SuzukiSavage.com - Speed, do we really need it?

oldNslow

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Re: Speed, do we really need it?
Reply #15 - 06/06/16 at 18:38:14

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Down here in S. Fla the troopers give out 100mph+ tickets on the turnpike about 4 or 5 times a week. And west of me there is a 4 lane divided hwy with a limit of 60. Weekends the sportbikes run that road at 120 - 140 plus. A trooper told me they can't do anything when there alone, and a major enforcement group would stand out so no one would speed. They know stop sticks would just kill a biker.
Believe me, it is NOT FUN to be going 60 and have 2 bikes come out of nowhere and pass you within touching distance on the shoulder at 140!

Wow! I thought Florida was full of geezers ! Them old Farts must be crazy ridin' like that. Cheesy

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Kris01 Serious Thumper Offline Eat, sleep, RIDE! Posts: 3767 Tennessee Gender:	Re: Speed, do we really need it? Reply #16 - 06/06/16 at 18:39:17 Speedometers used to be federally mandated to 85 mph. What changed? My Mazda6 has a 160 mph speedometer. I don't think it could even touch 160. A friend of mine was stopped for speeding on his 600 Ninja. The cop asked him how fast it would go and he told him every bit of 65 mph!
Back to top	There's no problem that a full tank of gas and a sunny day can't fix! 2008 S40, Rotella T 15W-40 w/ZDDP added, Dyna, 140/90-15, Battery Tender Jr., Seat lift, #52.5/150/3 washers, Raptor IP Logged

badwolf Serious Thumper Offline Ridin' my Lil' Bagger - 153k miles so far Posts: 802 Palm Beach County, FL Gender:	Re: Speed, do we really need it? Reply #17 - 06/06/16 at 18:59:02 Yep, Geezers, and the young that think they're immortal. Most everybody is packin' thou we take road rage seriously.
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gizzo

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Re: Speed, do we really need it?
Reply #18 - 06/06/16 at 19:32:27

badwolf wrote on 06/06/16 at 18:59:02:

Yep, Geezers, and the young that think they're immortal.
Most everybody is packin' thou we take road rage seriously.

See, there you go. Speeding is not ok and should be persecuted, to someone who is not interested in going fast. But that same person is totally happy to live in a gun crazed community where you don't know who is packing and could shoot you dead, because that person is a firearms enthusiast. Nothing gets people going like other people imposing their values on others.
I'd rather take my chances with the road warriors.
Anyway, I just reread the title of this thread. No, we don't need it. But it's nice to have the option.

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Speed, do we really need it? Reply #19 - 06/06/16 at 19:51:01 http://www.snopes.com/photos/accident/seemotorcycle.asp Oooopsies... Sometimes the penalty for stupid is more than what the law dictates. Sadly, stupid at the voting booth throttle can impact the lives of others. Take YOUR chances,, not mine.
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oldNslow

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Re: Speed, do we really need it?
Reply #20 - 06/06/16 at 20:05:37

Quote:

the young that think they're immortal.

Sadly, some of those youngsters don't make it to geezerhood.

We have had three fatal motorcycle crashes here in Rochester in the past four days. All three riders were in their early twenties, all three on sport bikes, and , according to the LEO investigators, all three accidents involved "excessive speed and inattention."

One young man ran a red light at an inappropriate rate of speed and Tee Boned a car making a left turn. The car had a green arrow. Died at the scene.

Another was on a four lane road in a commercial area with a 45mph limit. That particular stretch of road is lined with car dealers, strip malls , restaurants etc. Stop lights at every cross street. He ran into the back of a truck turning into a driveway. The bike burst into flames on impact. Rider died right there. Witnesses - this happened just before noon in a very busy part of town, so there were a lot of them - said it looked and sounded like he was going 100 mph. I'm pretty sure that's an exaggeration, but he was obviously going much too fast.

The third happened in the middle of the night on a curve in a residential neighborhood. That rider went off the road, hit a stone culvert under a driveway, and was thrown from the bike. That motorcycle also burned. The rider was thrown so far by the impact that it took the responders 45 minutes to locate his body in the dark.

The local news for the past couple of days has been interviewing family members and friends, talking to folks who knew these kids. The picture they paint is of three pretty ordinary young men from fairly typical families, not hooligans or lunatics. Yet all three of them were indisputably killed as a result of their own actions. There really isn't any doubt as to how these three crashes happened.

