Stunt shows...
Discussion
The thread on "Stoppies" reminded me of how I used to enjoy stunt shows.
I don't attend big events, motorcycle shows, race meets or similar, but a quick Google and it would appear that most modern stunt shows involve trials bikes.
Back when I was a young lad, a big "fair" was held in the park behind where I lived. I wasn't in the least bit interested until I heard bikes. Wandered over and found a display by the White Helmets. Back then, stunt riding was all about lots of blokes on one bike, barging through a blazing hay bale etc. - all on old Triumph twins. I'm certain that it was one of those moments that inspired me to want a bike. Half a dozen years later and I was riding a Puch GP 50 around the local skatepark...
By the time I'd stopped attending bike stuff at the end of the '90s, the stunt scene had moved on from the old styles and was all about wheelies, stoppies and burn outs on, mainly, GSXRs. Always ending with a raised fist whilst the back tyre blew...
Loved the noise, the clouds of rubber smoke and the most rudimentary use of a bit of hazard tape keeping the crowds safe... Not sure such stuff is very well received nowadays, or will remain so for much longer...
I don't attend big events, motorcycle shows, race meets or similar, but a quick Google and it would appear that most modern stunt shows involve trials bikes.
Back when I was a young lad, a big "fair" was held in the park behind where I lived. I wasn't in the least bit interested until I heard bikes. Wandered over and found a display by the White Helmets. Back then, stunt riding was all about lots of blokes on one bike, barging through a blazing hay bale etc. - all on old Triumph twins. I'm certain that it was one of those moments that inspired me to want a bike. Half a dozen years later and I was riding a Puch GP 50 around the local skatepark...
By the time I'd stopped attending bike stuff at the end of the '90s, the stunt scene had moved on from the old styles and was all about wheelies, stoppies and burn outs on, mainly, GSXRs. Always ending with a raised fist whilst the back tyre blew...
Loved the noise, the clouds of rubber smoke and the most rudimentary use of a bit of hazard tape keeping the crowds safe... Not sure such stuff is very well received nowadays, or will remain so for much longer...
I'm old enough to remember the pyramids and flaming bales of hay....good times!
Funnily enough, my local town had a fair a few months ago, and it had a bike display, but it was exactly as you said, one lad on a trial bike jumping further and further over a van each time, and a quad doing wheelies. Better than nothing, but I did miss the pedestrian speed pyramid display
Funnily enough, my local town had a fair a few months ago, and it had a bike display, but it was exactly as you said, one lad on a trial bike jumping further and further over a van each time, and a quad doing wheelies. Better than nothing, but I did miss the pedestrian speed pyramid display
I can add a couple here...
When I moved to where I live now we had no phone line, long story short after many months a guy came round from BT to try and figure out why I had no phone line. I have a bike in the house which opened the conversation, turned out he was in the white helmets, he was the one climbing the ladder apparently, and has one of the bikes at home which he'd restored.
I used to do a bit of MX many years ago, one of my mates used to compete at national level and through him I ended up being introduced to a guy called Jason Rennie, turns out he was pretty handy on an MX bike (and an MTB also) and planned to break the existing ramp to ramp distance record back then, this was to take place at that years MotoGP round at Donington. I went along for the practice day and he blitzed the record on his first jump, that didn't stop him as he wanted to be sure he could do it consistently, did it about 3-4 times as I recall that day, the actual MotoGP weekend was pretty wet but he still broke the official record. Later he went on to break 3 world records in a day, then one on an MTB.
He vanished pretty much after that, and I know his life kind of went south unfortunately, currently in court for some driving offences from what I gather.
When I moved to where I live now we had no phone line, long story short after many months a guy came round from BT to try and figure out why I had no phone line. I have a bike in the house which opened the conversation, turned out he was in the white helmets, he was the one climbing the ladder apparently, and has one of the bikes at home which he'd restored.
