Difference between revisions of "Motorcycle land speed record"

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The holder of the absolute record for motorcycles is the "fastest man on two wheels".  All such records have been with [[piston-engine]] machines.
 
The holder of the absolute record for motorcycles is the "fastest man on two wheels".  All such records have been with [[piston-engine]] machines.
  
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|1935|| [[Frankfurt]], [[Germany]] ||  [[Ernst Jakob Henne]] ||  BMW  ||736
 
|1935|| [[Frankfurt]], [[Germany]] ||  [[Ernst Jakob Henne]] ||  BMW  ||736
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|159.01|| 256.046 || Tragatsch, caption p.304, credits this run as 256.06 with a [[supercharging|supercharged]] 746 cc, while on the same page listing a table with displacement for the '32-'35 BMWs as 735 cc, and as 495 cc in 1936, rather than 493 cc. 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 was a 493 cc [[DOHC|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 [[BMW R63|R63]] model had been fitted with a positive displacement blower...}}
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|159.01|| 256.046 ||  First record over 250 km/h (155 mph)
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||  First record over 250 km/h (155 mph)
 
 
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|1936|| Frankfurt, Germany ||  [[Ernst Jakob Henne]] ||  BMW  ||493
 
|1936|| Frankfurt, Germany ||  [[Ernst Jakob Henne]] ||  BMW  ||493
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|1978 || Bonneville, USA || Don Vesco  || [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries|Kawasaki]]  || 2030
 
|1978 || Bonneville, USA || Don Vesco  || [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries|Kawasaki]]  || 2030
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|318.598 || 509.757|| Turbocharged<br/>First record over 300 mph (480 km/h)  twin-engined<ref name="Hennekam"/>
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|318.598 || 509.757|| Turbocharged<br/>First record over 300 mph (480 km/h)  twin-engined  
 
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|1990 || Bonneville, USA || [[Dave Campos]]  {{flagiconUSA}}  || Ruxton Harley-Davidson || 3000
 
|1990 || Bonneville, USA || [[Dave Campos]]  {{flagiconUSA}}  || Ruxton Harley-Davidson || 3000

Latest revision as of 10:29, 25 July 2009


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.

First set, unofficially, by Glenn Curtiss in 1903, the first officially-sanctioned FIM record was not set until 1920. There was controversy over the 1930 record, when OEC claimed to be fastest, on the basis of a publicity photo taken before a Zenith went quicker. "It was quite a while before the controversy died down."


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 526.277mi/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.


Piston-engine bike

The holder of the absolute record for motorcycles is the "fastest man on two wheels". All such records have been with piston-engine machines.

Date Location Driver Make Engine
(displacement in cc) 		Speed Comments
mph km/h
1903 Yonkers, New York Glenn Curtiss 22px-Flag of the United States.png Curtiss 1000 64 103 over the mile, first (unofficial) World Speed Record, Hercules V-twin
January 24, 1907 Ormond Beach, Florida Glenn Curtiss 22px-Flag of the United States.png Curtiss 4000 136.27 219.31 Unofficial record stood over 20 years
1920 Daytona Beach, USA Gene Walker Indian 994 104.12 165.67
1923 Brooklands, GB Bert le Vack Temple-Anzani 996 108.41 174.58
1924 Arpajon, Fr Bert le Vack Brough Superior 998 118.98 191.59
1926 Arpajon, Fr Claude Temple OEC-Temple 996 121.3 195.33
1928 Arpajon, Fr Oliver M. Baldwin Zenith-JAP 996 124.55 200.56
1929 Arpajon, Fr Bert Le Vack OEC-Temple 994 128.75 207.33
1930 Arpajon, Fr Joe Wright Indian 994 137.23 220.99 First official record to exceed Curtiss' pioneering effort
1930 Ingolstadt, Germany Ernst Jakob Henne BMW 735 137.58 221.54
1930 Cork, Ireland Joe Wright Zenith-JAP 998 150.65 242.59
1932 Tat, Hungary Ernst Jakob Henne BMW 736 151.77 244.40
1934 Gyon, Hungary Ernst Jakob Henne BMW 736 152.81 246.069
1935 Frankfurt, Germany Ernst Jakob Henne BMW 736 159.01 256.046 First record over 250 km/h (155 mph)
1936 Frankfurt, Germany Ernst Jakob Henne BMW 493 168.92 272.006
1937 Gyon, Hungary Eric Fernihough Brough Superior 995 169.68 273.244 Fernihough was killed in a 1938 attempt JAP supercharged
1937 Brescia, Italy Piero Taruffi 3dflagsdotcom italy2bs.gif Gilera 492 170.27 274.181 Supercharged four-cylinder. Taruffi famous as Grand Prix driver.
1937 Frankfurt, Germany Ernst Jakob Henne BMW 495 173.68 279.503 Last prewar record
1951 Frankfurt, Germany Wilhelm Herz 22px-Flag of Germany.png NSU 499 180.29 290.322 First postwar record
1955 Swannanoa, New Zealand Russell Wright Vincent-HRD 998 184.83 297.6406
1956 Bonneville, USA John Allen Triumph 649 193.730 311.778
1956 Bonneville, USA Wilhelm Herz NSU streamliner 499 211.4 338.092 First record over 200 mph (320 km/h)
1956 Bonneville, USA Johnny Allen Triumph 649 214.5 345.188 Unratified by FIM
1962 Bonneville, USA Bill Johnson Triumph 649 224.57 361.41
1966 Bonneville, USA Bob Leppan Gyronaut X-1 1298 245.60 395.28 Triumph Special twin-engined
1970 Bonneville, USA Don Vesco 22px-Flag of the United States.png Yamaha 700 251.66 405.25 Turbocharged twin-engined
First record over 250 mph (400 km/h)
1970 Bonneville, USA Cal Rayborn 22px-Flag of the United States.png Harley-Davidson 1480 254.84 410.37 twin-engined
1975 Bonneville, USA Cal Rayborn Harley-Davidson 1480 265.49 426.40 twin-engined
1978 Bonneville, USA Don Vesco Kawasaki 2030 318.598 509.757 Turbocharged
First record over 300 mph (480 km/h) twin-engined
1990 Bonneville, USA Dave Campos 22px-Flag of the United States.png Ruxton Harley-Davidson 3000 322.150 518.450 twin-engined
3 September 2006 Bonneville, USA Rocky Robinson 22px-Flag of the United States.png Top Oil-Ack Attack streamliner 2600 342.797 551.678 twin Suzuki engines
5 September 2006 Bonneville, USA Chris Carr 22px-Flag of the United States.png BUB - Lucky 7 streamliner 2997 350.884 564.693 BUB/Sierra Design V4
26 September 2008 Bonneville, USA Rocky Robinson 22px-Flag of the United States.png Top Oil-Ack Attack streamliner 2600 360.913 580.833 twin Suzuki engines

See also



Extremes of Speed
Land speed record · Fastest Production Road Car · Fastest Cars by Acceleration · Motorcycle Land Speed Record · List of vehicle speed records · Wheel-driven land speed record
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