[blue flames]

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!

 

[h13man]

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'.

 

[flames9]

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

 

[gunsmoker]

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?

 

[squidchief]

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?

"need"? C'mon my friend, it's not need ... it's want and enjoy.

A couple of thoughts that I have had on some of my big horsepower bikes:
I never have to worry about wrist fatigue because I'm only needing to use the 1/4" of throttle to go down the road.
If I want to pass someone, no matter the current speed, it's just a flick of the wrist and I'm past them.
Hills, mountains, etc. never even slow me down or require the bike to work any harder.
Speaking of working hard, my bikes never have to. They just happily putt down the road at about 2300 rpms while doing 75mph.

I've heard all the arguments about how it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than it is to drive a fast car slow... I submit it's even more fun to drive a fast car ... period. Same with motorcycles.

 

[oldguy]

,,,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.

 

[Grampa Joe]

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.

 

[swifty2014]

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.

 

[Joe plumber]

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.

 

[Merrill]

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

 

[squidchief]

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.

 

[Rocketmouse77]

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.

yeah... a motorcycle that has the hp of your average new car at probably less than 25% the weight... I mean seriously what's the point? I mean, just because you "can" doesn't mean you should lol... In my younger days I rode some extremely fast bikes and high speeds..
(in a safe environment of course)... but I just don't have that desire on a motorcycle anymore. I like the cruisers for the style, comfort and with decent power, not obscene power... that I can go cross country with if i want. I have that in my Shadow Spirit. Plenty of power to roll down the interstate at 80mph across 3 states to get to Sturgis and back

 

[CSRoad]

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.

 

[squidchief]

I started out life riding a 70 something Kawasaki 1000. Hopped on it, never having operated a motorcycle before, to get the owner home from a party. Somehow managed to survive the trip. Ruined the dudes helmet because I didn't know enough to take it out of the side helmet holder so it rubbed the rear tire all the way back to the base. Still kind of feel bad about that. I was hooked!!!
Next bike was a brand new '83 WideGlide. First model after H-D left AMF. It had its issues. Beefy yes, powerful no.
Sold that bike and went overseas where I bought a Yamaha Virago. Neither beefy nor powerful or fast but looked cool and it did the trick on the crappy roads of the Philippines Islands.
Came back stateside and ended up with an old 1980 something Yamaha XS 850. Another metric tank but it got me up and down the road on two wheels.
Stepped away from motorcycles for a while before I ended up with an 84 700 Shadow. Fun to ride, good little commuter. It scratched the two wheeled itch, but just barely.
Then I met my first "super" bike, a '01 Hayabusa. What fun. Did some modifications to it and it became the ultimate cruising bike. Hella fast, but also comfortable. Out here in the west it's easy to stretch out a bike capable of surpassing 200+ mph. I never had the stones to hit those numbers, but frequently found myself doing 125+.
Sold the 'Busa and bought an old 850 Moto Guzi. It could pull stumps but took a lot of work on the throttle to really get going down the road. It didn't last in my stable for very long.
Picked up a 1000 GSXR and started having fun again. My only complaint with that bike was, like the "Busa, I could never do the speed limit. That, and I got tired of having to tippy toe the dang thing because of its seat height.
Along the way there was also a Triumph Tiger that spent time in the stable as well as a BMW RS1200. Both great for what they were designed to do, but just not "fun".
Now I have my '21 H-D Street Bob. It can pull stumps with its low end torque yet fly down the road easily getting into the triple digits with just a flick of the wrist but it's also happy just cruising down the road at the posted speed limit ... barely.
I might be well into my 60's but I'm not dead yet. I still enjoy speed. I still need to turn around and look at my bike as I'm walking away from it and really like what I see. I won't settle for good enough.
If I die while on the back of my bike I hope it takes the taxidermy guy a full week to get the smile off of my face.

 

[oldguy]

Had a friend in the military stationed in the Phillipines about the time you must have been there Squidchief. Rode his motorcycle off the side of a mountain and got himself killed, Name of JohnnyJoe Re(something). He was always pushing the limits...

 

[laidout]

Had a 2004 Hayabusa in 2006. Had the typical power commander and full exhaust. It was probably close to 200hp. They actually make decent road trip bikes for a single guy in his 20's (I'm almost 40 and would probably hate to do it again).

 

["Captain D"]

With the engine cover off in a van, I asked Walt "Whatchya think?" as I straddled the V8 engine with my legs, and hands held like I were holdiong handlebars...

Yes I Did finally Ride a "BIG DOG" V8 Bike w/Nitrous,
Dennis

 

[Bentone]

When it came out 18yrs ago, it was rated the most powerful production bike in the world. So I bought one. Anytime I totaled one or upgraded it bringing out more power, I kept buying the ZX14. The way the torque responds at any rpm, I can look in the rearview mirror and be 50 yards ahead once I see the car begin to move into my lane.

You can laugh at the big HP back when the A65 or when the Z1 first came out, but you have to admit they are so slow as is the 14 is long in the tooth as well. Cash waiting for 200 pounds of torque. Man will adapt and this too will be a joke. Only an electric motor will win the toque wars.

 

[squidchief]

Had a friend in the military stationed in the Phillipines about the time you must have been there Squidchief. Rode his motorcycle off the side of a mountain and got himself killed, Name of JohnnyJoe Re(something). He was always pushing the limits...

That was a tough place to ride a bike. I was there in the early to mid 80's

 

[oldguy]

I believe he was there late 70's. way too young...