Fast or Slow
- Thread starter lawman
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Slow. I'm older now.
concours
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andychain said:
+1
The stupid low speed limits in the Nanny States make it a hey day for the tax collectors. "Riding slow" is a relative term. It bears repeating.. "It's more fun to ride fast on a slow bike than to ride slow on a fast bike"
I ride the Commando on rides with motobuds on modern bikes who have skills.
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My favourite roads are twisty, rural A and B-roads where in places I wouldn't want to go any quicker than 70mph. As long as the adrenaline is pumping - that's the main thing. Speed is relative, e.g 90mph on the motorway is boring. I avoid motorways like the plague.
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I am glad my loony days are over, every time i went out i saw 160 on the clock, but the honda just loved being pushed, and my co-rider liked the racing...the A55 north wales road was balls out every sunday...would'nt risk it today. Imagin 90 0ver the speed limit :!:
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How fast is fast ?
Germany is as big as Montana but we have nearly one-third of the population of the USA.
So we have a lot of traffic on the streets. Nevertheless we have no general speed limit on highways.
There are a lot of highways, where you can ride 200 mph with your bike if you want. And enough guys try
this out. But usually the traffic forces you to ride slower. On country roads 60mph is allowed. Most
accidents are caused by too much speed.
When I was younger I liked riding fast, but often I was very lucky. In the last decades the traffic increased.
I ride these old bikes, because I don't want to ride such fast anymore. The good torque gives you the
feeling of riding fast. Usually I go 50mph and often 60-70mph. I prefer country roads.
I am not a racer.
Ralf
Germany is as big as Montana but we have nearly one-third of the population of the USA.
So we have a lot of traffic on the streets. Nevertheless we have no general speed limit on highways.
There are a lot of highways, where you can ride 200 mph with your bike if you want. And enough guys try
this out. But usually the traffic forces you to ride slower. On country roads 60mph is allowed. Most
accidents are caused by too much speed.
When I was younger I liked riding fast, but often I was very lucky. In the last decades the traffic increased.
I ride these old bikes, because I don't want to ride such fast anymore. The good torque gives you the
feeling of riding fast. Usually I go 50mph and often 60-70mph. I prefer country roads.
I am not a racer.
Ralf
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I'm a sportbike rider from way back and have always enjoyed riding fast. For me, the limitation on the Commando on a good road is the riding position. My previous three bikes were all Ducati sport bikes - 900SS, 916, 996. Much above 70 on the Commando I spend too much energy just trying to hold on so it's just not comfortable for me to do high speed. In the corners I managed to scrape the side stand on my last ride which I had not really intended to do but it was a nice twisty road and I guess I just got more and more into it. Actually, when I scraped it, I nearly lost the bike because I wasn't expecting it and it scared the heck out of me! 
But generally, on most of our rides, I'd say 65-70 is a typical cruising speed on decent roads. Everybody does their own "bursts" to whatever. I have found that at the altitude we are at - around 6400 feet or higher - the bike just won't get much over the mid 90's due to lack of power/wind resistance. I saw an indicated 120 on it in New York with me in nearly the "Rollie Fingers" position at sea level.
But generally, on most of our rides, I'd say 65-70 is a typical cruising speed on decent roads. Everybody does their own "bursts" to whatever. I have found that at the altitude we are at - around 6400 feet or higher - the bike just won't get much over the mid 90's due to lack of power/wind resistance. I saw an indicated 120 on it in New York with me in nearly the "Rollie Fingers" position at sea level.
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Towner said:
At this point I'll accept the above statement as conjecture? Care to expound on this a bit with some facts?
I recall when Kawasaki introduced the 750 triples in the mid 70's I sensed there were lots of accidents on these bikes due to looping then due to acceleration or dropping them (low side) due to sharp increase in torque; not necessarily speed. Yes, higher speeds make for more spectacular wrecks. There are so many other things that contribute to an accident on a motorcycle, things such as gravel on the road, wet road, oily road, inatentive dirvers in cars where they just do not see or acknowledge motorcycles, follwoing too close etc..... I do understand that speed quickly gobbles up one's margin for error but my point is that the error is generally the root cause, not the speed. Just a different way of looking at things.
