In the centenary year of Bonneville speed racing, Michelin sponsored rider and RAC patrolman Stuart Swift will be embarking on one of the biggest challenges of his life as he lines up with world class riders including James Toseland at the famous Bonneville Speedway looking to break the 250cc motorcycle world land speed record.
Riding an Aprilia RS250 fitted with Michelin Pilot Road 4 tyres, Stuart will need to beat the current record of just over 136mph held by fellow Brit Mark Jordan. To qualify for the record Stuart will have to ride faster than the current record three times, with an average speed of two runs over the three mile course then being taken to work out the final figure.
In the build up to his record attempt Stuart said:
“I’ve been interested in Bonneville since I was seven years old, but it wasn’t until I was thirteen that I got my first bike, a Honda ST50. This attempt will fulfill one of my lifelong dreams and I truly can’t wait to line up on the salt in August this year. I’ll be wearing number 58 in honour of one of my heroes, the late Marco Simoncelli 2008 250GP World Champion.”
Stuart has spent a number of years painstakingly researching and developing the Aprilia’s engine himself, being a firm believer that a record beating engine tune cannot simply be bought, hence the difficulty in breaking these records.
With the huge variation in grip levels on the unique Bonneville surface, the choice of tyre will play a crucial role which is why Stuart has opted for the new Pilot Road 4 which has been designed to offer optimum performance with excellent grip and stability over a variety of surfaces, whilst also being able to cope with the extreme heat that it will undoubtedly be subjected to. In places grip can be reduced to as little as 20% when compared with asphalt and riders transition from compact, hard salt to softer, looser patches.
It’s not long now until Stuart heads to Utah, and we all wish him the very best of luck!
