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To: Responsibility1st
One of my co-workers brags that he hits 120 on the highways when he needs to let some steam out, don't think I believe him but he does seem like he'd be the type.
46 posted on 06/06/2005 9:25:35 AM PDT by DarkSavant
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To: DarkSavant
One of my co-workers brags that he hits 120 on the highways when he needs to let some steam out, don't think I believe him but he does seem like he'd be the type.

I've got a Ducati 900SS, and I was clocked at 125MPH on the front straight a Heartland Park raceway in Topeka KS. That was as fast as I wanted to go, because it's the 1/4 mile track used for drag racing, and then there was a sharp right, then an immediate sharp left turn at the end! You'll see it in this photo at the left, about 2/3 of the way down the straight.

The worst part of the track (the first time I rode it) can be seen on the right side... Notice that it seems to be straight, then there's a litle "chicane" (a jog, to help keep the speed down), then another short straight... What you can't see in this photo is that both strights are going slightly uphill, while the chicane is flat and level. That means you can't see the chicane until your're practicly on top of it... My first time there, I managed to do a bit of "dirt tracking," going straight, missing the chicane altogether! It was a serious "pucker factor" moment!

the last time I was there, Heartland Park didn't seem like a terribly safe track for motorcycles... The track surface was pretty bad (there were different surfaces at some of the points where the bike was leaned over, and traction would change), and there was limited "run-off" space, especially at the top of the photo, where the road course merges back with the 1/4 mile drag course, where if you ran wide, you would wind up hitting concrete barriers! It's been a while since any major races or riding schools have run there because of those conditions.

Mark

63 posted on 06/06/2005 9:52:11 AM PDT by MarkL (I've got a fever, and the only prescription is MORE COWBELL!!!)
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To: DarkSavant
"One of my co-workers brags that he hits 120 on the highways when he needs to let some steam out, don't think I believe him"

120 is easy. In fact anything up to 130-140 is fairly easy for most sport bikes. Anything over 150 is only possible for top of the line bikes and is pretty scary besides.
79 posted on 06/06/2005 10:42:46 AM PDT by monday
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To: DarkSavant

120 is easy to hit. I've hit 120 on my Sportster.


88 posted on 06/06/2005 12:16:42 PM PDT by Melas (Lives in state of disbelief)
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