November 25, 2006 We’ve mentioned before the spectacular reverse wheelie known as the stoppie – and indeed, we have previously mentioned the particular propensity well balanced motorcycles with wickedly powerful yet controllable and predictable brakes such as the Aprilia RS250 and Buell are at performing said stoppies. Not content with having set two official Guinness World Records for solo stoppies, Buell Motorcycles professional extreme rider Craig Jones has been busy rewriting the record books and rules of extreme riding once again. But this time the world-best was a breathtaking two man effort with the former European champion and co-rider Wing Chui travelling an astonishing 305 metres together on their Buell Firebolt XB12R’s front wheel. The new milestone was set on a damp and challenging day at the UK’s famous Donington Park race circuit. Jones took the Buell Firebolt to speeds in excess of 120mph before applying the front brake and balancing the bike on its front wheel. Wing Chui, a strong contender for the most courageous man in motorcycling, was mounted on an extension to the front wheel spindle. As he hung onto the fairing bracket Wing was able to watch Craig steer the Buell Firebolt and had a compelling reason to hang on tightly as he travelled at 100mph with the Donington track just a few inches beneath him.
The Buell Firebolt exited Coppice Corner and travelled along Donington’s famed Dunlop Straight before Jones bypassed the ‘Fogarty Esses’ and lifted the rear wheel. With only a few metres of wet tarmac to spare, the back tyre touched down at a distance of 305 metres. Commenting on his latest world best, Craig said:
“Wing and I have worked and performed together for several years and you need to have total faith in each other, especially when you have two guys sharing the same motorcycle and performing manoeuvres that test your body and the bike to the limit. This record attempt was our way of pushing the Buell Firebolt and our own capabilities further than ever before and we think we managed to conclusively prove that Buell motorcycles are capable of some pretty extraordinary things.”
Matthew Knott, Buell’s European Brand Manager, said: “Craig continues to set new standards in extreme riding and this latest record left many of Buell’s own engineers totally speechless. What makes it all the more impressive is that his Buell Firebolt is entirely unmodified apart from a set of motocross style handlebars which replaced the standard option and the extension to the front wheel spindle for Wing.”
In 2003, Craig Jones set the world’s longest solo stoppie record of 225 metres on his Buell and the very next year he beat his own record by reaching a staggering 266 metres on the Buell Firebolt.
This latest world record has capped an outstanding career for Craig Jones whose extreme riding for Buell and Harley-Davidson continues to astound audiences across the world. For all the latest Craig Jones news, appearances, pictures and videos,
