Power Mad

[markgoodrich]

The current generation boxer engine is great. But it could be greater with more horsepower. Is there any way to increase power output (significantly)?

 

Yeah, yeah, get a K16. I awreddy have one.

[TEWKS]

I'm sure there are ways to boost the output on just about any motor but it usually comes at a cost. Reliability being the biggie and oh yeah, cost.

 

Sure you're already in the know but, ride it anywhere (vs GT) except bonneville and the new RT will kick butt.

 

Pat

 

 

Edited December 3, 2016 by TEWKS

[sardineone]

Human nature to always want more I suppose. My experience for what it's worth, buy another bike if your stocker isn't fast enough. Hard to modify a bike and even remotely match the resources of the factory. My take, the new generation boxer is great, but would be even better if it were like myself when I was younger and lighter .

[T.M. Roe]

For about ten grand you can get it to run almost as fast as a 600 Gxer.

 

Never try to teach a pig to sing, it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.

[roadscholar]

You could bolt one of these in it but you'd have to move the seat back a foot or two..

 

[lkchris]

Put a turbo on it

[Rob L]

NOS

 

[fastlarry]

I'm sure there are ways to boost the output on just about any motor but it usually comes at a cost. Reliability being the biggie and oh yeah, cost.

 

Sure you're already in the know but, ride it anywhere (vs GT) except bonneville and the new RT will kick butt.

 

Pat

 

 

Bikes with 150+ horsepower are dang near unridable by riders with normal skill levels. They require significant computer intervention to make them reasonably safe. It's amazing the intervention available on a Ducati Panigale motorcycle. A rider only gets that 190HP in a few riding situations. Dwarfs what we have on our 125 HP ST bikes.

 

What is intriguing to me is F1 power units. Hybrid technology, zero turbo lag-all hugely complex and expensive.

 

Larry

[Tri750]

I would always ask customers how many times they bounced off the rev limiter when on a fun ride in the foothills.

Normally they had the deer in the headlights look as an answer as they never rode the bike that hard.

 

My next suggestion was a riding school and a trackday or two to get more out of the the bike they had.

Wish I had a buck for every time I was passed by a 250 Ninja at trackdays.

 

[tom collins]

i agree with the track day, first improve the rider, oh lose 10 lbs too. the next thing would be upgrade the suspension to Ohlins. The difference in the confidence level will help you go quicker and safer. Finally, the trick to riding beemers quickly is holding speed on entry to turns and smoothness. the new ones are far better sorted than the old airhead i started on, but if you learned how to ride an airhead fast with the meager horsepower and jacking up and down, you could ride almost anything fast. So, a last tip, buy an old airhead, learn to ride it well (about 10,000 miles is what it takes) and you will be the hotshoe of your club. good luck mr. phelps, this message will self destruct in 5 seconds.

[roadscholar]

Put a turbo on it

 

 

 

[Skywagon]

Turn of the ASC on the 1200RT LC and see how you like it. I've done that a couple of times and rolling with the clutch out, and just going full throttle you will see sky. Use the no clutch speed shifter taking to top of revs and you will get to see sky again when you hit 2nd... As previous poster said...all the power I need for a street bike...I don't miss my Hyabusa which was so wicked fast it was just flat dangerous

[Bud]

For about ten grand you can get it to run almost as fast as a 600 Gxer.

 

Never try to teach a pig to sing , it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.

 

 

[markgoodrich]

For about ten grand you can get it to run almost as fast as a 600 Gxer.

 

Never try to teach a pig to sing, it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.

 

I know. Now, try to ride that 600 across country.

 

P/W ratio for the current 1200CC boxer is about the same as my K16, but I have a lot more torque. I've ridden both bikes pretty hard. The boxer handles better, a bit, but the power/torque of the K16 is intoxicating. Neither bike would really work as a track bike, in my experience, by the way. Lotta money to toss down the track, for one thing.

 

Remember when we were kids in the late 50s and early 60s, and guys would talk about porting and polishing, balanced engines, bored and stroked, three deuces, Quadrajets?

 

I spose a turbo or two would make a difference, but unless the thing was made of helium, the lag would probably really be annoying.

[Dennis Andress]

 

....

 

Bikes with 150+ horsepower are dang near unridable by riders with normal skill levels. They require significant computer intervention to make them reasonably safe. It's amazing the intervention available on a Ducati Panigale motorcycle. A rider only gets that 190HP in a few riding situations. Dwarfs what we have on our 125 HP ST bikes.

 

What is intriguing to me is F1 power units. Hybrid technology, zero turbo lag-all hugely complex and expensive.

 

Larry

 

No, not really. Experience is important, as is the ability to learn new things. But, on the right roads, 175 hp is quite enjoyable. And, no, the K13's computer does not intervene, for any reason.

 

[Endobob]

 

....

 

Bikes with 150+ horsepower are dang near unridable by riders with normal skill levels. They require significant computer intervention to make them reasonably safe. It's amazing the intervention available on a Ducati Panigale motorcycle. A rider only gets that 190HP in a few riding situations. Dwarfs what we have on our 125 HP ST bikes.

 

What is intriguing to me is F1 power units. Hybrid technology, zero turbo lag-all hugely complex and expensive.

