The Ton

[Skub]

It used to be a rite of passage for those of a certain age. I still recall the first time I saw the big number on a bike speedo.

None of my 250s did the magic number,not even down a steep hill,so it was 1975 on an air cooled RD350 Yam before I joined the ton up boys!

I was two up on the M2 and slowly the speedo crawled from 90 to the magic number,then I saw the grey meat wagon not far ahead. I was nearly there and couldn't bring myself to roll off after building all that hard earned momentum. Nose between the clocks,I shot past the Landrover,hit the triple digit and slowed off to 70. The police wagon pulled alongside and when I cautiously glanced over expecting the 'pull over' signal,the peeler wagged his finger at me,then drove on. It took a bit more to get a ticket then. I kinda miss those telling off sessions,camera vans don't have the same character at all:

Since even little puddle jumper cars will easily do 100mph now,it's no longer a thing,but 200 is achievable on a modern sportsbike,so is there a double ton up boys club? Is that now a rite of passage,or just a ticket to collecting Bubba's soap?

[Mr. Dazzle]

Have to say....I'm quite looking forward to seeing if I can get the Bonneville running well enough to actually attempt the tonne without fear of it blowing up.

I honestly don't know if that will ever happen, but its a nice goal. My FiL used to take up that high almsot every time he rode it. I've had it to 80ish and it didn't feel too wayward.

[weeksy]

Depends if we're talking actual or clock, I'm sure the Busa I rode saw 322kph on the clocks, but I'd bet it was closer to 175-180 in reality.

These days I may hit 100 on a good day but it's rare.

[Skub]

Have to say....I'm quite looking forward to seeing if I can get the Bonneville running well enough to actually attempt the tonne without fear of it blowing up.

I honestly don't know if that will ever happen, but its a nice goal. My FiL used to take up that high almsot every time he rode it. I've had it to 80ish and it didn't feel too wayward.

It takes an old bike before you realise the ton was special. My 10R had a tall first gear and it would show 104 before the redline. Speed is an easy thing on a reasonably modern bike.

[Skub]

Depends if we're talking actual or clock, I'm sure the Busa I rode saw 322kph on the clocks, but I'd bet it was closer to 175-180 in reality.

These days I may hit 100 on a good day but it's rare.

On the clock was good enough for us back then.

[Nidge]

Have to say....I'm quite looking forward to seeing if I can get the Bonneville running well enough to actually attempt the tonne without fear of it blowing up.

Oi! It’ll be an imperial ton- none of that metric tonne nonsense!

[Mr. Dazzle]

I did think that as I typed it

[Yorick]

When I was 19 I bought a ex race RD250. That did the ton.

[Mr. Dazzle]

My first 'proper' bike I had when I was 17, a Honda CB-1 restricted to 33bhp, would do an indicated ton. I even hit the 180kph (about 110mph) restrictor on a downhill stretch of the A34. The restriction was based on the speedo though....

I doubt it would be as fast now with an extra 15kg of me to drag around

[MingtheMerciless]

“We’ve been doing over a 140 since Gatwick trying to catch you” said the copper as my KR1-S and their Jag cooled down in the Happy Eater lay-by at Hooley. The only reason I’d backed off was the KR had started to properly overheat after the M23/M25 junction.

Luckily VASCAR had only got me a 98.7 so it was a stern talking too, 3 points and £40.

The GSXR 1000 hit the speed limiter in 5th and 6th, much to my annoyance, as my mates fiddled with 12R left me for dead on the Polegate bypass.

[KungFooBob]

At 17 I was riding an NS125R, which wouldn't get anywhere near. I bought a CBR400RR Tri-Arm and hit 120 first time out.

The Guzzi V7 I sold to buy the GSXR wouldn't hit a Ton with me on it, my old NC700X would show an indicated 107.

I saw an indicated 190 on a ZX9 once on a dead M180. I saw 180 a fair bit on my Blade, but it was a tooth off at the front so the speedo read higher than normal.

[Yorick]

I once put my Satnav on the clocks at Bedford Aerodrome while instructing there.

It showed 186 MPH on the 1Km straight.

[The Spin Doctor]

400-F, newly opened section of the M20 towards Swanley, probably 1979. I remember it feeling a little... wayward.

Are there half-marks for 150? On my FZ750 on a road in Belgium that cut straight through a military area, so big fences either side for a couple of miles. I just about got the FZ up over 150 on the speedo by getting flat on the tank, tucking elbows and knees and folding the mirrors in - that was good for almost 10 mph...

...the bad news was that I was so focused on the last few mph... 147... 148..... 149........ 150......... I almost didn't see the corner at the end of the straight come up. I don't think I've ever braked so hard without locking the front and falling off!

[Horse]

It takes an old bike before you realise the ton was special. My 10R had a tall first gear and it would show 104 before the redline. Speed is an easy thing on a reasonably modern bike.

My mate's Triumph T100 500cc twin. A3, downhill. Bent handlebars. Bouncing, rattling, roaring. Speedo wavering wildly from 80 up to 120. But, from the tacho - The Ton.

Next time, Honda 400Four on the M3. WhirrWhizBoring.

[Mr. Dazzle]

My mate's Triumph T100 500cc twin. A3, downhill. Bent handlebars. Bouncing, rattling, roaring. Speedo wavering wildly from 80 up to 120. But, from the tacho - The Ton.

Yeah I'm gonna cable tie and old phone running a GPS app to the bars when I see what I can do on the Bonnie

[Mussels]

On a bike my big target was 140, double the limit.
On a pushbike my target is 50, I've managed 45 a few times but couldn't hit the magic number.

[Yorick]

On a bike my big target was 140, double the limit.
On a pushbike my target is 50, I've managed 45 a few times but couldn't hit the magic number.

One of the girls in the Ironman hit 51 according to my speedo

[v8-powered]

Passed my test on a TZR125, jumped straight on a CBR400R Tri-arm and pinned it down the bypass - felt like a rocketship and easily surpassed the magic number

[JackyJoll]

Yeah I'm gonna cable tie and old phone running a GPS app to the bars when I see what I can do on the Bonnie

The other thing that’s pretty accurate and cheap is a pushbike speedo triggered by a magnet on the front wheel.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

My first indicated ton was on my X7 with Microns and K&Ns, it holed a piston as it hit 105mph, probably the most exciting ton I've done as it wasn't the most stable of bikes.

Just for Spin, my first FZ750 would easily indicate 150mph, it was a completely standard 1987 bike, dunno what my current one will do as I haven't had it flat out, but I think it's slower than the first one, but it is hauling round an extra 4 stone of flab.