Episode 1 Speed Dreams: The Fastest Place on Earth


Episode 1

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This programme contains some strong language

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For one week in August a dried-up lake bed in Utah

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is transformed from a barren landscape

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into a place where dreams are made.

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Standing there on the salt for the first time takes your breath away.

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You just don't realise how big it is,

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how flat it is and how white it is.

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There's nothing out there, there's no insects,

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there's no plant life, there's nothing.

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It's dead, and it's silent, apart from, 500 cars,

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all trying to break records.

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These men have just one plan -

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to drive their bespoke vehicles as fast as they can

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and hopefully join an elite group -

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the fastest men on earth.

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This is where you come when you want to prove that you are the fastest.

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There ain't no other place that can say that!

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This unique setting has been pushing the boundaries of speed

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and engineering for over a century -

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the Salt Lakes of Bonneville.

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You live more in five minutes on a bike like this

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than most people do in a lifetime.

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It is like going into a different realm.

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You can't hear the engine, there's nothing in the way,

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no-one's going to pull out in front of ya. Just 'ave it.

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Strapped firmly into the car, hurtling along the salt,

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it's just man versus machine.

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Foot flat, revs go up,

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you drop the clutch, you feel the bike,

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straighten her up. Give it that.

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nd it snaps you back.

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Everything does a bit of the old Star Trek Enterprise warp.

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You just can't adapt to the way this thing accelerates.

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But each time you put the foot to the floor,

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you actually look up and you see these two orange banners, like this.

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And you think, "I am never going to get this effing through there."

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And they go past like that. They are 90 feet apart.

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You flinch as you go past. It feels really effing quick,

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I mean proper fast.

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4,500 miles away, in the sheds, outhouses and back garages

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of Great Britain, the Bonneville dream is hatched.

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Two worlds linked by a shared passion.

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I can't actually wait to ride this.

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Driving to work sometimes

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I'm just thinking of what it's going to be like.

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Firing it up for the first time,

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the guy points to you and goes...

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and you bugger off down the salt.

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That's just going to be such a moment.

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"Head and shoulders lean forward.

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"Back and neck muscles tight, not relaxed."

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And then it says, "Sit tight and firmly in the saddle."

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That's pretty obvious, isn't it?!

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I'm going to be hanging on for dear life on mine.

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HE CHUCKLES

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These vehicles of great beauty have been filed, hammered,

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welded and machined from un-yielding pieces of bare metal.

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You could eat your dinner off that, that's lovely.

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This is the story of a group of men

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who are willing to risk life and limb

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on home-made machines in their quest to hold a Bonneville record.

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There's a lot of clever engineers coming.

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Six separate teams, compromising of various

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head-banging hot-rodders,

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custom bike builders, drag racers, road racers -

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all good, clean-living people.

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They have just four weeks to finish their hand-crafted creations

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and put them onto a ship container bound for the States.

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I'm Steve French, I'm a telecoms engineer,

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I've been doing telephone systems for 39 years now.

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Dave worked at British Telecom, I worked at British Telecom,

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my father was in British Telecom as well, but he was a plumber.

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The record we're hoping to break

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is the 750 Pushrod Supercharged Methanol class.

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We're confident that we have

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more than enough horsepower to do the job

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but, of course, we are novices.

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Dave's modesty belies the fact that this self-taught engineer

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has hand-crafted almost every component of the bike

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here in his garage.

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Ice water tank for the intercooler.

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Another tank.

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The billet crankshaft - one of two.

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The other one is still half attached to some machinery.

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These are beautiful pieces of engineering.

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I've put pictures of these up on Facebook pages

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and had comments from people saying, "Wow! Who made that?"

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So I said, "Dave did." "What did he make it on?"

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"Made it by hand, on the two machines here."

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And everything has been made by hand.

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I would say that racing is an obsession.

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Racing is an obsession. Of course it is.

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Someone actually said that racing was worse than heroin

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because you can actually give up heroin.

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Last year they went to Bonneville as spectators

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and got their licences on a borrowed bike.

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The salt fever took hold,

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and they are now building their very own bike, from scratch.

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That's a cylinder head.

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That was all made from one lump of aluminium,

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which took hours and hours and hours and hours.

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It's easy enough to go and buy a bike and go out there and go fast.

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I mean, my road bike will do 180 miles an hour quite happily,

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but it's on the road.

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If I take it to a racetrack, it's nowhere.

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It's just another bike.

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Accuracy is obviously important.

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We're talking about thousandths of an inch.

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In fact when I come to fit the bearings,

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we're talking tens of thousandths of an inch, of accuracy,

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otherwise they fall out.

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But I'm self-taught.

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There's a bit of help from a friend who's a really good engineer,

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but 99% I'm self-taught.

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In a cramped garage beside a motorway near Glasgow,

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salt fever has also taken a grip.

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This team are going for one of the fastest land-speed records.

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This little car is going to end up the fastest wheel-driven

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1000cc car on the planet.

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And they're doing it with a twin-turbo motorcycle engine,

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sourced from eBay.

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With it, they hope to break into the Bonneville 300 MPH Club.

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Why do we go to all this effort to go a little bit faster?

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Because it's difficult.

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Because if it was dead easy it wouldn't be a challenge.

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The cost in time and money has been tremendous

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and has been funded by a Zurich-based hedge fund manager

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Rick Pearson, a retired professional driver.

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He agreed to fund the project

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in exchange for a place in the driving seat.

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I have a high-pressure job.

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I work pretty much every business day of the year,

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apart from the seven days I go to the salt.

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People are going to say, "Why are you putting yourself through this,

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"why are you trying to do 300-plus miles an hour down a salt flat?"

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Richard Noble would always say in these circumstances,

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"For Britain and the hell of it."

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Actually, for me, it all comes down to a blue baseball cap.

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And that blue baseball cap is the emblem of the Bonneville 300 MPH Club.

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'There were a lot of people on the Bonneville salt flats, Utah,

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'to watch John Cobb's attempt at cracking his own record...'

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The salt flats have been used for record-breaking attempts

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for over a century.

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The dried-up lake bed covers over 100 square miles

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of uninterrupted track space.

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A string of illustrious Brits have distinguished themselves

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down the years, John Cobb, Donald Campbell, Richard Noble

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and Andy Green have all pushed the boundaries of speed.

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'A magnificent performance and, better still, it was all British.'

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There are only six Brits in the 300 MPH Club.

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So I would be the seventh Brit, the third living Brit,

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to have the right to wear that hat.

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Rick and his team have just one month to get the Streamliner ready

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before packing their precious cargo off to the States,

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and their chance to join the exclusive 300 Club.

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People come to Bonneville because this is the place,

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unlike any other place on earth, this is where the tradition is.

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So land-speed racing started

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a little over 100 years ago over in France.

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It would have to be the French, right?

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Well, then the Belgians heard about it and, oh, my goodness!

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Eventually it went from one place to another

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and it ended up here in Bonneville.

