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How do you operate a motorcycle with your feet? Very carefully. But for at least one rider, this stunt ended in tragedy.

Michael was a 27-year-old rider in Washington. Witnesses quoted in The News Tribune reported he was speeding down Meridian avenue in Tacoma, Washington. And he didn’t have his hands on the handlebars. So what was keeping him between the lines?

His feet.

Presumably Michael had an aftermarket throttle lock on and at high speeds the bike was pretty stable. I’m also assuming he had a standard or chopper style seat position, so he could recline and put his feet up on foot pegs. From there, it’s not much of a stretch to put one foot against each side of the handlebars.

Obviously, the downside of operating a motorcycle with your feet is that you can’t react quickly when things go sideways. And on Michael’s ride, things went sideways.

As the rider neared the Kapowsin Highway, the bike veered to the right. With no way to get back on coarse, Michael crashed head-on into a guard rail. Or should I say, foot-on. He was tossed from the bike and killed instantly.

Don’t be a Michael. Keep your feet on your bike’s brakes, both hands on the handlebars, and your eyes on the road. Stunts are tempting, but all Michael got for his trouble with a 2004 “Darwin Award” for removing himself from the gene pool in spectacular fashion.

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Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.