In the serene morning 0r
in the dead of night, suddenly a group of bikers would speed down in Beach road
racing amongst themselves sending shivers on the spine … it is mad mad
driving - Herbert James "Burt" Munro, at the
age of 68 riding a 47 year old machine set an under-1,000 cc world record, at Bonneville
in 1967. In mid 1970s and 1980s, when
we gazed at motorcycles, a sudden shriek will garner everyone’s attention – a
motorcycle whizzing past in the not so crowded beach road ….those informed will
tell that it is someone preparing to drive at racetrack in Sholavaram – the
vehicle would look funny, devoid of any extra fittings, head light housing
removed, no mudguards and even no kick-starter – would require a push start
………….. and DD would show live those races …life has changed fast !!
The motorcycle land speed
record is the fastest speed achieved by a motorcycle on land. It is
standardized as the speed over a course of fixed length, averaged over two runs
in opposite directions. These are special or modified motorcycles, distinct
from the fastest production motorcycles.
In Oct 2014, an IT analyst set a new record by going 264mph on her
modified bike - she was - amateur racer
Becci Ellis, 46. The world's fastest
woman was revealed to be a British mother-of-two who smashed the land
speed record by going 264mph on a motorbike her husband built.
The 46-year-old has been
riding motorbikes since she was a youngster and says it give her an adrenalin
rush. Her husband Mick spent the last two years tweaking the 1300cc bike and
developing a one-of-a-kind turbo system so his wife can reach break-neck
speeds. Mrs Ellis blasted down the mile-long course at Elvington airfield in
North Yorkshire on her beloved 500bhp Suzuki Hayabusa bike at 264.1mph,
destroying American rider Jennifer Robertson's existing record of 243.6mph. The
lightning-quick speed is the equivalent of traveling at a 118 metres a second
and it took her just over 20 seconds to complete the course.
Now Becci Ellis is in news
again ~this time not by breaking any record – but surviving motorbike crash at
an incredible 254mph after she is hit by gust of wind while trying to break her
own speed record.
The world's fastest female
biker cheated death after crashing her bike at over 200mph in front of
horrified motorsport fans.Becci Ellis, 46, was trying to beat her own speed
record and had reached 254mph when her 1300cc superbike was hit by a gust of
wind and veered off the track.Spectators - including husband Mick - watched as
the turbo-powered Suzuki Hayabusa swerved onto the grass and careered out of
control for a quarter of a mile before the mother-of-two was violently thrown
off.
Thanks to armour-plating
inside her racing suit, the IT analyst escaped with just a broken ankle, severe
bruising and whiplash.MailOnline reports further that she was able to leave
hospital within eight hours to watch the motorcycle competition continue at
Elvington airfield in North Yorkshire.Recuperating at her home in Scunthorpe,
Mrs Ellis said: ‘I had just gone through the speed gate at 254mph when the wind
caught me. I was still doing around 220 and it made me sit up in the saddle and
in less than a second the bike hadgot onto the grass.‘It was a very bumpy ride
- and I knew it was going to end in pain. I managed to keep the bike upright
but I was still doing around 90mph when the bike finally dug into the dirt and
spat me off. I landed on my front and blacked out briefly but the paramedics
were there very quickly.‘When they got to me I saw that Mick was looking a bit
grey - it must have been very worrying for people watching but my armor under
my leathers saved me from a lot more serious injuries.It was decided that
because of the high speed of the impact I should go to casualty so they called
the air ambulance which meant I was in Leeds hospital fifteen minutes after the
crash.
Mrs Ellis added - ‘Other
women are still trying to beat me but we made such a leap with the performance
of my bike that it will be a long time before anyone goes faster’ ! Strange are the
ways of people.
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
24th Aug 2015.
