How often do you "hit the ton"?

5869 Views 101 Replies 36 Participants Last post by hogcowboy, Jul 19, 2018

vito

Discussion Starter · Jun 20, 2018

I'm not sure why hitting triple digits on the bike is called "hitting the ton", but I find I really get an adrenaline rush when I push the Goldwing to 100 mph or more. Fortunately for me I have a stretch of two lane country road not too far from where I live where the road is open and straight for a pretty long stretch, with basically no where for John Law to hide and wait, and usually zero traffic on this road when I go there. It doesn't take long to get the speed up from 65 mph or so to 100 or 105 on the speedo, and I usually just stay at this speed for a few seconds, but that is enough to get the thrill of speed. I know that as I get older I am supposed to take it easier on the speed than when I was a young and impetuous rider, but in truth, most of the bikes I owned in my earlier days could not reach 100 or not do so without a long, long stretch of open road. When I owned a sport tourer years ago I used to routinely "hit the ton" but with the cruisers that I owned it was not very do-able most of the time. I tend to believe that its a good exercise for getting the heart to pump a little harder and faster, but without breaking a sweat, so "hitting the ton" is actually part of my "living healthy" program. That is, as long as a deer doesn't run out in front of me or something like that. And even at a 100 mph, the bike stays smooth and steady and not a whiff of vibration in the mirrors. Pretty cool.

1 - 20 of 102 Posts

Unkle Krusty

· #2 · Jun 20, 2018

Mike Cane's song Bird up on my bike, will help with this.
The ton is 100. I have alluded to it many times. Just last week I posted ( How fast is your bike? 95, but will do the ton on Saturday night ) And I asked why is that. No takers as often happens.

About your question. Deep Purple does 90 92 WOT. Yami does not feel comfortable at 90 95, but can do the ton. BTDT.
Bluzu can do the ton in a heart beat. Speedo is in kilometers. 160 I think is close. Even with Mrs Snippets on the back, we easily hit 189. At 225 Bluzu still has plenty of steam, and can accelerate rapidly. He can also lower those speeds quickly.
However: Anything over 130 around here will get the bikes seized by the fuzz. That is 40 kliks over the limit of 90.
Some highways have a 120 limit.
On my Island 100, or about 60 mph, is usually my limit. I often pass deer at 4 to 6 feet. Limit here is 60 kliks which is about 40 mph.

UK

vistavette

· #3 · Jun 20, 2018

I've done it on my prior Triumph '14 Tiger 800. (113 per the GPS) and last weekend passing a car on my BMW K1600 GTL indicated was 106. My Harley Ultra hit 101 down hill once with a tail wind...and I might bhave been a few pounds lighter.

It is somewhat exciting but besides the potential law enforcement issue anything can happen and at that speed or close you're f∆¢€ed. In the desert where I live there are a lot of roads where you can really open up but we have wild burros, horses, big Horn sheep...and somehow they camo themselves into the landscape really well.

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Ray'ssporty1200

· #4 · Jun 20, 2018

Over here in West central Fl. I have opened her up a few times, the Snorty 1200 still does a 100 with out batting an eye and The wide glide will stay there at the 100 mark as long as there is go-juice in the tank, was doing a 100 an got pulled over by LEO, He asked me why I was going that fast, well it was around midnite I told him I just wanted to open her up for a few and figured the hi-way at this time was safe, would not do it in heavy traffic or approaching a hill or curve, he shook his head like he agreed and told me, "Well I clocked you at a hundred an ten, so you're gonna keep it inside the limit, right? "YUP" he got in his cruiser and split. . . Peabody an Sherman take me back in time . . .early 80's riding a Honda Scrambler 360 north on route 25 which is now 495. I was doing about 65 and I see a lot of flashing blue lights up a ways, But what in hell's on the other side of all the police cruisers? State police actually, about 5,000 sheep from The Ingersol's sheep farm, happily crossing the hi-way, I personally don't find sheep dangerous but slamming into a few of'em would have been the hard way to put mutton on the plate.

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Porky

· #5 · Jun 20, 2018

I'm only 350 lbs but if I keep it up I may hit the ton someday:surprise:

As far as 100 mph goes, quite frequently thank you:smile_big:

Sam:angel:

SemiFast

· #6 · Jun 20, 2018

:surprise:

* Guess how fast I clocked you.
I don't know, I didn't look down.

