Patric Nussbaum hit 380km/h to become fastest man on a motorbike at a recent landspeed event. Video / Yolisa Tswanya
After years of persistence, Northland man Patric Nussbaum has claimed the title of fastest man on a motorbike in New Zealand.
Behind the handlebars of Lucy, his turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa, Nussbaum powered to an average of 380km/h (237.5mph), across two runs, at a recent Landspeed event in Reporoa,near Rotorua.
Landspeed New Zealand Association president John Seccombe said indications from other timing equipment showed Nussbaum might even have reached 386km/h in a single pass.
“That is faster than any helicopter or light aircraft can fly. That is 107m per second, that is the length of a football field in one second.”
The event is held once a year on Goudies Rd in Reporoa.
For Nussbaum, the result was years in the making. He attempted the record in 2001, even briefly breaking it on his first try before mechanical issues cut his run short and he saw the title slip away the same day.
“Since then, we have always improved a little, and this year everything came right. The team was good, the sponsors were good, and the weather was perfect.”
Patric Nussbaum and Lucy, his 2013 Suzuki Hayabusa, smashed the NZ motorcycle land speed record recently. Photo / Yolisa Tswanya
Starting in the mid-350km/h range, Nussbaum steadily pushed higher, eventually reaching 380.01km/h on his fastest pass.
“There’s about a 3.5km run-up to get to speed, then you hit the flying quarter mile where the timing starts. I covered that in under four seconds, more than 107m a second, basically a rugby field every second.”
For spectators, it’s quite hard to watch because “you see a little dot coming and then before you know it’s gone”, he added.
The 58-year-old says he loves the sport and has been riding bikes since he was 12. He has competed across multiple disciplines, including racing in New Zealand and in the European Championship Supermoto, where he once ranked seventh.
He admits it is dangerous and there is little room for error.
The run is on a public road, about 9m wide, with no run-off, meaning riders must hold a precise line while dealing with wind and the extreme speeds.
“It’s not a desert or a salt flat where you can slide; you have to stay exactly in the middle of the road.”
Despite the risks, fear is not something he focuses on.
“If you think about that, you don’t get on the bike. I listen to how I feel. If it’s right, I do it … When I have my helmet and gear on, I am in my bubble, in my happiness, and nothing can happen in there.”
Patric Nussbaum has worked for years to achieve the fastest speed on a motorcycle on New Zealand soil. Photo / Yolisa Tswanya
He remains undecided about whether he will attempt to break his record next year, but has set his sights on attempting a salt flats race.
Seccombe said Nussbaum’s record blew everyone away.
“Patric has worked hard for it. He blew one engine up about two or three years ago, but he has finally made it and is now the fastest man in New Zealand.”
He said he started the association eight years ago with around 40 participants.
“Now probably [it’s] near 260 participants, and we have 12 people that have gone faster than 200 miles an hour and the speeds have been going up each year.”
He said it was hard to say if the 380km/h record would be broken, because everything had to line up almost perfectly and sometimes, once people reach that level, they are not keen to push it again.
