Mike Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 The National Motorists Association reports that some are advocating a return to the Nationally-Mandated Speed Limit of 55 mph. The article doesn't specify who "they" are. Have you heard about this? If it's true, it's nuts . . . . Link to comment
Semper_Fi Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 I like how the article opens up..."The same forces that resisted the use of fire many thousands of years ago are still with us, only now they are advocating the return of the national maximum speed limit of 55 miles per hour." Anyway hope this does not see the light of day! Link to comment
motoguy128 Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Riding long distances under 62mph on the R1200RT sucks because 6th isn't happy until abotu 3200RPM. How about 60 or lets just take this opportunitoy go metric... make the speed limit at nice even 100kph. Honestly, we're all grown-ups. If we want to waste gas and drive or ride fast... have at 'er. Creating more aggressive CAFE limits is more realistic. Many cars don't show a substantial increase in mileage from 60-70mph. Actually the smaller more fuel effecient models tend to be more effected by speed. Link to comment
EffBee Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Such things are not about saving fuel, reducing consumption, or the price of oil. They usually are, at their core, about power. It most often comes down to a group of people (or sometimes a person) who feel so otherwise useless and empty with the lives they've made for themselves, that the only way they can feel significant is to wield power over others. A return to the 55mph limit? In a nation with a 27mpg CAFE (remember, prior to the first 55mph NSL, we "averaged" 15mpg nationally)? After all the data and lost productivity and safety studies that are available about the fiasco that the last NSL was? When gas is cheaper now (adjusted for inflation and also as a percentage of AHI) than it was then? In an election year? Not happening. Link to comment
azkaisr Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Like the people I ride with even obey the current laws...(lawman excluded) Kaisr Link to comment
smiller Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 In the 'Hall of Stupidity' the trophy for the 55 mph speed limit must be sitting right next to the one for the mandated 85 mph speedometer. Link to comment
Heck Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 In the 'Hall of Stupidity' the trophy for the 55 mph speed limit must be sitting right next to the one for the mandated 85 mph speedometer. At least with the speedometer, when stopped you could plead ignorance.... "Officer, I have no idea how fast I was going.....Speedometer only goes to 85".... Link to comment
bakerzdosen Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 I remember coming home from Germany in the 80's and just pulling my hair out because of how slow 55mph was. I felt like I could walk home from the airport faster... I personally will be a real pain constantly badgering any elected official (sorry mere mention of anything political...) I can if that gets closer to being a reality. Link to comment
leikam Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Around here, posted speed limits have very little to do with how fast people actually drive. Link to comment
skinny_tom (aka boney) Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Such things are not about saving fuel, reducing consumption, or the price of oil. They usually are, at their core, about power. It most often comes down to a group of people (or sometimes a person) who feel so otherwise useless and empty with the lives they've made for themselves, that the only way they can feel significant is to wield power over others. Last time I checked, that was just about eveyone in politics. Seriously though, if I drive slower in the pickup it gets some pretty good gas milage. I have to hit 100+ to effect the RTs milage though...(yes, I do know that from experience) Link to comment
Calvin (no socks) Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 On gritty dirt roads.....sweet. Link to comment
Mister Tee Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Around here, posted speed limits have very little to do with how fast people actually drive. Really. I-5 up here is 70 mph out of the cities, and if you drive less than 80 mph on it, you stand a chance of getting rear ended. Link to comment
Matts_12GS Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Around here, posted speed limits have very little to do with how fast people actually drive. Really. I-5 up here is 70 mph out of the cities, and if you drive less than 80 mph on it, you stand a chance of getting rear ended. Obviously we need President Whip to save us! Vote Texas! Again..... Link to comment
Dave McReynolds Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Clearly, our opinions on this board have very little impact on setting speed limits, as we would probably vote to eliminate speed limits entirely on roads where that made sense. I know I would. I remember how annoyed I was with the 55 mph speed limit when it was in force, and I came to believe everyone else was too....until I was at a party one time and happened to express my annoyance to the person I was talking with, who happened to adore the 55 mph speed limit, and went on at length about how wonderful it was, and everyone else within earshot heartily agreed with him. I firmly believe that most of the van-driving or family sedan-driving public would enthusiastically jump on the band wagon for the 55 mph speed limit if they were convinced that the fuel crisis was real this time, and not just a price manipulation by the fat cats. And you say you would speed anyway, as would I. But remember that the consequences of getting a ticket for 40 over are a little more serious than getting a ticket for 15 over. Link to comment
Mike Posted May 30, 2008 Author Share Posted May 30, 2008 Dave--You were obviously hanging around with the wrong people back then. I can't remember too many being in favor, though their were some who would "tut-tut" and wag their fingers. You see, the problem was that we were running out of oil . . . Link to comment
Quinn Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 I remember that my '71 Datsun Pick up was happier doing 55 mph than it was at 75mph back then. Definately not true of the RT. And the Jeep doesn't complain about anything; it just keeps sucking gas. Link to comment