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1914 was the first organised race.

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We're almost 100 years of organised racing here.

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'Everything's OK and the man with the unique combination of courage,

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'patience and determination for the attempt

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'receives the mascot from his wife, Tonia.

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'It's a tense moment, but Donald Campbell has known many like it.

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'To the joy of everybody, a new record was set at 403.1 mph.'

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More speed records have been set here than any other place on earth.

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Land-speed racing started with the roadster,

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the ubiquitous roadster, and then because of the Second World War,

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there was a lot of extra parts,

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what they called drop tanks - fuel tanks

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and they were a really cool shape,

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a bullet-looking thing.

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Some of the racers looked at that and went, you know,

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"How about I just cut a hole in the top, put an engine

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"and a couple of axles and I can turn that thing into a race car?"

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Phoof! All of a sudden the Belly Tank Lakester was born,

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which is still being raced out here 60 years later.

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And once they had that Belly Tank Lakester, they thought,

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"What if we cover the engine? What if we cover the tyres?

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"And what if we enclose the driver so the air goes around?"

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And hence was born the Streamliner

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which are the fastest cars on earth.

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Our third team are modifying a Suzuki

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to break a 200 mph record in the special construction fuel class.

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The bike spends its time between Dave's workshop in Dorset

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and PJ's shed in Hertfordshire.

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This week it's in the custody of PJ.

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I'm PJ. Welcome to Air Cooled Wonderland. Come in.

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This self-confessed metal head has devoted his life

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to all things mechanical.

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This is where I live, with my children,

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who are all rusty, metallic and wonderful.

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Crane. Love this crane, mate.

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Two tonnes I've picked up with that, it's rated at one-and-a-quarter.

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That's my reeling machine. There's me 30 tonne press.

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You've got to see my lathe.

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The bike is the only way.

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If you ain't been on a bike, you ain't lived. Simple.

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When I'm sitting on my bike,

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this isn't some car, strapped in with some seatbelt.

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This is 300 horsepower,

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this is two wheels. It doesn't get any fucking realer, it doesn't.

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Sort of hypnotic, isn't it?

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There's something satisfying about doing something yourself,

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rather than getting your pants pulled off by some so-called professional,

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who comes round and you weigh him out a load of money

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and you look at what he's done and you go, "Leave it out,

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"I could do better than that!

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"Leave it out, I'm not paying you for that."

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Just up the road, another team are getting their vehicle ready

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for a 124 mph record

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with a bike that hasn't been ridden for 18 years.

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They've got their very own personal reasons

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for joining the contingent of bikers.

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The whole reason why we're going is because

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our friend Mike died a couple of years ago,

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from a heart attack, at a young age.

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He had this bike that he had been rebuilding for 20-plus years,

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and never finished it. It became a long-running joke, everyone would ask him

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"Have you finished the bike? Have you finished the bike?"

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And it never happened.

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So, a whole bunch of us decided at his funeral

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that we should finish the bike.

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This is the Team Page secret laboratory.

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The bike will be called The Mike Page Special,

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so Mike's name will be in the book. And that's all that any of us want.

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Following Mike's funeral, a group of his friends decided

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to finish the bike on his behalf and take it to the Flats.

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The team have many skills between them,

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though sadly, none relate to bike-building.

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I'm an architectural technologist

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and building services engineer.

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-An IT manager.

-I'm also an IT manager.

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-I'm the grinder!

-Yeah.

-If it needs grinding hard, I'll grind it.

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In the fading glory of seaside town Great Yarmouth,

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up on the Norfolk coast, lives another Bonneville hopeful.

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A talented bike-builder and engineer,

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a legend in bike-building circles.

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The record I'm going for stands at 125 mph.

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And he's going to do that, on this 70-year-old Indian Scout.

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This is an out-and-out race bike.

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It has been built to race.

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Everything is one-off on it. It's been built purely for Bonneville.

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Well, it's a full total engine rebuild for a start,

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but it's now got pistons out of a 1937 Royal Enfield,

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valves out of a Peugeot - car.

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It's got high compression heads, it's been gas-flowed,

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a replacement inlet manifold, Harley sportster carburettor...

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Getting the 70-year-old bike to practically double its horsepower

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has taken a year's work.

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Look at that! You could eat your dinner off that.

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That's lovely.

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Shame to put it on the bike.

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This has been two years of constant Bonneville,

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and to be honest I wish I had never heard the name.

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Brum, brum, brum, brum.

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It is going to be an experience.

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I'm getting a really bad disease now,

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that people have probably told you about - Salt Fever.

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Have you heard that phrase?

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Salt Fever is what everybody's got.

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Some of these people have it really bad,

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and they've had it since 1949 when the very first hot rodders

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came out here and had their first Speed Week.

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Well, it's kind of hard to explain but

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it kind of gets in your blood and you say,

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"Jeez, I'd really like to give this a try."

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Salt fever is something you get about 20 minutes after you leave here.

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You come here for the first time to see the cars and witness the spectacle,

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and then you come back time and time again because of the people.

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I think I was 21 the first I came up here,

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so I'm 73 now so getting towards the autumn years of my racing career,

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but I'm still having a lot of fun!

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I've been wanting to do this for 30 years.

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I'll be 80 years old in two months and it's a blast!

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With this weapon here,

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we're hoping to break 196 mph on the 1000cc A-F record.

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This is where we build it.

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This is where it all happens, the magic happens.

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Geordie Oz has been building his bike for the past five years.

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This will be his second attempt at the chosen record.

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All handmade, by myself -

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the chassis, the bodywork,

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which some of it's on the floor over here,

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this has all been stretched, modified by myself,

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all the cockpit instruments.

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Basically everything you see here is handmade, barring the engine.

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He didn't want to put it in the shed to start with

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so it lived in the front room for over a year.

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It's where we set our Christmas tree up actually!

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So somewhere we've got a photo of the Christmas tree on top of the bike.

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I could collect stamps, but I don't want to collect stamps,

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I want to race in Bonneville.

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And once you've been, you'll understand why.

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Between them, the teams have spent thousands of man hours

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working on these machines.

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I suppose it is an obsession.

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If it was a hobby, you wouldn't do it.

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You know, it's different from your work.

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It's something you feel you need to do, but don't HAVE to do.

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You want to do it.

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He mainly talks about going to America, cars,

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lorries,

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That's usual dinner round the table for us.

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Every night I would say.

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Everyone likes speed, do they not?

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Er, no, no.

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Definitely not, no speed freak for me.

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No, the two of them are speed freaks, not for me.

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Definitely not for me, no. Definitely not, no.

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Back in Oxfordshire, Steve has joined Dave and his wife

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for another long weekend of bike-building.

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That's how the crankshaft started,

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it weighed 80lbs and it took two of us to lift it into the lathe.

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I do what I want to do and she works with her horses.

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We meet in the middle.

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He's very committed to what he's doing.

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But he's like the mad professor -

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he's got no other ideas anywhere.

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He's just focussed on what he's doing.

