LONDON: Triumph Motorcycles has confirmed that it will return to the legendary salt flats of Bonneville in the United States this month to break the motorcycle world land speed record.
Triumph’s aim is to exceed the current record that stands at 605.698kph, using its purpose built 1,000bhp Triumph Infor Rocket Streamliner.
Riding the purpose-built Triumph Infor Rocket Streamliner over the measured mile will be Isle of Man TT racer and multiple speed record holder Guy Martin. Title partner for Triumph’s 2016 record attempt will be global cloud applications provider Infor with further support from clothing brand Belstaff.
The Triumph Infor Rocket features a carbon Kevlar monocoque construction with two turbocharged Triumph Rocket III engines producing a combined 1,000bhp at 9,000rpm. The motorcycle is 25.5 feet long, 2 feet wide and 3 feet tall. Powered by methanol fuel, the bike is competing in the Division C (streamlined motorcycle) category.
Triumph has a history of breaking the land speed record, holding the title of ‘World’s Fastest Motorcycle’ between 1955 to 1970. The record-breaking Triumph Streamliners included: Devil’s Arrow, Texas Cee-gar, Dudek Streamliner and Gyronaut X1, the former achieving a top speed of 395.28kph. Today’s record, held by Rocky Robinson since 2010 riding the Top Oil-Ack Attack streamliner, sits at 605.697kph.
The iconic Bonneville name was conceived following Johnny Allen’s land-speed record runs at the Salt Flats in September 1956, when he reached the record breaking speed of 193.72 mph. The first T120 Bonneville model was unveiled at the Earls Court Bike Show and went on sale in 1959.
Keyword: Triumph aims to break 605+ kph land speed record