Topic: Found out the top speed of my 550 yesterday.

[Brandotheamazing]

Well first off, I know that it was irresponsible. I got pulled over at 108 after riding down towards pacifica. Decided to lay into it as hard as possible just for fun, on a (what i thought was empty) stretch of freeway, well the bike felt great, pulled realy REALY hard. and then, with the tach needle bouncing around, and the speedo not realy telling me how fast i was going, i notice i blasted past a cop, with a gun. well, i just slowed it down so's not to cause a radio chase. and pulled over, cop caught up, pulled behind me. Asked if i knew why he pulled me over i respond "i was going way to fast". he said 108!, what year is that, and 500 or 550? i answer 76 550, he said he owned one in 77 and that they shouldn't have been going that fast back then, and to kick it down a notch for my own safety. He didn't even ask for my licsence or anything, he just seemed realy happy to see an old beaten bike doing what it was designed for.

[Stev-o]

Awesome!!

[Spanner 1]

The chances of the above story being true are about 100,000 to 1.... but then Truth is always stranger than fiction.... I think.

[betterthanurs916]

Pretty cool, I haven't had my 550F all the way out of breath on the top end...but I've definitely had the needle pointing at triple digits.  Cool to know that they'll do it. Do you feel like it had any more in it than that?

I have a similar story...I was doing 95 on an off-season industrial district's service road that is super wide and straight for big trucks.  No traffic at all with 1 cop playing the "shooting fish in a barrel" game since everyone goes back there to speed around and drag race when the plant is shut down.  This was on my old SV650 Suzuki before it got annihilated by a Hyundai.  He told me I was stupid and hoped he didn't see me again...then let me go.

[Brandotheamazing]

Well, it is true, i wish it was 115, but it wasn't. anywho, it had no more, i'd been in it for a while in top gear, and that was it. i'm just stoked on the fact that a totally beaten and neglected machine could (with just minimal work) run like that. Carbs were serviced and jetted for open exaust (no baffle) and i put a stock air box on it, replaced the points, set the timing to 2 degrees advanced from stock. and just beat on it. it sits outside in the rain and wetness.... i'm realy way more impressed with this machine than i thought i would be. can't wait to get my hands on a 750. This bike loves being wide open in the high revvs, thru redline (i know i'll kill it, but i'm building a motor currently so i'm not worried about it)

I realy thought i was going to lose the bike and liscense (permit) when i got stopped, i probably should have, guess i did something good recently i was getting payed back for.

[famoussas1]

Ton up! cool story.  i dont think my 550 would do over 90 mph, but maybe it would...guess I'm curious just not that curious. if I was on a closed street and some professional driver was on it, i'd love to know what it does.  got more balls than me haha.

[fastbroshi]

  I had my '77 550 up to an indicated 105, and that was with my Dunflop d404 front tire up one size, not sure how much that would affect the real world diameter.  It felt like it had MAYBE another 5mph in it. 

  The 550s really like to be revved.  Like speeding in/on anything you have to pick your spots if you wanna do it.

[Fritz]

On my 550F (stock airbox and exhaust) I hit the ton once or twice a week on the Autobahn. Fortunately, we don't need to fear for speed tickets over here
Topping out, the tacho indicates about 105mph/170kmh @ 8k and something (the speedo bounces quite a lot)
This is my first riding season - never owned a bike before. But I never felt uncomfortable at this speed. Spent a lot of time to make sure that I don't have to:
New wheel bearings, rims, spokes, tires, springs (front and rear), chain and sprockets. Overhauled the brakes, checked the triple trees and frame for cracks and torqued everything to specs.
I really love this bike and it feels so good to know that I can do nearly everything on my own to keep it running like it does now.

[Toxic]

I believe you but if you were in my area, I'd be calling BS.  NO Way you would get away with that in Canada.  Suspended license and a $5000 fine for sure. If you are 36 miles over the posted speed limit it's called "street racing" period, no flexibility at all.

Don't ya just love Canada.

[domer]

Well first off, I know that it was irresponsible. I got pulled over at 108 after riding down towards pacifica. Decided to lay into it as hard as possible just for fun, on a (what i thought was empty) stretch of freeway, well the bike felt great, pulled realy REALY hard. and then, with the tach needle bouncing around, and the speedo not realy telling me how fast i was going, i notice i blasted past a cop, with a gun. well, i just slowed it down so's not to cause a radio chase. and pulled over, cop caught up, pulled behind me. Asked if i knew why he pulled me over i respond "i was going way to fast". he said 108!, what year is that, and 500 or 550? i answer 76 550, he said he owned one in 77 and that they shouldn't have been going that fast back then, and to kick it down a notch for my own safety. He didn't even ask for my licsence or anything, he just seemed realy happy to see an old beaten bike doing what it was designed for.

did you say Pacifica? as in P-town CA? This cant be true... no pacifica cop pulls someone over and lets em go.... cant be the same pacifica....

