Motorcycle stunt riding , often
referred to as stunting, is a
motorcycle sport characterized
by stunts involving acrobatic
maneuvering of the motorcycle
and sometimes the rider. Common
maneuvers in stunt riding include
wheelies , stoppies, and burnouts.
Sport bikes have become a
common vehicle for stunts.
Stunters
Stunters are a controversial
subculture of motorcycling.
Stunters perform motorcycle
stunts on sportbikes , both on
public roads and in private
venues. Some stunters have
organized commercial teams.
History
A wheelie on a motorized vehicle
is nothing new. In drag racing
they are considered a problem,
robbing power that could be
used to accelerate the vehicle
faster, and many classes of drag
racing use wheelie bars to
prevent them.
But those are for vehicles
specifically built for drag racing,
which rarely are street-legal , or
unmodified from stock. In
contrast, since at least the 1970s,
some motorcycles straight from
the showroom floor were able to
be wheelied.
In the late 1980s and continuing
today, motorcycles, and
especially sportbikes, have
become lighter and more
powerful , and have therefore
become easier to wheelie. Other
stunts have also become
possible if not easy with the
advancement of motorcycle
technology. As Martin Child wrote
in Bike, "With lighter, shorter,
better-braked bikes on the
market, the stoppie has never
been so easy for so many."[1] But
at the same time, the cost of a
motorcycle has remained
relatively low compared to other
street-legal vehicles with similar
power-to-weight ratios.
In the 1990s some riders made
performing stunts the primary
focus of their riding. A wheelie or
other stunt was not just
something to do while riding, it
became the main goal in riding.
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