 

Larry

 

No, not really. Experience is important, as is the ability to learn new things. But, on the right roads, 175 hp is quite enjoyable. And, no, the K13's computer does not intervene, for any reason.

 

 

Believe it - I have seen it! Experienced rider, well maintained K13 or similar, will fly and produces the biggest smiles one has ever seen.

[Laney]

 

Believe it - I have seen it! Experienced rider, well maintained K13 or similar, will fly and produces the biggest smiles one has ever seen.

 

 

[tallman]

 

Believe it - I have seen it! Experienced rider, well maintained K13 or similar, will fly and produces the biggest smiles one has ever seen.

 

 

RLAG

 

[Lone_RT_rider]

Everytime I think my R12RT needs more power, I just go for a ride on this wonderful piece of my life. Then I quickly remember is how much speed I carry though the corner and not how much throttle I apply at the end of it that counts.

 

Shawn

 

[Rougarou]

The current generation boxer engine is great. But it could be greater with more horsepower. Is there any way to increase power output (significantly)?

 

Yeah, yeah, get a K16. I awreddy have one.

 

No, no, not get a K16, get an HP4

 

[Smoky]

Does the "Slower traffic keep right." Sign work?

 

I've never seen one on a bike, left lane hogs are a thing with me.

[Rougarou]

Does the "Slower traffic keep right." Sign work?

 

I've never seen one on a bike, left lane hogs are a thing with me.

 

I would say most of the time. Some folks are just oblivious to the road etiquette.

[roadscholar]

I found a way to get left lane campers to move over. Get a black and white ex-police bike, mount some cheap driving lights w/blue lenses on it and wear a white open face and aviator sunglasses, they'll get over : )

[RTinNC]

[RTinNC]

[RPG]

There's an old saying. If you want a faster bike, buy one.

 

I test rode a S1000RR this past spring and even with all the electronic limits to tame the power, I was still scared when I twisted the throttle.

 

FWIW, my R90s still puts a smile on my face, flat out down the straight at Grattan raceway.

 

RPG

 

 

[Lone_RT_rider]

FWIW, my R90s still puts a smile on my face, flat out down the straight at Grattan raceway.

 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

I test rode a S1000RR this past spring and even with all the electronic limits to tame the power, I was still scared when I twisted the throttle.

 

I took a quick spin on an S1000RR a couple of years ago, and found it to be pretty well-behaved, if a little cramped (compared to my 12RT).

 

Ten years ago I rode a Hayabusa, and that was a different story. The throttle was...twitchy. It was difficult to bump up the revs without accidentally revving it to 7K RPM; in first gear, any attempt to increase the throttle made the whole thing feel like it was going to wheelie out of control. Yikes.

[T.M. Roe]

I test rode a S1000RR this past spring and even with all the electronic limits to tame the power, I was still scared when I twisted the throttle.

 

I took a quick spin on an S1000RR a couple of years ago, and found it to be pretty well-behaved, if a little cramped (compared to my 12RT).

 

Ten years ago I rode a Hayabusa, and that was a different story. The throttle was...twitchy. It was difficult to bump up the revs without accidentally revving it to 7K RPM; in first gear, any attempt to increase the throttle made the whole thing feel like it was going to wheelie out of control. Yikes.

 

From the same Engineering Dept. that brought us the TM 400 Cyclone.

[Ponch]

Does the "Slower traffic keep right." Sign work?

 

I've never seen one on a bike, left lane hogs are a thing with me.

 

It's terrible down here in AZ. Trains of cars form in the left lane and it's usually some miler in a Prius or road nazi in a Subaru that are holding things back.

[Ponch]

The current generation boxer engine is great. But it could be greater with more horsepower. Is there any way to increase power output (significantly)?

 

Yeah, yeah, get a K16. I awreddy have one.

 

K16 is the A answer. I wish I had a bit more with mine and the new RT probably would fit the bill power wise, just not wallet wise.

[gordiet]

You should try Washington state! Left lane hogs everywhere. Drive ya nuts.

 

GT

[Ponch]

You should try Washington state! Left lane hogs everywhere. Drive ya nuts.

 

GT

 

There's no place perfect. I've lived on Long Island, Iowa and now AZ. All different, all have their advantages and disadvantages. Never been the WA and my mom was born in Tacoma too. I've heard some good things about it and bad. Same with Oregon and from what I can tell, they are headed down the same road CA took, which is too bad. It's a shame there are no fiscally responsible socially liberal states (not progressive necessarily, there is a difference). Or even countries.

[gordiet]

Washington would like to be another CA. The west side is so liberal that is getting hard to live here with all the taxes that our government wants to lay on us. We have a governor that is a total Obama wanna be.

 

GT

Edited December 17, 2016 by gordiet

[Groanup]

Does the "Slower traffic keep right." Sign work?

 

I've never seen one on a bike, left lane hogs are a thing with me.

 

I have this one...

It only seems to work AFTER I pass them though...

[gordiet]

The current generation boxer engine is great. But it could be greater with more horsepower. Is there any way to increase power output (significantly)?

 

Yeah, yeah, get a K16. I awreddy have one.

 

K16 is the A answer. I wish I had a bit more with mine and the new RT probably would fit the bill power wise, just not wallet wise.

 

I had a K1600 that was a total pain in the a@@. Water pumps 5, clutch 1, transmission 1, and finally an oil eating monster!.

 

GT