Buying A new MOTORCYCLE? How much Horsepower is enough? 50 horsepower is more than you can ever use!

This is an argument that has been going on for decades. How much horsepower is enough!
50HP is more than you will ever need!

#howmuchpowerdoesamotorcycleneed

[andypaddon]

VERY INTERESTING! Eye opening indeed. I'll go away and read the article you reference. I've always suspected these mega-machine are too much. I remember 40 years ago being able to easily keep up with a GSXR 750 on my 350LC except on a long straight - in the days before I grew up. My 27 BHP bike is great for all legal road uses - and it doesn't weight me down. Good work chap!

[mattstringer]

I wish they would focus on making lighter bikes rather than just more weight and power !!

[hectorshouse]

Speaking of staying within the law…it’s more fun to ride a slow bike fast, than a fast bike slow

[jean-marclapierre]

I went from 150hp to 20hp, and its the most fun i had in years!!

[johnrickards]

Its an old chestnut but, in my considerable experience (over 50yrs of riding all manner of bikes) it is far more rewarding to ride a small capacity machine briskly than to ride a large capacity machine slowly.

[BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne]

I have 2 bikes. A ZZR1400 and a Honda NC750X.
The Honda is like a favourite old granddad. Reliable, cuddly, and someone I am happy to be with every day
The ZZR1400 is like the alcoholic uncle. Every meet-up is filled with laughter and raucous fun, but you just couldn't keep it up every day.
Horsepower on a motorcycle is similar. 50 is your granddad. 200 is your alcoholic uncle.

[Andy_ATB]

The usual excuse from certain riders is " they need the power to get out of trouble". Well how about doing some further training so you don't get into trouble?

[LongRider]

I’ve ridden for many decades with bikes of all hp ratings. These days at 68 I’m fine with my 40 hp do all bike. No rider modes, no abs, no nothing other than fuel injection. Just a raw fun daily rider bike. There is something to be said for keeping it simple and keeping life simple.

[ianbishop]

Morning Stu, I agree with you, my Honda NC750 has 54 bhp and it will do everything I want it to and break every speed limit in the UK with ease.

[ArthurClarke-re]

Hi Stu, it’s Torque you should be looking at. You can have similar engines with the same horse power, but the better engine is the one with the better torque curve.

[JamesSmith-xxpy]

I have ridden and raced motorcycles for over 50 years, and as many of you know, rider skill counts far more than horsepower!
Right on, Stu!

[akceller]

I love the irony of all the manufacturers adding more and more capacity and horsepower to the engine, but then calming it all down with electronic traction controls, lol.
I recently got to test ride 2 triumphs, on the same route with a group of other triumphs. I rode the Explorer 1200 first then the Scrambler 400. As nice and enjoyable as the 1200 was, it was the 400 that really made me grin. At no point did the 660cc sportsbike in the group leave me behind, bearing in mind this was at legal road speeds, but i felt so much more accomplished and thrilled on the 400cc bike.

[antonoat]

The latest BMW GS is a case in point, they’ve upped the horsepower once again but they have removed nearly everything which made the bike desirable in the first place, lol. I’ve ridden nearly 250, 000 miles by motorcycle in my life so far and the best rides I’ve had in that time have been between the speeds of 50-60mph, excess speed creates far more potential for death and removes all the pleasure for me, I suspect this is true for most if they’re honest! Consequently I agree with the premise of this film! 👏👍😀🏍

[jdab]

Aussie here. I own the Himalayan 450 and an XJR1300. The XJR at 100hp is great on long windy roads and feels great when it pulls like a train. Nothing to do with how much hp I need. More about how it makes me feel. On the other hand, my Himalayan 450 is a hoot to ride working through all the gears. Both satisfying in different ways. So to say you don't need 100hp+ is missing the point. Just as we don't "need" motorcycles when we have cars, - we still do. I like the way my 100hp bike feels, that's why I ride it. I like the way my 40hp bike feels, that's why I ride it.

[benkelly]

One could argue that, you only need a Casio watch, worth £5.00 and save a whole lot of money to keep in the bank! 😊

[davidhawkins]

I have downsized to a Triumph Speed 400, I have found it perfect for my needs at 40hp, and only 170kg, does everything I need from a bike.

[rochmel]

Great video, thanks Stuart. I can't argue with a word you say. But on the other hand my bike is 200+ horsepower (or so they say) and I love it. To my mind the modern sports bike is the pinicle of the development of the motorcycle and it ticks all those 'biker boxes'. It is fun to ride at legal speeds, the build quality is superb and it is definitely a bike that one turns back to look at when leaving it parked up. I may have spent £10, 000 on horse power that I'll never use but as we all know biking is so much more than simply getting from A to B.

[SteelSteedStan]

I have never owned a bike with more than 70 bhp. And it had never stopped me from going places, taking long journeys to the other side of the continent. The first time I did it was on the back of a Honda shadow with 45 ponies. I myself am a big man, tal and heavy, and that bike hauled my ass and all the luggage effortlessly. And now I'm amazed of how well the little RE Classic 350 is able to perform the same task without breaking a sweat. Really amazing.

[nathanbrompton]

I'm afraid the standard of driving in this country has dropped to an all time low across the board, from motorcyclists right through to heavy goods. Which is astonishing considering the added hurdles one has to perform to aquire a licence these days. And it has to be said, I dont see many police officers setting a good example either.

I used to ride a 125 that would happily propel this 15 stone man at 60mph. It just lacked the torque to do it up hill.

[phaserlich]

Having ridden bikes from 20 to 120 horsepower I wholeheartedly agree. 30-50 horsepower is the sweet spot 😊