The word “Motorcycle Chariot” can mean many things to those with wild imaginations. Perhaps you’re thinking of a motorcycle with a chariot attached via trailer, and operated more or less in the same fashion as a regular motorcycle. Maybe you’re thinking of some sort of three-wheeled machine whose front end somewhat resembles a motorcycle, but has a closed cabin to shuttle some VIPs. Well, what if I told you that it wasn’t any of these?
What we have here is a rather conventional looking chariot powered by two extremely unconventional horses. Taking the form of two Husqvarna Svartpilen 401s, this chariot has some real horsepower—close to 100, in fact. Sure, I know what you’re thinking: this is dangerous, isn’t it? Well, yeah, that’s why Australian professional stunt rider and freestyler Jack Field is the genius behind this contraption. He's also an extremely well-versed off-road rider. As it would turn out, motorcycle chariot racing is an actual thing. It finds its roots in the Land Down Under all the way back to the 1920s, and gradually made its way to the U.S. and Europe.
Motorcycle chariot racing proliferated for a very brief period in time in the late 1920s and early 1930s. It made appearances in fair and carnivals and was known to attract a good number of spectators thanks to its sheer outlandish lunacy. This time around, Field looks to participate in a series of chariot races aboard his Husky-powered contraption in the ongoing Sydney Royal Easter Show. In fact, he has already started racing, and managed to take a win. There are, however, still several more rounds to go, so the prestigious title of Motorcycle Chariot Champion is still very much up for grabs.
The way motorcycle chariot racing works is indeed very interesting. Not only are these contraptions excessively powerful, especially given how much power today’s new motorcycles churn out, they can also be extremely complicated to set up and control. Clearly, not all of the motorcycles functions are available, as the rear brake and gear shifter can’t be actuated. It looks as though the throttles are controlled via a mechanism on a long stick attached to each of the handlebars, which are then used to steer the machine around a large oval off-road circuit—and that’s about it.
It’s surely interesting to see this sport in action, and Jack Field has a number of posts up on his official Instagram page showing just how much fun this sport looks. Of course, it’s a more lighthearted sport with lots of laughs, running, and even some tackling involved. So if that’s your thing, and you happen to be in Sydney, Australia, you can see the action live for yourself at the ongoing Sydney Royal Easter Show that’s slated to run until April 19, 2022.