10ovr Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Like the people I ride with even obey the current laws...(lawman excluded) Kaisr 10ovr,,Thats my max,,LOL Link to comment
Paul Mihalka Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 When we moved to the USA in '82 the 55mph limit was in full swing. I was coming from a country with uncontrolled speed, Venezuela. At the end of my first year here I started riding at 55mph. I got tremendous gas and tire mileage. My only problem was that I had 11 points on my driver's license, already did traffic school to void one ticket, and with 12 points I was walking. Link to comment
keithb Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Amen Brother!! I am totally with you on this one EffBee. Link to comment
Lawman Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Like the people I ride with even obey the current laws...(lawman excluded) Kaisr Thank you Tom! (I think) Link to comment
DiggerJim Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 If 55 saves gas & lives, why not make it 45...or 35...hell, make everyone stop driving except on even or odd days based on the first initial of their last name! Sheesh... Link to comment
bakerzdosen Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 I still think that if it's about saving lives, then we should raise the minimum driving age and require better driver training before lowering the speed limit. And even then, they should get stricter on enforcing the speed limit around town where pedestrians and cars are using the same space. However, if it's about saving gas, just don't allow trucks (including SUV's) to go faster than 55mph or use the fast lane(s). And then enforce it. Link to comment
dogboy11 Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 I was in the Air Force in Belgium back in the 80s and I spent a lot of time in Germany. When people make the argument that the 55mph speed limit saves lives, I know first hand that is a load of junk. Virtually no speed limits on the highways in Germany but the difference is, in my opinion, is that Europeans take driving a little more serious than we do. When they get behind the wheel, they are there to drive, not to be entertained. Driver training is the key... not a lower speed limit. If the argument is gas mileage, that is just stupidity at it's finest. Current gas prices are going to mandate a reduction in fuel usage. I have seen more motorcycles in my work parking garage in the last few months than I have seen the whole time I worked there. People are trying to save on fuel, you don't have to mandate that. I also heard a good conspiracy theory at work the other day. Our first "fuel crisis" in the 70s was at the height of the Muscle Car ... all the auto manufacturers stopped making them because of gas mileage. Recently, we have had the return of the Charger, soon the Challenger and the Camaro ... just trying to crush the Muscle Car movement again Just my usual useless $.02 DB Link to comment
ShovelStrokeEd Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 It's all a big conspiracy, big oil in cahoots with the gubmint and in bed with the insurance companies. Let's not leave out the tire companies, plastics manufacturers of all stripes and the CIA and Homeland Security. They are all out to get us. I'm doing better now that I am taking the lithium, down to 3 layers of tinfoil on the hat. Link to comment
upflying Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 In the 'Hall of Stupidity' the trophy for the 55 mph speed limit must be sitting right next to the one for the mandated 85 mph speedometer. Hey, I have an 85mph speedo on one of my gas guzzling V8 powered old cars. I would go with a national 55mph speed limit as long as violations are non-punitive on your driving record. Fines would go to a escrow fund for additional refining capacity and oil exploration off the Pacific coast and Alaska. Link to comment
smiller Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 Hey, I have an 85mph speedo on one of my gas guzzling V8 powered old cars. And I had one on my 1982 Sukuki GS1100E. Pinned it in second gear. Link to comment
eddd Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 A Return of the National 55 mph Speed Limit??? What are ya'll talking about? I guess this was before before my time! Link to comment
Mike Posted June 1, 2008 Author Share Posted June 1, 2008 A Return of the National 55 mph Speed Limit??? What are ya'll talking about? I guess this was before before my time! National Maximum Speed Law. Link to comment
velomoto Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 Yet another "call to arms"... Go find an NRA site and you'll find more evidence of how the gov'mnt is gonna take away our guns. Pick an issue or advocacy group: abortion, off road riding, horse back riding, hunting, fishing, mountain biking, base jumping, etc. etc and I'll show you similar drivel on how the gov'mnt is gonna take away our rights and our money too! Physics dictates that above a certain speed fuel economy goes into the toilet. But the new vehicles have engines/transmissions tuned to be more efficient at higher speeds so 55 won't make sense, but perhaps 65 or 70 will. My 12RT does MUCH better at 70 than 80 but 60 seems to be 'bout the same as 70. I've read posts of naked bikes such as the Triumph Scrambler indicating an even greater difference in mileage going from 65 to 75 mph than I see between 60 and 80. One minor point people tend to overlook when ranting against speed limits - traffic moving at a uniform speed is MUCH safer than when there are huge differentials. I've seen many close calls on the local interstate where traffic moving at 80 to 85 mph comes upon a vehicle moving at a more pedestrian 50 mph. Perhaps a good driver paying attention will make a safe avoidance maneuver, but the person on their tail who was gabbing away on their cell phone probably won't have a clue why the front end of their vehicle is gone! Link to comment
eddd Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 A Return of the National 55 mph Speed Limit??? What are ya'll talking about? I guess this was before before my time! National Maximum Speed Law. I was just a joking, Mike, but thanks for making me feel young, even if for only a minute. I remember it all too well. I was living in deep south Texas and my family was living near Milwaukeee, WI. The twice a year, 1500 mile one-way, trips to visit them were painfully boring at that speed. I somehow managed to never get a ticket, but it wasn't easy. A CB radio was your friend back then. Link to comment
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