Tim Whittaker has taken his first ride on the one-off Millyard Viper V10, using a private runway with its creator, Allen Millyard, alongside him. The session took place on Thursday, September 3, and began with several careful runs. Millyard had already warned the new owner not to attempt a road ride immediately, making the runway a controlled starting point for learning the motorcycle.

Whittaker bought the Viper for £149,500 at an H&H Classics auction held at the National Motorcycle Museum in July. The machine is described as having an eight-litre engine producing 500bhp. For its new owner, however, the first outing was less about covering distance than understanding a motorcycle whose performance and controls demand concentration and measured inputs.

Its speed was particularly deceptive. Speaking to Classic Bike, Whittaker said that while the engine was barely ticking over, he thought he was travelling at roughly 25–30mph, only to find that he had already passed 65–70mph. Opening the throttle further made the runway seem to shrink rapidly, leaving him thinking about slowing down and turning around. He described the experience as being like sitting on a “Polaris missile”.

The physical demands are just as distinctive. The engine alone weighs as much as a Honda Gold Wing, while Whittaker found the clutch exceptionally heavy. The motorcycle rocks when the revs rise because of its large longitudinally mounted crankshaft. He said he had to grip the very end of the lever and use his whole body to pull it in, another skill that will require practice before a road ride becomes a realistic prospect.

The Viper’s established history

The Millyard Viper V10 first reached the road in 2009. Allen Millyard has since covered thousands of road miles on it, including a trip to the Isle of Man TT races. With presenter Henry Cole riding pillion, he also set a Guinness World Record for the highest speed achieved by a tandem motorcycle.

In another run, with MCN tester Bruce Dunn riding the machine, the Viper reached 207.101mph. After the sale, Millyard said that £149,500 was a significant amount of money for a motorcycle. Whittaker, meanwhile, does not yet consider himself ready for public-road riding. He plans to complete more runway practice before deciding whether to take the next step.