Now I'm not normally a HD fan, but....

[Ixion]

Interesting. You conclusions about usable power are almost identical to mine, though I'd distinguish on road type rather than bike size.

For back roads 30 to 40 hp is about right, so long asits grunty power. For main roads and long distance touring, 70ish hp is what works for me.

Above that, I think the extra is seldom used. Maybe up to 100 for two up touring .

Though it would prolly make a difference if you rode the same bit of road over and over, so you knoew it really well. I seldom know the roads I'm travelling on that well, and too much hp can be tiresome.

[98tls]

that harley looks the nuts......only thing i would change would be put on some old style high pipes.........

[Crasherfromwayback]

I've found I like certain hp figures for different sized bikes...60hp is good for a bigger bike,and 40hp for a smaller one.Exactly what the XLV750 and DT230 are,and both have the same power to weight ratio - it's power I can use nearly all of,but still enough to get me into trouble.Actualy the DT230 is agressive at lower speeds and I have to treat it with more respect than I did the XLV750 on the same roads.So 40hp is too much for me...

I had several KX500's, and from around '89' onwards, they all produced no more than 60 odd HP. Because it was useless to have anymore. Too much wheelspin etc. From then on, KHI tried to make them more user friendly with a wider spread of power and a flatter torque curve. Honda never used power valves in the CR 500, and while it was/is quicker than a KX500, it's a whole heap harder to ride quickly for us mere mortals. Modern 4 strokes like my RMZ are even easier and faster to ride in the dirt with only around 56 HP. They're also as fast on a road race track. So you're right, too much is not faster!

[nudemetalz]

Just noticed after staring at it for a while.... it has a removable backpiece for a pillion and pegs just in front of the shocks.

[nudemetalz]

I had several KX500's, and from around '89' onwards, they all produced no more than 60 odd HP. Because it was useless to have anymore. Too much wheelspin etc. From then on, KHI tried to make them more user friendly with a wider spread of power and a flatter torque curve. Honda never used power valves in the CR 500, and while it was/is quicker than a KX500, it's a whole heap harder to ride quickly for us mere mortals. Modern 4 strokes like my RMZ are even easier and faster to ride in the dirt with only around 56 HP. They're also as fast on a road race track. So you're right, too much is not faster!

And those big 2-strokes don't really do much more than 7000rpm do they.

[Crasherfromwayback]

And those big 2-strokes don't really do much more than 7000rpm do they.

KX500 max is around 7500, and up there they vibrate like fuck and flatten right off anyway. RMZ goes to around 9500 and pulls hard all the way.

[nudemetalz]

Many many many (did I say many?) moons ago when I was a boy of 16 I had a 1978 Yamaha DT400...I remember that thing would bite if you didn't keep it under a strong leash while travelling off-road but there was not many hills it would not grunt up.....

Anyway, getting back on track, while talking about big torquey twins, Ducati have released a Biposto version of their Sport 1000.
Now this is equally gorgeous in a retro way....

[Motu]

Those things are twice the capacity of the DT230 and maybe weigh less,way too much power for me!

When I was watching Bathurst I think they said full throttle was used for 50% of a lap....they change up at max revs.So how much of the lap was it making full HP? A handfull of seconds.

[Crasherfromwayback]

Those things are twice the capacity of the DT230 and maybe weigh less,way too much power for me!

When I was watching Bathurst I think they said full throttle was used for 50% of a lap....they change up at max revs.So how much of the lap was it making full HP? A handfull of seconds.

Quite right. And a moto GP bike only spends around 5% of it's time per lap on 'full song'.....kinda fun to have it when you get get the open space to 'try' and use it though!!
I used to do a lot of beach racing, and you can ring a 500's neck all day in the sand.....

[scumdog]

So the HD has the same torque as the litre 4 cylinder. Just not as much top end power. Which everyone says they can't use on the road anyway. So why bag HD for 90hp? If what's really wanted is torque not power?

