OB_Tangram
Registered
Bikes restricted? Yes, I think they are, but not in the way you mean, Jamie. They're restricted because the engineers who designed these machines had to stick to EU/USA emission and noise legislation constraints. As a result of this, stock bikes are quiet and eco-friendly. Take the baffles and the cat's off the pipes, modify the air/fuel mix to 'unrestricted' the machine and suddenly you have more power. Why? Because there ARE restrictions built in. These are the same for every bike made today though, cars too (only for cars it's worse!). What you mean, and please correct me if you think I've got this wrong, is that the manufacturers deliberately make the machines less powerful/slower then they can for some other reason. BOLLOX!
I've no idea how much it cost Suzuki to develop the 'Busa or Kawasaki to get the '12 of the ground. I bet tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars would cover it. Do you honestly think that the managers would go to the designers and say; 'Hay guy's, lets build the worlds fastest, most powerful motorcycle. Let's spend an enormous amount of time/money/energy to create this great machine and then when you've finished.... let's completely f%£K the thing by restricting it, OK?'. Any 'voluntary' agreement to restrict top speed will be taken up by the motorcycle manufacturers for the same reasons as the car manufacturers. As and when the legislation regarding pollution and noise becomes so restrictive that it becomes financially impossible to develop a machine that will be both the fastest thing on the planet AND conform with these ever harder pollution targets.
On another of your points I must disagree also. I would have expected that having the world's fastest production motorcycle to fly about on would cost me in the insurance department, and yes I pay through the nose for the privilege. The fact that the machines will purportedly run in the region of 200mph doesn't bother the insurers one jot though, I promise. Any modern racing bike over 600cc will do way over 150mph. Do you honestly believe that stepping of the bike at 150mph or 200mph will show any discernible difference in the end result? No. I've been riding bikes for some years (longer then I care to remember) and I've seen countless accidents on the roads. Accidents where the biker was obviously at fault. Occasions where there is so much scrap iron in the road that it's impossible to tell what went wrong. Accidents (the majority) where the cage driver has so obviously taken out the soft-target, (the bike!) that the said drivers should have been taken to the side of the road and SHOT. I have never seen an accident that was the direct result of the driver doing 200mph down a restricted section of road though. Last month I had the unenviable task of renewing my insurance. I was a good boy and told them of all the MoD's I had done. Apart from the guy saying they would only offer the replacement cost of a std. pipe over the stainless & titanium Yoshi' pipe I'm carrying, they didn't care, why? Because the difference between a stock machine and the 170+ Bhp on the rear that mine does makes no difference to them at all. The only major contributing factors to the cost of the insurance is the desirability of the machine, which effects it's chances of getting lifted, and the reputation of the area you live in, which effects it's chances of getting lifted. Once you're past a certain amount of Bhp/speed, the extra bit of either really doesn't matter.
To finish off the longest post I've ever made, I have two final points to make. Firstly, why the hell are you comparing the ownership of firearms with the driving of fast motorcycles? Nobody ever drove out to a school and killed some kids with a motorbike on purpose. Get real pal. Secondly, this is a discussion board, not you private possession. Get a little less confrontational or get some therapy.
I've no idea how much it cost Suzuki to develop the 'Busa or Kawasaki to get the '12 of the ground. I bet tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars would cover it. Do you honestly think that the managers would go to the designers and say; 'Hay guy's, lets build the worlds fastest, most powerful motorcycle. Let's spend an enormous amount of time/money/energy to create this great machine and then when you've finished.... let's completely f%£K the thing by restricting it, OK?'. Any 'voluntary' agreement to restrict top speed will be taken up by the motorcycle manufacturers for the same reasons as the car manufacturers. As and when the legislation regarding pollution and noise becomes so restrictive that it becomes financially impossible to develop a machine that will be both the fastest thing on the planet AND conform with these ever harder pollution targets.
On another of your points I must disagree also. I would have expected that having the world's fastest production motorcycle to fly about on would cost me in the insurance department, and yes I pay through the nose for the privilege. The fact that the machines will purportedly run in the region of 200mph doesn't bother the insurers one jot though, I promise. Any modern racing bike over 600cc will do way over 150mph. Do you honestly believe that stepping of the bike at 150mph or 200mph will show any discernible difference in the end result? No. I've been riding bikes for some years (longer then I care to remember) and I've seen countless accidents on the roads. Accidents where the biker was obviously at fault. Occasions where there is so much scrap iron in the road that it's impossible to tell what went wrong. Accidents (the majority) where the cage driver has so obviously taken out the soft-target, (the bike!) that the said drivers should have been taken to the side of the road and SHOT. I have never seen an accident that was the direct result of the driver doing 200mph down a restricted section of road though. Last month I had the unenviable task of renewing my insurance. I was a good boy and told them of all the MoD's I had done. Apart from the guy saying they would only offer the replacement cost of a std. pipe over the stainless & titanium Yoshi' pipe I'm carrying, they didn't care, why? Because the difference between a stock machine and the 170+ Bhp on the rear that mine does makes no difference to them at all. The only major contributing factors to the cost of the insurance is the desirability of the machine, which effects it's chances of getting lifted, and the reputation of the area you live in, which effects it's chances of getting lifted. Once you're past a certain amount of Bhp/speed, the extra bit of either really doesn't matter.
To finish off the longest post I've ever made, I have two final points to make. Firstly, why the hell are you comparing the ownership of firearms with the driving of fast motorcycles? Nobody ever drove out to a school and killed some kids with a motorbike on purpose. Get real pal. Secondly, this is a discussion board, not you private possession. Get a little less confrontational or get some therapy.
