British stuntman Jonny Davies has rewritten the record books — this time for one of the boldest motorcycle tricks out there. At the Straightliners Speed Week event held at Elvington Airfield, Davies rode a “high‑chair” wheelie at 204.5kmph (127 mph) on a heavily modified Kawasaki ZX‑10R, setting a new Guinness World Record.
In a high‑chair wheelie, the rider perches on the fuel tank — legs draped over the handlebars — while lifting the front wheel off the ground. It’s a move known mostly in stunt circles, especially for how difficult it becomes at high speeds. Previously, the record stood at 202.6kmph (125.9 mph).
Back in 2020, Davies had held a different high‑chair benchmark (175.4kmph), but after losing it, he returned to Elvington in 2024, intent on reclaiming and then surpassing it. Under high pressure, battling wind and technical snags, he pulled off the new record on his third official attempt after a day of practice.
The conditions were far from ideal. Crosswinds and mechanical quirks threatened his runs. In one early attempt, the bike’s traction control unexpectedly kicked in and prevented the stunt, a quirk caused by Davies having disabled the instrument panel (and thus losing feedback on control systems). His prior practice speeds included reaching about 193kmph on conventional wheelies and even topping 273.6kmph in top‑speed runs — but none were in the high‑chair posture until the record attempt.
To pull off something this extreme, the ZX‑10R was radically altered. Its fairing and dash were removed; the handlebars were straight; the tank was reshaped with a recess and foam lip to help Lock the rider in position; and a “scooter brake” system was added for better control.
Even after breaking the record, Davies says he isn’t done. His next goal: push past 209kmph (130 mph) in a high‑chair wheelie. And beyond that, he’s eyeing the existing backward motorcycle speed record of 244.3kmph (151.7 mph), set in 2002, with plans to further tweak his riding position and padding.
In short — Davies has taken one of the riskiest two‑wheel stunts and shown how far it can be pushed. The limits shift when someone dares.
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