The Record-Shattering Stunt That Gave The Triumph Bonneville Its Name

The Bonneville Salt Flats are home to the craziest race you may never have heard of. It's 30,000 acres of salt in Utah left behind when a lake dried up and has been a proving ground for the world's fastest vehicles on land for nearly a century. It's the perfect environment for pushing limits, as evidenced by the Thrust SSC breaking the sound barrier at a speed of just over 763 mph there. But it's not only cars that set records at the Bonneville Salt Flats — motorcycles have also performed incredible feats, led by British bike brand Triumph.

In 1954, rider Jack Dale attempted to break the motorcycle speed record on his Triumph Thunderbird. He was so dedicated to this endeavor that he wore only swim trunks in hopes of improving his aerodynamics. The following year, Johnny Allen set a record of 193 mph in a 15-foot-long motorcycle developed by Triumph called the Devil's Arrow. This record was beaten by a German motorcycle team a few months later, prompting Triumph's team to return to the Salt Flats in an attempt to earn back the title of the world's fastest motorcycle.

The Triumph team had no problem taking it back. The Texas Cee-Gar team, led by Johnny Allen, reached 214 mph in 1956, a record that lasted for six years. In honor of the Cee-Gar team's incredible performance, Triumph introduced a bike in 1958 called the Triumph T120 Bonneville. It was first shown at the Earls Court Bike Show and went on sale a year later, eventually becoming one of the most iconic motorcycles of all time.

While the Cee-Gar team held on to its record for quite some time, the fight for the fastest motorcycle land speed kept going. In 1962, aircraft mechanic Joe Dudek decided to implement space travel into the mix. Dudek combined a Triumph Bonneville T120 with a body inspired by the X-15 rocket plane, allowing rider Bill Johnson to hit 205 mph. That wasn't enough for the team, however, and they added some nitro methane into the mix and reached 224.57 mph, a new world record motorcycle speed. 

Shockingly, this wasn't seen as the be-all-end-all for Triumph enthusiasts. Detroit Triumph dealer Bob Leppan, who built and raced drag motorcycles, was getting notorious for his victories with his Cannibal II motorcycle. By 1963, he'd built his own streamliner with hopes of breaking records at the Bonneville Salt Flats. He later teamed up with former Ford designer Alex Tremulis to build and race the Gyronaut X-1, hitting speeds of 245 mph and landing another record.

In 2010, Rocky Robinson hit 376.363 mph in the Top Oil Ack Attack streamliner, which still holds the motorcycle land speed record. Triumph didn't take that lying down and intended to break the record once again.

In 2014, Triumph aimed to launch Daytona 200 winner Jason Di Salvo to 400-plus mph with the Triumph Castrol Rocket III, but the weather at the time didn't allow it. In 2016, Triumph headed to the Salt Flats again in an attempt to break the Top Oil record with the Triumph Infor Rocket Streamliner, which was powered by two methanol-fueled, turbocharged Triumph Rocket III engines producing 1,000 hp. The 25.5-foot-long motorcycle was to be driven by Guy Martin, an Isle of Man TT speed record holder. Martin said at the time that the Triumph Infor Rocket had the best chance of beating the previous two-wheel speed record due to its engines and design.

Unfortunately, Martin's attempts were also canceled due to weather conditions, with the area covered in water. Triumph continues to leave the door open for another record attempt, but for now, its successes at Bonneville have been cemented into history by the Triumph Bonneville.