Serious question. Can anyone say they use more than 70hp on the road? More than 100hp? . I'm not talking about wanting a bike with > 100hp for the sake of low end torque (as OAB was). I'm asking if anyone actually uses > 100hp on the road., ie a > 100hp engine and wringing its nuts off, keeping the revs right up at the red line all the time, like someone on a 250 does? Remembering that a 150hp bike doesn't produce that figure unl;ess it's pretty near the red line.

Cos if people don't actually use the top end power of the 100hp+ jobs, then the HD actually seems a lot more sensible. Same torque, which IS used, less top end horsepower, which isn't.

My 'new' 1450cc Hogly has a sticker on the frame, says "25kw version" (near the db. reading), dunno what the ferk 25kw means (except the lights would be rather dim) but it cruises effortlessly with CB and I and a bit of luggage aboard when touring, has enough torque to tow-start a D8 bulldozer by the feel of it.

I still wouldn't mind a tad more grunt but even if it never got up to 100hp I could care less.

[Dazza]

Anyway, getting back on track, while talking about big torquey twins, Ducati have released a Biposto version of their Sport 1000.
Now this is equally gorgeous in a retro way....

My goodness, if I had far too much money, that honey would have to be in my dream shed.

[doc]

My 'new' 1450cc Hogly has a sticker on the frame, says "25kw version" (near the db. reading), dunno what the ferk 25kw means (except the lights would be rather dim) but it cruises effortlessly with CB and I and a bit of luggage aboard when touring, has enough torque to tow-start a D8 bulldozer by the feel of it.

I still wouldn't mind a tad more grunt but even if it never got up to 100hp I could care less.

How do you compare the T Sport to the sporty is the sporty still more fun in the twisties ? I've been 6 Sth Island trips on my sporty from Jaffaland no problem always uncomfortable but any bike is uncomfortable 4000k over week to 10 days,interested in going to a bigger Hardley but just don't think I can handle the flack of riding a bigblock to be on the incrowd. The sporty has to be the most under rated bike of all time, after all its basically the longest produced model (loosely similiar to 1957) bike in production still. Soon as people start raving about Hardley's I switch off they are usually talking about jewelery. If you can get around the bullshit about horsepower etc etc HD is a pretty good product... interested in hearing your comments

[doc]

sorry guys meant to pm Scumdog

[scumdog]

How do you compare the T Sport to the sporty is the sporty still more fun in the twisties ? I've been 6 Sth Island trips on my sporty from Jaffaland no problem always uncomfortable but any bike is uncomfortable 4000k over week to 10 days,interested in going to a bigger Hardley but just don't think I can handle the flack of riding a bigblock to be on the incrowd. The sporty has to be the most under rated bike of all time, after all its basically the longest produced model (loosely similiar to 1957) bike in production still. Soon as people start raving about Hardley's I switch off they are usually talking about jewelery. If you can get around the bullshit about horsepower etc etc HD is a pretty good product... interested in hearing your comments

The T-Sport is more suited to touring two-up with gear, it has more suspension travel and CB's back doesn't get jarred with th suspension bottoming-out like it did with the Sporty, the quick detachable side-bags on the T-Sport are another asset.
Having said that the Sporty was more nimble on the twisty bits (mainly cos the T-Sport makes nasty scraping noises when you try to corner in the same manner!!) and is quicker off the mark despite being 250cc smaller.

Both the bikes share the same adjustable front forks, twin discs and instruments, the T-Sport has adjustable rear shocks but different style to the Sporty ones.

The T-Sport gains it's 'comfort' level compared to the Sporty by having a longer wheel-base and more suspension travel.

One-up a Sportster 'S' would be A1 for touring, two up it's a bit marginal but we coped.


Wanna buy a good 1200 Sportster 'S'?? huh? huh?

[nudemetalz]

My mate who has the Buell M2 Cyclone had a XL1200R Sportster before that.
He's not that tall a guy so he wanted the bars a little higher.
You know what he did?
He got some longer bolts and used 4 chrome sockets (drilled right out) as spacers. Looked great, you couldn't tell what they used to be !!
Worked perfectly too.