London’s Thames River and Sydney’s Darling Harbour are playing host to two world-first motorcycle stunts.

Travis Pastrana became the first person to successfully land a backflip between two floating barges on the River Thames on Thursday 5 October, a stunt the veteran trickster used to launch his latest Nitro Circus tour.

The barges were placed almost 23 metres apart and the 33-year-old had just 45 metres to get himself up to speed before hitting the take-off ramp. Perhaps more impressive was his required stopping distance of under 11 metres, all while processing the feat he’d just achieved. 

Former FMX star Mike Metzger, now 41, attempted the same stunt on a pair of barges the same distance apart some 11 years ago, though he failed to pull it off and crashed heavily, leaving the American with a fractured L-4 vertebra.

Another stunt will promote the upcoming Sydney Motorcycle Show. Fans of Kiama-born stunt rider Robbie Maddison will recall his 2015 video Pipe Dream, which followed his dream of riding a motorcycle on water in Tahiti. Now he will ride that bike on Sydney’s Darling Harbour.

Maddison will ride his so-called waterbike in an oval course – think flat track but on water – across two days in demonstrations that will be free for anyone to witness.

“I am pretty excited to be coming to the Sydney Motorcycle Show and riding the waterbike in the heart of Sydney at Cockle Bay,” Maddison said. “This will be my first ever fully publicised waterbike ride.

“We will create a full-blown flat-track layout on the water with viewing for spectators across Darling Harbour,” he said. “I remember going to the same place years ago for the Red Bull City X and it was huge; hopefully we can replicate that.”

Event organiser and three-time World Superbike champ Troy Bayliss is pretty excited at the prospect.

“He has been pushing the limits for years. His stunts such as the Corinth Canal jump, Arc de Triomphe jump, and backflip over the Tower Bridge in London have made him a household name.

“To see him riding the same waterbike he rode in the big Tahiti waves is a rare opportunity not to be missed. It may not be done again.”

You can catch Maddison in action at midday on both Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November.     

Kel Buckley