Do you ever......

[STULER]

Do you think that within the next 20 years, we will see a street legal production motorcycle able to top 250mph bone stock?

The busa's close, as is the zx14 without the rev limiter. what bike do you think will do it?

[Wolfe_UK]

In short: Almost certainly no.
The amount of horsepower needed to get just an extra two or three mph is phenomenal due to the exponential nature of what you're trying to achieve. I.E. the faster you are going the more power you will need to further increase your speed. Comes down to the physics of air, and even with modern streamlining, materials and low weight of motorbikes for a bike to achieve that on a PRODUCTION level (I'm not saying for one second a bike can't do that) you'd need a company with more money than sense to trial it and no one would be able to afford it anyway because the insurance would be like being in prison with a large man named "Bubba" for years.

Additional - There is an upper speed limit for motorbikes anyway because there hits a point where the speed of outside air causes such a pressure imbalance that basically vacuums the air out of your helmet. I can't remember what this threshold is off the top of my head but it's a related point.

Also the top speed figure for the GSX1300R at stock was 194mph, which is really a LONG way to go to hit 250. I'm not trying to be a pessimist, but the physics of the challenge is a bast'rd to go up against.

[akarob]

Well said. 250 is a bit rediculous. I don't know where you live, but the roads in the Northeast aren't straight enough to get that fast.

At that speed, other cars in the road may as well be standing still.

It's crazy to think that out on the salt flats, it used to be a big deal to get in the 200mph club. Now you can just go buy a bike and twist the grip. It's still a big deal to actually get going that fast though.

[JIB]

I think the hovering rocket bike will be able to do it.

[allblackkat]

Aprilia rsv4 superbike ridden by max biaggi topped out at 203 mph this year...
The fastest motogp bike was Pedrosa last season at 217mph on an 800cc that makes about 230hp...

As far as street bikes go... I've read about a turbo busa with 425hp that hit 232mph... So no way will production bikes make that big of a jump in power in our lifetime...

[thetable]

Bone stock, no. Seems there is a gentlemen's agreement that has been in place for several (~10) years. Everything is governed to 186, which is why the 99-00 Busa is the fastest production bike.

Is it possible, if tire technology comes along as well as someone who is interested in spending more time on aero, I think it is quite possible.

[steves]

There is a limit to what you can do with a platform on two wheels that maintains the certain level of safety and sanity.

Talking to some of the Yamaha guys at the IMS a few years ago, Yammie prototyped a bike with a 2.0l engine. They could barely keep the front wheel on the ground.

Manufacturers don't want governments to impose a limit on them, so they have been self limiting.

[depths_of_mind]

Bone stock, no. Seems there is a gentlemen's agreement, with japanese bikes, that has been in place for several (~10) years. Everything is governed to 186, which is why the 99-00 Busa is the fastest production bike.

Is it possible, if tire technology comes along as well as someone who is interested in spending more time on aero, I think it is quite possible.

Fixed that for ya

[thetable]

Fixed that for ya

You might want to put a GPS on that Euro bike of yours. BMW agreed to the same, as did all the other Euro manufacturers. As to an American bike going faster than 15MPH now that Buell closed the doors... Well I guess there is always Fischer, but with a Hyosung power plant, don't see that happening.

[chrisgreer23]

I wouldn't want to go that fast. Unless it was on the salt flats or something. There is just no need for it on regular roads.

[mammut89]

mmm two-litah bike.... I think within the next 20 years we will actually go backwards. like some gps thing that limits the bike

[DClark]

I am shopping for a new c14, they are electronically limited to 156mph. My present '91 katana 1100 has a top speed of at least 161 ( I never have tested it). I guess it is all academic.
The latest bikes have so much power that electronic wizardy is employed to help the rider handle it. New bikes like the zx10 have selectable power modes, abs, traction control.
I think 1/4 mile time is more important than top speed, it gives a hint of real world performance.
In the:
1970's- a liter bike was good for 12 sec ( example- KZ 900)
1980's a liter + bike was good for 11 sec (example- GS 1100E)
1990's a liter + bike was good for 10 secs (example- GSX1100R)
2000' a liter + bike was good for 9 secs (example- Hayabusa)
2010's a liter + bike is good for 8 secs (example- ZX10)
As you can see, each decade gets us a bike that can whip through the 1/4 a sec faster. Back in the latter part of the 80's, the GSX1100R was king, able to blast a 10.5 1/4. Then, they came out with the ZX11 which was in the low 10's, then... you get the idea. What I find interesting is that it is possible for a a 2010 Concours 14 to post a better 1/4 mile time, despite being a shaftie, heavier, luxury things like heated grips, trip computer, saddle bags, etc, and in the end, it can still get 45+mpg. Progress is cool...

[STULER]

There is no bone stock bike (production bikes only) that can eclipse an 8.99 or faster quarter mile.

Watching technology grow is awesome. Especially with the new GOING GREEN thing. We can still build bikes that run 9.90's quarter miles and still put out close to no emissions with stock exhausts and headers and stuff. Really cool stuff.

[Rangerman83]

I don't know if you wanna count the Dodge Tomahawk, it looks like it can go 250+. Just gotta find the right idiot to take it to that limit; it's a good bet you will desentigrate if you screw up. There will be no healing process after crashing that; but at least it will prove our theory so it makes it important.

[Wolfe_UK]

I don't know if you wanna count the Dodge Tomahawk, it looks like it can go 250+. Just gotta find the right idiot to take it to that limit; it's a good bet you will desentigrate if you screw up. There will be no healing process after crashing that; but at least it will prove our theory so it makes it important.

I would say not a whelk's chance in a supernova.
Yes it's got a stupidly large engine but it also seems to have the aerodynamics (not to mention the beauty) of a brick.
Ignoring that it doesn't count as a motorbike, as 4 wheels make it a quadbike, it has absolutely 0 protection for it's rider, which will pretty much amount to so much drag you'll either be ripped off the back before you get close, or never make it that fast at all.
The bike is a lovely example of brute force over common sense, but no, to realistically achieve such high speeds in realworld physics it can pretty much go whistle.