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Top Gear Live breaks ‘Deadly 720’ World Record
Top Gear trio witness first ever double loop-the-loop on two wheels
The Top Gear presenters are certainly no strangers when it comes to breaking things. This time, however, the boys have witnessed the breaking of a World Record – the first ever double loop-the-loop on a motorbike.
The feat was achieved as part of this year’s Top Gear Live 2012 show, held last weekend at the Birmingham NEC. It saw an audacious attempt by Top Gear Live stunt man Gary Hoptrough, who was successful in riding through 720 degrees.
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The Top Gear Live Stunt Team now hold World Records for completing back-to-back loops on two and four wheels. The double ring was completed in a car during Top Gear Live 2011 in South Africa using a specially adapted off-road buggy.
For Hoptrough’s attempt, he rode a KTM 250 SX-F off-road bike with recalibrated suspension dampers to cope with extreme demands placed on the motorcycle.
It was important for the stunt rider to keep his speed consistent and within a very narrow window. Enter too slow and bike and rider could fall back to earth with a bump, enter too quick and the risk of the outfit losing control is increased.
Top Gear Live Creative Director Roland French: “I can’t believe we’ve actually cracked it here at the NEC in front of a live audience after so many issues in the build-up to the show.
“Having now done the Deadly 720 on four and two wheels I have no idea what we’ll dream up next – but you can trust us to come up with something even more astonishing.”
Over 56,000 spectators graced the NEC over the four days of action. Apart from the death-defying stunt there were also plenty of supercars and exotic machinery on display in the live action arena, as well as some humorous going-on from the Top Gear triple act.
Clarkson poked fun at a purple G-Wiz, while later he, Hammond and May also turned their hands to motorcycle croquet.
Summing up the event JC said, “We started Top Gear in its current incarnation 10 years ago as a pokey little motoring show and never dreamt of setting World Records.
“To be fair, all James, Richard and I did was to stand on stage and introduce a stunt man mad enough to want to turn him self upside twice on a bike. But it was pretty nerve wracking and spectacular!”
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