[OT] The nuts I share the road with!
09-24-2004, 07:51 AM
#1
Racer
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[OT] The nuts I share the road with!
A Minnesota State Patrolman hovered in the sky along Highway 61 when he saw something faster than a speeding bullet — and it wasn't a bird, a plane or a superhero.
It was 20-year-old Samuel Tilley on a Honda RC-51 and he was going too fast for Al Loney, the patrolman, to keep up, in a plane.
"It was faster than any other vehicle I had ever seen speeding, no question, " Loney said.
In the Cessna 182 that Loney was flying, he used sight, two stopwatches and painted hashmarks along the highway to measure the speed.
On the road, there are one-mile stretches here and there with rectangles painted every quarter mile. That allows "eyes in the sky" like Loney to clock speeders, using the marks on the road and stopwatches, from high above the roadway.
In this case Tilley was clocked over the entire distance of one quarter mile in 4.39 seconds. That is an average speed of 205 miles per hour.
Some question the accuracy of a stopwatch but Loney says in ten years his watch times have never been wrong. "I believe that the speed is very true and accurate, even more than a radar."
Motorcycle enthusiasts have also questioned if that Honda RC-51 can even go more than 200 miles per hour, but, the patrol says if the bike is heavily modified, it can do the speeds without question.
Tilley was ticketed along with his racing partner for speeding. Neither had a motorcycle endorsement on their licenses. Neither of them were arrested and a Wabasha County Judge will decide the fine.
It was 20-year-old Samuel Tilley on a Honda RC-51 and he was going too fast for Al Loney, the patrolman, to keep up, in a plane.
"It was faster than any other vehicle I had ever seen speeding, no question, " Loney said.
In the Cessna 182 that Loney was flying, he used sight, two stopwatches and painted hashmarks along the highway to measure the speed.
On the road, there are one-mile stretches here and there with rectangles painted every quarter mile. That allows "eyes in the sky" like Loney to clock speeders, using the marks on the road and stopwatches, from high above the roadway.
In this case Tilley was clocked over the entire distance of one quarter mile in 4.39 seconds. That is an average speed of 205 miles per hour.
Some question the accuracy of a stopwatch but Loney says in ten years his watch times have never been wrong. "I believe that the speed is very true and accurate, even more than a radar."
Motorcycle enthusiasts have also questioned if that Honda RC-51 can even go more than 200 miles per hour, but, the patrol says if the bike is heavily modified, it can do the speeds without question.
Tilley was ticketed along with his racing partner for speeding. Neither had a motorcycle endorsement on their licenses. Neither of them were arrested and a Wabasha County Judge will decide the fine.
09-24-2004, 08:59 AM
#3
There is already a ongoing discussion in the "politics" forum of all places:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=909046
Timing with a stop watch? With the error ratio factored in, I doubt he was going 205.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=909046
Timing with a stop watch? With the error ratio factored in, I doubt he was going 205.
Photo by SKJ
09-24-2004, 01:08 PM
#10
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I own a 1993 kawasaki zx-11,I do not have any problem beliveing that
some of these bikes can run that fast.I have been at 165 mph on mine
and the motor still had lots more to give,problem was just plain simple,
I was to scared to go any faster.
My question is how fast is the plane?
I do not have a PHD,but I understand better then what the doctor does
this was a rolling speed mph ,NOT a standing start run
I own a 1993 kawasaki zx-11,I do not have any problem beliveing that
some of these bikes can run that fast.I have been at 165 mph on mine
and the motor still had lots more to give,problem was just plain simple,
I was to scared to go any faster.
My question is how fast is the plane?
I do not have a PHD,but I understand better then what the doctor does
this was a rolling speed mph ,NOT a standing start run
09-24-2004, 01:20 PM
#11
Melting Slicks
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Originally Posted by 1971corvette
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My question is how fast is the plane?
My question is how fast is the plane?
09-24-2004, 02:23 PM
#13
Melting Slicks
Well I have to say I have been riding those mopeds for 34 years and yes if modified it can go that fast. And as previously stated the ZX-11 will go faster than 200mph. And that is in stock trim. But if you want a wild ride I know a couple that run turbo chargers on them and produce upwards of 450HP without nitrus of which they have also. But the one problem with the nitrus is that at speeds even up to around 220mph if you hit the nitrus you will spin the tire lol. The only real drawback is the wind. 
. And on a further note at those speeds you better know every bump on that stretch of road because if you hit a bit of a bump you will be airborn and also at those speeds if you see it you pretty much hit it. lol. Be careful out there gang.
. And on a further note at those speeds you better know every bump on that stretch of road because if you hit a bit of a bump you will be airborn and also at those speeds if you see it you pretty much hit it. lol. Be careful out there gang.
09-24-2004, 04:31 PM
#14
Burning Brakes
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The ZX-11 might go 200 mph in stock trim if it's got one helluva tail wind and heading downhill and it's geared-up so it doesn't hit the rev limiter.
185-190 or so, yes, but I don't think it'll do 200. Stock Hayabusa's could hit the same and maybe a couple mph quicker in 1999 and 2000 (later models from all manufacturers are artificially restricted to 186 mph). The 'Busa aerodynamics are slightly better than the ZX as shown in wind tunnel studies. It's easy to defeat the restriction on any later model bike by fooling the ECU into thinking it's in a different gear.
BTW, I have a ZX-1000 and Hayabusa amongst others. I've gone pretty fast but nothing like what any modern-day litre bike is capable of. As far as that speeding fool, a .2 second timing error is almost 10 mph error and I have a hard time believing that the airplane pilot could time anything within 1/2 second accuracy, regardless of his claims. Not that it matters, the guy is an idiot. Stupid squids are going to spoil things for everyone some day.
There's some real nice turbo bikes around - one of the 'Busa guys runs 475 hp on the street! And it's beautiful.
185-190 or so, yes, but I don't think it'll do 200. Stock Hayabusa's could hit the same and maybe a couple mph quicker in 1999 and 2000 (later models from all manufacturers are artificially restricted to 186 mph). The 'Busa aerodynamics are slightly better than the ZX as shown in wind tunnel studies. It's easy to defeat the restriction on any later model bike by fooling the ECU into thinking it's in a different gear.
BTW, I have a ZX-1000 and Hayabusa amongst others. I've gone pretty fast but nothing like what any modern-day litre bike is capable of. As far as that speeding fool, a .2 second timing error is almost 10 mph error and I have a hard time believing that the airplane pilot could time anything within 1/2 second accuracy, regardless of his claims. Not that it matters, the guy is an idiot. Stupid squids are going to spoil things for everyone some day.
There's some real nice turbo bikes around - one of the 'Busa guys runs 475 hp on the street! And it's beautiful.