Lightning Motors sets electric motorcycle world land speed record at Bonneville
* September 1st, 2010
BREAKING: This week the Lightning Motors team is on the Bonneville Salt Flats for the yearly time trials, and on their first time run, with a speed of 162 miles/hr, they have set the AMA and FIM land speed record for electric motorcycles. They are making this speed attempt fresh from winning the TTXGP North American series two weeks ago at Virginia International Raceway.
Last year in a time trial event organized by the Southern California Timing Association they achieved a 166 miles/hr speed record. This time around it is AMA and FIM accredited.
According to Richard Hatfield, team owner, in a telephone conversation last night, the speed record was set on their first day on the salt, with the bike still configured for the recent TTXGP road race. During that race they were clocked with a highest speed of 134 miles/hr. To reach the higher 162 miles/hr speed they changed only the gearing ratio (rear sprocket). Their rider is Paul Thede, of Race Tech, and author of the Motorcycle Suspension Bible. They have a couple more days on the salt, and may soon set an even higher speed.
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