Thibaut Nogues: Riding MV Agusta’s as if they were BMX’s!

As a rider, it’s really important to have a good balance on your bike. French stunt rider Thibaut Nogues takes the word ‘balance’ to a whole other level. As a factory supported MV Agusta rider, he travels the world to show off his skills. We caught up with him at the Monster stunt show during the TT festival.

I started toying around on scooters when I was in college. I always tried to perform the longest wheelie possible. I participated in the French championship and won. From that moment on, everything became a lot more serious and now I am doing this for 10 years.

You evolved from a scooter to an MV Agusta, that’s quite an upgrade, how did the collaboration start?

Some time ago, I was doing a demo at an event and I was invited by MV Agusta to visit the factory. Right of the bat I had a meeting with the CEO Timur Sardarov. From there on, everything moved very quick. I've been riding them since may now.

I ride the Brutale for wheelies, for other stunts I use an F3 as my drift bike. An MV is a special bike to ride. It has its own character and the engine has a lot of torque. It’s perfectly suitable for stunts. Luckily both my bikes have the same engine so I can effortless switch between both bikes.

Are both of your bikes stock bikes?

No, absolutely not. We started with a stock bike at the factory and modified it to perfection and my personal demands. That includes engine tuning and a different suspension setup. We finished the Brutale just one day before the show in Assen, I’m actually still getting used to it.

No, I’m completely self-taught. I just try new things. I get inspired by video’s I find on YouTube and just try until I succeed. It’s not easy, but the ‘trial and error’ method is the best way to learn new skills.

How do you prepare for stunt riding?

Stunting on bikes is physically incredibly tough, I really need to be in excellent shape to be able to push the bike and myself. I try to train and ride as much as I can.

What’s up next for you? What’s your ambition in the long run?

I want to ride my stunt bike as long as possible. On top of that, I’ve been working on a different project. Together with a few friends I’ve got the idea to start a drift cup for bikers. It’s not a walk in the park though, drifting is a real specialization and there aren’t that many bike drifters out there. Nevertheless, we remain determined and slowly gain momentum.

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