The Plymouth LSR (Land Speed Racer) motorcycle, factory backed, engine tuned by Harry Miller

read about it at http://www.redline.co.za/Plymouth%20Motorcycle.htm I learned about it at http://t-s-k-b.tumblr.com/

$10,000 was a lot of money then (still is today) and it was reported that this huge sum would be paid to the first man to drive a motorcycle over the speed of 300 miles per hour.

One Californian named Fred Luther accepted the challenge, and since he was an employee of Chrysler, he prevailed upon the company to supply him with motive power in his challenge to become this man. Chrysler responded by supplying Luther with a complete 1934 PF six cylinder engine and transmission.

The engine itself was sent to the speed shops of California's Harry Miller, (a name all too familiar to losers at Indy's famed brickyard, with Miller's creations taking the chequered flag for years on end).
Normally rated at 77 horsepower at 3,600 rpm, the six came out snorting 125 horses at 4,500 rpm.

The bike was built over the winter of 1934-35 and made its appearance on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1935. There, under the watchful eye of the official timers, Fred Luther set out on his way to fame, glory and hopefully, $10,000 in prize money.

The rules at Bonneville were the same then as they are today. To qualify for a record you must run the course both directions--down the course and then back again. The average speed of both runs determines whether or not the record has been set. Laying into the wind, Luther pushed the bike on the first leg of the record attempt and got the bike up to a speed of 140 miles per hour.

On the return run, feeling more confident, Luther continued to "open up" the engine until trouble struck--he broke a connecting rod at about 180 miles per hour--the bike was still in second gear!

Bringing the bike to a coasting halt Luther decided he had enough of the record attempt and never again attempted to reach the 300 mile per hour mark on the bike although he always did feel that the Plymouth Henderson X-Miller combination could reach that lofty figure - if only someone were willing to ride it that fast!