Motorcycle land-speed record
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Motorcycle land-speed record
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The motorcycle land speed record is the fastest speed achieved by a motorcycle on land. It is standardized as the speed over a course of fixed length, averaged over two runs in opposite directions. These are special or modified motorcycles, distinct from the fastest production motorcycles.
The record was first set unofficially by Glenn Curtiss in 1903.[1] The first officially sanctioned Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) record was not set until 1920. The first FIM-sanctioned record to exceed Curtiss' unofficial record did not occur until 1930, although there was controversy when the Osborn Engineering Company claimed to be the first to exceed Curtiss - on the basis of evidence from a publicity photo - submitted some days after the Zenith Motorcycles company claimed that it had been the first to exceed Curtiss. "It was quite a while before the controversy died down."[2]
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Jet-engine trike
The fastest record certified by the FIM is that set in 1964 by the jet-propelled tricycle Spirit of America. It set three absolute land speed records, the last at 526.277 miles per hour (846.961 km/h). While such records are usually validated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, the FIA only certifies vehicles with at least four wheels, while the FIM certifies two- and three-wheelers. Breedlove never intended Spirit of America to be classified as a motorcycle, despite its tricycle layout, and only approached the FIM after being rejected for record status by the FIA. Spirit of America's FIM-ratified record prompted the FIA to create a new category "thrust-powered" vehicles to its world record listings. Further, most people think of the tricycle Spirit of America, now part of the permanent collection of Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, as a "car" and not a motorcycle.[3]
List of records
| Date | Location | Driver | Make | Engine displacement cc (cu in) | Speed | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | ||||||
| 1903 | Yonkers, U.S. | Glenn Curtiss | Curtiss | 1,000 cc (61 cu in) | 64 | 103 | over the mile, first (unofficial) World Speed Record, Hercules V-twin[4] |
| January 24, 1907 | Ormond Beach, U.S. | Glenn Curtiss | Curtiss | 4,000 cc (240 cu in) | 136.27 | 219.31 | Unofficial record stood over 20 years[5][6] |
| 1920 | Daytona Beach, U.S. | Gene Walker | Indian | 994 cc (60.7 cu in) | 104.12 | 165.67 | [7] |
| 1923 | Brooklands, UK | Bert le Vack | Temple-Anzani | 996 cc (60.8 cu in) | 108.41 | 174.58 | [7] |
| 1924 | Arpajon, France | Bert le Vack | Brough Superior-JAP | 867 cc (52.9 cu in) | 118.98 | 191.59 | [7] |
| 1926 | Arpajon, France | Claude F. Temple | OEC-Temple | 996 cc (60.8 cu in) | 121.3 | 195.33 | [7] |
| 1928 | Arpajon, France | Oliver M. Baldwin | Zenith-JAP | 996 cc (60.8 cu in) | 124.55 | 200.56 | [7] |
| 1929 | Arpajon, France | Bert Le Vack | Brough-Superior | 995 cc (60.7 cu in) | 126.75 | 207.33 | [7] |
| 1930 | Arpajon, France | Joseph S. Wright | OEC Temple JAP | 994 cc (60.7 cu in) | 137.23 | 220.99 | [7] First official record to exceed Curtiss' pioneering effort. |
| 1930 | Ingolstadt, Germany | Ernst Jakob Henne | BMW | 735 cc (44.9 cu in) | 137.58 | 221.54 | [7] |
| 1930 | Cork, Ireland | Joseph S. Wright | OEC Temple JAP | 995 cc (60.7 cu in) | 150.65 | 242.59 | [7] |
| 1932 | Tát, Hungary | Ernst Jakob Henne | BMW | 736 cc (44.9 cu in)[8][9][10] | 151.77 | 244.40 | [7] |
