What: Motorcycle Wobbles At 343 MPH, Then Complete Chaos Unfolds
A daredevil female motorcycle rider was attempting to set a new land speed record in Australia when everything went horribly wrong and her custom-built streamlined bike crashed at an incredibly high rate of speed.
Video of the crash showed the frightening moment when Valerie Thompson’s motorcycle tipped over on its side at approximately 343 miles per hour and slide along the salt flat for roughly a mile before finally coming to a stop, Fox News reported.
Miraculously, she walked away with only minor bumps, cuts and bruises, thanks to the amazing carbon fiber shell in which she was encased, though that shell will need some drastic repair work. Just days earlier, she used that same bike to break her own personal women’s record of 304 mph with a top speed of 328 mph.
A separate report from Fox News noted that Thompson was in the process of her attempt at the two-wheel world record of 376 mph during the World Speed Trials on Australia’s Lake Gairdner when something went horribly wrong.
According to The Drive, a preliminary report from the governing body of the speed trials — the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme — stated that the rear of the motorcycle somehow become airborne prior to the parachute engaging to bring the bike to a halt, which caused it to wobble, tip over and ultimately slide to a stop.
Though Thompson walked away from the crash largely unscathed, she will be examined for a possible concussion once she returns home to the U.S.
“Bike is not in good shape but I’m doing OK,” she told Fox, then jokingly added, “I told my husband, if I start getting strangely sweet on you, you’ll know something’s wrong!”
The record Thompson was chasing was set in 2010 at the Bonneville Salt Flats by Rocky Robinson in a bike which featured two turbocharged 1,299 cc Suzuki inline-four engines producing up to 1,000 horsepower.
Thompson’s bike, nicknamed BUB Seven, previously held the land speed record from 2006-2008 and again in 2009-2010 before it was bested by Robinson. Her bike features a single turbocharged 2,997 cc 16-valve V-4 engine that produces upwards of 500 horsepower and has been clocked at 367 mph.
You can watch the horrible crash below:
Shocking Video Surfaces of Valerie Thompson's 343 mph Motorcycle Crash https://t.co/fPUN6Q2fIp
— TRUMP MAGA MONTANA (@MONTANANBALLER) March 23, 2018
According to AZCentral, the fearless Scottsdale, Arizona native shared her own account of the incident on Facebook.
“Our trip to Australia had a wonderful beginning and a rather tragic end,” Thompson wrote. “We set a new record of 328.467 mph during the DRLA Speed Week event and became a new member in their 200 & 300 MPH Clubs, only the second person to enter the 300 MPH Club in Australia.”
“Also earned the ‘Fast Lady on the Lake’ award given by the Dry Lakes Racers Australia,” she continued. “Unfortunately, at the World Speed Trials Australia led to my wreck at over 343 mph. Without the superior design and safety features incorporated in the bike by Denis Manning, John Jans and team, I would not be sending this message now.”
“I want to thank the safety team in Australia who did a superior job assisting me. I can’t wait to return to our favorite dry lakes down under,” she added.
According to Fox, Thompson and her team will evaluate what went wrong and make the necessary repairs to the bike so she can make another attempt at the world land speed record later this year at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
