In contrast, my 1996 Shadow 1100c2 is supposed to have only 50 HP (and that's at 4,500 RPM, which I don't know if I ever have reached),
and
65 Foot/Lbs. of torque, at a modest 2500 RPM (which I operate in all the time).
1996 Honda VT 1100 C2 Shadow ACE specs and reviews (usa-motorcycles.com)

 

Goldwing F6B 1832cc 114hp 123ft/lb around 850lb bike

My 1000cc Versys is rated around 115hp, redline is at 10,000 RPM and bike weighs 574 lbs with the bags on. And that's the old man de-tuned 1000, The sportbike version is around 150 hp and bike weighs around 500 lbs. I should have gotten the 650 Versys...

 

My old Valkyrie has a claimed 100 horsepower and 98 ft/lbs of torque. Weighs close to 700lbs. It will go faster than I should ever go on a motorcycle.

I once rode a friend's CBX 1000. Scared the heck out of me. I think they have something like 105bhp.

Test rode an F6B Goldwing which was very fast.

Tested a Road King with the Milwaukee-Eight. Comfy, fast and it had an awesome custom paint job from the factory.

 

Took a brand new (at the time) Kaw 900 that a bud had bought around the block back when. Once.
Got back on my '53 Norton with a sigh of relief. Guess I've always been, and'll likely always be, just a cruiser.

 

I was riding a Triumph Bonneville when a friend bought a 900 Kaw. Let me ride his one day. I had been considering giving up riding as that Bonnville was just plain scary, poor handling, poor ride, scary mechanical cable operated drum brakes, skinny tires,,,, Rode that Triumph to lunch about a week later and rode a new 76 KZ900 home, with the better power, handling and braking, figured I could ride a few more years...

 

Honda Gold Wing 1833 cc. A very interesting Dyno with torque going straight up from idle to over 105 ft.lbs at just 1000 rpm.

 

I rode my cousins road king with a 124 high compression engine, yes it’s fast and loud but keeping the back tire from spinning is tricky especially throttling out of corners. Also the heat that comes from the engine is ridiculous even on a cool day

 

A few years ago I had a near showroom condition '83 Honda Interceptor VF750F with the V45. Had 86hp. That thing was light and a serious rocket. I could have the front wheel off the ground in the first 3 gears.
I sold it to a collector that was missing that year in that condition.
At the time, I wanted a bike I could daily... and didn't realise until after I had it that due to it's age it was getting harder to find normal replacement parts for it.
So I sold it and bought my first Shadow 750, my 2007 Spirit (shaft) that I did cross-country rides with it (mainly to Sturgis and back)... that's when I fell in love with the Shadow and have had them ever since.

 

Drove a friend's 73 Vette with a 510 ci big block after tuning his 800 (850?) double pumper Holley carb for him. All new suspension with urethane bushings, hi Performance auto trans. fresh paint, Gobs of power and precise handling,,, Almost made me buy a Chevrolet. I still look at Vettes. The right one hasn't came along yet.

 

94' Kawasaki ZRX 7 120 hp/500 lbs. 4.5:1 PTWR.

 

For fast bikes I owned a 2001 Suzuki Hayabusa. It's 1299cc engine was rated somewhere around 170 hp. With it weighing in around 550 lbs, it was a real rocket ship.
After that I rode a 1000 GSXR for a number of years. It's inline 4 put around 190 something bhp. with the bike weighing about 100 lbs less than the Busa, it was a bit of a challenge keeping the front tire on the road.
My current bike, the 21 Street Bob has the 114 in it with the Stage 2 Screamin' Eagle package. Obviously, a bunch heavier than either of the two Suzuki's and nowhere near the bhp, but the throttle response and overall fun ride can't be beat. Definitely a different kind of ride.
I'm thinkin you enjoyed that demo ride?
I liked the ergonomics of that Low Rider but my Stret Bob has 11" risers and pull back Buckhorns coupled with the Saddleman seat so I have a bit more layed back riding position vice that slightly aggressive riding position on the Low Rider.

 

Forgot, I rode an FJR once:

Displacement	1298.0 ccm (79.20 cubic inches)
Engine type	In-line four, four-stroke
Power	141.5 HP (103.3 kW)) @ 8000 RPM
Torque	134.4 Nm (13.7 kgf-m or 99.1 ft.lbs) @ 7000 RPM

 

So they say the 114 is putting out in the area of 82 hp with around 115 lbs torque. The stage 1 Screamin' Eagle is supposed to add about 10% on top of that and then depending on the cam, another 5-10% with the stage 2.
The biggest thing I'm having to get used to are the ABS brakes. Still having a hard time wrapping my brain around the idea of squeezing that right brake lever hard.

 

Was on a Sportster 1200C when I lived in Australia.

 

MV Agusta Brutale 1090. 126hp and 74ft/lbs. on a naked bike...

 

Just curious as I don't see any of us listing one yet.... anyone here ever ride a newer Yamaha V-Max?
Those have IMHO simply stupid amounts of HP.

 

Hmmm,,, Why Yes, yes they do:

Engine size	1671.6 ccm (102.00 cubic inches)
Type of engine	V4, four-stroke
Engine details	65° V-4
Output	200.0 HP (146.0 kW)) @ 9000 RPM
Torque	167.0 Nm (17.0 kgf-m or 123.2 ft.lbs) @ 6500 RPM
Compression	11.3:1

Bikez.com has a lot of specs listed.

