In 1924, riding Brough Superior’s latest model, the S.S.100, le Vack attempted the motorcycle world land-speed record at Arpajon, France (later on a straight road near Montlhéry). He achieved an astonishing average speed of 119.05 mph (approx. 191.5 km/h), breaking the absolute motorcycle speed record of the time. This sensational feat was celebrated as the moment the “100-mph barrier” was shattered. In that same year alone, le Vack set a total of nine world speed records. Later in 1929, riding an improved Brough Superior machine, he pushed the record to 126.75 mph (207.33 km/h), reclaiming the title of world’s fastest. These achievements firmly established the S.S.100 as the fastest motorcycle of its era.
Moped Dick at Bonneville World Finals 2019 - 50cc Two Stroke Landspeed Bike
2STROKE STUFFING
Our crazy 2-stroke guy went to Bonneville? Sure, I'll watch that, except there is a whole bunch of extraneous stuff that I don't care about, I just want to see this thing go, so I skipped ahead to where they make a couple of high speed runs, but they aren't on the salt flats, they're on some remote 2 lane asphalt road. It's totally worth it. The sound is glorious.
Donut Media is one of my go-to guys when I want something light. It helps that cars are one of my weak points. I drive an aged Asian sedan and I am very comfortable with it, especially since it's paid for, but I still drool over fancy machines. I can just see me in the old folks home. When the candystriper brings me a copy of Road & Track, she'll also bring me a bib.
Note that these are production cars, these are not absolute land speed records. I was expecting a different car every year, but that is not the case. Several cars held the record for ten years. Recently the speed record has been getting broken more often. I also didn't know that the McClaren F1 is nearly 30 years old. I must be getting old.
I've driven cars at 100 mph for brief stretches. On a public highway in the remote of areas of the American west, it's not too difficult. Too me, it's scary fast. 200 mph is something for prepared surface, like a race track or an airstrip, but 300 mph on a public road? That must be some really pristine asphalt. I imagine hitting any kind of imperfection on the road surface at that speed could easily be catastrophic. I wonder if they sent a street sweeper down the road first.
Nevada State Route 160 looking North 7 mile stretch of dead straight road runs from lower right corner across to the middle of the left edge
Here is the road they used. It is Nevada State Route 160. It heads northwest from Las Vegas to Pahrump.
Way back in the 1960's, Alf was a terror. He ran the quarter mile in 9.5 seconds and went through the traps at over 150MPH. In 1968 he was the first Brit to cover the flying mile at 200MPH.
George is from the same era and has a number of records to his name. Both of these guys were pioneers in motorcycle racing. I would love to have one of these bikes.
You go Rollie! Funny how all the English speeds are given in Imperial units and the American one is given in metric. In case you are curious 249.1 KPH is equivalent to 154.8 MPH.
BONNY: Russian Ural Motorcycle at the Bonneville Speed Week | ///S
Back in 2017, the Russians come to Bonneville to try and set a new land speed record using a 1936 flathead engine from a Russian M72 motorcycle. They are competing in the vintage category which means they are using the original crankcase and cylinders. The titanium frame is bolted together rather than welded. The engine is fueled by methanol and nitrous oxide.
I don't remember hearing about this car. It was running around the same time as when President Kennedy was shot (1963) and I remember that. I remember hearing about Craig Breedlove'sSpirit of America.
The video has some interesting bits, like the 300 MPH crash, rain in Australia and the cost of building the car. Building a car to attempt the land speed record requires a massive fund raising campaign, something similar to running national political campaign. The technical aspect of building the car is only half the job, campaigning is the other half. I could do the technical half, but I don't have the energy to do the campaigning half.
When I was younger I didn't really appreciate the nerve it would take to drive a car like this. You get in, step on the gas and head for the finish line. What's the big deal? Now I think these guys must have had a screw loose. I suppose it's kind of like Marty Byrde from Ozark. They have gotten themselves lined out, they have a goal, and that's where they are headed, come hell or high water. Choice doesn't enter into the matter.
Honda has built a car to try and capture a land speed record for some limited displacement class. They exceeded 260 MPH using a 660 cc engine. The engine is similar to the one they use in their S660 sports car. Never heard of the S660? That's because it is a tiny Kei car, which aren't exported to the USA.
The Nakajima Aircraft Company produced aircraft up till the end of WW2. Then, since they had no other business and the Allies said 'no more airplanes', they closed up shop. The engineers needed something to do, and since they were prohibited from building airplanes, they turned their hand to building Subaru micro-cars.
Stu got me started when he mentioned that Ms. Thompson had set a new land speed record on a BMW S1000RR at the Bonneville Salt Flats. This video is from The Texas Mile (Warning: Sound Track starts automatically), not Bonneville, but she breaks 200 MPH here as well. It doesn't look like much, it certainly doesn't look like 200 MPH, but then it's a little hard to judge since there isn't much in the way of background. But watch the tach: 14,000 RPM. Can that be right? Last time I looked production motorcycle engines were turning 6 or maybe 7 thousand RPM. 14,000 RPM is way out there. The Japanese used to build racing engines that turned that fast, but I have never heard of a production engine doing it.They cost around $15,000.
