A 19-year-old world motorcycle sidecar speed record was smashed this
morning by a team of New Zealanders on a long stretch of road in
Mid-Canterbury.

The sleek 1000cc Flying Kiwi machine clocked a
two-run average top speed of 272kmh with Glenn Hayward in the rider’s
seat and a 60kg weight in the sidecar.

Christchurch’s Phil
Garrett, who led the 3-1/2 year campaign to break the previous record
of 222kmh – set in the United Kingdom – also did a speed run and was
clocked at 264kmh.

With an International Motorcycle Federation
(FIM) steward present during the attempts the record is recognised as
being official, but will still need to be scrutinised by an FIM panel
in October.

Garrett said once that was done he would look at applying for a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

Garrett,
who is on extended leave from his job at a building supplies warehouse,
said it was satisfying to get a return from what he had put into the
project.

"It has taken over my entire life for the last 3-1/2
years, and to bring it home to a successful conclusion is stuff dreams
are made of," he told NZPA.

It had cost over $200,000 since 2001, with help from sponsors, parts suppliers and cash donators.

The Flying Kiwi membership team had grown over that time to 300 with a build team of 11.

Garrett
said he got his inspiration for the challenge from Bob Burns and
Russell Wright, who set a sidecar speed record of 261kmh in Canterbury
50 years ago to the week.

The record expired in 1964 when the regulations were changed.

"I have such respect for those guys… to have any world record set – and last 50 years – is incredible," he said.

Although
there was a target of 320kmh set before the attempt, Garrett and
Hayward decided the conditions wouldn’t allow for such a speed.

"We
went as fast as we physically could on that road. Both of us are
convinced that we’ve probably got up to another 100kmh in the machine,
subject to finding the correct place to do it," Garrett said.

One
of those options was the desert flats of Bonniville in Utah – a place
Garrett said he would take the bike to if he could find the funding.

The record was first attempted by the team yesterday but was delayed because of technical problems.