Good grief. How could they ever find his head if he crashes?
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."
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I'm hep to that. I had a Norton Commando on British made Dunlops in the late 60's when they started to groove the hi ways.
5280 feet/17.56 secs (calculated mile time)= 300.683FPS (Feet Per Second) X .6818 (3600/5280)=205.006MPH.
Whatever tirns you on.
splat
"it was not doing 205."
I would guess again.
Bonneville land speed records require a trip through the speed recording traps in both directions, averaging the two runs to give a record high total less reflective of any wind assistance, though there have been instances where a lucky run was *helped* in both directions.
But most of the fast runners I've known would prefer a headwind to one from either side or behind, destructive of handling stability.
Info on FIM recordkeeping and requirements and other similar efforts can be found *here.*
Maybe an hour or two. But "all day", and on any day? Not likely.
Obviously the cop was too excited and fumbled the stop watch - timing.
Honda 1000 is incapable of that speed.
Ticket should be dismissed.
I've had a few fast bikes, on a clear road and sunny day 160 or so is no big deal.
Mistakes can be fatal, but so can slipping in the bath tub!
I salute the guy for living his life "in the first person", instead of hunkering down in front of the boob tube and watching "the surreal life" or "Survivor". ;-)
Yeah, it drops it all the way to 193.6MPH.
"no "Honda 1000" I know of will."
Better take a look at the new bikes. Even the new BMW 1200K will go 200 now.
Wow. I hope this young man got his thrills' worth. That could develop into a bad habit, low level flying like that.
ouch
By your name, you're a science type.
I just don't think 205 is possible with a semi-street legal bike --- just due to wind drag.
I had a extremely modified Hyabusa (chip, headers, exhaust, wheels, gearing modifications . . . all but NO2).
Even in a complete crouch, at 160mph, you feel like you are about to fly away . . .holding on with your knees and fingers.
The slighest uptick of your head slows you down 10mph.
In sum, no physicist here, but I say this story is faker than a CBS documentary on Kerry's bravery.
Wings.
You really don't know your a$$ from a hole in the ground.
Exactly. A Harley isn't a motorcycle, its an experience.
I remember seeing a video of a Corvette rear ending a semi at 150 miles an hour and the vette driver was ejected and went scooting across the desert on his butt, escaping with minor injuries.
It seems someone is watching out for drunks and democrats that's why there are so many of them.
In some cases we have both in one person.
Think - drunk fat ted.
Hey fool! All you have to do is read, it's on the front page of MotorCycle Magazine
The speedo on the Australian import Suzuki Hayabusas reads a top of 280 kph with the rest of the lines unumbered. That's about 175 mph. One in pretty decent tune will generally top 300 KPH in 5th gear. Leaving 6th to be explored....
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