Should Motorcycles have a Speed Limit out in the Boonies ?

[DoubleEagle]

I'm of the opinion that in very rural , less populated areas w, light traffic , Motorcycles should be able to ride as fast as the weather and their skill level permits wearing ATGATT.

After all. who dies in motorcycle crashes 99 % of the time ...the person(s) on the motorcycle.

Remember...this is VERY RURAL, low POPULAION, and very LIGHT VEHICLE TRAFFIC areas.

Weather conditions taken into effect and your skills as a rider must dictate that you DO NOT ride faster than you are CAPABLE of handling your bike in all sorts of situations you would normally encounter at higher speeds.

Obviously somethings can't be avoided, even at the posted speed limit ( you'll probably still die if you hit a deer on the freeway going the speed limit ).

Dolph

[Drjones]

As long as the person is on their own personal medical and vehicle insurance policy separate from everyone else's then sure why not.  That way the rider is assuming all risk and responsibility for thier actions and not driving up the insurance rates on everyone else.  The flip side of freedom is responsibility.

[zooom]

riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...go ahead and spend your money for to convince the federal DOT of that one...


the roadway is not a free race track...if you want to ride like an asshole and take those kinds of risks...don't pregnant dog when you get the ticket(s) that come with it or just take it to the track!

[Howie]

I do believe in sensible speed limits.  I'm a big believer in the 85% theory unless reduced speed is needed due to other circumstances such as suicidal wild life, merges, cross traffic and school zones.  

[Outlaw1100]

I think a better idea than no speed limits in rural areas would be lower fines in certain circumstances.  For example, getting caught doing 30 MPH over the speed limit in a 25MPH school zone in town...should get your license torn up.  But getting nicked for 85 (on one wheel) in a 55 MPH zone on some empty country back road...the cop should laugh a little and give you a $50 ticket. 

Another way to say it...I've seen an open country road ahead of me where I could see a few miles ahead.  No cross streets, no traffic, no animals (just empty cornfields), solid good pavement...so I'm not being a jerk nor a danger to myself or anyone else if I open it up to 140 for a few moments.  That is safer, and should thus be a lower penalty, than some idiot wheelying at 60MPH down a busy city street.

Make sense?

Mike

[zooom]

the problem is....what you guys are trying to get an okay on is completely subjective to the judgement of yourself versus the LEO dealing with you at the time due to a lack of definition...and pair that with the fact that you REALLY don't want a bunch of beaurocrats to pidgeon hole a definition of those kinds of things....DO YOU?!?!?!

[akmnstr]

My gut believes in what your saying.  When I'm way out there I just want to let it rip and I feel like my bike is much more capable of dealing with potential problems and the rules should apply to the cages only.  But, I live on a country road myself.  My section of road is posted at 45.  The surrounding cluster of homes are occupied by kids and dogs.  Many a young redneck rides by at 70 in his truck or on his Harley and runs the stopsign on the corner.   I hate those make the beast with two backss.  I wouldn't want to leave it up to some dude, that doesn't live in my area, to decide how fast he should ride down my country road.   

[live2ride]

I know someone who was minding his own business on his farmland when someone speeding down the country road lost control and struck him fatally.

So in response to the OP, no thanks.

Also, wouldn't you be concerned that many of the country roads be taken up by weekend racers coming from the big city to speed?

btw, I would love to open up the throttle on an empty stretch of road but i'll restrain myself to the track.
i'm actually not against speeding.  i do wish speed limits were increased on multiple lane, limited access highways; just wish people knew how to stay right when not passing....
as long as they don't and people lane change like they own the road, i'll keep my distance from EVERYONE

now that i think about it, if they open up country roads, wouldn't it make sense to open up limited access highways first?  one direction of traffic flow, higher speed vehicles, less animals than a country road, generally further distance from a residence than a country road, no pedestrians.  so an empty highway should be safer than a country road, but lets face it, we're just not gonna get an open road to speed through legally
montana tried it and failed

[Outlaw1100]

Good points about how country roads sometimes still have hazards.  I do know though of two farm roads around here where one can be 100% sure that there isn't a soul (kid, adult, or any animal larger than a racoon) near the road for a mile or two ahead.  And no houses either - no trees - no anyhing but corn on each side.  Nice pavement, and a nice downhill slope (no rises with surprises)...And this only applies during certain times of the year - once the corn gets a few feet high, you can't trust that there isn't any living creature about to jump out.  My overall point is...if you are careful enough, I mean truly careful enough (which means true respect for any possible thing that could go wrong), you can find a relatively safe place to speed outside of a trackday.

