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Motorcyclist cited for going 205 MPH (going faster than state patrol plane)
Wabasha AP ^ | 9/21/04 | AP

Posted on 09/21/2004 9:43:55 AM PDT by Lijahsbubbe

WABASHA (AP) - With a State Patrol airplane overhead, a Stillwater 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."

_


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: darwincandidate; leo; moron; motorcycles; recklessselfishfool
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To: paul51

Thats better then what my Uncle says.' Just write me a ticket I don't want a lecture',it has'nt got him out of a ticket yet.


101 posted on 09/21/2004 10:22:46 AM PDT by linn37 (Have you hugged your Phlebotomist today?)
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To: Lijahsbubbe

A co-worker of mine was working as a part-time deputy in their small town and was out late one night riding along with another officer. They set up a speed trap on a straight stretch of an open rural road known for it's share of local kids out testing their speed skills.

They were there about 20 minutes with an occasional car coming out of the hills lighting up the speed gun in the mid to upper 60s on the 55mph stretch. Not enough to spoil their quiet night. Suddenly, out of the dark, a lone headlight appeared and the gun lit up at 166 mph!

My co-worker said, "Holy S&*%! This ought to be fun!"

The officer driving calmly sat up in his seat and put on his seat belt but didn't turn on his lights until the motorcycle passed totally unaware of the patrol car sitting off the road in the shadows. He said to my friend, "Should I call the morgue now or should I wait to see how far back into the woods he got before he hit his first tree?"

They started up the road where it quickly started winding up a hill into a wooded area and, sure enough, they found a single skid mark starting about halfway across the centerline heading into the second turn. They followed the skid mark to where it left the road and they hit their spotlight to see broken limbs forming a newly blazed trail to a whisp of gray smoke about 100 feet off the road.

They called in the ambulance but my friend said that it was quite apparent that the motorcyclist wasn't going to be taking any ambulance to the hospital. At least, what was left of him. The rider was 17 years old.


102 posted on 09/21/2004 10:23:01 AM PDT by Hatteras
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To: FNG
Sorry RUBs, your Harleys ARE NOT the baddest bikes on the streets.

Maybe not anymore. But Honda and Yamaha are sure copying the looks of Harleys in order to stay in business. They can't stay in business with just Rice Rockets. The fatality rate precludes return customers.

103 posted on 09/21/2004 10:23:12 AM PDT by elbucko (A Feral Republican)
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To: HuntsvilleTxVeteran
Unlimited motorcycle racers can not hit 205 MPH. Something is badly wrong with this story.

The cop was hand-timing it from the air. In competitive sports never trust a handtime. The time itself was probably off by half a second or more. He was probably going at least 175.

The problem with that "method" of determining speed is that it is highly inaccurate but statutorily (is that a word?) usable. They may put this guy away for awhile based on a bad reading.

But he was definitely speeding, no doubt about it.

104 posted on 09/21/2004 10:23:26 AM PDT by Zack Nguyen
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To: z3n

I endoed over my bars at about 15-20 mph doing quick stop exercises (ironically during a safety course--my own fault though).

I think I only rolled for maybe 20 feet at most.


105 posted on 09/21/2004 10:23:46 AM PDT by Betis70
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To: Docbarleypop
I shoould have clarified that I was in a Mustang, not riding a motorcycle.

My punishment for the infraction:

About five hundred dollars for the fines (Although I was given 8 tickets, only two held up)
6 month license suspension
30 day jail sentence (suspended)
50 hours community service (working in a hospital vascular lab, where everyone except one person thought I was volunteering)

Never had a speeding ticket since! (loudly knocking on wood)
106 posted on 09/21/2004 10:26:15 AM PDT by motzman (to the funny farm, where life is beautiful all the time.....)
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To: CanadianRepublican
Unless there was some serious motor work done on that bike, it was not doing 205. Maybe 190 give or take but not 205.

Or maybe it had a 15 mph tailwind.

When you look at the world records for track and field events, it's almost always the case that there was a wind assist. I suspect that's the case here.

107 posted on 09/21/2004 10:26:28 AM PDT by Physicist
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To: Artemis Webb

Good one!


