Guernsey Press

Businessman on quest for ‘Holy Grail’ of speed

MAXI-MUSCLE founder Zef Eisenberg will this weekend attempt to become the first person in history to reach 200mph on sand using a bike or car.

Published
Zef Eisenberg will attempt to break the record for speed on sand riding the Madmax supercharged 'Green Monster' Hayabusa. (21413192)

Mr Eisenberg and the Madmax team are in Pendine Sands in Wales, where they are attending the World Speed Records event.

This is where competitors will gather on a quest for the ‘Holy Grail’ of speed, and is the place where some of the world’s most famous speedsters, including Sir Malcolm Campbell in his Bluebird car, have failed to hit the magic 200.

He will make his attempt on a specially built bike – the Madmax supercharged ‘Green Monster’ Hayabusa.

This has 350 horsepower at the rear wheel and is capable of speeds well over 200mph on tarmac.

But Mr Eisenberg said it is a different matter on sand, which can be wet, slippery and unpredictable.

The high levels of friction can suck power out of the engine – illustrated by what happens when people try to run on sand, which makes them much slower and tire more quickly.

Added to this is the fact that Pendine Sands is a notoriously difficult track, he said.

Competitors have no idea what the surface is like until the tide goes out, after which they have about six hours to make their record attempts.

Since the site is also used by the Ministry of Defence for test firing, it is possible that unexploded ordinance can be encountered, plus the occasional giant jellyfish.

There is also the possibility that the weather will lead to

the whole event being a washout.

As well as attempting the 200mph goal on the Green Monster, Mr Eisenberg will also be looking to increase his record on a production bike.

This was set in May 2016 on a Kawasaki when he reached 184mph in 1.5 miles.

Later that year he crashed at 230mph at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire, leading to him spending three months in hospital, three months in a wheelchair and a year away from racing.