I used to do a bit of MX many years ago, one of my mates used to compete at national level and through him I ended up being introduced to a guy called Jason Rennie, turns out he was pretty handy on an MX bike (and an MTB also) and planned to break the existing ramp to ramp distance record back then, this was to take place at that years MotoGP round at Donington. I went along for the practice day and he blitzed the record on his first jump, that didn't stop him as he wanted to be sure he could do it consistently, did it about 3-4 times as I recall that day, the actual MotoGP weekend was pretty wet but he still broke the official record. Later he went on to break 3 world records in a day, then one on an MTB.
He vanished pretty much after that, and I know his life kind of went south unfortunately, currently in court for some driving offences from what I gather.
Used to see Gary Rothwell the odd time doing stunts outside a couple of pubs here in Melling / Lydiate.
Bikers used to meet up at the hen and chickens or the scotchpiper and various people doing stunts.
Police used to attend now and again and watch over, and all was quiet. Once the police drove off you’d just hear bikes being started and the fun begin.
Bikers used to meet up at the hen and chickens or the scotchpiper and various people doing stunts.
Police used to attend now and again and watch over, and all was quiet. Once the police drove off you’d just hear bikes being started and the fun begin.
spoodler said:
The thread on "Stoppies" reminded me of how I used to enjoy stunt shows.
I don't attend big events, motorcycle shows, race meets or similar, but a quick Google and it would appear that most modern stunt shows involve trials bikes.
Back when I was a young lad, a big "fair" was held in the park behind where I lived. I wasn't in the least bit interested until I heard bikes. Wandered over and found a display by the White Helmets. Back then, stunt riding was all about lots of blokes on one bike, barging through a blazing hay bale etc. - all on old Triumph twins. I'm certain that it was one of those moments that inspired me to want a bike. Half a dozen years later and I was riding a Puch GP 50 around the local skatepark...
By the time I'd stopped attending bike stuff at the end of the '90s, the stunt scene had moved on from the old styles and was all about wheelies, stoppies and burn outs on, mainly, GSXRs. Always ending with a raised fist whilst the back tyre blew...
Loved the noise, the clouds of rubber smoke and the most rudimentary use of a bit of hazard tape keeping the crowds safe... Not sure such stuff is very well received nowadays, or will remain so for much longer...
I don’t think those triumph tr7’s would have lasted very well in the ‘90s stunt shows lol I don't attend big events, motorcycle shows, race meets or similar, but a quick Google and it would appear that most modern stunt shows involve trials bikes.
Back when I was a young lad, a big "fair" was held in the park behind where I lived. I wasn't in the least bit interested until I heard bikes. Wandered over and found a display by the White Helmets. Back then, stunt riding was all about lots of blokes on one bike, barging through a blazing hay bale etc. - all on old Triumph twins. I'm certain that it was one of those moments that inspired me to want a bike. Half a dozen years later and I was riding a Puch GP 50 around the local skatepark...
By the time I'd stopped attending bike stuff at the end of the '90s, the stunt scene had moved on from the old styles and was all about wheelies, stoppies and burn outs on, mainly, GSXRs. Always ending with a raised fist whilst the back tyre blew...
Loved the noise, the clouds of rubber smoke and the most rudimentary use of a bit of hazard tape keeping the crowds safe... Not sure such stuff is very well received nowadays, or will remain so for much longer...
bimsb6 said:
I don’t think those triumph tr7’s would have lasted very well in the ‘90s stunt shows lol
Indicators, mirrors and being oil tight are often cited as reasons why the Jap' stuff took over from old British twins... but, after owning Brit's, the amount of abuse a Jap' four could take was simply incredible in comparison. You could wheely and burn out an A65 or Bonny (and we did), but you'd probably be rebuilding the primary, at the very least, before you got it to move again. That said, I believe the Wall of Death is still running old Indians, but that's a different sort of stunt.Watch any videos of the White Helmets and they look disciplined and skilled, but pedestrian - and like something that came out of post war Britain. The '90s shows were all out noise, smoke and excitement...
