Photo: Facebook capture
Funny thing, I stumbled upon this haute tension footage after writing the morning piece on the poor moron who crashed his bike while fleeing the police after sticker slapping a law enforcement vehicle in what he probably considers a manly act of bold determination.
Now, for all those mindless fellows who believe that taunting the cops and fleeing is what motorcycling is all about, here’s a hefty dose of REAL motorcycling. Enter onboard video from Columbia’s craziest bike race, the Motovelocidad del Valle, a race which is as cool as it is obviously dangerous.
The Motovelocidad del Valle is held on a rural street circuit in Valler del Cauca, Colombia, and much like the Isle of Man, is as natural as it gets. That is, riders have to learn the “track” as there are no indicators to help them navigate the village. The only things which hint the riders as to which direction they must turn at the next corner are the very spectators and the improvised safety implements. As for the curbs and gravel traps, they’ve only been replaced by occasional speed bumps and rough-edged village kerbs.
Of course, hitting a pole covered in two mattresses is less extreme than doing so with no mattresses involved, but this is only a minimal consolation. At least it’s good to see that nobody got hurt… in the video. It’s hard to believe that the Motovelocidad del Valle is not taking its toll each edition.
Even so, each of these fellows riding their small-displacement bikes is a thousand times more hardcore a biker than several “street stunters” popping wheelies on the highway on their fancy tuned liter-class machines.
Oh, and the classic foot race start reminding us of Le Mans and other world endurance events is simply glorious. Plus, the guy who recorded this video is a real ace, too! Grab a cold one and enjoy!
The Motovelocidad del Valle is held on a rural street circuit in Valler del Cauca, Colombia, and much like the Isle of Man, is as natural as it gets. That is, riders have to learn the “track” as there are no indicators to help them navigate the village. The only things which hint the riders as to which direction they must turn at the next corner are the very spectators and the improvised safety implements. As for the curbs and gravel traps, they’ve only been replaced by occasional speed bumps and rough-edged village kerbs.
Improvised safety measures involving old mattresses and tires
Making a wrong move in the Motovelocidad del Valle can result in very serious injuries as the village circuit has no run-off areas. Even worse, the riders are passing inches from concrete poles, house corners and all. The organizers have indeed tried their best, strapping old mattresses around the poles and stacking old car tires in dangerous sections, but these are more successful as fun elements for us watching the video than as safety measures.Of course, hitting a pole covered in two mattresses is less extreme than doing so with no mattresses involved, but this is only a minimal consolation. At least it’s good to see that nobody got hurt… in the video. It’s hard to believe that the Motovelocidad del Valle is not taking its toll each edition.
Even so, each of these fellows riding their small-displacement bikes is a thousand times more hardcore a biker than several “street stunters” popping wheelies on the highway on their fancy tuned liter-class machines.
Oh, and the classic foot race start reminding us of Le Mans and other world endurance events is simply glorious. Plus, the guy who recorded this video is a real ace, too! Grab a cold one and enjoy!
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