I Thought This Was Interesting

So I was bored...

...and started to thinking...

...let's compare today's fastest production bike (Kawi Ninja H2 - road version) with the fastest 40 years ago (Kawi H2 - original 2 stroke) and the fastest 40 years before that (Brough Superior SS100)...

1932 Brough Superior SS100
Original Cost 170 pounds
Cost in Today's Dollars $12,000
Engine 1000cc V-Twin
HP 45
Weight 340
Top Speed 100mph
½ mile 80 secs (let's say 40 sec ¼ mile...)

1972 Kawasaki H2
Original Cost $1,200
Cost in Today's Dollars $6,500 - half the price of the Brough in equal dollars...
Engine 750cc Two-stroke Triple
HP 74 - 1.6 times the HP of the Brough
Weight 454 - one third more weight
Top Speed 120mph - 20% faster
¼ mile 12.0 secs - 66% faster, biggest gain in acceleration!

2015 Kawasaki Ninja H2
Cost $25,000 - holy ...., almost 4 times more expensive than the original H2!!
Engine 1000cc In-line four - supercharged
HP 200ish - well ya do get 2.7 times more HP that the original
Weight 524 - 12% heavier and the original wasn't light, porky .......!
Top Speed 186mph (limited?) - bloody FAST
¼ mile under 9.0 secs - holy ...., can you peel my eyeballs off the back of my skull?

I'll take a modern version of the original H2 mill (say 90-100HP) with current Ninja 600 frame, Ohlins front and rear, for about $10,000 please!!

Interesting comparison Mick. I think a lot of the extra weight can be attributed to electronics (Wiring, ECU's etc).

My dad still has the 1988 Honda NS125F 2 stroke my brother learned to ride on. Simple, light and nippy enough. Great bike!

524 seems heavy for a super bike, is that right?

It is heavy, but even the road going h2 with only 200hp decimates all due to that ....... blower. Instant on tap power. Even my hayabusa has to wind up a little bit to make serious progress, but the h2 just goes from the get go.

Give me the Brough Superior and I will be a happy fat .......