| 1934 | Gyon, Hungary | Ernst Jakob Henne | BMW | 736 cc (44.9 cu in)[8][9][10] | 152.81 | 246.069 | |
| 1935 | A3 autobahn (Frankfurt-München route), Germany | Ernst Jakob Henne | BMW | 736 cc (44.9 cu in)[8][9][10] | 159.01 | 256.046[8][9][11] | [7] First record over 250 km/h (160 mph) |
| 1936 | A3, Germany | Ernst Jakob Henne | BMW | 493 cc (30.1 cu in)[8][9][12] | 168.92 | 272.006 | [7] |
| 1937 | Gyon, Hungary | Eric Fernihough | Brough Superior-JAP | 995 cc (60.7 cu in) | 169.68 | 273.244 | [7] JAP supercharged[2] Fernihough was killed in a 1938 attempt[2] |
| 1937 | Autostrada A4 (Italy) (Brescia-Bergamo route) | Piero Taruffi | Gilera | 492 cc (30.0 cu in) | 170.27 | 274.181 | Supercharged four-cylinder. Taruffi famous as Grand Prix driver.[7] |
| 1937 | A3, Germany | Ernst Jakob Henne | BMW | 495 cc (30.2 cu in) | 173.68 | 279.503 | [7] Last pre-WWII record |
| 1951 | Ingolstadt, Germany | Wilhelm Herz | NSU | 499 cc (30.5 cu in) | 180.29 | 290.322 | [7] First post-WWII record |
| 1955 | Christchurch, New Zealand | Russell Wright | Vincent-HRD | 998 cc (60.9 cu in) | 184.83 | 297.640 | [7] |
| 1956 | Bonneville, U.S. | John Allen | Triumph | 649 cc (39.6 cu in) | 193.730 | 311.778 | [13][broken citation] |
| 1956 | Bonneville, U.S. | Wilhelm Herz | NSU streamliner | 499 cc (30.5 cu in) | 211.4 | 338.092 | [7] First record over 200 mph (320 km/h) |
| 1956 | Bonneville, U.S. | Johnny Allen | Triumph | 649 cc (39.6 cu in) | 214.5 | 345.188 | Unratified by FIM[14] |
| 1962 | Bonneville, U.S. | William A. Johnson | Triumph | 667 cc (40.7 cu in) | 224.57 | 361.41 | [7] |
| 1966 | Bonneville, U.S. | Robert Leppan | Triumph Special[7] Gyronaut X-1[14] | 1,298 cc (79.2 cu in) | 245.60 | 395.28 | Triumph Special twin-engined[7] |
| 1970 | Bonneville, U.S. | Don Vesco U.S.A | Yamaha | 700 cc (43 cu in) | 251.66 | 405.25 | [7] Two-stroke twin-engined[15] First record over 250 mph (402 km/h) |
| 1970 | Bonneville, U.S. | Cal Rayborn U.S.A | Harley-Davidson | 1,480 cc (90 cu in) | 254.84 | 410.37 | [7] twin-engined[13][broken citation] |
| 1975 | Bonneville, U.S. | Don Vesco | Yamaha | 1,480 cc (90 cu in) | 302.92 | 487.515 | [7] First record over 300 mph (483 km/h) |
| 1978[13][broken citation] | Bonneville, U.S. | Don Vesco | Kawasaki | 2,030 cc (124 cu in) | 318.598 | 509.757 | Turbocharged twin Kawasaki Kz1000 engines[7][14][13][broken citation] First record over 500 km/h (311 mph) |
| 1990[13][broken citation] | Bonneville, U.S. | Dave Campos U.S.A | Ruxton Harley-Davidson | 3,000 cc (180 cu in) | 322.150 | 518.450 | twin-engined[13][broken citation] Longest held official record, 16 years (see Curtiss' 20 year unofficial record) |
| 3 September 2006[16] | Bonneville, U.S. | Rocky Robinson U.S.A | Top Oil-Ack Attack streamliner | 2,600 cc (160 cu in) | 342.797 | 551.678 | twin Suzuki engines[16][broken citation] |
| 5 September 2006[16][broken citation] | Bonneville, U.S. | Chris Carr U.S.A | BUB - Lucky 7 streamliner | 2,997 cc (182.9 cu in) | 350.884[16][broken citation] | 564.693[16][broken citation] | BUB/Sierra Design V4[citation needed] |
| 26 September 2008 | Bonneville, U.S. | Rocky Robinson U.S.A | Top Oil-Ack Attack streamliner | 2,600 cc (160 cu in) | 360.913 | 580.833 | twin Suzuki engines[17] |
| 24 September 2009 | Bonneville, U.S. | Chris Carr | BUB - Lucky 7 streamliner | 2,997 cc (182.9 cu in) | 367.382 | 591.244 | BUB/Sierra Design V4[18] |
| 25 September 2010 | Bonneville, U.S. | Rocky Robinson U.S.A | Top Oil-Ack Attack streamliner | 2,600 cc (160 cu in) | 376.363 | 605.697 | twin Suzuki engines [19] First record over 600 km/h (373 mph) |
See also
- Land speed record
- List of vehicle speed records
