Drag bikes – going for the record
This September, Ian King is going for a new FIM world record: the “fastest motorcycle outside of the USA from a standing start”.
Ian’s no stranger to the smell of burning rubber; his custom bike regularly tears up the track with an acceleration which rivals a fighter jet. He already holds a number of British and European official records.
His current machine is the world’s most advanced of its kind. This is a bike that, from a standing start, will leave Formula 1 cars and fighter jets in the dust of its fat 14 inch rear tyre. It roars with a purpose-built, supercharged 1,584cc Puma engine. To accelerate from zero to 60mph, it takes just 0.7 seconds.
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- Purpose-built Puma engine
- 1584cc inline 4 cylinder
- Superchargers force more than 430 litres of air and fuel into the engine every second
- Approx. 1,500hp
- 14 inch wide rear tyre
- 0 – 60mph: 0.7 seconds
- 0 – 100mph: 1.1 seconds
- 0 – 250mph: less than 5.9 seconds
- Approx. 50% more powerful than a formula one car
The record attempt will take place at the Straightliners Top Speed event on 17-18 September. The weekend will see a variety of teams attempt to conquer National, European and World land speed records of all types in both motorcycles and four-wheeled vehicles.
The Straightliners Top Speed event takes place on September 17-18 (1030-1700) at Elvington Airfield, North Yorkshire. For more information, visit the website.
Read more: Guy Martin to attempt land speed record with Triumph
Images by Ivan Sansom, Rose Hughes
