This is Part 3 of a 5 part series discussing the parts used on a stunt bike. As stunting has progressed as a sport, so has the technology that allows the rider to execute certain tricks and protects their motorcycle. At first glance a stuntbike may appear to be a confusing Frankenstein of a metal, but in reality stunters spend countless hours modifying, perfecting and maintaining their bikes. Stay tuned to learn the tricks of the trade.
Wheelie bar, 12-o’clock bar, scrape bar, support for your spare tire –however you refer to it a bar is an important part of any stuntbike. Learning slow wheelies always involves at least a few instances of “looping out” or coming all the way back to the motorcycles tail. You can imagine the scene of a rider coming straight back on a stock tail –a explosion of OEM plastic and tail lights. Once again, a glitch in learning wheelies arose and stunters set about to find a solution.
Some people bent rebar to strengthen the stock tail, some stuffed 2x4 in the subframe and others started developing a steel structure to, in theory, stabilize and slow a motorcycle. While bars will not stop a bike from “looping out” they can assist riders to learn by providing assistance after the bike has come back too far. At a certain skill level the rider can come back to the bar and scrape along the bar until the bike has come to a stop –a much better alternative to flipping the bike.
Today bars are commonly made out of steel, which provides some friction to slow the bike down, but some riders don’t want the bike to slow down. Attaching skateboard wheels or metal that causes less friction makes it easier for riders to set the bike back on the bar and then perform a series of “bar tricks” before the bike would come to a stop.
Traditionally bars were straight, providing a level, wide area of stabilization. After riders progressed past needing a wide landing strip, round bars were invented. Round bars are more minimalistic allowing riders to perform tricks where the bikes needs to be back further. Round bars also provide less dangerous sharp edges, which is advantageous in the event of a crash. Straight or round, bars are attached to the subframe through a series of nuts and bolts. Normally bar installation requires drilling into the subframe and requires a certain amount of skill to insure the bar is level. After installation the stock tail plastic is normally trimmed to prevent cracking.
Bars are no magic potion, but with a certain degree of skill, like any stunt modification they are very useful and necessary for a stunter to do what they do best.
This article is 1 of 5 in our Series on Stunting. Be sure to check out the rest of these articles from Leah.
Part 1 - Handbrake | Part 2 - Crash Cage | Part 3 - Stunt Bars | Part 4 - Safety | Part 5 - Modifications
