PERFORMANCE
Most people know Superbike and Supersport motors produce big horsepower and torque, but what do these really mean?
Whilst it’s pretty much obvious to anyone these engines are powerful, anyone hearing the awesome sound emitted from the customised racing exhausts, will appreciate the front wheel-lifting and witness the high speed down the straight as the two-wheeled missile approaches 200 mph on the longest stretch.
To gauge the power in a scientific way, engineers use a dynamometer to measure the two components that rate an engine's capacity. The dyno provides the engineer the specific info needed to measure the ability of their engines in terms of torque and horsepower.
Torque is defined by Webster's Dictionary, as a turning or twisting force. In the world of Superbikes, torque is basically the amount of combustion pressure the engine produces, which is the driving force to propel the bike forward. Torque is measured in foot/pounds.
In layman’s terms the simplest way of understanding torque is to imagine the amount of force from the engine that rotates the driving wheel in a turning motion.