* Guess, you can make a guess.
No, I really don't know.

* Well guess, you can make some kind of a guess.
Oh, I really just don't know. I never looked at the speedometer.

* Come on you gotta have some idea. Go ahead and make a guess.
Um ... 85 ... MPH ... ? ..? (voice getting higher as I speak)

* One Hundred And One! (said with pride) Saved it on radar. Wanna see it?
No, I don't need to see it.

* Well I sure did save it for you. Don't you want to see it.
No, I believe you. I don't need to see it.

* You sure you don't wanna see it? I saved it for you. It's right there on the screen in the car.
No, No, that sounds about right, 101. Yeah, sounds right.

I did Not want to get Anywhere Near that Cop Car!

After that the Deputy was so nice I thought he was going to let me off. Nope, got a ticket, 101!
He did let my buddy go without a ticket. He was right behind me when we got caught.
The Deputy told us he didn't want to ruin our day, knows we're just out here having fun on these good back roads, just wants us to slow down some so we don't get hurt.

I was the fastest guy in my defensive driving class.

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Reactions: 1

Offcenter

· #7 · Jun 20, 2018

vito said:
Fortunately for me I have a stretch of two lane country road not too far from where I live where the road is open and straight for a pretty long stretch, with basically no where for John Law to hide and wait, and usually zero traffic on this road when I go there.

Around here, the only place that is open and straight enough to do that
kind of speed is route 80. And there are New Jersey State Troopers hiding
all along that road. No thanks.
I did over 100 on my BMW many years ago up in New York somewhere.
No need to do it again. I prefer the twisty back roads of Jersey where
50 feels like 100.
Now if I make it out west where the road is open and straight enough,
maybe I'd try it again. But not around here.

Reactions: 1

Ray'ssporty1200

· #8 · Jun 20, 2018

I have been though Freehold N.J. a few good diners, lots of farms and back roads and a historic old church and graveyard,"Soldiers tennet' or similar name. a lot of nice country roads out there.

aTahmission

· #9 · Jun 20, 2018

I almost never keep the throttle cracked unless I'm on a track. I do like accelerating up to speed with some spirit, but corning is to me where "going fast" is the most fun. I like those small New England backroads where doubling the recommended speed around a corner is going 40 mph. I'll back off again on the straights and then accelerate through the corner. Last time I had my bike before getting it back, I went the fastest I've gone on it yet at an indicated 136, which happened very quickly and when I was trying to determine if the small modification I made had an effect on performance. I'm comfortable at that speed, but it's crazy to do so on the street.

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Doc Samson

· #10 · Jun 20, 2018

aTahmission said:
I do like accelerating up to speed with some spirit, but corning is to me where "going fast" is the most fun. I like those small New England backroads where doubling the recommended speed around a corner is going 40 mph. I'll back off again on the straights and then accelerate through the corner.

I just moved from a Ninja 300 to a F4i and am trying to follow that example, i.e. saving the "speed" for the corners. It is tough because I have a lot of roads nearby with well cambered fast sweepers and flat, straight stretches. Need more self-control, but I'm trying!

JAM1968

· #11 · Jun 20, 2018

Got my last Bike up to 130 but haven't got my new bike to 100 yet. I have a cruiser now and it's alot slower. Got to 95 the other day but ran out of straight road.

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Critter

· #12 · Jun 20, 2018

Unkle Krusty said:
. Just last week I posted ( How fast is your bike? 95, but will do the ton on Saturday night ) And I asked why is that. No takers as often happens.

UK

Didn't really think you where looking for an answer. One of two possible

1. Cooler air and the bike makes more power
or
2. A few beers and optimistic reading of the speedo.

Jo6pak

· #13 · Jun 21, 2018

100 mph? Now, that would be against the law....

I plead the fifth

Reactions: 1

DGS65

· #14 · Jun 21, 2018

I feel the need for speed!
I prefer to do it on the track in my car but I have not problem hitting triple digits on the bike as well.
It is a rush to open it up it's a whole other thing to do it knowing you have a hard right turn coming up at the end of the straightaway!

