Our sport is and always has been littered with racing vehicles that require some serious cajones to climb into or on and pilot down the 1/4 mile, and topping that list of rides that most of us are perfectly content just watching are Top Fuel Motorcycles. Producing well over 1,000 horsepower and capable of elapsed times in the five-second zone at upwards of 250 MPH, these two-wheeled rockets truly demand one brave soul to saddle up.

(Credit to Chris Hand for the video footage)

In terms of sheer danger, comparisons can be drawn to the Top Fuel Hydroplanes in the drag racing world, but a boat containing a roll cage, a safety capsule, and harnesses simply cannot compare to a motorcycle rider climbing around on the seat like it’s the arm of a couch at 200-plus MPH with nothing but a large slick and two rollerblade wheels touching the pavement and nothing between said pavement and the rider but a couple layers of leather. Simply put, these guys are off their rockers.

Last weekend, veteran Top Fuel Motorcycle rider Chris Hand strapped a camera to the rear faring of his Redneck Express bike at the Manufacturers Cup Finals at the South Georgia Motorsports Park, allowing those of us who’d rather just watch a chance to see what it’s like aboard these incredible rollercoaster rides. Although we can’t confirm the numbers, one forum response indicated this as a 6.118 second lap at more than 200 MPH at the stripe.

If this looks like a rather dangerous ride, that’s because it is. But the veteran that he is, Hand rides it with authority as he uses his weight to shift the bike one way or the other while the front wheel dangles in the air. Hand has pretty well been through it all, including a incident where he came off the bike at 218 MPH in Gainesville and tumbled through the shutdown area, so this run was likely rather uneventful and ordinary from his perspective. Our perspective on the other hand…