Does More Power Equal More Danger?

[OhDot]

So, I was in a Bike Store the other day and I see this extremely sexy looking bike in the corner.  I ask the guy what it is and he tells me it just came in from Florida.  It's a Ducati 999 sports bike.  I am looking at the bike and realize that the Tach goes pretty high, but..............There's No REDLINE!!  I ask the guy where the redline starts and he says "where the tach ends".  He goes on to brag about the fact that this bike provides full torque from the bottom of the tach all the way through until you shift!!  That's when I hear this kid behind me say "I would kill myself on that bike!!"  Which seems like a pretty reasonable prospect. 

Now I have made a habit of generally riding smaller bikes.  The biggest bike I have ridden was a 750 and it was a cruiser at that.  I did, however, always have the impression that the "danger level" of a bike could always be governed by "Who is twisting the throttle".  Whether a relatively "virgin" rider is slowly rolling on the throttle on their GS500 or whether they are doing the same thing on their Ducati 999, if they are being gradual and careful they should be alright. 

When I heard about this "torque all the way" kind of bike I started to question that.  I know that the bikes weight, suspension, tires, etc all play a roll in how well it handles, but if I am riding my GS at 100 km/h and can control it, shouldn't I be able to reasonably control a supersport at 100 km/h if all things are kept equal?  I am asking for the more experienced riders on the forum to let me know.  Eventually I may want to upgrade to something a bit sportier, but will it make a huge difference?  I don't want to set myself up for disaster.

[aln_gs500]

That's a great question, I'd be interested in what the others have to say.  I was told before that experience is the only thing that governs your safety.

[Bulwark]

Well, in my opinion the problem with a novice on a bike like that is IF they make an error with the power it leaves a TON of HP to make the error worse.

Where as with a GS the HP can only cause so many problems.  I have always been told that a novice shouldnt be on a bike with more than 70ish hp.

[EdChen]

Um, with great power comes great responsibility

[mp183]

The first two replies say it all.
My riding buddy borrowed a Busa.
He had it for about two weeks. 
He could have kept it longer but gave it back after two weeks.
The bike scared him.  Not because he was scared to ride it but
it was just too tempting to keep pushing it to higher and higher speeds.
To have a bike a like that and enjoy it you have to have tons of willpower.

[jordanearl]

if you have ever accidently goosed the throtlle, the difference betwwen the gs an the 999 is that your gs is gonna accelerate till you let off, the 999 is gonna be tumblin down the highway while your layin on your back.   my best friend had this experience with his new gixxer 2 years ago.  theres many reasons not to jump on a high hp bike.   

[OhDot]

The 70 horsepower rule sounds like a good one.  To be honest, I used to really get excited about lots of cool looking plastic and fairings all the way.  Then I got my naked GS and I can't stop looking at naked bikes now.  I think my next step would more than likely be in the naked SV650 direction.  I believe that would fall in the 70 or less hp zone but would still give me a bit more than the 500 to play with.  That is, of course, when I am done having a few more years of fun on my GS!

[Affschnozel]

The SV650 is pure fun !

[fettcols]

It's all about throttle control. I have a gsxr 1100 with a 1260 piston kit... fully ported head with cams and all the old school tricks... to include a quater turn throttle. It's a pussycat under 6000 rpms... If you wring the throttle out on that thing like a 500 you're going to be in trouble. When I first got it there was a set of avon tires on it.. If I gunned it too hard the rear tire would break loose. Since adding the pirrellis the front has popped up on me only once by accident 

Good rule of thumb... New bike (even a used one) ride it like you're following the manufactures  break in instructions. When you get that first six or seven hundred miles under your belt have some fun with it..

[dgyver]

You can be killed on any bike. How you control it is up to you. A 125 can put on your head just as fast as a 1000. Learning to be smooth on the throttle now will be needed to handle more powerful bikes.

Having torque and hp pretty much at will can be enjoyable but also deadly. Spinning the rear can happen (and will), especially exiting turns. I learned how to deal with it on the TLR I had, and it only had about 125hp. Track riding gave me the opportunity to explore the limits of traction vs power on several bikes.

Torque throughout is common with V-twins. An I-4's torque is more at the peak. I loved riding the twisties on my TLR at 7000-9000 rpm (max torque was at 7400 rpm) but it required a steady hand and a conscience effort.

There is no reason to be scared of a bigger bike but you must respect it.

[Bulwark]

Dgyver are you saying that you learned to ride a bike on one with 125 hp?  I agree that you should respect all bikes especially the higher hp ones but a novice is more likely to make a life altering mistake on one of those high hp rockets than a 47 hp gs.

I saw a guy try and take off on a new Gixxer and the bike took off but he stayed put.  That just couldnt happen like that on a low hp bike.  Just my 2 cents though.

