​How do motorcyclists ride a wall of death? The Wall of Death | Curiosity Tea

​How do motorcyclists ride a wall of death?

The Wall of Death, also known as the motordrome is a large vertical barrel-shaped cylinder, usually made out of wood. Motorcyclists perform stunts while riding on the vertical wall. The Wall of Death is a popular travelling carnival act dating from the early-20th century, but there are just a few left today. The motorcyclist starts at the bottom with the crowd looking down into the drum. After ascending a ramp to gain speed, they then begin circling the vertical wall, held in place by centripetal force. There are three forces working on the motorcyclist: gravity, the wall and friction. The motorcyclist must maintain a constant speed to keep the vehicle’s direction of motion constantly changing. They must also lean up at an angle (with respect to the wall) while riding to keep the bike’s torque at zero. This impressive feat occasionally results in accidents if the rider gets too close to the top of the wall or fails to maintain the speed or angle necessary to stay up. British motorcycle racer and engineer Guy Martin smashed the Guinness World Records title for the Highest speed on a Wall of Death, travelling at a perilous 125.77 km/h!