100 HP on the street...why?

[Preisker]

"So although the greater power pulls you out of the corner faster it is really only helpful for those effortless, multi-vehicle overtaking moves that don't even require a gear change .."

You forgot to mention the wheelies coming out of corners, taking off from stop signs, or pulling past traffic.   Or when Barney Bad A$$ on his $30,000, 110 cubic inch, 75 hp big twin, tries to play games with you.   Can you say 100 mph wheelie? 

[ducatiz]

Sure.  And I can say dumbass road pizza too!

[Betty]

You forgot to mention the wheelies coming out of corners, taking off from stop signs, or pulling past traffic.

Nope didn't forget to mention it at all ... I prefer to try and keep my bike stable ... it corners better that way.

Or when Barney Bad A$$ on his $30,000, 110 cubic inch, 75 hp big twin, tries to play games with you.

Rarely something you need 100+HP for.

Can you say 100 mph wheelie? 

Say: yes. Do: no.

Sorry, no real interest in wheelies regardless of the circumstances

[Kopfjager]

I may kill a Deer !

Haven't seen a Pedestrian yet on any of my rides.

Dolph    

I'm sure that's not what he meant.  

[Raux]

well i gotta say this thread has really turned to shit.

i think the idea of 100hp on the street is about choice. period.

[Preisker]

Preisker:

a 22 year old on a 696 pays ~$500/yr for a 696 full coverage (lean on bike, full coverage is required)

not too bad... cheaper than my car which is about ~$1,000 /yr

If I go up to an m1100 or 848 price more than doubles, more-so for the 848

A lot of that depends on where you are.   I live in Central CA on the coast, and I'm pretty sure those rates don't apply here, anyway.   But it seems to benefit you, so that's working out.   

[Veloce-Fino]

A lot of that depends on where you are.   I live in Central CA on the coast, and I'm pretty sure those rates don't apply here, anyway.   But it seems to benefit you, so that's working out.   

Ahh true. My market is more pricey than the southern states and less expensive than the west coast (cali)

[LoneStar]

And hey, nobody asks me to help move their sh*t every month. 

smart brother!

[Cloner]

Wow!  What an interesting thread.  I actually took time to read the whole frikkin' thing before I constructed this answer, so thanks, guys and gals, for a most interesting waste of time!   

Now, as to the answer to the question initially posed, "100 hp on the street....why?", the initial answers of "because it's there" are the most legitimate ones there are, I think.  I've ridden bikes of nearly every displacement for most of 35 years and during that time I've run the gamut from 70cc to 1200cc, from trail bike to V-Max, from vintage goodness to liter race replica, and whatever I've ridden has been the bike to suit me at that time. 

Now that I'm a bit more seasoned, I thoroughly enjoy bikes in the 80hp range, as they're fast enough to do what I want to do (I have no trouble keeping up with my counterparts on 1098/1198 bikes at a pace on the street or on a tight track) and are manageable enough to keep me out of gravitational trouble (when gravity pulls us to Earth....that sucks).  Modern literbikes take amazing concentration to ride fast where 80 horses are a bit more forgiving.  If you want to see my normal street pace on an 80 horsepower MH900e, you can go to MHe Crest Up Solo.MP4 and see whether or not it'd suit you.  You'll notice the deer about half way through...plenty of time to slow for her and still enjoy the ride.  (Sorry for the four lane part at the beginning.....the road gets curvy soon...I promise.)

Wheelstands...been there...done that.  100 mph wheelstands....been there...done that, too.  I think I'm more comfortable with "slower" bikes nowadays, though.  80 horses are all you'll ever need.  Heck....my lap times at Sandia are approximately 5 seconds slower per lap than my friend on his 1098........when I'm riding my 21 horsepower HD/Aermacchi racer.   

[He Man]

Be quiet.. u make too much sense. 

[sbrguy]

been giving this some thought here is the real reason for a 100hp street bike.

progress.

simple as that.  the main thing is if you simply asked someone what they wanted you would probably get only incremental changes.  what you really have is sometimes people have made advancements only because they think bigger of what is impossible and end up with instead something great.

same with motorcycles.  first you rpobaly had someonne say if i only had 10 more hp for this 30hp bike that would be great, so someone tried for 30hp xtra and got 10-20 afterwards.  progress.

same here, years ago people were saying if you can get 170hp out of a street bike that would be insane.  so they tried for more and now you have 196hp bikes and such now.

that is why you have 100hp on the street, its not about want or need at all, its about progress. 

[poseur]

KTM's first street-legal 125 uses a liquid-cooled, four-valve single cylinder and can't really boast with a horsepower rating of 15 and 8.8 pound-feet of torque, but it's a welcome addition to the meager beginner bike category, one that will offer manageable performance and a major dose of cool.

[zooom]

I'd rock that in commuter mode...

[SacDuc]

been giving this some thought here is the real reason for a 100hp street bike.

progress.

simple as that.  the main thing is if you simply asked someone what they wanted you would probably get only incremental changes.  what you really have is sometimes people have made advancements only because they think bigger of what is impossible and end up with instead something great.

same with motorcycles.  first you rpobaly had someonne say if i only had 10 more hp for this 30hp bike that would be great, so someone tried for 30hp xtra and got 10-20 afterwards.  progress.

same here, years ago people were saying if you can get 170hp out of a street bike that would be insane.  so they tried for more and now you have 196hp bikes and such now.

that is why you have 100hp on the street, its not about want or need at all, its about progress. 

You have confused progress with one-ups-manship.

sac

[DRKWNG]

Because 130 to 150 hp will move me around better than 80 will.

Bigger bikes usually come with better suspension and brakes .

There may be a Superduke behind you.

 

No. Its like saying that you shouldn't sleep in tank for personal protection when a couple of dogs and a .45 will do the trick. If you are sleeping in a tank for personal protection and you're in Baghdad or Kabul I could understand. If you are in suburban Iowa I would say that its a bit of over kill.

sac

Doood, JuddDDddDddd's gone, no reason to keep talking shit about the guy...