Speedster adds weight to Utah race record attempt

IAIN McGREGOR/Waikato Times

TESTING TIME: Alan Thoresen races his modified motorbike at Hamilton Airport in preparation for Bonneville Speed Week next month.

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Hamilton speedster Alan Thoresen is back for more he is about to make another attempt at a 320km/h motorcycle land speed record.

Thoresen raced for the first time at Bonneville in the US last year but speed wobbles forced him out of contention when his bike, Black Thunder, slid out on the Utah salt at 300km/h.

Yesterday Thoresen tested the modified 1352cc Kawasaki ZX-14 bike at Hamilton Airport and said its handling had improved after extra weight 35kg had been added to the back of the bike into the swinging arm. "Last year we had a situation where we get to about 180mph on the salt and the bike would just wheelspin, I couldn't get traction."

Yesterday's test was to find out how the bike would handle at different speeds with the extra weight. "We ran it up to 300km/h but we're still being cautious and we never actually got it to top gear."

At 9.7km the Bonneville course will allow the bike to "wind up" more.

Bonneville Speed Week starts August 17.

- © Fairfax NZ News