Thread: HD vs Fireblade

created/staged so called reality for the harley fans....

Regardless of what's said, the Honda rider really is crap at off-the-line takeoff. Second attempt is even worse than the first. Either through lack of skill or deliberately.

Any half-sorted Evo HD engine can keep up with anything else for a good while. Tyre grip is a big factor, as is the tendency to lift the front wheel on a short wheelbase high-CoG machine. Provided the rear tyre keeps gripping, a Harley will benefit from a lack of wanting to lift the front wheel.

I thought the same as TeamFA. The HD has a very extended wheelbase and it would be very hard to lift the front wheel with the amount of power he had available.

He also warmed up the tyre with a burnout.

The Honda would lift very, very easily and, with too much throttle, might lose traction and directional control. That said, the Honda rider was allegedly someone who raced so should be far better than me at getting off the line.

A reply from ex-road racers like TerryO or Redback would be good.

That video proves almost nothing about the bikes. About all it proves is that the Honda rider has slow reflexes.

Notice that the camera was set up so that we could only see the first 50 metres or so of the race. If the camera had been set up 50 or 100 metres down the road, we would have seen quite a different result.

That Harley beat the Honda for a very short distance largely because the Honda rider was so slow getting started.

Some of the things already mentioned may have contributed to getting the Harley off the line. The other thing that helped it is that it has lots of torque and not much power. It will accelerate at pretty much the same rate regardless of how many revs the engine is doing when the clutch is dropped. It will be pretty consistent.

The Honda, on the other hand has a fairly limited rev range in which it will achieve an efficient launch. The Honda rider needs to get it right. That rider didn't.

The most the video proves is that the Harley is easier to get off the line for the first few metres and that it helps to have good reflexes.

On foot I can beat a motorcycle off the line. However after just a couple of metres, the bike catches up. That doesn't make me faster than a motorcycle.

Yup!

My "9" will blitz most sports bikes up to the 2/3 shift... then high rpm, light weight takes over and they pull away...

Long wheelbase and Big torque makes it easy off the line... wide rubber helps it grip...

Bugger on corners though!

Originally Posted by Tombie

Yup!

My "9" will blitz most sports bikes up to the 2/3 shift... then high rpm, light weight takes over and they pull away...

Long wheelbase and Big torque makes it easy off the line... wide rubber helps it grip...

Bugger on corners though!

I was about to mention that myself, throw in a few corners and see what ends up in front.

Originally Posted by Tombie

Bugger on corners though!

I actually did LOL at that! However, I have seen the videos of the 9 on the Tail of the Dragon.