GO ABSOLUTELY FLAT OUT!
Ever done over 180mph? Maybe it’s time you did just that
When was the last time you held your bike’s throttle open? And I mean wide open for a sustained period of time not just a quick blast to get your pulse racing. Chances are very few riders have ever experienced the thrill of hitting their machine’s top speed as the UK’s maximum speed limit is 70mph and if you get caught hitting the 186mph many modern sportsbikes are capable of, you will be spending more than a few months at Her Majesty’s pleasure and then commuting on the bus for the foreseeable future. Quite simply, it’s not worth the risk. “In the 1990s I remember hitting some serious speeds on my GSX-R1100 Slabby,” says MCN reader Jon Ashley. “But that was a different time. The roads were quieter, there were no speed cameras, I didn’t have a family and the chances of getting caught were slim. Nowadays, aside from once a year when I take my BMW S1000R to the Isle of Man, I don’t really break the speed limit and I have a clean licence. But I still miss going fast, love the thrill of speed and hitting a genuine 180mph has been on my bucket list for a while.” So today, armed with no less than a Suzuki Hayabusa and with Bruntingthorpe’s 1.5-mile straight to aim down, MCN is hoping to help Jon tick that one off his list. Although riding fast on a deserted airstrip sounds easy, Bruntingthorpe can be an intimidating place because the end of the runway consists of solid barriers and its flat, exposed nature means that unsettling side-winds are a constant worry. Then you have to factor in a hugely-powerful motorcycle that Jon has never ridden before and lacks traction control. “I’ll just take it easy on my first run to see where I’m going,” says Jon, sensibly. Returning with the GPS datalogger showing that he actually hit 136mph hints that Jon wasn’t taking it that easy. “That felt OK,” he reports on flicking open his visor. “The Suzuki is very stable but it’s a bit windy. I had plenty of runway left but it’s better to stop early than late!” Another run and this time Jon hits 157mph but his Arai has an exterior dark visor
‘It was too much for my brain to take in’ ‘It’s not just a case of opening the throttle and holding on’
attachment that is starting to vibrate, blurring his vision. A quick change to a clear visor and some advice to tuck a bit lower behind the Busa’s screen and he was ready to go out again.
“It’s not just a case of opening the throttle and holding on,” says Jon. “There are so many other factors when you hit big speeds. The wind blast is huge and you need to focus on tucking in so you can see where you are going. I’m using the white line as a focus point to keep in a straight line because the runway is featureless and the cross-winds are pushing me off line.” Despite this, and with his vision now clear, Jon this time hits 163mph. “I’m starting to acclimatise to the speeds,” he says. “Before it was too much for my brain to take in, it was sensory overload. Now I’m much more relaxed and can spot my braking marker. I think I’m near the redline in fifth. I’m only looking at the rev counter and gear indicator, not the speedo!” And, to be fair, the Busa’s speedo is fairly inaccurate anyway. With speeds now creeping up to 166mph it’s time for Jon to focus on the throttle. As a road rider you almost never hold a throttle to the stop and when you look at datalogging, very few trackday riders give 100% either; despite what they may claim in the paddock afterwards. It’s a mental barrier to overcome, but for top speed you need 100% throttle in second gear onwards or even Bruntingthorpe’s 1.5-mile straight won’t be long enough to reach 180mph.
With rain clouds starting to gather overhead, it looks like Jon won’t be getting many more runs today so he gets his head down and gives it his all. It sounds like a fast run and he returns confident. “I tucked in more, pushed myself back in the seat and felt the wind passing over me much better,” he says. “I hit the limiter in fifth just before I braked; it felt fast.” The GPS datalogger showed he was right, recording a tantalisingly close 169.1mph. Frustratingly for everyone, at this point the rain starts to fall, halting proceedings. While Jon is peaking, he’s also a little disappointed not to hit the magic 180mph required to tick it off his list. Then again, 169.1mph is 75.6 metres a second, a distance just shy of a football pitch, and still faster than most riders have ever been.