Allen Millyard and Henry Cole have set a new land speed record for a tandem motorcycle 12 years after the previous record was set.
Millyard and Cole’s new land speed record for a tandem motorcycle was set at 183.50mph - or 295.31kph - as certified by Guinness World Records, with Millyard as pilot and Cole as passenger on the 3km-long runway of the Elvington Airfield in North Yorkshire.
The British pair’s record beat that of the American duo of Erin Hunter and Andy Sills at the famous Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah back in 2011.
The motorcycle of choice for Millyard and Cole was Millyard’s own Viper V10, featuring the 8-litre V10 from a Dodge Viper which produces over 500hp. Although this is over twice as much power as a modern production supersports bike, the Viper also weighs over 600kg (630kg to be precise), which is more than three-times that of modern supersports bikes.
Allen Millyard said: “It felt ridiculously fast. Top marks to Henry for agreeing to do it. He showed complete confidence in my riding ability and my hand-built motorcycle, which is really flattering. And I knew he’d be a reliable pillion and wouldn’t panic, which could destabilise the bike, with disastrous consequences at high speed.”
Henry Cole added: “I didn’t really think we’d do it, but thanks to Allen and the bike he built in a little garage near Reading, we’re world record holders! It’s the biggest rush you’ll ever have!”
Millyard and Cole are not finished with their attempts just because the record has been set, though: their next challenge is breaking the 200mph mark.
