Real Numbers on 1500

[WVJefo]

Everyone has seen the quarter mile, horsepower & torque figures for the 1500. 100 horses at 5200 rpm 110 torque at 4000 rpm 13.8 sec in 1/4 at 94 mph. From a perfect engine at the factory. Of course the HP and Torque numbers are from the crank. NOT all the Horses and torque gets to the rear wheels. Remember that horsepower is speed, Torque is acceration. All the horses in the world will not move without torque. Sucky torque sucky 1/4 mile times.

Got my Black dyno'd last night. 1994 GL1500 Aspencade with 31000 miles. THESE are the numbers that actually count NUMBERS AT THE REAR WHEEL of a twenty year old bike.

Max Torque 79 at about 4000 RPM BUT an average of 74 across the entire rev. That is why Goldwings pull like at train. Lots of torque all across the rpm range
Max HP 68 at 5100 (It was still rising but the machine graph ended at 5100 RPM) The bike does red line at 5500.

1/4 mile 13.1 sec 98 mph. Just a little better than advertised.

by the way Black seemed to like the fun. She seemed a happier on the way home.
Jeff

[Dogsled]

Interesting tests. Thanks for sharing the results. Now your next post should tell us what you are going to do toincrease over-all performance.....

[WVJefo]

Nothing. I like just as it is. But rear end is getting the moly 60 treatment this winter.

Jeff

[HawkeyeGL1200]

I met a guy (last summer) who owned a Valkyrie Interstate. I can't remember the year. I struck up a conversation with him because he had a car tire on the back rim, and I wanted an honest opinion about the performance of the car tire. He had just got back to Virginia from a trip to Florida (I'm telling it how he told me) for some work he had lined up in Florida. His Valkyrie had about 94,000 miles on it and he took it to a shop to get timing belts changed and some other work. I can't recall exactly what was done. He told me the shop had a dynomometer and after getting the work done, they dyno'd the bike. If I recall correctly, he said it was "about" 95 HP and 95 ft/lbs torque.

The reason I am repeating what he told me here is, I'm wondering if it is possible that a Valkyrie with 6 carbs can have that much better performance than a GL1500 set up? I have always liked the look of the Valkyrie, and figure I'll own one sooner or later, but if they performa that much better than a "regluar" 1500, it is definitely going to be sooner than later...

[WVJefo]

Better intake & exhaust alone can add a lot of power. It is the easiest and cheapest method. That is why headers and special intakes are so popular on Detroit V8's.

Jeff

[redial]

I have not done it, (too old for those thrills ), but my 88 has been upto the factory stated top speed. It was done in OK, so I guess there were plenty of straight roads to achieve this speed.