Superbike vs. Mild Mannered Roadster
Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 3:50 am
So over a few days this week, Mrs High_Side and I took a 3 day tour with the bikes through some of my favorite roads in B.C. As she is really starting to get on to riding the Monster I've noticed that when I pass somene and she pulls out to pass as well she is RIGHT THERE with me as I run through a couple of gears. As an experiment on the way back on home I asked her to get beside me at 5000rpm on the highway and wick it up. When we did this I let her get the drop on me before the VTR slowly started to pull away from her. The VTR is rated at approximately 30% more power than the Monster and even with the weight difference I would have expected more. When I ride the Monster it does not feel nearly as powerful as the VTR and is certainly not as willing to wheelie 
So yesterday I was fortunate enough to get in on a Ducati test ride out in the country with several different models. All 3 bikes that I am interested in use roughly the same 90h.p. air cooled 1000cc engine (Multistrada, Monster S2R 1000, and ST3). The rides were spirited to say the least and I noticed the same kind of difference between these bikes and the 999R Superbike that was in attendance. As we turned the corner on to the fast stretch everyone would go through the first 4 gears with all that the bikes had. Twice following the 999R I noticed that he was barely pulling away from me on the straights (and one guy I talked to later was admittedly pushing it for all that it was worth).
If you are still reading after all of this my point is that 1-1.5 second over a quarter mile is a lot in dragracing but it is really not a lot on the street. The faster bike may feel MUCH faster but comparing it to the other lower powered bike the results are surprising. When I factor in the $5Gs difference between the S2R 1000 and S4Rs (and the lack of radiator and hoses) and the difference is becoming more clear. And I am well on my way to self justification for buying a new bike!
So yesterday I was fortunate enough to get in on a Ducati test ride out in the country with several different models. All 3 bikes that I am interested in use roughly the same 90h.p. air cooled 1000cc engine (Multistrada, Monster S2R 1000, and ST3). The rides were spirited to say the least and I noticed the same kind of difference between these bikes and the 999R Superbike that was in attendance. As we turned the corner on to the fast stretch everyone would go through the first 4 gears with all that the bikes had. Twice following the 999R I noticed that he was barely pulling away from me on the straights (and one guy I talked to later was admittedly pushing it for all that it was worth).
If you are still reading after all of this my point is that 1-1.5 second over a quarter mile is a lot in dragracing but it is really not a lot on the street. The faster bike may feel MUCH faster but comparing it to the other lower powered bike the results are surprising. When I factor in the $5Gs difference between the S2R 1000 and S4Rs (and the lack of radiator and hoses) and the difference is becoming more clear. And I am well on my way to self justification for buying a new bike!
