The Triumph Infor Rocket Streamliner has become the world’s fastest ever Triumph by achieving a speed of 274.2mph, or 441.282kmph, at the Bonneville Salt Flats on 8 August, 2016. Piloted by TT legend Guy Martin, the streamliner smashed the previous official Triumph record that stood at 245.667 mph as well as the unofficial Triumph Record of 264mph, both set by Bob Leppan, in the Gyronaut X-1. Near perfect conditions greeted the team on the final day of the team’s land speed practice week. With confidence high after a successful number of days running on the salt at Bonneville the team’s goal for the day with the Triumph Infor Rocket Streamliner was the Triumph record. Just after 8:30am Guy Martin and the team set off on the first run of the day, after a steady start, Martin accelerated the sleek looking streamliner to a staggering 441.282 kmph, rewriting Triumph history in the process. Just after the two mile marker Martin came to a controlled stop near to the team’s base camp to be greeted by the news that he had broken the 46 year old Triumph record.When asked about becoming the fastest ever Triumph record holder Martin commented, “It’s good and we are moving in the right direction, but it is just one step on the way to what me and team are here to do.”
The Triumph Infor Rocket features a carbon Kevlar monocoque construction with two turbocharged Triumph Rocket III engines producing a combined 1,000bhp at 9,000 rpm. The motorcycle is 25.5 feet long, 2 feet wide and 3 feet tall. Powered by methanol fuel, the bike is competing in the Division C (streamlined motorcycle) category. Triumph has a history of breaking the land speed record, holding the title of ‘World’s Fastest Motorcycle’ between 1955 to 1970. The record-breaking Triumph Streamliners included: Devil’s Arrow, Texas Cee-gar, Dudek Streamliner and Gyronaut X1, the former achieving a top speed of 395.28 kmph. Today’s record, held by Rocky Robinson since 2010 riding the Top Oil-Ack Attack streamliner, sits at 605.697 kmph.