The World's Fastest Hearse
Thirty eight years ago I was involved in the production of some stunt riding sequences for the Australian movie "Stone" - a cult Bikers film. The opening sequence of the film depicted a funeral ride up the Sydney to Newcastle Freeway. The deceased biker's coffin, mounted on a motorcycle sidecar, was being transported to the Cemetery escorted by 400 other riders.
It was my job to secure the sidecar for the scene and I managed to borrow a wickedly fast competition racing rig which was powered by a Kawasaki 900cc motor in a special road racing frame. On the morning of the shoot, the bike was delivered to the location and I asked the question, "OK who's going to ride it?" When I looked around everybody had stepped back and left me standing there!
Just to spite them I said, "No problem," and tried to work out how to start it, not daring to admit I had never ridden one of these things before. After all how hard could it be!
The Movie Logo
Before I got a chance to get nervous the director had shouted, "Action" and we were off. By the time I came to my senses, I realised I was sitting astride this racing beast doing 130 klms per hour up the Freeway, with a coffin on the side. When I looked behind me there were hundreds of rough-looking bikers, as far as the eye could see, all urging me to go faster and ready to run me over if I faltered.
Somehow I carried it off, pretending afterwards to be an expert!
The Gravediggers Logo Back Patch
Later in the movie I also filled in as a stunt double in some action riding sequences for one of the characters, "Midnight". Including when the lead character "Stone" crashes his bike in a street race with "Midnight", I was on the other bike.
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