Stole this off another site i lurk on once in awhile.
Authors name is CaptCrash.
Don't let the name fool you. He's been around bikes awhile and dude knows his stuff.


"In Praise of 35 Horses

Yup. This is about the joy and excitement of 35 ponies. If you're asking yourself, "Really? Does he intend to try and convince me that 35hp is a good thing?" you'd be wrong. I figure that my audience for this is broken into 3 groups.

1. Folks who automatically say, "You can never have enough horsepower and you're always better off with more."

2. Folks who say, "Really? Won't you get bored and need to trade up? Low power is for beginners right?"

3. Folks who say, "Hell yes. Nothings better than going fast on something slow!"

If you belong to one of the first two groups--give me a chance and think this through with me and I believe you may find that low power bikes aren't just for beginners or things we outgrow. Low power bikes are where we can build a basic skill set and exploit our inner intellectual rider. Low power bikes help hone our craft and craft is the first step to becoming "crafty".

Low power bikes are interesting because if you want to ride with real speed you have to create the speed yourself. With 30 or even forty ponies you can't come out of that corner, stand the bike up and unleash hellfire; you need to pack speed with you. Big horses allow you to spank it on the straights and then park it up in the corners. Too often riders with excessive power race from corner to corner only to gently bend the bike around the next turn and then turn the dial to eleven before wildly backing off and carefully making the next turn.

In order to ride quickly on a low power bike you need to "carry more speed". This means you want to enter a turn with good speed but you also need to exit with as much as you possibly can. The concept of carrying speed is vital to low output bikes because you can't just twist and go. You don't have 150 ponies--you have 1/5th that available and you not only need to make the most of that meager number you need what the military would call a "Force Multiplier". According to the DOD a force multiplier is defined as: "A capability that, when added to and employed by a combat force, significantly increases the combat potential of that force and thus enhances the probability of successful mission accomplishment."

The force multiplier that small bikes employ is (drum roll): Smoothness.

Generally we talk about big horsepower getting you into big trouble quickly and that's true, it will. But, an important conversation to have is that big power will camouflage poor riding and give you a false sense of grandeur. Because you can tap the ton on that straight you think you're fast when in fact you're only fast on the straights--in corners? You're a roadblock. That abundance of throttle and lack of corner speed is one of the reasons huge power should be avoided by newbies; it's the basis of that hard saying "In slow, out fast. In fast--out dead". Trying to make time in the straights is often why we crash in corners. Being able to run up into triple digits can lead to leaving the paved roadway and striking fixed objects--comprehende?

With 30 ponies you have to manage your throttle and brakes and ride with real awareness of speed because once you lose speed it's very difficult to get it back. Since you're trying to have as much speed as possible at the exit you pay real attention to entry and line. A sloppy rider is hard on the gas and hard on the brakes trying to make time in the straights figuring horsepower will fix things. A smooth rider will be more in control and not as ragged and out of shape as they coax more out of the bike. Where do you think sayings like "smooth is fast and fast is smooth" come from? They are bits of wisdom garnered in the real world.

Are 35 ponies too few? Not for me. Riding is fun. BIG fun. I won't turn you down if you offer me a chance to ride that SS1000R, I'd be happy to twist that things tail. But I won't turn down a ride on a 250 twin either. Why? Because if it's got two wheels I'm gonna have a good time with it AND because I learned to ride on underpowered bikes I know that it's not the size of the wand it's the magic in the wizard that makes things happen.

Don't be afraid to learn to ride. Don't be worried the bike is 'too small'. It ain't. Only thing that might be too small is your mind. Open it.

Be Safe. "

+2

Very good read Wolf! I started riding back when a Triumph 650 Bonnie was a darn big scooter. My first scoot was a 1972 Harley SS350 Sprint. I rode that thing everywhere and until we hit the interstate I ran right with the big dogs! Even made some pretty long runs packing double!

Even today I'd rather ride a 650 class scooter over one of the monster V-twins. Of course I'm more of a two-lane rider. Running 75mph + on the interstate you flat out miss the scenery!

And one more...lol

"Rain Test--DO ONE.

   Went out today in the pouring rain and 54 degree temperatures and did a 30 mile rain test. Yup. On purpose. Looked at the rain. Looked at the bike. Looked at the rain suit and asked, "Crash, does that thing work? AND how are your skills in the rain. Perhaps now, instead of an emergency test, you should hit the road and see what's up." Accepting my own wisdom I climbed into my rain gear and went for a ride--not a ride under duress--but a ride to see how rain feels when you plan on it.

