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Post by spandi on Oct 11, 2013 15:11:43 GMT -5
Leo, if someone were to try and drive at those speeds here the CHP's would have BUSES to haul them all away in.
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Post by scootnwinn on Oct 12, 2013 20:35:25 GMT -5
Leo I don't want to argue too much but very few motorcycles can hit 200 mph and 220 is a real stretch en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fastest_production_motorcyclesI'm sure it looks fast but anything less than a liter bike doesn't have a chance at 200+. I know everything is bigger in Texas maybe its faster too...  |
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Post by scooter12 on Oct 12, 2013 22:35:58 GMT -5
Ya, Kansas City and St Louis get 8 lanes wide in the city itself, but I-70 slow down too. Most of the way, I-70 is 4 lanes and 70 mph but inner city I-70 changes to 55 mph and more lanes. Now I drove through Dallas area, when picking up my son at AIT in Fort Bliss. That is one busy city ( Dallas and Fort Worth) Took us about 2 hours to get through it, during rush hour. I would have hated being on a scooter at that time. I know what you mean.
Most cities I have been around are fairly small- between 30,000 to 100,000 people. I was born and raised in San Jose CA and it was a fairly big area in 1982( Santa Clara County was 1.5 million people in 1982). But smaller areas, one does have it easier riding on Expressways and Interstate highways.. The more vehicles on the road, the more chances of being in a accident.
My wife and I ride together, which helps. Always riding with others can make cars notice a group more. Wearing bright colors helps too. In Missouri and Illinois the States have signs says, Watch for Motorcycles.. That helps somewhat. But like the other day, a motorcyclist was killed in a accident in Quincy. It still happens. But Illinois has a no helmet law which contributes to more deaths. I always wear my helmet. I also ride with caution, never speed, always am aware of my surrounding, try to slow others down early when coming to a stop light. Just make sure others are aware of me on the road too. People that generally get involved in a accident are riding to fast, not aware of their surroundings, may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
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Post by oldchopperguy on Oct 12, 2013 23:01:06 GMT -5
Leo I don't want to argue too much but very few motorcycles can hit 200 mph and 220 is a real stretch en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fastest_production_motorcyclesI'm sure it looks fast but anything less than a liter bike doesn't have a chance at 200+. I know everything is bigger in Texas maybe its faster too...
These aren't factory bikes... It's a real "mine is bigger than yours" phenomenon. Many have more money and technology in them than full-race professional cycles. Most are stolen, unregistered and ridden by groups of people with the same lack of identity. There are THOUSANDS of these "non-persons" in Texas (more likely hundreds of thousands) and they comprise a whole sub-culture with their own communities, governments, etc. And, the authorities simply "live and let live". And their rides are built in shops catering to this culture. Bikes with near 1,000 hp are not uncommon. I spoke with a local police officer who explained it to me. Apparently, this "culture" is massive, with unlimited funds from "whatever" they do to generate money, and they live "for the moment". And, as expected, most don't reach 25. Videos they shoot often show speedometer readings of near 250 mph on freeways, and the more "over" 200 mph, the more the bragging rights. I asked the officer what was the highest speed he'd ever heard of on the street... He said his pal clocked a bike at 285 mph on a local freeway (and some jurisdiction CAUGHT him using a seized tuner-Honda-turned police chase-car!) ...and he'd heard of a California biker timed at 308 mph. Couldn't even catch him with the 220 mph helicopter... LOL! They're the 2-wheel counterparts of the "tuner" car boyz. The Dallas/Fort Worth area is crawling with Asian cars that will nudge the 200 mph barrier, and few will ever have a license plate on it, nor will the driver have any form of identity. The outlaw shops that sell the components and build the cars and bikes can't keep the 200 mph tires and speed equipment in stock. It goes out as fast as it can