Horsepower. How much is enough?

[OutForADuck]

Riding the ultimate in ridiculously over powered road going weapons (GSXR1000K7 Streetfighter, must be somewhere between 160-180Bhp and less than 160Kg) I was challenged by a Non rider today as to WHY?

So how much is enough.... do you have to use it all, all the time (any of the time ) to make it worthwhile? Does ridiculous topend mean satisfying midrange , does it matter? is the relaxed and casual manner in which I get license threatening speeds 50 metres from the corner enough justification or the joy of that "push" from the apex out and struggle of 190 section sticky the key to enjoyment and justification?

When is enough, enough???? and can we justify it or must we simply admit to addiction

[DMNTD:Me]

... and can we justify it or must we simply admit to addiction

Yes...yes I can

[RantyDave]

Enough? Thirty. Enough to be even remotely fun? Sixty. Enough for me? A hundred.

It depends how it's delivered too. A nasty peaky two stroke that delivers 80 odd is probably more likely to chuck you off than a (say) triple.

Dave

[MSTRS:Me]

If you are happy with what you have, then that's enough. But it's still how you use it, that gets you smiling.

[xwhatsit]

About twelve is enough for me to have fun.

Then again, most of you lot are fat bastards wot ate too many pies.

[Usarka]

It's all torque torque torque these days........

[vifferman]

Depends what you want the power for too.
Torque is good, probably better than outright, screaming top-end power.

The VTR1000 and VFR800 have very similar quoted power outputs, but the VTR1000 has more torque, and that at lower revs. So much so, that when I traded the VTR in on the VFR, for the first few weeks I wondered why there was a big hole in the power delivery at 3k rpm. Where the VTR would wheelie if you opened the throttle, the VFR didn't do much at all. There wasn't a hole at all, of course, it was just that the VFR's torque curve is flat there (peak torque is up towards 8k), where as the VTR had a hugeish wodge available.

In the real world, torque rules, I reckon.

I had a VW Passat TDi wagon as a rental in Belgium and Holland. The torque was impressive enough that I'm very seriously considering getting a TDi engined car next. They're so relaxing to drive: put your foot down, and a big hand pushes you in the back. Torquey bikes are the same: no need to rev the snot out of them to punt along quickly.

[James Deuce]

80HP in a 200kg bike is the usable maximum for the average rider. Of course no one will admit to being average, below average, or sucky, so manufacturers will continue making stupid bikes that raise giant alarm bells with Nana legislators, and people will continue ending up wadded balls of meat and snot.

I suck and I'm over-biked. A 50hp 400cc bike is my ideal, but I can't buy one new, and I felt bad using the Kat as a daily bike, so I let someone else do that. There is a new CB400F for sale in Aus, but it isn't sold here.

[Ixion]

For all practical purposes 40bhp is enough. 70bhp for long distance touring. Maybe 100bhp if you are fat,ride two up and carry a lot of luggage.

[ArcherWC]

its NEVER enough, bring on the horses

[svr]

A 50hp 400cc bike is my ideal...

I reckon, for a skilled rider and for sporty riding, 50 hp in a good chassis is ideal (who makes this?). If you slow down too much you'll pay.
However, if you're fat, been ruined by twist and go sportsbikes and have no idea how to keep your speed up you'll need a lot more.

[R6_kid:Me]

Im with Sir Deuce. Having ridden a couple of 80hp V-twins, they do the job very well. Still enough acceleration to feel like it's got some boogie, but not so much that you will lose your licence if you sneeze in first gear.

A 100ish HP 600cc sports bike has all the power and handling you need for the road, but the delivery isn't exactly well suited to 'road' riding. Adding the torque of a V-twin starts to make things work a lot better, so perhaps the 675cc Triple has just the right balance. Also a lot of the v-twin sports-tourer/motard wannabe bikes are pretty much bang on when it comes to road focus.

Me, I have a GSXR1000K3, with around 145-150hp made good at the wheel. Yeh, i guess it's overkill, but it feeds grunt in any gear from almost any speed, it also completely sooths any unexpected need for adrenalin, and can put boy racers in their place when asked too.

[slofox]

72 is more than enough to get me into trouble........and back out of it....

[OutForADuck]

Now I've been thinking about this and I think its about relentless power, enough is whenever it seems relentless to the rider and I guess we each decide that point.

Riding my other bike (approx 200Kg and 100Hp) I run out of revs, power, ground clearance and other metrics when I really want to turn up the volume... on the Gixxer I run out of Balls, Road, Skill and traction before the bike comes close to its limits and this sense of unrelenting drive and ability is well.....

Bloody Marvelous

[Motu]

I've always enjoyed 60hp out of a twin cyl bike,just seems to be a good match for how I ride....enough that I can ride it hard,but not get into too much trouble.But it's really about power to weight,a lighter bike with less HP in the same ratio will be just as exciting.

At the moment I have two bikes of roughly the same engine size and HP - the heavier one is much faster in speed and acceleration,the lighter one is much better out of tight corners and general twisty stuff.

I much prefer to push a gutless bike hard,than a much more powerful bike that has to be kept in check.What's the point in not being able to use 110% of a bikes capability 100% of the time? 10HP is a shit load of fun.