Wednesday 5th September 1962

Aircraft mechanic Joe Dudek brought his 17-foot-long, 667.25-cc Triumph Bonneville T120 streamliner to the Utah salt. Inspired by an X-15 rocket- plane and powered by a bored out T120 Bonneville engine, rider Bill Johnson piloted Dudek’s machine to a (gasoline-powered) record of 205 mph. The team then drained the gas from the bike, changed the carburetor jets and refueled with nitro methane and proceeded to set a new world motorcycle speed record of 224.57 mph — a record that stood (in the Streamlined, Altered Frame/Fuel class) until 1992. Unfortunately, the Dudek streamliner was destroyed in a fire in 1974.