Zach Vonler
New member
From the current (July 2000) issue of Motor Cyclist:
"It's official: According to sister pub MCN, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha -- along with top European manufacturers such as Ducati -- have signed a five-point plan of self-limitation to avoid outside governmental legislation concerning top-speed limits. The plan's main points: (1) Manufacturers will stop using top speed as a competitive marketing tool; (2) During 2000, no new models capable of exceeding the speed of the current fastest production motorcycle will be launched; (3) By 2001, all production bikes will be limited to 186 mph; (4) The manufacturers will retain tight control over factory race kits that are sold for race purposes only; (5) The policy will apply worldwide."
Hate to sound paranoid, but it seems obvious to me that just limiting the top speed isn't going to be enough. These horrible machines have acceleration well beyond any reasonable capabilities. "Do you really need to be a 1/4 mile away in less than ten seconds?" (There are times when I would say yes.) And once they can't accelerate or cruise at high speed, there's no reason to have an engine bigger than, say, 300cc.
This scares me because it's exactly the sort of thing that can happen to a small community of enthusiasts when the Majority that Knows Better decides to take over. It's true that I don't really care about how fast a motorcycle can go, but I do care very much that it isn't arbitrarily limited (and please, 186 mph is arbitrary).
This "plan of self-limitation" sounds a lot like what S&W did for Clinton. It makes me feel a little better though to know that there are at least enough gunowners paying attention in this country that a big stink was raised and S&W may now go out of business as a result. However, just imagine if all major firearms manufacturers had signed that agreement -- we couldn't really boycott all of them. The list of manufacturers above make probably 98% of the (non-Harley) motorcycles that you see on the street.
Just a reminder that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
"It's official: According to sister pub MCN, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha -- along with top European manufacturers such as Ducati -- have signed a five-point plan of self-limitation to avoid outside governmental legislation concerning top-speed limits. The plan's main points: (1) Manufacturers will stop using top speed as a competitive marketing tool; (2) During 2000, no new models capable of exceeding the speed of the current fastest production motorcycle will be launched; (3) By 2001, all production bikes will be limited to 186 mph; (4) The manufacturers will retain tight control over factory race kits that are sold for race purposes only; (5) The policy will apply worldwide."
Hate to sound paranoid, but it seems obvious to me that just limiting the top speed isn't going to be enough. These horrible machines have acceleration well beyond any reasonable capabilities. "Do you really need to be a 1/4 mile away in less than ten seconds?" (There are times when I would say yes.) And once they can't accelerate or cruise at high speed, there's no reason to have an engine bigger than, say, 300cc.
This scares me because it's exactly the sort of thing that can happen to a small community of enthusiasts when the Majority that Knows Better decides to take over. It's true that I don't really care about how fast a motorcycle can go, but I do care very much that it isn't arbitrarily limited (and please, 186 mph is arbitrary).
This "plan of self-limitation" sounds a lot like what S&W did for Clinton. It makes me feel a little better though to know that there are at least enough gunowners paying attention in this country that a big stink was raised and S&W may now go out of business as a result. However, just imagine if all major firearms manufacturers had signed that agreement -- we couldn't really boycott all of them. The list of manufacturers above make probably 98% of the (non-Harley) motorcycles that you see on the street.
Just a reminder that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.