The Long Way Around – Plumber Builds the World's Longest Motor Scooter

Finally, a solution to the problem of efficient public transportation for the motorcycling set.

Do you look back with nostalgia on the days when you rode with your fellow man to your destination? Miss the days when you could climb aboard a Greyhound bus and roll across the country without having to concentrate on driving? Maybe you didn’t miss the cramped and stuffy interior of a bus, but what choice did you have if you wanted to ride along with lots of people?

None. Until now, that is…

“Once you get going it becomes a bit easier, although it is a real strain on your arms as it has such heavy steering.”

Colin Furze, a plumber in Lincolnshire, England and a bit of an eccentric, has the answer, and he’s hoping it will put him in the official record book as well.
Furze created a scooter which measures up to the task of taking a lot of people a long way with the wind in their hair. Furze’ creation, measuring a whopping 72-feet long, is in line to take over the record for the longest motorcycle in the world. Furze wants the Guinness Book of World Records to verify his record, and that shouldn’t be a problem as the current record stands at 46 feet – and Furze made that vehicle as well.

A motor scooter retailer put up the cash and the parts for the build, which involved Furze connecting front and rear sections of two 125cc scooters with a custom aluminum frame. The London Daily Mail reported that Furze has driven the bike over a mile and reached 35 mph during his test.

To get the GBWR to certify his achievement, Furze only has to ride for a little more than 100 yards, so it looks like he has that in the bag as well.

There is one more slight detail to iron out. He needs to test it with passengers on board, and that might be an issue.

“When I first got on it I thought it would never work and at a slow speed it’s almost impossible to keep upright,” Furze said. “Once you get going it becomes a bit easier, although it is a real strain on your arms as it has such heavy steering.”

It won’t be the first encounter for Furze with the folks at Guinness. The talented plumber and inventor is the current holder of the record for world’s fastest mobility scooter, and it was fast indeed at 69 mph.