be reordered, REGARDLESS of cost... Hmmm... Sweet business! Cheesh, and I'm only wanting tires to go 75... What a wimp I seem to be... LOL!I met one of these guys, who could speak English, and was actually friendly, at a gas station and talked with him about his ride: a for-the-moment, legally-registered and licensed Hayabusa... Mildly modded, he was disgusted that it only GPS'd a "pathetic" 208 mph... He was in the process of having a local outlaw shop completely re-do it so it would keep up with his posse. He looked forward to "running with the pack" and forgoing any future license, insurance or inspection fees, since the bike would never again be street-legal. It's a far different world today, than even 10 years ago. Leo (not all THAT fast, or furious... LOL!) in Texas |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Oct 12, 2013 23:19:16 GMT -5
Leo, if someone were to try and drive at those speeds here the CHP's would have BUSES to haul them all away in. Leo... LOL! |
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Post by scootnwinn on Oct 14, 2013 12:43:16 GMT -5
Just thought this was interesting. 308 is approaching the land speed record for motorcycles. The amount of horsepower required to overcome aerodynamic drag rises as the cube of speed. Consider this: 160 hp is enough to push a stock Hayabusa to nearly 190 mph, but it would take closer to 225 hp to get that same bike to 200 mph--65 more hp for just 10 more mph on top. Going 200 mph on a production-based motorcycle is a huge accomplishment--indeed, there are only 42 riders in the East Coast Timing Association's (ECTA) elite "200-mph" club. Two-hundred and twenty-seven mph is simply amazing--only slightly less difficult than riding your Ninja to the moon. And at 227 mph, Yancy's super-'Busa is just warming up. Read more: www.superstreetbike.com/features/122_0336_maxton_200_mph_plus/#ixzz2hiemtJuX |
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Post by shalomdawg on Oct 14, 2013 19:18:05 GMT -5
howdy leo, i did put 8,000 miles on my grand vista and a good deal was on the freeway at 60+. i had no problem on the original tires and they were not worn out when i sold the scooter. so not to panick , you can get by for a little while. not trying to talk you out of going to the higher rated tires , just relating that i took a couple 300 mile days on the freeway at 65 or so and had no problem---should i "knock on wood"?
lotsa miles and smiles to ya
ken
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Post by skuttadawg on Oct 14, 2013 22:08:50 GMT -5
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Post by oldchopperguy on Oct 15, 2013 1:19:30 GMT -5
Just thought this was interesting. 308 is approaching the land speed record for motorcycles. The amount of horsepower required to overcome aerodynamic drag rises as the cube of speed. Consider this: 160 hp is enough to push a stock Hayabusa to nearly 190 mph, but it would take closer to 225 hp to get that same bike to 200 mph--65 more hp for just 10 more mph on top. Going 200 mph on a production-based motorcycle is a huge accomplishment--indeed, there are only 42 riders in the East Coast Timing Association's (ECTA) elite "200-mph" club. Two-hundred and twenty-seven mph is simply amazing--only slightly less difficult than riding your Ninja to the moon. And at 227 mph, Yancy's super-'Busa is just warming up. Read more: www.superstreetbike.com/features/122_0336_maxton_200_mph_plus/#ixzz2hiemtJuX
Absolutely, to get speeds above 220 on a bike (or a car) takes "unlimited" horsepower, and money. These outlaw communities of "Tuner-Boyz" have both. It's not uncommon for a couple of "family-units" to put $1-million or more into the carcass of a stolen bike, and $2-million-plus into a tuner car. From what I gather from locals (I'm "blessed" to live in a pretty rough trailer-park where many of these non-persons come and go...) their rides are their entire lives. They even have underground churches featuring their own home-brewed "religion" (a mix of Catholic, and VooDoo) where these cars and bikes often reside between street races as icons to worship... along with their talismans to ward off INS and DEA incursions. In addition to the "macho-factor" of video-taping their 200 mph+ shenanigans, they seriously race (drag, top-end and/or long-distance) for incredible sums of money... Often, an entire dope-score of over $1.