Peter Hickman chases 400 mph: Why the record motorcycle is being built around him

• Goal: more than 400 mph (643.7 km/h); the current record stands at 376.363 mph (605.7 km/h)
• Power: two turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa engines
• Location and timing: Hakskeen Pan in South Africa, with the attempt planned for 2027

Peter Hickman is one of the most successful riders in TT history. He has won 14 races on the roughly 60-kilometre (37.7-mile) Snaefell Mountain Course. Now the Brit is chasing a very different kind of speed. Together with the GreyhoundLSR project, he wants to break the absolute land speed record for motorcycles. This is not about a twisty road course, but about a flat stretch of desert and a mark that no motorcycle has ever officially broken: 400 miles per hour.

What are Peter Hickman and GreyhoundLSR planning?

Peter Hickman will ride the record attempt for the British team GreyhoundLSR. The aim is to become the first team to go faster than 400 mph (643.7 km/h) on two wheels and bring the record back to Britain.

The undertaking is called “Project 400”. GreyhoundLSR has officially announced Hickman as its rider. He will ride the purpose-built record motorcycle both in testing and during the actual record attempts. According to the team, however, he has been involved for some time. Hickman is said to have helped with development from the very beginning. The team says his riding position helped shape the frame, the controls and the aerodynamic form of the machine.

Hickman explains his decision like this: “Throughout my career, I’ve always been drawn to projects that push boundaries and GreyhoundLSR are doing exactly that. That’s why I’m super excited to join the team and see what we can achieve together.”

Why is the record motorcycle being built around Peter Hickman?

At speeds above 640 km/h (400 mph), aerodynamic drag decides between success and failure. That is why the bodywork needs to be as small as possible, and that only works if it is tailored exactly to the rider’s dimensions.

To achieve this, the team measured Hickman’s body with 3D scanners. He sat in a bare metal rig that replicates the shape of the future frame. The data was fed into a so-called CFD analysis, a computer simulation that shows how air flows around a vehicle. In the end, the machine should fit around the rider like a second skin. This matters not only for the streamlined shape, but also for stability at high speed.

For Hickman, this is a special challenge. The Brit is around 1.88 metres (6 ft 2 in) tall, while the machine is deliberately very compact. The tubular frame extends over the rider. A video shows Hickman inside the streamliner for the first time. He has to bend and fold himself considerably just to find a seating position. The first renderings also hint at how little space is left in the cockpit. The team says that after months of designs, scans and measurements, it is now possible to see for the first time just how tight it really is for Hickman.

Which engine powers the GreyhoundLSR streamliner?

The streamliner is powered by two Suzuki Hayabusa engines, both turbocharged. A streamliner is a fully enclosed record motorcycle built solely for top speed on a straight course.

For the engines, the team relies on the older generation of the Hayabusa. It is said to produce more power than the newer versions, because the later models have to meet stricter emissions regulations. The production engine is only the starting point. The powertrain is being developed together with Horsepower Factory, a company that builds drag racing motorcycles that are also based on the Hayabusa. The team has not yet published specific power figures.

GreyhoundLSR stresses that this is not a converted production motorcycle. The team describes the machine as follows: it “is not a conventional superbike project. It is the development of a purpose-built, record-breaking motorcycle engineered from the ground up to operate beyond 400 mph.”

Who is behind the GreyhoundLSR project?

GreyhoundLSR is a British engineering team that includes former Formula 1 mechanics and engineers. It was co-founded by Adam Fawsitt.

One of the well-known names on the team is Alaster Gibson. He spent four years as a senior mechanic with the Benetton Formula 1 team, followed by ten years as chief mechanic with the BAR and Honda Grand Prix teams. Since July, GreyhoundLSR has also been working with RAF Motorsport, the motorsport association of the Royal Air Force. Paul Lloyd, President of the RAF Motor Sports Association, says that great achievements happen when people push boundaries together and inspire others to follow.

For Fawsitt, Project 400 is meant to be more than a record hunt. He says the project should inspire young people and give them a glimpse of engineering at the highest level. He explains his choice of rider like this: “Peter is one of the few riders in the world with the experience, skill set and mindset for this challenge. It’s not just about speed, it’s about pushing limits and that’s why we’re delighted he’s a part of the team.”

Where and when will the world record attempt take place?

The record attempt is set to take place on Hakskeen Pan in South Africa and is planned for 2027. The team has not yet announced an exact date.

Hakskeen Pan is a dried-out surface of compacted clay. It offers a very flat track of around 12 miles (about 19 kilometres). That matters, because a streamliner needs a long run-up to reach record speed and enough room to slow down. According to the team, another factor speaks for South Africa: the pan lies at a comparatively low altitude. The air there is denser than at some other record venues, which should help the two turbo engines produce more power.

Before heading to South Africa, the team wants to test the machine in Britain. A so-called shakedown is planned there, a first test run in which the technology is checked thoroughly. Over the coming months, GreyhoundLSR also plans to share regular insights into development, testing and teamwork.

How fast is the current motorcycle world record?

The current world record stands at 376.363 mph (605.7 km/h). It was set by American Rocky Robinson in 2010 on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

Robinson was riding the Top 1 Ack Attack at the time. This streamliner was also powered by two Suzuki Hayabusa engines. His run was the first time a motorcycle officially broke the 600 km/h mark. The record has stood ever since. Robinson had already set his first record in 2006. Before that, Dave Campos held the record for more than 16 years after reaching 322.150 mph (518.5 km/h) in 1990. Overall, the absolute motorcycle land speed record has been in American hands since 1956.

GreyhoundLSR is not alone in targeting 400 mph. Just a few weeks before Hickman was announced, the Top 1 Ack Attack team also revealed plans to attack the 400 mph barrier, on the salt flats of Bolivia. That means two teams are currently working to be the first to break this mark.

What has Peter Hickman achieved at the TT so far?

Peter Hickman has won 14 races at the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy and holds the outright lap record. He set it in 2023 on a BMW M 1000 RR.

His lap of the Mountain Course took 16 minutes and 36.115 seconds. That equals an average of 136.358 mph, or more than 219 km/h. The race takes place on normal public roads that are narrow and bumpy. Stone walls, hedges, kerbs and spectators line both sides, and there are jumps along the way. For Hickman, the world record attempt is therefore a move into a completely different world: instead of corners, crests and walls, a dead-straight surface where all that matters is top speed, stability and nerve.

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