I don't really know what to take away from this except to say that the power and speed of a motorcycle can be very seductive. It's a h*ll of a lot of fun to go fast on a bike, even a bike that that isn't particularly quick compared to some of the hyperbikes that are out there. That's at least a part of why most of us ride, I think. Even at my age - and I am definitely old enough to know better - I sometimes succumb to temptation. But when we overestimate our abilities, and exceed them, bad sh+t can, and most likely will, happen.

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MMRanch

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Re: Speed, do we really need it?
Reply #21 - 06/06/16 at 20:17:28

270 KMH * .6 = 162 MPH .... STILL PLENTY FAST !! Shocked

One of my brothers was cruising his Honda V-65 at 130 + (2 years ago) in Georgia in a 65 mph zone . Well , he met a trooper on the other side who immediately hit the Blue lights . brother pulls over and waits for trooper to catch-up .
Georgia has a thing call a "Super-Speeder" fine ... its where they tack on an extra $300.oo to whatever the normal fine is and double the points against your licences .

Personally I really try not to go over "9 mph - over " the posted limit . Roll Eyes

Most of the time I call 10% over "FAST ENOUGH" Wink

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Kenny G

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Re: Speed, do we really need it?
Reply #22 - 06/06/16 at 20:29:46

Young guys in accidents late at night makes me wonder how much alcohol played a part in the accident.

I have to admit when I was young I did my share of bar hopping on a motorcycle and had the Luck O' The Irish on my side.

Now I wouldn't dream of having a beer on the days that I ride.

If one lives long enough somehow they develop a little wisdom.

Kenny G

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badwolf Serious Thumper Offline Ridin' my Lil' Bagger - 153k miles so far Posts: 802 Palm Beach County, FL Gender:	Re: Speed, do we really need it? Reply #23 - 06/06/16 at 20:44:46 The irony is that 4 lane road goes right by a racetrack. Twice a week you can pay $15 and run all night long on the drag strip. Monthly on the road course. With no Lincolins or wild hogs in the way. Bikers have died racing on a road within hearing distance of a real race track!
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Paladin.

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Re: Speed, do we really need it?
Reply #24 - 06/06/16 at 20:45:19

1962, Chicago to Detroit, mom sleeping in the back seat, sister sleeping shotgun, I eased the speed up. and up. got it to an indicated 100 mph which ain't bad for a 225cid slant-six. and a Caddy flew past will over 20 mph over.

No matter how fast you can go, someone will be able to go faster. So why bother?

My most fun car was a '61 Bugeye -- 948cc 43bhp 80" wheelbase 137" long 53" wide. Top speed, under 85 mph.

Various vehicles over the years, cars, trucks, motorcycles. The fastest motorcycle would have been the Suzuki GS450E, biggest was the Savage, both did 85mph+ which was fast enough for me. Age, couldn't swing over a saddle, got a Vespa 150 -- 65 mph top which was still enough to take trips on the Interstates. Losing my touch, not watching everything, missed a groove and dropped to the left, stopped too quick in a curve and dropped to the right (dislocated shoulder / broken ribs) and I'm back into a cage. But I still don't need the speed.

Now have a Fortwo -- 999cc 70bhp 73.5" wheelbase 106" long 61" wide. Should be able to do 90mph, does 80+ indicated just fine.

I do not need speed. Many others want more. My old tagline was "A 250 can do it. A 650 makes it fun."

There is NO law against being stupid. My doctor/nurses/etc. keep asking "do your exercise?" I answer "Not if I can avoid it." I should weight 160 pounds. I would like to weigh 180 pounds. I am about 205 pounds. Some say I am stupid. I don't care! I enjoy my cooking. If others want to speed, doesn't bother me.

