That statement is true. It was a special order Black Shadow, and it set a world record, but not the absolute world record.
A world record thats not an absolute record? That seems interesting. How many worlds are there?
AMA Record?
That statement is true. It was a special order Black Shadow, and it set a world record, but not the absolute world record.
I think it is a combination of each in equal parts to be truthful. Competitors don't like a particular set of rules/restrictions pertaining to their given class of racing. They petition the governing body to change or make an exception for them. Sponsors and promoters get behind the idea if they believe it will be profitable and paying customers will pay to see it. If the public turns out to see it, promoters get a return on their investment, racers race what makes them happy, sponsors get customers into their shops to buy something similar to the latest winning racer. In theory everyone goes away happy. Unfortunately the downside is interest may wain in some class to such an extent that it is no longer profitable to promote and it falls to the wayside. Those whose class became obsolete are now the disaffected minority for awhile until such time as the "new and improved" becomes less of a crowd puller and a return to a "purer form of racing" becomes "the thing" and the cycle continues.I am going to commit heresy now! To an old boy in the UK the plethora of records and specific record classes in the US in a Bonneville context is bewildering.all those capacity, age, streamlining, etc etc classes so many records very confusing.
We have a 'person' over here called Henry Cole who drives me mad on a TV program because he is the face of motorcycling that UK TV sees and it makes me shudder . I usually reach sensory overload about half way through his program, but I think he got a record over there by picking some out of the way class for an old bike in a sparse capacity class which has kind of devalued the term 'world record' in my eyes.
I must not be too hard on the US diversification of motorcycle sport into many classes is everywhere
The days of simple capacity classes are gone forever even modern motorcycle racing has two or three disciplines real road racing, Moto GP racing,superbikes. Even within Vintage racing we have 28 (Yes 28!) classes in BHR! and 3 classes for scooters! I am simply lost, is it a desire to make a level playing field for all (manufactures and riders) or a case of if you cant win make a class where you can?
September 13 1948 150.313 MPH American Record , I cannot find mention of a World RecordMarty Dickerson raced in Class C. Class C was limited to gasoline as the fuel, and even limited on the octane rating, and also limited as to the compression ratio of the engine, among other restrictions.
Rollie’s 150 MPH record was the fastest unstreamlined, unsupercharged motorcycle in the world at that time. You can joke all you want about the myriad of record classes, but those two attributes, along with engine displacement, are certainly significant.
In the strictest sense, “world record” means a record sanctioned by an international organization like the FIM for motorcycles, or the FIA for automobiles. But that term is not limited to that meaning.