Benchmark Expressions

[the Ferret]

I've always wondered how they came up with the following "benchmark expressions" which I read about every motorcycle on every motorcycle forum.

"It'll run 80 all day long"

This is usually stated by those trying to convince you that single cylinder 300cc bikes are capable of touring, but I've read it about any number of motorcycles of various displacement

and, who does that? and why not 75? or 85? why is 80 mph the benchmark?

another one

"I avoid expressways like the plague"

So you run 80 mph all day long on the 2 lane back roads? I'm impressed.. and how do you avoid tickets?

yet another...

"I can do 500 mile days on it no problem"

What if your destination is 600 miles away? Do you stop for the night and finish up the other 100 miles the next day?

Why are 500 mile days the benchmark?

BTW 500 miles at 80 miles per hour only takes 6 1/4 hours. What do you do, sleep in, take off late, stop early? What do you do with the rest of the day?

Sorry, snowing pretty hard out there today so doubt I'll be riding. Gives me time to ponder weird things.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

I’ve always wondered why 0-60 (or 0-100 kph) is relevant. Same with 1/4 mile ET and 60-0 for braking. I guess it’s a constant that all vehicles can be compared against, but on public roads, who cares?

Folks around here complain when the price of gasoline goes up $0.20. I don’t see the relevance of this either.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

I don't think about metrics or distance per hour or per day. I just ride and if falling behind, ride faster and conversely, and so on.

Maybe doing XXX km/h all day long could be interesting, especially for smaller bore engines, eh?

 

[Jfro5687_imp]

Don’t know about elsewhere in the world but in the early 60’s a guy went down the first motorway (we call it the M1) at I believe 185mph in an AC Cobra. There were no upper speed limits then and most ‘ordinary’ cars were like Morris Minors so did about 70mph flat out. Legend has it it spooked the authorities so much they imposed a 70mph limit which still stands today. All our other main roads had a 60mph limit which again still stands and I think motor car mags and stuff used the 0-60mph to show how fast their products got to the National (non motorway) speed limits. I think anyway......

 

[Rocky_imp]

I don't think about metrics or distance per hour or per day. I just ride and if falling behind, ride faster and conversely, and so on.

Maybe doing XXX km/h all day long could be interesting, especially for smaller bore engines, eh?

I'm with GO on this one.
Unless I have to be at a specific place at a specific time, I just ride and enjoy.
Faster when I feel like it or have to - or slower if I feel like it or have to

 

[the Ferret]

I’ve always wondered why 0-60 (or 0-100 kph) is relevant. Same with 1/4 mile ET and 60-0 for braking. I guess it’s a constant that all vehicles can be compared against, but on public roads, who cares?

Folks around here complain when the price of gasoline goes up $0.20. I don’t see the relevance of this either.

Funny LR what finally made me type this up was your use of that expression in another thread

"I bought a new ‘76 Honda Civic CVCC when I turned 16. MSRP was $2945. The car weighed 1600 lbs and had a 1488cc, 53 hp engine, 4 speed manual gearbox, and 12” wheels. It had seating for 4 (but only two comfortably) and could cruise 80 mph all day."

 

[LongRanger_imp]

I wrote that because some folks have a tough time believing a 53 hp car would have enough power to cruise at that speed.

 

[the Ferret]

lol would it not cruise at 85? 80 was it huh?

 

[pdedse]

Hahhaa...these musings made me chuckle. But I like winter games...

I've always wondered how they came up with the following "benchmark expressions" which I read about every motorcycle on every motorcycle forum.

"It'll run 80 all day long"

This is usually stated by those trying to convince you that single cylinder 300cc bikes are capable of touring, but I've read it about any number of motorcycles of various displacement

and, who does that? and why not 75? or 85? why is 80 mph the benchmark?

another one

"I avoid expressways like the plague"

So you run 80 mph all day long on the 2 lane back roads? I'm impressed.. and how do you avoid tickets?

yet another...

"I can do 500 mile days on it no problem"

What if your destination is 600 miles away? Do you stop for the night and finish up the other 100 miles the next day?

Why are 500 mile days the benchmark?

BTW 500 miles at 80 miles per hour only takes 6 1/4 hours. What do you do, sleep in, take off late, stop early? What do you do with the rest of the day?

Sorry, snowing pretty hard out there today so doubt I'll be riding. Gives me time to ponder weird things.

Are these really the same people saying these two things? I think expressways get a hard rap--they keep heavy traffic off the roads less traveled...which is why they are the road less traveled. And sometimes I grow tired of the backroads and just wanna get up and go!!

I've always wondered how they came up with the following "benchmark expressions" which I read about every motorcycle on every motorcycle forum.

"It'll run 80 all day long"

This is usually stated by those trying to convince you that single cylinder 300cc bikes are capable of touring, but I've read it about any number of motorcycles of various displacement

and, who does that? and why not 75? or 85? why is 80 mph the benchmark?

another one

"I avoid expressways like the plague"

So you run 80 mph all day long on the 2 lane back roads? I'm impressed.. and how do you avoid tickets?

yet another...

"I can do 500 mile days on it no problem"

What if your destination is 600 miles away? Do you stop for the night and finish up the other 100 miles the next day?

Why are 500 mile days the benchmark?

BTW 500 miles at 80 miles per hour only takes 6 1/4 hours. What do you do, sleep in, take off late, stop early? What do you do with the rest of the day?

