Originally Posted by
CliffordK
The experienced riders will judge a situation before getting to it. And, presumably mostly have control over their bike. Of course, there are young riders who may choose to ride far too fast in the wrong situations.
However, stopping distances increase with speed... non-linearly. So, a rider might be able to stop on a dime at 10 MPH, but it can take 30 or 40 feet at 30 MPH... on a good surface.
This is more or less theoretical for a car, but the idea is the same. The faster you go, the further it takes to stop, and it is non linear.
Physics / Conservation of Energy
There is also reaction time, which this doesn't take into account. Perhaps the experienced riders react a bit quicker (but still not instantaneously).
I will keep my bike under 100 mph on all MUPs. (sorry for the sarcasm, I'm just an a-hole)
30 to 40 feet... that is a very short distance. I have had the opportunity to bring my bike to a stop from speeds over 30 mph (on roads, with cars causing me to stop). It is shocking how little space it takes to stop a bike.
Experience goes way beyond stopping distance or stopping reaction. Other factors, looking up the road (not starring at your front wheel) to identify issues and blind-spots well ahead of time. Also maneuvering, you can steer your bike around an issue, in addition to braking. These are things many inexperienced riders are not doing. And "inexperienced rider" has nothing to do with age, I see far too many inexperienced riders that are baby boomers (old enough to know better)