Triumph has been known for decades for building some of the fastest motorcycles in the world, and they’ve just confirmed a whole new pilgrimage to the Bonneville salt flats for a fresh attempt to break the motorcycle world land speed record.
The attempt will be made using the formidable 1,000bhp Infor Rocket Streamliner vehicle, which will be piloted by legendary Isle of Man TT racer Guy Martin. Martin holds numerous speed and world records, and he has currently earned 15 podium finishes, so it stands to reason that he’s the best man for the job, and it should be a tough one. Triumph are hoping to break the current record of 376.363mph.
Martin himself remains positive about their chances: “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.”
The Infor Rocket is, naturally enough, a pretty impressive piece of machinery. Made from Kevlar monocoque, it conceals two turbocharged Triumph Rocket III engines that combine to produce up to 1,000bhp at 9,000rpm. Running solely on methanol fuel, it sits within a bike frame and measures an incredible 2.55 feet in length and just two feet in width.
Should Triumph succeed in their upcoming venture, they will be reclaiming the title of ‘World’s Fastest Motorcycle’, one that they held between 1955 and 1970 – only a 33-day stint disrupted that period.
The current title is held by the Top Oil-Ack streamliner. It was piloted by Rocky Robinson in 2010, and ended up cinching an incredible top speed of 376.363 mph. Their twin Hayabusa-engined rocket had previously beat out the 16-year-old record with a speed of 342.797 mph, but lost the title only two days later to the BUB Seven team; their entry became the first to break the 350 mph barrier, and they have since regained their supremacy.
We’ve yet to see whether Triumph will reclaim their title with the Infor Rocket Streamliner, but they certainly seem to have built a motorcycle that is up to the challenge, and we can’t think of a single rider better placed to live up to that challenge than Guy Martin. When they do make their attempt, we’re hoping to see headlines the next day.