108 posted on 09/21/2004 10:28:56 AM PDT by StarCMC (It's God's job to forgive Bin Laden, it's our job to arrange the meeting.)
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To: Lijahsbubbe

"But officer, there must be something wrong with my speedometer. I swear it only read 198."


109 posted on 09/21/2004 10:31:04 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
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To: dc-zoo

Surely they must make a suit that would keep all the resulting goo together inside so as to make cleanup easier?


110 posted on 09/21/2004 10:31:04 AM PDT by Dad2Angels
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To: michaelbfree
While statiioned in germany, a young motorcyclist broadsided a tank at somewhere between 75 - 100 mph..

Brain matter was splattered everywhere, including several cars on the other side of the tank..
It was not a pretty sight..

111 posted on 09/21/2004 10:32:56 AM PDT by Drammach (Freedom; not just a job, it's an adventure..)
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To: z3n

In both cases, my car was stationary and I've estimated the speeds. The rolling distance is based on "cars passed" as both accidents happened to occur next to a standing (or near standing) line of cars. I estimated 4 cars to be 30 yards, and 10 cars to be 75 yards. I actually counted the cars because I was surprised at the distance traveled. BTW, the "4 cars" guy got up and rode away. The "10 cars" guy didn't get up until the ambulance arrived.


112 posted on 09/21/2004 10:33:00 AM PDT by shteebo
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To: Zack Nguyen
Whoa Nelly! Were you arrested? What was the penalty?

Not arrested but ruffed-up by two NJ Troopers (couple of kicks, and a gun placed against my head)

At the time, I wanted to sue them, but really, what for? Hurting my feelings?

Anyway, the penalties are described in my previous post. It cured me of my speeding, but made me REALLY distrust the police. Why?

Because even though I plead guilty to the infractions willingly, the one Trooper LIED UNDER OATH during the court proceedings, when he didn't have to....

Made me think, if he's going to lie when he doesn't even have to, well... (you can guess the rest)
113 posted on 09/21/2004 10:33:13 AM PDT by motzman (to the funny farm, where life is beautiful all the time.....)
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To: HuntsvilleTxVeteran
Easily done. In June of 2000, Cycleworld had a STOCK Suzuki GSX1300R up to 191mph. We're now an engine generation advanced, and I'll bet the bike was modified as well.
114 posted on 09/21/2004 10:33:23 AM PDT by Melas
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To: Lando Lincoln

reckless driving at 205 mph and not crashing...sounds like pretty damn good driving to me!!! DWS maybe...Driving While Stupid...but certainly not reckless.

In the mid 80's a friend and I ran team to LA and back each weeek and one morning about 3:00 a.m. I was in the sleeper when my friend hits the brakes and was cursing loudly...I woke up and asked him what was going on...Seems there was an AZ State Trooper on his bumper...Trooper told him he had clocked him at 125 mph but didn't give him a ticket...chewed on his posterior for about 15 mins but let him go.


115 posted on 09/21/2004 10:33:31 AM PDT by cajun-jack
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To: Cogadh na Sith
Yeah, and some guy got a riding mower up to 60mph at a drag race I saw once.

Look it up, a$$hole!

Cal Rayburn rode a single engine Harley Sportster streamliner to a speed of over 265mph in the early '70's at Bonneville Salt Flats. I've got a hundred dollar bill that says its true. Put your money where your mouth is!

116 posted on 09/21/2004 10:37:12 AM PDT by elbucko (A Feral Republican)
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To: Docbarleypop

Put your money in safety engineering ... or government enforcement of limits.... result is more fatalities in the latter....

In other words you are a pioneer and worthy to be called a Navy man!

FATAL ACCIDENTS DOUBLE ON MONTANA’S INTERSTATES
By Chad Dornsife, 5/10/2001
National Motorists Association, Waunakee Wisconsin


This is an obvious call to action. Something must be done. We need more laws, more money for enforcement and more citations written - Speed Kills!

Not so fast says a follow up study just completed by National Motorists Association. The study shows the safest period on Montana’s Interstate highways was when there were no daytime speed limits or enforceable speed laws.

