Extreme action zone ahead

IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri: The New Age Woman

Chris ‘CP’ Pfeiffer is a gladiator on wheels. The World Champion (2003, 2007, 2008, 2009) Stunt Rider plays out on asphalt every leather-loving guy’s wildest bike fantasy. Recently back home in Germany, after an India tour, the ace biker reminisces about the experience, among other things to Indira Parthasarathy...
INDIRA PARTHASARATHY

You had the Indian audience eating out of your hands – and not just when you did the no-hands wheelies... How do you sum up the experience?
The crowd response was amazing! I’ll never forget these shows!

Was that the BMW F800 R Chris Pfeiffer Special Edition bike you were performing on? Which is/are your favourite machine(s) to stunt-ride on?
Yes, it was. And it is also my favourite.

MotoGP legend Wayne Gardner had mentioned something like what you maintain: the “united with the bike” experience. Can you elaborate on the ‘one with the bike’ feeling?
If a bike really fits your riding style, you’ll do best to be united with the bike while riding it on the edge. Difficult to explain… all controls have to be in perfect position and work exactly like you want it. Then you are not just sitting/standing on a bike – you sit/stand on it and feel good because the bike is perfectly controllable.

On a normal traffic jaunt with the bike, how do you resist the temptation to break into stunts?
It is no problem. Riding is riding and stunting is stunting. All in its proper time…

What specialised modifications are required for freestyle biking?
A handbrake for the rear wheel, maybe some mods on the engine to make sure that it gets oil in long wheelies. The rest are details that every rider individually builds.

Which was your toughest Championship win?
The last (Indoor Streetbike Freestyle) World Championship in 2009. I had diarrhoea and felt weak. But somehow I made it.

You are real survivor material, as was evinced by the way you made your comeback after the horrible accident in the 90s during the Guinness Record shoot. How did you fight off the jitters to get back on asphalt after an incident like that?
I was very motivated to get back on the bike, also a bit scared that I’ll lose my trust in brakes because the cause for this accident was a brake problem. But I had no mental problem. I check the brakes very often now.

Bunny hops (long jumps) involve other people. How do you bring yourself around the idea of risking other lives, and how do you prepare for it?
Well, the jump does sound crazy but it (the record long jump without a ramp over 33 people lying next to each other) was safe after all the preparations for more than six months. But still I’d not do it again.

Which stunts are Chris Pfeiffer inventions?
Touch ground wheelie circles, Side stand off, The CP Jump, 360 Ground (360° turning during the ride). Extreme action zone ahead Very briefly, your thoughts on

The underground (illegal) status of drag/street racing: Racing and Freestyle (stunting) has to be done on special areas (tracks)

Cars : Four-wheels move the body, two-wheels move the soul, ha ha!

Motocross (MX), enduro or trials: I love stunting most, second Hard Enduro, third Trial, fourth MX.

Don’t mind riding pillion with : Definitely prefer to ride myself on bikes.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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