Motorcycle enthusiasts questioning the 205mph ticket

[Bavarias_Finest]

http://usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2004-09-25-205-ticket_x.htm?POE=click-refer

Motorcycle enthusiasts question 205 mph ticket
WABASHA, Minn. (AP) — There's little doubt that a Stillwater motorcyclist could wind up his Honda sport motorcycle past 180 mph, but members of the motorcycle racing world question whether the State Patrol was correct to cite him for 205 mph last weekend.
The State Patrol is standing by its stopwatch, and the speeding ticket a veteran trooper wrote for Samuel Tilley for driving his 2003 Honda RC51 on U.S. Highway 61 near Wabasha on the state's eastern border.

Tilley faces misdemeanor charges of speeding, reckless driving and riding without a motorcycle license. He has declined repeated requests for comment from several media outlets in the past few days.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press first reported the details of the ticket, which is unofficially the highest ever written in the state, on Tuesday. Soon motorcycle enthusiasts were buzzing about whether Tilley really broke the 200 mph barrier.

"Theoretically, it could happen — anything is possible — but I don't believe it," said John Ulrich, editor of Roadracing World, a magazine that covers sport bike racing. "Guys who want to break speed records and go over 200 mph have to go to great lengths to get there."

Ulrich questioned the State Patrol's timing methods, in which a trooper in an airplane used a stopwatch to calculate how long it took Tilley to cover a certain distance. Other enthusiasts said if the timing were off by only a half-second, it would drop Tilley's speed to about 185 mph.

While that would be still be the unofficial state record, and within the specifications for Tilley's Honda, it wouldn't break the prestigious 200 mph mark.

Department of Public Safety Spokesman Kevin Smith there was no reason to believe the trooper, who had 27 years of experience, was wrong. He said the Honda could go 205 mph.

"What we have is what we have," Smith said. "That is the number he came up with, and there's really no going back on it."

Legally, he said, there wasn't much difference between 205 mph and 185 mph because even the lower speed wouldn't help defend against the reckless driving charge. "Let's say he was going 186 — that's still 121 mph over the speed limit. I don't see the relevance," Smith said.

As it is, motorcycle experts say that most unmodified sport bikes already top out at about 185 mph because of limits with their fuel injectors.

To get an RC51 up to 200 mph, they say, the owner would have to change the motorcycle's transmission, fuel injectors and gears — and might have to add either a supercharger or pump nitrous oxide or methane into the fuel system.

All of these changes are possible, but expensive. And anyone with those kinds of modifications isn't likely to tool around southern Minnesota with nitrous or jet fuel in his bike, they say.

"It's just not something that some dude can roll out of his garage and go for a ride and do," Ulrich said. "A hundred fifty? No problem. Two hundred? Big problem."

Tilley will get a chance to plead his case in Wabasha County District Court on Oct. 25.


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Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Bavarias_Finest]

Honda RC51 Specifications

Manufacturer: Honda
MSR: $10999
Model ID: RC51
Model Year: 2003
Type: Honda Sport Bike
Emissions: California version meets CARB 2004 emissions standards.
Available Colors: Red/Metallic Silver

Honda RC51 Engine:
Engine Type: 999cc liquid-cooled 90-degree V-twin
Bore and Stroke: 100.0mm x 63.6mm


Compression Ratio: 10.8:1
Valve Train: DOHC; four valves per cylinder
Carburetion: Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI) with two injectors per cylinder
Ignition: Computer-controlled digital with three-dimensional mapping

Honda RC51 Drive Train:
Transmission: Close-ratio six-speed
Final Drive: #533 O-ring-sealed chain

Honda RC51 Suspension:
Front Suspension: 43mm inverted HMAS cartridge fork with spring-preload, rebound and compression-damping adjustability; 5.1-inch travel
Rear Suspension: Pro-Link HMAS single shock with spring-preload, rebound and compression-damping adjustability; 4.7-inch travel

Honda RC51 Brakes:
Front Brakes: Dual full-floating 320mm discs with four-piston calipers
Rear Brake: Single 220mm disc with single-piston caliper
Front Tire: 120/70ZR-17 radial
Rear Tire: 180/55ZR-17 radial