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The dogs can be walking all over him, all over the furniture,

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they could have chewed everything, he won't notice it.

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He'll get up and walk out into the garage.

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Hmm, I'm not sure that's entirely true,

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but I'm not going to argue, I won't argue.

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I think bike people are like that, aren't they?

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They're just focused on bikes

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and where they are going and what they are doing.

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Don't forget to wipe your feet.

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-Do you think it's normal to have a motorbike in your living room?

-No.

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And I tell you, when I catch up with the bastard who keeps dumping them

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all round here, I'm going to have a stiff word with him.

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It is a geezer hole. It's not very grown up.

0:18:420:18:45

You couldn't entertain anybody here.

0:18:450:18:48

But that's not what houses are for.

0:18:480:18:50

Houses are for storing race parts for your bike.

0:18:500:18:53

I mean, I've got a room up there full of race parts.

0:18:530:18:56

I mean, it's just out of control.

0:18:570:18:59

I'm a tidy, clean-living man.

0:18:590:19:01

I come home and I find this,

0:19:010:19:03

it's bordering on outrageous.

0:19:030:19:05

I seem to get through some beds as well.

0:19:050:19:07

That's got rifle damage that one.

0:19:080:19:10

There's not going to be a like-minded woman

0:19:100:19:13

and a pitter-patter of feet coming soon?

0:19:130:19:15

I fucking hope not, unless she's good at welding.

0:19:150:19:18

You've got to get on.

0:19:210:19:22

It's a relationship that works extremely well.

0:19:220:19:25

You don't get to know somebody really well

0:19:250:19:28

until you get to work with them for, what, five or six months -

0:19:280:19:31

it's weekends and nights, but that amount of time.

0:19:310:19:34

And if you don't fall out in that space of time

0:19:340:19:37

I think we've got a good footing.

0:19:370:19:39

Just something special about the relationship.

0:19:390:19:42

I think that it's different from a friendship, this is a...

0:19:420:19:45

don't say marriage, people, because it's not a marriage,

0:19:450:19:48

-but it's...

-No, it's definitely not a marriage.

0:19:480:19:51

It is something special, to be quite honest,

0:19:510:19:53

when you working like this.

0:19:530:19:55

That, in the engine, will spin round and round at high speed,

0:19:550:19:59

and these go up and down.

0:19:590:20:02

So in the engine they'd be going up and down.

0:20:020:20:05

Bang, bang, bang. Horsepower and more horsepower.

0:20:070:20:11

It's a match made in heaven.

0:20:110:20:13

Dave takes care of the engineering and Steve the techie details.

0:20:130:20:18

Once I'd done all this detail on the planning.

0:20:180:20:21

I knew it was doable, logistically it was doable.

0:20:210:20:24

Put the letters on each of the junctions of the pipe,

0:20:240:20:27

E means you look for an E down here, you find an E,

0:20:270:20:30

45 degrees swivel, -6. -6 is the size of the fitting I need.

0:20:300:20:34

We've got As here, you look at A on the list,

0:20:340:20:38

-8 to -6, that's a reducer,

0:20:380:20:40

male to male...

0:20:400:20:42

Bonneville's history is infused with almost mythological tales

0:20:460:20:50

of how men have tamed their machines

0:20:500:20:52

in the pursuit speed.

0:20:520:20:55

Legends such as Rollie Free -

0:20:560:20:58

concerned that his racing leathers may be causing drag,

0:20:580:21:02

he decided to strip down to his swimming shorts for a final run.

0:21:020:21:06

Lying flat, legs outstretched, he guided the bike

0:21:080:21:11

by following a black stripe painted on the salt bed.

0:21:110:21:15

It not only resulted in a 150 mph record on his British-made Vincent

0:21:160:21:21

but became one of the most legendary images in motorcycling history.

0:21:210:21:25

But perhaps the story that encapsulates the Bonneville spirit most

0:21:270:21:31

is that of a kiwi bike-builder

0:21:310:21:34

and his highly-modified Indian Scout motorcycle.

0:21:340:21:38

There was a bloke from New Zealand called Burt Munro

0:21:380:21:41

that came out here in 1967

0:21:410:21:43

with an engine the size of a lawnmower

0:21:430:21:45

and I'm talking to you today in 2012

0:21:450:21:48

and nobody has broken that record yet!

0:21:480:21:51

Know how fast you were going back there?

0:21:570:21:59

Yeah, about 150, 160 miles an hour.

0:21:590:22:04

Yeah, that sounds about right.

0:22:040:22:07

Sir Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of the backyard eccentric genius

0:22:070:22:13

in the feature film The World's Fastest Indian.

0:22:130:22:16

It follows Munro's first land-speed record

0:22:160:22:19

and it drew a whole new legion of fans to the Flats

0:22:190:22:21

including Bonneville virgin Chris Ireland.

0:22:210:22:24

Oz used to work for me.

0:22:260:22:28

I phoned him up one day and told him to watch The World's Fastest Indian

0:22:280:22:31

cos it was a brilliant film - me having an Indian, of course.

0:22:310:22:34

After he'd seen it he said,

0:22:340:22:36

"I piss in the garden, I've got chickens,"

0:22:360:22:38

he said, "I've got an old shed, I've got an old bike,

0:22:380:22:41

"I'm going to build one and go to Bonneville.

0:22:410:22:43

I said, "You'll never do that so long as you've got a hole up your arse!"

0:22:430:22:47

And two years later he sent me a photo of him at Bonneville.

0:22:470:22:51

Just like Burt Munro,

0:22:540:22:56

Chris will be taking a modified Indian Scout to the salt flats.

0:22:560:22:59

# Get your motor running

0:23:040:23:07

# Head out on the highway... #

0:23:070:23:09

Chris Ireland used to run his own successful custom bike company

0:23:090:23:13

with a staff of ten,

0:23:130:23:16

but the stresses and strain of dealing with tax officials,

0:23:160:23:19

demanding customers and day-to-day cash flow took their toll.

0:23:190:23:23

I ran the business for 20 years almost to the day.

0:23:250:23:28

And then I went in one day with a big lump in my throat,

0:23:280:23:31

bought a bottle of whisky, went home, said to my wife,

0:23:310:23:35

"I can't do it any more,"

0:23:350:23:36

and shut the lot down and had a nervous breakdown,

0:23:360:23:39

just from the stress of running the shop.

0:23:390:23:41

When I came to get a job, I wanted something that was totally mindless,

0:23:430:23:48

that I could go and do, not worry about it.

0:23:480:23:51

So now, I'm the California beach cleaner.

0:23:510:23:54

And it's brilliant, I love it, it's seasonal, three hours a day.

0:23:550:24:00

I'm Lynn and I live with Chris and I have done for 29 years.

0:24:010:24:06

Long years.

0:24:070:24:10

He's very stressed.

0:24:100:24:12

Because the slightest little thing that goes wrong for Chris

0:24:120:24:15

is just a major event. For us it will be just a "oh dear",

0:24:150:24:19

but for Chris, no, he just gets so stressed.

