A Paralyzed Motorcyclist Just Set a Speed Record on a Turbocharged Hayabusa

British motorcyclist Talan Skeels-Piggins has broken the 200 mph barrier aboard a turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa, becoming the first paralyzed motorcyclist to achieve this milestone and setting a speed record under these parameters. He hit 200.254 mph over a mile run at the Straightliners World Speed Record event in England, fulfilling a goal he pursued for 11 years. Back in 2015, Skeel-Piggins reached a top speed of 175 mph on a standard Hayabusa. Following setbacks and financial issues, he partnered with motorcycle racer and engineer Lee Baxendale, who spent over 600 hours modifying the Hayabusa to make the record run possible. Skeels-Piggins became paralyzed from the chest down following a motorcycle crash in 2003. A former Winter Paralympian, he previously became the first paraplegic rider to compete in an official motorcycle road race against able-bodied competitors in 2012, finishing 12th out of 38 competitors in the MiniTwins class aboard a modified Suzuki SV650.