Hrushikesh Mandke proud to set national record for fastest quarter-mile on wheelie
Hrushikesh Mandke, a motorcyclist hailing from Pune, has set the Indian national record for being the fastest rider to cover a distance of a quarter-mile while performing a wheelie.
He recorded 23.68 seconds on the clock atop his Bajaj Pulsar NS200 motorcycle at the Baramati Airport in Pune on January 21st, 2021. He also recorded a speed of 77.83 kph at the finish line.
Speaking to Sportskeeda after his achievement, Hrushikesh Mandke said:
"Right now, I'm feeling like I have done something in my life. I was always looking for something where I could establish myself in the stunt riding industry."
"I used to think stunt riding is just made for fun, not as a career. Today I feel so proud and I want to do something better than this, " Mandke further added.
The 36-year-old also recalled that it was a big challenge considering he had never ridden his bike in the airport area.
Managing the space for practice and looking for the perfect sweet spot to be able to perform the wheelie were other hindrances in his way.
Getting a total of three chances to be able to set a record, Hrushikesh Mandke produced his best numbers in the first attempt itself.
He believed he could have done better in the remaining two attempts but it was a very windy day for him to produce anything better.
Hrushikesh Mandke has been riding for the past 12 years. He claims himself to be the only Indian to be making a livelihood doing stunts on motorcycles.
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What next for Hrushikesh Mandke?
Hrushikesh Mandke believes that there is a lot of expectation from him now considering that he has been riding for such a long time.
The Punekar is looking at going international and aims to break the Guinness record for a 1 km wheelie with no hands.
"There are many records there in abroad, I would like to achieve that. This is just the start for me and I have to think about the big things like the Guinness Book of World Records, so that is in mind," Hrushikesh Mandke said.
"Next will be to try doing the 1 km wheelie with no hand. The current Guinness Record stands at 80 meters wheelie with no hand. I would like to break that and set my own record going forward," he added.
The 36-year-old Mandke has also started training people on how to perform the wheelie in a safe environment. It is in the form of a one-hour special training that he and his team impart on weekends to interested people.
Mandke also runs a Youtube channel and posts 'how to' videos on wheelies and other stunts.
Hrushikesh Mandke believes that there are a lot of people who perform stunts just by watching videos. But he wants to make videos that will help people understand the technical aspects of how to execute the perfect wheelie as well.