0:24:190:24:22

I get four or five of these a day.

0:24:220:24:24

That's dog shit.

0:24:250:24:26

This is the biggest thing he has done on his own, without me going

0:24:260:24:30

and having to be behind him all the time.

0:24:300:24:33

It knocked him back, his self-esteem, everything.

0:24:330:24:36

It's one of those jobs where you can switch your brain off

0:24:360:24:40

and walk about and think about other things

0:24:400:24:43

like Bonneville and stuff like that.

0:24:430:24:46

And when it comes to Bonneville, there's plenty to think about.

0:24:460:24:50

Riding flat out mile upon mile

0:24:500:24:52

raises some interesting engineering challenges.

0:24:520:24:55

It's interesting cos it's a 30-year-old bike.

0:24:570:24:59

Everyone else is doing it on modern stuff with hybrid turbos.

0:24:590:25:02

Fair play to them, that's the easy way, we like older stuff.

0:25:020:25:05

You can't buy a bike like this so you have to go and make one.

0:25:050:25:09

PJ is doing everything he can do to make the bike

0:25:090:25:11

as strong as possible for his 200 mph record attempt.

0:25:110:25:16

Right, today we're going to be melting metal.

0:25:160:25:19

Where's the safest place to stand?

0:25:190:25:21

Edinburgh!

0:25:210:25:23

And we're alight!

0:25:290:25:31

After meltdown, his bikes are reincarnated into new parts.

0:25:330:25:36

When an Englishman is sitting in his garden,

0:25:370:25:40

enjoying the rare bit of sunshine,

0:25:400:25:43

it's going to be nice to hear a furnace going next door.

0:25:430:25:46

It's relaxing.

0:25:460:25:48

We're an industrialised nation, it's part of our heritage.

0:25:480:25:51

I sort of buy motorbikes. Then I ride them.

0:26:020:26:05

Then I scrape what's left of them up

0:26:050:26:08

and melt them down, and make more parts for motorbikes.

0:26:080:26:11

You can see it's quite liquid

0:26:110:26:14

once you get rid of all the shite off the top.

0:26:140:26:16

With the price of metal at an all-time high,

0:26:230:26:26

PJ's stockpile is as good as money in the bank.

0:26:260:26:29

There it is, instant ingots.

0:26:300:26:32

Just down the road,

0:26:340:26:36

Team Page are rebuilding a classic Triumph Bonneville

0:26:360:26:39

in memory of a friend who died unexpectedly last year.

0:26:390:26:43

Of all the teams making the trip to the salt,

0:26:430:26:46

they're the least experienced.

0:26:460:26:48

It's not that we're not focused, but we're having fun doing it,

0:26:480:26:52

cos we don't know what we're doing really.

0:26:520:26:54

Their relaxed approach to engineering rigor

0:26:540:26:57

is carrying on a tradition that Mike himself would have been proud of.

0:26:570:27:00

Mike was kind of an eccentric character.

0:27:000:27:03

He was always one for re-engineering things for himself,

0:27:030:27:08

so the way this bike is being built

0:27:080:27:09

is something he would wholeheartedly approve of if he were here.

0:27:090:27:13

Wasn't Mike a kind of self-taught engineer?

0:27:170:27:20

THEY LAUGH

0:27:200:27:22

I think the word "engineer" is quite loose.

0:27:220:27:24

-Self-taught is probably accurate.

-Definitely self-taught!

0:27:240:27:26

But Mike's still here in spirit and in body to some extent,

0:27:260:27:31

as the team have thoughtfully kept his ashes in the workshop.

0:27:310:27:35

Actually, if we had a bit of rain water we could probably mould him into something...

0:27:350:27:38

Joking aside, if the team are to get anywhere near 124 mph in Utah,

0:27:380:27:43

they'll need to nearly double the bike's horsepower.

0:27:430:27:46

Only then will they be in with any chance of joining

0:27:480:27:51

the hundreds of other Bonneville participants

0:27:510:27:53

also gunning for a record.

0:27:530:27:55

My name is Gene Gerber and I'm from Springfield, Illinois

0:27:550:27:59

and we're going for a record of 229 mph.

0:27:590:28:03

-My name is Devlin Duboss.

-And my name is Vic Serana.

0:28:030:28:06

We're from the state of Washington

0:28:060:28:08

and we're chasing a 167-and-some-change record.

0:28:080:28:11

My name is Larry and this is my wife Renee.

0:28:110:28:13

We're from Southern California

0:28:130:28:16

and we're trying for a record of 165.370.

0:28:160:28:19

To break a record, you have to pass technical inspection.

0:28:190:28:23

If the vehicle passes, it earns the right to go the starting line

0:28:230:28:26

in its respective class, whatever that might be - Blown, Unblown,

0:28:260:28:31

Fuel, Gas, Sports Car, Lakester, Streamliner, whatever.

0:28:310:28:35

We're going after the Deblown Gas Ranger Modified Roadster record

0:28:350:28:38

that is 155 and we're going to go faster.

0:28:380:28:41

And my ultimate goal with my motorcycle

0:28:410:28:43

is to go over 200 mph.

0:28:430:28:46

And if the record is 200 mph

0:28:460:28:47

and you run 210, you qualify. OK?

0:28:470:28:52

And you go to impound.

0:28:520:28:53

To set a record, it has to go two ways.

0:28:530:28:56

Let's say the record is 200, you run 210,

0:28:560:28:58

the second day you go out for your return run, or the record run as they call it,

0:28:580:29:01

and you run 220. That's a total of 430.

0:29:010:29:04

Slice it in half the new record is 215.

0:29:040:29:07

You still have to go back to inspection or prove to the inspectors

0:29:070:29:10

that you are running in all of the right rules for that particular class.

0:29:100:29:13

Once they bless you and write in your log book you've done that,

0:29:130:29:16

bingo, you got yourself a new record.

0:29:160:29:18

My name's Mike, this is Howard, this is Chuck.

0:29:180:29:21

We're from Fort Wayne, Indiana,

0:29:210:29:23

going for the world's fastest 32 Ford Coupe, 214 mph.

0:29:230:29:26

Back in Scotland, the team are preparing the car

0:29:300:29:33

for its third visit to the Flats, having only just missed the record

0:29:330:29:36

the last two times due to technical faults, and mechanical failure.

0:29:360:29:40

People come and you either break a record or you break parts.

0:29:410:29:45

There's only two outcomes.

0:29:450:29:47

The engine has been retuned to the limit,

0:29:470:29:50

from its original 175 horsepower,

0:29:500:29:54

to a staggering 500.

0:29:540:29:56

Last year that power was enough to twist the chassis

0:29:570:29:59

and shred the gear box beyond repair.

0:29:590:30:02

So the car has needed an extensive rebuild.

0:30:020:30:06

Obviously, you don't go to the parts bin and pick up bits for them.

