Triumph Motorcycles, the iconic British motorcycle brand, will return to the legendary salt flats of Bonneville, USA, this month to break the motorcycle world land speed record. Triumph’s aim is to exceed the current record (for a two-wheeler) which stands at 376.363 mph or 605.7 kmph, using its purpose built 1,000 bhp Triumph Infor Rocket Streamliner.
The 114-year old British motorcycle maker says that the purpose-built Triumph Infor Rocket Streamliner will be ridden over the measured mile by 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 iconic clothing brand Belstaff. The ride will be part of the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) World Record attempt to take place at the Bonneville Speedway, Bonneville Salt Flats, in the US state of Utah later this month.
The Triumph Infor Rocket features a carbon Kevlar monocoque construction with two turbocharged Triumph Rocket III engines producing a combined 1,000 bhp at 9,000 rpm. The motorcycle is 25.5 feet long, two feet wide and three 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 and 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 245.667 mph (395.28 kmph). Today’s record, held by Rocky Robinson since 2010 riding the Top Oil-Ack Attack streamliner, sits at 376.363 mph (a little short of half the speed of sound).
In an official communiqué TT Racer Guy Martin commented: “I can’t wait to take the Triumph Infor Rocket Streamliner onto the salt at Bonneville for the first time this summer. The Triumph engineers have built an amazing machine, giving us the very best chance to beat the two-wheeled land speed record.”
Triumph’s iconic Bonneville name was conceived following Johnny Allen’s land-speed record runs at the Salt Flats in September 1956. The 27-year-old (then), flat-tracker reached the record breaking speed of 193.72 mph. Later, the first T120 Bonneville model was unveiled at the Earls Court Bike Show and went on sale in the UK in 1959.