New FIM Land Speed World Records set at Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials
The Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials (BMST) – part of the FIM Land Speed World Records (LSWR) discipline – concluded on Thursday (28 August) following a six-day stay on the world-famous Bonneville Salt Flats in the American state of Utah.
Four FIM Land Speed World Records set on world-famous Bonneville Salt Flats
Adverse weather conditions halt Chris Rivas’ attempt on FIM-accredited absolute Land Speed World Record
Lisa Cipolla from Washington State crowned ‘world’s fastest librarian’
Out of all the disciplines on the FIM calendar, LSWR is possibly the most weather-dependant and intermittent rain, unpredictable temperatures and occasional strong winds conspired to limit the number of new FIM World Records that were set during the course of the event and forced the cancellation of Monday’s entire program due to standing water on the eight-kilometer access road.
However, while the conditions ensured that the FIM-accredited absolute Land Speed World Record could not be attempted, four new FIM World Records – that are currently subject to official ratification – were set by three daring riders.
The BMST is based around two courses – the Mountain Track and the longer International Track – and although rainfall was relatively light and irregular during the week, there was not always sufficient sun to dry pooling water which forced the closure of the International Track for safety reasons for parts of the event and for the entire final day.
This meant that without the essential long run-up and slow-down sections, the fastest machines – including Denis Manning’s BUB Seven Streamliner that Chris Rivas was aiming to break the FIM-accredited absolute Land Speed World Record of 376.156mph (605.697km/h) in – were unable to even attempt to reach record-breaking speeds.
Despite the disappointment, Rivas – a champion Drag Racer – remained philosophical.
“The goal, maybe not at the end of this week, but at the end of this project is 400mph,” he said. “Nobody is in a big push because safety is first so we’re not going to rush anything and, as you can see, everybody is pretty laid back, but very focused.”
However, the action on the Mountain Track came thick and fast and the first new FIM World Record was set on Tuesday morning by Liane Langlois, a fifty-year-old HR Manager from Alberta, Canada.
All record categories are gender-neutral and determined by the method by which the motorcycle is propelled, body kit, power source, capacity and number of cylinders.
Riders are measured over both a timed mile and a timed kilometre and after their initial down run they have two hours to complete a return run with the times combined and an average calculated to determine the official speed and Langlois piloted her unfaired, three-cylinder 2012 JKR Powersports 2295cc Triumph Rocket 111 Roadster with weighted sidecar to an FIM World Record of 136.331mph (219.404km/h) over the timed kilometre.
“It’s pretty cool,” said Langlois, who has been a BMST regular since 2014. “We did a shakedown pass a couple of days ago and I ran 130mph and it felt bumpy, but my down run today felt better. On my return run I wasn’t feeling a lot of traction, but I managed to keep it above 135mph for the world record. I’m really excited.”
Dale Zlock, who together with his brother Dan owns Zlock Racing LCC, has been travelling to Bonneville Salt Flats from his home in Washington State since 2014 and holds multiple FIM World Records.
On Tuesday, racing his partially streamlined, twin-cylinder 2004 Zlock Racing LCC 600cc Suzuki SV, the sixty-nine-year-old achieved a top speed of 151.100mph (243.172km/h) over the timed kilometre to break his own FIM World Record by an impressive 22.681mph (36.501km/h).
“The bike worked just as I had envisioned it would,” he said. “You go through the gears and get it up to sixth. I know it won’t pull all the way to the red line in sixth until you turn on the nitrous, so when you hit sixth and the revs drop you hit the NOS. It kicks in and you can really feel it. We got the gearing spot on because it pulled all the way up to my power peak and just stayed there. It’s not my first record, but it feels pretty good.”
The final two FIM World Records were achieved by fifty-six-year-old Lisa Cipolla, a Youth Services Librarian from Washington State on her four-cylinder 2012 Zlock Racing LCC 600cc Kawasaki ZX6R.
On Tuesday she set a new FIM World Record with a top speed of 146.799mph (236.251km/h) over the timed kilometre with her machine partially streamlined before returning the next day, removing her bodywork and achieving an unfaired FIM World Record of 135.466mph (217.979km/h) over the timed kilometre.
“It always feels magnificent on the salt, but I was very nervous [on Tuesday],” she said. “It felt so good on the down run, but on the return run it didn’t feel as settled on the salt – I don’t know if the wind had picked up – so I was trying to feather the throttle. I really, really wanted 160mph, but that’s okay.
“I like doing new stuff and I’ve never ridden an unfaired bike so I didn’t know how the wind would affect me, but the down run was so much fun, except I messed up and shifted up into fifth when I didn’t have the RPMs. On the return run I did better because I just left it in fourth gear and got it up to 13,000rpm by the time I hit the measured mile.
“The faired bikes are like riding a bullet, but this was much more like riding a motorcycle. We’re already planning to come next year with a naked bike and nitrous!”
With competitors traveling from as far away as Japan and Australia to race, but unable to set new FIM World Records due to the unfavorable conditions, a despondent atmosphere might have been expected in the paddock. However, nothing could have been further from the truth and the unique ‘spirit of Bonneville’ was perfectly summed up by Michael Garcia who had made the long journey from Alaska to race.
Garcia holds two FIM World Records – including one set in Bolivia that stands at 265.037mph. He had travelled to Utah intent on breaking Jamie Williams’ FIM World Record of 226.667 (364.785km/h) for a partially streamlined, multi-cylinder 2000cc machine with his Garcia/Sims Racing Suzuki Hayabusa, but was thwarted by the closure of the International Track.
“It’s a passion, I just love to do it,” he said. “We couldn’t run on the long course because of weather conditions, but you take what you can get and race on the track that you can and count yourself blessed that you can at least go racing.”
ABOUT THE FIM (www.fim-moto.com)
The FIM (Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme) founded in 1904, is the governing body for motorcycle sport and the global advocate for motorcycling. The FIM is an independent association formed by 123 National Federations throughout the world. It is recognised as the sole competent authority in motorcycle sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Among its 50 FIM World Championships the main events are MotoGP, Superbike, Endurance, Motocross, Supercross, SuperMoto,Trial, Enduro, Cross-Country, Speedway and E-Bikes. Furthermore, the FIM is also active and involved in the following areas: public affairs, road safety, touring and protection of the environment. The FIM was the first international sports federation to impose an Environmental Code in 1994.
