The Triumph team have had a significant setback in their attempt to break the world motorcycle land speed record at the Bonneville salt flats in Utah.
The Triumph Infor Rocket Streamliner lost traction on a damp section of the salt surface, causing the rear of the machine to step out of line and the streamliner to go down on the course.
- Triumph Infor Rocket Streamliner falls over on course
- Guy Martin not injuried
- Streamliner now needs a full inspection before further runs
The incident occurred while rider Guy Martin was attempting to record his FIM-required certification run.
Under the FIM regulations, Guy is required to ride the motorcycle at 300 mph before being allowed to attempt to break the world record.
It’s the latest in a series of events that have hindered the record attempt in recent days.
For the past week Guy and the Triumph team have been patiently waiting for the right conditions on the salt.
And then just a couple of days ago as the machine was being towed out for a test run, it toppled over leaving scratches down the side of the streamliner.
Guy hasn’t been injured in either incident, but the streamliner will now require a full inspection before any further runs can take place.
Triumph Infor Rocket Streamliner designer Matt Markstaller says, “It’s one of the challenges of Land speed racing – the salt surface can be so unpredictable. We’ll fully inspect the streamliner and get ready for the next phase of our attempt.”
Guy Martin added: “It’s all part the job boy, isn’t it? Feeling our way. I guess if it was an easy thing to do everyone would have done it by now. So we’ll get a plan sorted and get on with the next go at it as soon as we get the chance.”