[nArKeD]

Of course it does.  Everyone should follow a proper progression just like anything else in life.  Ideally, you learn (that is, make a lot of mistakes) on dirt and start off on a small street bike.  When you upgrade you should do it in steps.  And realistically speaking, modern 600cc supersports already have more power and capability than you can safely use on the street.  If you take all that money you'll spend on "upgrading" and instead buy some track days you'll have more fun and be a better rider.  Really, I don't understand the obsession with always wanting a bigger bike.  The only difference I see between guys on a smaller bikes and guys on bigger bikes is that the guys on the bigger bikes are lazy about shifting.

[dgyver]

Dgyver are you saying that you learned to ride a bike on one with 125 hp?....

No. I did not say that.

[pantablo]

I think that for an inexperienced rider a big bike increases the likelyhood of crash/injury, due to the lack of experience with the controls (ie throttle control, etc). big hp bikes do things fast. real fast so if you make a little mistake the big bike will react in more pronounced ways than a gs will, and may overwhelm the experience level of the rider.

Once you are more experienced, the big hp bikes take a getting used to but arent hard to ride. Having said that, I dont ever see myself getting a liter bike. I like my 600.

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

Well, I guess I'll just echo what everyone else said. With more HP is the potential for the bike to leave your control quicker. I can launch my GS (when it's running ) at 8K from a stop light... it'd make the front light, it'd probably scare the shaZam! out of me if I didn't slip the clutch right... but odds are pretty good that I'd stay on the bike. Could I do that on.. say... Dave's Gixxer750? I don't think so! The only two bikes I've ever ridden are a GS and a Gixxer750. The 750 was amazing, everything they say it is. Smooth, balanced, light(er than the GS!), responsive.... and ridiculously too much bike for me. I rode it in a parking lot, and REALLY enjoyed it... and it made me realize that I want a gixxer600... SOMEDAY.. in about 4 more years, after college, when I'm financially set, and after I've done a dozen plus trackdays on my GS.

Just my $.02

[calamari]

this reminds me... a few weeks ago we interviewed a guy who lost his leg on a motorcycle accident. he was embarrased to admit it was a 125cc 

[gsmetal]

Episode 20:  "The Fastest Car on Earth (Part 1)"

I've never driven so fast in my life.  This speed is taking me into another dimension.  It's fantastic!

-- Speed Racer

At midnight in a cemetery, the GRX racecar engine is unearthed.  The following day Spritle and Chim are trapped inside a truck.  It takes them to Oriana Flub's house, where Chim Chim is tied to a motorized go-cart.  When the chimp comes to a stop, one of Oriana's men sprays a "formula" at him.  As he takes off again, Oriana announces that "they'll win the Grand Prix of the Orient."

At the track, a new racecar comes on the scene.  Pops recognizes the sound of its engine.  High in the stands, Oriana and her right-hand man, Omar watch while a thug sprays the driver of the mysterious car with the formula.  At Oriana's house, Pops accuses her of stealing the engine "out of the tomb of Bent Cranium," the engine's inventor.  Pops adds that five test drivers and Cranium died because of the GRX.  Oriana knocks him out with "sleeper gas."

In the garage, Speed discovers the famous GRX engine.  A man named Curly appears.  A fight ensues.  Meanwhile, Spritle and Chim Chim rescue Pops, who's tied to a chair.  Speed knocks out Curly.  As if hypnotized by the car, Speed gets inside to "try it just once."  The high speed takes Speed into another dimension and he passes out. 

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

High in the stands

Are you sure it wasn't YOU that was high?

[CO_GS500]

Some of the higher powered bikes have features that, in a way, make things safer. 

Smooth hydraulic controls, good low-end torque, smooth and predictable power delivery, good tires, etc. 

You don't need any horsepower to hurt yourself, just watch the idiots on an ad for "Jackass - Part XII" or whatever.  Or watch the real thing if that's what you're into.

Since any motorcycle can get you fast enough to hurt yourself, the power factor doesn't determine speed so much as the amount of time it takes to get to that speed.

It depends more on the attitude of the operator than the HP...

My $0.01....

[hmmmnz]

ive had the pleasure to ring the fun bags off a race rep 999rr,
and i must say, you'd be a legend if you could ride that thing slowly, i managed to do 260kmh (150mph) in 4th gear still with 2 more gears to go. and wasn't slow getteing there
front wheel didnt touch the ground till the end of 3rd gear,
i would say it is just too tempting to ride like a maniac on a bike like that, far too much fun
its all down to the rider weither you ride it like you stole it or weither you can harness the urges to plunge the bike into break neck speeds.
me.... its just too tempting