Triumph Land-Speed Record Motorcycles
Last year at New York City’s Progressive International Motorcycle Show, Indian featured its 1920 Indian Scout Munro Special, the bike the famed Burt Munro set the world’s land speed record on at Bonneville in 1967.
And at this year’s show, two more of these streamlined land-speed setters will be at the NYC IMS, though these two arrive from Triumph. The bikes on display will be the Gyronaut X-1 and the Castrol Rocket, which were each hand built with twin Triumph engines for setting world land speed records at the renowned Bonneville Salt Flats.
The Gyronaut X-1 is one historical ride; it first set the motorcycle land speed record in 1965 at 212.689 mph. It’s 1966 record at 245.667 mph stood until 1970, and is the last Triumph motorcycle to hold the ultimate motorcycle land speed record.
The new one on display will be the Castrol Rocket, which is powered by two turbocharged Triumph Rocket III engines for 1000 horsepower. These engines were built by Berlin, New Jersey’s Carpenter Racing. Built like an airplane without wings, the 25.5’ long Castrol Rocket will attempt to surpass the current motorcycle land speed record of 376.363mph and be the first motorcycle to surpass 400mph, Triumph says.
Besides the Triumph streamliners, 2011 Daytona 200 winner Jason Disalvo – who pilots the Castrol Rocket – will be on hand to meet and greet fans.
New York City IMS takes place Dec. 13 – 15 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
For more information on these two streamliners, visit Castrol Rocket or Gyronaut X-1.
