Remembers a time when cars couldn't keep up with motorcycles
Discussion
During my car history, I've had a number of cars, from Golf GTI's, Escort RS Turbo's to Sapphire Cosworths and Saab 900 T16 etc etc All different levels of performance, accelaration and comfort, and all got generally faster as the cars developed - but the one thing they were never able to do was keep up with a motorcycle.
Now I've had my C63 18 months, and don't bat an eyelid at overtaking a motorcycle, or even the racing off at the lights challenge
As anyone else now crossed this line?
Now I've had my C63 18 months, and don't bat an eyelid at overtaking a motorcycle, or even the racing off at the lights challenge

As anyone else now crossed this line?
MagicMike said:
During my car history, I've had a number of cars, from Golf GTI's, Escort RS Turbo's to Sapphire Cosworths and Saab 900 T16 etc etc All different levels of performance, accelaration and comfort, and all got generally faster as the cars developed - but the one thing they were never able to do was keep up with a motorcycle.
Now I've had my C63 18 months, and don't bat an eyelid at overtaking a motorcycle, or even the racing off at the lights challenge
As anyone else now crossed this line?
They're not racing you.Now I've had my C63 18 months, and don't bat an eyelid at overtaking a motorcycle, or even the racing off at the lights challenge

As anyone else now crossed this line?
Robb F said:
MagicMike said:
During my car history, I've had a number of cars, from Golf GTI's, Escort RS Turbo's to Sapphire Cosworths and Saab 900 T16 etc etc All different levels of performance, accelaration and comfort, and all got generally faster as the cars developed - but the one thing they were never able to do was keep up with a motorcycle.
Now I've had my C63 18 months, and don't bat an eyelid at overtaking a motorcycle, or even the racing off at the lights challenge
As anyone else now crossed this line?
They're not racing you.Now I've had my C63 18 months, and don't bat an eyelid at overtaking a motorcycle, or even the racing off at the lights challenge

As anyone else now crossed this line?
a C63 would probably follow a 400, a 600+ would leave you for dead, as for top sports bikes "what sports bikes"
You do have a point in there somewhere that, yes, cars are getting faster and some hypercars are now well into, and in some cases faster, than superbikes...
However, as has been already said, even a 600 sports bike would show you a back tyre relatively easily if they were trying. Taking nothing away from the Merc 6.2 engine though, it is bloody fast!!
However, as has been already said, even a 600 sports bike would show you a back tyre relatively easily if they were trying. Taking nothing away from the Merc 6.2 engine though, it is bloody fast!!
Not really true. Bikes are limited by the size of the rider's gonads, cars are only limited by the size of the driver's ego.
I had a Gold Wing once (original unfaired version) and a Fiat 124 Coupe kept trying to goad me, constantly. My acceleration repeatedly left him for dead but, much past 80 or 90 and the Wing was no Fireblade.
Similarly, I once rode through th Brecon Beacons on my CBR1000F (in the 90s) and a Cavalier flew by. I thought I'd give him a fly-by but he must have been hitting a ton at some points and, with slightly damp roads, only an idiot was going to engage so I didn't.
The reason I love bikes is not so much the ultimate speed but the ease with which you can overtake cars - that is where the advantage is crucial because flogging the engine means you have to stop for fuel, negating the advantage.
I had a Gold Wing once (original unfaired version) and a Fiat 124 Coupe kept trying to goad me, constantly. My acceleration repeatedly left him for dead but, much past 80 or 90 and the Wing was no Fireblade.
Similarly, I once rode through th Brecon Beacons on my CBR1000F (in the 90s) and a Cavalier flew by. I thought I'd give him a fly-by but he must have been hitting a ton at some points and, with slightly damp roads, only an idiot was going to engage so I didn't.
The reason I love bikes is not so much the ultimate speed but the ease with which you can overtake cars - that is where the advantage is crucial because flogging the engine means you have to stop for fuel, negating the advantage.
Your average rider can't get of the line for s
t. I would imagine the OP would "have" many bikers off the line. If they thought they were racing.
A decent rider would stick with him to 100 on a commuer bike though.
A 600+ would take the 60-130, but then unless your on a 1000cc bike the merc would put up a strong fight at higher speeds.
OP has a point (coming from a biker)
t. I would imagine the OP would "have" many bikers off the line. If they thought they were racing. A decent rider would stick with him to 100 on a commuer bike though.
A 600+ would take the 60-130, but then unless your on a 1000cc bike the merc would put up a strong fight at higher speeds.
OP has a point (coming from a biker)
Dave Hedgehog said:
Robb F said:
MagicMike said:
During my car history, I've had a number of cars, from Golf GTI's, Escort RS Turbo's to Sapphire Cosworths and Saab 900 T16 etc etc All different levels of performance, accelaration and comfort, and all got generally faster as the cars developed - but the one thing they were never able to do was keep up with a motorcycle.
Now I've had my C63 18 months, and don't bat an eyelid at overtaking a motorcycle, or even the racing off at the lights challenge
As anyone else now crossed this line?
They're not racing you.Now I've had my C63 18 months, and don't bat an eyelid at overtaking a motorcycle, or even the racing off at the lights challenge

