Does anyone have any info on Nick Collis, Project Hawk, Rocket bike?

[Jon]

Hi

As the title says, looking for any info on Nick Collis, Project Hawk please.
I know nothing about him or the bike, Sid (Kiwi Belly Tank) sent me an eBay link of a couple of pictures.
They weren't getting a bid so I paid the huge sum of £1 for them.



Looks like it was a rocket bike that ran for and maybe got the world two wheeled landspeed record in 1987.

Any info would be great.

Thanks
jon

[Malcolm UK]

The bike was never built. What you have pictures of is the shell mocked up.The matter of £388,000.00 may have been a problem to build and run this machine. Riding position was prone and no safety equipment was shown in cutaway or even mentioned in press releases.

In publicity material John Ackroyd was named as giving assistance, but in his book 'Jet Blast' he does not mention this machine at all. John had completed the Thrust II programme in 1983.

Power unit would have been similar to or borrowed from Sammy Miller (vanishing point, rocket funny car) - maybe a tad too much thrust using hydrogen peroxide as a mono propellant.

The FIM did not have a Thrust powered two wheeler class in their rules at the time of this project announcement. Of course it woiuld have been the late Don Vesco record speed that would have to be exceeded to become the fastest two wheeler when the attempt was announced in 1986 to be undertaken in 1987.

Nick was based in or near Southampton in late ,86 when the project was being publicised,

Malcolm, Derby

[Jon]

Thanks Malcolm

That explains why I can't find anything about it, did seem a bit odd.


Thanks
jon

[kiwi belly tank]

Solved Mate!
  Sid.

[Robin UK]

Collis was briefly in the frame to drive Alex Macfadzean's turbo Norton liner. On the strength of that he went to work for Norton for a while. As this article says, Ackers was supposed to design the liner but it was all dependant on funding that never materialised.

Robin

[Jon]

Thanks Robin