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November 2002 - World Record for Craig Jones & Buell MotorcyclesMotorcycling has a new world record holder. Craig Jones accelerated his Buell Lightning XB9S to a launch speed of 119mph, applied the front brake to tip the bike onto its front wheel, and then sped down a tarmac strip for a distance of 225 metres whilst braking and keeping the back wheel completely off the ground.
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The 34-year old Englishman, Europe's reigning Stuntriding Champion, demolished the previous motorcycle 'stoppie' record by 62 metres and now holds one of the world's most hair-raising records. In terms of distance, Craig's feat is the equivalent of flying down the length of two full-size international football pitches balanced on just the front wheel of a fast-moving motorcycle. The record has been officially recognised by the Guinness Book of Records. "I do stoppies everyday, but not quite like this," Craig points out. "But a tidal wave of adrenaline hits you the moment you're on that front wheel and it's an unbeatable sensation. I needed to take the Buell Lightning up to nearly 120 mph, squeeze the front brake to place the bike onto the front wheel, and then concentrate extremely hard on my steering, balance and the need to maintain every bit of momentum. "It's an odd experience to be zipping down the track with the bike's back wheel spinning in thin air above your head, with the handlebars underneath you. But I've got complete confidence in my Buell and I knew we had a great chance of taking the record." Ian Bland, Buell's European brand manager, added: "Craig seems to defy most of the laws of gravity when he gets on a motorcycle. He's got a big reserve of personal courage, but what makes him special is a combination of professionalism and some exceptionally precise handling of the motorcycle. He's in total control of the manoeuvre, himself and our bikes." Craig didn't ride a specially-prepared stunt motorcycle. He simply took a standard Lightning XB9S, adjusted the tyre pressures, and then went out and broke the record. Craig, who performs around the world for Buell and Harley-Davidson, set the new world best under closely controlled conditions at a Florida evaluation centre, with independent witnesses and the Buell technical team in attendance. Craig's passion for motorcycling started in his teenage years when he used to slip out of the backdoor of his parents home to ride bikes with his friends. After graduating from university with an engineering degree he then began to develop his own unique extreme riding programme and was one of the first people to secure factory sponsorship. "Everyone at Buell is delighted with the record, but my parents still wish I’d get a proper job. It's an unusual choice of career but I love entertaining the crowds and it's great to make a living from riding motorcycles." The 'stoppie' manoeuvre is a Craig Jones speciality. The European Champion even takes a passenger on his Buell when competing against his fellow professionals. "My stunt partner Wing Chui, positions himself on the front of the bike and holds on very tightly. The highlight of the 'two-up stoppie' is when the bike pitches right forward and Wing's titanium helmet scrapes along the asphalt and makes the sparks fly." The stoppie world record: the maximum distance that a motorcycle can cover on the front wheel while under braking For further information about Buell please visit www.buell.com |
