Yet another reason to love the internet: Only bootleg copies of his illegal ride have ever been available before now.
Think it’s hard to track down reliable information on a legend of speed like Ghost Rider? Try doing so on Le Prince Noir a.k.a. The Black Prince a.k.a. Pascal…
It’s rumored there was a motorcyclist in the late 1970’s that called himself “Le Prince Noir” and roared around Paris with a camera strapped to his motorcycle. Perhaps this started with him, but I have seen no video of this or received any confirmation at all on this rumor. Also, 1970’s technology being what it was, it is hard for me to envision a video camera being strapped to a motorcycle. But, who knows…
Cut to modern day and we have the video seen above. Well, actually that video was shot in 1989, but at least we have the video so we know it was done and that Pascal is/was a real person.
I say “was” because there are persistent rumors that Pascal died trying to top his original record of 11 minutes and 4 seconds for the 35 kilometers (35 kilometers is 21.74 miles). However, there exist no official reports of a motorcyclist crashing and dying while filming a record run around Le Peripherique. In addition, there are rumors that the death rumors were started to keep the gendarmes and the press off of Le Prince Noir’s back (the gendarmes after learning of his ride, almost dared him to do it again). Last, but certainly not least, Ghost Rider himself stated in an interview that Le Prince Noir/The Black Prince/Pascal was still alive.
Interviewer MOTO73: “On your last DVD, aside from the ride between Rotterdam and Amsterdam, we marked your drive through Paris on. Someone else already has done this a couple years ago.”
Ghost Rider: “I rode the same distance of 35 kilometers in nine minutes and 57 seconds. However, I only rode at night instead of during the daytime. Pascal rode during the daylight in busy traffic. Many people say that Pascal is dead, but I can tell you it isn’t so. His problems with justice are past, so we will surely hear from him soon.”
In Ghost Rider Goes Crazy in Europe, Ghost Rider does a timed run in Paris, France on the Paris Peripherique (a French term for ring road/beltway) and completes the circuit with an elapsed time of 9 minutes 57 seconds for an average speed of 211 kph (131 mph). This was done as a tribute to Le Prince Noir (Black Prince) who completed the circuit on his motorcycle in 11 minutes 04 seconds for an average speed of 190+ kph (118+ mph).
The times are not comparable however due to Black Prince’s being obtained in heavy traffic with daylight (the average daylight speed on Peripherique during workweeks is about 43 km/h or 26 mph) and Ghost Rider’s being obtained with very little traffic at night and with the latter rider utilizing a more powerful and capable machine than Le Prince Noir (The Black Prince was riding a Kawasaki ZXR750).
Oh, by the way, the speed limit on Peripherique is 80 km/h (50 mph).
The Velvet Rocket 
Great info. Thanks!
Anybody knows how to obtain a copy of Ghost Rider’s Peripherique DVD(s)?
It wasn’t a Kawasaki ZXR750, it was a Suzuki GSX-R1100. Let’s give credit where it’s due :-)
You can download his 5 DVD’s from the newsgroups using GigaNews or BinVerse.
Get a free trial then use the client to search the newsgroups. If you’re on the mac, get a copy of Unison and MacPar Deluxe, then use one of the online NZB search engines to download a NZB package. Open the NZB package and Unison will download it. Open the PAR file and MacPar Deluxe will repair any damage and extract everything for you.
The 1st of the 5 has the following filename:
GHOSTRIDER_1___THE_FINAL_RIDE – GHOSTRIDER_1___THE_FINAL_RIDE.NZB
So search for “GHOSTRIDER_” to bring back all 5.
Good luck and thank you to whoever posted them onto the Newsgroups!
M, the Black Prince rode a Kawasaki ZXR 750. I am the brainless freak riding the Suzuki :)
(The Black Prince was riding a Kawasaki ZXR750).
