Scottish Elises

How does everyone get on regarding speed bumps and is there any particular way that makes them more negotionable?

My Europa is on Nitroms now but even on standard suspension it could cope with most speed bumps as long as you take it steady. If you get really high bumps you can scrape the front but the knack is to accelerate off the bump at the right point so the front is lifting slightly. Previous Elises were the same too.

At any kind of reasonable ride height you will be fine over legal speedbumps of max 100mm (just go very slowly).
Lots of humps are illegal height though, you can of course complain to the council to have them reduced...

Taking at an angle is the best method for these big ones. Cross to the opposite side of the road before the bump and come almost to a complete stop taking as big an angle as possible over it. This can annoy oncoming traffic a bit...

For some of the long humps start on your own side of the road, take an angle on (crossing to opposite side of the road) then an angle off crossing back to your side.

Some of the 'cushions' that you can straddle and cross at 40mph in a normal car make sure you put either left or right side wheels fully over it.

All this seems to amuse pedestrians and annoy other drivers in equal measure.


I could'nt possibly condone the technique of crossing the bumps at 0.5 mph then accelerating at full throttle in 1st gear to 30mph then lifting off to maximum exhaust popping and banging for the next one...at 5am...

j2 lot wrote:If you get really high bumps you can scrape the front but the knack is to accelerate off the bump at the right point so the front is lifting slightly. Previous Elises were the same too.

Depending on your car this technique could catch the rear diffuser...I'd recommend as slow as possible, minimum suspension compression, angle of attack method above.

My street has some particularly ferocious speed humps. Best method I found was to use the pavement and someones drive way so not to be bumping up and down the kerb. Stick one wheel over the kerb and gives that added extra height. Don't let the plod see you doing it though, don't recon they would be to impressed by this method

The speed bumps in your street are surely over the height limit though Mike? They're ridiculous!!

I'd recommend the slowly and carefully approach too.

Recon they used inches instead of mm