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Apr 26

British engineers will try to break the 376.3mph motorcycle record in a 30-ft-long vehicle

By General Posts

by Ian Randall from https://www.dailymail.co.uk

Guy Martin will attempt to break the 376.3 mph motorcycle speed record in a 30-ft-long vehicle incorporating a Rolls Royce engine used in helicopters

  • British engineer and ex-bike racer Alex Macfadzean, 77, and his team designed the new ‘streamliner’ bike
  • Racer turned TV presenter Guy Martin will make the record-breaking attempt in Bolivia next year
  • Britain last held the motorcycle land-speed record in 1937 after Eric Fernihough broke 169.72 mph
  • But Italy’s Piero Taruffi took the title by an extra 3.31mph in the October of 1937 and the title has changed hands amongst Germans, Italians and Americans since

A 30ft-long vehicle sporting a Rolls Royce engine normally used in helicopters will attempt to reclaim the motorcycle land speed record for Britain.

Engineer and ex-racer Alex Macfadzean, 77, and his team designed the ‘streamliner’ bike which will make its record attempt next year at the Uyuni Salt Flat in Bolivia.

Behind the wheel will be motorcycle racer turned TV presenter Guy Martin, who will attempt to beat the current record of 376.3mph and cross the 400mph threshold.

To try to advance the record, Mr Martin will run the new streamliner on a mile-long course twice in opposite directions, as per official land-speed record rules.

The bike’s 1,200 shaft horsepower Rolls Royce engine is the same found within the Westland Lynx helicopter once employed by the British Army and the Royal Navy.

The first official motorcycle land-speed record was set in 1920 by the American racer Gene Walker 103.5mph, building on unofficial efforts dating back to 1903.

Britain last held the record for six months in 1937 after Eric Fernihough broke 169.72mph on his Brough Superior-JAP.

But Italy’s Piero Taruffi took the title by an extra 3.31mph in the October of 1937.

The title has changed hands amongst Germans, Italians and Americans ever since.

At present, the motorcycle land-speed record is held by American racer Rocky Robinson, who claimed his title at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in 2010.

‘It is a great target and just one of those things I have to do,’ Mr Macfadzean told the Telegraph.

‘I was asked recently where the line was between commitment and obsession.

‘I laughed, because I couldn’t say.

‘I guess I have always been too obsessed to have noticed.’

Mr Macfadzean has worked with engine builders for Formula One and Moto GP racing, and designed the vehicle that broke the 200 mph threshold in the British motorcycle land-speed record back in 1991.

A decade later, he also aided US driver Don Vesco who set a four-wheeled speed record of 458.4mph in the ‘Turbinator’ — a car which, like Mr Macfadzean’s streamliner bike, was also equipped with a helicopter engine under the hood.

For their streamliner — which began construction in 2008, and is still being refined — Mr Macfadzean acquired a Westland Lynx engine from military surplus.

Before Mr Martin takes his shot at breaking the motorcycle land-speed record, the new streamliner will first be assessed both on the road and in a wind tunnel in order to refine its aerodynamic design, which was inspired by RAF Tornado aircraft.

Following this, the bike will undergo relatively ‘low-speed’ tests at 200mph on a former RAF airfield.

Mr Martin is no stranger to record-breaking rides.

In 2016, he reached 274.2 mph on a specially-designed Triumph — the highest speed ever achieved by the British motorcycle manufacturer.

Nov 18

Video: TMC Dumont is a 300hp motorcycle fitted with a Rolls-Royce aircraft engine

By General Posts

by Jahla Seppanen from https://www.themanual.com

When you’re a retired Formula One driver, what else can you do in your free time except build mind-bending concept motorcycles? In the case of Tarso Marques of Brazil, that’s exactly what he’s doing with the insane TMC Dumont motorcycle.

Yes, it’s still a concept so, no, you can’t drive it yet. In fact, you might be wondering how it even works because the construction shouldn’t make sense in real life.

This hub-less bike swaps a traditional car engine for a 1960s Rolls-Royce aircraft engine, creating an absolutely sick design with a body aesthetic that is futuristic, svelt, and should definitely be in the next 007 movie.

Anatomically, the aircraft engine is positioned where a standard motorcycle engine and fuel tank would be, but takes up an enormous amount of space. Basically, as much as a full frame, radiator —the works. The massive 36-inch wheels are essentially spoke-less and completely open in the center, so with the 300-horsepower engine, we’re hoping the brake disk and caliper have something to hold on to … because we can’t see it.

Based on the low-riding profile of the seat and engine, it’s questionable how the bike could sit above the ground, but it does. At least, the concept does. Just pray for a road without speed bumps.

Some motorcycle enthusiasts have questioned the safety and turning abilities that would result from having the back “wheel” so close to the rider — hello, wedgie or mega backside tire burn — and have called the bike “impractical.” That being said, TMC Dumont drove away with the “Best of Show” award at the 2018 Daytona Bike Week.

This isn’t the first time a motorcycle fanatic has strapped an airplane engine to their hog. Back in 2013, the Red Baron bike featured the 150-horsepower, nine-cylinder Rotec Radial engine used in WWI-era planes. However, in terms of pure looks, we’ve never seen anything like TMC Dumont. The motorcycle has been compared to everything from a piece of art to a Tron bike — ultra-sleek, and record-breaking.

Previewing the other passion projects Marques is developing with his brand Tarso Marques Concepts makes us mildly jealous, somewhat shook, and overall excited to finally get back out on a bike.