Brit becomes first paralysed motorcyclist to set 200mph land speed record
Talan Skeels-Piggins has set a new land speed record for a paralysed motorcyclist, after blasting past 200mph on a turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa.
British biker Talan Skeels-Piggins has become the first paralysed motorcyclist to break the 200mph top speed barrier, ending an 11-year wait to achieve the new record.
Skeels-Piggins achieved a top speed of 200.254mph on a turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa, which was timed over a mile run at the Straightliners World Speed Record event.
The British motorcyclist, who is a former Winter Paralympian, achieved the new land speed record at the Elvington Airfield outside of York, last month.
A former downhill skier, Skeels-Piggins swapped the winter sports discipline for two-wheeled motorsport in 2012, where he became the first paraplegic rider in the world to compete against able-bodied motorcycle racers.
Paralysed from the chest down since 2003, Skeels-Piggins set his new land speed record on the fifth attempt, after overcoming challenging weather conditions and high winds.
The 200mph record marks the culmination of an 11-year journey that began in 2015, where Skeels-Piggins clocked a top speed of 175mph while riding a standard Hayabusa.
At the time, this was a significant achievement, however, it was still short of the intended 200mph target.
During the last 11 years, Skeels-Piggins has faced various setbacks and financial challenges, making his new 2026 world record all the more rewarding.
The new record also comes one year after Skeels-Piggins began working with motorcycle engineer and racer Lee Baxendale.
The pair decided to revive Skeels-Piggins’ project, which involved Baxendale devoting more than 600 hours to building, modifying, testing and preparing a turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa.
Speaking after setting the new record, Skeels-Piggins said:
“I am extremely grateful to everyone who has played a part in this record attempt. We weren’t completely sure whether the runs would actually go ahead because of the weather, or what sort of speed we would reach, but to get to 200mph is incredible.
“The bike ran well, and both my crew and the Straightliners team were professional and hugely supportive. Without them, this would not have happened.”
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