Tech: Horsepower explained
The Missenden Flyer says that we shouldn’t be in such a hurry to buy a superbike the moment we get our full motorcycle licence
Something I see a lot of in the comments to my YouTube videos are variations of ‘What bike should I buy as my first big motorcycle?’ Or ‘Do you think an MT-10 [or whatever] is suitable as my first big bike?’ Fairly predictably as a sensible chap and someone who, in the main, tries to avoid accidentally killing myself, my advice to anyone who has just passed their test is to go out and buy a secondhand 600cc/70ish bhp bike and learn their craft for six months to a year on that. Of course, we’re all adults and have a range of experience, backgrounds and temperaments, but in the main I’m convinced this is the right thing to do. Why a 600cc/70ish bhp machine? Because in my opinion this size is enough to easily exceed the acceleration of most cars, easily overtake, easily commute, easily go touring, easily have fun, but not so brutally quick that you will always be riding at licence losing (or worse) speeds. These bikes enable you to get used to riding a bigger machine, get familiar with the weight, the handling and speeds they deliver whilst remaining relatively safe. Why buy a secondhand machine?
Well learn from my mistake here: when I got into biking and passed my direct access course at the age of 40, I went and bought a brand new 600, got bored with it after six months or so and sold it for less than half of what I bought it for. Someone got a real bargain on my fully kitted-out and much-loved Yamaha XJ6! It is indeed quite possible, likely even, that a new rider will yearn for more power once he or she has got used to the mid-size motorbike I’m proposing. Don’t take a financial spanking on depreciation like I did, buy a secondhand bike, learn your craft, sell it privately for what you bought it for, then go and get your dream machine once you’re properly ready for it.
I’ve heard all the arguments about your ‘right hand controlling your speed’ or that you’re ‘not a youngster and very sensible so you’re sure you’d be OK on an R1 or Panigale to start with’. You wouldn’t encourage a newly qualified driver to go and buy a Bugatti Veyron as their first car – the same thing applies here. Be sensible for your first bike and you are much more likely to live to enjoy your second, third and hopefully many more.