Xtreme Sports “Biking”
Base jumping, stunt airplanes, kite surfing, ice climbing and now the worldwide phenomenon of stunt motorcycles or “stunting”. From the United States to Japan, and India to Cape Town, motorcycle stunt riders are performing on public and private roads with custom built and fabricated motorcycles.
Predictably, Stunters give police headaches with their triple digit speeds and perilous stunts, often in heavy traffic and attract the opposite sex in droves, increasing the number of “showoff” stunts, accidents and headaches. Stunters are also showing up regularly in Hollywood movies, such as “The Matrix Reloaded.”
A Future Olympic Sport?
Stunters look like gymnasts on a pommel horse as they perform artistic and acrobatic maneuvers, swinging bodies into various positions: pikes, headstands, scissors, swings, flairs, loops and travels. The most skilled stunters have complete control over their bikes: back and front wheelies, burnouts, seat stands, high chairs, spreaders and many more.
Stunters (Image Courtesy www.motorcycleshdwallpaper.com)
Stunt Motorcycle Custom Equipment
Stunt motorcycles are often custom built with some of the following:
- Frame Sliders – large knobs attached to the frame to protect the motorcycle from damage should the rider lose control and the motorcycle hit the ground.
- Crash Cages – The same idea as frame sliders, but providing more protection and primarily protecting the frame.
- Subcages – similar to crash cages but primarily protecting the subframe.
- Front Upper Stay – similar to the sub cage and crash cage and protecting the front of the bike and providing increased ability for the front and.
- 12 O’Clock Bar – These bars scrape the ground instead of the exhaust or tail section
- Hand Breaks – providing the ability to break when a rider cannot reach the handlebars, usually placed in the rear of the bike.
- Round Bar – a curved bar that protects the contour of a bike’s tail section.
Stunt Motor Cycle Tricks
Everyone has seen wheelies and tried them as a kid with a normal bike. Stunters perform wheelies in all kinds of positions while moving in circles, perched on one side or the other of the bike, with legs over handlebars and more.
There are various tricks and manuevers:
- surfing – rider balances on 1 foot on the gas tank and the other foot on the rear of the motorcycle in a traditional surfing position
- Christ – rider stands straight up on the bike with arms spread while bike is in motion.
- de activator – riding a wheelie with the bike on idle and jumping off the back of the motorcycle
- icon
- ape hanger
- cliffhanger stoppie
- biscuit eater
- hyper spins
- switchbacks
Teams of Stunters now regularly perform at motorcycle and car dealerships, drag races, airshows, car shows, monster truck shows, charity events, etc.
Following is a video of one of the world’s top Stunters. For more information visit: Stunters.com, Sturgis Stunters, Stunters, Inc., Teamstunters.com, Stuntlife.com, Controlled Insanity, Purebred Riders and Scorpion Stunters.
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