Honda RC51 Dimensions:
Rake: 24 degrees
Trail: 96.0mm (3.8 inches)
Wheelbase: 54.5 inches
Seat Height: 31.7 inches
Dry Weight: 370 pounds
Fuel Capacity: 4.8 gallons

Honda's figures are 126 bhp @ 9000 rpm and 75 lb/ft @ 8000 rpm. When riding the bike, it is obvious that the torque curve is very flat and broad. Honda claims a top speed of 170 mph, due largely to superb aerodynamics. The RC51 is the most aerodynamic street motorcycle ever manufactured by Honda with one exception - the Japan-only NC30 400cc V-4.

[crazyxzer0]

wtf thats crazy... a bike can reach 200mph!?!? Who is crazy enough to do that..

[Bavarias_Finest]

not me .... maybe in a car .. not a bike

[noosee]

I've seen videos of turbocharged Hayabusa go faster than 200 mph. I think Ghostrider 1 & 2 has those.
So it's possible. But not with RC51.

[Bavarias_Finest]

RC51 goes about 180 max, but with modifications anything is possible .... it require sa supercharger, new suspension, new tires, and noting this guy had previously gotten a ticket for going 180 in his Lamborghini Murcielago he has the money for all of that ....

[SPAD]

I dont think it would take the kind of modifications as were said erlier to get it to 200mph the haybasusa can reach that stock and it dont have nitrous.A new exhaust kit polished and ported cilinder heads and a few other mods could do it.My cousin has a drag bike and he got it from 115 to 150 with some farly inexpensive mods so i see it possible.lol also like that dude said.180mph 200mph does it really matter,your SPEEDING!

[gottacatchup]

cant the cops just look at the bike, check for mods and on that determine if its actually possible.

[ZfrkS62]

it could be construed as biased. they would have to find a neutral party to go over the bike.

someone would have to look at the stretch of road that this occured on and determine if it is condusive to 200+ MPH. obviously if there are any issues with the surface, it would be difficult to get up to that speed even with the mods. A stiffer suspension means more road feel gets transmitted to the rider. any series of waves on the road at speeds like that could give the sensation of being tossed off the bike.

would you want to keep pushing those speeds with that feeling?

[666fast]

someone would have to look at the stretch of road that this occured on and determine if it is condusive to 200+ MPH.



It is, many parts of Highway 61 are dead straight for miles. And the surface is just fine. I've been up and down highway 61 a million times.

[RC45]

Having friends with RC51' and having ridden one - without some as yet non-public secret Honda Racing Corp. mods - the V-Twin 1000cc RC51 would not reach 200mph even if you tossed it off a cliff.

In stock form it is like the RC45, heavy and beefy and over-engineered for street use as it is essentially a race-bike at heart and in need of some very serious and expensive mods and lightening.

You can spend $5,000 to get a Busa or ZX12 to run to 200mph... you would need $10,000 of mods to get the RC51 anywhere near 200mph...

ARe we sure it was an RC51? Maybe it was a CBR1000RR - which would have a far easier being modded to hit 200mph.

Either way I think the cop screwed up and they just won't admit that a human with a hand stop watch in airplane over head could be subject to errors in timing and observation.

[ZfrkS62]

well, there goes that defense, 666 :wink:

[Bavarias_Finest]

Im not arguing ... RC45 obviously knows what he is talking about ... Im not going to give Minnesota cops more credit than they are due, its Minnesota

[666fast]

its Minnesota


LOL, DC is just the nicest place on earth isn't it?

and over here, we have the White House. and over here we have crack whores and prostitutes. :lol:

[Bavarias_Finest]

its Minnesota


LOL, DC is just the nicest place on earth isn't it?

and over here, we have the White House. and over here we have crack whores and prostitutes. :lol:

way to get personal ... I was bashing cops, not Minnesota in particular ....

You obviously know nothing about DC regardless. Downtown is immaculate, its the neighborhoods that are less than desireable. The county i live in has median income of 86,000+, the US average is 40,000+. Theres more exotics in DC than there are in some states, and it that goes without saying Minnesota is one of them. You dont have a clue ....