   It ain't that bad. Kinda fun actually--Honestly? Enough fun that now I wish it had been 74 degrees instead of 54 and I'd have stayed out a lot longer. I wasn't cold, it just was one of those, "I'm good but this isn't the shizz" kinda things.

   A couple of thoughts:

   1. Dedicated rain gear designed for motorcycle riding is the way to go. Granted, a plastic garbage bag with a head hole and arm holes is better than nothing--designed gear is optimal.

   2. Get into it before you're wet. I did. I have been in rain gear after I'm wet and it's not the best feeling ever. You'll get steamed alive. Better to be in early than late.

   3. VISIBILITY. Compromised. Compromised enough that it's a bigger issue to me than compromised traction. See, when you're out in the rain you tend to use engine braking a lot--that means that your brake light ISN'T LIGHTING UP. So, you're in a situation where you're hard to spot AND you're not communicating as well with other users as you usually do. BE SURE TO TAP YOUR BRAKES WHEN YOU'RE DECELERATING--either using the brakes or the engine.

   4 TRACTION. Is compromised--but probably not as badly as you think it is. Rain is not snow, and rain at 54 degrees, or even 35, doesn't instantly convert to a solid state. A couple of heads up: This time of year is harvest--if you're near farms beware of dirt and mud on the road from trucks and tractors enter the roadway. Also, things like paint stripes, manholes, steel plates and grids, even polished cement, can be dramatically more slippery. Be aware. As always when the road takes a bath the crap will lift up off the road surface and eventually wash away--be careful those first few moments of a rain storm.

   5. FOLLOWING DISTANCE/SPACE CUSHION. Increase them. It's not hard to do when you're out there voluntarily--if you're in a hurry and trying to get home you may be following too closely. Watch it. Being too close to other vehicles puts you in the spray of the cars around you which inhibits your vision AND makes you harder to see.

   6. If you can't take it? Pull over. You can hang out at the Mickey D's a long time if you're willing to buy some chow. You might want to wait things out.

   All in all I would suggest you can ride successfully in the rain. I would suggest that Sunday morning around 10am is GREAT time to head out into the rain and get some "alone" time on the road. Heck, check the church parking lots and you'll be able to see which pastor is throwing strikes by how many cars are there.

   Rain is not a guaranteed crash. Rain is survivable. I would earnestly offer that you should plan for some saddle time/practice in the rain. It's worth it.

   Be Safe."

I am all in favor of enjoying the small HP bikes.  When young I raced a 125 and although I was very competive and did well - there was often someone that could ride just a bit faster on a similar bike.  It did help me to become a very smooth rider - and competition helped me become a rider that new how to use a front brake well.

The Savage is the largest motorcycle I have ever owned, and I love this concept of having "torque on tap" .

Nice read. I'm kinda partial to the "gutless wonders" myself. I grew up on British parallel twins and older than me Harleys. Neither known for neck snapping acceleration or good handling.

My Savage was a fun little rider grade bike. Hopefully it will be again soon (down for a bunch of stuff). Didn't hold a candle to my built 1999 800A Kawi twin (could run 120mph all day long comfortably) that I still regret selling. Infinitely better than my stone stock 800B Kawi twin that I couldn't scrap out fast enough (an 05 with maybe 10K on the clock). Yep, scrapped (as in sold to the bike breakers) a low mileage 2005 runner and kept my starts IF it wants to can't get out of its own way wide open down hill with a tailwind 1998 project Savage. That I've had since it was new and have resurrected after my stepson totalled it twice. That 12 years ago I stripped down and hit 115 mph on at a 2 mile test track.

I can't wait to run back to back on my 650 and my 1963 250 Honda. The 650 is all I need for longer trips, the 250 is perfect for the twisty 2 lane country roads around the farm. And at close to 100 mpg, guess the 250 will probably end up my commuter too.

I love my Fury, but I will have to admit that the Savage is much more fun to ride.  It is my wife's first bike and I find myself continuing to find excuses to take it out just for the hell of it.

Thanks Dave! what BTW does Capt crash ride? Ninja 250? that's my guess from 35 HP

I always thought capt crash was an writer for one of the popular motorcycle magazines.
But try google'n him and there are tons of capt crash video's, blogs and lots of forums have one.

This person supposedly met him....

http://www.beginnerbikers.org/showthread.php?35796-I-met-the-Honorable-Captai...