How Much BHP to Scare a Person Silly?

[Simon]

I went in a Cobra once with over 600BHP, it had the usual problems of keeping the tyres on the road at lower speeds (300bhp would have been no slower) but where it really impressed was accelerating from 100mph and up (trust me you don't want to go too fast top speed wise in a Cobra) it felt like a standing start when the driver put his foot down. However, the down side was that the car was virtually a race car on the road, lumpy idle, unburnt fuel out of the exhaust, just generally rough until it started revving.
mind you it did have 550ft lbs of torque. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

[Kevin M]

I like Jim's thoughts on this one.

The 917 Can-Am car was about as subtle as a brick through a plate glass window, but it most certainly did get the job done.

It may be one of the few cars that could scare a fair number of race drivers.

[RobBeddington]

[ QUOTE ]
trust me you don't want to go too fast top speed wise in a Cobra)

[/ QUOTE ]

Simon

This is very true. Back in 2001, one damp Friday evening in the rush hour, a Cobra replica came up on my inside off a roundabout doing what the police estimate at around 100mph, lost it and span into me, nailing me to the central barrier on a bridge over the A1. When the police/ambulance arrived he was 200 yds behind facing 180 degrees the wrong way - back on the roundabout. I was put in hospital and my RS suffered £8k damage (to all 4 corners - nearside by the Cobra and offside by the barrier, as well as 4 wheels, suspension, new rear axle, steering, etc, etc). We even made the national traffic news. The driver of the Cobra turned out to be an RAF test pilot... Not sure of the Cobra's horsepower, but THAT scared me silly [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img].

Rob

[tdm434m]

4 wheels don't scare me, but put me on the back of bike will do the job, Wayne

[StuartB]

From personal experiance I`d say about 50bhp, and this 50bhp will do the same to you! If you think you know how to ride a bike, borrow an old 500c 2 stroke motorcross bike from someone, find a field and off you go [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]
If you don`t know how to ride, don`t do it, these things`ll put you in A and E quick time [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[pvan340]

[ QUOTE ]
From personal experiance I`d say about 50bhp, and this 50bhp will do the same to you! If you think you know how to ride a bike, borrow an old 500c 2 stroke motorcross bike from someone, find a field and off you go [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]
If you don`t know how to ride, don`t do it, these things`ll put you in A and E quick time [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Hear hear!!! And it doesn't even have to be a 500!! My first ride on a late model 250 was enought!

[Howard Jones]

If you really want to learn how to drive/ride a high power car/bike without wrecking same do the following. Borrow a old used 125 motocross bike, put a street tire on the rear, keep your feet on the pegs and ride round and round a small circle in about 2nd gear on wet grass. When you get it at 20mph or so work your way up in gears until you can do it in 5th at about 45-50. You will either learn throttle control or give up. If you give up don't buy a high power car/bike. Or at least take it easy.

This is how I learned how to slide a flattrack bike. Old 125 bulltaco on wet grass/mud.

Oh and I would NEVER ride on the back of any bike and KILL the boyfriend who takes my daughter for a ride on one! Fast bikes are for 1 person. This should be the law. I know of at least 4 teenage girls that were killed or badly hurt on the back of bikes. My wife fell off the back of a MOPED at less than 10mph and was in the hospital with a head injury, no helmet, for 3 days. Could have killed her. No I wasn't driving.

What scares me? Teenage idiots, without a clue about how to ride one, on 100 hp superbikes! I can't even imagine riding on the back of one.

[Bill Bayard]

Howard,

Back in the '70s, I test drove a turbo Kawasaki 900. Having already owned two bikes of equal or greater displacement and ten years of big bike experience on both road and track, including 2 major wrecks, I figured I could handle it with no problem. WRONG! When the turbo kicked in after I nailed the throttle,the bike stood straight up in the air from 60-100MPH. After the front wheel came back down (with one hell of a wobble) upon getting off the throttle(THANK GOD!), I returned to the dealer at about 50MPH, shaking from head to toe! I traded my 1100 in that same day for a four wheeler, and have never looked back. That 900 was a pretty heavy bike. I can't imagine riding the lighter superbikes of today. BTW, the next person to test drive that 900, totaled it, and was hospitalized for 3 months.
I have threatened my two daughters within an inch of their lives, should they ever get the urge to ride on the back of anything other than a bicycle! I will kill the first boyfriend who OFFERS one of them a ride on a superbike!
DMVs are always so interested in safety. Why not bikes over 75HP, having a single seat ONLY? Lives would be saved. At least the clueless teens wouldn't take someone else with them, when they kill themselves.

Bill

[Iron Sheik]

Bill,

I could not agree with you more on the DMV thing. It makes no sense. You can get your bike license on a 250,40HP and then go buy Yamaha R1, 140+HP.

P.S I have been thinking about buying one of thr R1s. All my friends have told me, don't do it.

