One of our very own XHYPE Hero’s, Becci Ellis shattered the record for the fastest top speed on a naked bike by a female rider, hitting an astonishing 231.389mph over 1.25 miles from a standing start.
This remarkable feat was accomplished on her custom-built 1999 Suzuki Hayabusa named Odyssey. The turbocharged powerhouse, costing £24,000 to construct (excluding two years of labour), ran at 28lbs of boost during the run, delivering approximately 350bhp. Becci shared her experience, stating,
“During the actual run, my head is literally where the eye line is just at the top of the clocks. I couldn’t get any lower; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to see, but the pressure on your shoulders is quite a lot.”
The record-breaking run took place on Saturday, 23 September at Elvington in Yorkshire – a venue that saw Becci achieve 264.1mph over a standing mile in 2014 to become the overall fastest female rider in the world.
“I wanted to be able to go as fast as I possibly could without any restrictions,” the former motorcycle instructor continued. “People think ‘bloody hell, 56, shouldn’t you’d be like coming on to retirement age?’ but I’m not like that. I don’t act that way, I’m not that way, and I don’t look that way. It’s what I am, and it’s who I am.”
The previous record was set back in 2015 by Evelyn Scholz who achieved 211.398mph at Bonneville Salt Flats over a flying mile. The record breaking run was the second high speed attempt on the day, with Becci’s first go proving to be a challenge.
“The acceleration at the beginning is pretty much similar to what I’ve got before,” she continued. “You don’t really feel anything until you’re actually at full pelt, to be honest.
“But I did feel that my head may well have not been low enough because towards the end of the run I was wishing that it was over because my neck was being pushed back quite severely.”
