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. It certainly didn't hold the overall land speed record.

It certainly did. On Oct. 16th., 1970, Cal Rayburn, in a single engine streamliner, powered by a modified Harley-Davidson Sportster engine, set the ULTIMATE AND SINGLE ENGINE motorcycle land speed record of 265.492 mph. The single engine record stood for over 20 years.

Many attempts by other motorcycle companies were unsuccessful. Even those with multi engine streamliners. Two, three, four engine Honda's, Kawasaki's, and Yamaha's could not better the Sporty for two decades.I don't know when the 2 record's were finally bettered and or by what. What's more, I don't care. For 20 years the Sporty was the "Best of the Best".

Well, then, I stand corrected.

I should mention that by overall land speed record I meant for all vehicles, including cars. Still, impressive even so. Simple math would suggest that if they set the record in 1970 and it stood for 20 years, then it was broken in or around 1990. BTW, I did attempt to search on the web for more information, but I've been unsuccessful in finding much information about motorcycle land speed records.

I think this probably says more about the overall package that Rayborn (I think that's the right name, he was a well known racer) and his team put together, than the power potential of Harley engines. Streamliner motorcycles are notoriously fiddly things. Know anymore about the engine they used? Naturally aspirated or supercharged? Gasoline, alcohol or nitromethane?