Am I imagining things or didn't they do that at some point in DMG or MA, I seem to remember a cap of 185hp for the class or somewhere thereabouts? Maybe I'm imagining things?
People have tried HP limits over the years, it never works. Too easy to cheat - and the cheating negates the supposed cost savings.
Not to mention the use of punctuation. <hmmm, move me up two slots...got distracted by a cold cup of coffee>
That is kinda taking it to an extreme (referring to the Busa). A 2008 CBR1000RR will demolish a 2017 ZX14 around a road course. So yeah, dyno numbers aren't the end all factor. But we are talking about bikes that are all relatively the same and are all somewhat proven. We have to assume that all of the modern sportbikes will handle well, stop well, etc (or at least they can be made to do so with proper setup...which all teams are capable of doing). Some of them might handle a little better out of the box, like a Honda will handle better than a BMW. Or some of them might be more finicky when it comes to setup (like the Panigale). But the equipment and knowledge is out there to get all modern sportbikes handling well. All other variables are either able to be sorted out (like brakes or gearing) within the rules, or they are eliminated because they are spec (like tires and fuel). Which means the biggest variable (in a class like WSTK that doesn't allow ANY motor work), is the HP in unrestricted form. Which like I said, was proven over that 3-4 year span when only the BMW, ZX10, and Panigale were able to run up front. The Honda and Aprilia were better handling bikes through those years. That model of the ZX10 needed a lot of help in order to be able to finish corners, and the Panigale was super finicky and unstable...but at the end of the day it didn't matter, because they made so much more HP in stock form that any handling deficiencies were negated.
Yes and I stated earlier what Mongo just said...they dont work. But I was just referring to a dyno test of those bikes out of curiosity, not from a rules perspective. Presumably each model of bike on the SSTK grid would be at its optimal state of tune. Same dyno, same day, same fuel. I think its the most objective way to truly quantify power for each different bike.
Canadian Superbike had very recently, and possibly still has, an HP limit. I think when the S1000RR came out in '10 it through everything sideways as bone stock on pump gas it was higher than the 180hp limit so I believe they increased it to 190hp or something.
I remember when Suzuki cranked up the power on their WSBK GSXR's when Laverty rode for them. It had gobs of power....then they started blowing engines ...I'm curious to see how the reliability of the production bikes will be once people start racing them, if they really make as much power as claimed.
Dude, you ever seen a "pretty" GSXR race bike? Most look like stone axes, a few like meat cleavers and I can't think of one that looked gorgeous. Lee Acree's was the cleanest race bike I'd ever seen though.
I saw one at VIR. It was pink, with green and blue polkadots. Belonged to some guy from a frozen state.
The ones Yoshimura used to run in the Suzuka 8 Hour were "stomachable". The Movistar checkerboard paint scheme was pretty bad.
Back then Crescent squad was running/developing The GSXR. They are still getting poor results with the R1, a bike with proven potential .