Hi and commuting via M40/Westway

[qaf]

Hi all. New around here but not new to motorcycling and a bit of an old git. I haven’t had a bike on the road for about 9 years, last of which was a CBR600RR and used for everything from commuting to track days to hooning around.

I recently moved house to Oxon/Bucks border and, post Covid, will have to start travelling into London (Euston) for work again. I previously got the train in from Watford but I’m now thinking of getting another bike for the commute mainly cos using the train from here would be long winded and expensive.

Things have changed a lot since I last commuted which leads me to my question for anyone that commutes into London via the M40/Westway…. Just how painful is the bit between the Polish War Memorial and Paddington with the average speed cameras? Last time I used that road it was a 70 limit most of the way so being forced to do 30/40 mph for 11+ miles could be a deal breaker for me.

Thanks for reading if you got this far and tia

[Easy-X]

Might be worth the time and money to hire a bike and try the journey out while. 40 mph average speed cameras sound depressing. That's a mostly triple carriageway stretch all the way to Euston

The justification is that one year there were ~60 deaths and they expect to reduce that down to ~40. Here's some news: close the road and you can have zero deaths! I'm sick of this "hair-shirts for all" and "all human life is sacred" crap
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Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[The Tot]

You could still filter which is still a time saver. It's the same with the north circular etc. A lot of these speed restrictions are also down to the emissions regulations that London are putting in.

Put it this way, the M1 and Bedford is 50-60mph constantly. Likewise, where I'm living at the moment in the Forest of Dean, to get past Newport on the M4, there's a 5 mile stretch that's a 50mph on a motorway!

I'd say, as much as it might pain you, a CBR500R or a Ninja 400 (be disappointed here, it's not the ZXR400L / H of old) will probably be your ideal commuting tool.

They can do 90-105mph just fine if you need to on the motorways whilst maintaining 60mpg, and when you're in the 40mph zone from the Polish War Memorial, you'd still be making up time whilst not burning a hole in your pocket with the fuel consumption.

I used to get 200 miles on my Gloucester - Bristol commute on my CBR500. All of that from a 15L tank!

It's NOT as bad as you think. Probably adds about another 5 minutes tops by the time you get to Acton and another 5 minutes once your over Ladbroke Grove.
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[MarJay]

[Easy-X]

[Kris]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq8Da-emhSo

Get a narrow bike
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NSR125RR - ZXR750H1 - ZX9R E1 - GSF600S - GSF600SK3 - VFR400-NC30 - SV1000N - ST1100-R - CBR900RR-R - GSF1200SK5 - GSF600SK1 - VFR1200FA - GSXR1000K2 - ZZR1400 D8F
www.prisonplanet.com

[The Tot]

[Easy-X]

Fuck maths and physics, think engineering Peak efficiency for a petrol engine is cruising nicely at 60~70mph in top gear.

That being said, all the pollutants are dumped in the atmosphere on the acceleration so a smooth continuous 40mph would be better than stop-start 60mph.
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Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[yen_powell]

Which way do the average speed cameras face, makes a difference if you're on a bike.
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Blackmail is a nasty word........but not as nasty as phlegm!
XT1200Z and a DR350 in bits

[hellkat]

Yeah that slope at the Paddington Green flyover is a proper bitch to filter up
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[MCN]

Filtering occasionally is fine.
But for a commute it's stressful and if not stressful then you're not doing it right.

Too many variables to consider to be safe 100% of the time. One prick changes lanes and you can collect a door.
I do filter like a Boss when the opporchancity presents but it's not ever day in day out.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[hellkat]

Can't really afford to not concentrate, so it is always stressful.
Sometimes you get a laugh, though.

Last night I came into a town centre during "rush hour", which is nothing nearly as nightmarish as a London rush-hour.
There was a guy on a sporty jap bike sitting behind a row of cars wtAf?
He hesitated about pulling out into the filtery bit between cars, so I just rumbled on through ahead of him.

I don't think he was best pleased, cos he refused to let me catch his eye at the next set of lights, and then insisted on taking off and scooting away at all the sets of lights after that. Sulky git

I just ensured that although I was behind him at all times, that I was *noisily* behind him

If people insist on beating me away from lights, I just make sure I sit behind them at the next set and "waste petrol with my throttle hand" in an annoying fashion.
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[jeffyjeff]

[ThatDippyTwat]

[Easy-X]

I dug into the London road we're talking about and a FOI request* revealed they were just interested in road deaths.

*Not me filing it personally! Just one I found via Google.
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Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[qaf]

[qaf]

[hellkat]

[A100man]