Why do motorcyclists always break the speed limit?

thelad95 · 13-08-2020 11:15am

2lazytogetup wrote: »

my theories:

1. The personality profile of a motorbike is more likely to be a male in his twenties than a lady in her 70s. And stats have shown young males are more likely to break speed limit than older ladies. Would be similar to a car.

2. motor bike registration plates can't be photographed by a speed camera so motor cyclists dont care

3. the police/speed cameras dont care about motorcyclists speeding as they are less dangerous to other cars than cars.

4. a motorbike engine power is powerful relevant to a car. so its so tempting for a motor cyclist to turn the throttle. similar to audi car drivers who cant help themselves drive fast.

Gosafe vans can definitely catch motor bikes.

Police definitely care, I've seen motor bikes pulled in on a number of occasions, I have to do a lot of motorway driving for work.

I drive an Audi and can help myself for the most part

jimgoose · 13-08-2020 11:19am

The Bronze kill our pride.

Dravokivich · 13-08-2020 11:37am

I think for the most part it's an issue of confirmation bias. When you see someone speeding in a car/van/truck, they are just driving by you. When you see someone speeding on a motorbike, they tend to aim inbetween vehicles, so it's more noticable.

I wouldn't put that down as all bikers are speeders though. You seem to see the riskier riding and extrapolate that out to all of them.

Muahahaha · 13-08-2020 12:48pm

Lyle Lanley wrote: »

Rarely break the speed limit myself tbh, but I know it would appear that way to car drivers. There is a massive difference in acceleration between a bike and a car, so the bike will quickly disappear into the distance even without actually going that fast.

On a bike myself and yeah I dont speed either but I do go from 0 up to the speed limit very fast and to drivers that might look like Im speeding when Im not.

A lot of motorists dont realise the sheer acceleration power that motorbikes have compared to cars. If you want to be able to do 0-60mph in a car in under 4 seconds then you need a 150k+ sports car. With motorbikes you could have a bike that is 10 years old and only cost 5k or 6k but is still capable of accelerating at the same speed as a sports car costing multiples of its value.

The other thing about having all that acceleration power available to you is that it makes overtaking very easy. One flick of the wrist on the throttle and you're gone in an instant. Which means overtaking multiple cars in one move is a doddle. To motorists it looks dangerous but its actually not because you know the level of acceleration your machine has and what it is capable of. Once you stay within those parameters its actually safe enough to overtake 2 or 3 cars at a time.

xxyyzz · 13-08-2020 1:56pm

Taking yesterday as an example, I was driving at 100kmh, 3 bikes appeared behind me and then were gone by me in a split second with a ridiculous overtaking manouvre, they were easily doing 150kmh plus, one of them in a tshirt and jeans. I have very rarely been driving in traffic behind a motorbike where we are both doing 100kmh. It's just an observation that 99% of the time I see motorbikes on a 100kmh stretch of road, it's when they are going past and disappearing off into the distance. Hence the thread title.

TheBoyConor · 13-08-2020 2:05pm

The bragadocious swagger comments from the speed rebels are all well and good until there is an accident and people including other innocent road users end up dead or worse, left with catastrophic injuries and permanent life altering disabilities.

Will you be bragging about what an intense rush it is speeding if it is you or an unfortunate family member is left needing 24 hour care for the rest of your/their life?
Go on, answer it? Will you think it is fun then?

Bursts of intense acceleration to over take rapidly are dangerous. By doing that you are not allowing time to react to unexpected events. A car could pull out, or decide to turn right. A bottle or stone in the road, an oil patch and next thing you know you are sliding towards the undercarrage of a truck at a combined closing speed of up to 200kph.

Yeah someone else might have been in the wrong, but what good is blaming someone else when you are 6' under or paralysed from the neck down and having to be fed through a peg spending your days watching the ceiling.

The public road is not a playground for speed demons and petrol heads.

In case someone thinks I'm anti biker, this is aimed at bikers, car drivers, tractor, truck drivers in equal measure.

Gooey Looey · 13-08-2020 2:10pm

xxyyzz wrote: »

Taking yesterday as an example, I was driving at 100kmh, 3 bikes appeared behind me and then were gone by me in a split second with a ridiculous overtaking manouvre, they were easily doing 150kmh plus, one of them in a tshirt and jeans. I have very rarely been driving in traffic behind a motorbike where we are both doing 100kmh. It's just an observation that 99% of the time I see motorbikes on a 100kmh stretch of road, it's when they are going past and disappearing off into the distance. Hence the thread title.