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Speed, do we really need it? Reply #25 - 06/07/16 at 03:32:40 I totally appreciate a low power car or bike. It takes skill to get the speed through a corner. Horsepower covers up bad driving, or, reveals it,, when it is just more than the driver can handle.
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Art Webb

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Re: Speed, do we really need it?
Reply #26 - 06/07/16 at 07:33:51

back when we were primitive hunter gatherers, we had dangerous animals to weed out the weak
when we were all farmers, we had disease to cull the herd
now that we have killed or run off all the dangerous animals, and cured most illnesses, we have fast cars / bikes to weed out the stupid
sadly, some of the stupid take the smart with them
'safe speed' is situational
I went from Austin to Coushatta running 90 MPH in a Police Package Caprice, and was never in any danger (long straight highway)
the same 90+ would be suicide on some of the roads I ride
as for why the car or bike needs to be able to go 120
because then it is very under stressed at 75, and will last longer before it is worn out
My Ninja 500 would easily run 100mph all day long, and topped at an indicated 130, but mostly I ran 70-80 on the slab,
It was a very relaxing 70-80
My Rebel topped at 65-75, and riding on the slab could sometimes be white knuckle inducing
even pushing a stock Savage at 70+ all the time will decrease it's life expectancy
I like my cars to last

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old_rider

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Re: Speed, do we really need it?
Reply #27 - 06/08/16 at 04:13:08

The reason the conversation came about is that I live on one of those 4 lane roads that a LOT of people use twice a day, going to work and going home.
This four lane has housing and businesses the whole length for about 35 miles.
EVERY DAY (and I know cause i'm at home) there are sirens going off about 6am to 9am and then at 3:30pm to 6pm
The problem is that folks are in a hurry to get to work in the morning and in a hurry to get home at night, the sad thing is, some don't make it.
And it is not always those folks that do the wreckless driving that get hurt.
I watched a car attempt to cross the southbound lanes from a center turn lane and get T boned so hard it separated the engine and transmission from the car (ended up in the median). The person in the "fast lane" was doing about 95-110 (or so it was estimated), and that was in a 55mph zone.
I agree about the need for torque power for towing and 90 mile an hour for passing on interstates, but man...100mph in a 45 or 55mph zone?
Even the military folks will tell you, the average speed for the stretch I live on is about 65-70mph, and it is marked 45-55mph.(I go about 5 over marked at times because people are literally 1/2 a car length behind you)
The highway i'm referring to is locally called "Bloody 98" and is always in the local news for accidents because it is the ONLY road along the gulf coast in the panhandle from Pensacola to Panama City.
And from Pensacola to Destin is where most of the real danger is.... guess where I live?
Well, I guess it is me getting older but.... I personally would like to see a transmitter that would limit speeds to posted, unless passing (maybe a button that would let you go over 15 for a few seconds).
Would that be a "nanny state" or "liberal" law.... yeah probably, would it save lives.... I would step out on a limb and say yes.
Will it ever happen...no.... was just a discussion.
But I would still like to see some special "driving qualification" test for people before they could drive a vehicle that can do above 100mph. And yet another more stringent one for vehicles that can to 150mph and above.(don't the European countries have a law limiting young folks cc's?)
Tons of folks would still pass it, even though the excess speed is not needed.
But it would save a few lives.... and make me happy, and make me feel just a tad safer when I hit the road

Edit: (added pic)

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justin_o_guy2

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Re: Speed, do we really need it?
Reply #28 - 06/08/16 at 05:50:17

I lived on Hwy. 69,North of Lindale Texas, on that ten or twelve mile stretch to Mineola, that little two lane road was the deadliest stretch of road around. Eighteen wheelers roared, hurried people flew, and people died. One day, as we were leaving home there was a Suburban that had rolled in the road just as we got out of the driveway. We were first on the scene. Even though it was only a coupla hundred feet from the house, we didn't hear it because it's just so noisy from the traffic. How and why it had cleared and nobody else had stopped, IDK..
The woman was bringing her eighth grade girl home from gymnastics. When the car came down it smashed the girls head on the pavement so hard that her face was flattened on the right side. I had to get in and turn it off. I was afraid of fire and I looked at the girl. I didn't sleep through a night for three months. How EMTs and doctors DO it, I don't know, but I sure respect them for it.

It's now a four lane, and much safer.

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Dave

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Re: Speed, do we really need it?
Reply #29 - 06/08/16 at 05:57:46

Our office manager arrived this morning, and immediately came to my office to tell me that on her way to work, she was on KY 237 which is a very busy local highway crowded with rush hour folks each morning......she was in the right lane and a sport bike rider wheelied past her in the left lane - open exhaust blaring away!

I explained that it most likely won't happen again.....he won't live long enough!

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