Motorcycle Speed boosts, turbo, shields and ramps
Motorcycle Speed has four road bonuses on the coast road: glowing turquoise arrows give a short boost, turquoise diamonds give a longer turbo, blue diamonds give a shield, and orange ramps send you flying. You ride over them to use them. Collecting different kinds is also how you earn two and three stars in a mission.
The four road bonuses
| Road bonus | What it looks like | What it does | How long | On screen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boost | Glowing turquoise arrows on the road | Extra speed | 2.8 seconds | BOOST |
| Turbo | A turquoise diamond | Extra speed, for longer | 5 seconds | TURBO |
| Shield | A blue diamond | Saves you from one hit by traffic | 15 seconds, or until it is used | SHIELD |
| Jump | An orange ramp | Sends you flying through the air | Until you land | AIR TIME |
While a boost, turbo or shield is on, the small line at the bottom of the screen counts down how long it lasts.
Boost and turbo
Ride over the glowing arrows, or through a turquoise diamond, and the bike pulls harder for a few seconds. A boost lasts 2.8 seconds and a turbo lasts 5 seconds. They push you just as hard; the turbo simply lasts longer.
A boost still needs grip. If you are leaning far, the tyres can't use all the extra push. So take boosts on a straight bit of road.
Shield
Ride through a blue diamond, and you have a shield for 15 seconds. If you hit a car or truck while the shield is on, you don't tumble. The game says Shield saved you!, you lose a little speed, and for a moment nothing can hit you. Then the shield is gone.
A shield does not help in Room to breathe: that mission ends at the first touch, shield or not.
Ramps and jumps
Orange-edged ramps launch the bike by themselves. You need to go faster than about 43 km/h; slower than that, you just roll over the ramp. The faster you go, the further you fly.
- AIR TIME shows when you take off, and the small line shows how high you are.
- Smooth landing! shows when you land well. You get 5 points for every metre you flew.
- Land upright. If you lean a lot when you land, you tumble: "Land with the bike upright, then chase the next boost!"
While you are in the air, the bike can't turn and the gears don't change. Line up straight before the ramp, and keep the bike upright.
Where the road bonuses are
The bonuses come back in a pattern every 700 metres, so you will see them again and again. Hidden numbers: in each 700 m stretch there is a boost at about 120 m, a ramp at 260 m, a shield at 410 m and a turbo at 540 m.
| In each 700 m stretch | Road bonus |
|---|---|
| About 120 m | Boost arrows |
| About 260 m | Orange ramp |
| About 410 m | Shield (blue diamond) |
| About 540 m | Turbo (turquoise diamond) |
So from the start: boost at 120 m, ramp at 260 m, shield at 410 m, turbo at 540 m, then boost again at 820 m, ramp at 960 m, and so on.
The bonuses also swap sides. In the first 700 m, the boost, ramp and turbo are in the right-hand lane, where you start, and the shield is in the left lane. In the next 700 m, it is the other way round. Look ahead and pick your lane early.
Each bonus can be used once per ride. When you ride again, they are all back.
Road bonuses and stars
In the E4 missions, road bonuses decide how many stars you can get:
- One star: finish the mission.
- Two stars: the two-star time and one kind of road bonus.
- Three stars: the three-star time and two different kinds of road bonus.
The kinds are boost, jump, shield and turbo. Two boosts count as one kind, so get two different ones, like a boost and a jump. A ramp only counts if you really take off. The mission line on screen shows Road bonuses 1/2 and 2/2. Read the full rules on How to get three stars.
See also
- Traffic, close calls and combos
- Advanced tips
- Glossary
- Play Motorcycle Speed and grab a turbo.