0:30:060:30:10

But if we can't find it, we simply make it.

0:30:100:30:12

The team have less than two weeks to get her ready for shipping.

0:30:120:30:16

Back down south, Team Page are ready to start the engine.

0:30:180:30:21

It's the end of a long, hard year rebuilding a bike

0:30:210:30:24

that has been lying up in Mike's shed for 18 years.

0:30:240:30:28

I'm ready to go.

0:30:280:30:30

There's oil starting to get down into it.

0:30:300:30:33

The oil goes in OK, but sadly seems to be coming out just as fast.

0:30:330:30:37

Oh.

0:30:370:30:39

Hello, we've got a leaky Triumph, it's just there on my side.

0:30:390:30:43

Please don't say it's the engine casings.

0:30:430:30:45

This really isn't good.

0:30:460:30:48

There's some grinding marks on this side.

0:30:480:30:50

Yeah, it's where we had to take out that under webbing

0:30:500:30:52

-so the engine could move over.

-We may have gone too far.

0:30:520:30:55

They'd had to make a few modifications

0:30:550:30:57

to the bottom of the engine to get it to fit in the frame

0:30:570:30:59

and unfortunately it went through the wall of the crank case.

0:30:590:31:02

Frog comes up with a cunning plan.

0:31:020:31:05

Someone needs to fill that hole up. I want to get this started soon.

0:31:050:31:08

Can I have a beer of disappointment, please?

0:31:090:31:12

The beer of disappointment.

0:31:130:31:14

Carlsberg don't do motorcycle disappointments

0:31:140:31:16

but if they did, it would be like this.

0:31:160:31:19

It's possible that the crank case can be welded

0:31:190:31:22

but it means a complete strip-down overnight.

0:31:220:31:24

Team Page just have one week to repair,

0:31:240:31:26

finish and power test the old Triumph

0:31:260:31:29

before shipping it to Bonneville.

0:31:290:31:31

For Chris getting the 70-year-old bike ready for the salt

0:31:330:31:36

has been a year's work.

0:31:360:31:39

Come on, girls. Come on.

0:31:390:31:40

In a world where many of the big players use the most

0:31:400:31:43

sophisticated digital technology to build their vehicles,

0:31:430:31:46

spending millions on R&D, Chris and his other projects

0:31:460:31:50

are still very much a product of the analogue age.

0:31:500:31:53

That's the speedo out of a Lancaster bomber.

0:31:560:31:59

That's out of a Spitfire,

0:31:590:32:01

the boost gauge.

0:32:010:32:02

These two are out of a Barracuda dive bomber.

0:32:020:32:06

It was a Citroen 2CV capable of doing about 60 mph.

0:32:060:32:11

It's now been changed a little bit

0:32:110:32:13

and should be good for at least 150.

0:32:130:32:15

Are you more of a fan of older technology?

0:32:190:32:21

I can't do it.

0:32:210:32:23

I can't work the remote on the television,

0:32:230:32:24

I can't work the remote on the satellite.

0:32:240:32:27

Telephones, why can't they have a phone that's got "switch on",

0:32:270:32:30

then you press the buttons and it rings,

0:32:300:32:33

then you push another button to switch off?

0:32:330:32:35

Why can't they have that?

0:32:350:32:36

They think they have to have the internet on them

0:32:380:32:41

and God-knows-what now.

0:32:410:32:42

I wouldn't even know how to switch one on.

0:32:420:32:45

PHONE RINGS

0:32:450:32:46

Hello?

0:32:460:32:48

Hello? Hello?

0:32:480:32:50

Hello?

0:32:510:32:53

Back in Leighton Buzzard,

0:32:540:32:55

just days until the bikes need to be crated up,

0:32:550:32:58

Oz's 196 mph missile is nearing completion.

0:32:580:33:02

His friend Lee is helping with some finishing touches.

0:33:030:33:08

I think it's really sad in the UK that manually skilled workers

0:33:080:33:12

don't seem to be that valued. Everyone now values the IT skills

0:33:120:33:16

and I think we're reaching a point where we're going to

0:33:160:33:18

run out of people with manual skills and what he does,

0:33:180:33:21

what he's capable of doing, is amazing.

0:33:210:33:25

Fucking jammed up solid.

0:33:250:33:27

When you've got someone who's doing something that they really want

0:33:270:33:30

to do with something they really want to achieve,

0:33:300:33:32

you've absolutely got to go with it.

0:33:320:33:34

Oh, bloody hell!

0:33:350:33:36

I mean, there are some people out there who have got loads of money

0:33:360:33:40

and they have got the big rigs that are full of wheel-on tool boxes

0:33:400:33:43

and stuff and we don't have any of that.

0:33:430:33:46

It's done on a shoestring for us.

0:33:460:33:48

Whatever the budget of those going to Bonneville,

0:33:480:33:51

safety is one thing that can never be compromised.

0:33:510:33:55

Having had his first taste of the salt three years ago,

0:33:560:33:59

Oz is well aware of the danger.

0:33:590:34:02

'Rider down. Rider down.'

0:34:040:34:06

This is Oz attempting the record in 2009.

0:34:140:34:18

He should be so proud of what he's done but I think,

0:34:180:34:21

until he gets that record,

0:34:210:34:23

it's still something that's a work in progress for him.

0:34:230:34:28

Five years' work for five minutes of fun

0:34:280:34:30

might seem a poor trade-off to some.

0:34:300:34:33

The old adage of Burt Munroe,

0:34:330:34:35

"You live more in five minutes on a bike like this

0:34:350:34:39

"than most people do in a lifetime." And it's quite true.

0:34:390:34:42

This is the closest most of us will come to travelling at over 150 mph.

0:34:430:34:48

If the worst should happen, there is only a thin leather cowhide

0:34:480:34:53

between the rider and the unforgiving,

0:34:530:34:55

rough, granular surface.

0:34:550:34:57

I try not to think about that

0:34:570:34:59

because you don't want to think about what happens

0:34:590:35:03

if you crash at high speed.

0:35:030:35:05

I could never be without him.

0:35:150:35:18

Doesn't matter how much it, you know...

0:35:180:35:21

it would be devastating.

0:35:210:35:23

I don't know the statistics, I don't want to know.

0:35:250:35:28

And I'm going to play ostrich on that one.

0:35:280:35:31

Head in the sand and, no, you know, ignore it.

0:35:310:35:35

Ignore it she may, but the fact remains

0:35:350:35:39

racing at Bonneville is dangerous.

0:35:390:35:41

Throw in adverse track and weather conditions

0:35:410:35:44

the risk factor increases dramatically.

0:35:440:35:47

Since Speed Week began in 1948,

0:35:500:35:53

nine people have died in the pursuit of this dream.

0:35:530:35:57

'I couldn't hear it.'

0:35:570:35:59

Fortunately the driver of this vehicle was one of the lucky ones.

0:36:010:36:05

The hardest thing about a Streamliner

0:36:090:36:12

is because they the slipperiest cars out there.

