Posted on 11/30/2021 6:50:22 PM PST by DUMBGRUNT
The Wattman was upgraded with a host of go-fast componentry. A more potent and lighter battery was installed. The motor was juiced to produce 435 hp. The double-wishbone suspension was adjusted for better precision. And perhaps most importantly, the bike was draped in a carefully developed aerodynamic fairing that resembles one half of a VW XL1. Not that it did much for noise mitigation.
"It’s very different from when I used to ride noisy bikes, with a thermal engine. Because electric motors make just the little zzzzzzttttt," Biaggi said. "But at speed, the wind creates a really big noise. You feel like an airplane taking off. When you break the wall of the air, you make some noise." "You have so much turbulence. You think you can hold. But you can’t. You can’t even see well at this speed. You just try to focus on what is around you. You don’t look anymore at what is straight ahead. You need to look wider. It’s crazy."
"If something really teases me, and gives me the right adrenaline, I’ll accept."
(Excerpt) Read more at roadandtrack.com ...
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“I can’t imagine what it would be like to “eat it” at that speed.”
I don’t think there has been a cow alive with that thick of skin.
But I found 110 to be sufficient, though.
I had no real need to go faster on a bike.
Drag racing '70s muscle cars on Front Street
in Philadelphia was a different situation, however.
The big block MOPARs almost always won, by the way.
Yes - in the mid '80s I was young / stupid / crazy.
But I got over it... Survived it too.
Probably only one run...
No video of that? Bummer.
I have a 2004 Vette. Owned it since 2008 I have seen 152 on it's speedometer. The car had more.... but I don't know how much more.
Careful....he may loose his memory on you.
A friend of mine had a 69 superbee with a 440 magnum motor in it.
I was riding, the guy got out on the highway and throttled out.
The superbee just kept going faster and faster.
We went down a hill and i expected the valves to start floating.
Nope, the damn thing just kept gaing speed,
The speedometer needle went past 140 mph.
I turned to my friend and said : ok im scared
‘59 vette, hopped, 3.37 gear, 135 indicated.
‘84 1100 Yahama Maxim, stock, 135 indicated.
Coincidences do happen.
I pulled a few unintended wheelies on my KZ1100. More than once at 75+ mph.
I also lost the right front tire at 130MPH (clocked by a cop) in an old 429 powered LTD.
Yeah, we got away with a LOT of stuff when we were young and dumb...
My wife had her Camaro SS up to 152 on I-68 out of Maryland. Rev limiter would not let it go any faster
The car was super smooth And the down force made the car really stable
Pretty good for a 57 year old gal at the time
Fastest I have ever been.
Drag racing ‘70s muscle cars on Front Street
in Philadelphia was a different situation, however.
The big block MOPARs almost always won, by the way.
My brother did that as well. he had a 55 chevy rebuilt. not sure the engine. I watched him and his buddy put front springs on the car that took all day. He said you could feel the bump running over a dime.
I rebuilt an old yamaha 650 and had it up around 100. no cowling. Holding on for dear life.
They had to push it back.
59 vette...fuel injected 283
Large displacement car-engined motorcycles usually turn out to be disasters - the Tomahawk, for example, has a set of pretty enormous holes in the performance envelope due to physics over 100mph. Starting with the fact that it can’t turn safely at those speeds.
The Boss Hoss, a commercial product that’s basically crossing a small block Chevy engine with a Harley style chassis and running gear, is notoriously crash-prone while being slower than a modern literbike. This too has giant holes in the envelope.
#17 Was the space shuttle waiting it’s turn for takeoff?....
Two runs, one out and one back.......
—”My wife had her Camaro SS up to 152 on I-68 out of Maryland. “
My best friend awoke in an instant cold sweat and terror!
His wife was driving, he and the kids were sleeping down I-80, from half-closed eyes in the darkness he glanced to see the speedo OVER ONE HUNDRED!!!
Full-size Chevy wagon pulling a fold-down camper with very small wheels.
They made record time from Denver to DuPage County.
Riding that fast is much more frightening than driving that fast.....
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