Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Major bike sites don't list the horsepower for their bikes - how come?

Is there any way to find out which is what?

Dragonhawks site has a bunch of good beginner bikes with the horsepower next to the name. Its posted in many threads so shouldnt be to hard to find. Also you can try some google action

Many don't advertise horspower, because the laws in many countries would make them back it up.

In the olden days, when rules were much looser, hp claims by manufacturers were usually quite optomistic.

Nowadays, if a manufacturer does make an hp claim, it's almost always measured at the crank, with the engine on a test cell. Not much real world info in their number, since the entire drive line is left out.

If I want to find out how much horsepower a bike really delivers to the rear wheel, I start Googling the model number and try to find actual dyno charts that folks have put on the web. Those numbers are about the closest you'll get to reality.

Ahab wrote:Major bike sites don't list the horsepower for their bikes - how come?

Is there any way to find out which is what?

I've wondered about this too. More broadly, why is it considered less relevant than engine displacement?

Best place for moto specs on new bikes are the bike mags. Usually they either dyno it or the manufacturer told them.

zenman wrote:I've wondered about this too. More broadly, why is it considered less relevant than engine displacement?

Engine displacement is sexy, whereas bhp isn't unless you are talking to another petrolhead...

Yes, it is hard to research. Look here for starters:

http://www.motorbikes.be/en/
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/performancedata/
http://sportrider.com/bikes/146_weights_measurements/

You can check my site too:
www.CaliforniaBikeNights.com/learn

But, my site gets the data from the 3 that I just listed above, plus manufacturers sites (non-American and non-Japanese motorcycle manufacturers usually list horsepower).

zenman wrote:I've wondered about this too. More broadly, why is it considered less relevant than engine displacement?

Horesepower IS far more important than engine displacement. But lots of people are lazy and stupid. So they don't bother to research horsepower (too lazy) or educate themselves (too stupid) as to why horsepower is vastly more relevant.

Heck, if they built a 3000cc motorcycle with a peak 12HP they could use it in MSF classes. (Well, barring the fact that it might weigh 900 lbs.)

(non-American and non-Japanese motorcycle manufacturers usually list horsepower).

Non-american and non-japanese? What else is there?

Are you serious?

BMW = German

Aprilla and Ducati = Italian(I think, someone correct me if I'm wrong)

There are motorcycles made in china as well...