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Top speed

26K views 71 replies 40 participants last post by  DACataldo 
#1 ·
Here we go again..
I went on a discussion with a friend who told me that its impossible that the vn750 passes the 120mph barrier, because his mean streak doesn´t. I can swear I did 125/127mph on the 750, and I´m almost certain that the meanie can do even better.
Any opinions?:blah:
 
#2 ·
I've never ridden by bike beyond the speed limit. Did discover a software problem with my GPS though, it said 114 when I was going the speed limit. Hmmm.

120, if possible, is at the far end of our bike's capability. Want to go that fast? Get a sportsbike. 120 on a CBR 600 is 2nd or 3rd gear. And TAKE IT TO THE TRACK.
 
#19 ·
I guess I'm either a wuss or an old fart, but why do you need to go that fast?I'm personally not in that big a hurry and have nothing to prove.

"Because it's there."


George Leigh Mallory



(In March 1923, in an interview with The New York Times, the British mountaineer George Leigh Mallory was asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest, and replied, 'Because it's there'. The answer became famous, not least because Mallory himself was lost on Everest in the following year. It was sometimes suggested that he and his fellow-climber Andrew Irvine, who were last seen 'going strong for the summit', might in fact have reached it before their deaths, but there was no proof.

In May 1999, 75 years later, the body of George Mallory was found on Everest, and the press coverage surrounding the discovery focused again on Mallory's 'Because it's there' as a statement summarizing the mountaineer's reasons for climbing. )


Some folks , like me, just like to go fast....we are not "out to prove anything" we just like the feeling of excitement in moving along the earth as fast as we are able to go. With all things there are risks, but what is the point of life if you never take risks?
That cheeseburger you are shoving in your face may in fact be more dangerous than a 100+mph jaunt down a deserted highway.

Not saying it is something one should do all the time, but if you own a motorcyle and have never "see what she can do" you really just don't , and likely never will, get it.


KM
 
#11 ·
My meanstreak is definitely quicker than my vn750 up til say 100, the meanie is geared high so it may not pass 120 even downhill with a tail wind. Not sure about the vn750, never had it past 100, perhaps soon.

Jon
 
#12 ·
Not condoning anything, just engaging in a theoretical discussion here, but...

In most cars, top speed runs are done in the gear one down from top gear because top gear is a mileage gear that puts the RPM too low for the engine's power delivery to keep pulling as you accelerate. A heavy cruiser may be geared similarly.
 
#13 ·
Do you know how much horsepower does the meanstreak 1500?
1.-Maybe there´s a similar power to weight relation to the 750, proving that maybe beyond 100mph both behave similar but below 100mph the torque of the meanie gives better acceleration.
2.-I know for sure that at such high speeds aerodinamics play a stronger role than horsepower and both bikes sufer from poor aeros.
 
#17 · (Edited)
VN750_DawgsFan,

I tried a GPS on my bike last week for the first time (VERY DISTRACTING) and it said the speed with my stock tires was off by 9-12%. I'm planning on changing the front tire to the 110/90-19 just to try to make my speedo more accurate. 65 MPH on the speedo was actually about 57.5 MPH on the GPS.

Hopefully upping the size of the rear tire will bring down the RPMs a little too.

-Sloppy
 
#18 ·
Umm... I don't have a speedo on mine officer... I was just going with the flow of traffic!! Honest:beerchug:
 
#22 ·
I am an old fart also, but at that speed or close to it the feel of the rushing wind and the excitement is just great. I really only do it for short bursts, to much excitement could be bad for us old farts.
 
