Triumph has confirmed that motorcycle racer Guy Martin will pilot its Rocket IIIStreamliner in a new land speed record attempt at the Bonneville salt flats inlate August. The Triumph team has to beat the current record of 376.363 mph(605.697 km/h) if it wants to bring the coveted title back to the UK after an absenceof 45 years.
The Triumph Rocket III Streamliner is the fruit of an Anglo-Americanco-operation with Castrol,Hot Rod Conspiracy, Carpenter Racing and Triumph North America. It is poweredby two methanol-burning turbocharged Rocket III 2.3 liter three cylinder engines producing over1,000 hp (745.7 kW) at 9,000 rpm and 500 lb.ft (69 kgm) of torque. Housed in a carbon Kevlar monocoqueframe, the whole structure is wrapped in an aerodynamic carbon fiber shell.
Road racer, truck mechanic and TV presenter Guy Martin, who competed with Triumphat the 2015 Isle of Man TT aboard a Daytona 675R supersport, has just beenrecruited to spearhead the record challenge. It has been 45 years since Triumph last made the land speed record books, so the prospect ofreturning the illustrious trophy back to the UK involves a certain degree of pride for the English.
Triumph started working on this project in 2013 and the streamliner – then calledTriumph Castrol Rocket – geared up for the record attempt at the 2014 BonnevilleSpeed Week, with American motorcycle racer Jason DiSalvo. Unfortunately a fire in one of the two engines during the last tests before the official run meantthat the whole effort would have to take a year-long raincheck.
The team is scheduled to conclude its testing program with Guy Martinthis month and will return to the Bonneville Salt Flats for the record attempt duringthe Speed Week event on August 24-27.
Triumph’s land speed record legacy highlights a period from 1955 to 1970 whenthe title of the “World’s Fastest Motorcycle” was continuously held by the Englishfactory – except for a 33-day period.
The video below gives us a closer look at the speedy Rocket III Streamliner.
Source: Triumph