THE mail would never arrive late using this little machine.
It is Dorothy, the pride and joy of two Deception Bay men who believe they have Australia’s fastest postal bike.
Don Kidd and Mike Riddell recorded an official speed of 118.217km/h in a land-speed record attempt at South Australia’s Lake Gairdner last month.
Mr Riddell, or ``Crash-Test Dummy’’ as he is affectionately known, made the run into a headwind during the 20th anniversary of the tourist attraction’s annual Speed Week.
The pair have been working on the 110cc ex-Australia Post bike since 2006.
Mr Kidd said the bike was much faster than the average postal bike, which had a standard top speed of 80km/h.
They believe their time has smashed the record set by a postal bike in 1989.
But do not mistake the men as lifelong postal bike enthusiasts only Mr Kidd has ever been a postie. They originally decided to go for the recognisable red bike because it was not expensive.
``We just did it the cheapest way we could,’’ Mr Riddell said.
Mr Kidd said the idea came to them after watching the 2005 film The World’s Fastest Indian, about a land-speed world record set on a 1920 Indian motorcycle.
Gairdner - an expansive salt lake perfect for setting land speed records draws dare devils from around the country.
Mr Kidd and Mr Riddell have been tinkering with their own bike ever since.
Despite a sleek new look, ``Dorothy’’ a 2002 Honda remains very authentic.
``The whole idea was to keep it original,’’ Mr Riddell said.
``It’s only a hotted-up postie.’’
Mr Kidd said with the help of a number of local experts, they ``stripped it down and rebuilt it, bottom up’’.
He said without the help of the team from One Ten Motorcycles at Caboolture, also the bikes only sponsor, the pair would ``still be trying to put it together’’.
But the friends are not yet content.
``The ultimate goal is 100mph,’’ Mr Riddell said