Top Speed

[CMX]

"...the average unlicensed Thai with no helmet, flip flops, following 1/2m behind vehicle ahead, chatting on phone, carrying a baby under one arm, no tail light, with under-inflated tires, riding counterflow with a RED headlight (<deleted> by the way!?), doing 130kph on a bike that wasn't designed to go more than 90." ScubaBuddha

I was thinking that this characterization of certain Thai bikers might be unfair. I believe that those tires are overinflated = speed and better wear.

My own bike speeds tend to be limited to 100/110 because: A) I live in the North and it is twisty, and anyway - Of my 5 bikes so far, none can sustain faster and moreover - C) I don't believe it is civil for anyone to go faster than they would if "home" speed limits were enforced for similar road conditions, or safe either, never mind the self-serving "I'm safe in Thailand at 165" nonsense - D) Dogs love me and E) there are many fewer warnings here than in the West, from an absence of stop signs on side roads/laws requiring full stops to construction zones not marked until you are over a hill or around a corner and upon them + truckloads more.

Differences here are the rare enforcement, reduced consequences, and the far more risky driving conditions created by those drivers (a)kin to the fellow above with overinflated tyres.

Edited May 27, 2011 by CMX

[snowflake]

If i went at the speed of my home country- i would never get anywhere before it would be time to turn around and go back...

I like speed- and i will never hide that... 150kmph is very nice on the highway...

[homeslice]

It never crossed my mind that individuals would be worried about a virtual ticket for writing about something on an anonymous forum. Anyway, thanks ScubaB for a thoughtful response.

I honestly believe that there is no such thing as an anonymous forum...information will always be found out about you. Slip-ups by the person themselves or by friends inadvertently revealing & posting personal details, no matter how trivial it may seem to others eg: personal blogs, local forums, IP addresses (even VPN's can be checked) etc. Nothing anonymous here if you look hard enough.

Well I'm not too worried about anonymity when talking about sport bike riding.

I do get a kick out of the sanctimony of some though. As if big bike riders are somehow less safe or less safety conscious when most of us have undergone actual rider training to achieve a drivers license in their home country, and many of whom have gone on to take intermediate and advanced rider courses. I use the same riding techniques I do at home...allow adequate following distance, leave myself an out, actively scan for threats, maintain my bike, ensure lights are working, obeying street signals, don't overtake where it's unsafe, wear proper safety gear etc etc. We are a gazillion times safer than the average unlicensed Thai with no helmet, flip flops, following 1/2m behind vehicle ahead, chatting on phone, carrying a baby under one arm, no tail light, with under-inflated tires, riding counterflow with a RED headlight (<deleted> by the way!?), doing 130kph on a bike that wasn't designed to go more than 90.

You left out, "high on yaba". :jap:

[BigBikeBKK]

I ride as fast as conditions allow. Sometimes that means 80, sometimes it means 280

[mezcal]

When I used to ride my Bandit 400 (4cylinders), the bike wanted me to ride fast and keep in the right rev range. Now I ride a 1 cylinder thumper Yamaha SR400 and my rides are much more relaxed. With this bike I really discovered how nice it is to just thump-thump-thump around 70-80kmh. When the road permits it I sometimes take it up to 120kmh. Anything above that and I start to feel uncomfortable and unsave, considering I have only drum brakes!

[villagefarang]

What the bike can do, is what the bike will do, seems to be the rule much of the time. I suppose that makes sense. Why buy a bike, fast or slow, and not test its limits? As for me, I think I’ll just take the manufacturer at his word on the limits of the Ninja.

[Shocktreatment]

The main enemy of motorcycles are dogs It takes some discipline to keep your line and not to swerve to try to avoid hitting the animal. Usually they are able to get out of the way as long as you keep to a straight line. If you try to swerve and end up hitting the dog, you are very likely to go down. A friend of mine lost a LOT of skin when he swerved to avoid a chicken and hit it anyways.

How far would you roll/slide if you go down at 150 KPH or faster? I don't want to find out. I am quite happy to ride at 60 to 70 KPH on decent country roads.

Had a friend hit a great dane cross dobman at 80 to 100 klm/h, on a shadow 1100, sent him and the bike down the road losing plenty of skin and killing the dog. On another run a cow ran out and one of the riders hit the in the front section sending the rider over the handle bars and the cow, wasnt funny at the time but it is now

One badly bent bike and the cow just walked off

Edited May 29, 2011 by Shocktreatment

[snowflake]

What can we say- any accident the involved can walk away from is a good one... Though i prefer to keep the rubber down all the time...

Speaking of rubber- how can one become organ donors here in thailand, just in case- seem a bit unfair to waste a liver/heart if it can be used?

Top speed is not what the bike can do, but rather what the road will allow you to do...