Fast bikes are faster than slow bikes. The difference is, a slow bike is always slow but a fast bike can be fast or slow! On my 3 V-Strom 650's (what great bikes they were) over 10 years riding on the same stretch of road, I would hang back from overtaking sometimes not wanting to put my self in danger. On the 1050 I have more options. Like many bikers (not all) we ride because we have a bit of a daring streak - we like the small rushes of adrenaline. Bikers who find that concept uncomfortable fit more into the cautious/defensive mould. I have a few friends like that and respect them fully. I have other friends who still like to put a smile on their face. Now a faster bike gives them more options. If you can't agree with that then you are probably riding a machine with the correct power capabilities for your style of riding. I've been riding over 50 years and still like to move it from time to time. Police riders sometimes have to do the same - I have the choice. If I really feel like blowing away the cobwebs I probably would not take the Suzuki but prefer the Kawasaki with it's 2.5 secs 0-60 mph and 1400cc. I can and often do ride that motorcycle around town at 20 or 30 mph. However on a very fast road when my lane is clogged, I find it much safer to overtake knowing I will get round in time. There are loony riders who do this to silly extremes - that's up to them but not me. So for me, as I often prefer not to stay behind queues of traffic, it is safer if I am going to pull out anyway to have more power than less. This forum which possibly has a more sober riding dynamic due to the type of more practical bike, may be the wrong place for me to find like minded riders. I think I have and anyone else has to be mindful of being too 'holier than thou'. A young buck came up beside me a while back on his Gixxer thou and nodded indicating he wanted to race me away from the lights. I let him go partly because we were in a thirty limit, partly because of my clean licence and anyway, I knew my bike can reach 100 in 1st gear very quickly and did not have anything to prove! My Harley is slower than both my other 2 bikes but I ride that for the joy of an open faced helmet and kicked out feet. I love my motorcycling and always will. I ride bikes for different reasons - the DL is mainly for nipping/filtering through traffic to the supermarket.
Back to the topic. Just like some votes on the petition are coming from those not even living with 20 limits everywhere nearby, so are some opinions on how safe it is are coming from there too! Come and see the tailgating, frustrated barmy overtakes, painted out signposts, cocked up timetables and delayed journeys causing mayhem in Wales at the moment before you judge fully. I have never voted in my entire life but may put a cross down to oust the loonies in power at the moment, for the first time, in my mid seventies, at the next election!