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Unkle Krusty

· #15 · Jun 21, 2018

Critter said:
Didn't really think you where looking for an answer. One of two possible

1. Cooler air and the bike makes more power
or
2. A few beers and optimistic reading of the speedo.

Wow. Correct on both counts. The cooler air is more dense as well.

UK

hogcowboy

· #16 · Jun 21, 2018

Ever since my very first bike that couldn't do triples downhill and with a tailwind, all the rest have had to prove they could. Got tickets in several states to prove I've been there as well unfortunately. It's getting harder to find a safe(r) place to do it these days. I noticed just recently that the place I like to open mine up now has cop patrolling randomly. I see a ticket in my future. The max I've done is 135mph on my BMW K100LT. Been tweaking the maps on my Indian but the max I'm getting with it is just 125 according to the GPS. That 135 was just the speedo but I still had 1 more gear. I just ran out of road and guts. My first Harley wouldn't do it stock but after much changing I finally got it to 105. That was a 85 Electra Glide. My next one would hit it but 110 was it's max. I do like to see what they can do. Still in break-in mode on my new truck but tried it a few weeks ago. What a fail. Speed limiter kicks in. Now in search for a tuner device to get into the brains of the thing and give it some guts. But I'll hold off until I get passed the break-in part. But I don't see much available in my limited searching. At least nothing as easy as my PVCX for my Indian. But looking none the less.

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Kiwi Steve

· #17 · Jun 21, 2018

old English, middle ages. A 'tun' was a barrel, or in other uses 100 cubic feet. The second use is how describing 100 as a ton (a later variation of the word), particularly 100 mph, came about.

There are three variations of the word - ton/tonne/short ton. One ton is 2240 lbs, a tonne is 1000 kilograms (2204 lbs) and a short ton is 2000 lbs.

In the 50s and 60s in England, the Rockers (those who rode motorbikes, greased their hair, wore leather jackets and listened to Rock 'n' Roll as opposed to the Mods who rode scooters, used hair spray, wore the most up to date fashionable clothes and listened to pop music) would meet at the Ace Cafe on the main road (the M1) north out of London. In those days, a 350 cc was a large bike, a 500 was a superbike, and very few bikes could do 100 mph/the ton. These Rockers would race from the Ace Cafe to some other point and back and there'd probably be much exclaiming that they'd done "the ton" in the process. To win these races the bike owners would remove any unneeded weight from the bike and these became known as Cafe racers.

In the early 60s there was a pop song titled "Just For Kicks" by Mike Sarne. This included the words:

If there's one thing that I like it's a burn up on my bike,
A burn up with a bird up on my bike
Now the M1 ain't much fun until you try and do the ton
A burn up on my bike, that's what I like

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Reactions: 2

skysearch0005

· #18 · Jun 21, 2018

Kiwi Steve said:
In the 50s and 60s in England, the Rockers (those who rode motorbikes, greased their hair, wore leather jackets and listened to Rock 'n' Roll as opposed to the Mods who rode scooters, used hair spray, wore the most up to date fashionable clothes and listened to pop music) would meet at the Ace Cafe on the main road (the M1) north out of London.

Wow, anyone else see the movie "Quadrophenia?" A young "Sting" starred in the movie (as a Mod) with the character name Ace Face; like the Ace Cafe you mentioned.

Oz

· #19 · Jun 21, 2018

Critter said:
Didn't really think you where looking for an answer. One of two possible

1. Cooler air and the bike makes more power
or
2. A few beers and optimistic reading of the speedo.

Beer goggles make the speedo faster, people more beautiful in bars, improves your karaoke voice, and encourages you to dance like Ben Vereen.

Cooler air gives a boost to older bikes that don't have the magic of ECUs. Modern technology takes air temp and altitude into account in providing instructions to your engine. Still, it only works within a range so if you have a choice, go for an optimal temp that is warm enough for tire traction but cool enough for rich oxygen.

As for the ton — it is a rush. Most modern sport bikes get there in less than 8 seconds, but it is a glorious 8 seconds with musical accompaniment by your air intake. :devil:

:devil:

Oz

· #20 · Jun 21, 2018

Unkle Krusty said:
Wow. Correct on both counts. The cooler air is more dense as well.

UK

Yes, cooler air is denser but not as dense as a street rider doing the ton. But that's not using the same unit of measure! :smile:

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