"That bloody sucks."
Posted on 09/05/2008 2:08:49 PM PDT by Night Conservative
WENDOVER, Utah — A 47-year-old record-setting motorcycle racer from Montana has died when he lost control and crashed while traveling at 239 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Investigators weren't sure what caused Cliff Gullett, of Bozeman, Mont., to lose control of the motorcycle Wednesday during a time trial.
The American Motorcyclist Association said on its Web site that Gullett was competing in the 500cc Streamliner class at the Salt Flats, where drivers go for speed records every summer on the flat, open space just east of the Nevada state line.
(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...
If he’d only kept it below 230, he might have had a chance.
Impressive!
At that speed, maybe he ran into an ant.
Ping
Excessive speed might have been a factor. Just guessing.
Isnt he old enough to know better.
In a darwinian sort of way!
On the plus side, there’s nothing left of Mr. Gullet to clean up — the fine mist that once was him, was dispersed by a gentle breeze.
Darwin award applicant.
Police were soon on the scene to issue a speeding ticket.
He was OK with the lights. But when they tased him, things started to go bad.
Died from a crash at only 239mph? What a sissy!
I don’t know enough about salt flat riding to know how dangerous it is for skilled riders to go that fast, nor do I know whether he is skilled. Thus, it is impossible to say whether this is the result of stupidity or just bad fortune. But 239 is pretty damn fast on a motorcycle (or anything else for that matter), and you cannot even think about making a mistake.
"That bloody sucks."
More like the excessive deceleration.
“World’s Fastest Indian.” Good movie.
What? No seat belt????
And the friction didn't help.
Like the Nightrider in Mad Max. Not much left.
A mosquito, a moth, small piece of salt kicked up by the wind.
From the article:
Gullett owned Team Bozeman Motorsports, a motorcycle and snowmobile dealership. He had set a handful of world land-speed records and wanted to eventually become the first to reach 400 mph on a two-wheeled Streamliner, according to an interview last week with The Billings Gazette.
IMHO, I think holding a handful of world land-speed records would provide reasonable suspicion that he was indeed a man of some skill and experience.
The Bonneville Salt Flats is a place where pros go for it. It’s sad but a risky sport.
Now the guys in back of my house who blaze on crotch rockets at over 100 mph at one in the am, they make pizzas out of themselves on a regular basis and I don’t have much sympathy. The horrid thing is, they occaisionally take some old person with them who never saw them coming. (I live in FL)
What a shame. Why didn’t he just strap a rocket on his back?
Yup.
It’s not the fall off a 30 story building that gets you... it’s the sudden stop at the bottom.
What a bunch of stupid ass ignoramus comments on this thread.
The deceased was competing in organized, sanctioned competition on the salt flats.
My prayers offered.
That last inch of fall is a b...
At least he got his wish...prayers up!
the world record for longest skid marks is at Bonneville,
craig breedlove and the spirit of america skidded for 5 miles, he was still going over 200 MPH when he crashed into a row of telephone poles and into a salt pond
Yes, reading the article sometimes helps.
Yup. One of my favorites. The scene where the Nevada Trooper pulls him over is classic. NV didn't have a speed limit at the time, was a "reasonable and prudent" kind of thing.
That movie just warmed the heart. All the folks who helped him along the way, especially with the "rules."
Palin’s fault.
Amen. It takes special skill to go that fast on a bike. The bike itself ironically gets more stable at speed, but anything going wrong is magnified exponentially. The more you can get out of the way and let the bike’s stability rule, the better. But that speed is unreal.
Ach. What a shame.
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On the Plus Side, the corpse is well salted. Should keep awhile.
It’s not the speed that kills, it’s the sudden stop.
There’s two guys from my town, Grants Pass, Oregon, that set a world record at the salt flats with a truck.
Carl Heap and RB Slagle did it. Carl died of cancer two years ago, sadly. He was a great guy, and used to display his amazing truck at his store, and in parades.
I’m sad this guy crashed. I would never try something like that, but I think the world needs people who bravely and boldly try to set faster and faster records, climb higher and higher mountains and reach for the stars.
Godspeed...
Ed
“Police were soon on the scene to issue a speeding ticket...”
to ‘the fine mist that once was him, dispersed by a gentle breeze’ per ‘r9etb’.
It ain't a sport, It's a Russian roulette league.
And just how do you think that those "professional athletes" get to the top of their profession (i.e. the "real sports" to get those high salaries? Sure, golf isn't too terribly hard on the body, but how about boxing or football. I personally know 3 people who have been crippled playing football in high school or college. Are those not "real sports?"
Unfortunately, people get hurt and even die in many sports, including racing (all types, not just motorcycle), which it appears you don't consider a sport. I guess you just don't approve of racing.
Given your last line, you seem to be saying that as far as you're concerned, anyone who takes chances with their lives on a regular basis is playing "Russian Roulette," and don't "deserve the normal respect reserved for those who have accidents while taking the normal risks we all face each day." So tell me, do you feel the same way about our brave service members, who voluntarily put their lives on the line for all of us, day in and day out?
To put it bluntly, what's your point?
Mark
All that energy and speed from a 500cc motor, I’d say he was one of those working toward America’s future. This country was built by dreamers, some of whom give their lives chasing that dream.
May God bless him and keep him. He’s probably getting to know some of the old hot rodders that have gone on before.
No. Our military fights for our protection and freedom. The nutjob going 239 MPH on the motorcycle just wanted some bragging rights or to try to be 'cool'.
I'm trying to say I don't respect those who kill or maim themselves doing extreme stunts that are inherently more dangerous than they are worth doing. And no amount of arguing is going to make me respect some dipshit for killing himself doing a needless stunt.
Nutjob: Hold muh beer, I am a golden god of fearless indestructibility! Hear me roar! Hey kids watch Daddy go 239 on two wheels and be an extreme sports Idol.
SPLAT!
Nutjob's wife: So does that Darwin award come with any prize money?
Nutjob's kids: When is daddy coming back?
Nutjob's wife: I'm sure you'll be able to see his final moments on youtube any time you want Sparky.
Or used a seat belt and worn an approved helmet. They never learn do they.
Seriously, my heart and prayers go out for his family and friends. I hope I can meet my demise doing something I like to do.
It can be arranged. Just skydive without that bulky chute. Go shark fishing in an inflatable canoe. Surf the big waves at the reef during a typhoon. Skateboard down a steep hill with a busy cross street at the bottom. Go 239 MPH on a motorcycle that does not have aerodynamic flight controls.
One small gust of wind and you're airborne without any control at 239 MPH. Thanks to the helmet his head probably bounced and rolled for a mile until coming to a stop with a perfect grin on his face.
Those that don’t race will never really understand those that do race.
But they benefit from the improved technology in their pedestrian vehicles every day.
What's even more frightening to realize is that at 320fps, even driving onto an upward hill--usually a good way to bleed off speed--won't do much good. One would need a 1600 foot hill for gravity to dissipate all of one's kinetic energy.
On the other hand, if one could hold enough cable in a backpack, perhaps it might be possible to rig an ejection pack with a parachute. If the chute could be made to consistently go upward, a brake that was calibrated for 4g deceleration would require the pack to hold a few hundred feet of rope. Not tiny, but it wouldn't seem unreasonable.
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