I love my new bike, but have totally stayed off Dallas area freeways. I've ridden farm to market roads at 65 mph, but our interstate highways have speed limits of 75. The cars are driving between 80 and 85. I have a windshield, but don't feel comfortable above 65. What's you comfortable speed for an hour at a time on an interstate highway?
Your confortable highway speed?
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I always hit 95-100 mph going from San Antonio to Midland. Not too much traffic on I-10 heading west and I set my cruise control for the trip.
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NorTex, What Shadow Model and year do you have???
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The Highways around me are pretty heavy traffic during the day and since i don't commute i generally stay away from them.
I am not "comfortable" riding in heavy highway traffic along side all the cages.
Anything over 70mph i would not consider "Comfortable" on my bike, it can do it for sure but "Comfortable" means: "providing physical ease and relaxation."
"invitingly comfortable beds" synonyms: cozy, snug, warm, pleasant, agreeable;"
Doable Yes, Comfortable no. Exciting? it can be depending on my mood and how i physically feel that day.
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I feel comfortable at about 70 but if I'm on the freeway which has a 75mph limit most cars are going a lot faster so I do 75-80 so I don't get run over which is more comfortable than doing 70 and getting tailgated! Overall if there's little traffic I like to enjoy the ride and do about 70. Our highway here that I have to take to get to town or the freeway has a 70 mph speed limit and most people go faster but there's never enough traffic to force me to go faster, I'll just stay in the right lane unless there is someone going to slow in front of me then I'll pass and get back in the right lane. All those going faster usually just get in the left lane and go around me. All other slower roads I usually just do the speed limit.
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191 Posts
I like to ride about 60 MPH tops and try to stay away from the freeways if I can. In Washington the posted freeway speed is either 60 or 70 MPH, traffic usually travels 5 to 10 miles over, I'm a believer it's unsafe to get in the way by not traveling with it .
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The Beast seems to have a "sweet spot" around 70mph where she smooths out nicely. We have ridden faster (have a riding buddy who likes 85, sometimes he gets in the lead), but don't prefer it. Many things can happen at high speed and most of them are bad.
We don't frequent the major highways around DFW, especially those north of town. Up there, too many cage pilots exceeding the posted speed limits by at least 10 mph while devoting the majority of their attention to their cellular phones. Interstate 75 between Dallas and the Oklahoma line is not for the timid. Interstate 35 toward OK City is worse. The big roads are a bit better to the south. I-30 is very bad until one gets north of Rockwall. I-20 to the east is OK except for the truck traffic.
We trudge on.
We don't frequent the major highways around DFW, especially those north of town. Up there, too many cage pilots exceeding the posted speed limits by at least 10 mph while devoting the majority of their attention to their cellular phones. Interstate 75 between Dallas and the Oklahoma line is not for the timid. Interstate 35 toward OK City is worse. The big roads are a bit better to the south. I-30 is very bad until one gets north of Rockwall. I-20 to the east is OK except for the truck traffic.
We trudge on.
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Good move staying off the freeways, if you are going 10 - 20 mph lower than other vehicles on the freeways you end up turning into a dangerous obstacle.
Don't judge your speed based on what other here do either since we all have different size bikes, weights and comfort zones.
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75-80 on the I-17 - I'm usually within 5mph one way or the other of the speed limit.. I just do my best to avoid knots of traffic if I'm gonna be traveling fast. Usually, slowing down below the limit will put the hairiest balls of traffic way ahead, but I'll also occasionally gun-it to get past big rigs, as I don't like being anywhere near those suckers, especially when it's windy as those trailers are sometimes swaying all over the lanes..
In more congested traffic I just go with the flow, rarely will I feel overwhelmed.. That's one good thing about riding a bike, if you keep calm and keep your wits about you, our size is gonna get us out of 98% of all serious situations.. The other 2%? ..Well.. I figure, that's up to God to figure out :lol:
In more congested traffic I just go with the flow, rarely will I feel overwhelmed.. That's one good thing about riding a bike, if you keep calm and keep your wits about you, our size is gonna get us out of 98% of all serious situations.. The other 2%? ..Well.. I figure, that's up to God to figure out :lol:
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I avoid the freeway as much as possible. Mostly because if find the riding uninteresting. I'd much rather be on twisty state highways. That said the interstate in central and northern Maine doesn't get a whole lot of traffic. North of Bangor the speed limit is 75 mph and from what I'm told you can pretty much go as fast as you want. Going a little slow does enable you to have a better chance of avoiding a collision with a moose.
Then I'm on the Bonneville 65-70 seems to be the limit. The bike will handle it comfortably but without a windshield it isn't as much fun. On the Trophy I usually set the cruise at 80 when cruising on the slab. The nice thing about that bike is that if a situation arises where you need to accelerate out of trouble it will go from 80 to 110 in just a few seconds.
Then I'm on the Bonneville 65-70 seems to be the limit. The bike will handle it comfortably but without a windshield it isn't as much fun. On the Trophy I usually set the cruise at 80 when cruising on the slab. The nice thing about that bike is that if a situation arises where you need to accelerate out of trouble it will go from 80 to 110 in just a few seconds.
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Although I prefer off-highway riding, avoiding the interstates is not an option for me on my daily commute and touring.
I'm comfortable at 65mph, and if rolling with the flow requires it, I'm still fine at 75+, but if the traffic is crazy enough that even higher speeds are necessary to avoid becoming a rolling roadblock, I'll find another way. I don't like teeth-clenching, white-knuckle riding, which may be exhilarating for short periods, but hardly my idea of a relaxing cruise.
I'm comfortable at 65mph, and if rolling with the flow requires it, I'm still fine at 75+, but if the traffic is crazy enough that even higher speeds are necessary to avoid becoming a rolling roadblock, I'll find another way. I don't like teeth-clenching, white-knuckle riding, which may be exhilarating for short periods, but hardly my idea of a relaxing cruise.
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My highway speed has nothing to do with comfort and everything to do with not wanting a speeding ticket. :lol:
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I can understand how a person without a lot of experience could be a little intimidated at highway speeds, especially when people almost always never use proper following distance. On some highways the lanes are narrow. On highways with portable concrete barriers both sides eliminating a shoulder, that gives me a slightly nervous feeling being on a motorcycle. If something happens where ya gonna pull over? I guess you can avoid them when you can. Ride them when you can't and hopefully get used to it so it's not such a white knuckled experience.
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I'm there too. Down here on 45 can get nuts! I like a good day at 60 or so. Going over the Galveston bridge at 80, with a horrible crosswind being passed and blowing me around kinda takes the fun out of my little 750. My bike seems to have a sweet spot right at 50 to 55. So on our back road FM's is where I have the most fun of all.
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