Seven Honda crew members work harmoniously for a common cause: make the restart, no matter what. image by jimola

A yearning, gloved hand reached out from underneath Miguel DuHamel's crashed CBR1000RR. "Who's got a 10mm allen? I need a ten!" Instantly and comically, the call was answered with four rapidfire CLANGs! as fellow crew slapped wrenches into the outstretched palm. Clasping at one tool, the hand disappeared back into the cavity between the swingarm, sub-frame assembly and shock. The race had been red flagged, oil on the track causing several big crashes. Luckily, DuHamel crashed just moments before the session was stopped, so if the bike could be repaired in time, he could restart the race with the rest of the field. Just how much time was left before riders would be called to the grid was unknown; the crew worked furiously as the moments ticked down.

During the bike's brief trip off the tarmac, grass and earth had embedded into every cavity and screw-hole. A mechanic removed the rear axle and tapped it on pitlane, dirt spilling out underneath into a small pile. A crushed carbon fiber muffler was removed as a shiny replacement was bolted into place. Was the radiator sound? Only one way to check, screw the cap back on and start the bike. "DON"T START THE BIKE! My hand's in the chain..." Rashed up bodywork was pulled off and thrown on the ground, like molted skin.

"What about the ECU? Plug in that laptop and let's see what we've got."

Seven men swarmed over the CBR1000RR, working against an unknown deadline, peeling away destruction, making it whole again. Efforts appearing choreographed, no hand or foot was stepped on, no tools dropped or fuel spilled. Each crewmember in exactly the right place, no mumbled apologies for bumping into each other.

Heavy-lidded French philosopher Andre Breton defined surrealism as "pure psychic automatism". In Surrealism, creative endeavors are guided by the subconscious mind, and the output becomes automatic - meaning there is not conscious guidance of what the hand is doing, yet works of great and unusual substance can emerge.

The American Honda crew worked as though in a state of psychic automatism, hands guided by the unconscious mind. Their speedy repair ultimately enabled Duhamel to restart the race.

If it took place in Paris, in the early 1920's, their performance would have been considered a Surrealist masterpiece. Of course, crewchief Al Ludington was standing over these guys while they worked, and if anybody effed up, he likely would have introduced them to the philosophy of Nouveau Realism.......

To hear a sound file of the Honda crew working on the bike, click here.