#27 · (Edited)
I have seen pver 100 a couple of times on mine and to be honest when ia m going that fast I am watchin where I am going and whats going on around me,I have the oversize tires and when i dared aglance down the other day i was above110 and it was tight so i backed down ,when 80 feels slow you have been going fast. The four of us ,1- Electra glide standard 1-VTX 1300 1-CBR100000RR-And one VN750 onn the four lane slab,We pulled on RT3 and i jacked mine up alittle and ran thru the gears,was felling pretty good til that red rocket went by me,Quickly.I settled down to aroind 70 and here comes these othe two on those big old baggers a thinkin they was bad ,well it all went down hill from there,I wanted toteach those other two V-twins that size really dont matterand took arunn at them and went bythem like they were tied up,caught the cbr and went around him,I asure you that was a very temporary situation,but then here come these other two bozos .like they were going to a fire and passed me again,I slowed down alittle and dropped agear and cranked it over eight grand before I shfted and went by those two,not to be caught again since Ted's house was a couple of miles down the road and watched him and that CBR play with me the rest of the way,After i left Ted's the other two stayed around awhile and Ted laughed at them for letting a 750 roast both of them and said it came up in conversation by the other two that that old kaw runs pretty good ,Robert thye one on the Electra glide said and Randy on the VTX said ,runs good nothing ,I looked down and was doing around 97 when he went around me and I couldn't catch him .Either one of those two should have outrun me on top end because they both have legs if they will hold it to 'em on the top end but they just ran out of time .115 would be a realistic expectation for top speed on Vn750 with some faster and some slower,the limitations of engine redline and gearing kinda sets the limit.... and if you ain't stepping up to th edge every now and then you are always taking up too much space
 
#32 ·
A Vulcan 750, stock tires, at the 8500rpm redline in 5th gear, will show the speedo just past the 140 on the speedometer. Therapy's previous owner did it on her, trying to keep up with his buddy between El Paso and Van Horn on the way back to San Antonio well before I bought her; he's 6'2", and at the time weighed about 220. He's not one known to exaggerate. He said he was into reserve when they stopped after 75 miles to refuel; she took on 3.2 gallons. He also said that getting from ~7K to 8500 in 5th took awhile.

He also said once was enuff...

With the 170/80-15 rear tire, it'd prolly do close to 140mph actual. Fastest I've ever had her was 128 indicated, with the stock sized tires, once; since she's had the fairing mounted, she's been to 116 with the bigger tires, once. With the old V-Force shield, she was solid as a rock; with the fairing and hardbags, she starts feelin' just a tad light in the front end at 110. FWIW, I rarely run more than 5 over the speed limit, maybe 10 if I'm passing a slow mover; the fairing has a Vne sticker of 90mph for a reason, anyway.

The Meanstreaks have a rev limiter, IIRC; the 750, AFAIK, doesn't.

YMMV

Jim
 
#33 ·
#37 ·
125 mph

I went that fast once......amd ended up in another time warp with Klingons and Smurfs who wanted to kill me. I didnt go there again.

How could you ever think about going 125? I havent been over 80! Just the thought of me trying to put loose skin back on in pain while my gf is screaming at me makes me not want to do that.
 
#41 ·
How could you ever think about going 125? I havent been over 80! Just the thought of me trying to put loose skin back on in pain while my gf is screaming at me makes me not want to do that.

First off I would not suggest making top speed runs with your girl freind behind you..or anyone else for that matter.

Again I need to point out that speed is relative and how one reacts to it subjective.

I can honestly believe that those who now consider themselves to be "old farts" have just got to a point in their life where , to be perfectly blunt...are just afraid ..........of death (or pain) so much more than they were when young that they can not fathom going 3 digit speeds.
Some like me and Old Dog likely feel that life is short and anything that makes you feel more alive or gives you a thrill is a good thing. We don't let fear rule us, we actualy see it as a challange.

But those that now say they have no desire to go over 80 mph now , may not be telling the truth when they say they "never would go that fast" when several admited that "when they were young and foolish" they did exactly that.
I think it is basic human nature to explore the bounderies one has access to, and when someone says they "never" have done something most times they mean " I no longer would do that". I think when we all were young we did ..and it was not because we were foolish, but because we had less fear and a stronger sence of curiostity.

I also have to point out that many "old farts" are new to riding and if you have not grown up with motorcycles you will have a different perspective to start with.
When I first rode my very first motorcycle, I remember quite clearly how terrified I felt just going 40 mph for the first time. Without the cage of metal around you and being able too see the ground under your feet whiz by tends to make anyone feel a bit apprehensive, even at sub light speeds.

