Speed - what slows you down?

[unstuck]

No, that's for crashes... a mate remembers well... what was a seemingly very simple corner I turned into a very complex one, when I noticed bikini clad chickies down a side road right before the corner...

I crashed the DOC ute into the back of a taxi by the trout in Gore cos of a nice big bouncy pair.

[Banditbandit]

I'm sure DoC thought that was a valid excuse ...

[unstuck]

I'm sure DoC thought that was a valid excuse ...

Nah, had to reword the statement on the insurance forms, gave the girls at head office a chuckle though. $3800 damage to the hilux and 50c dent in the boot of the commodore taxi.

[Old Steve]

I have a high scepticism level regarding speed enforcement. I ride with an awareness of my surroundings, I may creep over the speed limit, but my main focus is on riding safe and being aware of hazards I may encounter.

One summer holiday weekend was riding on SH30 from Kawerau towards Rotorua. Came down out of the twisties and into the first township, Rotoehu. Wide road, cars parked on both sides of the road, kids everywhere playing in the front yards, people on the lakeside, no other traffic on the road so I stuck to the right of my lane, posted 80 km/hr. Kept a good look out for anything going pear shaped, but got a camera ticket for 84 km/hr.

Argued that in the circumstances it was better for me to concentrate on the surrounding hazards, kids running out across the road, people opening car doors, etc, than to be riding with my eyes glued to the speedo. Ticket stood. There are good Police in the Highway Patrol out there, poor buggers will certainly be the first attenders at accidents , but some of the drongos sitting behind a desk need some exposure in the real world.

I still maintain that I'm safer at 110 km/hr in a 100 zone if I'm aware of my surroundings than if I'm gazing at my speedo and keeping my speed down to 100 km/hr.

And at 110 km/hr I am NOT 21% more likely to die! IF I have an accident then I do have 21% more energy and that could equate to a 21% greater chance of injury or death - but that's only a possibility. If I have an accident it's possible I will be injured or die. But the increase of 10 km/hr DOES NOT increase the probability of my having an accident, in fact the gyroscopic forces on my wheels will mean that my bike is 21% more stable. So the possibility of my dying is not increased by the probability of my having an accident, so the increased overall probability of my injury or death because I'm doing 10% over the speed limit is next to zero!

Some Plods need to take Statistics and Physics 101 before they start trying to justify the force's speed enforcement policy - that last rant is really aimed at two Highway Patrol officers working just south of Marlborough and the end of a 110 km/hr speed zone in tropical Queensland who steadfastly stated that I was going to die if I kept riding at 110 km/hr in the 100 km/hr zone. They also couldn't understand the vectors involved in me coming around a curve that showed me accelerating from 95 km/hr to 110 km/hr on their radar. They didn't understand that their radar only measured the linear speed component coming directly towards them, and as I came around the curve the proportion of my real speed in the vector directly towards them increased, yet I was not accelerating but going around the curve at a steady speed.

RANT OVER.

[Old Steve]

have a high scepticism level regarding speed enforcement.

One summer holiday weekend was riding on SH30 from Kawerau towards Rotorua. Came down out of the twisties and into the first township, Rotoehu. Wide road, but cars parked on both sides of the road, kids everywhere playing in the front yards, people on the lakeside, no other traffic on the road so I stuck to the right of my lane, posted 80 km/hr. Kept a good look out for anything going pear shaped, but got a camera ticket for 84 km/hr.

Argued that in the circumstances it was better for me to concentrate on the surrounding hazards, kids running out across the road, people opening car doors, etc, than to be riding with my eyes glued to the speedo. Ticket stood. There are good Police in the Highway Patrol out there, poor buggers will certainly be the first attenders at accidents , but some of the drongos sitting behind a desk need some exposure in the real world.

I still maintain that I'm safer at 110 km/hr in a 100 zone if I'm aware of my surroundings than if I'm gazing at my speedo and keeping my speed down to 100 km/hr.

And at 110 km/hr I am NOT 21% more likely to die! IF I have an accident then I do have 21% more energy and that could equate to a 21% greater chance of injury or death - but that's only a possibility. If I have an accident it's possible I will be injured or die. But the increase of 10 km/hr DOES NOT increase the probability of my having an accident, in fact the gyroscopic forces on my wheels will mean that my bike is 21% more stable. So the possibility of my dying is not increased by the probability of my having an accident, so the increased overall probability of my injury or death because I'm doing 10% over the speed limit is next to zero!

Some Plods need to take Statistics 101 before they start trying to justify the force's speed enforcement policy.

[rocketman1]

PS...sold my 1000cc Super sport because I found that I actually enjoyed "crusing" more than "racing" these days anyway! Very keen on a cafe racer atm.

Yeah sold my sold my Sports bike for a GS BMW for the same reason, + far more comfortable for longer rides. Just doesnt look cool like a Vrod or a sports bike.

[scumdog]

I still maintain that I'm safer at 110 km/hr in a 100 zone if I'm aware of my surroundings than if I'm gazing at my speedo and keeping my speed down to 100 km/hr.

So, without 'gazing' at your speedo how do you know you're actually doing 110kph??

[Edbear]

So, without 'gazing' at your speedo how do you know you're actually doing 110kph??

It beeps at 110..?

[swbarnett]

So, without 'gazing' at your speedo how do you know you're actually doing 110kph??

You can't. But you don't have to know your speed to the number to know that what you're doing is safe.

[Jezxa]

...
Some Plods need to take Statistics and Physics 101 before they start trying to justify the force's speed enforcement policy - that last rant is really aimed at two Highway Patrol officers working just south of Marlborough and the end of a 110 km/hr speed zone in tropical Queensland who steadfastly stated that I was going to die if I kept riding at 110 km/hr in the 100 km/hr zone. They also couldn't understand the vectors involved in me coming around a curve that showed me accelerating from 95 km/hr to 110 km/hr on their radar. They didn't understand that their radar only measured the linear speed component coming directly towards them, and as I came around the curve the proportion of my real speed in the vector directly towards them increased, yet I was not accelerating but going around the curve at a steady speed.

RANT OVER.

Idiots that can't understand the difference between speed and velocity should not be in the police force.

Also, you actually would have been safer if you were in fact accelerating from 95 km/hr to 110 km/hr through the corner because the bike is the most stable and the suspension works best when you're on the gas.

[swbarnett]

I was not accelerating but going around the curve at a steady speed.

Actually you were accelerating. Acceleration is defined as a change in Velocity. Velocity is a vector and as such has both speed and direction. Changing either is an acceleration.

[mossy1200]

I crashed the DOC ute into the back of a taxi by the trout in Gore cos of a nice big bouncy pair.

Crashed a car looking in my rear view at 2 distractions.

[T.W.R]

So, without 'gazing' at your speedo how do you know you're actually doing 110kph??

there's a good wee video posted here a few years back where a certain someone is doing well in excess of 110 passing another bike without their winky blinky going either & they're definitely not watching their speedo either

Crashed a car looking in my rear view at 2 distractions.