Speed and the law

[Ixion]

Agreed. The old Trumpy (Meridian) 650s could go OK, but they sure were scarey at anything over 90 or so. Depending on the road, setup, rider etc of course. And whether you actually had any nonsensical notions of being able to slow down from 100+ using that 7 inch SLS brake.

Umm. that's 90 MPH of course. I think the post I was replying to meant 100KPH.

Even the old Speed Twin was fine at 100kph. That's only 60 odd mph, it would cruise at that all day.

Lets get real folks. On any performance vehicle, bike or car, 160kph isn't really an issue in itself. It's only if the environment isn't safe eg Stan out for his monthly pootle, children who may run into road etc.

Until quite recent times normal cruising for most drivers in this country was 150 - 180 kph. And we're all still around.

I get a lot more scared at 80kph on the Southern Motorway on a wet dark winters's night in the rush hour than I do at 160kph on a nice back country road.

And I notoriously ride like the original Nana's nana.

[Wolf]

I lost mine for 6 months when I was a kid, doing 180 down the Southern Motorway on an RD350LC.

Shit dude, sounds like your bike was in better nick than mine - I had my old RD350 "green machine" up to 128k after using most of a rather long straight and the bitch was juddering and jumping so much it scared the shit outta me. The engine sounded like it'd blow if I tried to crank another couple of km/h out of it. It wasn't anything like the 115mph the RD350 was reputedly capable of.

[MSTRS:Me]

Shit dude, sounds like your bike was in better nick than mine - I had my old RD350 "green machine" up to 128k after using most of a rather long straight and the bitch was juddering and jumping so much it scared the shit outta me. The engine sounded like it'd blow if I tried to crank another couple of km/h out of it. It wasn't anything like the 115mph the RD350 was reputedly capable of.

That had to be one sick RD then. Even the 250s could do 100mph on a good day

[MSTRS:Me]

Which reminds me. I had a TS125 in the early 70's and with a 16tooth sprocket on the front it could 80pmh indicated.

[Ixion]

That had to be one sick RD then. Even the 250s could do 100mph on a good day

I regularly had my RD350 over the ton (160kph). Took a while and no head winds to get that last bit, but once there it could hold it OK.140 -150 kph was easy. Handling at speed was actually pretty good for the day, much better than Brit iron.

[Gixxer 4 ever]

I aint sunshine, I'm simply stating the facts and when I do get a bigger bike I aint going faster anyway as speed tickets are expensive and money is something quite precious to me.

Yeah right. Grow up yourself.

[Gixxer 4 ever]

Instant walk....
I'm not looking for sympathy, and constructive crittacism will be taken on board. I was in the boonies, and the only person I was putting at risk was myself - of my own violition.
I've done the crime and accept the fact that I was caught approaching warp speed. I don't have a problem with this.
I just want to hear from others; what to expect.

Good on you mate. I was a bit embarrassed with outlawtorn's attack to be honest. As you said you never asked for sympathy you only wanted fact and it was your second posting here so I felt it was a bit over the top. Anyway welcome to the mad house.
And the truth is everyone here with a bike over 50cc has had a go. Some get zapped and some don't. Most 100 H/P plus bikes have cracked the 200 mark on the road and thats life.

[Gixxer 4 ever]

and perfectly safe where we were doing it. I don't accept, and never will, that no matter the circumstances or vehicle, that exceeding some arbitrary speed makes you a danger.

I do have some sympathy for this idea but it is to often in NZ we see sheep and other live stock on the road side. Also families and kids live along these country roads etc. Just an observation and I have seen things happen at normal ( 130 kmh ) that would have been a big problem at 200. I live in the country so have experience of what is on the roads.

[Paul in NZ]

I regularly had my RD350 over the ton (160kph). Took a while and no head winds to get that last bit, but once there it could hold it OK.140 -150 kph was easy. Handling at speed was actually pretty good for the day, much better than Brit iron.

