Cadwell Park is a motor racing track in Lincolnshire, UK, that was originally built in 1934 by the owner of the land to give his two motorcycle-crazy sons somewhere to race each other. It’s 3.6 kilometres of challenging and varying turns with frequent elevation changes due to its valley setting, and it has hosted everything from Formula 3 and Superkarts to its current most popular event - British Superbikes. Here’s an exciting onboard lap.
But Cadwell Park is most famous for one simple feature - “the Mountain,” where bikes exit a right-hander into a wicked uphill slope that frequently launches the fast boys well up into the air. So after the jump is a collection of photos from various sources - and a video of one of the most horrific race crashes I’ve ever seen. Enjoy! (more…)
We love a good wheelie here at TheBikerGene, and this Michigan-born stunt god of the 70s and 80s was a true pioneer of the art. Doug Domokos was professionally known as “The Wheelie King” as he travelled the world with his stunt show - but he’ll be best remembered for the big event stunts he performed.
Like the time he set the world record for the longest wheelie - at 145 miles long. Or the time he passed the Georgia State motorcycle license test on one wheel. Or the time he pulled the “world’s tallest wheelie” - five laps around the roof of the Empire State Building in New York. Or the time when he wheelied a quad bike with no less than 11 passengers on board. (more…)
So it *is* possible to highside these “sanitised,” traction-controlled 800cc MotoGP missiles! These spectacular images from crash.net show Jorge Lorenzo’s flying exit from today’s free practice at Shanghai. The Yamaha/Michelin rider damaged both ankles after a monster highside threw him several metres in the air and flipped him 360 degrees.
Check out the video at the bottom, this might be the best, er, sorry, worst highside I’ve ever seen.
More images and the jaw-dropping video after the jump. (more…)
One of my favourite YouTube videos; a bunch of Spanish nutters thrashing, sliding, flipping and crashing a bunch of motards and racebikes around what looks like a go-kart track. This video’s got it all: hooliganism, recklessness, wheelies, crashes, massive powerslides, five people on the one scooter all getting a knee down, and a bloke going flying over a tyre wall in a plastic bucket.
Thank heavens these maniacs did it - now you and I don’t have to. I’d be afraid I might explode if I had that much fun all at once.
An oldie but a goodie; Triumph reminds us not to take biking too seriously with a hilarious video on how the outrageous Rocket 3 is built. However many times I watch it, it stays just as funny.
On a more serious note, superbike.co.uk have put together a truly excellent video that documents the *actual* Hinckley production process that brings the Daytona 675 into the world - from the raw steel that the crankshafts are cut from, right up to the final, crated product. The process takes around 4 1/2 hours of factory time, spread over about 120 different specialty workers. Watch the video after the jump - and by the end of it, you’ll be able to speak Scottish! (more…)
Although it was Jorge Lorenzo’s day, taking an ominous second consecutive MotoGP pole in Jerez, today will most likely be remembered for Colin Edwards’ amazing save after running into the Spanish track’s turn one too hot on a new rear tyre. I’ve heard riders say they saved a slide on their knee, but it’s not often you get to see one of the best in the business saving a front-end slide on his elbow… Amazing stuff.
Peter Jackson, the New Zealand-born director famous for his stunning Lord of the Rings trilogy, made his first movie on a shoestring budget. Starring his mates, and featuring a broad array of home-made special effects, props and pyrotechnics, Bad Taste still stands up as a testament to what an ingenious all-rounder can achieve through perseverance.
The same Kiwi can-do spirit underpins one of the great underdog stories in motorcycle racing history. John Britten’s dyslexia made school a struggle for him, but he emerged at the other end as an amazingly talented mechanical engineer. After building his own house (right down to casting his own taps and fittings), Britten embarked on the work that was to be his legacy: the Britten v1000 racebike. (more…)
The guys at Hilbilly Motors (remember their sweet 150hp, 150kg 25th anniversary Buell?) sent us this clip they’ve made of Craig Jones stunting a Buell on ice with spiked tyres. There’s also a “making of” section to look at if the jumpy editing’s too much for you.
It reminded me of a couple of other clips that show that when you’re good enough, you don’t need an industrial zone or carpark to get your wheelie on.
Like this one of Simon MTZ pulling circle wheelies and stoppies in a paddock full of grass: (more…)
