Sunday, January 9, 2022

News, Guy Martin: “A cup of tea and then 300 mph, a challenge worth dying for”

Three hundred miles an hour, or if you prefer 482,803 kilometers per hour, the speed Guy Martin wants to be … on two wheels, of course. Three years ago he bought a Suzuki Hayabusa from a friend, which although not in perfect condition, was cheap (less than 6,000 euros) and even in the standard version it was fast.

But now this bike is practically unrecognizable among the numerous modifications The engine has been charged and now achieves 830 hp, a special fairing was examined and already reached 282 mph (almost 454 km / h) from a standstill. However, it’s not enough, there is still 28 km / h to go and Guy doesn’t feel like giving up the challenge, in fact he’s not afraid to risk everything to do so …

“I’ve come to the conclusion that if you do something like this, you don’t want to do it unless you are willing to die for it.” explained Guy, a man who was never known for doing things by halves, in an interview published by his sponsor, Morris Lubricants.

He’s sustained an endless list of injuries in his road racing career, making him a man who knows what he’s talking about …

“When I started racing, I loved it so much that I would have died for it – he went on – after four or five years I did it because I was competitive, but it wasn’t worth dying for anymore . Even if the TT is very extreme, it was the same route and the same routine every year. “

So Martin thought about his next challenge and decided to tackle the legendary 300 mph. It’s not that he doesn’t have to take any chances to succeed, because anything can happen at almost 500 km / h. For now, however, Guy is mostly focused on finding the 18 mph that he is still missing. He is waiting for a new impeller from America and is working on numerous components.

“I’ve been doing stupid things for a long time and I’m still here because I know when the situation is right to push – touch wood,” he said. “I like to say no, I’m not ready yet, I won’t get on my bike. The only pressure I feel is when I’m at the start of a run a few seconds before I start, and that’s because I don’t know what’s going to happen. There will be a ton of prototypes on the bike that I’m trying out that I don’t know how they’re going to work. Nobody knows because nobody has ever done it. “

However, the feeling of speed makes up for all of his efforts …

“I can’t really put into words what it is like. All I can explain is that when I was fast on the bike I couldn’t sleep for two days – he confessed – 250 mph is fine, but if I drove 260 mph or 280 mph, I won’t be able to sleep for two days. I’m wired for two days. “

Everything is played in seconds and over a distance of one mile …

“It’s only 16 seconds, the whole thing only 16 seconds. It’s just gritting your teeth and trying to manipulate this monster down a mile. It’s like nothing else I’ve ever experienced. It’s just madness, it’s a wrestling match in all areas, physically, mentally, everything. “

When he is ready, Martin will attempt the attack on the record and he will have his father by his side …

“We have a routine, we know what we’re doing. He loves it, he loves my passion for it. We jump in the van, we drive over the runway, fix everything, have a cup of tea, I’ll get the wind vane, look, say ‘yes, the weather is fine’ and we’ll try. Just me, my father, the computer, the bike and the data. That’s it.”

And those 300 miles an hour to beat …

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