[Anti-Johnny]

Ive been pulled over several times, in a car, while topping it out on a "deserted stretch" of Texas Road. Never gotten a speeding ticket though. Seems that most the time if they can tell you arent a hoodlum they give you a scolding, with a smirk, and let you go.

Of course the only ticket I have gotten was for a rolling stop at 3am in no traffic, so I may just be lucky.

[jdubb1977]

i believe it.  i rode sport bikes for years here in SoCal.  pulled over plenty of times for speeding, but only got a fix it ticket once for my exhaust being too loud.  i even had a motorcycle cop come zipping up next to me at a stop light, reach over, and turn my bike off.  yikes!  he was pretty upset (i was going fast!), but let me go w/ just a warning.  cops are more concerned w/ us killing ourselves, over hurting anybody else. 

[Toxic]

Like I said " I wanna live in your world not mine"

Can't wait til I move to Phoenix.  No more winters and 12 months of riding.

[Thunder]

A couple of years ago i was on a Cb900 DOHC, and the cops were on the 750 zephyrs. I pulled up next to one at the robots and revved, and when the light went green he took off like a bat outta hell, so i gave chase over about 20k's of winding road. I knew after some of the illegal overtaking maneuvers he did we were racing .
Never caught him, but he turned around way ahead of me and headed back the way we had come, giving a wave as he passed.
Was very cool.

[misfitspy]

Awesome story. Same thing happen to me sorta back in High School when I was in my 68 Camaro. Cop caught me racing an 85 GT Mustang and stopped to see who won.

[Duke McDukiedook]

Never admit to speeding to the officer that pulled you over, you basically admit guilt at that point.
That's why they all ask you the question.

[domer]

if he is talking about the same Pacifica i spent most of my life in, it is where old cops go to be pissy hard asses till they die. and where the academy sends rookies that no one else wants to deal with. i got pulled over for a burnt out plate light on my bone stock 63 4 dr nova, cop pulls me over, and before he gets out 2 more cars surrond me like im gonna run. took 4 cars to pull over my 83 year old grandma for doing 30 in a 25. ive never gotten a ticket anywhere put pacifica, they even gave me one for a "Obstructing my rear view mirror" for having a big ass independent sticker in the back window of my truck... Love the town, hate the PD.

[DavePhipps]

Remember.
You meet the nicest people on a honda

[singedebile]

great story!

[Brandotheamazing]

I wasn't in pacifica when I got pulled over, I think I was in daly city. And I think I was on 35 where its freeway, but I realy don't know for sure, I can go back and check, I was just cruising. But I have been pulled over in pacifica for a tail light out on my (new york plated) 1990 camry wagon. The cop wasn't to keen on me having a cali lisc and a ny car. But ended up with a fixit an nothin else, but he held me there for 45 min.

PLEASE! More cool "didn't get the ticket" stories!

[thehammer]

I'd say it was stupid to ride a bike like that you describe as beaten on.

These are air cooled motors made from cheap pot aluminum. Now I hate to rain on this parade, cause I must say that is impressive, but we all know that being on a bike as the engine siezes up is more than a little different than being in a car.

Much time and money should be spent on bikes meant to go that fast . . .

Sincerely,
Debbie Downer

[bwaller]

I'd say it was stupid to ride a bike like that you describe as beaten on.

These are air cooled motors made from cheap pot aluminum. Now I hate to rain on this parade, cause I must say that is impressive, but we all know that being on a bike as the engine siezes up is more than a little different than being in a car.

Much time and money should be spent on bikes meant to go that fast . . .

Sincerely,
Debbie Downer

   Killjoy   

[Stev-o]

C'mon Debbie, was that really necessary?

Like you've never did something that could have been a little careless???

[bender01]

Like you've never did something that could have been a little careless???
 Like one more downer? And then the sharpies came out!!
 Ive had my 550 to 100 but i think its more like 90. I start thinking about the mechanic(me) thats been working on it and how intoxicated hes been while servicing it.. Slows me down everytime.

[saltfuture]