Guy Martin has become the fastest ever Triumph rider, as the legendary racer hit 274.2 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Martin was chosen by Triumph for this endeavor as part of a greater plan, which involves reaching 370 mph on land on a motorcycle. As you can observe in the photos, the vehicle “driven” by Guy Martin is a streamliner motorcycle, which has retractable wheels to keep it upright until it reaches a suitable velocity. During this run, Martin broke a 46-year-old Triumph record, but that is not enough for the famed North Lincolnshire road racer.
The streamliner is 25.5 feet long, just two feet wide, and three feet tall. Its engines run on methanol, and the body shell is a monocoque made of carbon fiber reinforced with Kevlar. The two power plants reach their maximum output at 9,000 rpm, according to the makers of this vehicle.
Triumph has a long history with the Bonneville Salt Flats and world speed records in general. The British brand was first represented at an event of this kind by one of its dealers, in 1954, when Pete Dalio’s Triumph shop decided to beat the world land speed record set at 180 mph (289.7 km/h).
Guy Martin did not race in other events this year so that he could fulfill other personal ambitions. Among these is setting a world record on the Wall of Death, a feat which he has already completed.
Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland. Full profile
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