With 2024 marking 25 years since the initial record of 156mph was set by Gary Rothwell, County Durham’s Jonny Davies aims to increase that to 160mph or more this August. The two-time Guinness World Record holder will be using a modified Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX, which features a secondary throttle fitted to the rear of the bike to allow him to continue to accelerate while skiing behind.

Having held several practice runs already, Jonny will have a few more practices before attempting to break the record on Sunday, August 18th, at Elvington Airfield. The record attempt will be part of the lineup for the 2024 Ultimate Supercar event, which will see dozens of elite sports and supercars showcase their own top speeds.

“It has been exciting watching Jonny’s progress with the Ninja H2 SX so far and to now have the record attempt date and location confirmed is fantastic. We are pleased that it’s taking place at such a well-attended event and look forward to our Supercharged machine being showcased in front of thousands of motorsport enthusiasts!” 

“I’m really excited to confirm the date and set my sights on securing a new Guinness World Record. I’ve already done several runs on the Ninja H2 SX, and while these have primarily been to start testing the throttle and other components, we have already been able to reach 120mph! I have a couple more practices before the 18th, where I will be looking to build on that speed and ensure everything is in place for the big day!”

Royal Enfield Embarks on the 2024 Season of Flat Track Racing as Official Headline Sponsor of the DTRA Flat Track Nationals Series as well as launching the First Ever “Slide School Cup”

Building on its support for grassroots Motorsport, Royal Enfield has officially declared the 2024 flat track season open, as headline sponsor of the DTRA Flat Track Nationals Series.

For 2024, Royal Enfield is running a new prototype Sherpa 450 race bike, based on its new 450cc engine, alongside the Twins FT run last year. Experienced racer Gary Birtwistle continues to fly the flag for RE, racing in both Pro and Twins classes, respectively.

Complementing the sponsorship of the DTRA is Royal Enfield’s Slide Schools, an official experience partner initiative to offer an accessible flat track experience worldwide, and run in the UK by Gary Birtwistle across a series of date sat select venues nationwide.

Slide School launched in 2021, with the aim of bringing enthusiastic riders to the dirt track, teaching skills across a day long course that will enable participants to feel sufficiently confident to engage with amateur DTRA events, as well as giving them vital handling skills that will stand them in excellent stead both on and off the road.

Slide School has been a huge success across the world, with schools in the UK, India, the US, Italy and the Netherlands joined this month with the newest school in Thailand. To capture the excitement and enthusiasm generated among riders in Europe, Royal Enfield is launching “The Slide School Cup,” offering a neat path into a specially created DTRA event, which will bring the top three riders from each Slide School across the European schools together to compete in a specially created class at an end of series event in September.

Says Adrian Sellers, Head-Custom& Motorsport, Royal Enfield, “Royal Enfield has always been about supporting grassroots initiatives, and DTRA is a perfect embodiment of our guiding principles of providing fun and accessibility to all riders. We launched Royal Enfield into DTRA in 2021 and even we were taken by surprise by the enthusiasm and support for the concept.

Every year we think hard about how we can build on the previous year’s success and how we can open up to even more enthusiastic riders who want to have a go on the dirt. Slide Schools, alongside our DTRA sponsorship, is our way of giving back to the community and actively trying to grow it–as Slide School is the perfect access point for any rider wanting to get stuck in. The community created along the way, and the fun we have with creating racing bikes for the track adds to the excitement. We can’t wait to see who joins us for our debut Slide School Cup at the end of the season.”

Winners of the 1980 350cc World Championship fielding Jon Ekerold on a two-cylinder, two stroke Bimota YB3 machine, success was also achieved in TT Formula 1 with legend Virginio Ferrari aboard a YB4R taking the Championship honours in1987. No strangers to four stroke machinery, Bimota won no less than seven races in the very first World Superbike Championship year of 1988 thanks to Davide Tardozzi (5) and Stephane Mertens (2). Even as late as the year 2000, Bimota were still able to achieve a WorldSBK race win thanks to the late, great Anthony Gobert aboard an SB8R machine mounting the top step of the podium at a wet Phillip Island race weekend.

For the 2025 season, Bimota is partnering with Kawasaki in a joint venture which will result in a Bimota chassis with Kawasaki engine (plus allied technology), competing in WorldSBK. Not only will the donor Ninja ZX-10RR powerplant be familiar, but also many of the team staff as Kawasaki transfers its efforts into the Bimota racing program marking a landmark moment in the journey of the Kawasaki Racing Team after nearly four decades in the premier global racing series based on production machines that can be purchased at dealerships.

Recognising not just the legacy of Kawasaki in Superbike racing, but also the close cooperation and synergies between majority Bimota shareholder, Kawasaki, and the Rimini based Italian manufacturer, the new team will operate under the title of Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team.

Fielding a machine jointly developed by Bimota and Kawasaki, the new team will play a pivotal role in the wider global recognition and market presence of the Bimota brand as well as being crucial in highlighting the hand built craftsmanship and care that goes into the creation of every Bimota product. This wider appreciation of the Bimota brand and its core racing DNA is also expected to create increased demand and sales of Bimota street motorcycles. 

Speaking about the new direction for Kawasaki in WorldSBK, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. Hiroshi Ito, stated: “Bimota has an enviable reputation for excellence in motorcycle design and manufacture. As part of our vision for the evolution of this world famous brand we see racing as a logical next step in terms of both product development as well as brand exposure on the global stage. Our commitment to WorldSBK is as strong as ever and we hope that this new racing project will energise fans of both Bimota and Kawasaki. The passion for race success remains and we look forward to the presence of the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team on the 2025 WorldSBK grid”.  

On behalf of Bimota, COO, Pierluigi Marconi, commented:
“The engineering, technology and day to day business support already offered by Kawasaki has put Bimota firmly back into the consciousness of the media and potential customers, now it is time to take a next step in our evolution.Bimota has had racing as part of its DNA from day one and to compete in WorldSBK alongside developing our new product range, while expanding the European and global dealer network, has an undeniable logic to it.

With the unparalleled experience of the existing Kawasaki racing team experts plus the full support and cooperation of Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. in Japan fills us with pride and optimism. The Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team will surely form the foundations of the next chapter in the Bimota story”.

KRT Team Manager, Guim Roda, concluded:
“In the past thirteen years, myself, and all of those at the KRT workshop in Granollers, have dedicated ourselves wholeheartedly to the Kawasaki Superbike project and garnered seven WorldSBK rider titles in that time plus numerous team and manufacturer awards. Now – after Kawasaki competing for nearly four decades in the Superbike championship – we are proud to be part of a new era forming the infrastructure of the new Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team.

For sure we will spare some time to reflect on and celebrate the heritage of Kawasaki in Superbike racing, but we are also extremely excited to be a core component of this new Bimota and Kawasaki joint venture. This is an evolution for Kawasaki’s approach to the top level of production racing and we are honoured to play our role in this new project. I am confident we have the technology and human resources necessary to succeed and it will be a fresh, energising experience fielding an impressive two rider team in the 2025 Motul FIM WorldSBK Championship.”