The last "streetfighter" type show I saw was in Belgium, in the early 2000s. The high street was closed, there were no barriers to keep pedestrians away and there were three stripped down GSXRs or Bandits performing to amplified heavy metal and fireworks, whilst a couple of bikini clad girls gyrated about. The whole thing was an absolute assault on the senses for about half an hour... brilliant if you're into that sort of thing, probably a migraine inducing nightmare if you're not! Add in the fact that it was next to the beach and surrounded by stalls that sold Leffe and Duvel... who said Belgium's boring?
This was something that im sad has died out. Around 10 years ago there was a big push and a few stunt bike festival/competitions around brent cross and wembley in london. I hope it still goes on somewhere as they were really skilled.
I think with the uk biker anything they cant imagine themselves doing is ignored. Maybe brexit killed it off as a lot of the top riders were from europe and it was a non professional sort of thing.
https://youtu.be/_H9ucMJfmpU
I think with the uk biker anything they cant imagine themselves doing is ignored. Maybe brexit killed it off as a lot of the top riders were from europe and it was a non professional sort of thing.
https://youtu.be/_H9ucMJfmpU
Coming back to this after some thought.
Stunt shows with road bikes has all but died out, I guess the game moved on when stuff like Travis Pastrana's Nitro Circus starting touring, FMX, BMX, skaters etc all in one place. X-Games etc all took this to another daredevil level, someone doing burnouts and wheelies/stoppies is pretty low key by comparison.
Stunt shows with road bikes has all but died out, I guess the game moved on when stuff like Travis Pastrana's Nitro Circus starting touring, FMX, BMX, skaters etc all in one place. X-Games etc all took this to another daredevil level, someone doing burnouts and wheelies/stoppies is pretty low key by comparison.
Waynester said:
I used to have an old VHS tape of Gary Rothwell in the early 90’s.. as a young impressionable motorcyclist back then, what he did on a bike was chin dropping..
I recently had a clear out and regrettably threw away said VHS tape, he was amazing and the stuff he did on the Z1300 as a young guy was something else.I don't know if its just me, but I don't see any naughty stuff on bikes anywhere nowadays, I can't remember the last time I saw somebody pulling a wheelie or doing a burnout. Even at events like the road racing there would always be a bit of 'showboating' going on but everything today all seems very sensible!
Perhaps we are just all an ageing breed and that sort of stuff doesn't appeal to a younger audience?
FlopperV60 said:
Waynester said:
I used to have an old VHS tape of Gary Rothwell in the early 90’s.. as a young impressionable motorcyclist back then, what he did on a bike was chin dropping..
I recently had a clear out and regrettably threw away said VHS tape, he was amazing and the stuff he did on the Z1300 as a young guy was something else.I don't know if its just me, but I don't see any naughty stuff on bikes anywhere nowadays, I can't remember the last time I saw somebody pulling a wheelie or doing a burnout. Even at events like the road racing there would always be a bit of 'showboating' going on but everything today all seems very sensible!
Perhaps we are just all an ageing breed and that sort of stuff doesn't appeal to a younger audience?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EwDYOKPrPE
Biker's Nemesis said:
Myself and a friend at Silverstone at Silverstone around 1983 sitting on Arto Nyquist van, his Z1300 also in the photo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EwDYOKPrPE
What a great picture and memories.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EwDYOKPrPE
I always think of Arto as the crazy clog wearing Fin, when you see a Z1300 nowadays it is hard to comprehend how they did that stuff!
Saw that lastnight on Twitter. Seems as good a place as any for it:
https://twitter.com/ChiLLiSizZzler/status/16895018...
https://twitter.com/ChiLLiSizZzler/status/16895018...
Bob_Defly said:
There are still stunt shows at all of the bike shows here (Toronto). Some of them do epic wheelies on Harley's / baggers, I have no idea how, they are completely vertical.
The You Tube doc', "Into the Unknown", about the Unknown Industries guys, is worth a watch if you like the whole high octane, tattoos and loud rap music, Harley stunt scene...Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff