High end power. How to get?

[Suzuki Stevo]

"Sport Touring" is a term being applied to big, heavy, under-powered pig bikes, the same way "Special" was applied to developmentally disadvantaged children. Whitewashing bikes like that doesn't do anything to raise the bikes up, but does a lot to drag the term down.

The Katana is an old-tech sport bike, with somewhat relaxed ergos. It doesn't really have any touring amenities.

There is more to riding than sweating a bikes Power To Weight Ratio, for the street, Katana's, Bandit's, and bikes like the GSX650F are far more practical than any bike with an "R" in it's badge. Again somebody is trying to compare a good All Around Bike to a Sport Bike, because Sport Bikes are the only bikes with a higher Power To Weight Ratio. Obviously your not a fan by describing practical fun bikes as "big, heavy, under-powered pig bikes" why don't you just say their not Sport Bikes therefore they suck?

[mister]

I'm following a thread on one of the bike riding clubs in my city. The 20 year old is currently on a REstricted license - which means he can only ride a Learner Approved Motorcycle (LAM). LAM bikes are bikes with less than 150kw per tonne (with 90kg being estimated as rider weight) and under 660cc. After 12 months he can upgrade to a larger cc and more powerful bike. He is currently riding a GS500.

His chosen upgrade bike is...

Triumph Rocket III

From GS500 - Triumph Rocket III 

Michael

[Twisted]

I'm following a thread on one of the bike riding clubs in my city. The 20 year old is currently on a REstricted license - which means he can only ride a Learner Approved Motorcycle (LAM). LAM bikes are bikes with less than 150kw per tonne (with 90kg being estimated as rider weight) and under 660cc. After 12 months he can upgrade to a larger cc and more powerful bike. He is currently riding a GS500.

His chosen upgrade bike is...

Triumph Rocket III

From GS500 - Triumph Rocket III 

Michael

Love to see him try to go into his first bend after coming off the GS and then trying to navigate that tank through a corner.

[burning1]

Actually, my complaint about the Katana is that it's not practical enough. Ergonomics are somewhere between a sport bike and a fared standard, and it really doesn't have any touring amneties at all.

The GS500 is my race bike. My street bike is a BMW hyper-tourer; the equivelent of a 'busa for touring duty. Comes equpped with heated grips, heated seats, luggage, electronically adjustable suspension, trip computer, electronically adjustable windscreen, and a bunch of other stuff. It weighs a little above 600lbs topped off, and makes 160 HP. It's a fat, under-powered pig compared to a bike like the S1000RR, but its comfortable go 1000 miles to get to the twisties, and it's agile enough that I can embarrass some sport bikers when I get there (not that I ever see sport bikes where I ride...)

A bike like the Katana doesn't have anything like that. It's heavy compared to modern sport bikes, and it's under-powered. It certainly has better ergos, and it's certainly a more comfortable street bike... But it's not a tourer by any means, until you take the time to turn it into one.

A lot of bikes that were once sport bikes are starting to get labeled 'sport tourers' as sport bike ergonomics become more agressive, and modern technology renders the older sport bikes obsolete. The Katana is one example, but the most famous is probably the Yamaha FZR600.

[SAFE-T]

Alas, there are only a few bikes purpose-made for sport-touring. The rest of the time people are more often referring to a style of travel focused on performance/speed, with the objective to get somewhere with lots of twisty roads.

[burning1]

Yamaha FJR, Kawasaki Concourse, BMW K1600GT, F800ST, Honda ST1300, Honda NT700V, Triumph Sprint, Moto Guzzi Norge, Motus MST...

Not an exhaustive list, and those are just the bikes currently on the market. List extends even further when you include the dual sport touring machines, and sporty tourers (R1200RT, for example.)

[Mauricio]

Am I the only one here who commutes on a stretch of interstate doing 80+ and doesn't have a problem with the GS keeping up and passing?



The power is there. The bike will do 100 if you have to. It isn't a fast bike by any measure, but it is faster than most traffic of the cage kind. Just let it rev.

[Phil B]

Yamaha FJR, Kawasaki Concourse, BMW K1600GT, F800ST, Honda ST1300, Honda NT700V, Triumph Sprint, Moto Guzzi Norge, Motus MST...

Wow. the latest yamaha fjr looks pretty!
But, (if you have the money) the BMW ST is the only straight up replacement/improvement for the GS500.
Better horsepower, better mileage, and only a little heavier.
412lb vs 400lb dry weight, allegedly.

[mister]

Yamaha FJR, Kawasaki Concourse, BMW K1600GT, F800ST, Honda ST1300, Honda NT700V, Triumph Sprint, Moto Guzzi Norge, Motus MST...

Wow. the latest yamaha fjr looks pretty!
But, (if you have the money) the BMW ST is the only straight up replacement/improvement for the GS500.
Better horsepower, better mileage, and only a little heavier.
412lb vs 400lb dry weight, allegedly.

Let me throw in the Honda 919. It's like a naked GS but more comfy and powerful. Tour on it easy.



Michael

[twinrat]

come on gents we are getting off the origonal post.Some one should put up a show us your toys post.

[mister]

come on gents we are getting off the origonal post.Some one should put up a show us your toys post.

We never stay on topic here. We go off, get back on, off, on again, and so on. 

Michael

[SAFE-T]

We are right on topic ~ they asked how to get more top end power, and we provided a list of more powerful bikes LOL

[gsJack]

+1
Want more power get a more powerful bike, want more fun learn to do them with your GS.   

[Paulcet]

Am I the only one here who commutes on a stretch of interstate doing 80+ and doesn't have a problem with the GS keeping up and passing?



The power is there. The bike will do 100 if you have to. It isn't a fast bike by any measure, but it is faster than most traffic of the cage kind. Just let it rev.

No, you're not the only one.  Well, I don't commute on the interstate, but 80+ is no problem.  I have traveled on the big roads for probably 1200 miles over the last few years.  Can comfortably pass a car or truck who's going 79 by getting up to 90 in a reasonable period of time.

[mister]

Am I the only one here who commutes on a stretch of interstate doing 80+ and doesn't have a problem with the GS keeping up and passing?



The power is there. The bike will do 100 if you have to. It isn't a fast bike by any measure, but it is faster than most traffic of the cage kind. Just let it rev.

No, you're not the only one.  Well, I don't commute on the interstate, but 80+ is no problem.  I have traveled on the big roads for probably 1200 miles over the last few years.  Can comfortably pass a car or truck who's going 79 by getting up to 90 in a reasonable period of time.

Ditto.

I generally sit on 75 on the freeway. Occasionally, I'll need to give a but to get around a car with more haste due to the way traffic creates and diminishes gaps on a freeway, leaving it on 6th I have no problems getting up to 85, 90. I'll stay doing 75 cause it's a bit quicker than most cars are willing to go but not fast enough to attract the attention of the plod who patrol the freeway with unmarked cars and hidden speed cameras.

It's a comfy speed and going faster would only cut maybe 2 minutes off my trip by the time I am done and not worth the extra hassle.

Michael