Land speed record attempt for Guy Martin and Triumph looks doubtful for 2017
By Michael Mann
BikeSocial Managing Editor. Content man - reviewer, road tester, video presenter, interviewer, commissioner, organiser. First ride was a 1979 Honda ST70 in the back garden aged 6. Not too shabby on track, loves a sportsbike, worries about helmet hair, occasionally plays golf and squash but enjoys being a father to a 7-year old the most.
10.08.2017
Triumph have confirmed that a land speed record attempt at the Bonneville Salt Flats this year remains questionable, with the surface conditions the reason behind the lack of action so far this summer. The team in America are said to be monitoring conditions on a daily basis and should they become favourable then everyone involved in the project is ready to go.
Having visited the famous Salt Flats with Lincolnshire’s finest truck mechanic, TT racer and TV star, Guy Martin, twice during the summer of 2016, the British manufacturer came away without the record as their attempts were blighted by the poor salt conditions.
A Triumph spokesman confirmed to BikeSocial this week, “We are constantly reviewing the salt with a view to our attempt on the overall motorcycle land speed record with the Triumph Infor Rocket Streamliner. At this point however it is questionable if the surface will support an attempt this side of Christmas.”
Triumph remain committed to their high-profile attempt to not only beat the current record of 376.36mph, set by the Suzuki-powered team Ack Attack in 2010, but to break through the elusive 400mph barrier too.
Martin’s American built streamliner features two destroked and supercharged Triumph Rocket III engines, displacing 3000cc and producing over 1000bhp. Despite clocking 274mph in private testing at the 11-mile course, taking the record for the fastest ever Triumph, the TT podium finisher was unable to set any kind of meaningful time in last September’s challenge for the outright record due to the softness of the salt.
Speaking to the media at last November’s EICMA show in Milan, Triumph’s Chief Commercial Officer, Paul Stroud, said: “We are 100% committed, as is Guy Martin, to breaking the overall motorcycle land speed record. We are absolutely focused on going way beyond the record that we set this year of 274.2mph, which we broke during testing in incredibly challenging condition, conditions that held us back from a full top speed attempt. Next summer, we will be back at Bonneville. Weather and conditions permitting, we hope to bring the record home to Triumph for the fifth time in the brand’s history, which would be a record in itself.”
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