- Wheel-driven land speed record
- Outline of motorcycles and motorcycling
Notes
- ^ Harvey (2005) p. 253
- ^ a b c Tragatsch (1984) p. 304
- ^ Bonneville Salt Flats by "LandSpeed" Louise Ann Noeth, MBI Publishing
- ^ House (2003) p. 31-32
- ^ House (2003) p. 41
- ^ de Cet (2002) p. 116
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Setright (1979) p. 238
- ^ a b c d e Walker (1999) p. 16
- ^ a b c d e Walker (2001) p. 188. "Then in 1936, BMW technicians decided to decrease the engine's displacement from 736 to 493. This might have seemed a backwards move, but there was a sound basis for this technical change. [...] The engine was a 493 cc double-overhead-cam with a bore and stroke of 66 x 72 mm, a Zoller supercharger mounted on the front of the crankshaft [...] This supercharging technology had been under development since 1929, when a production R63 model had been fitted with a positive displacement blower..."
- ^ a b c Setright (1979) p. 238 lists this as 735 cc, not 736 cc.
- ^ Tragatsch, caption p. 304, credits this run as 256.06 with a supercharged 746 cc, while contradicting this on the same page in a table listing the displacement for the '32-'35 BMWs as 735 cc, and as 495 cc in 1936, rather than 493 cc.
- ^ Setright (1979) p. 238 has this as 495 cc.
- ^ a b c d e f Hennekam (2005) p. 57
- ^ a b c Tragatsch (1984), p.305.
- ^ Clayton, Graham, The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. p. 46. Motorcycle Mojo Magazine
- ^ a b c d e [broken citation] World Record attempts: Historic land speed record broken in Bonneville, FIM, 2006, http://www.fim.ch/en/flat/photos/photosworldrec.htm, retrieved 2008-10-19[dead link]
- ^ Motorcycle.com Staff (2008)
- ^ Harley (2009)
- ^ New FIM World Record - Bonneville Raceway, Utah (USA), FIM 2010
References
- de Cet, Mirco (2002), The illustrated directory of motorcycles, MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company, ISBN 978-0-7603-1417-3
- Harley, Bryan (25 September 2009), "BUB Racing's Chris Carr Breaks Speed Record", Motorcycle USA, http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/499/4676/Motorcycle-Article/BUB-Racings-Chris-Carr-Breaks-Speed-Record.aspx
- Harvey, Steve (2005), It Started with a Steamboat: An American Saga, Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, ISBN 978-1-4208-4943-1
- [broken citation]Hennekam, Charles (December 2005), "World Records Bonneville" (PDF), The FIM Magazine, FIM, p. 57, http://www.fim.ch/EN/magazine/MAG54/Record_bonneville_en.pdf, retrieved 2008-10-19
- House, Kirk W. (2003), Hell-rider to king of the air: Glenn Curtiss's life of innovation, SAE, ISBN 978-0-7680-0802-9
- Motorcycle.com Staff (29 September 2008), New motorcycle land speed record set;Top 1 Ack Attack team reaches 360 mph, http://www.motorcycle.com/news/new-motorcycle-land-speed-record-set-86935.html
- Setright, L.J.K. (1979), The Guinness book of motorcycling facts and feats, Guinness Superlatives, ISBN 978-0-85112-200-7
- Corporation, Bonnier (December 1931), "Streamline motorcycle to get 170-mile speed", Popular Science: 60, http://books.google.com/?id=ESgDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA60
- Tragatsch, Erwin (1984), The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Motorcycles (2nd ed.), Feltham, Middlesex, England: Newnes Books/Temple Press, ISBN 0-600-38477-2
- Walker, Mick (1999), Mick Walker's German Racing Motorcycles, Redline Books, ISBN 978-0-9531311-2-9
- Walker, Mick (2001), The Art of the Motorcycle, Guggenheim Museum, ISBN 978-0-8109-6912-4, http://books.google.com/?id=R-bxAQAACAAJ[dead link]
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