Hinckley Times

Triumph record bid postponed

Salt flats are not in top condition

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HINCKLEY’S Triumph Motorcycle­s has delayed its ambitious bid to break the motorcycle world land speed record to wait for optimal conditions.

The attempt will now take place in mid-September in the USA - weather permitting.

The announceme­nt follows a successful practice session at the famous salt flats of Bonneville, which saw the Triumph Infor Rocket Streamline­r reach a speed of 274.2mph on August 9 to become the world’s fastest Triumph yet.

Triumph’s aim is to exceed the current record that stands at 376.363mph, using the purpose-built 1,000bhp motorcycle.

Riding the high-powered superbike over a measured mile will be Isle of Man TT racer and multiple speed record holder Guy Martin.

Triumph had originally hoped to stage the attempt in August but despite having a good course surface for testing the team felt the salt wasn’t yet fully capable of supporting a topspeed streamline­r run.

In consultati­on with FIM course manager Mike Cook, the team are targeting the September dates as the best possible opportunit­y for the optimal course conditions required for the record attempt.

Guy Martin’s first week in the streamline­r saw him master the controls of the machine quickly - achieving all the goals set by crew chief and designer Matt Markstalle­r and his team.

Mr Markstalle­r said: “We achieved a great deal during our test week at Bonneville and feel we are in a great position to move ahead with our record attempt.

“Guy settled into the streamline­r very quickly and impressed us with the speed in which he mastered both the motorcycle and riding on the salt.

“While conditions were some of the best I have seen over the last few years, we feel there is still some room for improvemen­t.

“When chasing a record such as this on two wheels the conditions have to be the very best they can be, to give us the greatest chance of achieving the speeds we require to set a new record.”

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 245.667mph. Today’s record, held by Rocky Robinson since 2010 riding the Top Oil-Ack Attack streamline­r, sits at 376.363mph.

 ??  ?? Guy Martin who will be attempting the record bid
Guy Martin who will be attempting the record bid

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