0:36:120:36:14

They're the fastest cars, but they are the slipperiest.

0:36:140:36:16

It is the forces that are unseen,

0:36:160:36:19

the invisible air forces that can get you into serious trouble,

0:36:190:36:23

and can cause a catastrophic accident.

0:36:230:36:26

There is a...

0:36:390:36:42

apprehension when you drive into Bonneville in the morning

0:36:420:36:47

and you wonder if you are going to drive out in the evening...

0:36:470:36:50

..which I think is normal, I think that's healthy.

0:36:510:36:54

I think it's important to have that degree of adrenalin

0:36:540:36:57

running when you're in the car, because it wakes you up,

0:36:570:37:00

it keeps you very focused

0:37:000:37:01

and I think it helps you with your reactions.

0:37:010:37:04

Undoubtedly it is massively selfish.

0:37:070:37:09

Yes. But it is something I need to do.

0:37:090:37:15

And...

0:37:150:37:18

I rather hope that the kids will one day understand that.

0:37:180:37:22

The car is very long and very thin.

0:37:240:37:26

The car can behave like a motorbike,

0:37:260:37:28

so when you see the Grand Prix motorcyclists

0:37:280:37:31

coming out of a corner and they slide the bike

0:37:310:37:33

and then suddenly it snaps back on them,

0:37:330:37:35

they get high-sided and they go over the handlebars.

0:37:350:37:38

We can high-side the Flower.

0:37:380:37:39

I once asked a very wise man who had driven these cars for a long while,

0:37:390:37:43

what happens if we pencil roll?

0:37:430:37:45

And his only response was, "It won't end well for you or the car."

0:37:450:37:50

Oh!

0:37:500:37:52

If there is an accident and he dies, well, he dies.

0:37:570:38:00

I mean, it's destiny.

0:38:000:38:03

It's destiny and you can't go against destiny.

0:38:030:38:06

Back in Great Yarmouth, Chris Ireland's homespun bike

0:38:100:38:13

is almost ready for a road test.

0:38:130:38:16

But with limited funds, he's popped down

0:38:160:38:18

to his local scrap yard for one last part.

0:38:180:38:22

His mate Gary, who runs the breakers yard,

0:38:220:38:25

allows him free rein in the spares bin

0:38:250:38:27

in return for the occasional basket of eggs.

0:38:270:38:30

Aladdin's cave.

0:38:330:38:36

Happy as a pig in whatsit!

0:38:420:38:45

This is a bike-breaker's paradise, old wheels, front ends,

0:38:450:38:50

exhaust systems, handlebars,

0:38:500:38:52

if it comes off a bike, it's in this shed.

0:38:520:38:55

And I think they've got what I want, I'm after a wheel spindle

0:38:550:38:58

and I know where they are, they're down there.

0:38:580:39:01

Gotcha! That'll do it.

0:39:050:39:07

With their bike now complete and just three days until shipping,

0:39:080:39:12

Dave and Steve can finally step back to admire their handiwork.

0:39:120:39:17

The supercharger here. It's the mouth of the supercharger.

0:39:170:39:21

It provides all the air for the engine.

0:39:210:39:23

It was all made here. Not the supercharger itself, but the air intake, yes,

0:39:230:39:28

the meter and block above, all the fittings. All made here, yeah.

0:39:280:39:32

On the front of the bike, we've got a water pump which will feed water at about 300 gallons per hour,

0:39:320:39:38

into the intercooler - you can see the pipe going to the right feeds the water into the bottom.

0:39:380:39:42

Pumps up to the top. Then the pipe coming down from the top is the ice water intake.

0:39:420:39:47

That's the gearbox.

0:39:470:39:48

The belt to the right, that has the supercharger drive.

0:39:480:39:51

It should give us about 30lb of boost pressure in the engine.

0:39:510:39:56

The barge aluminium nut sticking out, Dave made that.

0:39:560:39:59

That comes through the side case, so we can start the engine.

0:39:590:40:03

That's the clutch hat. That's bolted on to basically a bucketful of alternate steel and bronze plates.

0:40:030:40:09

That entire thing was made by Dave.

0:40:090:40:12

Currently, the bike is geared for about 158 mph.

0:40:120:40:16

We have gearing which will be able to take it up to 195

0:40:160:40:20

if there's enough power in the engine to do so.

0:40:200:40:23

The grips on the handlebars are made here.

0:40:230:40:25

It bites into your glove, and you can really hang on to your bike.

0:40:250:40:29

The jumble of wires is the data logger.

0:40:290:40:33

This will log front-wheel speed, rear-wheel speed, boost temperature,

0:40:330:40:38

boost pressure, engine RPM, shoe size and inside leg measurement.

0:40:380:40:42

That's the theory. We've yet to put it to the test.

0:40:420:40:45

MUSIC: "Je T'Aime...Moi Non Plus" by Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin

0:40:450:40:48

Visually the handmade bike exceeds all expectations, but Steve

0:40:480:40:53

and Dave know all too well how the best laid plans

0:40:530:40:57

can fall victim to the rugged salt.

0:40:570:41:00

They'll be relying on a small group of event organisers

0:41:010:41:04

and volunteers to make sure the vast salt flats are ready for racing.

0:41:040:41:10

When a guy wants to turn off the course we try

0:41:100:41:13

and provide a smoother place for him

0:41:130:41:14

to turn off so he doesn't have to go out on this stuff,

0:41:140:41:17

where the course beats him to death. So that's what Jim's doing. He's dragging turn outs.

0:41:170:41:21

So far today we've got 58 miles, so the day is just getting started.

0:41:210:41:25

Usually we're close to 100-150 miles. We're almost finished.

0:41:250:41:30

Well, when you look out here at the salt, and you see all this stuff,

0:41:300:41:35

and it's all under water during the winter time, and as it dries out

0:41:350:41:38

it gets workable. And if you leave it too long, you can't do anything.

0:41:380:41:43

And if you go down three or four inches, there's still water.

0:41:430:41:47

Each course has strategically placed timing traps

0:41:480:41:51

laid along its entire length.

0:41:510:41:53

These are the individual wires that go out on to the course.

0:41:530:41:56

They all connect to this trailer.

0:41:560:41:59

There is 32 to 34 miles of cable just for these two courses.

0:41:590:42:04

You can see it's pretty technical!

0:42:040:42:07

Formula One doesn't have anything on us!

0:42:070:42:09

Back in the UK, Team Page might have solved their grinding incident,

0:42:140:42:20

with a hole in the crank case.

0:42:200:42:22

Oz, who lives nearby,

0:42:220:42:24

kindly takes time from his own build to sort them out.

0:42:240:42:28

Excellent, we're fixed!

0:42:280:42:29

I don't know much about holes, it didn't look like it was major,

0:42:290:42:33

and I'm just glad we've found someone with the talent to actually sort it out.

0:42:330:42:36

Just being able to take it out

0:42:360:42:37

and getting it back and welded within about four hours is great!