No cars or vans overtook you yesterday then so?

theoneeyedman · 13-08-2020 2:10pm

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Pretty much everyone who drives a car breaks the speed limit too. At least motorbikes usually only kill themselves.

I found out years ago, and it still holds true, years later, that every biker will tell you exactly how fast their bike can go, down to the last MPH. This isn't the case with car drivers

CrankyHaus · 13-08-2020 2:14pm

For the most part bikes are more sinned against than sinning; endangered by other vehicles moving into their path.

The odd one I see pulling manouvres against traffic that I'd think twice about attempting in a Main-Battle-Tank. But it's their life, their organs to donate.

kowloon · 13-08-2020 2:17pm

If I spend four hours polishing all the chrome I expect to go slow enough for everyone to see how pretty I am.

TheBoyConor · 13-08-2020 2:17pm

true enough, motorcyclists are a convenient source of organs for transplant. Except brains, obviously.

Tenzor07 · 13-08-2020 2:31pm

Because they can... When you can buy a used motorcycle for around €10k that can accelerate like a Formula 1 car then it's all too easy to break the speed limits in a couple of seconds.

We've a low number of people using bikes around town for commuting etc. We do seem to have a lot of weekend warriors who dress up as power rangers at the weekends on bikes that you'd see in the Isle of Man TT, and they drive them like they were in that race also...

I'd be less concerned about them than the numbers of lads racing around on MX bikes in the council estates all over the country, terrorising locals, dealing drugs, robberies, the lot and the Gards have a no pursuit policy in place...

Paddygreen · 13-08-2020 2:34pm

They are all Valentino Rossi until they go splat.

Canis Lupus · 13-08-2020 2:45pm

Because there's no number plate on the front and unless it's a hand held by a garda we can yolo along over the speed limit with no fear of cameras facing us.

xxyyzz · 13-08-2020 4:46pm

Gooey Looey wrote: »

No cars or vans overtook you yesterday then so?

Not that I can recall and certainly not at close on 100mph

Pedro K · 13-08-2020 5:23pm

xxyyzz wrote: »

Genuine question, is there a reason why motorcyclists do not think that the 100kmh limit applies to them? I'm driving for over 20 years and the only motorbikes I see on the road are the ones who appear suddenly behind me out of nowhere and disappear off into the distance when there's even a half chance of overtaking.

If you're driving at the speed limit, and a motorcyclist is ten miles behind you driving at the same speed, you'll never see them will you? Then of course the only ones you see are the ones who break the speed limit.

Of course, I suspect there's some hyperbole on your part.

ahnowbrowncow · 13-08-2020 5:32pm

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Bursts of intense acceleration to over take rapidly are dangerous. By doing that you are not allowing time to react to unexpected events. A car could pull out, or decide to turn right.

That's how you are supposed to overtake, do you suggest people accelerate slowly while overtaking?

Too many drivers merge slowly, pull out from junctions slowly, overtake slowly etc. They're the real dangerous drivers.

TuringBot47 · 13-08-2020 10:05pm

ahnowbrowncow wrote: »

That's how you are supposed to overtake, do you suggest people accelerate slowly while overtaking?

On a motorway where you have your own lane and are overtaking someone at the speed limit?
yes.

Potential-Monke · 13-08-2020 10:25pm

Ah you get the lads speeding alright, but I reckon it's the same ratio of cars/vans speeding. My father drove bikes, and my 3 brothers, one of which is still with an MCC. Some of those bikes are scary fast, and far more affordable than cars of similar speeds/acceleration. Yesterday, I was cruising along at the speed limit with some type of Yamaha cruiser behind me. He kept to the speed limit most of the way, and only overtook me when there was a fine straight stretch. But I respect bikers, so when I got to that stretch, I stayed to the left in silent indication of 'off you go if you want', and he did, but didn't take off into the distance. He overtook, and just kept on at the same speed ahead of me. I prefer that, because an open road in front for a biker is a safer road imo.

Likewise, I've seen the lads fly past me as a ferocious speed, and the sound is magnificent (unless it's one of those ones that sounds like a tin can is attached to the exhaust). Open your eyes, pay attention, and give them room. I find people who don't do that are the same fukkers who hog the overtaking lane on motorways doing 120 because that's that max speed and no one else should be able to overtake you.

