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Guy Martin’s Bonneville land speed record attempt falters

Triumph LSR problems

Written by Ben Purvis , Date 1:26 PM

Poor conditions and bad luck have conspired to put a roadblock in Guy Martin’s attempt at the land speed record (LSR) in Bonneville.14324615_10153681030015518_7406001242603560625_o

The conditions of the salt on the legendary dry lake in Utah never quite became ideal for hitting the 400mph target. Instead they resulted in two minor mishaps that have temporarily put a halt to the effort.

First, the Triumph Infor Rocket streamlineris powered by two turbocharged Rocket III engines for more than 1000bhp in total. But it had a low-speed topple while under tow on Friday. The team said the bike “passed over a rut in the track which along with the soft surface caused the vehicle to fall onto its side.”

This problem wasn’t seen as a significant barrier. The team expla ined: “Guy is in great shape, the vehicle is undamaged and currently being re-prepped. We are also assessing whether the surface further up the track is suitable for a further run this afternoon.”

True to its word, the now-scuffed Rocket was soon back in action, only to suffer another accident.

14380096_989657601144558_527452590205781298_oAccording to a statement from the team: “Tricky course conditions at the legendary Bonneville Salt Flats have once again proved challenging during the latest stage of the Triumph Motorcycles Land Speed Record attempt. With clear sun and virtually no wind rider Guy Martin set off from mile marker 9 to record his FIM-required certification run.

“Setting off smoothly Guy was making good power in mile one when 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. Guy was completely uninjured in the incident, however the streamliner will now require a full inspection before any further runs can take place.”

The team’s next step will depend on the bike’s condition and whether the salt lake’s surface improves soon. The initial plan to attempt the record in 2015 was called off due to poor conditions. It’s not unusual for land speed record efforts to take several attempts over successive years before they’re successful.

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