Speed - what slows you down?

[Metastable]

I can only assume that this is a troll post, if so...sarcasm needs to be heavier. If not, then I suggest that you sell your bike immediately and start using public tranport...as you're a hazard to yourself and others. In fact, sit down and stop moving before you hurt yourself. It is EXACTLY this sort of carry on that expedites people becoming statistics in the road toll. I won't even bother to go into all of the reasons why you're a hazard...sure you wouldn't get it anyway.

Well, let's look on the bright side. Staying right would be perfect in a left hand drive country.

[R650R]

This... Except in the south island it was a Mitsi...

And in Wellie I have seen Holden Cruz's, Nissan Maxima's... And I can't remember the other one...

Hyundais.... then there's the unmarked Hilux, Colarado and crewman utes used by CVIU who will deal to ordinary motorists if their being bad enough...

Worst of all though is the self righteous joe blow with a cellphone and a marked patrol car waiting for you...

Those new shape camera vans are hard to spot, they look very people moverish....

[swbarnett]

Excitement in riding no longer comes from speed, now it's the riding itself and executing a nice smooth and safe ride. Plenty of enjoyment to be had within speed limits in the back roads. Anyone can twist the throttle on a straight stretch...

Are you immune to the fallen tree or the U-turning cop?

If you were already cornering at a speed such that you couldn't stop in your visibility (or near to it) then increasing your corner speed only makes the corner more dangerous.

[Brett]

Are you immune to the fallen tree or the U-turning cop?

If you were already cornering at a speed such that you couldn't stop in your visibility (or near to it) then increasing your corner speed only makes the corner more dangerous.

Did you miss the point of his post?

[swbarnett]

Did you miss the point of his post?

I don't believe I did. Please explain it to me it you think I did.

His point as I understand it is that you're safer going slower on the straights and faster in the corners. All while staying under the speed limit. This is simply not true unless you can always stop in your visibility.

[Gremlin]

Excitement in riding no longer comes from speed, now it's the riding itself and executing a nice smooth and safe ride. Plenty of enjoyment to be had within speed limits in the back roads. Anyone can twist the throttle on a straight stretch...

Are you immune to the fallen tree or the U-turning cop?

If you were already cornering at a speed such that you couldn't stop in your visibility (or near to it) then increasing your corner speed only makes the corner more dangerous.

Well I thought "nice smooth and safe ride" was reasonably straight forward and not requiring too much interpretation. Pretty sure that takes into account road debris, other road users etc.

Not sure where the assumptions come in about cornering at certain speeds, then increasing corner speed, making it dangerous yada yada. Nothing like that referenced. The thread is about what slows you down... I put forward my experience. I slowed down because of demerits, needed my licence and consequently adjusted my riding. I choose to abide by the limits.

[swbarnett]

Well I thought "nice smooth and safe ride" was reasonably straight forward and not requiring too much interpretation. Pretty sure that takes into account road debris, other road users etc.

Not sure where the assumptions come in about cornering at certain speeds, then increasing corner speed, making it dangerous yada yada. Nothing like that referenced. The thread is about what slows you down... I put forward my experience. I slowed down because of demerits, needed my licence and consequently adjusted my riding. I choose to abide by the limits.

Sorry if I misinterpreted what you posted. I can't remember exactly what it was but I got the impression that because you were now slower in the straights you'd compensated for this in the corners.

Can you please clarify - do you always corner at a speed at which you could stop within your visibility (or near to)?

My point was really about the fact that only straight line speed is policed. This leads to people slowing down in the straights and compensating for this in the corners (sorry again if this is not relevant to you personally). This leads to corner speeds that are too high to be safe under all circumstances. Hence, the overall level of rider safety is actually reduced.

[Gremlin]

Can you please clarify - do you always corner at a speed at which you could stop within your visibility (or near to)?

Yes.

Had a really good test of this in January this year (2014). Rounded a right hander somewhere on the East Cape (plenty of bush, poor sight lines etc). There was a driveway on the left side right after the corner, and basically half a second before I exited the corner a farmer pulled out of the driveway. Fair play to him, I was not there or visible when he looked and wanted to pull out. His front wheels were only just hitting the road.

If anything, I was a bit too calm. Braked firmly, increased time to react, he continued to pull out and once the rear exited the driveway I went around the back of the ute, dropped another gear or two and carried on. Good example of why you need to anticipate anything.

On the other hand, in the ute not far from New Plymouth, BMW on the back. Long sweeping corner, flat land, large gravel area on the left side and closing into a driveway. Some ute reverses out of the driveway (I'm seeing this before I've even entered the corner, doing about 95kph) and turns on the gravel. It's plainly obvious there are vehicles coming, but he just pulls out anyway across my lane and turning right. Rather than waste time braking and probably kill him anyway I aimed for the left hard shoulder (plus some gravel) and then back onto the road... Don't know if he even realised how close he came...

[AllanB]

Smooth is the new fast.

[caspernz]

Smooth is the new fast.

Has been for a long time hasn't it?

[MD]

Smooth is the new fast.

Been doing that for 30 years. Welcome to the party. Hasn't let me down. Ok, aside from a few broken bones here and there where my riding principal didn't perform as planned. But apart form that, and the sanitation, and road and law and order...it's working fine.

[AllanB]

Yeah. No news here been doing that for decades. Can't be fucked balancing on the edge of my seat dragging a knee point to point.

[swbarnett]

Smooth is the new fast.

Take two riders. Rider A corners at a speed that allows them to stop in their visibility (note STOP, not avoid an obstacle) but is a tad over the speed limit in the straights, say up to about 30 over. Rider B sticks to the limit on the straights but makes up for it by cornering faster. Both riders have the same average speed over the same journey. Two questions: Which is safer? Which gets the tickets in the current environment?

[haydes55]

Take two riders. Rider A corners at a speed that allows them to stop in their visibility (note STOP, not avoid an obstacle) but is a tad over the speed limit in the straights, say up to about 30 over. Rider B sticks to the limit on the straights but makes up for it by cornering faster. Both riders have the same average speed over the same journey. Two questions: Which is safer? Which gets the tickets in the current environment?

Rider C rides above the speed limit on straights and in corners..... How can police distinguish between rider A and C? If there is a speed limit, there will always be the safe riders and drivers being ticketed.

[unstuck]

Rider D just cant be fucked with fools, and cruises on past riders A,B,C arguing with the rozza at the side of the road and has a really enjoyable ride knowing he can read all about the fools bad day on KB when he gets home.