I've been a pillion on a few bikes, and nothing scared me more than being on the back of a Hayabusa. The pilot (yes, pilot, because a normal driver won't be able to handle that power) told me to grab on and don't let go as if my life depended on it. I still haven't felt such acceleration in my life, and by jesus did I hold on for dear life. I asked him how fast he went when I eventually got off, with my legs like jelly. He said he didn't break the speed limit, but got there as quick as possible. And I do that myself in my car. For the first time, I have a car that can accelerate quite quickly, and I do tend to get to the limit as fast as it'll get me there. Not illegal as long as it's not done dangerously.

Rodin · 13-08-2020 10:29pm

Who wants to end up in a wheelchair?

If you're gonna crash, leave no doubt about the outcome and open up that throttle.

SEPT 23 1989 · 13-08-2020 10:58pm

Potential-Monke · 14-08-2020 7:47am

There's better videos to give an idea of the speed than that. It's both amazing and scary! Especially the on-board ones!

Poor Uncle Tom · 14-08-2020 8:11am

TuringBot47 wrote: »

On a motorway where you have your own lane and are overtaking someone at the speed limit?
yes.

That would be a sight, a motorway with 2 million lanes!

or do you just think you own the road?

Wanderer78 · 14-08-2020 8:15am

Potential-Monke wrote:

There's better videos to give an idea of the speed than that. It's both amazing and scary! Especially the on-board ones!

Those lads are just nuts, impressive though

J Madone · 14-08-2020 8:22am

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Those lads are just nuts, impressive though

"There are old pilots
There are bold pilots
There are no old bold pilots."
Said to me by a man when I had motorbikes

Esel · 14-08-2020 8:26am

"Most motorcycles last a lifetime."

LillySV · 14-08-2020 8:36am

I’ve been a biker since I was 16 and had people say I was speeding and going over 100 since the start... even though my starter bike was an rg 80 that probably couldn’t even do 60 down a steep hill, let alone 100!!! The same type of nosey assholes would make up grand stories of my reckless speeding to my parents and worry them.... even though it wasn’t physically true. I could say they thought i was speeding cause the bike was small and revs loud and they were mistaken but we know that’s not the case ... it’s just that there’s afew troublesome moaney ***** on this earth with a bias towards bikers.

If u open your eyes on the motorway these days you’ll notice that the biggest speeders flying by on the road are the “responsible “ parents driving sorrentos, sante fes etc ....

jim o doom · 14-08-2020 8:50am

I have been driving motorcycles for 20 years now, and I do tend to drive on the fast side. I drive a lot less these days and cycle more to be healthy and try not to be overweight and the like.

If anyone drives the main road between Dublin and Belfast, you will regularly see all sorts of vechicles vastly exceeding the stated speed limit, motorcycles, beamers, audis, fords, vans.. not every vehicle is speeding, but every type of vehicle is, up to and including massive trucks. A lot more cars are flying back and forth on that road than bikes at very high speeds.

I'm not super fast but I do tend to exceed most limits by a small amount, and accelerate hard. It's fun, I have a good driving skill set, and a quality race bike with excellent balance and brakes.

To all the people joking about dead bikers, and the organ donations - it's quite hilarious to see people basically hating on bikers for speeding, but thinking that they themselves are acceptable people while wishing death on other folk who are merely exceeding a limit - total and utter hypocrites in other words.

It's not ok to go fast, but it's ok to wish death on someone who performs an action you don't agree with? Yeah grow up.

Wanderer78 · 14-08-2020 8:51am

jim o doom wrote:

If anyone drives the main road between Dublin and Belfast, you will regularly see all sorts of vechicles vastly exceeding the stated speed limit, motorcycles, beamers, audis, fords, vans.. not every vehicle is speeding, but every type of vehicle is, up to and including massive trucks. A lot more cars are flying back and forth on that road than bikes at very high speeds.

Is it easy to disconnect the limiter on trucks?

jim o doom · 14-08-2020 9:13am

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Is it easy to disconnect the limiter on trucks?

I have no idea - I do know that I have seen every single type of vehicle speeding.

How does a truck limiter operate exactly? Is it relevant to the speed limit on each road, or is it a max limit that the truck cannot exceed?

If it's the latter, there are going to be plenty of roads that have limits lower than the trucks max speed.

Why do motorcyclists always break the speed limit?

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