[Fran Hall RCR]

I have to agree but there is nothing to compare to the feeling of having your knee on the ground at 130mph.....on the race track of course....A 500cc two stroke roadracer (rg500)was the most intimidating experience I have ever had,wheelspin and wheelying coming out of a corner all at the same time....phew.....
There is always a time and place for eveything and we should not tar all young bike riders with the same brush.....I have done thousands of miles on sportbikes carrying passengers ..especially in my younger days..
Fast cars are great but bikes give you the kind of freedom and concentration that cannot be matched unless you happen to have an F16 jet in your garage... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[David Morton]

Fran,
I'm currently building a bigger workshop about the size of a small hangar. You've just given me an idea........ [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
Dave

[Fran Hall RCR]

Someone told me you were/are a nutter......now I need no convincing....
Got your knee down on your Duck yet......?
You need to get to a trackday on that bad boy ...!

[Kevin M]

Dave,

Actually, there is a kit available for a homebuilt, 2-seat, jet that you could build in your new workshop.

Check out: www.viper-aircraft.com .

Don’t do anything I wouldn’t, (That shouldn’t limit you too much) [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Kevin

[Howard Jones]

Fran I have always loved Bikes. There was a time I would ride anything that the owner would let me. I have owned at least a dozen motocross bikes going back to the first CR125 Honda in southwest Washington state. All that was any good up till then was some home built Yamahas and Pentons. I got my hands on that Honda and won 6 out of 8 motos over 4 weeks. Went from novis to expert in 3 months. Thats how those Navy flyers driving F14's must have felt going against Kadafe's guys out over the med. Man you could just fly by them. More power, lighter, 6 speed, good suspension with more travel. I was just killing them. Then the next shipment came in and everyone had one. Oh well nothing ever lasts forever.

I have rode 750 harley mile bikes,fell off that thing at about 90, a TZ350 Yamaha roadracer, 125,250 and open motocross bikes. The hairiest thing I ever did was get into a crosscountry race with a partner that had a 450 Yamaha geared to go about 125. You did 4 50 mile loops back to the start line changed riders and went again. Man that thing was fast and big and heavy. You could get it on a long straight fireroad, put your head down and let it go. That thing went like a freight train!! I'm only 5'3" and as the motocross bikes got taller than I am and I got older I just gave it up.

I have never had a DMV motorcycle license or owned a street bike. I can't ride bikes anymore. I just love to go TOOOOOO fast. The last time I was on a bike it was some kind of Japanese 1000cc thing with about 100 hp. It was fun but God said "no more Jones or I'll cash in all your luck chips right now" I'm done with bikes but I still love em. I hope I didn't insult any young guys out there on bikes. At least I didn't mean too but I will bury the guy who puts my daughter on the back of one though.

I like the idea of single seat bikes or maybe both rider and passenger should have a bike license. At least the chick on the back would have a idea what its like to fall off.

[Pete.]

Man what a toy the Jet is. Appears to be good value, but Nav equip/radios auto pilot etc would add big bucks. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img].
Still I might go looking for a hangar [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Kevin M]

Pete,

One disadvantage of the tandem seating is the smaller panel and less room for avionics. Probably the best answer would be a glass cockpit. Take a look at: http://www.bluemountainavionics.com/ . They offer the True Track autopilot as a built-in. Gets you a lot of function in a small space. Not a bad price either when you consider everything you are getting.

[David Morton]

Tandem seating surely has distinct disadvantages but that is definitely outweighed by the considerable advantages compared with side by side. vis - Most pilots tend to have a sherbet or two in the evenings and rely on the pilots breakfast (Caffeine, Nicotine, and Vertical speed) to sort themselves out before they can be considered to be anywhere near normal and sociable. In a side-by-side seat aeroplane the overwhelming smell during a rapid climb (especially in a G-corset) is the continual farting and sometimes loud belching as the upper and lower stomach evacuate. This can often lead to a disagreement when there are two pilots, usually in competition with each other. Where there is only one pilot on board, one tends not to notice it so much. Vomiting is also less endearing in a side-by-side as both crew members are subject to the after effects, especially during aero's. Whereas, the tandem usually has a blast shield between the two, cockpit air conditioning is individually selectable, and its very easy to pretend to laugh on the intercom even if you are feeling just as bad, and hence gain the superior or upper hand.
One quite amazing advantage of the side-by-side however is the ability to lean over and initiate a nylon letdown for the other guy. It has happened once, I believe, in a BAC182 Strikemaster which was on a student checkout. The student was briefed to spin 3 times and recover but didn't and locked his leg into prospin rudder. The instructor, a hairy old Master Pilot, watched the altimeter going down big time and the aeroplane was becoming inverted in the spin so the student was left to walk home with a big handful of nylon. I have heard of other advantages of the side-by- side but they involve having a willing (preferably female)passenger, putting the seat pins back in, and partially undressing. I have never given that much credence to this last advantage but some swear it has happened. Others just swear that it hasn't happened... like me.
Dave M

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

When I worked at RAE Farnborough (as was - became DRA and now DERA)- we used to be able to blag 'interest flights' in a whole host of fast (but old) jets including, Jaguar, Harrier, Hunter and even G E Lightning!!...

Great fun! - or at least it was, until.......

One young 'backseat pilot' managed to throw-up all over the rear cockpit instruments.....

Not a popular person - no more 'unofficial flights'. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Still, sub 500ft 5G turns are an interesting experience [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Kevin M]

Dave,

In reference to your final comments. Is that where the famous "Fly United" slogan came from? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Kevin