcycle will land. The fall is very slow, which limits the impact on the ground and avoids damaging the bike. Thanks to this parachute, I could reuse the same bike for the three other jumps I made. After this crazy project, the bike is now on display in my personal museum. (laughs)

Was this the first time this system was used?

I don't think it was the first time. An American freestyler has a similar type of parachute on his bike, but the setup may not be the same. The setup on my bike allows me to get back on the road immediately after deployment. The parachute slides into the seat and it doesn't get in the way when riding again.

Why didn't you choose a system that opens by itself? Didn't you make it more difficult for yourself by opening it manually?

An automatic opening was possible, connected directly to me and the motorcycle's parachute. By doing so I could trigger my parachute and the motorcycle's parachute at the same time. We didn’t choose this solution because it was an additional risk. The risk was to be hooked to the bike during rotations. I was not safe from missing a rotation and at this precise moment I had to get out of the bike as fast as possible. I had to remember to grab the handle at the right time as I came back straight. It was a lot of stress for me because I had never practiced this move before.

A UNIQUE ADVENTURE AND EXPERIENCE

Does this bike bring back good memories?

Yes, very good memories, a bit of stress too, but it was all fun. The training which lasted 2 years was great. It was a unique experience, a real adventure. We had to prepare the bike, find professionals to develop this parachute system inside the seat and find the place where to do the jump. I would like to thank Avoriaz for giving me the keys to the city and to the partners who allowed me to carry out this beautiful project.