You'll tear your breeches!

[Mortblanc]

I believe that the controlled output of that engine is to match one of the license restrictions on horsepower/age/experience you folks have.

There is no other reason for a 400cc engine to produce the same hp output as a 250cc bike. Choking the output might allow people with a lower rated license to use the bike.

I am not sure about that but it has been my suspicion.

People outside the UK are getting big power jumps by changing the exhaust and using the aftermarket ECU. That is one of the beauties of computerized ignition, you can dial in the specs you want with a computer.

I know they choke the little 50cc scooters and 125cc bikes to death to keep them inside the regulations.

It may be that if they tune it to get another 15-20 hp it flies over the allowed EU emissions standards.

I do know that my bike will run 80 mph rather than the 65-70 claimed by most of the cycle press. I can cruise at 65 all day long. So far my riding has been on the back roads of Kentucky, which almost qualifies as a third world nation and has road surfaces like those that the bike was designed for, in India, so lack of passing power has not affected me.

I know they choke the little 50cc scooters and 125cc bikes to death to keep them inside the regulations.

BTW, your 125 bikes are better than our 125 bikes! You get as much HP out of your 125cc machines as we do from 250cc bikes. You have a better selection available too!

Since we do not have a graduated license system or age restrictions for the most part 125cc bikes are not required as a step in the process and they are not allowed on our high speed motorways, so they are not popular over here. Most people start on some small dirt bike in the back yard, back field or motocross track, and as soon as they get their license they are on a full sized bike of 250cc or larger.

Things have changed a lot since I was a kid and now people refer to 650cc monsters a "starter bikes".