The doubling of fatal accidents occurred after Montana implemented its new safety program; complete with federal funding, artificially low speed limits and full enforcement.

Yes we all want safer highways, but who are the players and whom can we believe? How can fatal accidents double after we put in place our government’s (NHTSA) most revered highway safety strategy? What is going on here? Something doesn’t add up. Is this an anomaly or is it expected?

The NMA has long held that true highway safety can only be achieved by following sound engineering practices, not conjecture, and we wanted to find out what really happened in Montana. In this study we examined the 2 classifications of highway where the effects of no limits and full enforcement could be definitively compared. These Montana findings add weight to 70 plus years of consistent engineering findings to the same effect.

From an engineering perspective the evidence strongly suggests that some of these lives lost were a direct result of Montana’s politicians succumbing to unfounded conjecture. They passed a politically correct law at a time when the state’s fatal accidents were at a modern low and its roads were never safer. Why are they responsible, they simply ignored (US title 23, federal law) federal safety requirements that sound engineering standards and practices be followed – resulting in non–complying signs being posted, adoption of unsafe practices that are known to increase accident rates, which most certainly includes hazards remaining unmarked or with insufficient warning.

There are four primary contributors to this confusion: In the last 30 years we have institutionalized a billion dollar enforcement industry... a press that transitioned from investigative into a business... the ever ominous politicians looking to get reelected or establishing a legacy... and the ignored traffic safety engineering community who has relentlessly documented cause and effect safety strategies, requires peer review and verification before a standard is adopted as the most effective solution, a group which knows the best policy is one that always encompasses observed human nature.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) personifies the traffic enforcement industry, because this industry is its primary constituent. In its role, it first created “Speed Kills”, next was “Road Rage” and then the “Aggressive Driving” slogans and supporting propaganda campaigns to scare the public into growing the enforcement industry (revenues, equipment, staffing). Its press releases as a matter of practice grossly misrepresent data (invent a crisis, then the need to intervene) – engineering findings never support its conclusions. At what cost? Fatality rates in 2000 increased again, sound engineering practices have been undermined, road blocks for checking your papers are now legal and common, vehicle confiscation for minor infractions now accepted practice, mothers are thrown into jail for not wearing seat belts – and a public gladly sacrificing its liberty to false safety idols.

The press (a business hungry for content) regurgitated every piece of propaganda that NHTSA could produce. Nobody can be against traffic safety and here is an agency whose very name says they are our protectors. Consequently the press became a conduit of unverified claims supporting this agency’s self interest. Marketing 101, tell someone for their entire life something is true - it becomes their truth. Except for a small group of traffic engineers and researchers, these manufactured urban myths became the nation’s truth, encompassing its politicians, reporters and citizens.

As for politicians, just ask which way is the wind blowing - sounds good to them. In Montana there was law and order Governor Mark Racicot, standing by the Attorneys General, the Chief of the Highway Patrol and the wishes of the law enforcement community. The state agencies followed the governor’s wishes and testified in support of the new law (when their data didn’t support it) – the norm in today’s world of agency testimony in front of legislative committees.

Now to the silenced engineers and researchers. Federal law (Title 23) says fact–based sound engineering practices are to take precedence over conjecture. The problem, no one is willing to enforce it – including the FHWA. These professionals work for political entities, and at the end of the day they are silenced from practicing their profession because they have families to feed and they need a job.

Here is what the Montana data shows. (chart below) After all the politically correct safety programs were in place and fully operational, complete with federal safety funds, more laws and citations being issued. Here are the results.

1. After the new Speed Limits were established, interstates fatal accidents went up 111%. From a modern low of 27 with no daytime limits, to a new high of 56 fatal accidents with speed limits.

2. On interstates and federal primary highways combined, Montana went from a modern low of 101 with no daytime limits, to a new high of 143 fatal accidents with speed limits.

3. After a 6 year downward trend in the percentage of multiple vehicle accidents on its 2 lane primary highways, multiple vehicle accident rates increased again.

