Back in 2015 I bought myself a fabulous MV Agusta 1090RR Brutale. A beautiful bike and I loved it. The punchy four-cylinder engine kicked out 168bhp. The thing was called Brutale for good reason! The MV was a real Cane Corso (Bull mastiff) of bike. Mean, powerful and oh so fast.
Too Much?
MV Agusta 1090RR Brutale
I have also been lucky enough to own or ride quite a number of very powerful bikes. The likes the MV Agusta F4, GSXR 1000, R1, Fireblade etc. However, I began to query the excessive power a few years ago: I was running a Yamaha FZ1S alongside my venerable YZF600R Thundercat. The FZ1 boasted a 145bhp power output, while the Thundercat a comparatively tame 100bhp or so. I often alternated between the two machines for many of my regular runs, loops and ride-outs.
The FZ1S felt way, way quicker than the 600, but when I looked at my journey times, they were virtually identical bike to bike. Seems that I have a pace I am happy with!
Yamaha FZ1S
Today many bikes on the market have power outputs knocking on the door of 200bhp and even beyond. But they are all fitted with so many ‘rider-aids’ and electronics keeping things under control, that the full force of all that power is only unleashed under certain circumstances. When the bike itself has concluded it is ok to do so!
What do we Actually Need?
This begins to beg the question; Do we really need all this punch? The cost of the bikes that boast this sort of power are often well beyond £20,000 (April 2024). Motorcycling is getting ever more expensive as it is! Adding all this (rarely deployed) horsepower also means that frames, forks, brakes and tyres have to be upgraded to cope. All extra expense, weight and complexity…
Then comes the rather awkward question of rider competency: Can we honestly say that we are really up to handling these mega horse-power behemoths? We all think that we can, but the harsh truth is, try to push these machines anywhere near to the edge of their performance envelope, we would be found wanting.
In summary then we are being sold expensive, complex, over powerful bikes that we can’t exploit either technically or legally. Barmy, isn’t it?
A 100 bhp bike, like a late 1990’s sports 600, can go plenty fast enough to keep things exciting. Indeed, at ‘full noise’ you could even wind up getting yourself arrested!
Really? You need more than 150mph?
Indeed many new bikes are sold under a ‘sporting’ banner: Think Suzuki GSX8S, Honda Hornet 750 for example. Many of the (suddenly back in vogue) new generation sports bikes are sub 100 bhp. The 94 bhp Triumph Daytona 660 springs to mind. These are all plenty quick enough and receive very positive reviews
Time for a Ban
Therefore, it would be logical to conclude that I am an advocate of a ban or legislative control on bikes that produce in excess of 100bhp? Emphatically not!! This breed of rarefied beasts are absolutely brilliant bikes. The opportunity to ride these precision engineering masterpieces is a joy that I hope to continue to savour for many more years!
What it boils down to is this: Would you rather fight a raging Tiger or stroke a gentle tabby cat. So long may the silly, overpriced missiles be available! They push the boundaries and in order to progress the breed overall. Now that is exactly what is needed by all of us!
Words: Tony Donnelly
Pictures: Tony Donnelly & David Chan (Suzuki GSX8S)