Heh, ESP? Yeah right. This was back in 1999...and the squad was a 97ish Interceptor that was on loan from WI State Patrol.

-Mark

Sooo...If we don't enforce some of the rules we shouldn't enforce any of the rules?

They should get ticketed, do whatever court or driving penalty they get and probably get an unpaid suspension as long as cops don't get fired for more serious stuff. It's firing this guy, and NOT firing the guy the MPLS council just paid half a million for.

i'm fine with firing for any serious misconduct, including this. (America has slowing driving syndrome.) But there needs to be a fair proportion in penalties, and cops need to be treated fairly. (We want them to treat others fairly, it's important to set the example.)

This article is simply another example of the problem.

I've been riding bikes for the darn near 40 years. I've been over 100 maybe 4 - 5 times at most. +100 on a bike is not for the timid. After a ride at 150 mph they would have to surgically remove the bunched-up seat leather from by posterior.

Let's mix the Brainerd raceway and a 1970 442 together and see what we get: This was taken by a co-worker who races his CanAm at BIR every Wed.




It made me cry...

here's what the photo caption said about it: "hit the wall at BIR at about 120, blew the rods right thru the oil pan, locked the motor up, ended my night because of the mess on the track."

That's awful. My 442 was a 69.

Nobody should drive that fast on wide 14" bias tires and the stock suspension. They were good cars in a straight line. and of course, lots better than a stock Cutless. But it was the old soft suspension with bigger shocks, a couple hundred pounds more spring stiffness and a torsion bar, and those awful tires.

It ain't a sports car. It's for drag racing and chasing girls. Wish I could find mine again.

The Minnesota (Washington County) squad cars are geared with a 3.55 rear end. You hit the rev limiter at 119 MPH indicated, (121 on a GPS). Minnesota State patrol cars are geared 3.26 in the rear end, giving a top speed of 129 MPH when you hit the Rev limiter. Seems the rating on the 4.6 Ford engine in a Police Intercepter from Ford is 260 Horsepower. Go in and play with the computer and you can get 320 Horsepower. Every retired squad I have owned has had the computer set up before I ever saw it. A progarmmer for a single car is about $400, and only good for 1 car. I'm guessing you could work over the rev limiter, but the State/Ford doesn't go that far. How do I know this? Maybe my Ex wife had a heavy foot, and insisted on the State car in the divorce?

DE KA0OLD

An accident at 150 on a sport bike is very likely to be fatal unless you are on a racetrack with a whole bunch of runoff such as BIR turn 1 or 2. I now have some Ti and related scars from last years adventure with turn 8 and that was what felt like a pretty mild lowside at 80ish (reinforcing my belief in good gear). I have an acquaintance who was a very fast and competent rider he died failing to negotiate a turn earlier this year in Afton and a couple people a year get badly hurt or killed running the alphabet over here in WI. As far as your other point if I were to get caught at those speeds I would be in a world of hurt no matter that I have 10 years of high performance driving under my belt as a race car driver and put 9000 miles a year on a Honda RC51 with 128 HP at the rear wheel, I see no reason a police officer should get a pass just because he wears blue.
I also cannot imagine riding at those speeds with a passenger, it's mind bogglingly stupid and shows wanton disregard for another's life. I would bet neither had appropriate gear on.

Speaking of BIR there is little I like more than the zen of speed.

Maybe one cop was well-liked by his boss and the other was one they had wanted to get rid of for a long time.

So this was a perfect opportunity.