Guy Martin, the famous motorcycle racing ace, publisher and TV presenter has lent the Grampian Transport Museum (GTM) a number of his ‘prized possessions’ for the 2016 season.
Guy has made good friends locally following his involvement with the Grampian Motorcycle Convention event staged annually at GTM. Currently three of his most famous racing bikes are displayed c/w video from TV programmes in which they feature. There is also his RR Merlin Spitfire aero engine that features in both TV programmes and in his autobiography where he describes it setting off across his workshop during testing and demolishing a substantial amount of the building!
Items from the Channel 4 ‘Speed’ series include Guy’s Gravity Racer with which he set the world record in France before crashing spectacularly at 90mph. The machine is displayed at GTM exactly as crashed.
Guy’s latest TV speed record attempt was for the fastest speed recorded on an old fashioned Wall of Death. For this a special ‘wall’ was constructed using shipping containers to contain the massive forces involved. Guy who is a skilled motor mechanic/engineer built from scratch a special machine for the record attempt. The bike uses a 1976 Triumph Trident T160 3 cylinder 750cc engine built into a Rob North racing frame, a classic 1970’s road race combination used by BSA- Triumph to dominate F750 racing in the 70s.
The biggest difficulty facing Guy was dealing with the immense and sustained G-force involved, more than experienced by fighter pilots, and the risk of loosing consciousness in the attempt. He broke the record at 80mph but was restrained from going again by the organisers as he had his sights set on 100mph! Previously around 40mph had been the max recorded.
The Triumph is to arrive at the GTM this weekend and will be added to the exhibition Monday 11th July. A classic racing machine that set a world record 40 years after its engine build date.