RE: PH2: Behind the smoke screen

RE: PH2: Behind the smoke screen

Wednesday 29th February 2012

PH2: Behind the smoke screen

PH2 spends a day with Kevin Carmichael to discover what Triumph's official stunt rider does in his off-season



The small single-track road is covered in a wintry film of dampness, while the outside temperature is struggling to reach three degrees.

Kevin takes a break from practising his routine
Kevin takes a break from practising his routine
"Sometimes Scotland isn't the best place to live when you are a stunt rider," Kevin Carmichael admits. He isn't joking. Kevin's training ground for today is an access road to a sewerage treatment plant. Hardly the place you would expect to find one of the world's best stunt riders, but that's the reality of the job. Life as a stunt rider isn't all about glamorous locations - it's the hours of practice on days where most people would rather be tucked up in bed that allow him to defy the laws of physics with such apparent ease.

Meeting up with Kevin earlier in the day at a small cafe in an industrial estate on the outskirts of Kilmarnock, it strikes me he isn't your archetypical stunt rider. Born and bred in this area, Kevin has a soft Scottish accent and a relaxed attitude. Having watched his adrenaline-packed shows at Triumph events you may imagine the man who vertically wheelies a Rocket III would be a bit of an extrovert, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Here's looking at you and all that
Here's looking at you and all that
Not in my back yard
"I used to use the car park over the road as a practice area, but it attracted too much attention so I don't go there as much now," he says. "It's a nightmare; I don't want to draw a crowd, I just want to get on with riding the bike. Today we can go to a local access road I know, but I'm hoping to be allowed into a disused industrial complex soon. It's health and safety, people are scared that if I hurt myself I'll sue, so I need to sign a few disclaimers first."

Considering what he does as a day job this isn't an unexpected reaction, the whole point of a stunt show is to get the crowd on the edge of their seats. Just how close to the edge is he when he rides?

"I don't practise new stunts or anything extreme on my own, I always have a friend around just in case anything goes wrong, but I know there is a level I can ride to where I'm almost 100 per cent I won't fall off. A racer can circulate a track doing 48-second laps in complete safety, but easily drop to, say, 45 seconds if they decided to push it. Stunt riding is the same and I know my limits. I can vertically wheelie a bike all day long, but taking it over vertical increases the potential of an accident, so I only do that when I have to." He says with the kind of nonchalance that most of us would use to describe parallel parking.

Finding places to train can be hard
Finding places to train can be hard
I'm intrigued as to how Kevin perfects new stunts and how on earth you learn something radical and potentially extremely dangerous.

Have a go hero
"There is only one way to practise a new stunt and that's to try it," he says. "I'm working on a new trick where I sit side saddle then jump off the bike, spin in the air, then grab the back of the bike and run behind it. With this trick I knew I'd either do it or drop the bike, so I just gave it a shot. Some tricks such as left-handed wheelies you have to build up to, you don't just jump on a bike and see what happens as you can get seriously hurt, others you have to be brave."

With frost still covering the car park I can't believe that anyone would want to venture outside during winter in Scotland, but as we leave the cafe I see a black Labrador's nose pushed up against the window of Kevin's van, eagerly awaiting his return.

Four-legged judging panel looks on
Four-legged judging panel looks on
"This is Bonnie," says Kevin. "She comes everywhere with me. When it's terrible outside I know I still have to take her for a walk so we spend hours on the beach together. It's impossible to tire her out, she will chase a ball all day long. I can't really run anymore because of an old ankle injury, but she keeps me fit.

"I do over 50,000 miles a year, driving all around Europe to some amazing places, but I still reckon Scotland is the best place in the world," says Kevin. Looking at the wet roads and mist I'm less convinced.

Arriving at the practice road and with the Speed Triple unloaded I notice it has brand new tyres and, race can apart, is just as it left the factory. Doesn't it need to be prepared before Kevin starts practising on it?

Downtime still involves two wheels!
Downtime still involves two wheels!
Ready to roll
"To be honest I'm not a very good mechanic, my mates joke I couldn't put a nut in a monkey's mouth, but all the prep I need to do with the Speed Triple is remove the mirrors. When I'm not using it for shows this will be my everyday bike."

Five minutes later the Triumph is on its back wheel as Kevin cruises past at no more than 15mph for the photographs. The wet road doesn't seem to bother him and soon he is pulling long, rolling stoppies which culminate with the bike twisting through 180 degrees before landing.

"When I'm doing shows there is a high possibility it could be howling a gale or tipping down with rain. The crowd have come to see a show and I'll do my best to give them one," he says. "It's times like this that practicing in the Scottish winter proves its worth..."

 

 

Author
Discussion

325Ti

Original Poster:

391 posts

145 months

Wednesday 29th February 2012
quotequote all
that first picture would make a great desktop

POTW???