I do have to point out to Marine and others that being that unprotected as one is on a bike, that once you reach a certain speed, you can't really believe you are any safer than if you were going faster. To this I mean if you mess up or get nailed on the highway going 70-80 mph, you will die just as quickly if you were going 100. To be quite honest here, if you hit a road sign at 45 mph your chance of survival is pretty much the same as hitting it at 120. (that is if you hit it head first)

I should also point out that most accidents occour at speeds under 40 mph, and that when one is going "fast" they tend to be completely focused on their riding...which tends to make them safer riders...not the opposite.

Next of course you have to trust your machine. Odd and weird things can begin to happen as you approach the century mark. Imperfections in the suspension will be exaggerated, and of course your aerodynamics can cause all sorts of problems. "Cruiser" style bikes were designed to, well, cruise , not break land speed records. Even if the engine has the potential power to go 120, that does not mean the bike itself is up to the task. If you have any concerns about the reliability of your scooter you are wise not to push it....or at least get gain some understanding as this would just be something to add to the "fear factor" one might have going exceedingly fast.

The fastet I have ever been on the street was about 136 mph, and that is on the FJR not the Vulcan. Fastest on the Vulcan was an indicated 120..but was clocked at 111 on radar.
But I have likely gone faster on a track. Back int he late seventies I got to take a TZ750 race bike around the track for a few laps. I never count this only because the bike did not have a speedometer, and I have no real idea how fast I got on it...I was fairly petrified the entire time. I do know that the run down the 1/3 of a mile straightaway seemed to take about 2 seconds...or at least twice as soon as my bike.

I know Kenny Roberts TZ routinely hit 189 on the staights..but this was not a TZ with gobbs of money thrown at it, but a "Stock" unit. Still , it was fast.

The Point here again is if you spent part of your life on a bike going over 100 mph on a fairly routine basis, you tend to have a completely different perspective than some "old fart" that is totaly new to motorcycles that tends to like "cruisers" and has some real fears about their abiltiy to heal broken bones at their age.


I don't mind if you go slow, just don't call me "crazy" cause I don't, and do me a favor when we meet up on the road, wave and smile back , but get out of my way.


KM
 
#38 ·
ive never gone past 80 on my bike.
but seriously, if you got the guts to want to peg your car, whats different from pegging your bike? yes there is a cage around you, but at speeds excess of 100, your car aint gonna do squat to protect you.
really its about having a good time, if riding a fast speeds is what it means to have a good time then go for it. if just enjoying the ride regardless of your speed is what is a good time, then there ya go.
 
#39 ·
I guess I'm with the other old farts - I'm not in a hurry to get anywhere.
But when I was young and dumb and full....... I had a '71 Honda 750 with a big bore kit, Archer CD ignitions, 4 into 1 Hooker, a 102mm Lake Injector and a brand new set of Dunlops. Needless to say, it was quick enough to kick every Z1 around as well as my friends H2.
This particular Friday night I was taken with the idea that I was 10 feet tall and bulletproof and decided to find out where top end was. I went out to the local "Bonneville Flats" where everyone tested everything and went through the gearbox.
I was on a slight downhill at 133 (and a bit left to twist) when the old spokes decided to sing their song (Honda didn't have mags in '71) and I felt the handlebars startin' to quiver and my gut tightened. In a split second I heard the words of a bike racing buddy in my head reminding me the only way out of a speed shake is to power out. I nailed 4th with a handful of throttle and waited for the valve springs to go through the cover. The speed shake left and so did most of the blood from my face. I pulled off the road about 1/2 mile later and decided that someone else would have to find top end.
Thus began my journey into Old Fartsdom at the age of 20.....
 
#40 ·
Yeah, some folks are faster learners. Some never do.
 