C’mon fellas the black prince was riding a slingshot GSXR 1100 88 or 89 model.. I can’t tell but its deffinately one of the two..
look at the footage or youtube ‘le prince noir’ there is plenty of footage and if you know just a tiny bit about bikes it will be easy to tell that whatever he’s riding it ain’t no fu….. Kwaka
hmmm just read that someone already corrected that.. sorry guys… I just hate when people say he was on a zx7.. tsk tsk so unrealistic
Hey Andreas –
I appreciate your comments because I try to get my facts straight. Are you certain of your identification of the GSXR? The reason I ask is because Ghostrider himself contacted me and confirmed The Black Prince’s use of a Kawasaki.
It’d be nice if Pascal would just contact us in order to clear this matter up once and for all, eh?
No way…This bike is a 1st or 2nd gen. of 1127cmm suzuki gsxr 1100. I had one so I know what.s all about. The same cokpit and even the engine sound commin from 2cans sounds identical and one final proof.. this bike has a 5gear tranny like gsxr 110 and ZXR750 has a 6 GEAR TRANNY!!!
When I first made this video, I thought of all my friends & followers. Fan club if you will. I knew that if they saw this they would know that I am not only alive and well, but still, in the right of mind to keep the dream alive. Races are not to be won by going onto the go round with other riders, but against yourself and time to push yourself beyond your limits in modern society. I thank you all for your years of talk and making sure there is a lasting memory of me.
The bike the Black prince is a 1989 GSXR1100K. The clocks you can see all the way through the video are only on GSXR 750 and 1100 K,L,M (and N in 1100) slingshot models. The clip-ons are on the top of the yoke which means it an 1100, (750’s had clip-ons below the yoke) The fork tops show that the forks are right way up forks, only found on K model slingshots (all the others had upside-down forks. Its not a ZXR750. Between 89 and 93 they had two ram-air hoses from the headlight fairing running into the top of the tank. ZXR750 clocks have a water temp dial. I’ve an 89 ZXR750 H1 and now own a few GSXR11’s including a K model so I should know!!!!
wow – no room for mistakes in that video. I can’t tell what motorcycle it is, but great run.
Does anybody know that this same stunt was made years ago 1976 by a car in Paris. It was called “Rendezvouz in Paris” by Claude LeLouch
Same stunt??? Black Prince did that daily…
Black Prince rides GSXR 1100… no dash like that is on any Kawi..
He was that started this mayhem. Yeah, True. Suzu it is.
Or maybe Claude Lelouch. You seen his ride through Paris at night way years before Prince Noir?
Regarding the identity of the Black Prince, I would note that a number of things can be seen from this video. The Black Prince is actually shown in the video, and there are clearer versions of this video on Youtube as well. It’s clear that whoever he was, he had light-coloured eyes. His eyes are either grey, green or blue (most likely grey or green). Hair colour can and often does change over time. But eye colour? His eyes definitely aren’t brown, dark brown or black according to this video. He also has an aquiline nose with a bulbous end. The nose bone flares outwards in a thicker section where it joins with the eyebrow ridge, so there is no right-angle between nose and eyebrow ridge.
Less physical but equally obvious traits: his eyes betray a softness of heart. When he responds to the question about his girlfriend, he is proud and dignified. Character profile: extreme risk-taker, proud, dignified, soft-hearted, probable melancholic and romantic. If my assessment is correct, the negative coverage of the La Cinq programme probably made him want to conceal himself even more.
So, who is or was the real Black Prince? The 80s legend, the last French cavalier, the hero, the outlaw, … A question nearly 30 years overdue. The social and cultural history of 1980s Paris will never be properly understood until this is revealed. It would be appreciated if someone who was there would reveal the story in full. Even if it’s bad news, it would help to complete the puzzle of the very interesting and admirable Zeitgeist of 1980s Paris. Thank you.
It was a requirement for entry into the top MC in Paris, so I was told. A run around the Peripherique in less than X minutes.
(saw original video in 1989)