Adding 2cents to 1600 power topic

[voyager]

Hey all, I've been reading many a comment on the power of the 1600 compared to other models and cc's so I thought I would add my thoughts as well. I've been an engine mechanic for a Caterpillar dealer for 25 years now and currently teach my apprentices the ins and outs of engines on the dyno. Now my engines are 1000 to 5000 hp diesels, but the principles are all the same. Alot of my students get torque and hp mixed up, though they are related, they perform different tasks. When it comes to our Nomads, when you start out at a light , with two up , and a load of luggage, and you want to accelerate fast up to the speed limit, thats torque. When your cuising on the highway and want to pass without gearing down, thats hp. Where the engine is in its working curve depends on when torque or hp come into play ( or better put, when you feel it work ) When it comes to our 1600s the engine is limited by Kawi's design as to how much hp we can get out of it. Marginal increases can be achieved by exhaust change and air intake change, sensor tweeking and such ( 10-15% ) but you give up fuel ecomomy to do it. The 1600 is limited to it's intake manifold, cam design and compression ratio.( and to a certain respect, the gear ratio of the tranny). Since these hard parts can't be changed then the limits are pre set. 60 some odd hp is low for the size of the motor ( I agree with BD on that ) but with Kawi having 4 valves per cylinder, it does open the door to increase the compression ratio and cam timing in the future to achieve higher hp. But, as Doc stated, with every action there is a reaction. Higher hp, fuel increase, revs, etc causes more stress on any engine and higher wear and less life. So the question is , do you want your bike to last 150,000 miles, or do you want major speed and pulling power and put up with high fuel ecomomy and a bike you have to replace in 3 years. Now stop comparing HD to Kawis, because I don't know too many HD with 150,000 miles untouched.

Sorry about being so long winded,

voyager