From staff and news service reports
A motorcyclist whose 205 mph speeding ticket set off a debate among gearheads nationwide says he was going fast -- but not that fast.
In an interview with Midwest Quick Throttle Magazine, Samuel Tilley, 20 -- now known in some circles as "205 Tilley" -- said he wasn't sure of his exact speed when he was stopped along the bluffs north of Winona on Sept. 18. But another rider near him was ticketed for 111 mph, he told the magazine.
"I'm not saying that I wasn't speeding, I know I was," Tilley said. "There was no way I was doing 205."
Tilley is set to appear in Wabasha District Court on Monday.
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Many motorcycle enthusiasts question whether Tilley's 2002 Honda RC51 could go that fast, even with extensive modifications. Tilley said his bike has since been tested at a cycle dealership in White Bear Lake, Minn., and it topped out a little below 160 mph, he said.
The State Patrol, which wrote Tilley his ticket based on a stopwatch reading from an aircraft, has said it stands by its timing.
The magazine interview was the first given by Tilley, who hasn't responded to messages since getting the ticket and didn't return another call Wednesday.
Tilley told Quick Throttle he's upset that people think he's given motorcyclists a bad name with the ticket.
But asked his future plans, he said: "I am exploring the idea of training for one of the novice race circuits."
