Guy Martin sets new Triumph Land Speed Record

Guy Martin sets new watershed on the legendary salt flats of Bonneville

Bonneville has hosted many totemic moments of Triumph.

It’s hardly surprising that Guy Martin set a top speed for a Triumph on two wheels. But is this just a stepping stone to the World Land Speed Record?

According to press releases the Streamliner has become the world’s fastest ever Triumph, by achieving a speed of 274.2 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats on 8 August 2016.

The streamliner smashed the previous official Triumph record that stood at 245.667 mph as well as the unofficial Triumph Record of 264mph, both set by Bob Leppan, in the Gyronaut X-1.

Near-perfect conditions greeted the team on the final day of their land speed practice week, according to reports. With confidence high after a successful number of days running on the salt at Bonneville, the team’s goal for the day with the Streamliner was the Triumph record.

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Just after 8:30am Guy Martin and the team set off on the first run of the day, after a steady start, Martin accelerated the sleek looking streamliner to a staggering 274.2 mph, rewriting the manufacturer’s history in the process. Just after the two-mile marker, Martin came to a controlled stop near to the team’s base camp to be greeted by the news that he had broken the 46-year-old Triumph record.

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, 2 feet wide and 3 feet tall. Powered by methanol fuel, the bike is competing in the Division C (streamlined motorcycle) category.

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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 245.667 mph (395.28 km/h). Today’s record, held by Rocky Robinson since 2010 riding the Top Oil-Ack Attack streamliner, sits at 376.363 mph (605.697 km/h).

More props. More achievement. Is there a more important British brand than Triumph?

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