0:42:370:42:41

With the bike back in one piece,

0:42:440:42:46

they're finally ready to start her up for the first time, and in

0:42:460:42:49

a wave of optimism, they've invited Mike's mum and dad for the occasion.

0:42:490:42:53

When we kick the bike over for the first time, it's going to be

0:43:180:43:21

a very important occasion because, for one, the bike hasn't been

0:43:210:43:24

started in so long and plus in the memory of Mike.

0:43:240:43:28

A temporary fuel tank is put on...

0:43:330:43:36

..as one of Mike's closest friends,

0:43:380:43:40

Frog is given the honour of starting the bike.

0:43:400:43:44

But no amount of kicking

0:43:460:43:47

and prodding will wake the old triumph from its 18-year slumber.

0:43:470:43:51

In a moment of inspiration, Frog comes up with an old "Bonneville"

0:43:530:43:57

trick of the trade, using another bike to spin up the rear wheel.

0:43:570:44:01

I can't wait for this.

0:44:020:44:04

Mike would be over the moon with this, I think.

0:44:180:44:20

Apart from the fact it was very noisy,

0:44:200:44:22

which would have made him extremely happy.

0:44:220:44:24

Back in Great Yarmouth,

0:44:280:44:30

the peaceful Norfolk countryside is about to be shaken, as Chris

0:44:300:44:34

takes to his favourite stretch of private road for a test ride.

0:44:340:44:38

This is a first ride in two years - I won't lie

0:44:540:44:56

and say I've not been worried about it.

0:44:560:44:58

When I was halfway down the road and I opened up

0:45:070:45:09

and it smoothed out and started pulling,

0:45:090:45:11

I felt pretty good about what I'd done to the engine.

0:45:110:45:14

Quietly Pleased. That was only in first gear.

0:45:140:45:20

But I'm on Bonneville gearing at the moment

0:45:210:45:23

so it's geared to do, like, 100 mph on tick over, but that was good.

0:45:230:45:27

Chris is so far the only one of the six teams going to Bonneville

0:45:330:45:37

to road test his vehicle.

0:45:370:45:38

Up in Scotland, the team are finishing the rebuild

0:45:410:45:44

of the car they hope will break the 313 mph record in the one litre class.

0:45:440:45:50

After two failures at Bonneville, the pressure is on.

0:45:500:45:53

They failed to do it the last time and he doesn't like to say they failed.

0:45:530:45:57

No, they don't like to fail

0:45:570:45:59

and that's probably why they're going again.

0:45:590:46:01

The record stood for all this time because people reckon it's

0:46:010:46:05

impossible to go any quicker, we need to prove them wrong.

0:46:050:46:08

They really want to get the record.

0:46:080:46:12

That's all they think about.

0:46:120:46:15

The Flower is ready but is far too long

0:46:150:46:18

and powerful for any testing in Britain.

0:46:180:46:20

So they will have no way of knowing what she's capable of till it

0:46:200:46:24

gets there.

0:46:240:46:25

South of the border with just two days to go, Team Page

0:46:260:46:30

are about to find out how much horsepower the 40-year machine has.

0:46:300:46:35

What are we hoping for?

0:46:350:46:36

I want 60.

0:46:360:46:38

I'm going to be positive and say 66.

0:46:380:46:40

-I'm going for 69 because it's a 69 Bonneville.

-Fair enough.

0:46:400:46:44

The bike gives out just 41 horsepower

0:46:500:46:53

but picks up speed cleanly, accelerating to well over 120 mph

0:46:530:46:58

but these are ideal conditions with no wind or salt under the wheels.

0:46:580:47:02

The bike will need to deliver considerably more to tackle

0:47:030:47:07

the current record of 124 mph.

0:47:070:47:09

Well, it's a beautiful sound isn't it, the sound of an engine?

0:47:130:47:16

Y'know, the whine in the background, you hear the cams going round,

0:47:230:47:27

there's no tapping noises, she's nice on the rumble, crisp,

0:47:270:47:33

responsive, I like the whirr in the background,

0:47:330:47:37

means everything nice and tight.

0:47:370:47:39

Smells like victory!

0:47:430:47:44

You can't do that because it will go gadonk, gadonk..

0:47:490:47:53

'Scuse the party hats.

0:47:530:47:54

Back in Oxfordshire, Steve and Dave are about to start their land

0:47:570:48:01

speed vehicle for the first time

0:48:010:48:03

and in deference to the neighbours they're firing it up in the garage.

0:48:030:48:08

The methanol fumes are toxic.

0:48:080:48:10

They've taken this 45hp bike engine

0:48:260:48:28

and transformed it into a 200hp monster.

0:48:280:48:32

Keep the mask on until I get out here, shouldn't I?

0:48:320:48:36

The bike still has not had a proper road test,

0:48:360:48:38

but at least it's running, and with the container

0:48:380:48:41

booked for the fast approaching weekend, any further

0:48:410:48:44

adjustments will have to wait for their arrival at Bonneville.

0:48:440:48:49

It's time. The container is waiting

0:48:490:48:51

and the teams must part company with their precious creations

0:48:510:48:54

for six weeks before being reunited at the Los Angeles shipping office.

0:48:540:48:59

Meanwhile Team Page, who have lovingly

0:49:020:49:05

restored their friend's bike have organised a send-off.

0:49:050:49:09

Anyone and everyone who knew Mike has come along to pay their respects.

0:49:090:49:13

Here we go. Three, two, one!

0:49:170:49:21

CHEERING

0:49:210:49:22

'It looked so wonderful.'

0:49:270:49:29

And I just felt that all Mike's friends were here and, um...

0:49:290:49:33

Oh, sorry.

0:49:330:49:34

Erm, and it would have been lovely if Mike had been here too,

0:49:340:49:37

but I'm sure he was here in spirit, bless him.

0:49:370:49:40

As a touching tribute to their best friend, Team page have

0:49:420:49:45

carefully put his ashes in a container under the petrol tank,

0:49:450:49:49

which they plan to release onto the flats.

0:49:490:49:51

The first part of the dream is over.

0:49:590:50:01

The bikes, ready or not, are on their way.

0:50:020:50:05

The countdown to Bonneville Speed Week has begun.

0:50:050:50:08

Between them, years of hard work, thousands spent -

0:50:180:50:23

and just a few minutes on the salt to prove it was all worth it.

0:50:230:50:28

Five and half thousand miles away, the teams have assembled in LA.

0:50:320:50:36

They all have one thing on their mind - has their precious cargo

0:50:390:50:43

survived a six-week voyage across the Atlantic?

0:50:430:50:46

For some, it's the first time to the States.

0:50:490:50:52

They don't like you smoking in America, they don't like it all!

0:50:520:50:56

Feel like a leper.

0:50:590:51:00

But all are keen to hit the road.

0:51:000:51:03

Fully-loaded, the teams can now make their way to

0:51:030:51:06

the object of this obsession.