4. With the expectation of higher speed when there was no daytime limit, Montana’s seat belt usage was well above the national average on its highways without a primary law, lane and road courtesy increased, speeds remained relatively stable and fatal accidents dropped to a modern low. After the new limits, fatal accidents climbed to a modern high on these classifications of highway, road courtesy decreased and flow conflict accidents rose again.

All the important observations made in original research paper remain very germane in regards to this doubling of fatal accidents on Montana’s highways. (February 2000, Montana: No Speed Limit Safety Paradox) The following excerpts tell the story.

“Research scientists and engineers have long known that there are sometimes unexpected results from changes in public policies. Ironically, the paradox of no posted speed limits and low fatal accidents rates is no surprise to the traffic safety engineering community. “

For years, motorists’ advocates have used engineering-based facts against artificially low speed limits. They have claimed that by raising speed limits to reasonable levels, accident and fatality rates will actually be reduced. This seemingly wild assertion has been documented by the traffic engineering profession for 50 plus years. This fact–based position has again been proven to be true by the repeal of the National Speed Limit. The nation has recorded the lowest highway fatality rate since such records have been kept.

What about the extreme of No Speed Limits on 4 lane Interstate and rural federal–aid primary two lane highways? These same fact–based engineers point to the German Autobahn, where with no speed limits, authorities are consistently reporting lower fatality rates than comparable US highways.

For the last 5 months of no daytime limits in Montana, the period after its Supreme Court had ruled that the Reasonable and Prudent law was unconstitutional, reported fatal accident rate declined to a record low. Fixed speed limits were reinstated on Memorial Day weekend 1999. Since then, fatal accidents have begun to rise again.

This begs the question, do people change the way they drive when there is no speed limit? The evidence suggests the answer is yes. The measured vehicle speeds only changed a few miles per hour as predicted – comparable to data collected from other western states. What changed? The two most obvious changes were improved lane courtesy and increased seat belt use. Did other driving habits and patterns change as well?

The lower–than–US fatality rates on the German Autobahn (where flow management is the primary safety strategy), and now Montana's experience, would indicate that using speed limits and speed enforcement as the cornerstone of US highway safety policy is a major mistake. It is time to accept the fact that increases in traffic speeds are the natural by product of advancing technology. People do, in fact, act in a reasonable and responsible manner without constant government intervention.

The Montana experience solidifies the long held traffic engineering axioms, “people don't automatically drive faster when the speed limit is raised, speed limit signs will not automatically decrease accident rates nor increase safety, and highways with posted speed limits are not necessarily safer than highways without posted limits.”

The study on the effects of no daytime speed limits in Montana is clear. Traffic safety, if anything, actually improved without posted limits or massive enforcement efforts. Highway safety wasn't compromised nor can the lowest fatality rates recorded in modern times be ignored. Something happened, it was positive, and it needs further research to analyze what worked and why.

This doubling of the fatal accidents in Montana is a real life example to the potential catastrophic consequences of passing politically correct laws. Safety can only be achieved when sound engineering practices are allowed to overrule unfounded political conjecture. The sooner we as nation follow these precepts as adopted in the Highway Safety Act of 1966, our roads will be as safe as they reasonably can be while protecting your rights too.


117 posted on 09/21/2004 10:37:33 AM PDT by JudgemAll
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To: JudgemAll

http://www.hwysafety.com/hwy_montana_2001.htm


118 posted on 09/21/2004 10:37:51 AM PDT by JudgemAll
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To: JoJo Gunn

I don't know about 200mph, but 130mph on an Ducati 900SS is actually a very comfy ride.


119 posted on 09/21/2004 10:39:15 AM PDT by Dead Dog
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To: elbucko
Not possible. It takes a lot more horsepower to push a motorcycle through the air at 205mph, than a street able Honda 1000 owned by a 20 year can put out.

I saw a 1000 Honda with an aftermarket turbocharger kit make 235 horsepower at a dyno "shoot out" at a racetrack last year. I'm pretty sure with the right gearing, he could have gone in excess of 200 MPH. The article does not describe if it was a stock or modified engine.
120 posted on 09/21/2004 10:39:25 AM PDT by BansheeBill
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