Alp is an industrial designer by trade, but it?s land speed motorcycles that butter his toast. His latest goal is to reach 200 mph (322 kph) at Utah?s most famous motorsport venue, the Bonneville Salt Flats, on the ?kneeler? bike he has designed and built himself. (And that?s without the benefit of a dustbin fairing, since that particular aero trick has now been outlawed.)

His partner in crime is his crew chief Jalika (above right), and they make the perfect pair: Alp chasing a dream that everyone thinks is impossible, while Jalika manages the team, helps to rebuild engines in hotel rooms, and gets Alp safely off the starting line.
This is not a new endeavor for Alp and Jalika. Their previous motorcycle, known as the ‘A Bike’ (below), holds vintage and pushrod engine class records?at a heady 175 mph (282 kph).
?I love aluminum, so I decided to use that for the body,? says Alp. It?s all freehand: no bucks, molds or reference objects. Just a hammer, dolly and English wheel.
?The entire build, excluding the plating and painting, took more than 1,500 hours,? Alp confesses. ?The cylinder head work alone took longer than building the entire frame from scratch.? Every part of this Triumph has been designed or fabricated for a purpose?sometimes aerodynamics or functionality, and sometimes to meet the rulebook.

The exhaust pipes are stainless steel, and were hand-formed using oxy-acetylene as single pieces, instead of welding together mandrel bent tubing, which...