Highchair wheelie: Spectacular seating position at high speed
In a so-called “highchair” wheelie, the rider sits on the motorcycle’s fuel tank with their legs over the handlebars. The front wheel is lifted from this position. This extraordinary technique is mainly known from the stunt scene and is considered particularly challenging, especially at high speeds.
Jonny Davies, also known as JD Stunts, set a highchair wheelie record of 175.4 km/h (109 mph) back in 2020. After this record was later broken, he returned to Elvington Airfield in 2024 to reclaim his title.
Record attempt under difficult conditions
The new record attempts took place during Straightliners Speed Week in September. An attempt was originally planned for Saturday, but had to be canceled due to rain. On Sunday, after a few practice runs, Davies managed to beat the existing record on his third attempt with a speed of 204.5 km/h (127 mph).
He had to contend with strong crosswinds and technical problems. According to his own statements, he had already reached around 193 km/h (120 mph) in the practice runs with normal wheelies and even exceeded 273.6 km/h (170 mph) at top speed. Nevertheless, the highchair wheelie initially remained below the record before he broke the mark in the decisive run.
Modified Kawasaki ZX-10R as record-breaking machine
A Kawasaki ZX-10R was extensively modified for the record attempt. The fairing and instrument panel were removed, and Davies installed straight handlebars and a gearshift system attached to the handlebars instead. The tank was given a special recess and an additional foam lip to keep the rider in position during the stunt. A “scooter brake” system was also used to optimize control.
During one run, an accidentally activated traction control system prevented the motorcycle from standing up as desired. It was only after the event that Davies realized that the cause was the deactivated instrument panel, which meant he had no feedback on the settings.
Looking to the future: Further record attempts planned
Despite the successful run, Davies does not consider the mission complete. He announced that he will compete again next year to break the 209 km/h (130 mph) mark. He also plans to break the existing world record for the fastest backward motorcycle ride. This currently stands at 244.3 km/h (151.7 mph) and was set in 2002. For the next attempt, Davies wants to further optimize the seating position by changing the padding on the tank.
