While the frame remains aluminum
and some components are titanium,
the subframe, grab holds and the seat
frame have all been replaced with
carbon fiber. Extra holes have been
drilled in the brake discs to further
reduce weight, and the bike’s forks use
air rather than traditional springs. The
fuel tank is smaller than standard and
also made out of carbon fiber. Even
the brake lever and shift lever were
lightened. All these changes, however
small they may seem, have added up
to make a big difference.
Although Pagès has been practicing
with different versions of the bike since
last autumn, he admits that using it is
still far from second nature, and that
the bike reacts very differently to a
standard YZ250. “It feels very different
from what I’m used to riding,” he
says, “plus we’ve been making a lot of
adjustments along the way, and every
time you make a change, you have
to relearn everything again. But I’m
excited about the possibilities.”
When Unit unveiled their concept
FMX bike a few years ago, it certainly
sparked the idea that there is room in
FMX for bike development. Although
Unit may have arguably gone slightly
overboard with the amount of carbon
fiber on their bike, you can definitely
see influences of that machine in Tom’s
new YZ, which at this stage seems to
be a good compromise between the
Unit bike and a standard YZ.
“I think there is still a lot of progress
we can make in FMX in terms of
coming up with new innovative tricks”,
explained Pagès. “For me, this process
not only comes from the evolution of
ramps and terrain, but also from the
bikes. I hope to show everybody that
this bike can open doors.”
Everyone in the FreestyleXtreme office
was so pumped when we first saw
Tom’s new ride. Partly because it’s
been far too long since we’ve seen
a new bike with cut-down fenders,
but more importantly because no one
else seems to be focusing on bike
development in freestyle motocross.
All eyes in the FMX industry will be on
this bike throughout the 2015 season.
Fans and fellow pro FMX riders alike
are all deeply intrigued to see how
this concept develops, and what
unthinkable new tricks this bike might
allow Tom to land next. T
“
EVERY TIME YOU
MAKE A CHANGE, YOU
HAVE TO RE-LEARN
EVERYTHING AGAIN
”