This was terrific

Spent Saturday at the Shrewsbury Flower Show. It's much much more than plants, it's really a county show and you can sit all day in the arena watching all the performances without ever seeing a floral display. I particularly wanted to see these guys, the Royal Signals White Helmets Motorcycle Display Team:



The skill level and teamwork is simply fantastic. They use Triumph 750s - not sure what exactly, Tigers? - someone will correct me if I'm wrong - with a modified throttle so it stays open. Exhaust is simply cut off, so the noise of 30 bikes is awesome. Rear suspension looked a bit absent. They were climbing all over the bikes, riding them backwards, from up a ladder while juggling using weight to lean the bike, using a Honda 450 jump bike to jump over a hand held ramp over a Toyota 4X4 pickem up truck, riding through huge bales of straw on fire, that sort of thing. The arena had been watered to make it softer for horses - and sanded, so not easy to ride on, they were terrific. This one is breathtaking when you see it for real, they ride all the way round the arena so the outside bikes have to keep very close and match speed perfectly to stop the whole thing falling down:



And this is when you really don't want to look - bikes riding across each other, closing speed is about 40mph, the gap is a few centimetres.

[Cop-out - the pic is taking forever to upload to photobucket so I'll post it tomoz]

In the pic the gap looks much bigger but it was actually very very small. There was a collision, the riders did a terrific job to keep upright and stop safely. And then they turn round and do it riding backwards, and then again in double file, like a giant helix. And there was an evening performance too, so we watched it again. Terrific stuff

Here's the bikes up close:





Based at Blandford, Dorset, they ride at military and civilian shows all over the country. If they're near you, go see. You won't be disappointed.

them bikes are cleaner than mine Ed! and they ride them round a field

Originally Posted by kwak zzr

them bikes are cleaner than mine Ed! and they ride them round a field

Not only that, but they've been riding them around fields since around 1973.

Originally Posted by kwak zzr

them bikes are cleaner than mine Ed! and they ride them round a field

Originally Posted by wyrdness

Not only that, but they've been riding them around fields since around 1973.

And they've probably done more miles too (but that's not hard is it ? )

I like that first photo...

"Hey Sarge, where we going"

"Don't panic Jones, Smith has the GPS" ......

.

You have to respect the level of talent and level of control they have over their bikes. Amazing