Triumph Rocket III Motor Trike Sets A World Land Speed Record At Bonneville BUB Speed Trials

trike1trike2A Triumph Rocket III Touring bike fitted with a Motor Trike conversion body and equipped with a Carpenter Racing motor kit, posted a 136 mph top speed and FIM World Record (pending ratification by FIM)

“The Carpenter Racing team turned this radical trike into a 250 horsepower full blown hot rod,” states Brian Klock who piloted it

21 Responses to “Triumph Rocket III Motor Trike Sets A World Land Speed Record At Bonneville BUB Speed Trials”


  1. 1 Chris W Sep 13th, 2013 at 9:10 am

    Cool! Congratulations Brian!

  2. 2 X H-D Rider Sep 13th, 2013 at 10:42 am

    Way to Go

  3. 3 Fritz Sep 13th, 2013 at 12:56 pm

    How about a story on the trike itself? What a neat looking rig! Bet there are a few stories just in that itself!

  4. 4 James just another crazy Kiwi Sep 13th, 2013 at 3:46 pm

    Those big Triumph Triple motors are great
    look good, sound good ,and have more toe than a
    Roman sandal.

    Went to a Dyno day.It was bugger all to get your bike done.The place was packed. The Twinkys and Sportsters were good if they got over 75HP
    S&S were cool if over 100HP ,then along comes a Rocket and gets slightly
    over 150HP. It was modified but not hugely.
    Big Ross was grinning that much he nearly swallowed his ears.

    Very underated Bike

  5. 5 Doc Robinson Sep 13th, 2013 at 4:03 pm

    Brian Klock rocks! Way to go Brian, sincere congratulations.

  6. 6 Jezza Sep 13th, 2013 at 11:50 pm

    A great result for Brian, the Carpenter racing team and of course the whole Klock Werks crew. Brian, Laura and the Klock Werks family are going from strength to strength. Given the upheavals the whole industry has gone through in the past few years it’s great to see such an inspiring success story unfolding before our eyes!

  7. 7 rags Sep 14th, 2013 at 6:29 am

    congrats,triumph getting back like the old days

  8. 8 Robert Filla - Thunder Press Sep 14th, 2013 at 8:50 am

    What don’t you do Brian? Way to go!

  9. 9 SaltsnPapper Sep 14th, 2013 at 9:44 am

    I have a question. Was there a former land speed record in this trike category? A few years back, Laura Lock entered a bagger category where nobody ever raced. So, of course, whatever speed you go it’s a land speed record…until the second one who is entering the new category goes much faster. Same with Brian Klock trike? I think that no land speed record should be given until at least 2 are racing. Or it’s too easy to brag about a LSR. You just need to create a machine for your category if it doesn’t exist. I also think, emphasis should be given to the motorcycle builder, not to the pilot when he has absolutely nothing to do with the conception of the motorcycle or trike or streamliner or whatever.

  10. 10 James just another crazy Kiwi Sep 14th, 2013 at 4:05 pm

    Sorry I should have said congratulations to
    Brian and Triumph.
    It costs allot of money to go to the salt.
    Well Done

  11. 11 Devil's Plaything Sep 16th, 2013 at 12:26 pm

    hey salty pepper, when someone does something for the first time it’s called groundbreaking…..

    If you want to give Brian crap about something it should be how much shit he used to give everyone about their trikes….

    Congrats to the team and glad everyone made it back safely.

  12. 12 Jeremy Sep 16th, 2013 at 12:37 pm

    Devil’s Playting. I think that SaltsnPepper question is legitimate. Do the Klocks chose on purpose categories where nobody ever raced? I don’t know. You call this groundbreaking. Maybe Saltbreaking… I agree that these kind of “no competition records” don’t have much value in my mind because at 60 mph it would have been a Land Speed Record!!! Huh…

  13. 13 Devil's Plaything Sep 16th, 2013 at 2:53 pm

    The records have to start somewhere Jeremy and it wasn’t 60, it was 136. I’ve ridden a couple of trikes and it takes some balls to go over 80 on those things.

