Though this does not apply to all, many motorcyclists seek adventure and thrills to combat daily routines. Some riders take this to the next level. Such extremists are those who seek to either break world records or, in some cases, create new categories which set themselves apart from the mainstream motorcyclists.
Making or breaking a world record is not a easy task. Chasing land speed records is rather boring, don't you think? Any rider can combine a love of riding with dedication to their bike; with some style and creativity you can set yourself apart from the masses of other motorcyclists. That said, here are 7 Surprising Weird Motorcycle Records to inspire you.
1) Balancing a Bike on His Head
Gerard Jessie is the man who set the record of balancing a bike on his head FOR
15 SECONDS! It may not seem like the passing of 15 seconds is a long time however even the lightest of motorcycles generally weigh about 300 lbs. To put it in perspective, riders spend anywhere from $500 on up to $1000 or more for a helmet that weighs less than 3 lbs, correct? Try carrying 300 lbs on your head! Gerard has certainly set a weird motorcycle record.
Photo: http://snip.ly/fdzu5e
2) Longest Time Restraining a Harley-Davidson
Imagine if you will a standard burnout wherein the rider sits on the saddle of their bike, holds the brake while fully opening the throttle effectively ruining a perfectly good set of tires. However, rather than using the motorcycle's brake this American strong woman IS the brake!
Former Olympic power lifter Juli Moody is known as The Female Human Link for the ability to restrain her two-wheelers of choice: Harley-Davidsons. She has performed this unique feat in a variety of configurations: one running bike for a whopping 1 minute, 4.53 seconds using only her hand grips from a seated-on-the-ground position (with a car attached to her to keep her in place); two running bikes for 1 minute, 23.53 seconds from a standing position using only her biceps; and four running bikes for 57.56 seconds from
a standing position using only her biceps. And the list of other powerful vehicles she has restrained goes on and on and on with a simple Youtube search.
Photo: http://snip.ly/zvlknt
3) Longest Wheelie
In addition to achieving speed records, for many motorcyclists the urge to pop a wheelie is irresistible and looks super cool despite the risk to your life if you flip over. Yasuyuki Kudo has the record for holding his motorcycle in the wheelie position longer than anyone else: a whopping 205.7 mile performance in 1991 has yet to be broken, perhaps because most riders would need a cup of coffee after the first 100 miles.
Photo: http://snip.ly/rzzbdg
4) First Double Back Flip
Speaking of flipping your bike, the basic rule is NOT do it! However there is a small segment of riders who INTENTIONALLY try to do just that. For most of us mere mortals maintaining stability and control of the bike if you flip it over seems impossible. However if you are a motorcycle stunt rider you can flip a bike over once with relative ease...but twice?!?! Enter Travis Pastrana who performed the first-ever double back flip in the 2006 X Games.
The double back flip was something no stunt rider ever believed possible before Travis made an attempt. He told a journalist in 2014 that the only rule you need to absorb in your mind whilst performing this feat is that "there is no way out of it; once you make the attempt, you have to complete it."
5) Most People Sitting on a Bike
We are all familiar with the stereotype wherein a surprising number of people in a Third World nation are precariously perched on one single motorcycle. How many people can you imagine? Perhaps 4, maybe 6 at a maximum? To me the weirdest record is 56 people sitting on one bike! It may be no surprise this record was set by the Indian Army Corp of Signals "Daredevils" Display Team in Jabalpur back in 2013.
Photo: http://snip.ly/g03lqt
6) Most Costly Production Bike
The $300,000 Ecosse FE Ti XX is the most expensive bike and is obviously not for every motorcyclist; you certainly would not want to casually ride it to your Wednesday coffee break! It is definitely for the rare minority that can afford it whether they even know how to ride or not. Who would invest so much money in such a bike; as of this writing, there are only 13 FE Ti XXs in existence.
Photo: http://snip.ly/ofqna1
7) Longest Continuous Ride Standing on the Seat of a Motorcycle
Making a world record by sitting on a bike is way too easy, right? But imagine riding a bike while you stand...no, silly ADV riders...not on the pegs; on the SEAT!
The longest continuous ride standing on the seat of a motorcycle is 32.3 km (20 miles) and was achieved by India's Ratnesh Pandey in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on December 5, 2015. He rode a Honda Unicorn and, as per the rules, he did not touch the handlebars at any time during his ride.
Photo: http://snip.ly/36spjb
WOW!!! These are some extremely odd records that inventive people all over the world have set with their motorcycles. They sound too wild to be real but they are; riders will continue to push the limits of their bikes and their bodies in a quest to break or create the next Weird Motorcycle Record!
Do you have any thoughts on the subject? Please leave your comments below.
