Talk Morgan Forums Thread Like Summary - Too much is never enough!

Or is it just too much?

Where can you use a car at a speed of more than 150 kph or 100 mph?
When is the ability to accelerate 0 to 100 in around 4 seconds actually useful?
When do you actually use more than 250 hp? What the heck does one do with over 1,000 hp?

On most public roads in the known world even speeds of 150 kph are not legal. There are a few exceptions but these are rare. Except on a drag strip or a race track 0 to 100 acceleration times of sub 5 seconds would probably be considered dangerous driving and without all sorts of computerised driver aids would certainly be dangerous for most mere mortals. Turn off the driver aids and hardly anyone could keep control of the car.

Sure, such performance is exciting, exhilarating, and gets the adrenalin pumping, but do we really need it. Surely the real essence of a sports car is the ability to handle well and safely on nice twisty roads rather than rocket speeds at the traffic light GP or on the Motorway/Autobahn /Autostrada? There are plenty of photos and films on the net to show just what happens when the thrill exceeds the skill.

Sports and super car manufacturers seem to be locked in to some sort of willy wagging contest like a bunch of schoolboys trying to demonstrate who has the biggest.

I have a limited budget and limited garage space so another toy is out of the question for me anyway however much I might like the look of some of the recent offerings from some of the noted super sports car manufacturers. Having said that I really can't see the sense of the outright power, speed, and acceleration race which moves such offerings even further out of the reach of many (most?) enthusiasts.

You can never take all the risk out of riding a motorcycle but you can mitigate those risks to a high degree by your own actions. I bought my Royal Enfield Classic 350 two and a half years ago after a twelve year break from biking and I can honestly say it’s the best thing I’ve done in recent years. I had forgotten how alive riding a bike makes you feel, even pottering around on my little 350. The rewards definitely outweigh the risks for me.

Completely agree.

Although I'm on something a little bigger, I'm still only pottering around, rarely getting over 50mph, and taking life at a leisurely pace. I always assume every car is going to pull out in front of me, sideswipe me or rear end me, so when it doesn't happen it makes for a pleasant ride, and when it does, I'm ready for it and can act accordingly.

I'm really enjoying the Harley and am tempted to flog the 'mad as tits' ZX10 and get another.....

George ... glad you're getting good use out of your Tesla ... though I would say that a 0-60 of 6 secs and a top end of 120 would do just as well in the 'slip-road GP' 🙂 .... without the environmental impact of 2 tons of batteries . Sooner or later we'll see legislation to curb 1000 bhp cars and 200mph motorcycles ... we need to make sure it's not the old zealots of Just Stop Oil that drive it or it'll be blanket 30 mph limiters and bus for journeys over 2 miles! 🙂

My point with the bikes was that we stopped looking at the bikes themselves, and just looked at the numbers ("my Jap 250 is as fast as your Brit 500! ) ..... when if you looked at a "mid weight bike doing about 100 mph" then the 500 was the much better riding experience.

K

I've said many times, there is greater pleasure in driving a slow vehicle fast.

Neither of my two cars have any real 'performance' but give me a few roundabouts or a set of twisties and I always manage to put considerable distance between me and the performance car that's been up my @rse on the straights. They seem to be very good with the right foot, but less accomplished with the steering wheel.

Currently having a clear out of my folks house as they're moving, and found my John Watson Race School course certificate from about 1988!

As a motorcycle rider, you soon learn that an indicator signal flashing on a car, means only one thing for certain.

That the bulb is working!

Bud
4/4 - Stanley

I learnt to ride at 17 and fly at 18, over the handlebars......twice.

Despite knowing it is a daft idea exactly due to the comments above I was looking at purchasing an electric bike in the near future. An electric Cake Kalk& (who works out these names? are they on drugs?) to allow me to do short trips on small roads.

https://ridecake.com/en-GB/p/kalk



It has a removable battery and enough flexibility to get out of trouble. We will see if I summon up the focus to go in harms way again?

Totally agree. Lots of issues washing around here.

Most people are incapable of driving anything fast because, well, 50% of drivers are below average anyway, and the 50% above are not Lewis Hamilton.

Wealth does not equal skill. One might argue the opposite. Watch Nurburgring crashes on You Tube for confirmation.

Manufacturers do like the numbers though, and there are enough small egos around to make it profitable.

The most fun is with something that can be ragged safely, and the MG Midget, and Classic Mini are two examples of this. In fact a Duratec engined Midget might well be almost perfect in that respect.

In your neck of the woods I'd be tempted by someting like the Enfield Himalayan - great on road, but the potential for a bit of green laning.

The modern route to getting your bike licence is very good, with compulsory training and a tiered power approach. Might have saved me from learning the hard way in the past!

Why not get an electric Mountain Bike and combine pottering about off-road with getting exercise and keeping fit?

Something like a Cube Stereo Hybrid will get you anywhere, and you don't need all the insurance and licensing hassle of an electric motorcycle.

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Just for clarity electric bikes should have a max speed of 15mph peddle assist many bikes advertised on the internet are illegal and those that look a bit like a motorbike with pedals are probaly a no no. Twist and go is also illegal they all have to be pedal assist or you will be pulled. My wife and I both have entry level electric bikes and have done nearly 4k in the last two and a half years. Living in a hilly area halves your range but we manage about 18 miles on a charge. Best things we ever bought and that includes the mog. Em

Just had a first peek at this thread - thought it was about the title of the next bond film!