Why are 4 stroke 125's so underpowered?

[Az]

I can't seem to get my head around why 4 stroke 125's are so underpowered, the majority of 125's don't produce over 13bhp even though the limit is 15bhp.

The reason I say they're underpowered is because a bigger bike produces a lot more power per CC.
As an example a 600 Bandit, produced around the 78bhp mark, that's like 16.6bhp per 125cc roughly and a Bandit is far from a powerful bike in comparison to what else is out there.

So how is it that manufactures can't/choose not to get there 125's to produce 15bhp yet the same manufacture can get 600cc sports bike bikes to produce over 100bhp.

Or do manufactures purposely not produce bikes up to the 15bhp limit, which doesn't make sense to me as most 17yr olds wants a faster bike than there mates 125, so surely it's a selling point having a more powerful 125's?

E.g. why do Honda's CBR125 only produce 13bhp where as there CBR600 produces 107bhp (22bhp Per 125cc roughly). Surely it can't be that hard or costly to get there CBR125 to produce an extra 2bhp.

[zeano182]

I cant agree more...why not just make all 125 four strokes 14-15bhp. Why do they make them like 11bhp?? It makes no sense.....

[MC]

Surely there would be no difference between models than the looks then. By no difference, I mean the less than 2hp that currently exists between the CBF & CBR for example.
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[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

Because they need to be cheap. A lot of people buy a 125 as economical transport. To get that extra couple of bhp means more R&D and/or decreased service intervals.
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[Az]

[zeano182]

Im not about speed but it qould be nice to have that 4bhp more on my cbf....if it meant being able to cruis at 60mph without reving the bike alot and tucking in. And if it meant fuel consuption went feom 120mpg ro 110mpg I think I could cope

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[dodsi]

[Az]

[TheCatSatOnTh...]

Derbi can claim 15bhp, but you'll probably find it's a slight exaggeration that children lap it up and buy the bikes. 1-2 bhp would make practically no difference anyway.

I guess a true 13bhp keeps them legal for the occasional one that makes an extra horse power by natural design variation.

[Az]

[TheCatSatOnTh...]

[zeano182]

To the people who said buy another r6 are silly. There is such a massive differnce between saying it would be nice just to have an extra 5-10mph top end to make 60 more comfortable for cruising speed . My r6 did not have anywhere near the fuel economy of a 125, anywhere near the comfort, not close on insurance and could do 100mph more. I dont want 100mph more just to be anle to go the same speed abit moew comfortably.

The OP question is tottally right. Its not like the bikes couldnt handle the extra 2-3 bhp and it qould only make a slight differnce. But im sure that slight differnce would make a big differnce to us 125 lovers and its totrally legal and possible.

[Az]

[Suntan Sid]

The manufacturers can sell gazillions of underpowered, simple, 125cc bikes to India and Asia.
Why would they bother making a different model for northern europe, for the sake of a few thousand units?
Wheezing 125's are the main form of transport for half the worlds population, and they're more than happy with the product.
Unfortunately, as a UK 125 rider, you are way down the pecking order when it comes to customer feedback!
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[MC]

[zeano182]

It also suprises me how much variance there is in speed with 125s even of the same model. The countless amounts of threads ive read regarding cbr, yzfr, cbf and ybr about peoples speeds it can literally vary about 15-20%. Maybe its just being that lucky git one day who walks in and picks up there new cbr 125 and it actually produces 80mph+.

[Az]

[Az]

[zeano182]

I know people have been saying the extra bhp would not make a differnce....but been reading the ktm duke and the yr125 and they are both at legal limits of 15bhp. And this definatly reflects in there top speed. Every review saying the handle speeds of up to 80mph....where as the ybr and cbf all say about 65. Now thats a massive differnce!

[-Monty-]

[bEN_]

need them to start making proper moto 3 reps
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[MC]

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

^^^or the KTM RC250R

82kg dry weight.
49bhp
145mph if tucked in.

Yours for 36k
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