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sportbikecalgary
08-31-2008, 02:52 PM
Did this make the news outside the prairies? Being one that has enjoyed the rush of controlling a sport bike exceeding 260+kph down deserted roads, I can attest to the time savings and heart-tempering attributes it can bring to ones lifestyle. But, age has me slowing down a bit and slipping into the DS side of riding to avoid the potential of actually getting caught at sub-sonic speeds. "No cops on the gravel", was a mantra of mine for a while. Then you begin to wonder... just what are the consequences if they ever caught you going real fast....

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$12,000 fine for 263 kmh
By RENATO GANDIA, SUN MEDIA
The Edmonton Sun


A motorcyclist has been slapped with a whopping $12,000 fine after RCMP clocked him at 263 kmh on a stretch of Highway 16 between Edson and Hinton.

The 34-year-old Hinton man, whose name was not released by Mounties, struck a deal Wednesday with a Crown prosecutor that allowed him to keep his licence in exchange for the hefty fine, Edson RCMP said yesterday.

And it may just be a record.

"It's the most expensive fine I've seen for a traffic offence handed by the court in Alberta," said Edson RCMP Sgt. Ron Lyons.

Around 6 p.m. on May 1, a traffic officer noticed the high-flyer on a Honda CBR motorcycle on the four-lane highway - driving at more than twice the posted speed limit of 110 kmh.

The traffic cop tried to chase the speed demon but couldn't keep up with the sport bike. The same officer later caught up to the motorcyclist in Hinton - 286 km west of Edmonton - where he was ticketed.

Speeding offences that exceed the posted speed limit by more than 50 kmh automatically go to court.

"People are trying to make time on the four-lane highway," Lyons said. "It's not unusual to see people travelling 160 kmh to 180 kmh on Highway 16."
The high fines should teach speeders a lesson, he said.

"They're putting themselves and the general public at risk. If you're crossing Highway 16, you don't anticipate somebody driving at 263 kmh."

Besides the lighter pocketbook, leadfoot drivers also take a hit on their licences. Motorists exceeding 50 kmh get a six-point demerit deduction. If demerits add up to 15 points or more within a two-year period, a driver's licence will be suspended for one month.

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Now, my higher speed stuff was on deserted roads.. this guy was on the Yellowhead highway... a major east-west corridor for those living on the north half of Sask, AB and B.C.. All I can say is he's got to pick his spots to speed better. :) You can go fast and be safe, but you have top be willing to live with the consequences (accident, wildlife, etc) Yesterday I hit 120 kph on my KLR in the rain! I felt more nervous on it that any (modern) sport bike at 250 kph I've ridden.

Touring
08-31-2008, 08:18 PM
Did this make the news outside the prairies?

It made it to two other forums I go to, both American.

Amazingly, some acted as if some of their rights were being stripped from them. LOL.

bikeymikey748
09-01-2008, 11:08 AM
Fastest I ever got popped was....I had this little Civic up my tail pipe & it was getting to be annoying. I knew my exit from the slab (a boring necessity as there were no secondary roads around) was a short bit up the road. I started to go faster and faster to lose the Civic and didn't see the radar until the last moment. Thinking I didn't care how obvious it looked and knowing I had to shed some speed BIG time I breezed past the radar with upper body up out of the bubble, my legs out in the air and my front end collapsed under heavy braking. I glanced at my speedo and saw 200km indicated. I slowed to 100km and the Civic blew by me without letting up. I figured why compound my lunacy, right? Didn't think the QPP was going to come after me at all, it took him so long to come out onto the highway. With no lights. He passed me & looked as though he was going after the car when suddenly a few car lenghts in front of me he swung sideways blocking both lanes and forcing me onto the shoulder. Looking bad for our hero right? He was very polite and not the least bit agitated, said that he just wanted to talk to me. Said that by the look of what I was wearing (full leathers) and my age (man, am I THAT old?) I should know better. I agreed and told him my story of just wanting to get off the highway and leave that Civic behind me, that I had a perfect driving record and didn't normally act that way. I addimitted that I deserved a ticket, and doesn't everyone have a story but couldn't he 'write me down'?
He said he'd check my history and see what he could do. He told me that some people in cars tended to play with bikes to get them to speed and see how fast they would go. Maybe they would get the Civic up ahead, but anyway I was the one that stopped, and thanks for that. He retired to the cruiser for a short spell. Coming towards me with the BAD news he said that he had me at 190km but would put it down as 160 (with a big fine attached). I shifted to shamless pleading at this point and reminded him that I was,justifingly, proud of my driving record up to a few minutes ago and wasn't there any way to take off a bit more? He did a little head bob (Kinda like Tom Hanks in "Saving private Ryan" at the point where he is deciding whether or not to stay with Ryan towards the end of the film), looks me over a last time, hands me back my paperwork and says, "Slow down Michael !" Stunned I couldn't speak for a moment. I shook his hand and told him that I was beholding to him & couldn't ever go over the limit thereabouts for fear of betraying his kindness. Looking back at me slightly sideways he smiled knowingly and said, "I know".

