"But, Officer, I'm in trainin' for my Darwin Award!"
Posted on 09/21/2004 9:43:55 AM PDT by Lijahsbubbe
WABASHA (AP) - With a State Patrol airplane overhead, a Stillwater motorcyclist hit the throttle and possibly set the informal record for the fastest speeding ticket in Minnesota history: 205 mph.
On Saturday afternoon, State Patrol pilot Al Loney was flying near Wabasha, in southeastern Minnesota on the Wisconsin border, watching two motorcyclists racing along U.S. Highway 61.
When one of the riders shot forward, Loney was ready with his stopwatch. He clicked it once when the motorcycle reached a white marker on the road and again a quarter-mile later. The watch read 4.39 seconds, which Loney calculated to be 205 mph.
"I was in total disbelief," Loney told the St. Paul Pioneer Press for Tuesday's editions. "I had to double-check my watch because in 27 years I'd never seen anything move that fast."
Several law enforcement sources told the newspaper that, although no official records are kept, it was probably the fastest ticket ever written in the state.
After about three-quarters of a mile, the biker slowed to about 100 mph and let the other cycle catch up. By then Loney had radioed ahead to another state trooper, who pulled the two over soon afterward.
The State Patrol officer arrested the faster rider, 20-year-old Stillwater resident Samuel Armstrong Tilley, for reckless driving, driving without a motorcycle license - and driving 140 miles per hour over the posted speed limit of 65 mph.
A search of speeding tickets written by state troopers, who patrol most of the state's highways, between 1990 and February 2004 shows the next fastest ticket was for 150 mph in 1994 in Lake of the Woods County.
Tilley did not return calls from the newspaper to his home Monday. A working number for him could not immediately be found by The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Only a handful of exotic sports cars can reach 200 mph, but many high-performance motorcycles can top 175 mph. With minor modifications, they can hit 200 mph. Tilley was riding a Honda 1000, Loney said.
Kathy Swanson of the state Office of Traffic Safety said unless Tilley was wearing the kind of protective gear professional motorcycle racers wear, he was courting death at 200 mph.
"I'm not entirely sure what would happen if you crashed at 200 miles per hour," Swanson said. "But it wouldn't be pretty, that's for sure."
_
Not possible. It takes a lot more horsepower to push a motorcycle through the air at 205mph, than a street able Honda 1000 owned by a 20 year can put out. Loney should put down the donut and and pay attention to what he's doing.
No old, bold bikers ping.
Nice invitation for others to try to break the record for the notoriety. =^/
We can safely say it wasn't a Harley! :-)
LOL
Suzuki Hayabusa GSX 1300 R. The fastest production street bike ever, supposedly 193 mph.
Under IDEAL conditions a 'Busa will hit 200 (again, give or take) and does so with superior aerodynamics but no "Honda 1000" I know of will.
Just damn.
If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...
I was a witness just one week ago to a headon crash between a motorcycle and a pick up (both travelling approximately 70 mph). I can tell you it wasn't a pretty scene for the very dead bike rider. Since he looked like ground hamburger, I can only imagine what a bike crash at over 200 mph would do - perhaps liquification, biker go poof!!
Must have been downhill with a tail wind and a lighweight rider...either that or the cop hit the stopwatch early...I wonder what wheel wobble would feel like at that speed....stick your arms out and go flying...
Tilley's cojones are inversely proportional to his brains. Any bets on his highest birthday? My bet is he has had his last one!
Exactly.
Cool that this happened on Highway 61!
Oh God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin' you better run"
Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God says, "Out on Highway 61."
Well Georgia Sam he had a bloody nose
Welfare Department they wouldn't give him no clothes
He asked poor Howard where can I go
Howard said there's only one place I know
Sam said tell me quick man I got to run
Ol' Howard just pointed with his gun
And said that way down on Highway 61.
Well Mack the Finger said to Louie the King
I got forty red white and blue shoe strings
And a thousand telephones that don't ring
Do you know where I can get rid of these things
And Louie the King said let me think for a minute son
And he said yes I think it can be easily done
Just take everything down to Highway 61.
Now the fifth daughter on the twelfth night
Told the first father that things weren't right
My complexion she said is much too white
He said come here and step into the light he says hmm you're right
Let me tell the second mother this has been done
But the second mother was with the seventh son
And they were both out on Highway 61.
Now the rovin' gambler he was very bored
He was tryin' to create a next world war
He found a promoter who nearly fell off the floor
He said I never engaged in this kind of thing before
But yes I think it can be very easily done
We'll just put some bleachers out in the sun
And have it on Highway 61.
Cool!
I agree. I actually (stupid) street-raced bikes a fair amount until (emarassingly) recently.
Motorcycles are EXTREMELY fast at accelleration . . . power to weight ratio being dramatically above that of a car.
Hence, 0-60 times in the 2.5 second range is common.
BUT bikes (actually the rider) is an aero-dynamic nightmare. Hence, top speed is often less than extreme automobiles.
I frequently hit 160, 170 mph. But I doubt 205.
Oh, and full leather/kevlars will protect you if you lay your bike down over 100 mph . . . . assuming you hit nothing (that is the big assumption). . . . you just skid along the highway, bouncing along. I, alas, know this, also.
A front page story on today's Chicago Tribune covers something that's been on the radio a lot lately; motorcycle deaths are skyrocketing in Illinois. The problem seems to be (1) sales of "crotch rockets", lightweight performance bikes, are climbing, and (2) older riders (> 30, say) are buying them and are going faster than they can handle.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.