A new record’s been broken on British turf, thanks to the continued efforts of the world’s most dangerous motorcycle race and a man who rode the adrenaline to victory.
The record-smasher in question is none other than two-time British motorcycle racing champ Peter Hickman, who licked up the laps in this year’s Isle of Man TT like the addicting flavor it was.
Thanks to his machine – a new one for the TT – Hickman single-handedly landed the first-ever Isle of Man victory for the BMW M 1000 RR, going on to win the RST Superbike race in fine style.
One lap, in particular, was the previous record-holder’s undoing: Coverage from Market Screener records Hickman’s stunning 136.358mph lap, beating the old 135.452mph lap by a sliver of a second.
In general, AutoSport tells us that the magic number – regardless of the class – is 130mph. Termed the “130mph barrier,” anything over a buck thirty is seen as superhuman, worth a good quality frame and a hook or two in the office wall.
As for the Isle of Man’s Superstock class, Hickman clocked a 130.2mph lap – not quite beating the current 130.403mph record set by Michael Dunlop and his 600cc Honda, but an attempt made within the same year, proving that there’s definitely room on the roster for next season.
As for Hickman’s experience, Market Screener asked the man how the M 1000 RR felt on the track.
Here’s his answer:
“The BMW M 1000 RR is a different bike to ride here to the ones in previous years. It’s definitely good to ride, and I have really enjoyed it so far. I think there is more to come from it, as well. It is just a nice bike to ride.
“I raced it in the 2021 British Superbike Championship. We finished fifth in the championship, and won a couple of races, so I already understand the bike a lot, which was a good position to be in coming to the Isle of Man.”
“I didn’t need to understand the bike, I just needed to understand the bike on this track,” finishes Hickman.
“For me, the BMW M 1000 RR is an easy bike to ride, I think that’s one of the really strong points of it. Because if a bike is easy to ride, it means you can extract the best out of it easier and quicker.”
What did you think of this year’s Isle of Man TT?