Sorry, snowing pretty hard out there today so doubt I'll be riding. Gives me time to ponder weird things.

YES!!

I've always wondered how they came up with the following "benchmark expressions" which I read about every motorcycle on every motorcycle forum.

"It'll run 80 all day long"

This is usually stated by those trying to convince you that single cylinder 300cc bikes are capable of touring, but I've read it about any number of motorcycles of various displacement

and, who does that? and why not 75? or 85? why is 80 mph the benchmark?

another one

"I avoid expressways like the plague"

So you run 80 mph all day long on the 2 lane back roads? I'm impressed.. and how do you avoid tickets?

yet another...

"I can do 500 mile days on it no problem"

What if your destination is 600 miles away? Do you stop for the night and finish up the other 100 miles the next day?

Why are 500 mile days the benchmark?

BTW 500 miles at 80 miles per hour only takes 6 1/4 hours. What do you do, sleep in, take off late, stop early? What do you do with the rest of the day?

Sorry, snowing pretty hard out there today so doubt I'll be riding. Gives me time to ponder weird things.

On an "all day ride" or on a multi-day trip I like to leave time to take a walk after lunch, lay down on a parkbench, find a hiking trail, take off the boots and soak the feet in a river, jump in maybe.

I've always wondered how they came up with the following "benchmark expressions" which I read about every motorcycle on every motorcycle forum.

"It'll run 80 all day long"

This is usually stated by those trying to convince you that single cylinder 300cc bikes are capable of touring, but I've read it about any number of motorcycles of various displacement

and, who does that? and why not 75? or 85? why is 80 mph the benchmark?

another one

"I avoid expressways like the plague"

So you run 80 mph all day long on the 2 lane back roads? I'm impressed.. and how do you avoid tickets?

yet another...

"I can do 500 mile days on it no problem"

What if your destination is 600 miles away? Do you stop for the night and finish up the other 100 miles the next day?

Why are 500 mile days the benchmark?

BTW 500 miles at 80 miles per hour only takes 6 1/4 hours. What do you do, sleep in, take off late, stop early? What do you do with the rest of the day?

Sorry, snowing pretty hard out there today so doubt I'll be riding. Gives me time to ponder weird things.

 

[redbirds_imp]

One I've used in the past and now find amusing, "has an all-day comfy saddle", as if I could really, comfortably sit a saddle an entire day without at least a break.

 

[Obleo]

Well ya’ll brought it up, I had at 17 a brand new 1972 Honda 600 coupe. 10 inch wheels. 62 mpg. It cruise at 75 all day .

 

[Cormanus]

Why is 100,000 (miles or kilometres) a magic number?

Why do human get excited about birthday numbers which, when divided by 10 produce an integer?

My first bike was a CB175. It could cruise most of the day at 50mph comfortably.

And, pdedse, you are spot on about the wonders of expressways. Long may they keep cars off the roads less travelled.

 

[tod.branko_imp]

Interesting thought experiment! Let me chip in. There is no bike that can cruise at any speed all day because the tanks are just not that large, even the most frugal of motorcycle engines will probably be able to go only around 600km before they run out of gas. Meaning in order to go ALL DAY, it should go 25km/h.

The other numbers people use are usually the numbers after which a machine wouldn't be able to run all day I guess, in the case of the small car, it probably can't go faster than that, meaning it will run in the rev limiter all day without dying. And I'll look back to another thread and the Majesty 400, of which I owned a few, and that's exactly how I would ride them, on the rev limiter going 140-160km/h depending on the incline. Luckily the local speed limits allow that so there was no issue, but again even though it they would run at that speed without blowing up, it was only as long as there was petrol, after that I'd have to stop, and after a few hours I'd get tired, so I doubt anyone can run anything at any speed all day. Even on the 24h races the vehicles stop for a moment to fill up, change oil, tires, drivers/riders.

So numbers basically mean the maximum the vehicles in question would run without blowing up, and for some that's 80, for others 90 etc.

Hope you enjoyed lol


'14 CB1100 STD 5 speed

 

[rboe]

This past year we know for a fact "I avoid expressways like the plague" is a load of whooey. People can't avoid a plague any more than eating one potato chip.

Some of these sayings had weight in '50's and early '60's. Today - not so much.
I typically consider travel at 55mph (very roughly) when considering travel times. Even at freeway speeds. Between bathroom breaks, gas stops and lunch breaks it works out to that. A wee bit slower if I take the bike due to more gas stops.

 

[Gone in 60]

I like to read people's listings for their motorcycles on Craigs List. Having been in the marketing business, and having sold several vehicles on Craigs, I like to see what expressions people use in their descriptions. Things like

"Ran when parked ten years ago"
"She'll do 100 no problem"
"Rattles windows and pi**es off the neighbors"
"Runs great, just needs the carbs cleaned"
"Bring a battery"
"I'd trust this bike to ride across the country no problem"
"Fully customized"
"Turns heads and gets thumbs up wherever it goes"

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

"Lady ridden"

 

[peterbaron]

"Never driven in winter and when raining"
"Hwy mileage"

 

[the Ferret]

How about

"all it needs is a $5 part to get running"

 

[peterbaron]

"Needs nothing for safety"
...or tech - customer talk: "your car failed safety inspection due to..... oh really, I can easily certify her at a different shop"

 

[Gone in 60]

I forgot one:
"Dropped by the previous owner"