Could we get some real numbers in the reviews? Pretty Please

[Kenneth_Moore]

Originally Posted by Buzglyd

Which coast? I have an office in Spring Hill.

Mom lives, and I grew up, near Cocoa Beach. Her house is on the Indian River, and you can see the VAB at the Kennedy Space Center from her yard. I'm hoping to move back up there before too long. There are a BUNCH of riders up there, and some great roads are within range for a day trip.

[Kenneth_Moore]

Originally Posted by Gluge

True I doubt I could tell the difference between 10 lbs precisely but in general I feel much more comfortable on lighter smaller bikes and as far as my seat of pants comfort level well that can be influenced by just 10 lbs. And that will show up in my lap times.

I know I can tell the difference between my race bike full tank and my race bike near empty, it's very subtle but it's there. And yes depending on the bike I can defiantly feel 5 hpr difference.

I am no professional rider but I do win a bit of money racing and every little bit matters in racing. I don't care if 99% of the public doesn't race and still buys sportbikes.

Sportbikes are practically made for racing they're made to be as high performance as possible while still being able to be sold for street posers. The least magazines could do is report things that mater to people who actually use the bikes for their purpose. Especially when they're already measuring rwhpr they're just running it through some correcting thing which may or may not be accurate. All they need is a scale now.

They report plenty of other things that aren't useful (like claimed dry weight haha)

It seems you're a rider who could acutally use that level of detail. My viewpoint is skewed, I'm an aging rider who's biggest interest these days is just riding around enjoying the scenery and being outside. My days of pulling nine or ten tenths out of a machine are over...and I'm ok with that!

[Gluge]

Originally Posted by Kenneth_Moore

It seems you're a rider who could acutally use that level of detail. My viewpoint is skewed, I'm an aging rider who's biggest interest these days is just riding around enjoying the scenery and being outside. My days of pulling nine or ten tenths out of a machine are over...and I'm ok with that!

More power to you! You don't even need to be in the market for the fastest bike out there to appreciate good dyno numbers. I was shopping for a bike in the EX500 - SV650 range and found myself wishing I could get some true numbers. I ended up going with an RS250.

[sfcdjevans]

As far as usefull numbers go I'd like to see fuel milage reported, not from some journo's hooligan run but from a constant loop that might aproximate the use of a commuter. I do 400 to 500 miles a week commuting so real world fuel figures effect my decision making. As much as I would like to have 3 bikes for my moods and recreation I can only afford to have one that has to do it all.

ps. But hey if you've got RPG rounds that your not doing anything with....

[bbtowns]

I'd like to echo the comments in this thread that rear wheel horsepower and actual weight would be a huge improvement over the mixture of actual and manufacturer claims we get today. Manufacturer claims seem to vary from actual results by manufacturer, with some manufacturer's marketing department seeming to have a greater influence than others.
I agree that for many riders body fat is more significant than those 15 lbs you shaved off the bike with that new exhaust system, but that doesn't seem to be a good excuse not to report it for those of us in shape who push our bikes hard on the track or street on a regular basis.
Another idea, how about a chart of motorcycle performance that compares all makes and models ala the "list" that used to be included in Motorcyclist.

[acecycleins]

Kevin,
Tell the Verticalscope bosses you need a simple industrial scale and a real Dyno. 1- it's not that big of an investment when you look at it as a business expense. 2- it will give you guys something to play with between road test. 3- It will sure as h3ll make us happy knowing you guys aren't locked into the industry hype when giving data figures.
It's not a real complicated thing- operating a dyno. And if you start doing "long-term" testing on bikes you can give revised numbers with update. Just a thought from the peanut gallery.