Only on a rare occasion do I have somewhere to go. It's a matter of how much time do I have to go for a ride, 30min, an hour, a morning, an afternoon.
It is really about the sensation. 80 is common, 90 is often, 100 is sometime.
That being said, cruising down a country road, I have thought to myself, " this is it, if a I am to go, now would not be bad." Don't get me wrong, I plan on living to a ton, it's just.....I don't know, like a dream when I ride.
Do I tempt fate? Every morning when I drink caffeinated coffee.
Does the machine beckon? Oh ya!
Do I resist? For the most part, but not always. I didn't ride slow when had I a Duc and the Norton replaced it.
If you are going to ride slow, then get a moped and stay the f#*& out of the way.
No offence.
It is really about the sensation. 80 is common, 90 is often, 100 is sometime.
That being said, cruising down a country road, I have thought to myself, " this is it, if a I am to go, now would not be bad." Don't get me wrong, I plan on living to a ton, it's just.....I don't know, like a dream when I ride.
Do I tempt fate? Every morning when I drink caffeinated coffee.
Does the machine beckon? Oh ya!
Do I resist? For the most part, but not always. I didn't ride slow when had I a Duc and the Norton replaced it.
If you are going to ride slow, then get a moped and stay the f#*& out of the way.
No offence.
Riding a Norton is a unique chance to feel the low end torque coming through a light weight platform. Speed is not important to that experience. I have changed engine sprockets, no small job, just to be able to enjoy local streets that have 25-30mph limits. Got to find the smooth spot! I love that shift from 2nd to 3rd with lots of throttle. I have only gotten 1 ticket in recent history on my red Fastback. The cop spent a lot of time enjoying the bike and asking questions but alas I still had a ticket in my hand when he left.
Mike
Mike
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Crazy stupid thread similar to asking which is better a car or a motorcycle, when the answer is obvious, any mc riding is dangerous and stupid life risking that wears out expensive parts/tires and any crash exposes soft body pilot to hard facts of life and death.
Do ya prefer big gals or small ones, do ya like a stiff drink or a Shirely Temple, do ya just toke a joint or drop acid, sniff coke or inject it, sheeze, depends on the time place and who you are inside and of course the cycle one is on. Also might figure in one's legal risk of driver license points and insurance rates beside injury risk outside of ones control. Sliding scale of what feels or works best at the moment.
Wes and I run about 65-70 most the time on hwy and 30-40 on THE Gravel, but at times Wes is in a mood and runs to upper 80's lower 90's on his '71 he's had decades to get used to so I'm gritting teeth on my factory Combat to hang with him in some the worlds best swoopy roads. Wes also scares me to try to follow him up/down his Mt. Gravel paths at his commuting speeds. I slow up more than he does on his familiar loose turns yet he gets miles behind on my commute speeds on my familiar Gravel paths, so I almost always let him lead so we can stay in sight of each other.
On Peel in her prime I most enjoyed the slower off road hazards/thrills as road racing elite moderns was too boring even over 130 mph waiting for them to catch up after a few nice turns put them a mile or so behind in a few seconds. So I reflect most on Peel creeping up/dn off slope steeps with rear and front slipping, puttering to places most are on foot hiking or landing their canoes *&* the extreme speed tests things happen so fast and harsh no time for any fear reaction just the adrenaline spikes driving mr to more More MORE!
Commandos feel great short shifting puttering along to WOT roaring faster than can hear exhasut so best thing out there to me.
Do ya prefer big gals or small ones, do ya like a stiff drink or a Shirely Temple, do ya just toke a joint or drop acid, sniff coke or inject it, sheeze, depends on the time place and who you are inside and of course the cycle one is on. Also might figure in one's legal risk of driver license points and insurance rates beside injury risk outside of ones control. Sliding scale of what feels or works best at the moment.
