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August 04, 2010

Witney man attempts motorcycle land speed record

A man from Witney will travel to The Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, in an attempt to break a motorcycle land speed record.

Barry Beadle, 48, will be making the attempt on his Suzuki Hayabusa against 133 other competitors. He is the only British rider challenging to beat the 247 mph record.

Mr Beadle told the BBC that his local team spent five years on the expensive project.

 "It is exhilarating," he said. "You have to have a very healthy respect of what is going on and the power of that machine or it will trip you up."

Big challenge

Finding similar conditions to practice in the UK has been a challenge, with Mr Beadle's personal best standing at 213mph (342.7km/h) after a test run at an airfield in Elvington, Yorkshire. "We were trying to go as fast as we could on runways in this country but even with pretty good brakes we ran out of space. "We've got five miles minimum over there so that's why I wanted to do it, and to do it on the most famous track in the world as well."

The Bonneville Salt Flats are at an altitude of over 4000ft (1219.2m) above sea level and stretch across 30,000 acres of northwestern Utah. With temperatures rising to 42C (107.6F) and lower oxygen levels, the location will pose a big challenge for the team at Eagle Motorcycle Services in Witney. Mr Beadle's daughter Erin will assist the pit crew, whilst wife Tracy organises the logistics. "There is quite a significant amount of practice time on the salt beforehand," he explained. "It's something I have to do to actually to gain a license to be able to compete."

Lifelong dream

Mr Beadle's team have heavily adapted the motorcycle that he will ride in the Modified Partially Streamlined Blown Fuel event (MTS/BF) for engines of less than 1350cc. Its power has been increased from 176 bhp to 500 bhp, two and a half times that of a normal motorcycle. The vehicle has been subject to engine strengthening, had a large turbo charger added and also chassis alterations to lower and stabilise the bike.

The current record holder is Scott Guthrie, but Mr Beadle will be living out a lifelong dream as he attempts to break it. "I've always been a bit of an adrenaline junkie, and I've always loved speed, power and motorcycles in particular, so it has all come together," he said. The salt pan is the location of Sir Malcolm Campbell's land speed record aboard his Blue Bird in 1935. In 1960 his son Donald Campbell tried and failed to beat the then record on the same site. New Zealander Burt Munro set the under-1000cc world record there in 1967 on his Indian motorcycle. The attempt was later immortalised in the Anthony Hopkins film The World's Fastest Indian.

BBC News