How about a higher open road speed limit for bikes?

**xwhatsit** · 9th December 2006, 02:26

I see more problems than benefits here. Speeding enforcement suddenly becomes a whole lot more difficult; fixed cameras especially. Don't talk about buses, trucks, learner bikers having lower speed limits, because generally these are not enforced anyway. In terms of benefits, I don't see too many. 120kph isn't that much faster than 100kph; many of us here would do 110-120kph anyway along motorways without raising an eyelid. Many sportbikers here would not bat an eyelid at 180kph along a motorway... with a choice between +60kph and +80kph there's not much difference.

Your main argument, apart from the unwritten obvious reason of the personal pleasure of riding faster than everybody else, seems to be congestion on the roads. Having a faster bike limit does diddly shit for that; only a maniac would be lane splitting at 120kph in 100kph traffic (or 110 kph traffic most often, at least in Auckland). Or lane splitting at 120kph in 30kph traffic due to the aforementioned congestion.

Oh and by the way, you mentioned bikes when ridden properly can stop quicker than cars; haven't we had this argument many times before? No, bikes cannot brake better than cars -- the very best sportsbikes with a very experienced rider can by a small margin, but the rest of us, we're worse than any n00b in an old Jap import planting his foot on the brake pedal.

**scracha** · 9th December 2006, 07:18

Couldn't have the bikes going faster than the cars now could we? They'd both have to go up and that would result in carnage giving aspects like the negligable braking distance cars leave at the moment. I could only reasonably support this if they raised the driving age and improved training for cage drivers and motorcycle riders.

**DingDong** · 9th December 2006, 08:04

I think its pointless... your not going to get anywhere that much faster.

The Coro is good at 100kph and so is the Kaimai and if you happen to be doing 140kph the cops cant clock you anyway as long as you slow on the straight bits.

I say leave it at 100

**jafar** · 9th December 2006, 08:20

raising the limit for bikes only wouldn't do much except make the tickets a bit cheaper if/when you do get a ticket.
If LTSA were to do anything they would probably drop the speed limit for bikes as we don't wear seat belts or obey their rules anyway.

**Toaster** · 9th December 2006, 08:55

All good comments people, thanks for contributing

**James Deuce** · 9th December 2006, 13:37

The open road speed limit will probably be 80 km/hr within a couple of months.

**SwanTiger** · 9th December 2006, 14:39

Originally Posted by Swoop

Please come to Auckland (I know you are in Auckland...) .... the speed limit when towing a trailer is at least 100kmh.

Struth.

Originally Posted by Jim2

The open road speed limit will probably be 80 km/hr within a couple of months.

I highly doubt that.

**James Deuce** · 9th December 2006, 14:45

Originally Posted by SwanTiger

Struth.

I highly doubt that.

I don't . The 100km/hr limit is likely to be Motorways only. The rest of the road network with be 80 km/hr. Watch the news on Wednesday of this week.

**doc** · 9th December 2006, 15:24

Originally Posted by Jim2

I don't . The 100km/hr limit is likely to be Motorways only. The rest of the road network with be 80 km/hr. Watch the news on Wednesday of this week.

My money is with Jim2 on this one. They are making it safer for us. Healthier too we will all have huge performace sucking catalylitic converters and large sound deadening cans that will slow us down.

**SwanTiger** · 9th December 2006, 15:33

Originally Posted by Jim2

I don't . The 100km/hr limit is likely to be Motorways only. The rest of the road network with be 80 km/hr. Watch the news on Wednesday of this week.

It will be a sad sad day. Then again in the car I very rarely go over 100 kmp/h on the open road so floating around 80 kmp/h won't bother me. Guess I i'll stick with my plan of buying a track bike instead of another road bike

**Lou Girardin** · 9th December 2006, 15:38

We are getting an 80km/h limit by stealth now, it'll just mean more runners.
As far as a higher limit for bikes goes, I haven't seen any evidence that the majority of rider's skills could justify it.

**slowpoke** · 9th December 2006, 20:28

Originally Posted by Jim2

I don't . The 100km/hr limit is likely to be Motorways only. The rest of the road network with be 80 km/hr. Watch the news on Wednesday of this week.

Pleeeeaase tell me this is something you are SCARED of happening rather than something you are SURE of happening.

