World's fastest woman crashes in record speed attempt
How does it feel riding at 230mph across a ploughed field on a turbo Hayabusa? Becci Ellis explains
THE world's fastest woman on two wheels crashed her turbo Hayabusa after setting a 259mph top speed on the standing mile.
Becci Ellis, from Scunthorpe broke her ankle, bruised ribs and suffered whiplash in the crash at the World Wheelie Championship at Elvington this weekend but admits she got off lightly.
After breaking the timing beam at over 250mph a gust of wind forced Ellis upright in her seat and onto a ploughed field at around 230mph. She managed to wrestle the bike under control for 300 metres, an experience she described as like a stone skimming across water.
Eventually the front end dug and she was thrown from the saddle.
'I'm fine,' she told Visordown. 'It's the only crash I've ever had. I've got no fear, it's in my blood and it's what I love to do. I crashed on Saturday but was back at the track on Sunday and nobody expected to see me, the paramedics couldn't believe it.... but I had to collect my winner's medal.'
Despite the crash, Ellis had set the weekend's top speed over the standing mile and won the event beating Jack Frost who set a 254mph run, also riding a turbo Hayabusa.
Unfortunately her Hayabusa isn't as tough as she is and in Ellis' own words 'it's trashed.' Her team are still looking for the bike's expensive electronic control unit which was flung from the somersaulting bike and is buried somewhere in the field. The team are asking for volunteers with metal detectors to help retrieving it.
Ellis will be in plaster for the next six weeks but is determined to get back on her rebuilt bike as soon as possible and is desperate to beat her own speed record at 265mph.
'I could have beaten it at the weekend,' she said. 'The bike was set up for 270mph and we were just building up to it, on the Sunday I would have gone for it.'
'I'm just really angry with myself that for one tiny split second I must have raised my head and the wind got under me. I'm really annoyed. Of course, I'm thankful that I'm fine - somebody must have been watching over me.'
Ellis is not only the fastest woman but is also the fourth fastest person in the world. Visordown wishes her a speedy recovery and hopes to see her back in the saddle soon.
The bikes return to Elvington for the Autumn Mile speed run on September 19-20.
