FAST IS DANGEROUS

Ok, to settle the score...

Does riding fast mean that you are dangerous?

Or can someone ride fast, and yet remain safe. (as safe as can be on 2 wheels).

I'm with you GYKD.


Agreed with your post in the other thread whole heartedly.


I'm not safe slow or fast but some poeople are, with the right attitude and training it is possible to be.

GYKD, i think your promotion opportunity at work is likely to be more affected by the amount of time you spend posting utter ****e on this forum than it will be affected by the imminent loss of your driving licence.

**must make mental note not to look at your posts any longer**

just my thoughts, sorry if you think that's harsh but you don't half go on!!

over and out.

There's "fast" and "too fast". So long as you don't stray into the latter, it's fine. 'Too fast' is always determined by a combination of the bike, the rider and the conditions (road surface/weather/volume of traffic, etc.). I would say 'fast' is what a slower rider than yourself, or even a pedestrian or car driver observing you may consider as 'too fast', but really only you can judge what is 'too fast' as you are the only person who really knows your bike and your riding ability. Most of us (motorcyclists) are pretty good at judging what is too fast and don't do it very often (or we'd be dead). The problem comes when other people impose their idea of what is 'too fast' on you. I'm not proposing we should be self-governing, do you think most bmw/volvo/nova drivers are capable of determining what is a safe speed? (Or lane discipline, right of way, everything under the sun, etc. )

I also concede that if you do silly speeds on roads where cars can pull out, it's hardly reasonable to expect the driver to see the dot half a mile away and not pull out, on the offchance that you could be doing 150 and plough into the side of them. However, if you know the road and it's safe to do so, speed itself isn't much more dangerous than going slowly and in some circumstances, it's considerably safer (crawl round country lanes in the middle of your lane at 10mph and it's only a matter of time before an impreza rounds the bend behind you at 90 and rear-ends you). It's just that speed tends to make it more spectacular when things do go wrong.

I rode to work on a (private) motorway today and did 90+ for 90% of the distance travelled. Was it more dangerous than if I'd done 70 all the way? No, not really. 90-100 wasn't 'too fast' for my riding abilities, on my bike, on that motorway, in those conditions. Of course, I'm sure to the senile cager sat in the outside lane at 65, my 80mph undertake probably seemed 'too fast', as well as reckless (it wasn't - I had 2 escape routes, had she decided to suddenly use some lane discipline for a change). A little mechanical box on a pole would definately think it was 'too fast'...

Originally Posted by will

GYKD, i think your promotion opportunity at work is likely to be more affected by the amount of time you spend posting utter sh*te on this forum than it will be affected by the imminent loss of your driving licence.

**must make mental note not to look at your posts any longer**

just my thoughts, sorry if you think that's harsh but you don't half go on!!

over and out.

wow, constructive.

[BillyC]

I can't vote on this, as I don't believe it's a black and white issue at all.

Perhaps this is one of the limitations of speed limits, in general we have 30, 40, 60 and 70 mph limits on our roads, with little variation in between.

However, there are times where we perceive it is safe to go faster. However, our perceptions are rarely in tune with all the influencing factors around us.

The old addage "what if you met yourself coming the other way?" holds very true in many circumstances. Riding or driving, if I ever find myself thinking these words, I shiver and instantly slow down!


Yes, speed can be extremely dangerous, and perhaps we are all pushing our luck every time we do speed, as we never really know what's just around the corner.

However, most of the time (we're still here aren't we?) our judgement is sufficient to allow us to do the speeds that we may choose to do.

Ultimately it's down to defensive roadmanship... if that's not up to the task, then surely it's only a matter of time, one way or another.

Originally Posted by Ceri JC

There's "fast" and "too fast".

Obviously.


Fast does not automatically equal dangerous. This is a point that alot of us argue pretty much everday.

[BillyC]

Originally Posted by Carsick

Fast does not automatically equal dangerous. This is a point that alot of us argue pretty much everday.

Until a factor arises that you've not accounted for!

Be it a pothole in the road, or a car pulling out of a junction that you hit, but they didn't see you because you were no where in sight when they did their checks, before you came hooning around the corner trying to get your knee down on what you thought was an empty country lane.

Speed has to be used responsibly, and though it is not automatically dangerous, it often is.

Originally Posted by BillyC

Until a factor arises that you've not accounted for!

Be it a pothole in the road, or a car pulling out of a junction that you hit, but they didn't see you because you were no where in sight when they did their checks, before you came hooning around the corner trying to get your knee down on what you thought was an empty country lane.

Speed has to be used responsibly, and though it is not automatically dangerous, it often is.

I'm not trying to be picky, but that was kind've my point.
Speed != dangerous
Inappropriate speed == dangerous
(for the geeks here)

[BillyC]

Originally Posted by Carsick

I'm not trying to be picky, but that was kind've my point.
Speed != dangerous
Inappropriate speed == dangerous
(for the geeks here)

And I wasn't really arguing, just digging my oar in a bit more