BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials at the iconic Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah have been growing steadily since their inception in 2004. Sanctioned by the FIM the BUB Speed Trials have become an important international racing series, and since the very beginning BMW’s have been successfully participating and setting land speed records and we are happy to report that the 2008 season is no exception.
Two California K bike riders, both on K 1200 R motorcycles have again raised the land speed records on their respective machines. Edward Bell and Chris Johns both from Southern California raced their near-stock BMW K 1200 R bikes to record speeds on the salt.
Edward Bell, on his yellow K 1200 R named “Harte Sonne” (hard sun) set FIM records for the Open or Naked class 1350cc in both Miles and Kilometer runs. Bell conducted 13 official runs on the salt and achieved a record of 159.750mph. His best time on the track was 161.303; however the records are measured average of two consecutive successful runs. Bell got the salt bug during last year’s BMW XPLOR Bonneville event, where he ran his K 1200 R Harte Sonne in the Run Watcha Brung category, achieving speeds of close to 160mph. However since Run Watcha Brung doesn’t produce official FIM tickets, Bell decided to go pro for the ’08 season and has already achieved two land speed records on his first year attempt.
His other record (pending certification) is an AMA National Record that he set on a 1978 R 100 RS (moto sport racing) owned by Bob Sorocco owner of BMW of North County in Escondido, California. Bell achieved a record of 109.34mph in the Production Push Rod 1000cc class.
The other time trials participant from Southern California is Chris Johns. Johns is a Master Certified Tech also at BMW Motorcycles of North County. Johns races a PowerCup replica K 1200 R and achieved two FIM records.
Johns had a record of 165.260mph in the Modified Frame Production Engine Class and a record of 168.436 in the Modified Alternative Fuels Class.
Both Bell and Johns are planning for even greater participation in next year’s BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials.<< back
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