Going 300kph on an untested, experimental motorcycle could be considered a perfect way to kill yourself. But for Carter, attempting to be the fastest man on a bio-fuelled motorbike and break the land speed record is just something he has to do. And it’s a bumpy ride.
During his mission, Paul’s father died, which only inspired him more: “The death of my father only solidified my determination not to sit back and get lazy. Life is all about living it, not just knocking your pan out, paying your taxes, entropy and eventual death. You only get one shot, so make it count,” says the UK-born Aussie-raised army brat-turned-oil rigger-turned-bestselling author.
Plagued by cancellations, disastrous thunderstorms, lost keys and broken limbs following a few alcohol-fuelled benders, here he shares some of his close calls while trying to break the world record…
When he decided, “I know, I want to break the land speed record for a biodiesel-powered bike”…
My last book was all about riding a biodiesel motorcycle around Australia , and I was given the Aussie Record for being the first rider to circumnavigate the continent on used cooking oil. So I wanted the record for being the fastest as well.Bio diesel as derived from used cooking oil, or any other waste oil, may not be sustainable at the pump, but it is viable for public transport, freight logistics, power generation and so much more. In order to get anywhere near the kind of power we needed, the first thing we did was look for a diesel engine that could work in a bike. We settled on 1.9 turbopower plant that came out of a car. By the time we had reached the speed testing stage the bike was four metres long, a metre wide and weighed half a ton. The next problem was finding a place long and flat enough to get it up to speed. We decided on a dry salt lake…
When he had to ride a four-metre long, one-metre wide bike across a dry salt lake…
I thought with all that size and weight, running fast on a dry salt lake would be as easy as slipping into a warm bath full of cheerleaders, but I was very wrong. It was really difficult. There was a 20mph crosswind that literally shunted the bike all the way across the 10-metre-wide track no matter how hard and far I leaned over trying to correct my line. The salt was like a bizarre combination of hard sand and compressed snow; it cracks like crazy paving and after you pass the ‘Dirty Two’ 200mph it’s like flying over a giant belt sander.
When Mother Nature conspired against him…
So much planning, logistics, time and money was wasted twice over. We were ready to race, we had done all the testing, ironed out all the quirks in months of shakedown runs and the whole event had to be cancelled because Mother Nature decided to turn the dry salt lake back into a wet lake the day before kick off. I was like a coiled spring; I had to learn the art of patience.
When he was attacked by eagles…While I was testing out the bike, two eagles decided that would be a great time to fly at head height across the track and they nearly knocked me off – it was close.
When he broke his back – in the queue for the record attempt….
My bike fell on me while I was standing next to it, waiting to attempt the world record. That’s half a ton. It broke my back and it took me ages to recover. I’m all good now. Got my core strength back, no invasive surgery, just lots of pilates. Imagine me and several heavily pregnant ladies contacting various parts of our bodies for half an hour.
When he discovered the wonders of riding through Tasmania…
You can depart from the east coast of Tasmania and ride all the way to the west coast in a day. You will in one day experience balmy sun and blizzards, and then almost rainforest levels of humidity. There are spectacular vistas and stellar riding conditions: especially the switchback hairpins, of which there are hundreds, snaking up one side and down the other of yet another jaw-dropping mountain in to rolling open fields with slow, sweeping turns that skirt the ocean. Every place offers wonderful food and warm hospitality.
When he starred in the adventure series ‘Life on the Edge’…
Probably the craziest situation I found myself in was when I was in a ‘tinny’, or very small aluminium boat, with a camera man, sound recordist and director, two miles off a very remote part of the Australian coast with a dead outboard, no floatation devices of any kind and a monster wave about to swamp us. Oh yes, and all this is playing out in the middle of a place called ‘Shark Bay’.
What he’s learnt…
Don’t take anything for granted, nothing lasts forever. Family is more important than anything so cherish it, and try to avoid the clap.
Paul’s book following his world record attempt, Ride Like Hell And You’ll Get There, is available now on amazon.com. pcarter.com.au
For the first installment of ‘Living on the Edge’, featuring round-the-world biker Sam Manicom, click here.
