In 2014, Eva Håkansson set a world record for being the fastest female motorcycle rider, with a speed of 270.224 mph.
She also happened to build the very motorcycle she set the record with — KillaJoule, the world's fastest electric motorcycle and the fastest sidecar motorcycle of any kind.
Håkansson, who comes from an engineering background, spent five years building KillaJoule in her garage with the help of her husband. The vehicle made waves thanks to both its speed and its battery technology, which Håkansson credits to clever engineering.
We spoke to Håkansson to learn about the story, inspiration, and process behind her incredible creation.
SEE ALSO: Meet the woman who makes the food you see in commercials look irresistible
DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider's lifestyle page on Facebook!
Originally from Sweden, Håkansson moved to the US seven years ago. She enrolled in a PhD program for mechanical engineering at the University of Denver.
She comes from a family of engineers — her father was a racer in Sweden in the '60s, and he would build motorcycles in the time he had off from his job as an engineer. She decided to do the same, beginning the building of KillaJoule with her husband, Bill Dube, a research engineer at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in the two-car garage of their home in Denver, Colorado.
KillaJoule was essentially a hobby for Håkansson while she worked towards her degree, and it took her and her husband a total of five years to build. Her engineering background helped her to imagine and construct the vehicle, even though some people assumed her husband had taken the lead. "People are always directing the technical questions about the motorcycle to my husband," Håkansson told Business Insider.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
NOW WATCH: These are the keys to a happy marriage in China