-million on one race. It's an underground society normal people can't comprehend, or even believe exists, until exposed to it. A local muffler shop where I had my 1" header fabbed up for the old 150 introduced me to the phenomenon. It's like "Escape From New York" "The Fast and the Furious" and "Mad Max" all rolled into one bad movie, EXCEPT it's for real. The muffler shop occasionally works on some of the local rides. The head guy said it's almost surreal to see a bike with an engine putting out near 1,500 hp BEFORE the THIRD turbocharger kicks in, boosting it to near 2,000 hp!!! And some of the more exotic tuner cars are generating horsepower in the ballpark of a top-fuel dragster... It's an out-of-control underworld of insanity where speed is EVERYTHING, and life expectancy is less than twenty-five. Of major interest is the fact that the vast majority of these kids die NOT from wrecks, BUT from drug overdoses and murdering each other. They have extremely few accidents even with their insane driving. I saw some pretty crazy things 50 years ago, but nothing, and I mean NOTHING like the underground insanity of today... Honda cars with BANKS of turbochargers filling the interior... multiple NOX systems and hand-made engine internals fabbed from solid titanium to allow 300 cubic inches to churn out 4,000 hp and still be a "daily driver"... And, all of it in the hands of teenage kids with no identity who can barely read or write, and live on crystal-meth 24/7. Talk about "live fast-die young"... Cheesh!It's too much for my old gray head to wrap around. I'll stick with scooters and the family Honda car... LOL! Good grief, my scooter will do 80 and my tired-looking (but mechanically "perky") '  4-cylinder Accord will do 0-60 in 6 seconds, and hit 135+ THAT is MORE than enough adrenalin for me... LOL! The old Honda appears stock, and my Grandson who gave it to us when he got an Accura swears he "only tweaked the computer a little..." just so it could "blow the doors off a Police Crown Vic..." HeHeHe... He DID put new high-speed rated tires on it when he passed it on to us... Gotta love those grandkids!Ride safe, and keep it under 300!Leo |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Oct 15, 2013 1:49:28 GMT -5
howdy leo, i did put 8,000 miles on my grand vista and a good deal was on the freeway at 60+. i had no problem on the original tires and they were not worn out when i sold the scooter. so not to panick , you can get by for a little while. not trying to talk you out of going to the higher rated tires , just relating that i took a couple 300 mile days on the freeway at 65 or so and had no problem---should i "knock on wood"? lotsa miles and smiles to ya ken No, I don't think you need to knock on wood... LOL! I'm sure tires rated for 62 mph have a "fudge-factor" built in, and probably cruising at 65 isn't dangerous. But I actually DO need to bump it up to 70+ for considerable duration, in 100+ degree weather. THAT would be pushing it. I'll ride it as-is for the little riding I'll do in the winter, but next season, I'll swap to "P" rated tires just for peace-of-mind. That old Kymco is just "begging" for wide-whitewalls anyway... LOL! You can get nice P-rated whites in the front 120/70-12 size, but not in the rear 140/70-12 size. I'll have to get them in blackwalls and carefully "paint" the whites with GLEDI: it's touted as the same product used on "factory" whitewalls on tires that don't come in whitewalls... The custom bike shops say the finish, when cured really IS white rubber that chemically vulcanizes to the sidewall, making a long-lasting finish, in the ballpark with factory whitewalls. If the old gal is trouble-free, I'm REALLY going to like her! The Grand Vista is a different animal. Kymco attempted to create the "ultimate touring scooter" and missed the mark by a mile... BUT, they inadvertently DID create the "ultimate multi-purpose scooter!" It's a small-wheel scoot, nearly as compact and lightweight as a Chinese 150, has a flat-floor step-through frame, and will do grocery-getter duty just as well as the little 150, but you can roar right onto the freeway and run 70 mph in stable comfort! There are only a handful of scooters like that, some from Taiwan, and most from Italy. The "accidental" design is perfect for me! Ride safe,Leo |
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Post by spandi on Oct 15, 2013 2:23:05 GMT -5
Leo look at it this way; if you get "P" rated tires you'll NEVER have to worry about it. ( P rated tyres $60 bucks each. Peace of mind....Priceless.)
