In Praise of 35 horses

GAJ

Well-known member
My take has always been that HP/Torque is like brakes. When you really need them suddenly having more than the minimum is a good thing. Then, sometimes you just want it.

The peach you can't have is sour, as the saying goes. Motorcycling isn't about needs mostly, its about wants. There are no rules that say if you have 100 hp and tons of torque that you must use it all, just control the right hand.

You can have a blast riding a 35 hp bike or one with far less but that has zero to do with any bike having more. Power doesnt have to be heavy, unmanageable or less fun going around a turn than some bike with half as much.

How many of us wish for less power? Not many I'd guess although somewhere they exist.

Merging onto a freeway, hit a long straight after a tight turn what is more fun, pushing to 60 like a mad dog chasing a squirrel (safely) or a leisurely glide knowing 65 will take only a few minutes more?

Who among us hasn't when starting out with a lower powered bike, not found some downhill just to feel what a bit more accelleration or speed feels like. Come in, we've all done it.

Alameda/Oakland Tube anyone? Back in the day that is where Honda 200s, Kawasaki 250 Triples and Yamaha Rds went so riders could have a go and find out what 750 Fours and Saki 500 must have felt like.

Sure, but many of us who own smaller bikes SOLD much faster/powerful/heavier bikes because they SAT after purchasing the smaller bike for backroad blasting duty.

Many of us also keep a more versatile/powerful bike on hand for freeway/touring duty.

As the roads deteriorate a "fast" sportbike turns out to be no "faster" for backroad blasting duty and light weight is a joy in those conditions.
 

Schnellbandit

I see 4 lights!
Sure, but many of us who own smaller bikes SOLD much faster/powerful/heavier bikes because they SAT after purchasing the smaller bike for backroad blasting duty.

Many of us also keep a more versatile/powerful bike on hand for freeway/touring duty.

As the roads deteriorate a "fast" sportbike turns out to be no "faster" for backroad blasting duty and light weight is a joy in those conditions.

Agreed and why a Hawk sits next to the Bandit.:ride

Aside from my alias, fast is overrated. Sometimes fast is confused with quick. IMO, fast is a function of the use of throttle, regardless of how much HP a bike has. Quick is a result of high quality riding skills which matched to the road and bikes performance is the great equalizer.

I rode a Kawasaki 250 2 stroke triple long ago. It was light and power limited. It wasn't easy to ride because the powerband was very narrow and if you weren't prepared for it, wheelies were waiting. The quality of the power is far more important than how light, heavy, small or big a bike is.

On Highway 35, my friend rode a Honda 550F, I has the last year of the sohc 750F. No matter what, that 550 was untouchable in the curves although we were neck and neck in skill. He simply ran around the inside, outside. On the straights though, I could reel him in just in time for the next curve. He cherished the handling of the 550F, I relished the acceleration of the big 750F.

It didn't really matter because the burgers always came off the grill at Alices at the same time.

The OP is 100% in that great riding times can be had on lower power bikes and nothing takes away from that. Likewise, the higher HP bikes offer their own style of fun and neither takes anything away from the other. Now, get a meatless burger when you rode a while for a real one and then things change.:thumbup
 

Espionage101

I see J00.....
Ninja 250's can be stupid fun in the twisties... just keep it pinned. No brakes required. :)

The new ones don't look bad either.

:)
 

BlitzkriegWulf

Well-known member
As others have said... it's situational/depends on the application.

Having tight corners and narrow roads... lighter/smaller bikes seem to do better and are far more fun (Well, and easy, too..) to ride.

Having long sweeping bends, long straightaways, and wide open roads, heavier/bigger bikes are more fun to ride.. they feel far more planted, and yeah, going a tad fast when it's safe to do so is fun.


I suppose if anyone is really looking for a challenge, big bikes + tight corners can be a very interesting scenario. I honestly think it takes a lot more skill modulating throttle/clutch in 1st and second gear on a big bike (And being sure to hit/link all the turns just right to stay in your own lane) than it does to wring the throttle of a little bike on a little road, where you can change your line pretty much whenever you want.
 

BrownDawg

Well-known member
I started out on dirt and small bikes so I get what the OP is saying. I also feel that if you can ride a bike to its limits it's time to move up. The whole "slow bike fast" thing sounds good as a rationalization but it really just translates into it's time to move up.
 
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