VIDEO: Record-breaking mobility scooter cracks 173km/h

David Anderson and Matthew Hine from the Isle of Mann have broken the world speed record a mobility scooter with an incredible top speed of 173.16km/h.

The record, authenticated by Guinness World Records, required driver Hind to average the death-defying high speed over almost 400 metres.

The new top speed easily beats the previous record of 133.04km/h that was set by Denmark’s Klaus Nissen Petersen back in 2012.

To be eligible to compete, Guinness rules state the scooter must be based on an existing mobility aid and appear, from the outside, to be a traditional motorscooter.

Anderson and Hine, who are both mechanics on the British island famous for its annual TT motorcycle road race, said they began with a pure-electric ‘Days Strider’ model that originally had tyres speed-rated for 12km/h.

To make it stable at speeds over 50km/h the pair drafted in the chassis from a kart and then adapted the tubular chassis to accept mid-mounted 600cc engine donated from a Suzuki Bandit.

Wheelie bars were then found necessary to prevent the 53kW/80Nm toppling the scooter on its back under full acceleration. The standard speed-limited tyres, meanwhile, were replaced by wheels and tyres from a go-kart.

Unfortunately, when the record was set, the scooter wasn’t road-legal because it lacked front brakes, but since then the pair have said they’ve ‘upgraded’ the record-breaking mobility scooter.

Now Hine and Anderson’s scooter comes equipped with front disc brakes and an even more powerful 75kW engine from a Suzuki GSX 750F.

With better braking and even more power the pair says they might have another crack at breaking their own Guinness record, but only if testing “goes well”.