The 2026 Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials (BMST) – part of the FIM Land Speed World Records (LSWR) discipline – takes place from 23-27 August and with early indications of favourable salt conditions and more riders registered than in 2025, all the signs are positive that existing records could be broken and new records set.
While global attention will naturally again focus on Chris Rivas’ attempt to break the FIM-accredited absolute Land Speed World Record of 376.363mph (605.697km/h) in Denis Manning’s BUB Seven Streamliner, sixteen other FIM records will be attempted over five days on the world-famous Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, around two-hundred kilometres west of Salt Lake City.
Out of all of the disciplines on the FIM calendar, LSWR is arguably the most dependant on weather conditions and the good news is that BMST Owner/Director Delvene Reber – who co-founded the event in 2004 – is optimistic that the salt surface will be in great shape for this year following the Southern California Timing Association’s successful Speed Week at the beginning of the month.
“Registration is up on our 2025 numbers and the salt is so much better than last year when it was really brittle,” said Reber. “We’re really happy with it so I’m not worried and right now there are some big numbers being put down at Speed Week with the cars which is usually a pretty good indicator if the salt is in good condition.
“We use a different area, usually, depending on how torn up it gets, but I’m actually really optimistic about conditions being favourable. We’re excited for this year, that’s for sure.”
Last year’s conditions meant Rivas was unable to break the record set in 2010 by Rocky Robinson and the fifty-nine-year-old will make the long journey from his home in Florida for another attempt at piloting the 2997cc, turbo-charged V-four BUB Seven Streamliner to upwards of four-hundred miles per hour (643.738km/h).
While Rivas will be making the only attempt on the absolute record, Eva Hakansson will return to BMST for the first time since 2017 to launch a bid to set a new FIM record for an electric motorcycle. The Swedish-born Mechanical Engineer who now lives in New Zealand is a former holder of the title of the world’s fastest female motorcyclist, having achieved a speed of 270mph (434.523km/h) on her KillaJoule electric motorcycle – that she built in her home garage – in 2014.
Armed with her new Streamliner, Green Envy, the forty-five-year-old will attempt to break the record of 283.182mph (455.737km/h) set by six-time world road racing champion Max Biaggi in 2021 at Cape Canaveral.
All record categories are gender-neutral and determined by the method by which the motorcycle is propelled, body kit, power source, capacity and number of cylinders. This opens the discipline up to many types of machine and there will be a record attempt by America’s Ronald Knight on his rare 1972 100cc Yamaha twin that was produced for one year only.
Of last year’s three FIM record-setters, only two will be in action. Lianne Langlois is returning with her three-cylinder 2012 JKR Powersports 2295cc Triumph Rocket 111 Roadster with weighted sidecar. Having set an FIM World Record of 136.331mph (219.404km/h) over the timed kilometre in 2025, the Canadian’s team have now added a partial fairing and will be looking to establish a new benchmark in this trim.
Also returning with her four-cylinder 2012 Zlock Racing LCC 600cc Kawasaki ZX-6R is Lisa Cipolla from Washington State who last year set a new FIM World Record with a top speed of 146.799mph (236.251km/h) with her machine partially streamlined before removing the bodywork and achieving an unfaired FIM World Record of 135.466mph (217.979km/h).
While Cipolla’s team-mate Dale Zlock – who last year set a new FIM World Record of 151.100mph (243.172km/h) on his partially streamlined, twin-cylinder 2004 Zlock Racing LCC 600cc Suzuki SV – will not compete, his elder brother Dan will be in action and attempting to break three-time Grand Prix World Champion Loris Capriossi’s thirty-three-year-old record of 186.302mph (299.825km/h), set on a factory HRC Honda, for a partially streamlined 750cc machine.
Other racers looking to establish new FIM records include legendary Land Speed competitor Jay Allen who will attempt two records on his Harley-Davidson Dyna and Electra Glide models, Jim Cole with his Suzuki Hayabusa and multi-time FIM record holder Hirohisa Koiso racing a pair of Harley-Davidson Dyna Super Glides.
While riders like Koiso have many years of experience at Bonneville, American Tyler Rafferty will make his event debut on a 2025 Kawasaki ZX-10R, while Angus Wing will campaign his 2009 Kawasaki ZX-14 sidecar outfit and Tyrell Marlow will line up on a 2002 Suzuki TL1000R.
Making the journey from Australia, Kim Krebs has ridden a bike to 244mph (392.6km/h) and will compete on her 1999 Suzuki GSX-R750.
The 2026 Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials take place between 23-27 August.
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