ACK Attack is heading back to Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni in October, targeting the first official motorcycle run beyond 400 mph, equivalent to 644 km/h. Rocky Robinson is due to ride the streamliner again, following the team’s previous attempt at the salt flats in 2023. The project is aimed at surpassing the FIM speed record already held by ACK Attack rather than simply adding a small increment to the figure.

Robinson set that record in 2010 at 606 km/h (376 mph), and it has remained unbeaten for 16 years. The next target is therefore a substantial step beyond the existing mark: a formal pass above 644 km/h. The team says that Uyuni should provide the distance and surface conditions needed to make such an attempt possible.

A Hayabusa-powered streamliner

Mike Akatiff, the machine’s designer and team owner, says ACK Attack has been under development for more than 20 years, with 400 mph remaining the project’s defining objective. The result is a specialised land-speed machine rather than a motorcycle in the conventional sense. It is more than 6 metres long, runs only a few centimetres above the ground and is enclosed in a body made from carbon fibre and Kevlar.

Robinson rides lying inside a reinforced capsule. This position reduces his exposure to the airflow while also placing him within the machine’s protection structure. The powertrain consists of two extensively modified Suzuki Hayabusa engines, each using turbocharging. Working together, they produce more than 1,000 horsepower.

The scale of the challenge becomes clear from the speeds involved. Developing a motorcycle capable of exceeding 560 km/h (350 mph) created a long list of technical problems, with every part of the vehicle requiring careful development. At speeds approaching 640 km/h, even a minor aerodynamic disturbance can seriously affect the machine’s path and stability.

Balance, traction and rider protection

ACK Attack uses stabilising fins and carefully arranged weight distribution to help preserve balance and control. The salt surface is equally important: the run takes place on a hard, flat expanse, while specially designed tyres and precise throttle management are needed to control wheelspin and keep the machine driving forward. At this speed, traction is not simply a matter of engine output; it depends on the interaction between the surface, the tyres and the rider’s inputs.

The enclosed cockpit adds several layers of protection. It contains a safety cage, a fire-suppression system and an oxygen supply for Robinson, alongside the reinforced capsule around the rider. Akatiff says the team has spent more than two decades developing ACK Attack and believes the Uyuni course finally offers the combination of room and conditions required to test the 400 mph objective officially.

The October attempt will put the twin Hayabusa powertrain, the streamliner’s aerodynamic stability and the team’s long development programme against one of the most demanding thresholds in land-speed racing. Success would move ACK Attack beyond its own 606 km/h FIM record and make it the first motorcycle to pass the official 644 km/h mark.