The Danimal

178 posts

154 months

Wednesday 29th February 2012
quotequote all
Great article! I would have thought his practice bike would have been supplied to him with crash bungs etc... although I guess Triumph can whizz him some new engine casing when he needs them. Top guy!

sprinter1050

11,550 posts

226 months

Wednesday 29th February 2012
quotequote all
His web site seems to be down- "domain is parked..." ?
I like watching bike stunts. Amazing control & nerve. Of course I just lack the nerve wink

norty

19 posts

148 months

Wednesday 29th February 2012
quotequote all
I'm just a novice on 2 wheels but "over vertical" sounds like bending the rules of physics, or is it part of the 180 degree twist?

RemaL

24,967 posts

233 months

Wednesday 29th February 2012
quotequote all
great write up PH

Sivraj

256 posts

190 months

Wednesday 29th February 2012
quotequote all
Well done that man, how cool would it be to tell everyone that you a 'professional stunt rider'!!...cool
Love the bike to, (fancy one as my next tool)
I love riding in the wet/ damp conditions, it give you so much confidence when we do finally get a dry warm day.

TimmyWimmyWoo

4,305 posts

180 months

Wednesday 29th February 2012
quotequote all
Really interesting article, thanks! It feels like PH has had a bit of a hooligan slant this week…

Jon Urry

28 posts

149 months

Wednesday 29th February 2012
quotequote all
A vertical wheelie is when the front wheel is right above the back (12 o'clock) and going over vertical means taking the front behind the back to about 1 o'clock. That's proper scary! I may have a pic of Kev doing that somewhere, I'll try and dig it up. I've seen him scrape the tip of the subframe plastic before on a Speed Triple, that was impressive.

Timbuk2

1,953 posts

154 months

Wednesday 29th February 2012
quotequote all
norty said:
I'm just a novice on 2 wheels but "over vertical" sounds like bending the rules of physics, or is it part of the 180 degree twist?
It will be when he's going along and the rear wheel momentarily overtakes the front, before the rear brake is applied and the front overtakes the rear on its way down again I would imagine, although I could be wrong!

SpudLink

5,669 posts

191 months

Wednesday 29th February 2012
quotequote all
Timbuk2 said:
norty said:
I'm just a novice on 2 wheels but "over vertical" sounds like bending the rules of physics, or is it part of the 180 degree twist?
It will be when he's going along and the rear wheel momentarily overtakes the front, before the rear brake is applied and the front overtakes the rear on its way down again I would imagine, although I could be wrong!
I'd agree with that. It's when a normal person is in the process of flipping the bike onto it's back, but he would apply just the right about of rear break to bring it back to a normal wheelie stance.

sprinter1050

11,550 posts

226 months

Wednesday 29th February 2012
quotequote all
I hope he wears his seat belt.

PaulMoor

3,209 posts

162 months

Wednesday 29th February 2012
quotequote all
Timbuk2 said:
norty said:
I'm just a novice on 2 wheels but "over vertical" sounds like bending the rules of physics, or is it part of the 180 degree twist?
It will be when he's going along and the rear wheel momentarily overtakes the front, before the rear brake is applied and the front overtakes the rear on its way down again I would imagine, although I could be wrong!
From what I know it can be held for more than a moment. As I undersatand it you apply the brake so that it is trying to swing the bike forward with the wheel movement (kind of the reverse of what the brake is ment to do). Easy concept, difficult application. I could be wrong though.

Timbuk2

1,953 posts

154 months

Wednesday 29th February 2012
quotequote all
Well more than a moment, maybe a few, but as you'd constantly be braking and slowing down and probably starting from a slow speed anyway, I doubt it would be for tens of metres like normal wheelies.

This picture of him looks like "over verticle" but it could be the camera angle!



http://www.visordown.com/how-to-do-just-about-anyt...

750turbo

6,164 posts

223 months

Wednesday 29th February 2012
quotequote all
Local to me, I have seen and spoken to Kevin at a few bike shows. A real nice guy.

What he did, in a limited space, on a Rocket 3 just beggars belief!

I have a few vids, let me see if I can get them on YouTube.

wst

3,494 posts

160 months

Wednesday 29th February 2012
quotequote all
I imagine he had a part in the making of this video - near the end of course.

TORQ

188 posts

228 months

Wednesday 29th February 2012
quotequote all
This is proper talent, fair play.

Jon good to see you in print again, more please.

Gorbyrev

1,160 posts

153 months

Wednesday 29th February 2012
quotequote all
Anyone have a pic of him doing stunts on a Rocket III? That't the one with the thumping great 2.3l engine right? :0

PILCH 23

170 posts

199 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
RemaL said:
great write up PH
plus 1


I enjoy his show and I try to copy him on my Street Triple R! Practice makes perfect but my job gets in the way.

750turbo

6,164 posts

223 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
quotequote all
Gorbyrev said:
Anyone have a pic of him doing stunts on a Rocket III? That't the one with the thumping great 2.3l engine right? :0
Just found an old vid of Kevin with the Rocket III on its back wheel...uploading to you tube right now...might take a while though!

750turbo

6,164 posts

223 months

Friday 2nd March 2012
quotequote all
Gorbyrev said:
Anyone have a pic of him doing stunts on a Rocket III? That't the one with the thumping great 2.3l engine right? :0
Have a look here, 07:10 in..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DzlMyWxKuM