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Land-speed racer Bill Warner dies from motorcycle crash at 285 MPH

Motorcycle land-speed record holder Bill Warner died yesterday after crashing during an attempt at setting another record. The 44-year-old was clocked at 285 miles per hour on the runway of a former air base in northern Maine, before he lost control of his modified Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle and veered off the runway.
It is not known what speed he was traveling when things started to go wrong and unclear what caused the crash, which happened shortly before 10:00 AM. Warner's crew suspect there were mechanical difficulties on his last run, in addition to a slight breeze, according to the video news report. Warner was conscious and able to speak after the crash but died an hour and 15 minutes later at a hospital in Caribou. The event and runway were closed for the rest of the day as police investigated the incident.
Warner was participating in "The Maine Event" at Loring Air Force Base in an attempt to reach 300 mph in one mile. Warner's best land-speed record, set in 2011, was 311.945 mph in 1.5 miles on the same runway, according to the Loring Timing Association, a record that still stands today for open-cockpit motorcycles. After that run, Warner said the scariest part was stopping the bike before the end of the runway. Be sure to check out the video news report after the jump.

Top Gear hosts' classic bikes head for auction

The BBC seems quite certain that Top Gear is making a return to television in 2016, but James May and Richard Hammond are extremely unlikely to be among the hosts. Instead, the two of them are probably following Jeremy Clarkson into any future endeavors, but for the time being that leaves the Little One and the Slow One unemployed. They won't have to worry too much about spending money in the meantime, though, because Bonhams is selling 12 motorcyles owned by the former TG stars on April 26. "Just because I'm unemployed now doesn't mean I have to get rid of everything. I was going to sell these bikes anyway. And those paintings, and my collection of Scalextric cars. Honest," May joked to Bonhams. However, the auction house was clear in its announcement that the cycles were consigned to the Spring Stafford Sale in the UK months before the Top Gear fracas. Eight of the bikes come from May's collection and are generally small-bore, Japanese models. They include a 49cc 1974 Yamaha FS1-E and a 1976 Suzuki AP50 E, but there's also a very attractive 1980 Ossa 250cc MAR trials bike. If you're looking for a bit more performance, Hammond's four offering include a 2010 Norton Commando 961SE and a 1970 Triton 500cc cafe racer. He's also selling a Yamaha FS1-E, though a year newer than May's. Unfortunately the Vincent Black Shadow and Honda RC30 the hosts are riding in these photos aren't part of the lots, but the whole list of the available models can be read in the announcement below and checked out in the gallery, above. Bonhams Spring Stafford Sale will include 12 motorcycles belonging to Richard Hammond and James May, former presenters of the popular motoring programme, Top Gear. May and Hammond discussed the sale of their respective motorcycles in their usual humorous manner: "Just because I'm unemployed now doesn't mean I have to get rid of everything," said May. "I was going to sell these bikes anyway. And those paintings, and my collection of Scalextric cars. Honest". Hammond added: "As a serious collector of motorcycles, it's important to review one's stable regularly, and the Bonhams Stafford sale is the ideal opportunity to move bikes on and possibly acquire new ones. I also have a canoe, and some Wharfedale hi-fi speakers, if anyone's interested".

Junkyard Gem: 2008 Suzuki XL-7

The American Suzuki Motor Corporation filed for bankruptcy in 2012 and sold its final Kizashis, SX4s and Grand Vitaras here the following year. In the decade prior to that, a big chunk of the Suzuki lineup involved rebadged Daewoos, but South Korea wasn't the only outpost of the far-flung GM Empire helping out with Suzuki hardware. After the Saturn Vue debuted as a 2002 model, its platform ended up everywhere, including beneath the second-generation Suzuki XL-7. Here's one of those machines, found in a Denver self-service car graveyard recently. Prior to 2007, the XL-7 name had been applied to a stretched version of the body-on-frame Grand Vitara, a pure Suzuki design. The 2007-2009 XL-7 looked quite different from its closest relatives, the Saturn Vue, Pontiac Torrent and Chevrolet Equinox. Assembly took place at CAMI Assembly in Ontiario, birthplace of many a Geo Metro and Suzuki Swift. The engine is the 3.6-liter version of the 60° High Feature V6, rated at 252 horsepower and 243 pound-feet. A five-speed automatic was the only transmission available. This one is a base model with front-wheel-drive and seating for five. Its MSRP was $21,599, or about $34,419 in 2024 dollars. The radio has an AUX input, a fairly unusual feature in 2008. Inside, one of the most heartbreaking notes I've ever found in a junkyard car. Does the Tooth Fairy give money to kids who knock out the teeth of other kids and steal them? It's like a Suzuki motorcycle, but with more cargo capacity. Those Suzuki-riding bikers know a good SUV when they see one. Who knew that it wouldn't be long before motorcycles and ATVs would be the only new Suzukis available here?