01-04-2017, 01:13 PM
(01-04-2017, 06:23 AM)The ferret_imp Wrote:(01-04-2017, 06:12 AM)aschem_imp Wrote: Speaking of speed limits, anyone remember when the national speed limit was 55 and all vehicles , including motorcycles, had a 85 mph speedometer?
Here in Idaho, the current speed limit on the interstate is 80 mph.
yep but 2 separate times in our history.
Joan Claybrook I think her name was, was head of the Highway National Traffic Safety dealie in Washington from maybe 81-85 ish and mandated 85 mph speedos, thinking no one would exceed that if they couldn't see how fast they were going. HA! Once, in my woolier days, I was riding a CBX and came to a corner, I had apparently been doing 85 cause the speedo said so. I down shifted 3 times and the dang speedo STILL said I was going 85. Nearly missed the corner, had to flat track it around then pull over and stop the knees from shaking. Not sure how fast I had been going but it was obviously more than 85. Thanks Joan.
Joan was a Carter appointee and thankfully was replaced before she could implement more of her wacky ideas about motorcycles. The motorcycle seatbelt was one of them. There was also the experimental "safe" motorcycle with front wheel drive and rear wheel steering. It was unrideable without training wheels and a roll cage.
As I recall, she was the sworn enemy of most motorcyclists of the day.
I was thinking about the 55 mph speed limit just the other day. While riding home on city streets, where traffic moves between 50-55mph, I was recalling the days when that was the same speed was as fast as you could go (legally) on a four lane, divided Interstate highway. Ughh!