thenewgalaxy

I've driven at similar speed just not on the public road. It is not a speed anyone should be doing out there in my opinion. Yes there are worse things that happen in this world but to me that is a total non-sequitur.

Anyone who has had to aim for a braking point at high speed will confirm how bloody scary it is bearing down on a corner at that speed hoping you got the car braking in that minute fraction of a second window. So in my opinion, I feel that speed is bloody terrifying even if you are anticipating having to brake, let alone flooring it on the public road when any number of things could happen that you cannot anticipate.

I did not advocate going at 120mph, I actually said that is going at it enough already but can see how some people can hit that speed probably by accident for short bursts. I am of course referring to the motorway. If you read back I've likened 165 on a motorway to 71 in a 30 zone, how you can deduce that I think 100mph past a school is unlucky is just plain stupid

The thing that bothers me is this "over 100mph" figure that keeps being mentioned. It is a unit, if we were on the continent would we be saying "160kmh" and then comparing that to "100kmh"? The fact is, 100mph is really shifting, and 120mph is seriously hauling ***. To then compare that figure with one a whole 35% faster is absolutely crass in my opinion. How anyone can compare 100mph to 165mph as some of you have is absolutely crazy. It's an entirely different speed. Just because your car is relatively refined at that speed does not mean it is safe and it certainly wouldn't be if something went wrong.

Tell you what, you guys go out on a track and nail it up to 165mph and then tell me that Mr Mahmoon was not a complete and utter **** for what he did and the way he responded in court.

By the way Rob 165mph is nearly 250 feet a second! I am sorry that you have lost someone on the public road. I nearly lost my Grandfather a few years back to a bus that hit his car at 42mph (in a 30 zone), bus flew over a bump and it lost control - it was lucky for him that he was in a car with good crash protection (A Golf VR6, he had just upgraded from a Renault 5 Turbo) I remember getting to the scene as he was being cut out of the wreckage.

RICHARD J

iTrader: (4)

Thenewgalaxy, I didn't actually say you said anything about anything, I just gave an example of what would outrage me far more & wondered how you felt about it as you had said that you'd sympathise with someone being caught at a slightly lower speed. I'm not in favour of excessive speeding, but just pointing out that people shouldn't be so hyppocritical going on about 165 being so horrendous but 120 being acceptable,you'd still be dead if you crashed & so would anyone you hit.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Pahh 165 in a car *****.

Try 180 on a bike now that's fcukin fast.

markjmd

iTrader: (11)

Although a lot of people might not be conscious of it when they discuss the subject, there's one very good reason why 100mph has such special significance, which is that it happens to be exactly 30mph over the legal speed limit (on a motorway), and as a result guarantees that if you're caught your offence has to be dealt with in court and not just with an FPN. I could be wrong, but I think at one time it used to mean a guaranteed ban.

On the subject of speeding on the continent, the threshold in France and a lot of other places now for speeding offences to be classed in the same type of 'special measures' bracket is just 20Kmh over the posted limit, so anyone who thinks this guy was dealt with harshly should take a look at the kind of penalties they dish out over there. Four or five figure fines, car impounded, etc.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Only done the 180 once in Germany on a bike trip around Europe which ended in Pamplona at the running of the bulls, that certainly made me catch my breath as the bulls went by.

Although as a bike rider i'm sure your aware even on some 600cc bikes it takes little more than just going through the gears slightly enthusiastically to get to 160 in no time at all.

As for the Plane thing I had a 1hr lesson in a Cessna Tomahawk at Donnington which was great until it came to trying to get the bloody thing back on terra firma in almost gale force winds, the instructor literally had to drop the thing out of the sky after the third attempt at which point I decided it wasn't for me.

Jamz3k

This gay thread reminded me of one of my favourite films.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

love it jamz.

Leslie

I think I would have watched the bulls from a safe window-can't trust animals like that!

Yes I agree with what you say about bikes, I had a ZX12R and as you can imagine it took very little time to get to mindbending speeds. I never got it to get to where it would stop accelerating either!

I can understand how you felt about the crosswind landing in a Cessna. Not the sort of machine to get caught out in that situation for sure.

I actually used to enjoy the challenge of a significant crosswind landing, but in a more suitable aircraft though. The ones with highly swept wings were the most awkward customers, The into-wind wing was always prone to lifting again after touchdown so you had to be ready for it. The most satisfying bit was managing to get the aircraft straightened up with rudder from the drift while heading into the wind just as it was about to touchdown. Too early and it would drift across the runway away from the wind! Exciting stuff!

Les

boomer

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_OECD_countries_by_road_network_size
...so proportionally there is not a lot in it!

mb

David Lock

How disappointing.

I always considered you to be a responsible type!

dl

mike112

I live in Germany, near the nurburgring and do a lot of high speeding with my sti, that´s why I got it.