#47 ·
lol yeah ok. unless you modified the gear ratio I aint believing it, especially "still having throttle". Thanks for the entertainment tho.:smiley_th
 
#44 ·
The highest my "gps" said was about 110 and she was screaming at that. 125/27mph on a VN? Not sure I'm buying it. I think certainly these bikes could do it and maybe even a little more with a 6th gear. I think realistically 115 is probably the most you're gonna get out of it without major parts flying' out from between your legs cuz you're gonna be into the red zone. Even 110 is very impressive for these little 750's especially since they're not outfitted with sport bike fairings and aren't aerodynamic at all.
 
#46 ·
I'll take your word for it KM, I'm not crazy enough to try it. But did push just over 100 and that was riding two up, or so my Tom-Tom said one day. Didn't stay there long, just want to see if it would do it.
 
#48 · (Edited)
I should point out for those that Don't Get It....the speedometer is about 10% off. So if it says you're going 130 mph.... You are in fact only going 117 mph.

The only way the Vulcan can do an honest 130mph, for those seeking death and destruction, is downhill with a stiff backwind and the tach pegged past the redline. Considering how light the front gets at 110 mph, you'd be an idiot to try.
 
#49 ·
Not entirely true, KM, depends on your front tire size. Mine is only about 1 mph off at 60mph indicated. My GPS's says 59, used two different GPS to check the speed. Now this is with a MT-66 up front. With the Brigdestone S-11 it was reading 3 mph faster that the GPS, or about 5% off. Again that was at 60, and at 130 it would be off a bit more I think. With the front tire, size matters.
 
#52 · (Edited)
Yeah the bigger tire will help with speedo accuracy but the engine's most likely comin apart in short order pushing it over 110. Plus I agree with KM and found mine to be skittish at and over 100. Stock front tire but I don't think the bigger size would have helped much. My small windshield may have added to the behavior but not that much. Again, aerodynamically it isn't set up for doing that a lot, fun as it is. I'm happy the little pumper can hold 80-90 long term. I'd never want to run louder pipes on it though because of frequent highway travel and the high revs.
 
#54 ·
A properly tuned VN 750 will give you all the speed and then some that you need for normal travel and for those that are beyond normal it will do some of that also. Believe it or not I have had mine over the 85 mark also even if some that have been on rides with me doubt the statement. I am glad I do not need that extra top end but what the heck, I still want a 106 ci, 6 speed Victory. I guess it is like when you go out. You don't need to be with the hottest looking woman in the place but why the heck not go for it anyway. Hot bikes and hot women are similar in that there are times when you just have to hang on and go along for the ride.
 
#56 ·
I'm just happy that the VN can haul my bulk at a comfortable speed and still have enough in reserve to tap if necessary.

I just ride to enjoy a ride at a leisurely pace.

It'll be there when I get there. If it's not, there's nothing I can do about it anyway.

Now, if i could just get all these other people off my road so that they're not trying to run me over I'd be set.

Lots of teenagers out this way in daddy's unnecessarily gigantic pickups that haven't yet grasped just how quickly the illusion of control can disappear.
 
#58 ·
This is a lot of interest in a thread with an OP that is seven years old.

I have mentioned in several threads over the years that mathematically the gear ratios give the vn750 a speed of 14.52 mph for every 1k rpm.
8.5 k rpm redline equals approx. 123 mph theoretical possible top speed.

Link to equation to calculate gear speeds. Motorcycle Safety Site
I do not have my manual handy to give you the gear ratios right now, but you can look them up.

Two summers ago I changed out my OEM size 100/90-19 front tire for a 110/90-19, which theoretically brings the speedo reading almost to the true speed traveled.

Riding on a newly repaved beautifully smooth 2 lane highway with virtually no traffic, I had my 750 up to a ton or a little more indicated speed on a windless day. At the time I weighed about 300 lb and had no windshield on the scoot. I had the throttle twisted to the stop for a few miles to get there and was slowly picking up speed as I continued. With a small windshield on I may have held her wide open for a couple of more minutes, but it was getting to be a bit of a struggle holding on.

I have a big windshield on now and have lost 45 pounds or so. I may try for my personal best top speed again next summer with a new tire on the rear too.
 
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