Wes and I run about 65-70 most the time on hwy and 30-40 on THE Gravel, but at times Wes is in a mood and runs to upper 80's lower 90's on his '71 he's had decades to get used to so I'm gritting teeth on my factory Combat to hang with him in some the worlds best swoopy roads. Wes also scares me to try to follow him up/down his Mt. Gravel paths at his commuting speeds. I slow up more than he does on his familiar loose turns yet he gets miles behind on my commute speeds on my familiar Gravel paths, so I almost always let him lead so we can stay in sight of each other.
On Peel in her prime I most enjoyed the slower off road hazards/thrills as road racing elite moderns was too boring even over 130 mph waiting for them to catch up after a few nice turns put them a mile or so behind in a few seconds. So I reflect most on Peel creeping up/dn off slope steeps with rear and front slipping, puttering to places most are on foot hiking or landing their canoes *&* the extreme speed tests things happen so fast and harsh no time for any fear reaction just the adrenaline spikes driving mr to more More MORE!
Commandos feel great short shifting puttering along to WOT roaring faster than can hear exhasut so best thing out there to me.
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Dances with Shrapnel said:
Ok, that does not mean high speed generally, but too much speed in the given traffic situation. This facts are known, accident statistics which are maintanied by the police.
In Germany we have to consider the high traffic density. I had often experienced situations where I was lucky but knew that I was too fast. And that wasn't too fast in the
corners. Meanwhile some regions are forbidden for motorcycles at the weekend. You can better ride on race track if you want to go fast. That is much safer.
Edit: What I simply want to say is, that you probably can't compare the riding conditions in our country with most areas of the US. But I have to admit, that I have never been to the USA.
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I learned to drive in Germany MANY years ago - my dad was stationed there. He owned a Chrysler 300H and I was regularly out on the Autobahn at an indicated 140MPH. There wasn't much traffic back then and there were almost no cars that could keep up with that old Chrysler (413, dual 4BBls, Ram Induction) - the occasional Ferrari could go by but not much else. Fast forward to a couple of years ago in Germany when visiting. We rented a Ford Focus (if I remember right) and most of the time on the Frankfurt-Mannheim section of the AB, we couldn't go any faster than around 70-80 and even that was often punctuated by 40-50MPH extended stretches due to traffic.
I think it's really neat that there is still no speed limit on much of the AB but, unlike many years ago, now there's a speed limit based on traffic - at least on some sections. I guess that's just the way of things…
Here in Mexico, on the "Quota" (toll roads), the speed limit is generally 110km (about 70MPH) but the "normal" speed for cars is around 85-90 and cars routinely are over 100MPH and I have been at 115 in our little SUV flat out down a long hill and still have had cars go buy quite regularly. Fortunately, though there IS a speed limit, it isn't regularly enforced.
I ran the Norton from Mexico City to San Miguel up the Quota and was at 90+ nearly all the way but it absolutely beat me to death wind-wise and I could barely keep my feet on the pedals. It's certainly no 996 Ducati as far as aerodynamics/comfortable high speed riding! I was going that fast in order to keep up with my wife.
I think it's really neat that there is still no speed limit on much of the AB but, unlike many years ago, now there's a speed limit based on traffic - at least on some sections. I guess that's just the way of things…
Here in Mexico, on the "Quota" (toll roads), the speed limit is generally 110km (about 70MPH) but the "normal" speed for cars is around 85-90 and cars routinely are over 100MPH and I have been at 115 in our little SUV flat out down a long hill and still have had cars go buy quite regularly. Fortunately, though there IS a speed limit, it isn't regularly enforced.
I ran the Norton from Mexico City to San Miguel up the Quota and was at 90+ nearly all the way but it absolutely beat me to death wind-wise and I could barely keep my feet on the pedals. It's certainly no 996 Ducati as far as aerodynamics/comfortable high speed riding!
I was going that fast in order to keep up with my wife.
ashman
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I like to cruse as well as take it over the TON, my Norton is built to be fast as well it can sit on 40 in top gear without labouring the motor, but out on the highway when the cam kicks in its best cursing speed is between 70 and 90 MPH but most rides it will hit the TON mark, I am not intrested in doing higher speeds no more, but its a good feeling to know it will go well over the TON when needed :twisted:
Ashley
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