I used to race bikes (24 hours and so on) and cars, now to the worst part, work for the town fire Brigade.

Of course I take care in town areas like most of us and yes I`ve seen a child been hit by a car and will never forget it. By the way the car in front of me who hit the child was only driving 15 mph, I was the witness.

I reguarly drive on the nurburgring and yes my sti is highly tuned and I drive to fast with it on country lanes and autobahns.

Now stop trying to tell me that you all drive like ANGELS with your wrx, sti´s

Leslie

Oh absolutely, but you would be surprised how often you found yourself in that situation with no choice in the matter. I was talking about operational flying during training, not British Airways style! We did not fly down to those limits during normal training of course but in the real case if you didn't, as soon as the enemy got a radar contact on you, you would not be around for very long before a SAM caused you to lose all further interest!

Still at least you got the chance to use my earlier post back!

Les

SJ_Skyline

3 trips to California so far this year and passing on either side on I405 has not resulted in any accidents....

This country has the wrong approach to passing.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

[QUOTE]Don't worry I was standing next to one of the protective barricades ready to jump in as they came by, funny how all the brave blokes that were standing in the middle of the street suddenly decided to join me when they heard the pitter patter of tiny feet.

It was a tuned ZX12R that I was on, the chap that my friend bought it off said it had done 211mph on the dyno while being tuned, neither I nor my friend were able to confirm this as I think we both bottled it at around the same speed and the bike was still pulling, I'm still not 100% exactly what speed I made it to as looking at the speedo at that point was not an option.

I love flying but I'm not a fan of small aircraft, and always gulp as I head towards some rickety looking 20 seater twin prop jobbie on my travels and praise the lord once it's touched down and stopped moving.

Leslie

[quote=ditchmyster;11168633]That tuned ZX12R must have been quite a machine,I would certainly have enjoyed a go on that one. I was impressed at the handling of mine with its low centre of gravity. It was a very stable bike and gave a lot of confidence to the rider.

I did not like the smaller aircraft all that much either. I did a tour instructing London UAS students on the Chipmunk. It was a good trainer but I was glad to get back onto something with a bit more weight behind it.

I know how you feel about the tatty twin rngined ones too-especially when they don't appear well cared for. I flew the Devon quite a bit but ours were in pretty good condition.

My favourite of all time was the "tin triangle" of course. Ir was all wing and very powerful engines. It went like a rocket down the runway for a big aircraft and its handling was more like a great big fighter with very light and powerful controls. None of the fighters could turn with it at higher altitudes. Those pilots used to hate us because we were so difficult to get a bead on for a front gun shot! I miss it as you might imagine.

Les

Les

BoozyDave

iTrader: (8)

a few years ago, a mate got done for doing 107mph on the motorway (summer time, midnight, dry and clear road), he got a £600 fine and 6 month ban

i think the ban is a bit excessive, people that are 5 times the drink drive limit or driving while banned or driving without a licence don't get that long


the wifes uncle was involved in an accident a few years ago. He was driving his camper van home from france, about 4am he was following a lorry and decided to overtake it, he checked his mirrors and saw nothing behind, he moved to the middle lane. about 5 seconds later he heard a screech, saw a car come flying past him out of control and it hit a bridge pillar. the driver was seth armstrong's (emmerdale) son, he died at the scene. He had been driving his modified escort RS turbo at more than 140mph in the slow lane, so he had to swerve into the right hand lane to pass both vehicles, lost control. police said he was doing about 97mph when he hit the pillar.

the wifes uncle got done for driving without due care, £600 fine and 6 month ban. he did nowt wrong FFS.

if the lad had been a bit more sensible, he would still be alive. i don't mean not speeding, but doing 140+mph in the slow lane!!!! at least sit in the right hand lane

dunx

iTrader: (3)

Love these threads....

1. He could also cost us money by having a coronary at home, not just by crashing at 165 mph.
2. Tyres on my Golf diesel are 186 mph rated, why ? It is crappy Astras doing 110 mph on crappy ( bald/flat ?) tyres that experience blow-outs, IMHO.
3. I have experienced sustained running at 155 mph, it got boring rather quickly TBH.
4. I have also been a passenger at 170+ and that's worse than driving quickly yourself, LOL.
5. A wealthy pal bought a Lambo experience, where he got to drive the car ( somewhere "Darn Sarf" ) and after being pulled by the police, they took the car for a flat-out blast up and down the local dual-carriageway, before returning it to my "stunned" pal to enjoy....

I love the link to the cop that was doing 60+ in a 30 limit and walked away laughing ! My cousin's husband is a vehicle assessor for his constabulary and found my STI "boring, if nippy enough" with 400 bhp !

dunx

P.S. Agree he needed a lesson for his attitude, not a silly ban for a "no-victim" crime.

P.P.S. Three bikers died this weekend in the Yorkshire area, none were speeding (?)