After a successful practice session at the Bonneville Salt Flats with a speed of 274.2 mph, Triumph Motorcycles will attempt to set a new motorcycle Land Speed World Record during September, 2016. Today’s record, held by Rocky Robinson since 2010 riding the Top Oil-Ack (sic) Attack Triumph is 376.363 mph over an 11-mile course. Whether these are motorcycles is debatable. What’s not, is how bloody fast on two wheels they go.
Despite having a good course surface for testing, Triumph said that the salt wasn’t yet capable of supporting a top-speed run. In consultation with Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme course manager Mike Cook, Triumph is targeting September as the best shot for optimal course conditions required for a record attempt.
The Triumph Infor Rocket has a carbon Kevlar monocoque construction with two turbocharged Rocket III engines. They make a combined 1,000 horsepower at 9,000 rpm. 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, the streamlined motorcycle class.
Triumph has a history of breaking land speed records. It held title of ‘World’s Fastest Motorcycle’ between 1955 to 1970. Record-breaking Triumph Streamliners include: Devil’s Arrow, Texas Cee-gar, Dudek Streamliner and Gyronaut X1, the former achieving a top speed of 245.667 mph (395.28 km/h). Today’s record, as noted is 376.363 mph or 605.697 km/h.
