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| Bushy McKelvey: never mind the wheels coming off, check that heel. |
PIETERMARITZBURG’S inspiring biker Bushy McKelvey missed bettering the world record for the longest distance in 24 hours by a mere 100 km at the Phakisa oval track in Welkom this week.
He was aiming to go further than the 3 249,9-km record set by American Russell “Rusty” Vaughn on a 2010 Harley-Davidson FLHTK Electra-Glide Limited in Texas in August 2011.
McKelvey told us he was doing well chasing this distance around Welkom’s biggest traffic circle, but heavy rain then saw him hit the deck, hard, on the new BMW GS 1200.
The fall damaged the Boxer engine’s cowling and the bike lost all its oil, causing the pit crew to spent 90 feverish minutes to make running repairs, including half an hour of agonized waiting for a patch of gun gum to dry as the seconds ticked by.
McKelvey was trying to raise funds to buy a prosthesis for a lady that has lost her leg above the knee.
His previous attempt to set the longest bike ride in a day, held in Gauteng in March, saw him complete 2 267 km by 3.30 am when the tyres on the scooter he was riding could do no more.
For his attempt at Phakisa over the weekend, the Free State Tourism Board lend him the use of the famous oval track, which next year sees a return of international superbike racing.
McKelvey has two prosthetic legs and started “Out On A Limb”, a project that aims to encourage and motivate people to do more despite any physical challenges. More on www.ooal.org.za
