Limitations are just that, limitations. Why they have been identified as limitations (i.e. gross weight, airspeed, engine power or maximum certified altitude) are not for us to question.
Unfortunately Jack there is a belief in some quarters they are only advisory, because there is a built in safety factor yada, yada. Like an R-22 operator, who I'm sure would have been surprised had he lived, that flying the blades beyond their retirement life was not a good idea (but, but, the safety factor yada, yada). You wonder why manufactures go to the expense of employing engineers who spend their time crunching numbers to ten decimal places. Just send a questionnaire to XXX number of pilots and get their opinion as to where to place the yellow, green or red marker. Much cheaper.
Saw the result of a Hughes 500 that lost it's head as a result of doing aerobatics. Unfortunately the two guys flying it at the time were not the ones who had performed the aerobatics. Manufactures don't go to the trouble of printing the AFM in order to,
(a) consume forests
(b) keep people employed
(c) move the CofG forward.
It's to keep your sorry ass in one piece.