Sort of... If you uprated the shocks... ;-) I could hold them but not pass them on my Norton Atlas Cafe Racer in the twisties everywhere except down hill where the light weight and disk brakes won out. They could get me under brakes if they were brave enough but I could hold a tighter line so they had to go around me. If they got a nose in front it was all over IF they had the right gear engaged or else the norty would grunt off.

I always lost the 'engine off' races from the Hilltop though - crazy bastards..

Normally, up to about 85 mph they would scream away from me but after that I could steadily reel them in as the Norton could reach the 120's with relative ease with the rider hiding behind the gas cap (top measured speed was 129 on a really GOOD day over the flying mile) Note - it had a lot of money wasted on the engine and was pretty fast.

However, as far as everyday riding was concerned, in traffic and so on, the RD's pure accelleration from 30 to 120 kph left the lardy old Norton for DEAD... In the rain, at night or dodgy conditions the stablity of the old Norton gave it the edge unless the RD pilot was on a self destruction mission (and a lot of them were)... Jeeze that was a fun time... Ace bars on the RD's, clip ons on the Norty, 6 ft tall and bullet proof...

Paul N

[outlawtorn]

Yeah right. Grow up yourself.

Thanks dude

[Ixion]

Sort of... If you uprated the shocks... ;-) I could hold them but not pass them on my Norton Atlas Cafe Racer in the twisties .. In the rain, at night or dodgy conditions the stablity of the old Norton gave it the edge unless the RD pilot was on a self destruction mission (and a lot of them were)... Jeeze that was a fun time... Ace bars on the RD's, clip ons on the Norty, 6 ft tall and bullet proof...

Paul N

An Atlas handled a *lot* better than most of the Brit iron. Now an A10 at 100mph. *That* was hairy. The RD's didn't like cross winds IIRC, but the ace bars were beautiful on them. It was really the acceleration and the lovely twosmoker howl as you wound it up that I liked on them.

Always wanted an Atlas , never did get one.

[Ixion]

I do have some sympathy for this idea but it is to often in NZ we see sheep and other live stock on the road side. Also families and kids live along these country roads etc. Just an observation and I have seen things happen at normal ( 130 kmh ) that would have been a big problem at 200. I live in the country so have experience of what is on the roads.

True, but we do have good straight roads in NZ that don't have families (or houses) or side turnings or livestock along them. Except maybe for feral animals, but anything larger than a rabbit you should be able to see. And rabbits are fairly sane . (I'll swear there was one recently though, that was trying to drag me off - leaped onto the road beside me from a bank as I came out of a slow hairpin, and sprinted up the road beside me. He lost the drag, but. )

I'd agree that in the upper North Island there aren't too many roads safe for 200kph. But there are some, and in the South Island a lot more (because of the lower population density)

[handy_dog]

Of course the roads in the south are safe to travel above 100K. Helen proved this with her motorcade recently. Given she and the others in the motorcade sped past my front gate, traveling at a similar speed to what I got booked at, am only following the example set by those who make and enforce the laws. The Waimate cop that booked me may have a similar day in court comming up; Maybe this is why I was hit with the soft end of the stick...

[Rainbow Wizard]

Yes, where I think it safe and suitable I will go that fast again as well... Why? Dunno... How often? Seldom but in the back of bum buggery no place it just might happen...

The speed on a deserted road with good forward visibilty and no side roads was illegal but no great drama (until he got caught) but where he needs his head read was for doing it on Highway One. Man that was a dumb move because the Fedrali use that as flypaper.

[Paul in NZ]

There is not a road on the planet that is 100% safe at any speed.

What we are talking about is a sliding scale of safety that varies considerably from place to place, time to time and person to person that is punctuated by some very real legal limits with even more real punishments.

Yes, there are times when it is relatively safe to go quite fast for a brief time in some places. As for me, in general I don't exceed the limit by any more than 20kph ever as that is the limit of pain I can stand... Plus any more is a bit irresponsible and can't be sustained for long.

I guess what I find odd... Admitting you do 110 (which is already breaking the legal limit) and blagging someone that got pinged for 160. That means you have already ignored the legal limit and so physics aside are we are just talking about a sliding scale of comfort and illegality...

Cheers