He Sturgis rallywhich is celebrated every summer in Dakota del Sur since 1938, it is much more than a concentration, it is a freedom festival on two wheels, with competitions, concerts, routes and exhibitions that attract more than half a million visitors every year.
Within that environment, the Thunder It has become the epicenter of extreme acrobatics. A space where the tradition of spectacular jumps is still alive thanks to legends such as Evel Knievelwho popularized the big distances on the back of a Harley-Davidson XR-750 in the 70s.
Evel Knievel He turned the risk and show into an art, but was not the only one to leave a mark. In 2010, Seth esslow established the world jump record with a Harley-Davidson By flying 56 meters, a record that seemed difficult to beat for the weight and characteristics of these motorcycles.
However, on August 2 of this year, that is, last week, Colby Raha was presented with a Harley-Davidson Sportster Especially modified, capable of supporting the impact of an extreme jump despite its 240 kilos.
At an approximate speed of 128 km/h, Colby Raha He took off and traveled 62 meters in the air, equivalent to more than half of an American football field. The landing, perfectly controlled, started a roar of applause from an audience that knew he had just witnessed pure history.
As we just told you, although the base was a Harley-Davidson SportsterColby Raha’s team had to modify numerous aspects to achieve the feat:
- Reinforced and long -distance suspension to absorb the impact of the fall.
- Structural reinforcement of the chassis to support the jump tension.
- High grip and reinforced housing tires for stability in approximation and reception.
- Management geometry settings to improve high speed maneuverability.
Even so, the essence of Harley It remained: the characteristic v-twin engine and the challenging weight, makes these jumps have a very different merit from light motorcycle motorcycles.
Colby Raha, from Freestyle to the World record in Sturgis
Colby Raha He is not a stranger in the world of acrobatics. He jumped to fame in the X Games, where in his debut he took gold in the Quarterpipe High Air discipline, reaching heights of vertigo. Since then Colby Raha has accumulated 12 medals, has made international tours and has built a community of social networks that exceeds million fans, attracted by their aggressive style and its ability to make the impossible look easy.
His philosophy is clear: to break limits and keep alive the spirit of the pioneers. «This jump in Sturgis was a tribute to Evel Knievel, an authentic legend. I concentrated as never before and knew that all the work of my team would be worth it«, He declared after the feat.
Overcome Esslow It is not just a matter of figures. In the world Harleylong -distance jumps represent a cross between engineering, boldness and show, a reminder that Milwaukee’s motorcycles are not only to shoot on an open road, but also to challenge physics at its maximum expression.
This new world record places Colby Raha in the list of great figures that have marked the history of acrobatic motorcycling, and confirms that Sturgis It is still the scenario where the legends are written by throttle.