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Post by oldchopperguy on Oct 15, 2013 13:49:26 GMT -5
Leo look at it this way; if you get "P" rated tires you'll NEVER have to worry about it. ( P rated tyres $60 bucks each. Peace of mind....Priceless.)
That's exactly how I figure it... The surface temp of the highways around here gets BRUTAL in the summer, and running 70+ for 40 miles would be safest on the highest-rated tires. It's NOT as if they cost like ones the outlaw "tuner boyz" put on their 200 mph cars... LOL! I've also noted that the better, "P" rated tires turn truer, and ride smoother than the low-cost "J" rated ones. And, the smaller the diameter, the more pronounced the difference. Better tires DO make for a better ride. Ride safe!Leo |
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Post by spandi on Oct 15, 2013 18:06:25 GMT -5
Leo there is just NO comparison between J rated and P rated. The latter are built like little round combat boots for your scoot, and not some trendy J rated "designer" sandals.  |
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Post by shalomdawg on Oct 15, 2013 19:56:45 GMT -5
howdy, yeh, leo.
the flat floor on the gv was a major goody for us that can't swing the leg anymore. even my bv, i have to tilt a lot to get over the tank. i really agree with your keeping those tires through winter and switching when the heat sets in. we have 110 degree days where i was living when i had the gv so i do know the heat is phenominal on the pavement and transfers to the tire. the trucks i was driving have "super singles" and when they get hot and explode , it's like dynamite. for those who have been in wartime conditions, it certainly makes the heart skip a beat when they blow. i've learned to freeze first, then DECIDE what to do. that few seconds of freeze seems to let things settle down and preserve your choices. i've had a half dozen of 'em let go and had major damage to the flaps and lights etc. i think of it all the time when passing a truck. i tend to stay back till i get an obvious passing opportunity, then bump my speed way up and get it done. we do call the peices of tire remaining on the roadway "'gators" waiting to ambush ya.
lotsa miles and smiles to ya
ken
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Post by oldchopperguy on Oct 18, 2013 0:21:10 GMT -5
howdy, yeh, leo. the flat floor on the gv was a major goody for us that can't swing the leg anymore. even my bv, i have to tilt a lot to get over the tank. i really agree with your keeping those tires through winter and switching when the heat sets in. we have 110 degree days where i was living when i had the gv so i do know the heat is phenominal on the pavement and transfers to the tire. the trucks i was driving have "super singles" and when they get hot and explode , it's like dynamite. for those who have been in wartime conditions, it certainly makes the heart skip a beat when they blow. i've learned to freeze first, then DECIDE what to do. that few seconds of freeze seems to let things settle down and preserve your choices. i've had a half dozen of 'em let go and had major damage to the flaps and lights etc. i think of it all the time when passing a truck. i tend to stay back till i get an obvious passing opportunity, then bump my speed way up and get it done. we do call the peices of tire remaining on the roadway "'gators" waiting to ambush ya. lotsa miles and smiles to ya ken WAY back when I moved to Texas 35 years ago, I was on the freeway on my old Harley. A truck in front of me had a re-tread blow, and a big piece of the tread hit me in the face... Almost knocked me out, and off the bike! I ended up with a perfect impression of the tire-tread across my face (forehead to chin) in dark purple. It took months to go away... But it made me a legend at the local biker bars... I tried to explain the origin of the "tattoo" but everybody wanted to believe I survived being run over by a semi... Made me an "urban legend" for a while... LOL! Ride safe!Leo |
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4-cylinder Accord will do 0-60 in 6 seconds, and hit 135+ THAT is MORE than enough adrenalin for me... LOL! The old Honda appears stock, and my Grandson who gave it to us when he got an Accura swears he "only tweaked the computer a little..." just so it could "blow the doors off a Police Crown Vic..." HeHeHe... He DID put new high-speed rated tires on it when he passed it on to us... Gotta love those grandkids!