How many of these old photographs do you recognize?
This image shows Rollie Free setting a new world speed record on a motorcycle, 1948 in Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. Looks very safe.
The picture of Roland Free, prone and wearing a bathing suit, has been described as the most famous picture in motorcycling.
To protect himself and allow comfort when in such a position, Free had developed special protective clothing. However, when his leathers tore from early runs at 147 mph (237 km/h), he discarded them and made a final attempt without jacket, pants, gloves, boots or helmet. Free lay flat on the motorcycle wearing only a bathing suit, a shower cap, and a pair of borrowed sneakers – inspired by friend Ed Kretz. This resulted not only in the record, but also one of the most famous photographs in motorcycling history, the “bathing suit bike” shot taken from a speeding car alongside his run on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.
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