News Jonny Davies pushes the limits of sensationalism

British stuntman Jonny Davies, better known as JD Stunts, repeatedly enters his name in the Guinness Book of Records. On August 18, 2024, at Elvington airfield in Yorkshire, England, he performed another daring feat!

A premeditated challenge with the Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX

As early as June 7, Davies had proclaimed his ambition, inviting his nearly 25,000 followers on Instagram to join him in his progress. Despite his experience as a stunt rider, this challenge represented something of a novelty for him: “Attempting this record is unlike anything I've done before, but the initial tests went well and I'm convinced there will be a record later in the year,” he had confided.

No turning back now Two months and two attempts later, wearing titanium boots, Davies began his run on the bike before jumping back to let himself be dragged along at breakneck speeds.

For this challenge, Jonny Davies chose the Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX, a bike specially modified for the occasion. Equipped with a 998 cm³ four-cylinder engine developing almost 200 horsepower, the bike was fitted with a rear grab bar, a remote throttle and a steering damper to guarantee stability at high speed. Fast enough?

5 km/h make all the difference

In his sights was the previous record, set in 1999 by Gary Rothwell, one of his main inspirations, with a speed of 251.54 km/h on a Suzuki Hayabusa. On August 18, Jonny Davies broke this barrier by a margin of 5 km/h, reaching a phenomenal speed of 256.7 km/h (159.52 mph). He is now the new world record holder.

Interviewed by the BBC after his successful challenge, Davies expressed his relief: “It was so fast that I was really hoping I'd broken the record because I don't want to do that again.”

Now a triple world record holder, Jonny Davies continues to push the limits of the sensational. We wouldn't be surprised to see him back in the news very soon...

Photo and video credits: JD Stunts