Low - midrange torque -- not as fun?

[Guth_imp]

Oh the new Valkrie. Very cool. It got great reviews, but lack luster sales, according to what I've read.

Hmmm, sounds strangely familiar.

I've been thinking about buying a Bonneville T120, but one thing that puts me off is that it has the much touted "low and midrange torque" -- just like the CB1100.

I've had a post about this before -- I never found the CB1100 as much fun as my Nighthawk 750 and in trying to analyze why, I think it had something to do with the torque curve. The Nighthawk didn't "wake up" until 4000 RPM and I always kept ii at that RPM at cruise so that if I needed a quick get-away I could take advantage of the torque between 4000 and 6500 or so. Something about moving up through the RPM range to 4000 in each of the gears was very enjoyable and I'm looking to repeat that experience -- so much so that I've even thought about buying an old original CB750 and having it restored.

Anybody have any insight as to why the 750 seemed more fun to me? Has anybody experienced the same thing?

Before I go further with this post, I promise that I won't be referring to the S2000 in every post that I make from now on. But the car has been on my mind quite a bit since we bought it last month and I've been thinking about this very topic because of it. I absolutely love running the little motor of that car up into the upper limits of the RPM range. Yet I also love torque-laden cars as well. I think it just depends on the vehicle and the experience that I'm wanting to get out if. It's not really all that different with motorcycles.

When it comes strictly to motorcycles I think that I can relate to your situation, but what I've written above still applies. In some ways I find my Hawk GT more fun to ride than my CB1100 for a variety of reasons. But chief amongst them is simply that the engine feels pretty consistent throughout its rev range which is good if you like the way the engine feels (I do). The CB1100 on the other hand tends to change it's personality a bit as you work your way above a certain RPM. For some this is fun, for others it can be unpleasant. (I'm okay with it and do run up above 4K RPM at times for fun.)

The other big thing is that I can ride in those upper RPMs on the Hawk without getting into too much trouble (speed-wise) which is fun to me. While the CB1100 is no super sport, if you're playing around in the in the higher RPM range beyond first gear then chances are you're going to be a prime candidate for a rather hefty fine.

As far as what any of this has to do with torque and horsepower values, well I can't say for sure. I find both bikes fairly linear when it comes to powerbands and both are considered somewhat "torquey" in their own right. Neither bike is considered fast by the standards of their time, lol. But I'm selling the Hawk and keeping the CB1100 simply because I find the CB to be the more "enjoyable: bike overall. It might not be as much "fun" as the Hawk, but it is more comfortable — I love the riding position on the CB and that's a pretty big deal to me. Even if it isn't as fun, I still have fun riding it if that makes any sense.

Anyway, just some food for thought.