If it does come in it'll be another case of dragging everyone down to the lowest possible skill level. Rather than keeping idiots off the road they treat everyone like an idiot. Political expediency to the extreme.

I'm hoping it'll be seen as political suicide, and they won't have the balls to do it no matter how they twist the statistics. Then again the lunatics are in charge of the asylum so anything could happen.

Well, that's it, decision made: if the open road speed limit is lowered to 80klicks I'm outta here. It's bloody hard to feel proud of your country when you are treated like a gimp.

Roll on Wednesday.....

**Meekey_Mouse** · 9th December 2006, 20:52

Originally Posted by slowpoke

Pleeeeaase tell me this is something you are SCARED of happening rather than something you are SURE of happening.

If it does come in it'll be another case of dragging everyone down to the lowest possible skill level. Rather than keeping idiots off the road they treat everyone like an idiot. Political expediency to the extreme.

I'm hoping it'll be seen as political suicide, and they won't have the balls to do it no matter how they twist the statistics. Then again the lunatics are in charge of the asylum so anything could happen.

Well, that's it, decision made: if the open road speed limit is lowered to 80klicks I'm outta here. It's bloody hard to feel proud of your country when you are treated like a gimp.

Roll on Wednesday.....

I totally agree

**James Deuce** · 9th December 2006, 21:03

Originally Posted by slowpoke

Pleeeeaase tell me this is something you are SCARED of happening rather than something you are SURE of happening.

If it does come in it'll be another case of dragging everyone down to the lowest possible skill level. Rather than keeping idiots off the road they treat everyone like an idiot. Political expediency to the extreme.

I'm hoping it'll be seen as political suicide, and they won't have the balls to do it no matter how they twist the statistics. Then again the lunatics are in charge of the asylum so anything could happen.

Well, that's it, decision made: if the open road speed limit is lowered to 80klicks I'm outta here. It's bloody hard to feel proud of your country when you are treated like a gimp.

Roll on Wednesday.....

You're assuming that the rest of the road using population has the same passion for driving or riding as you do.

A quick canvas of my rellies today came out 80% in favour of dropping the speed limit. They're mostly middle class "right" thinking Kiwis too. The anti-speed campaign has been going on so long that most people who use personal vehicles for transport believe that speed literally kills.

It won't be political suicide, it will be hailed as the most amazing safety initiative ever and will fit in nicely with the coming anti-carbon emissions campaign that will make the anti-drink driving, and anti-smoking campaigns look like childishly overt market manipulation.

It would be political suicide to oppose the speed limit drop. I sincerely hope it doesn't happen, but the pseudo-scientists have taken over and there are a whole pile of "facts" being used to justify just about anything. It only takes a week of trotting out tragedies to convince a "majority" of kiwis of anything these days. Norway has an open road speed limit of 80 km/hr and fines that would make your eyes water. Guarantee their road death rate per head of capita is used as one argument to justify the move without any mention of the car ownership rate per head of capita.

If it doesn't happen this electoral cycle, it will happen in the next.

**slowpoke** · 9th December 2006, 22:40

Originally Posted by Jim2

You're assuming that the rest of the road using population has the same passion for driving or riding as you do.

A quick canvas of my rellies today came out 80% in favour of dropping the speed limit. They're mostly middle class "right" thinking Kiwis too. The anti-speed campaign has been going on so long that most people who use personal vehicles for transport believe that speed literally kills.

It won't be political suicide, it will be hailed as the most amazing safety initiative ever and will fit in nicely with the coming anti-carbon emissions campaign that will make the anti-drink driving, and anti-smoking campaigns look like childishly overt market manipulation.

It would be political suicide to oppose the speed limit drop. I sincerely hope it doesn't happen, but the pseudo-scientists have taken over and there are a whole pile of "facts" being used to justify just about anything. It only takes a week of trotting out tragedies to convince a "majority" of kiwis of anything these days. Norway has an open road speed limit of 80 km/hr and fines that would make your eyes water. Guarantee their road death rate per head of capita is used as one argument to justify the move without any mention of the car ownership rate per head of capita.

If it doesn't happen this electoral cycle, it will happen in the next.

To quote Dr McCoy, "It's life Jim, but not as we know it."

Gaaawd, I'm depressed..........