    I appreciate the point but when you guys talk about how easy it must be to get on bike and and go straight down the flats at high speeds it’s like when people say how easy NASCAR driving must be cuz all they do is turn left. It’s dangerous and it takes some serious skill and nerve.

  14. 14 Blackmax Sep 16th, 2013 at 6:51 pm

    Congrats to ALL !!!!!
    Not an easy thing.
    \Kudos to my man, Brian K.
    Triumph Rocket 3 is one bad ass machine

  15. 15 Joe Mielke Sep 17th, 2013 at 11:41 am

    Not that we really need to defend ourselves but here is how our first tip to Bonneville went. First off there is no such thing as a “Bagger Catagory”. Never has been and still is not one. The only “Bagger” award is a traveling trophy we created.The AMA classifies motorcycles by some basic criteria: engine type, engine displacement, frame type and streamlining. In 2006 the first record we broke on the first two passes we had ever made down the salt was held by a motorcycle that fit the same basic criteria that our motorcycle did. And it was not a “Bagger”. We held that record for about a day. It was subsequently broken by Jay Allen riding a Non-Bagger. We were unable to beat him so we shot for a record in another class. We set the benchmark in that class that year and then broke and bested our own record the next couple of years. Our team, which consists of several motorcycle riders ranging from teenage girls to middle aged men, has set upwards of 20 records in the AMA, SCTA and now the FIM in the last 8 years. No matter your opinion you cannot take any of that away from us.

    The people who race at Bonneville understand it is about you, your machine and racing against the elements that Mother Nature gives you. Holding records is fun but it is secondary.

    Anyone who makes a complete safe pass through the timed mile at Bonneville is a champion! Land speed racers understand this and everyone supports everyone on the salt. That’s why people go back.

    It’s easy to hate, anyone who hates on anyone who accomplishes anything on the salt certainly does not understand the passion that is land speed racing.

    God willing, we’ll be on the salt again next year.

    Signed Joe Mielke, proud member of team Klock Werks. Father and husband of AMA National Landspeed Record Holders.

  16. 16 Walt Lumpkin Sep 17th, 2013 at 12:11 pm

    Joe: As the saying goes, “If it was easy everyone would do it.” Congrats to the whole Klock Werks team. Some people ride bikes, others ride their keyboard.

  17. 17 Jeff Nicklus Sep 17th, 2013 at 12:39 pm

    Joe, Right on brother! Well said!

    Over & Out,

    Jeff

  18. 18 Bean're Sep 17th, 2013 at 6:27 pm

    Good point Salt and Pepper- Why don’t you bring your Big Wheel out to the salt next year ( that is if your mom will let you leave your block)

  19. 19 Jezza Sep 17th, 2013 at 7:28 pm

    SaltsNPapper, have you ever ridden a motorcycle, let alone a trike at high speed? Quite apart from all the un-controllables that could threaten the life of a racer at any moment, there are a huge number of factors like tire pressure, suspension set up, steering geometry, power to weight ratios, structural integrity of the design, aerodynamics etc etc that need to be thought about, planned for and controlled before the rider even gets on the machine. The men and women who have the courage, dedication and competitive spirit to get on the salt not only set an example to the rest of us but contribute to the R&D process of creating products that make our bikes safer to ride. This trickles down to real riders. The Klock Werks Flare windshield was developed as a direct result of experiences gained on the salt. It enables riders to enjoy higher speeds with far greater stability and safety than any other windshield that was commercially available before it. What part of that is not to your liking? Get out of your armchair and onto the road before hating on the achievements of people who have inspired and contributed to so many others.

    Jeremy Sanderson. Owner of Jezza’s Tokyo.
    Proud to be an importer and distributor of Klock Werks products.

  20. 20 Tom Keefer/ Franklin Church Choppers Sep 17th, 2013 at 7:37 pm

    Well said Joe! It is very easy to criticize from behind the keyboard! Haters will be haters and then there are those of us that go out and do it!! F them!

  21. 21 Mike bennett Jan 4th, 2014 at 5:51 pm

    Hi, what record category of trike was this run as..? I would like to know as I have a kz1000 Kawasaki trike that has a good high speed…. Could I start a record category of 1000cc and below. Thanks, mike..

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Cyril Huze