 

200 HP is insane!
What about the old days when 20 HP would get you around and have a fun ride?
My 1963 Honda 305 Dream was 24 HP, and ran down the freeway with a buddy or my girlfriend on the back.
Why does anyone need to go 200 MPH?
Unless on a race track?

 

200 HP is insane!
What about the old days when 20 HP would get you around and have a fun ride?
My 1963 Honda 305 Dream was 24 HP, and ran down the freeway with a buddy or my girlfriend on the back.
Why does anyone need to go 200 MPH?
Unless on a race track?

The subject matter is what not why. Stay on point here. I see here everyday about slow bike stories. It's refreshing to see others power cravings over the years. Keep the bench racing going.

BTW Swifty, my 91 ci. Fat Gurl @ 800 lbs. can lift the front wheel under hard accel in 1st. gear very much like a 1st. gen V4 Sabre. Friggin cool! And no I don't do burnouts. And no 1600 Kawasaki Vulcans are the epitome of "slow bikes".
I'd say a chain driven VT 750 is quicker.

Lil' Sista was one of a couple Honda's every young lads desire in 70'. The most popular, the CL350 Scrambler which was my favorite next to the XL250.

My 1st. new bike in 73'.

 

Note my signature line...

 

2016 Kawasaki Versys 1000

Motorcycle Specifications Overviews and Road Tests

www.motorcyclespecs.co.za

So, a 1043cc sportbike engine
with 115 HorsePower as you near the redline?

 

My wing is the most 2 wheeled HP I've been on. Took my sister in law's boyfriend's V65 for a ride when they first came out. Man that thing was a rocket!

 

my current bike a 23, BMW k1600GT. 1649 CC 133lb Torque, 160HP. Love the smoothness and so comfortable.....So not really about the speed for me

 

,,,which has less than 2/3 of the power of the sportbike 1000 version of that engine, which is rated 200 hp and a redline of 13000. The powerband is in a lower rpm range on the Versys. I'd call it a more manageable power. Also a lot more comfortable than the sportbike. (Corbin seat/better windshield a must.) I noted I should have gotten the 650 twin Versys. Sales person said I'd need the 1000 for 2-up. Never believe salesmen... (Though I did know better from taking trips on my 750 ACE...) Hard to believe I've had it for 5 years now. Average mpg since last June is 47.2.
My thinking is if it can take the ninja power, this engine ought to be bulletproof in Versys trim.

 

Funny this thread would crop up now. We were visiting my wife's uncle yesterday, and someone stopped by to pick up his first ever bike that he had just purchased, a Yamaha R6 that the uncle was tuning up. When I showed him pictures of my bikes, his first question was, "How fast will they go?"
After showing him how to do up the chin strap on his $600 Sonic the Hedgehog helmet ("It was the most expensive one they had."), he wobbled down the driveway and onto the road, paused (not stopping) and pulled out. While listening to him scream down the road (missing shifts all over), I turned to my wife and said, "Remind me not to ride with him. He's going to kill himself on that thing, and I don't want him to take me out when he does."
I guess my point here is that although lots of power isn't necessarily good or bad (I've had my share of high performance street rods), if you don't know what you're doing, things could end badly.

 

Not sure, but I suspect that poor kid would find a way to kill himself on a CT90.

But yeah, it's a real problem; I guess people do this a lot. Straight out of BRC (if any training at all) and buy the biggest bike they can get their hands on. Part of the reason I ended up with a 750 was all the cautions online against starting out on a "litre bike". I didn't realize until after the fact, that sport bikes are a tad different from cruisers in that department.

 

Yeah maybe a lot of HP is OK for fun, if you can control it safely.
But rider skill and brakes are be important even with low HP.
See the video.

 

I think still the fastest vehicle I have had the pleasure of driving was my Kawasaki 250 two stroke bike with track gearing. I seemed you hit that power band and blinked you were doing 70. I miss that bike, wish I woulda saw through the hard times I was in and kept it. Can't even buy it back in Cali anymore. Loved the two stroke power band.

 

my 2003 BMW R1200 @ 61 hp is great for touring and 2 up riding. the bike is to large for running around town.

for in town my 2003 ACE is a perfect size and HP at somewhere around 43 HP

 

That's my main gripe against the R1200. I've did many thousands of miles on one on the open road and loved every minute of it. Never cared to commute on one though. That's been the big difference with my Street Bob. Goes down the highway like silk yet easily maneuverable in town and an enjoyable commute.

 

I come from a time when a fast Norton Commando made 58hp at the crank and the game changing CB750 made the same and the 60hp Kawasaki 500 triple was suicidal.
I have ridden a 140 hp liter Kawasaki race bike around the block and a few claimed 100hp Harleys for some miles, but that is not my thing one way or another.
My 750 ACE was too slow for me though and I fixed that, although that was trade off, it's now a comfy chair that can get out of it's own way.
My Versys 650 seems about right for me these days, plenty of power for my road use, decent handling and enough versatility to handle speed bumps and pot holes while gathering forgotten groceries.