UNITED KINGDOM: BRITISH TEAM LAUNCHES ATTEMPT FOR WORLD SPEED RECORD IN MOTORCYCLING.

Record ID: 336981

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: BRITISH TEAM LAUNCHES ATTEMPT FOR WORLD SPEED RECORD IN MOTORCYCLING.
  • Date: 18th July 1986
  • Summary: 1. SV ZOOM TO Union Jack flag being lifted off the motorbike. 0.18 2. CU PULL BACK TO GV & SV Motorbike and press, Nick Collis speaking. (English SOT) (3 SHOTS) 0.32 3. SV Collis speaking. (English SOT) 0.47 TRANSCRIPT: COLLIS: (SEQ 2) "The Americans have held this record for the last 30 years, which is clearly a situation which has got to be rectified. We actually do now hold the four wheel record, we've now got the Blue Riband back ... now why not that two wheel record?" TRANSCRIPT: COLLIS: (SEQ 3) "These rockets have already been developed, they've never been used in a motorcycle of this nature before. There's no reason why we can't get the record, we've got the best designer in the world, we've got all the technology over here and we will do it." InitialsMK/JS SPORT: MOTORCYCLING Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 2nd August 1986 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA4YWJNMTAHEBVC8R2665LIN00O
  • Story Text: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

    A British motorcycling team held a reception in London on July 18 to mark the beginning of an attempt to bring another world speed record back to Britain. Following in the footsteps of Richard Branson, whose Virgin Challenger speed boat recently crossed the Atlantic in record breaking time to wrest the Blue Riband speed prize from the United States, a group of young Britons hope to win back the world two wheel land speed record. At the London reception, they displayed the machine on which their hopes rest -- a rocket powered motorcycle which can accelerate rapidly to a speed close to 640 kilometres (400 miles) per hour. Rider Nick Collis and designer John Akroyd were confident that their bid for the record -- termed Project Hawk -- will be successful. Collis hopes that the rocket powered machine will propel him to the coveted title of fastest motorcycle racer in the world -- a title held since 1978 by Don Vesco of the United States. Collis expressed confidence in Project Hawk, saying it had the best designer and all the technology needed for record breaking speed. No date for the record attempt has been set yet, but the team is confident they can attract the sponsors necessary for a record bid.

    <strong>Source: REUTERS - LEO WALLER</strong>
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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