What is Your Sustained Highway Speed?
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,616
Likes: 1,613
From: Eastern Ohio
With the ol lady on the back. 5 over the speed limit on highways. We primarily ride 2 lanes 55mph when traveling. We both hate riding on the highway.
If alone, I speed everywhere on the bike. 10-15 over whatever the speed limit is. If I'm really running late, I'll make up some time. Last spring when the apprentices were graduating, I was running late. I knocked 9 minutes off of a 40 minute drive. Triple digits sustained, peaked at 120mph, held that for 3 miles. Bike did very well.
2012 FLTRXSE
If alone, I speed everywhere on the bike. 10-15 over whatever the speed limit is. If I'm really running late, I'll make up some time. Last spring when the apprentices were graduating, I was running late. I knocked 9 minutes off of a 40 minute drive. Triple digits sustained, peaked at 120mph, held that for 3 miles. Bike did very well.
2012 FLTRXSE
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 11,226
Likes: 3,049
From: St.Louis Mo.
I normally run the speed limit or 5 over. I am in no hurry to get anywhere anymore in my old age. Looking around me and enjoying the ride now days.
I'll be there when i get there!
I'll be there when i get there!
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2024
Posts: 245
Likes: 211
From: TX
Reason I am asking. Coming back from visiting my sister-in-law and her husband in Deep East Texas. As far as you can get before going into Cajun Land. 110 miles west back home. Deer country. One hundred foot tall pine trees though the National Forest. Like a two lane pine tree ally. 9:00pm. Already seen 3 deer. Thought I was doing good. 80 85 mph. Came up behind a pickup Looked in my rear view. All I saw was headlight. Where did that come from? Pulled out to pass. Rider passed me with a passenger onboard and pickup in a blur. Mind you. I am riding my 2018 Ultra. 107 CI. Because came up from nowhere. I decided out of curiosity to see how fast he was running. By that time he was 400 yards ahead of me. 80,85,90,95,100mph. Before I could keep up. Tracked them for about 5 miles And. He did not let up.. Let em go on their way. Got more guts than me. Any riders I seen run like that were 1%. I will maybe run like that on the Super Slab. I am just a old geezer. Sorry for the long post that does not mean anything.
Everything motorcycle-related (everything in life, I guess) is a ratio of risk to reward. What you wear, how you ride, when you ride, etc. 100+ mph at night might be* daring and invigorating, and you will reach your destination faster, but whether the risk is worth it depends on the individual.
I try and balance that R2R ratio so that I can enjoy riding for many years to come while the riding itself is still enjoyable.
Last edited by aharleyrider; Mar 24, 2025 at 11:12 AM.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,773
Likes: 1,803
From: Newnan, GA
Last edited by Mongo1958; Mar 24, 2025 at 11:27 AM.
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 897
Likes: 539
From: Central NY
75 or so on the highway, honestly, I'm just not in that much of a hurry. I don't ride at all at night, except for maybe twice because I had to, the herds of deer around here are nuts early in the morning and right after dark.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 3,855
Likes: 1,003
From: Southern Virginia
On the highway just 3 or 4 over the limit. I will admit the 114 I picked up recently seems to like higher speeds more than the 2010 Ultra I used to have. I try not to ride at night because around here deer are everywhere. I ran over a ground hog once doing 55 and it kept stable, but stuff that's big enough to feed a family usually hurts. If I have to ride at night I usually don't go much over 45 and slow down a good bit on turns and blind hills.
Shoot even during the day I've encountered deer. One Sunday afternoon coming back from Church a doe started out and must have heard my pipes because she turned around and went back. She was so close to me when she turned I could hear her hooves scraping the asphalt.
Shoot even during the day I've encountered deer. One Sunday afternoon coming back from Church a doe started out and must have heard my pipes because she turned around and went back. She was so close to me when she turned I could hear her hooves scraping the asphalt.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 157,525
Likes: 57,081
From: Michigan 15 Minutes East Of Hell
Typically keep to the speed limit, +/- 5mph. I imagine most people ride based on conditions - weather, traffic, time of day. Middle of Wyoming in the day, I25, little traffic? You can go as fast as you want. Wouldn't recommend that riding I95 around NYC, though.
Everything motorcycle-related (everything in life, I guess) is a ratio of risk to reward. What you wear, how you ride, when you ride, etc. 100+ mph at night might be* daring and invigorating, and you will reach your destination faster, but whether the risk is worth it depends on the individual.
I try and balance that R2R ratio so that I can enjoy riding for many years to come while the riding itself is still enjoyable.
Everything motorcycle-related (everything in life, I guess) is a ratio of risk to reward. What you wear, how you ride, when you ride, etc. 100+ mph at night might be* daring and invigorating, and you will reach your destination faster, but whether the risk is worth it depends on the individual.
I try and balance that R2R ratio so that I can enjoy riding for many years to come while the riding itself is still enjoyable.