Brian Fullard from Bike Mart Ringwood (VIC) has set a new speed record on his 1976 Yamaha TT500 at Speed Week 2016 at Lake Gairdner, South Australia!

On 2 March 2016, Brian attained 121.237 mph in the M-F class (Modified-Fuel), surpassing the previous record of 111.666 mph set in 2015 by Vaughan Shaddock on a 2008 Yamaha WR450.

This is how Brian described the week on Facebook:

Back from the salt. It was a bit hot over there, 41°C under a quick shade Tuesday and 48°C Wednesday after a short shower! We started with the Keihin FCR carb and fairing on and ran 116 mph. We then put on the Mikuni and ran 118 mph. We then took off the fairing and retarded the ignition timing about 10° as we had advanced it on the dyno the Friday before we left. We ran 119 mph, so we put in a larger main jet and ran 121 mph on a 111 mph record for naked [M-F] class. The bike would rev to 8 grand in 4th gear, but when I changed into top, it would drop back to 6500 rpm and hardly improve. We then tried 6% nitro and I revved it to 8000 rpm in what I thought was 4th gear, but I was already in top, it was pulling so hard. After realising I was in top gear, I opened the throttle again, but the bike sputtered and died. I had damaged the piston.

Bad luck, Brian, in having some ‘tuning challenges’ this year, and damaging a piston, but…

Congratulations on setting a new record in the M-F class!

Good luck in getting the TT500 ready again for next year.

Note: Brian still holds the speed record of 126.627 mph in the MPS-F class (Modified Partial Streamlining-Fuel), set on his TT500 in 2014 (which, sadly, he was unable to improve upon in 2016).