Speedcraft Legends - Speed is not just about numbers; it is about vision, courage, and the pursuit of something greater than ordinary limits. For more than a century,
Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah has been the playground for those chasing speed records, a stage where the bravest engineers and riders write their names in history. From this same spirit comes
Record Motor Cycles (RMC),
a modern Italian initiative led by Roberto Crepaldi,
determined to bring two radical V8-powered machines to the salt.
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| The Tribute to John Britten, one of Record Motor Cycles’ twin V8 machines built for land speed records, carries a unique dual-sided livery. (Picture from: GIVEN.it) |
Crepaldi is no stranger to innovation.
In the 1990s,
he worked closely with John Britten,
the legendary New Zealander whose hand-built Britten V1000 shook the racing world and even captured the 1995 B.E.A.R.S.. That collaboration left a lasting impression, and decades later
Crepaldi has revived the same restless energy with
Record Motor Cycles (RMC).
This time,
the mission is crystal clear:
create motorcycles capable of surpassing 400 km/h,
and do it in a way that honors Britten’s spirit of invention.
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| One side of Record Motor Cycles’ Tribute to John Britten is finished in black and yellow, echoing the iconic VR&S V1000 livery. (Picture from: Rocket-Garage) |
To achieve this, Crepaldi teamed up with Giulio Bernardelle, an engineer with a remarkable résumé that includes shaping Aprilia’s RS125 and RS250 during the Valentino Rossi era, as well as serving as technical director in MotoGP with Honda’s Pramac and Konica Minolta teams. On the design side, Donato Cannatello of Given Design took the lead in crafting the bodywork, aerodynamics, and final styling. And at the heart of it all, professional rider Dario Marchetti—whose career spans more than three decades with races in Daytona and Macau—lent not only his name but also his body, which was digitally scanned to ensure a seamless fit into the aerodynamic shell. Together, they formed a team that dares to push beyond traditional thinking. The project has produced two motorcycles: the Tribute to John Britten and the Pride of Italy.
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| The opposite side of Record Motor Cycles’ Tribute to John Britten is finished in metallic red, gold, and white. (Picture from: Rocket-Garage) |
The first,
Tribute to John Britten,
is the flagship—
a machine with a 2500cc longitudinal V8 producing around 294 kW, or well over 400 horsepower.
It is intended to take on the FIM partially streamlined category at full tilt,
aiming for about 423 km/h.
Its most distinctive trait lies in its visual concept:
one side dressed in black and yellow,
echoing Britten’s iconic VR&S V1000 colors,
while the opposite side is finished in metallic red,
gold,
and white. This asymmetrical design is not a second bike, but a symbolic gesture that fuses two identities within one sculptural prototype. Alongside it is
the Pride of Italy,
smaller but still ferocious,
with a 2000cc V8 designed to compete in a different displacement class. While its technical details are documented, no official imagery of this model has ever been made public.
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| Record Motor Cycles’ Tribute to John Britten rider’s body was digitally reconstructed to ensure a perfect fit within the motorcycle’s aerodynamic shell, creating a seamless blend of human and machine. (Picture from: Rocket-Garage) |
What makes these machines remarkable is not just their engines.
Every line of their frames and fairings was born from a partnership with GIVEN design and In-Motion. The process was meticulous: from early sketches to full body modeling, through to advanced 3D scanning of the rider.
The rider’s body was digitally reconstructed to ensure a perfect fit within the motorcycle’s aerodynamic shell,
creating a seamless blend of human and machine. Every curve, every contour was adjusted not only to reduce drag but also to remain compliant with
FIA’s strict regulations. This pursuit of harmony between rider and bike echoes
John Britten’s obsession with perfection, and was later enriched with contributions from
designer Rodolfo Frascoli, who joined the project to refine its stylistic vision.
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| Record Motor Cycles’ Tribute to John Britten powered by a 2500cc longitudinal V8 producing around 294 kW, or well over 400 horsepower. (Picture from: Rocket-Garage) |
What makes these machines remarkable is not just their engines. Every line of their frames and fairings was born from a partnership with
GIVEN design and
In-Motion. The process was meticulous: from early sketches to full body modeling, through to advanced 3D scanning of the rider.
The rider’s body was digitally reconstructed to ensure a perfect fit within the motorcycle’s aerodynamic shell,
creating a seamless blend of human and machine.
Every curve,
every contour was adjusted not only to reduce drag but also to remain compliant with FIA’s strict regulations. This pursuit of harmony between rider and bike echoes
John Britten’s obsession with perfection.
 |
| Record Motor Cycles’ Tribute to John Britten is intended to take on the FIM partially streamlined category at full tilt, aiming for about 423 km/h. (Picture from: Rocket-Garage) |
And yet, despite the breathtaking specifications and all the innovation behind them, the project still sits at the stage of ambition and preparation. As of now, there has been no confirmed record run at Bonneville.
What exists is a pair of extraordinary machines,
fully realized, fully capable,
but waiting for their moment to roar across the salt. That gap between concept and reality makes them even more intriguing—proof of how much passion and planning go into every attempt at the world’s fastest stage.
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| Every curve, every contour of Record Motor Cycles’ Tribute to John Britten was adjusted not only to reduce drag but also to remain compliant with FIA’s strict regulations. (Picture from: Rocket-Garage) |
The Tribute to John Britten and
the Pride of Italy stand as modern sculptures of speed, but unlike museum pieces, they are meant to be alive, functional, and fierce. They celebrate not only the dream of breaking records but also the legacy of thinkers and builders who never accepted limits. When their wheels finally touch the white desert of Utah, they will carry with them not just Italian engineering, but also the timeless message that true innovation is born from daring to imagine more.
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