How Fast Do You Normally Drive?

[mitch]

top end

I drive 70 to 75 mph most times on the highway but i did try the old xj out for top end chickened out at 210 klm per hour wich equates to 131 mph

[Robert Haller]

On open road I usually ride 60-80 mph, with the occasional bursts to 100. I enjoy the acceleration bursts more than riding much over 80, especially since I don't have a windshield.

[Geezer]

I used to ride as fast as I could get away with. With my 11 Special, I pretty much stick to posted speeds. This bike doesn't inspire me to go fast at all.

I'm hoping that my 11 standard will be as much fun to ride as other 11 stardards were that I've riddden.

Geezer

[fusionking]

Not that Special?

Does that mean standards make you want to RIDE faster?

[Geezer]

Perhaps but the riding position on Specials makes me want to ride slow.

Geezer

[buffalo]

Put a set of short superbike bars on your standard and ride at a speed somewhere between "that is quite fast enough, thank you" and "OHMYGODSLOWTHISTHINGDOWN!!!". Great fun

[mr_ed]

how fast.

I always rode like a bat out of you know where. I figured I'd rather live a short exciting life than a long boring one. I raced everything I could find on dangerous mountain roads or anywhere else and outrun more police cars than I could count. Well, I'm nearing 70 now and I've slowed down a lot. How I got this far I'll never understand, Must be an angel involved.

[Geezer]

Originally posted by buffalo
Put a set of short superbike bars on your standard and ride at a speed somewhere between "that is quite fast enough, thank you" and "OHMYGODSLOWTHISTHINGDOWN!!!". Great fun

I've put a set of sport bars on my bastardized Special. I'll post some pix when it's up an going. It's going to be an interesting bike to say the least.

Geezer.

[REFFI]

Commuting speed (in the car pool lane) tends to be 75 to 85 mph. On the freeway in the AM (car or bike) it's close to 80 mph. On the open road, depending upon terrain, I run around 80 to 85, but tend to be wary of suspected areas of increased law enforcement activity. The favorite biker road around here is so heavily patrolled/enforced that people get busted for three miles over the limit and crossing the yellow line.

Adding a windshield has increased my average speed due to lessening arm fatigue.

[bobbjhnsn]

i like to think of myself as a comptent rider been doin it since the early 70s on open hwy 75 is comfordable in town 40-50 dependin on traffic and police . p.s. i do know what bounceing off the pavement feels like

[Dennyz]

fusionking wrote:

Does that mean standards make you want to RIDE faster?

YES!

[sam_cg_cook]

well...

Before June 12th... I gave my SG as much gas as she would take... as fast as I could go without being caught, and without having a heart attack... usually in the 80's but between 90-130mph from time to time.

On June 12th, I rolled my 2000 Dodge Ram three quarter ton and totalled it, being thrown out (no belt on)... at 90mph. I was on a back country road here in Maine.

Amazingly, I suffered only a badly sprained ankle, a chipped tooth, bruised ribs... and the usual muscle pulls and strains from twisting like a greasy stripper.

Sometime towards the end of June, I got back on my bike. Seems that my spine didn't care for bumps in the road... and my heart palpated halfway out of my chest at any speed approaching 60mph.

I am now fully (95%) recovered from the injuries... have an old CJ7 (yes, with a roll bar) to replace the truck... and a newfound respect for speed and the road. I keep my SG (mostly) within the limits, for fear of not being so lucky the next time the road wants her way with me.

-Sam

[Geezer]

I don't think my riding ever will return to the pre 1983 accident rate but some bikes inspire me more than others.

In addition to my XS11's I plan to get an XVZ12 or 13. When I was turning wrenches in a Yamaha shop back in 1986 there was a test ride program going and I think we were allowed to put up to about 5k miles on our Venture Royal. The owner of the shop owed me a favor big time and let me take the Venture out for the weekend. Needless to say I ran the piss out of it. I found that the windshield shakes at 115 and it wouldn’t go over 125 but it handled like a big sport bike. It's too bad they're so ugly!

Geezer

[mitch]

venture royal

Tell me more about your venture, I have a chance to buy one for 4000 canadian . It is an 86 with 38000 klms, loaded electronic cruise, intercome matching helmets etc .Bike is like new beautiful shape,but i gotta give up my xj to buy it . Just would like to have some more input on these bikes do they have good power? hows the handling etc . Thanks Mitch

[Geezer]

Re: venture royal

Originally posted by mitch
Tell me more about your venture, I have a chance to buy one for 4000 canadian . It is an 86 with 38000 klms, loaded electronic cruise, intercome matching helmets etc .Bike is like new beautiful shape,but i gotta give up my xj to buy it . Just would like to have some more input on these bikes do they have good power? hows the handling etc . Thanks Mitch

The power and handling are there. This bike was the replacment for the XS11 and I'd have to say it's a very impressive machine.

It's the same engine as the V-Max but detuned. The venture is a pain the ass to work on. There's all those damn covers to remove. It uses the same valve shims as the XS11 but you have twice as many valves. Changing the rear tire is almost impossible without putting it on a rack. Even with it's faults, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one if I got it for a good price.

Geezer