Speed - what slows you down?

**AllanB** · 21st December 2014, 17:04

A topical subject at this tropical time of year.

hypothetical situation (this is after all a public forum). Imagine I had headed out this afternoon while the weather was fine. I stopped for a coffee at my destination and the weather turns. I depart back homeward upping the speed to stay ahead of the incoming poor weather.

On the way back (still in story mode) I do not exceed 140.

Back to the real world I wonder why they set the instant loss of licence at 40 over the speed limit. Given the imposed limit you’d think it would be significantly lower or even staggered – 90 in a 50 k zone is bloody fast. Why not 60 or 65 in a 50?

On the open road why not 120 or 130? If everyone is doing 100, 140 is motoring past the law abiding drivers.

Would a lower loss of licence limit of say 125 on the open road slow you down?

Should we all by Bonnevilles, Hyo-bags & cruisers and cruise?

PS – I want a Bonnie – it would be my blank canvas for all sorts of tasty modifications ….

**Berries** · 21st December 2014, 17:20

Originally Posted by AllanB

Would a lower loss of licence limit of say 125 on the open road slow you down?….

Well the new drink drive laws has curtailed my evening sessions due to the morning after affect so I am sure it would. You've still got to get caught though. Alcohol is there the whole trip, speed only when you decide.

Originally Posted by AllanB

Should we all by Bonnevilles, Hyo-bags & cruisers and cruise?

Yes.

And no.

**AllanB** · 21st December 2014, 17:24

Originally Posted by Berries

Well the new drink drive laws has curtailed my evening sessions due to the morning after affect so I am sure it would. You've still got to get caught though. Alcohol is there the whole trip, speed only when you decide.

Very good point. One beer only now if driving (was 2 before). So a reduction of the loss limit would keep ones upper 'cruising' limit down?

**Brett** · 21st December 2014, 17:31

Hypothetically:

On the bike (when I still had a road bike...watch this space) i would ride to the prevailing conditions and my level of competence. This would possibly see me hitting 140kph or more during overtaking or on safer sections of road. It would also see me doing the speed limit or less in areas where I knew that the risk was higher and/or the conditions dictated that a lower speed was necessary. Hence, theoretically, I have had a cop let slide that I passed him at over double the legal limit on the open road, but have also been pulled over for 62 kph in a 50kph zone. Was by a school and I think that a ticket was absolutely warranted and I actually had no beef on the matter at all. It is retarded to speed in and around schools...was a lapse in attention on my behalf.

In the car, I am somewhat more sedate these days. I happen to own a pretty quick car and will on occasion overtake with gusto, but will always slow down to travelling circa 100-110kph. I like to tackle twisty sections of road with "enthusiasm", however these days that is tuned down quite a lot. Just hate being stuck behind morons who are straight road or overtaking warriors who don't know how to drive through twisty roads properly.

I used to be quite a bit "faster" on the road until the day (3 or 4 years ago) that I was one of the first to come across an accident that shook me up a bit. Was a head on with a 4x4 vs. truck and there were kids involved 1-2 year olds. A 16 year old ended up dying on the scene and two babies were in a serious condition. I know beyond doubt that I am a fast, competent driver with good road craft but I NEVER want to be involved in an accident that see's somebody else's family hurt like that. I would not be able to live with that over my head.

I do not think that reduced speed tolerances are at all the answer. Increased driver education and training is. I recently got back from an overseas trip travelling around 4000kms. This was some open road driving, some highway/motorway and a mix of other stuff. The open road limit was 120kph but mostly the traffic flowed at 140-190kph. Because drivers had a level of courtesy, the trip was a lot less eventful than most holiday weekends in NZ. So often I will need to full onto the hard shoulder because some douchebag has tried a silly overtaking manouver or some other silly shit. Lowering the speed limit or more enforcement of the 100kph limit will not fix this. A head on with two cars doing 100kph is still going to deliver a very bad outcome for all involved.

**Brett** · 21st December 2014, 17:32

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.

**Big Dog** · 21st December 2014, 17:32

All Manner of bad things slow me down well before 140 these days.

The truly shocking driving o the average Joe high on the list.
I think 40 over was chosen as a nice wide berth.

I do think 40% would be a better call but less even integers makes it a little more argumentative.

The other day I was headed out to Whitford and a dude who clearly thought he was gods gift to boganville (Auckland) was coming the other way mullet blowing out behind him. Panicked look in his eye as he came around the blind corner. Panicked because the boat he was towing had forced him wide. Completely into my lane at one point.

No problem thinks I. I just stitch out to the fog line and carry on past him thinking to myself and that is why I don't speed much if at all any more.

The icing on the cake. He so thought he was in the right he pulled the fingers as I went past.

Can't say I have never broken the limit or I never will again but these days I am a little more concerned with having a good time and getting home
In one piece.

If I can't afford track days I sure as shit can't afford tickets or the other possible costs of going fast.

The one basic difference to riding at a race track? On a racetrack there is a realistic probability nothing is coming the other way.

Stupid phone / Tapatalk, apologies in advance.

**mossy1200** · 21st December 2014, 17:33

125 would increase the people doing runners to avoid loss of licence.

**Big Dog** · 21st December 2014, 17:37

Originally Posted by Brett

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.

I hear that! I would own another Hayabusa I a heart beat but for touring.

My ambitions these days are more akin to a dl1000 or similar I. Fill touring regalia.

Stupid phone / Tapatalk, apologies in advance.

**Madness** · 21st December 2014, 17:41

I found that having to ride as passenger with my woman driving for 28 days had an astounding effect on reducing my overall road speed.

**R650R** · 21st December 2014, 17:42

Seeing F'wit drivers cutting corners, stopped counting at twelve today and all were bad enough to be *555 worthy but too hot to stop and piss about taking helmet off etc.
Half of those were actually very dangerous accidents waiting to happen and you could see they were tired drivers from the heat and holidays. The other half were just plain lazy drivers.
A couple of them were even cutting the corner before entering they were that bad...

**FJRider** · 21st December 2014, 17:57

Originally Posted by AllanB

Back to the real world I wonder why they set the instant loss of licence at 40 over the speed limit. Given the imposed limit you’d think it would be significantly lower or even staggered – 90 in a 50 k zone is bloody fast. Why not 60 or 65 in a 50?

So ... you prefer a Percentage of the posted speed limit over the posted speed limit for loss of license ... rather than a defined number over EACH/ALL speed limit ... ???

**caspernz** · 21st December 2014, 18:07

Speed is mostly a thing of "suitable for the current conditions" thing with me. Yeah coming across accidents has a short term effect, but once you've seen a few dozen...it's just like being back in Bosnia 93/94.

Ok I've got a Hayabusa, mostly for touring I'll admit. But...tell me how many guys who own big bikes that don't stray beyond the limit on occasion

? Yes that includes me.

Having spent a good part of my life in other parts of the world it's amusing to see NZ copying so much of what doesn't work in Oz. Real driver education is the long term solution, and yeah it won't happen overnight so I'll just put up with ever increasing sections of reduced speed.

**Edbear** · 21st December 2014, 18:11

Hasn't the limit been reduced to 30 over?

**bluninja** · 21st December 2014, 18:16

Originally Posted by AllanB

hypothetical situation (this is after all a public forum). Imagine I had headed out this afternoon while the weather was fine. I stopped for a coffee at my destination and the weather turns. I depart back homeward upping the speed to stay ahead of the incoming poor weather.

On the way back (still in story mode) I do not exceed 140.

….

Such a limp hypothetical excuse, almost as bad as racing home because you might miss the start of Shortland Street

I think the current enforcement focussing on a set figure above the posted limit is pants.....it doesn't slow me down on average. Having said that the last 2 tickets were due to me not looking out for the police as I was driving at 100....they disagreed. I haven't had tickets when deliberately "making good progress" on the bike.

Whilst increased speed reduces the time to process new info and react, most of the examples for going slower posted don't make sense. In each case peeps were going at a speed that allowed action to be taken when a fuckwit cuts a corner or decides to occupy the oncoming lane. Whether that speed is above or below the posted limit is a moot point.

It's really simple: Drive/Ride to the conditions and your abilities to always arrive in one piece with a smile on your face. If you cop a ticket come and whinge about it on KB.