Stoppie World Record

[wkid_one]

An year after her dynamic presentation, Tuono celebrates a remarkable world record. In Meik Appel’s skilled hands, the stuntman that amused everyone during the AWM, Aprilia’s World Meeting, defeated stoppie ’s world record. For the neophytes we specify that “stoppie” is that weird discipline of wheeling with the rear (that we dissuade from trying unless one has all the experience of the German stuntman! ).
Meik kept the motorbike in “bascule “ on the fore for 248 meters beating the previous record of 225; the action was performed during Oschersleben’s Speedweek, on the main straight that, as Appel said “ Was a little bit too short, otherwise on a track like Hockenheim I would have run few other meters”. Meik chose, for his funny and funambulist shows (which includes also for example being hauled by the motorbike or going upside down the handle bar) the hypernaked Aprilia, because of her power, torque and ease in handling.
Out of this nice record, the Tuono in its first year has obtained many appreciations, in terms of awards, as the prestigious “ bike of the heart “, and also in terms of comparative tests, imposing itself on the market as a new, winning concept. In her racing version the motorbike ruled in the Italian naked championship, conquering all the poles and the victories in the races performed till now; moreover it almost won, in standard configuration, the open class during the speedweek in Zeltweg, getting the second place.

[Drew]

Holly shit. Thats a fuckin long way on the front wheel. Probly a good thing my bike is too heavy to do them, or I may very easily end up needing a nose job, not that my bike doesnt allready!

[Coldkiwi]

two hundred and HOW MANY METRES!? helmets off to that man.

mm, tuono... what a weapon to do it with! Nice wide bars probably made it a bit easier.

[Hitcher]

Was probably going downhill too... If somebody knew the weight of the bike, they could probably calculate how fast he was going prior to applying the brakes.

[Ixion]

Was probably going downhill too... If somebody knew the weight of the bike, they could probably calculate how fast he was going prior to applying the brakes.

I wondered about that. But then I wondered if it really works like that. Is he actually braking hard all that distance? Or, is it that, once he has the bike up and more or less balanced, he backs off on the brake ? maybe even accelerates if it seems to be going to far over and threatening to fall over forwards ?

In other words is it in fact a magnificently clever (or stupid, depending on how you look at it) balancing act ?

[vifferman]

I wondered about that. But then I wondered if it really works like that. Is he actually braking hard all that distance? Or, is it that, once he has the bike up and more or less balanced, he backs off on the brake ?

Yeah, that's what I reckon. Gets up a decent speed, brakes hard to bring the back wheel up to balance point, then just balances.

[Hitcher]

I wondered about that. But then I wondered if it really works like that. Is he actually braking hard all that distance? Or, is it that, once he has the bike up and more or less balanced, he backs off on the brake ? maybe even accelerates if it seems to be going to far over and threatening to fall over forwards ?

In other words is it in fact a magnificently clever (or stupid, depending on how you look at it) balancing act ?

It is the brake that keeps the back wheel in the air. In the absence of a braking force, the rear wheel will return to the ground. As forward speed reduces, more braking force will be required to keep the rear elevated. Until the bike is stationary. There will be a point of balance at which the rear wheel can be kept elevated indefinitely, but that doesn't help a desire to go for DISTANCE.

[Ixion]

It is the brake that keeps the back wheel in the air. In the absence of a braking force, the rear wheel will return to the ground. As forward speed reduces, more braking force will be required to keep the rear elevated. Until the bike is stationary. There will be a point of balance at which the rear wheel can be kept elevated indefinitely, but that doesn't help a desire to go for DISTANCE.

Well, not quite. If the centre of mass of the rear is lower than the point of balance you are correct. But, if you kept raising the rear of a bike eventually you would get to the point where it would turn over FORWARDS (just as a wheelie too vigorously done may go past the balance point and turn the bike over backwards).The riders position would ovbiously have a major effect on this.

So, in theory, if you got the bike just at the balance point , ie fractionally before it started tipping forward, you could hold it there without any further weight transfer. (note, I did say, in theory)

[wkid_one]

Ahhh - a 20 month old post reignited.

[Ixion]

Ahhh - a 20 month old post reignited.

Yeah, but nobody was interested the first time

[Motoracer]

Ahhh - a 20 month old post reignited.

I wonder if this record still stands...

[Hitcher]

So, in theory, if you got the bike just at the balance point , ie fractionally before it started tipping forward, you could hold it there without any further weight transfer. (note, I did say, in theory)

Yes (I guess I didn't explain myself well enough previously). But the bike would be stationary, or near stationary, at that state. Our learned friend set a new world record in excess of a couple of hundred metres. He couldn't have achieved that without momentum in the line of travel -- momentum sufficient to not only propel the bike forwards but also enough to overcome a braking force sufficient to keep the rear wheel off the ground. Vector physics at its finest!