[SilviaEvo]

wow 180MPH?!!? i probably would be hyperventilating by 60

[Bavarias_Finest]

I think 90-100 is big shit, this guy was going twice that .... makes me feel small

[Minacious]

Motorcycle enthusiasts don't need to question it, Motorcycle enthusiasts know better. Yes, it was an RC51. No, it didn't go 205MPH. The guy already replied in a motorcycle forum and said he was going like 150MPH. Still quite illegal, but not even close to 205. Any modern day sportbike can hit 150MPH. A small miscalculation by an airborne cop will make a huge jump in numbers and that is obviously what happened here.

[ZfrkS62]

it doens't take much to miscalculate. one wrong button on the calculator and there you go.

[greg.little]

There seems to be huge differences in the "feel" of speed in this forum.

wow 180MPH?!!? i probably would be hyperventilating by 60


I think 90-100 is big shit, this guy was going twice that .... makes me feel small

I live in the UK and to be honest 90mph is no great shakes. You can hold that speed for miles on a motorway (Freeway) and not stick out and regularly get overtaken (speed limit 70). My company Megane 1.5 DCi will walk it.

In addition it doesn't take that much road to get up to collossal speeds on a bike. I have a friend who has touched 185 indicated on a one mile stretch of A-road near Basingstoke which has T junctions at each end (Hayabusa). His stated intention is 200mph on a public road.

I agree the RC is not up to it but the story is not too far from reality and it is only a matter of time before someone is done (legitmately) for doing the double ton.

[Bavarias_Finest]

Motorcycle enthusiasts don't need to question it, Motorcycle enthusiasts know better. Yes, it was an RC51. No, it didn't go 205MPH. The guy already replied in a motorcycle forum and said he was going like 150MPH. Still quite illegal, but not even close to 205. Any modern day sportbike can hit 150MPH. A small miscalculation by an airborne cop will make a huge jump in numbers and that is obviously what happened here.

thank you for clearning that up ... I figured as much

[Bavarias_Finest]

I know 90-100 mph is nothing on a global scale, here in the states though with the average posted speed limit of 55-65mph its alot. Your absolutely right, 90-100 is not anything special, as long as road conditions are good and you dont have any S curves, particularly considering I can maintain those speeds in my daily driver, a Jeep, without any problem.

Im well aware of the Autobahn and roads like it, with average speeds of 120-140mph, and the cars passing in the left lane are going anywhere from 180-190mph ... RUF likes to test its Porsches on the Autobahn before it ships a car to its customers.... I just wish we had a road like that here in the state, but im wishing for something that will never happen. Speeding tickets are just too much revenue for the goverment.

[666fast]

its Minnesota


LOL, DC is just the nicest place on earth isn't it?

and over here, we have the White House. and over here we have crack whores and prostitutes. :lol:

way to get personal ... I was bashing cops, not Minnesota in particular ....

You obviously know nothing about DC regardless. Downtown is immaculate, its the neighborhoods that are less than desireable. The county i live in has median income of 86,000+, the US average is 40,000+. Theres more exotics in DC than there are in some states, and it that goes without saying Minnesota is one of them. You dont have a clue ....

I was joking, but you seem to have missed that part.

[Bavarias_Finest]

sorry 666fast , I get grumpy sometimes

[666fast]

sorry 666fast , I get grumpy sometimes

It's cool, no worries dude.

[homemade wrx]

first off anyone willing to go that fast with nothing around them is a little tweaked. also as far as the turbo'd hyabusa goes it is now or was dynoing at 550whp!!! that from a 500 lb bike.
now that is insane!!

[Kal-EL905]

Anything over 160kph(100mph) is pretty fast on Canadian highways. Our speed limit is 100kph(60mph) on major highways. Most speeders do 120-140kph.

The fastest I've gone in my Sentra is 190kph(118mph) it would go quicker if not for the speed limiter, but not much quicker. I got my Chevelle to do right around 200kph(125mph), but that was very, very scary with drum brakes at all four corners with a 30 year old suspension.

I'd love to try my hand at high speeds on a bike, but I think my need for speed would kill me.