Back in September, we covered Project 100 and ex-TT racer Guy Martin’s latest to-do: being shoved into the marriage of a 30-foot streamliner with the 50-year old turbine engine of a Rolls Royce Gem helicopter (christened the “52 Express”), in the name of speed.
Any day with a two-wheeler chasing the rising sun is a run-of-the-mill day for Martin, to be sure – but the exciting part is that this bloke is willing to be chucked into a new world land speed record.
400km/h, to be precise.
The report from TopSpeed states that the goal is still on track, with the team raising the speed of the machine in minute increments to guarantee everything is in good working order.
“Day one of the test saw the machine run at 90mph, allowing it to lift off its stabilizers and run on two wheels for the first time and allowing the team to dial-in braking distances & establish baseline readings, whilst carrying out a number of systems and safety checks,” the report comments.
“On day two, the speed was upped to 150mph, which might sound underwhelming, but in this game, it is all about incremental increases to make sure that the team have got their sums right and that safety can be guaranteed at every step.”
The all-telling date will be 2023 where, in the Uyuni desert of Bolivia, Martin and Project 100 plan on hitting a minimum of 400km/h, beating the current record, which stands at 376.363mph, set by Rocky Robinson in his Ack Attack machine on the Bonneville salt flats back in 2010.
We will keep you updated as we hear more from the team’s tests back at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire. In the meantime, be sure to hit up Project 100’s social media platform for the latest on the 52 Express, as well as brush up on other motorcycle records from our archives (here’s one on water).
Grab a coffee, check out the photo gallery below, drop a comment, and as always – stay safe on the twisties.
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