0:51:060:51:08

Next stop - Vegas and then Bonneville.

0:51:090:51:13

The dried-up lake of Bonneville, Utah.

0:51:370:51:40

Since the beginning of the last century, thousands have

0:51:400:51:43

descended upon the infamous salt flats.

0:51:430:51:47

It will now play host to the 64th annual Speed Week. After

0:51:470:51:53

a gruelling 850 mile trip, the first of the teams are starting to arrive.

0:51:530:51:59

And for some it's great to be back!

0:52:010:52:03

Good morning!

0:52:030:52:05

For others, it's a lifelong ambition finally achieved.

0:52:050:52:09

Good to be here. A lot of people dreamt about doing this

0:52:090:52:14

and we've actually made it.

0:52:140:52:16

Once we've got set up, we'll go and wander around and have a look

0:52:160:52:20

and take it all in.

0:52:200:52:21

Parked it right next to the toilets anyway!

0:52:210:52:24

The chance to realise the dream that we thought about last year.

0:52:240:52:29

Getting excited!

0:52:290:52:31

Sometimes I stands and sometimes I stands and I thinks.

0:52:340:52:36

It's big, innit?

0:52:360:52:37

-We are here.

-It's weird, innit?

0:52:510:52:54

-It's harder than I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be more like gravel.

-Yeah, I did.

0:52:540:52:59

-It's all right, we can race on this.

-Yeah, we can do this.

0:52:590:53:02

Before any racing can begin, all vehicles have to go to tech inspection.

0:53:020:53:07

Inspector's word is final.

0:53:070:53:09

We point out the problems, and we put in the book they need to

0:53:100:53:15

address this. Please, go fix it and bring it back. We'll re-inspect it

0:53:150:53:20

and then you can race.

0:53:200:53:22

If they don't want to do that, they can't race.

0:53:220:53:25

Geordie Oz is first up.

0:53:250:53:27

He's spent the last three years in his shed modifying the bike

0:53:270:53:32

with this day in mind.

0:53:320:53:33

ENGINE IGNITES AND REVS UP

0:53:330:53:34

All right, man, you passed. It's all good.

0:53:390:53:42

It's a beautiful machine. Can't wait to see it go.

0:53:420:53:46

I only just got here!

0:53:470:53:49

Chris is next up.

0:53:510:53:53

I think this is a real good looking Indian. Long wheel base.

0:53:530:53:56

-Looks like it belongs here.

-Yeah. Looks like a Bonneville bike to me.

0:53:560:54:01

It's not just the bike that gets a stringent check over.

0:54:010:54:04

All clothing has to meet strict safety standards.

0:54:040:54:08

Fix that and I'll sign you off.

0:54:080:54:10

Delayed by a slight detour around the Panama Canal,

0:54:160:54:20

the Flower of Scotland team arrives a day late.

0:54:200:54:23

It's awe-inspiring. You'll have noticed it yourself when you arrive.

0:54:320:54:36

Such a vast expanse,

0:54:360:54:38

and then you have all these nutcases with weird cars.

0:54:380:54:44

This is petrolhead heaven. There's no restrictions here.

0:54:450:54:50

There's no silliness.

0:54:500:54:51

It's carefully controlled, but it's sensible.

0:54:510:54:54

CAR HORN HOOTS

0:54:540:54:56

And they're all mad as hatters!

0:54:560:54:59

HE SIGHS

0:54:590:55:00

My leather's failed tech, because the zip is sewed to a piece of cloth.

0:55:020:55:05

And it's got to be sewed to leather.

0:55:050:55:07

They told me I could get by.

0:55:080:55:12

I stitched it with lock wire.

0:55:120:55:14

That little lot took me over half an hour to do.

0:55:140:55:19

Regulations, simple as that.

0:55:190:55:21

So it doesn't pull your trousers off.

0:55:210:55:23

If something drastic had been wrong with the bike,

0:55:230:55:26

and I couldn't fix it over here,

0:55:260:55:29

I would have been in deep doo-doos.

0:55:290:55:31

We've only got a certain amount of spares.

0:55:310:55:34

And we have to build the bikes to what we think is standard,

0:55:340:55:36

and their standards are sometimes a bit different to ours.

0:55:360:55:41

But I'll carry on sewing regardless.

0:55:410:55:43

Back in tech, even Team Page are ticking the right boxes.

0:55:510:55:55

-You passed.

-Thanks so much.

0:55:550:55:57

Welcome, fellas. Thank you very much.

0:55:570:56:00

ENGINE REVS UP

0:56:010:56:04

And Steve and Dave are enjoying a shower of praise.

0:56:060:56:10

-Damn, that sounds good, doesn't it?

-It does. Smells good too.

0:56:100:56:14

We're done. Your bike passed.

0:56:140:56:16

Looking good. We like it. It's great!

0:56:160:56:19

I wish they all looked this good.

0:56:190:56:22

-OK, sir. Be safe. Go fast.

-Thank you.

-Sorted!

0:56:220:56:27

PJ and Dave's modified 1983 Suzuki has also made the grade.

0:56:270:56:32

We have official approval. We came here to get professionally slagged off.

0:56:320:56:35

And we're through, so we're happy. Check it out!

0:56:350:56:40

That's a big deal for us.

0:56:400:56:42

This is what we wanted. Safety inspection signed off.

0:56:420:56:45

You can see I signed it off there, but...

0:56:450:56:48

That's because he didn't have his glasses on!

0:56:480:56:50

It's a testament to British engineering that everyone has passed tech.

0:56:510:56:56

But the bikes are not the only thing the Brits have brought with them.

0:56:560:57:00

Unfortunately, we have Bonneville's tallest lightning conductor.

0:57:020:57:07

Due to the conductive nature of salt, water and lightning,

0:57:070:57:10

Bonneville participants are advised to make a swift exit.

0:57:100:57:13

Tomorrow they'll find out

0:57:210:57:22

if their vehicles have what it takes to ride the salt.

0:57:220:57:26

MUSIC: Theme from "The Italian Job"

0:57:260:57:29

Once the flats dry up, it will be time to race.

0:57:360:57:39

In the next episode, the battle between man and machine begins.

0:57:420:57:48

As they drive their home-made wonders as fast as they can...

0:57:490:57:53

Gagging for it now. Heart is going like a stolen moped.

0:57:530:57:57

..the realities of racing flat out soon set in...

0:58:090:58:12

Completely fucked.

0:58:120:58:13

I've found the hole.

0:58:150:58:16

..but do any of them have what it takes to get a Bonneville record?

0:58:160:58:19

Good enough to spank it up the salt at full tilt, aren't I?

0:58:190:58:22

Out here things go wrong.

0:58:240:58:25

I thought I mixed all the gears up but I hadn't.

0:58:300:58:32

If we don't break the record this year, we will have failed.

0:58:320:58:34

How hard can it possibly be?

0:58:340:58:36

MUSIC: "Dream On" by Aerosmith

0:58:380:58:41

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:58:470:58:49

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