WABASHA, Minn. - With a State Patrol airplane overhead, a motorcyclist hit the throttle and possibly set the informal record for the fastest speeding ticket in Minnesota history: 205 mph. On Saturday afternoon, State Patrol pilot Al Loney was flying near Wabasha, in southeastern Minnesota on the Wisconsin border, watching two motorcyclists racing along U.S. Highway 61. When one of the riders shot forward, Loney was ready with his stopwatch. He clicked it once when the motorcycle reached a white marker on the road and again a quarter-mile later. The watch read 4.39 seconds, which Loney calculated to be 205 mph. "I was in total disbelief," Loney told the St. Paul Pioneer Press for Tuesday's editions. "I had to double-check my watch because in 27 years I'd never seen anything move that fast." Several law enforcement sources told the newspaper that, although no official records are kept, it was probably the fastest ticket ever written in the state. After about three-quarters of a mile, the biker slowed to about 100 mph and let the other cycle catch up. By then Loney had radioed ahead to another state trooper, who pulled the two over soon afterward. The State Patrol officer arrested the faster rider, 20-year-old Stillwater resident Samuel Armstrong Tilley, for reckless driving, driving without a motorcycle license and driving 140 miles per hour over the posted speed limit of 65 mph. A search of speeding tickets written by state troopers, who patrol most of the state's highways, between 1990 and February 2004 shows the next fastest ticket was for 150 mph in 1994 in Lake of the Woods County. Tilley did not return calls from the newspaper to his home Monday. A working number for him could not immediately be found by The Associated Press on Tuesday. Only a handful of exotic sports cars can reach 200 mph, but many high-performance motorcycles can top 175 mph. With minor modifications, they can hit 200 mph. Tilley was riding a Honda 1000, Loney said. Kathy Swanson of the state Office of Traffic Safety said unless Tilley was wearing the kind of protective gear professional motorcycle racers wear, he was courting death at 200 mph. "I'm not entirely sure what would happen if you crashed at 200 miles per hour," Swanson said. "But it wouldn't be pretty, that's for sure."
To funny.But it happens all the time. They had been trying to catch a guy in Mich for a while and finally a week or so ago caught him. He was clocked at 165 [as high as the radar goes] but they could never catch him or see where he was going. But his established route was his down fall. They finally set up cops along the route to get an idea where he was heading. They were able to follow his path and find him at work. Well the found the bike in the parking lots. it was all over the paper. But yea, most of these new bike from 600CCs on up can do over 150 easy. I am sure sooner or later you will see bike makers removing the 6th gear that lets them do this. If the sucker red lines in 5th at 105 your stuck at 105.
I remember reading about a "Gentlemans agreement" ont he part of Motorcycle companies that 200 (kph?mph?) was the "limit" IE they weren't going to build a bike faster, just bikes that could get there faster,with less and lighter, not sure the veracity of that rumour though.
The problem is the RPM range of the bikes. 6th is nice to cruise around 3500rpm on the freeway, but when you have potential for 13K + rpm...? I guess 5 speed would be okay. My Kawasaki runs 135 in 5th, so I could do without 6th on the top end, but it is nice to have when cruising. I don't think anything will change unless government regs, or lawsuits impact manuafcturers. As FI comes into its own on bikes, I'm sure governors will be common place...of course some folks will figure out how to bypass them.
I agree with gs4u2c. I have a suzuki bandit 1200 and it's only a five speed. the rpms were only at 7500 at 130mph for me in fifth and even a 1200cc redlines an 11000 Jason
Id love a 6th gear on my Virago too. But what else could they do? I think a simple computer lock out would not stop them 200mph runs. But I guess as long as not many people are dying they won't do much.
I called the HP in ks and they said the fines here would be Jail first and then about $1200 for the speeding and $150 for wreckless and the other was a $50 oooooch that will slow him down a little!!!
i have a 2002 kawasaki zrx1200r and it has 5 gears and i have (according to the speedometer), gone up to 145 and the rpm was 8500 and was still pulling hard. ran out of room, quickly. :rant:
Here in Washington State, wreckless driving alone is $972....or at least that's what I've heard I mean. :bglasses: I'm guessing he'll be over $2K for everything they nailed him for. Usually cops have some sympathy as they like a good chase to get the adrenaline pumping.
Yep there isn't much room anymore most places. 1000 n 1000s of new drivers every year on the same roads. For fun in high school I would spend 5 buck on some good gas and run up n down 280 at 100+ in my Camaro and had plenty of room to do it safely. Shoot, ya can barley do the speed limit anymore.
I hate to admit it, but I've gotten a ticket from the Texas Highway Patrol that read: "140+ in a 55". That one cost me.
"Courting death at 200 mph" that state officer doesn't know squat, I'm afraid. Much slower than that kills you dead just as easy
"You had your license suspended?" "Yeah, I was doing 40 in a 30 zone" "...and they took your license away for THAT?" "Well, I was upside down at the time" Speed ain't the only factor...
There are lots of these types here in the Nashville area... It seems they buy the latest..."Hiyabusa type" bike, modify it, then add some tickle juice. I get a kick out of watching them battle on Tuesday night at the local strip. "Crazy" best describes the action...Imagine making an "exhibition pass" where you hit both first and second stage of the juice at half track. Picture a Top Fuel burnout all the way through the lights at better than 130 mph in the 1/8 mile. TO COOL! :TU: The downside is these are street bikes and they ride em the same way on the way home. The EMT folks have to scrape em up regularly. ou:
I got one here in Michigan for 132 in a 55 zone, and it was only $95. That was in 1988, I'm sure it's a lot more now. I was in a 68 Pontiac that I used to own and going down a long grade in the road. It was my first ticket, ever. What a way to start. :3gears:
