Guy Martin’s Pikes Peak effort begins
On a turbocharged 1380cc GSX-R1100 no less
GUY Martin has had his first taste of the legendary Pikes Peak hillclimb course when he went out to practise on the track yesterday in advance of this weekend’s ‘Race to the Clouds.’
Although he didn’t take part in all the practice runs, and didn’t set a time for the full course, it was a chance to take his home-built Martek-framed, turbocharged, GSX-R1100-powered special through the 156 corners of the 12.42 mile Pikes Peak track.
With anything up to 500bhp expected from the 1380cc motor, built by Big CC Racing, Martin’s bike should be easily the most powerful on the course, although a lack of track knowledge and the ever-present worry of technical problems mean he’s by no means a certainty to win.
Here’s are a couple of videos of Guy and the bike in the Pikes Peak paddock – speaking pure Martin-ese, of course.
And one of the whole field, including Guy (bike number 8), setting off on a sighting run in the early hours of the morning.
And just in case you need reminding of the dangers of Pikes Peak, there was a stark reminder in the form of a bizarre accident caught on video during yesterday’s practice, when a bike crashing higher up the hillclimb careered off the side of the mountain and nearly landed on top of fellow rider Jeff Grace’s Triumph Daytona 675 further down the course. Miraculously, neither Grace nor the other rider, Tom Specht, are believed to have been seriously hurt.
