Rollie Free Rollie Free Roland "Rollie" Free (November 18, 1900 – October 11, 1984) was a motorcycle racer best known for breaking the American motorcycle land speed record in 1948 on the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. The picture of Free, prone and wearing a bathing suit, has been described as the most famous picture in motorcycling. After an early career in motorcycle retail, Free became a regional racer of the 1920s and 30’s on Indian motorcycles. In 1923, Free tried out for his first national motorcycle race, the 100-Mile National Championships on the board track in Kansas City, but did not qualify.
Triumph Bandit critical US market. It has also been suggested that the model name was to have been Toledo but that had been taken by the Triumph car company and that the Bandit name was intended for the equivalent BSA model instead. Launched in 1971 the 5-speed, double overhead cam twin cylinder Triumph Bandit delivered and could reach . Essentially the same motorcycle as the BSA Fury, the Bandit represented the factory's last attempt to compete against Japanese imports. The only contemporary road test was by American magazine Cycle Guide in their March 1971 issue upon a visit to the Triumph and