Touring
09-01-2008, 03:35 PM
Speed where you can get away with it...

And its not even a matter of getting away with it; its legal!

Head on over to the Autobahn in Germany and there are plenty of sections where you can go as fast as you please...300 km/hr if you want. Still boring though, but it will get you to where the good riding is in a hurry...the Alps. :D

Battleax
09-01-2008, 07:38 PM
Speed where you can get away with it...

And its not even a matter of getting away with it; its legal!

Head on over to the Autobahn in Germany and there are plenty of sections where you can go as fast as you please...300 km/hr if you want. Still boring though, but it will get you to where the good riding is in a hurry...the Alps. :D

Alps are great if you happen to be touring Europe. The main passes are terribly clogged with diesel trucks and tour buses.
There's equally good rides closer to home with very little traffic.

Touring
09-01-2008, 08:20 PM
Alps are great if you happen to be touring Europe. The main passes are terribly clogged with diesel trucks and tour buses.
There's equally good rides closer to home with very little traffic.

You completely missed the point which was...if you want to go fast legally, then the autobahn is where you have to go. And in the end, straight line high speed cruising is boring. Twisting the throttle wide open doesn't require a lot of skill.

As for the rest, sorry to disagree based on my experiences there.

Hayabusa
09-01-2008, 08:42 PM
You completely missed the point which was...if you want to go fast legally, then the autobahn is where you have to go...

Or just take it to a local track.

Touring
09-02-2008, 06:53 AM
Or just take it to a local track.

Exactly!

The only problem with that is a track usually has fast riders on it and the ones coming from the street that think they're fast, more often than not would be dead slow on the track. It would bruise their ego.

mrspock
09-02-2008, 07:47 AM
The TRACK is the ONLY place to ride that fast in my opinion . Even if your own skill level is such that you can ride at those speeds , there is about a 100 % probability that the others on the road don't have the skills needed to properly control thier vehicles so your just putting your life into thier hands ....

Wanna go 200 MPH ? Go to the track .

spock

TurboFJ6
09-08-2008, 10:35 PM
I finally took it to the track this year. Did 8 track days and had a total blast. My insurance renewal came up in July and I let my policy lapse. I am no longer willing to take the risk of riding on the street.

I guess I all growed up...

RickO
09-09-2008, 10:55 AM
I finally took it to the track this year...I am no longer willing to take the risk of riding on the street.

I have heard the same from pro motorcycle racers being interviewed -- Miguel Duhamel comes to mind.

When asked what kind of streetbike he rides, Duhamel replied: "I don't ride on the street. It's too dangerous."

Paddy
09-09-2008, 11:04 AM
...and considering how many times Miguel crashes, he's right. If he's out riding on the street, it's too dangerous. :rolleyes:

RickO
09-10-2008, 06:26 AM
...and considering how many times Miguel crashes, he's right. If he's out riding on the street, it's too dangerous. :rolleyes:

Good one Paddy.

I do remember seeing one of the young Duhamel's (I think his older brother is Mario) get in a fistfight at Shannonville many years ago after a rookie class race. I think it was called the RZ Cup back then.

Maybe it's just as dangerous on the track ;)

Paddy
09-10-2008, 10:13 AM
DuHamel's always going ten tenths and so he's about my favourite rider to watch, but...:eek:
Hey, it might just be Shannonville bringing out the worst in the riders. If I had to race at that track for forty minutes hell, I might feel the need to plug someone too.
BTW, almost got nailed for speeding twenty minutes ago. Radar cop came out into traffic to point at me. I pointed at me too as in "what, me?". He nodded yes, and turned to walk away. So I just kept riding, with my heart in my throat and shit in my pants.
He didn't chase me down so I caught a break.PHEW! Me go slow now...

TroyBe
09-10-2008, 11:59 AM
Ricko:

I am pretty sure it was Miguel that Mario was fighting with in the Shannonville pitlane. One of my earliest memories of Shannonville actually, would have been around 85-86. It was too funny to the the Brothers duking it out, one of them cut the other off during the race if I remember correctly........LOLOL