Jamshedpur, Dec. 3: What do you get when you put 25 men on three motorcycles and have them ride a distance of one kilometre. Broken bones? Not really. All that was broken at Sonari aerodrome today was a world record.

After weeks of hard practice and a sluggish start to the feat, jawans of the Corps of Signals created a new world record by making a human pyramid with 25 men on three 350 cc Royal Enfield motorcycles on the aerodrome runway. The human pyramid of jawans covered a distance of one kilometre in one minute and 27 seconds. The previous world record was held by the Army Supply Corps, Bangalore, who covered one kilometre in one minute and 27 seconds with 15 members on three motorcycles.

Today’s world record was certified by deputy commissioner Nidhi Khare, lieutenant general, army headquarters, Delhi, A Natarajan, Lieutenant general R. Abraham, commanding officer of 195 Field Regiment (Banwat) Colonel Jagpal Sulgay and Satish Pillai, chief, Tata Steel sports department. Officials of the sports department were present with stop watches to record the timing. The army officials of the 195 Field Regiment also recorded the feat on a video with a timer.

The video will be sent to the Guinness Book of World Records. “I was present as witness to the world record and was one of the signatories on a document which validates the feat,” Pillai said.

“It feels like seventh heaven,” Captain B.S. Chandrawat, who was part of the pyramid, told The Telegraph. He said they would have taken less time in covering the distance had the start not been slow. “We had managed to cover the distance in one minute and 13 seconds during practice. Besides, the runway too was not very even and the climb was a little steep,” he said. “A lot depends on how well you start,” Chandrawat added.

The motorcyles recorded a speed of 60 kmph to 70 kmph and the total weight of the pyramid, excluding the motorcycles, was 1,784 kg, added company havildar Ranjit Singh, who at 46, is the oldest member of the team. He, along with 31-year old Chandrawat and 22-year old lance naik Prabhakaran N. rode the motorcycle and took the maximum load. So what next? “We will attempt to create a new world record by jumping 90 ft on a motorcycle. We recently covered a distance of 45 ft during a show at Gopal Maidan. The venue for the new feat is yet to be decided,” Chandrawat said.

The Corps of Signals motorcycle riding display team, popularly known as The Dare Devils consists of volunteer dispatch riders who are not only proficient in their trade but also possess self-determination, mental alertness, physical stamina and precision in handling motorbikes. The team is known for its breathtaking stunts.

The Dare Devils have a history of creating world records. On July 5, 2001, they created one by making the largest human pyramid on motorcycles. The pyramid consisted of 201 men on only 10 motorcycles and covered a distance of 200 meters. This record has been recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records and the Limca Book of Records.