Have you ever thought about what it takes to pull off a triple backflip on a motorcycle? Or how about 10 consecutive backflips – at over 50 mph?
If you’re anything like me, the idea of launching yourself through the air, flipping end over end on a two-wheeled deathtrap, is equal parts thrilling and absolutely terrifying.
But there’s a special breed of motorcycle riders out there who don’t just dream about these gravity-defying stunts – they’re making them a reality. These are just a few of the daredevils that have pushed the limits of what’s possible.
Front Wheelie For 1, 320 Feet
A traditional wheelie is hard enough, but trying do a wheelie on the front wheel only. This can also be called a stoppie or endo. The longest front wheelie ever recorded was by Jesse Toler at the Z-Max Dragway in North Carolina. His total distance on a wheelie was an impressive 1,320 feet.
There was also a duo that made a record for the longest stoppie by two people. Craig Jones takes the honor with a distance of 1,000 feet and 7.85 inches at the Donington Park Race Circuit in the UK.
Ten Motorcycle Backflips
The Guinness Book of World Records shows Travis Pastrana as the holder of the most backflips on a motorcycle world record. He obtained that award in November 2008. But, in July 2020, Luc Ackerman put that 12-year record to rest. He would complete ten backward somersaults in just 28.95 seconds.
Motorcycle Wheelie For 310 Miles
Masaru Abe from Japan is the wheelie champion. In May 2017, he logged a record for the longest motorcycle wheelie on his Yamaha Jog 125cc scooter.
Abe was at the Kawaguchi Auto Racing facility in Japan when he lifted that front wheel and rode an astonishing 310 miles. His crew refueled the bike by riding alongside and plugging into a setup on the handlebar, so stopping was never needed.
26 Motorcycle Donuts
The world record for the most donut spins on a motorcycle in one minute is 26. This record was achieved by Mark Van Driel in Ipswich, UK, on September 4, 2022. This event was not Van Driel’s first attempt at this record. He had previously tried to set the record back in 2013 but was unsuccessful due to weather conditions on that day
Globe of Death With 12 Motorcycles
The globe of death is a thrilling experience, but we rarely get to see 12 motorcycles at one time in one. The Henan Acrobatic Group Co., Ltd put on this amazing show in 2015. The 12 motorcyclists received a Guinness World Record for their performance.
Jump Over 52 Cars
We all remember Evil Knievel’s historic jump over a line of cars in the 1970s. Travis Pastrana had a mission to beat Knievel, who had cleared 50 vehicles in 1973. Pastrana completed that mission in 2018 when he jumped over 52 crushed cars on his Indian Scout FTR750.
The height recorded for the jump was 143 feet in the air, which blew away Knievel’s 120 feet. He would do two other jumps that day: one to jump over the fountain at Caeser’s Palace and the other to clear 16 buses. He successfully accomplished both.
The Trio – Motorcycle Flip, Tightrope and Plane
Some consider this the craziest motorcycle stunt ever. It was performed by Jimmy Fitzpatrick (Metal Mulisha), tight rope high liner Sketchy Andy Lewis, and aerobatic pilot Melissa Andrzejewski.
We are not even sure who came up with this crazy idea. But basically, the stunt featured a motorcycle doing a backflip over a stunt plane and tightrope. You need to see the full stunt on YouTube to really appreciate it.
Ski Jump
Robbie Maddison performed a ski jump on his dirt bike, accelerating at 71 mph and dropping over 180 feet.
Motorcycle Base Jump
Because base jumping is not hard enough, someone thought it would be a good idea to do it with a motorcycle. Daredevil Bradley O’Neal took to his Yamaha dirt bike to accomplish this extreme feat.
O’Neal scaled an intense slope to the top and lunged over the edge, sending him – and the bike, airborne. Once he hit the air, he deployed his parachute in the nick of time. Thankfully, he made it, but we can’t say the same about the bike.
However, another great video on Reddit showed a bike with its own parachute that made a clean landing!
The Fallen Motorcycle Brands We Wish Were Still Here
Brands come and go, and sometimes they feel like heartbreaking losses. These bikes are part of motorcycle history and deserve to be remembered. We only wish they would come back to life!
View the fallen motorcycle brands
Harley Davidson’s Fearless Riders Were Called The Wrecking Crew
When Harley recruited riders for their “wrecking crew” they wanted the best and most fearless riders. They succeeded in finding them and these riders would help make Harley Davidson a name in the racing world.