I also like the comment about the limited highways.  Look at the Autobahn...a very successful example of limited places with no (or little) speed limits.  It was fun to be driving a rental Mercedes at about 120 and being the slowest dude on the road!  Then I came up on a cop who was doing 100, and I passed him, and he didn't care!  (I've got to get back to Germany...)

Mike

[Grappa]

DoubleEagle, can you put me in your will.  Please!

[sbrguy]

i personally would have no problem with the rule to allow unlimited speeds on some roads, but there would be a catch, if you injure someone you goto jail as if it was an intential injury and if you kill someone then you have to commit suicide to save the state money rather than lock you up and pay for it.  

but seriuolsy i see where all the points of view are, the problem like zoom says this is not feasible in the USA, he is already of the view saying LEO won't agree with you, but already he is of the mindset of that you should only be doing this at the track and it appears he is set in his ways, he didn't consider if they made this a law like on the german autobahn that it shoud be ok then.

if they were to allow something like this say like what they have on the autobahn in germany then i think it can work, but that will never happen in the usa, too many people can't drive straight as it is and have no concept of pass on the left and stay to the right.  americans have too much of a view of "i own the road and will make you go slower because i don't like you going faster than me, heck i'll do the job of a cop" so they can't grasp that concept even on a normal freeway.

and to the otehr poster, yes country roads would become race ways for city people.  afterall you moved there so you should have known that it would become that way if you don't like it move away to someplace more rural than currently rural.  sarcasm.

[rideserotta]

I also like the comment about the limited highways.  Look at the Autobahn...a very successful example of limited places with no (or little) speed limits.  It was fun to be driving a rental Mercedes at about 120 and being the slowest dude on the road!  Then I came up on a cop who was doing 100, and I passed him, and he didn't care!  (I've got to get back to Germany...)

Mike

I lived in Germany for a few years and loved the Autobahn. But don't even THINK about doing that here in the US. First of all, getting a license in Germany is serious, thourough, and expensive. The minimum age is 18. AND if you screw up you lose your privilege to drive (passing on the right on the autobahn get you a huge fine). Here just about anyone can get a liscense and does. Think of the texting, eating, makeup-applying, reading-the-newspaper in the car nuts that would drive 130mph and STILL do all those things while driving! Unlimited speeds?... in the US?? No way. Our drivers are not even CLOSE to being prepared for that.

[Timmy Tucker]

I agree that there is a certain population of riders that are responsible enough to make it work, but in my experience they are the minority. Inexperienced and/or unsafe riders will be tossing bikes on the ground at a much higher rate than they already do. What will happen to motorcycle insurance premiums? I already pay more than I'd like to. It would be unaffordable for the average person.

It certainly won't help health insurance and health care rates either. It could eventually lead to riders being assigned higher rates just like smokers do. Or worse, being denied coverage, like they do for things like racing, skydiving, etc.

Also, you'd be asking the government to give up a source of potential revenue (however small it may be) by not ticketing speeding motorcycles. Think of the revenue currently generated at places like Mulholland and Deals Gap, not gonna happen. Plus the burden to mop up the increased number of wrecks lies mainly on the wallets of the taxpayers. Not interested, we already spend too much unnecessarily.

And finally, an innocent person will eventually be killed because of it, no way around that. Is someone else's life really worth being able to ride a little faster?

I say, take it to the track.

[Timmy Tucker]

I think the autobahn is a poor example anyway. From what I understand, it was designed for high speeds and is maintained in order to keep them safe (someone correct me if I'm wrong). Our roads are not designed or maintained for that level of riding.

Just an example... We have some of the best roads in the country for riding here in East TN. However, many places it's not safe to even ride the speed limit in due to the condition of the road. The amount gravel in the roads here is unreal. You would think TDOT hires people to stand in each turn and shovel gravel and shit in the road all day long.

[Outlaw1100]

Think of the revenue currently generated at places like Mulholland and Deals Gap, not gonna happen.

I agree - Deals Gap is not the place to speed - for more reasons than the cops.  I'm down there twice a year, and for what my opinion is worth - one can have a ton of fun on that road and never go over 40MPH.  Or even 35.

But, here in the midwest, I can have a different kind of fun on these straight, lightly-travelled backroads, and experience the exact same level of risk (for myself and others both) as I do on trackdays.  You just have to be careful, and not be stupid about how you have that fun.  And, no, I'm not talking about the brief 140MPH sprints I reference above (although those are fair game sometimes too).  I'm talking about a 75-80MPH, spirited pace...then get to a town and go very slow...then exit the town and have some fun.