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Guy Martin Does 78.15 MPH on the Wall of Death, Smashes World Record

Guy Martin is still far from his incredible dream of doing 100 mph (160 km/h) on the wall of death, but he managed to put a new world record to his name. Guy rode his BSA-derived motorcycle at 78.15 mph (125.74 km/h) on the vertical wooden board wall and thus set the bar for more daredevils.
Guy Martin on the wall of death 3 photos
Photo: YouTube capture
Guy Martin on the wall of death on an Indian ScoutGuy Martin on the wall of death on the BSA
Martin took two bikes to the largest wall of death in the world, a structure 120 feet (39 meters) in diameter he and his mentor and WoD legend Ken Fox purposely built for the task.

One of them was, as we suspected, a reinforced Indian Scout that received special braces to make it sturdy enough to support the mass of both bike and rider and the extra G-force generated while riding in such conditions. However, despite the extra grunt of the Indian engine, that bike also proved to be much heavier, making the record-breaking attempt harder.

The BSA-derived machine was an entirely different matter. Significantly lighter from the start, the BSA also sports a heap of modifications made by Guy, who is also an excellent mechanic, under Ken Fox' supervision.

The bike, and crucially the rider, was alright after the high-G ordeal, but judging by Guy's voice, this was nowhere near an easy feat. According to UK sources, Martin had to endure almost 7G, which is pretty much jet fighter territory.

However, unlike when inside a fighter and sitting in an ergonomically-shaped seat with plenty of support, Guy Martin had to endure the force sitting on a motorbike saddle. And making things worse, he also had to throttle, steer, and make sure the bike remained on the right track. Making a mistake could have easily launched him and his bike into the air, with consequences we don't even want to fathom.

Wonder when he will try another run, now that he knows so much more about how things actually roll on the wall of death...

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