As anyone else now crossed this line?
a C63 would probably follow a 400, a 600+ would leave you for dead, as for top sports bikes "what sports bikes"
Agree with what the others are saying. Unless you're racing slow bikes, they really aren't trying. There's no disputing that the C63 AMG is a monster but a friend of mine recently picked up a Kawasaki ZZR1400 - I was casually reading the stats on it the other day only to discover it would give a Veyron a hard time in a straight line sprint. And it probably cost less than a set of tyres does for a Veyron.
Did not expect that :|
Did not expect that :|
Jazoli said:
Dave Hedgehog said:
Robb F said:
MagicMike said:
During my car history, I've had a number of cars, from Golf GTI's, Escort RS Turbo's to Sapphire Cosworths and Saab 900 T16 etc etc All different levels of performance, accelaration and comfort, and all got generally faster as the cars developed - but the one thing they were never able to do was keep up with a motorcycle.
Now I've had my C63 18 months, and don't bat an eyelid at overtaking a motorcycle, or even the racing off at the lights challenge
As anyone else now crossed this line?
They're not racing you.Now I've had my C63 18 months, and don't bat an eyelid at overtaking a motorcycle, or even the racing off at the lights challenge

As anyone else now crossed this line?
a C63 would probably follow a 400, a 600+ would leave you for dead, as for top sports bikes "what sports bikes"
A decentish bike will demolish almost any car between about 30mph and 120mph. I don't know why car drivers take this so personally! A bike is pretty much just an engine plus two wheels - unless it has a gnats nut for an engine, it will be faster than a two ton saloon!
As a biker who also has supercars...
Getting my bikes off the line at MaxAccell is bloody hard. And you can kill yourself trying.
Getting a modern supercar, especially one with an automatic gearbox and launch control, off the line at MaxAccell is a case of ... oh.. pushing down your right foot hard. While adjusting your coiffure in the rear view mirror.
QED
Getting my bikes off the line at MaxAccell is bloody hard. And you can kill yourself trying.
Getting a modern supercar, especially one with an automatic gearbox and launch control, off the line at MaxAccell is a case of ... oh.. pushing down your right foot hard. While adjusting your coiffure in the rear view mirror.
QED
Naive question from a non biker; are there any bikes with 'launch control'? Or would such a mode be a quick path to a messy incident? I know that traction control is pretty standard these days. I was thinking that it's a simple path from there to add some accelerometers to help you figure out the weight transfer, maybe an electronic modulation mode for the clutch...
Jazoli said:
I ride a Fireblade (which isnt the quickest bike by a long chalk) and would be wary of a C63, they do 0-60 in under 4 seconds and the 1/4 mile in 12, which is as quick as many 600's and not far off litre bike figures, plus they are very easy to launch, I bet 90% of bike riders would be slower in a straight line.
I managed a 10.9sec quarter mile on my zx636r and I weigh over 200lbs, reckon a low 10 second run is possible for someone lighter and better than my ham-fisted rungfunk said:
Your silly! And your car is not as fast as a bike they are not trying.
I have an r1 and a 911 turbo the bike is on a different planet on performance.
And you only have a family car so there not trying.
I was tempted to do the grammar police on this one, but there is just so much fail I think I'll leave it to someone else. I have an r1 and a 911 turbo the bike is on a different planet on performance.
And you only have a family car so there not trying.

hairykrishna said:
Naive question from a non biker; are there any bikes with 'launch control'? Or would such a mode be a quick path to a messy incident? I know that traction control is pretty standard these days. I was thinking that it's a simple path from there to add some accelerometers to help you figure out the weight transfer, maybe an electronic modulation mode for the clutch...
The BMW HP4 is an electronics fest and includes some form of launch control if I remember correctly...I raced an aston martin of some reasonably quick description off the lights one morning when commuting down the north circ (several other motorcycles were involved too, it was an event that occured a couple of times a week)
Well, despite my quite humble little motorbike, I kept up quite happily.
A 1000 cc superbike (bought for £12,000 or so) will beat the pants off...mostly anything, in a straight line.
This being said, the motorcyclist must be careful with their initial launch. A car dosnt wheelie itself upside down!
Well, despite my quite humble little motorbike, I kept up quite happily.
A 1000 cc superbike (bought for £12,000 or so) will beat the pants off...mostly anything, in a straight line.
This being said, the motorcyclist must be careful with their initial launch. A car dosnt wheelie itself upside down!
Edited by thatdude on Friday 6th June 09:02
hairykrishna said:
Naive question from a non biker; are there any bikes with 'launch control'? Or would such a mode be a quick path to a messy incident? I know that traction control is pretty standard these days. I was thinking that it's a simple path from there to add some accelerometers to help you figure out the weight transfer, maybe an electronic modulation mode for the clutch...
Good question - the BMW s1000rr has a lot of fancy electronic gizmos which make launching relativly easy-peasy. The ducati panigale might also have similar systems (both bikes are reknowned for their high levels of electrickery)Since clutches are still manualy operated on motorcycles (that is, you pull a lever which pushes plates apart...a mechanical action) then there is no ECU-controlled clutch slipping (as far as I am aware!)
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