Start here: how a level is scored
Every level grades you on one number, your finish time. The results screen shows three time limits, one per star; level 1 asks for 28, 20 and 13 seconds.
Two rules shape everything else on this page:
- Flips take time off. Each flip in the air takes 0.5 seconds off your time, and the game shows “FLIP -0.5 SEC” under the timer. Two flips in one jump show “FLIP 2X -1 SEC”.
- Crashes after a checkpoint cost time. A crash after a checkpoint puts you back at that checkpoint, and the timer carries on from where it stopped instead of resetting. A crash before the first checkpoint sends you back to the start with the timer at 00.00.
How to do a flip
- Take a ramp with enough speed to stay in the air for a moment. Flips happen in the air, not on the ground.
- While the bike is in the air, hold the left or right arrow to turn it. On a longer jump, keep holding to fit in a second rotation.
- Stop turning in time to come down with the bike level, or with the back wheel slightly first.
- Watch the timer: a counted flip shows “FLIP -0.5 SEC” under it.
A hard landing on the front wheel can crash the bike, and so can landing on the rider’s head. If that keeps happening, let go of the arrow a little earlier on the next try.
Wheelies and leaning forward
The left arrow leans the bike back. Pressed repeatedly on flat ground without the throttle, it lifts the front wheel so only the back wheel touches the ground. The same lean can also help in the air, bringing the front of the bike up before a landing.
The right arrow does the opposite. On flat ground it puts the front wheel down and lifts the back wheel, and on the start scaffold of level 2 it tipped our bike over forward until it crashed. In the air, that forward tilt should also bring the nose down when the bike is leaning too far back.
Common mistakes
- Flipping after a checkpoint without a clear landing. The half second a flip saves is small next to a crash, because you ride the stretch from the checkpoint again on the same clock.
- Holding the throttle through everything. Try short taps across a row of jumps to keep your speed even, and ease off before a moving obstacle so it has time to clear.
- Carrying on when the star is already gone. If a crash has pushed your time past the limit for the star you want, the round arrow icon at the top left restarts the level with a fresh clock.
- Tilting before you have looked. The timer stays at 00.00 until the bike first moves, and a tilt is enough to start it, so read the opening stretch before you touch any arrow.
Our take: when a trick pays off
The scoring makes the decision for you. A flip is a fixed 0.5 seconds, while a crash costs whatever time the respawn takes, so the value of a trick depends on where you are in the level.
| Where you are | Crash result | Our advice |
|---|---|---|
| Before the first checkpoint | Back to the start, timer at 00.00 | Try flips here; a failed attempt costs nothing on the clock |
| After a checkpoint | Back at the checkpoint, timer not reset | Flip only on jumps you have already landed cleanly |
| Already well past your star time | A few flips will not win that star back | Use the restart icon and try again |
| Long jump with room to rotate | Two flips count as 1 second off | Worth it once single flips land reliably |
What a flip is worth against the star limits
The limits printed on the results screens of the first four levels show how small a flip is next to the gap between two stars:
| Level | 1 star | 2 stars | 3 stars | Gap from 2 to 3 stars | Flips to cover that gap alone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 sec | 20 sec | 13 sec | 7 sec | 14 |
| 2 | 28 sec | 20 sec | 14 sec | 6 sec | 12 |
| 3 | 30 sec | not readable | 17 sec | — | — |
| 4 | 32 sec | 25 sec | 19 sec | 6 sec | 12 |
On levels 1, 2 and 4 the gaps between star limits are 6 to 8 seconds, so one flip covers less than a tenth of the gap between two stars. Flips close the last small gap to a star; a flip or two will not carry a run from one star to the next. Put your attention on a clean line with no crash after a checkpoint first, and treat the flips as the finishing touch.
A flip practice ladder
Work up one rung at a time, and only move on when the current rung feels routine.
- Lean on the ground. On flat ground with the throttle off, press the left arrow until the front wheel lifts, then the right arrow until the back wheel lifts. The same two keys turn the bike in the air.
- Single flips before the first checkpoint. On a level you know, try your first flips only before the first checkpoint pole, where a crash sends you back to 00.00 rather than costing you time.
- Count the flips. Keep at it until “FLIP -0.5 SEC” shows under the timer on most of your attempts.
- Two flips on a long jump. Hold the arrow through a second rotation and look for “FLIP 2X -1 SEC”.
- Flips after a checkpoint. Only now add flips past the checkpoint, and only on jumps you have already landed.
Next steps
For the full key list, see how to play Moto X3M. Speedrun categories and how runs are timed are on Moto X3M speedrun. To try a flip, open the Moto X3M game page.
The time limits, the wheelie, the forward tilt, the checkpoint respawn and the restart icon on this page apply to version 1.5.6p of the game, and the return to 00.00 after a crash before the first checkpoint to version 1.5.7c.
FAQ
How do you do tricks in Moto X3M?
Get airborne off a ramp, hold the left or right arrow to turn the bike, and let go in time to land with the bike level.
What tricks can you do in Moto X3M?
Flips in either direction, more than one flip in a single jump, and wheelies. Each flip takes 0.5 seconds off your time.
How do you get 3 stars in Moto X3M?
Finish the level under the third time limit on the results screen, for example 13 seconds on level 1. Aim for a clean run with no crash after a checkpoint first, then add flips once the line is clean.
How do you do a triple flip in Moto X3M?
You need a jump long enough for three full turns. Keep holding the left or right arrow for as long as the bike is in the air, and let go early enough to land level. Each flip that counts takes 0.5 seconds off your time, so land it cleanly: after a checkpoint, a crash on landing sends you back to the pole with the clock still running.
