Rocket Man Has Record In His Sights

A ROCKET-powered motorcycle will attempt to beat the British land- speed record next month before trying to break the world motorcycle land- speed record next year.

The Gillette Mach 3 Challenger (pictured above), ridden by Richard Brown, is powered by three rocket engines which develop more than 6,000bhp - more power than the combined bhp of a circuit full of racing superbikes.

A 26ft-long two-wheeled missile more than a conventional motorcycle, the Challenger is aiming to beat the British land-speed record (any vehicle) of 259mph, currently held by Richard Noble's Thrust 2. The British motorcycle record is 209mph, held by Mike Grainger riding a Kawasaki. Brown is aiming to beat their records, and exceed 300mph, at the Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire on 13 October. If successful, he will then try to break American Dave Campos's world motorcycle speed record of 332mph.