How about a higher open road speed limit for bikes?

[Motu]

Lowering the speed limit will also improve fuel economy - at 85kph I get an improvement of more than 20% for my Pajero.That's a significant amount of fuel spread over all road users....our fuel reserves are of major concern,more than road deaths I'd say.

[madandy]

Interesting to note that, so far, 39 in favour of increasing the limit by 20km/h to 30 in favour of leaving the limit alone. & a handfull want an extra 10 clicks.
Despite the evidence pointing to an 80km/h limit on many roads more people here want to increase the speed differential between their vulnerable selves and driving zombies! just think of your selves travelling 40km/h faster than everything else...yeah yeah...who travels at 100km/h anyway? well for those that do the speed differential would create some havoc.

Really what you're asking is for yourselves to be treated differently to everyone else on the roads while lacking any proof to suggest that you'll never have an accident where your speed effects your injuries...

I'd love an increased speed limit...but not for everyone! So it aint gonna happen

[xwhatsit]

I'd be wary of interpreting a poll on KB as being representative of... well... anything!

Hell, I'd like to have a higher speed limit for me on the road (that is, if my bike could carry me at 120kph with any level of comfort), but I don't necessarily think it's a wise idea. Like somebody said earlier in the thread, the majority of bikers (certainly not me) don't have the skills to justify a raised limit.

Another point is that, if they do lower the open road limit to 80kph, it will be the same as if they raised it to 120kph -- largely irrelevant to many bikers who pay little heed to the posted limit anyway. In some ways in NZ an 80kph limit would be almost justified; we have seriously twisty roads here. In Australia I would be pissed off if the made you travel at 80kph on big wide open roads with not a corner in sight, but our roads are different. I would be pissed off if they lowered it, but I could understand the reasoning behind it, even if it is a little bit too much mollycoddling for my taste.

[adiddy]

dude, and following what has happened in the last week i would have thought it would be wise to keep the speed at what it is!!

not being rude or anything but it is not just ourselves we have to be wary of but the others around us !
we ride in an open environment we do not control the situation and raising the limit would mean we barely in control of ourselves

My Thoughts
Adiddy

[Swoop]

I wonder if there is a certain time of day when accidents happen in greater numbers? Perhaps the drunks go out at night and kill themselves in greater numbers. The solution would then be to ban all driving after dark...

If the government wants to lower the speed limit, the manufacturers of this nation (before we have everything made in China) will have to increase costs to make up the shortfall in delivery costs.
Political suicide? Maybe not, but, however, it would be putting the barrel in the mouth and placing the finger on the trigger.
The loser? Once again, the frontline police officer...

[AllanB]

I'm old enough to rember whe nthe open road limit WAS 80km - back in the 80's fuel crisis. Car less days etc. Mind you you could get pulled over doing 120 and 90% of the time you would only get a verbal warning. Try getting that at 40k over the limit now!

[sinned]

I'm old enough to rember whe nthe open road limit WAS 80km - back in the 80's fuel crisis. Car less days etc. Mind you you could get pulled over doing 120 and 90% of the time you would only get a verbal warning. Try getting that at 40k over the limit now!

I got pulled over in late 80s for 132Km in a cage. Cop was going the other way and did a rapid u turn. I immediately stopped so he didn't have to chase me. "Why were you speeding sir?" My reply - "I wasn't concentrating on my speed". He suggested I watch my speed and let me off. Fat chance of that happening now. I

[mstriumph]

When ALL bikers can handle 100kph in all situations THEN maybe raise the speed limit.

Until then leave it at 100.

noooooooo - well - sorta kinda
how about rather a system of graduated licences .......... where bikers on a standard licence stay at the current limit but those on an advanced licence [which would involve compulsary further training and testing] can go faster?

----------- would actually be a great incentive to stay within the higher limit, actually, if you could LOSE the priviledge if you abused it?

whatd'ya think??

[ManDownUnder]

SHIT.... There's a limit??

Actually yeah, although the speed limit needs to take a couple of things into account. Vehicle capabilities, driver capability, road conditions and other drivers.

Nice idea that falls rapidly into the "too hard" basket in my personal opinion

[Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)]

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.

FFS walking will be faster.
You will get the Sunday drivers doing 60 km - god forbid Hawkes Bay drivers do that now when it's at 100!!

Definitely time to invest in a radar detector. When I'm going at speed - I have full concentration and awareness. When forced to go 100k's I'm bored shitless, less concentration and more liable to make mistakes.

[Ixion]

Considering the casualty rates for motorcyclists (ie, the fact they they keep crashing) it would be very hard indeed to justify a differential increased speed limit for them relative to other road users.

In fact, it would be VERY easy to justify a LOWER speed limit for bikes. Because we are more vulnerable and therefore should not go so fast.

This would be VERY easy for the government to do (in fact they already do it for learners) so I think it would be wise to keep very quiet on the subject of different speed limits.

[Hawkeye]

I'd be wary of interpreting a poll on KB as being representative of... well... anything!

I have to agree with you there. Doing a poll about speed on a bike forum is like asking a group of alcoholics if the price of beer should be reduced. - rather biased.

[James Deuce]

Why hasn't the price of beer been lowered? Ale too, lager, pilsner, and stouts.

[terbang]

I dunno about increasing the speed limit just for bikers but I would support a general increase in the speed limit especially on motorways. A good look overseas shows the 110-120kph mark on motorways to be fairly normal. Germany's Autobahn and Northern Teritory's Stuart highway are extreme examples of no speed limit but those people are better educated at driving than we are.

[Squeak the Rat]

Out motorways aren't as safe, they have corners. That's why there are so many crashes at Tip-Top corner on the auckland southern motorway, and why the speed limit is 80kph through spaghetti junction.

Or maybe it's our drivers that can't handle them. And half the drivers on the motorway aren't comfortable doing 100kph, let alone 120.......God knows what sort of chaos that would create. It works overseas because people a) good road design, and b) people keep left (it's law).....