I would still have to have the Japanese build quality. Kawasaki is a 1000cc inline 4 with a supercharger. Ducati is a liquid cooled 1100cc V4. Most bike shootouts today consist of comparing cupholders and color schemes. These guys get down and dirty with what made motorcycles great back in the day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofbVXIIzFHM

Man, that Ducati sounded goooooooood!

but not going to agree with the build quality of a Euro bike versus a J model, I have my reasons Me I'll take a former shoot-out competitor the 1290 KTM Super Duke R, don't ask me why


Mike

The Japanese have not been the leader in all out power for some years now. In the 1970s Ducati and Triumph were unreliable and decades behind the Japanese. Now they lead in performance. BMW too. More videos on YT though that show the supercharged Kaw has LOTS of untapped power that is released with an aftermarket exhaust and a tune. But you cant be the sound of a high perf V twin and especially a V4.

The video I posted above was the grand finale- Part 2. Here's how they got there- Part 1:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSiVrtDrfhY

Amazing bike.

+

Where do they get the HP numbers, are the makers advertising them?

The manufacturers are advertising the power output. The Kaw with its factory supercharger makes significantly more power after a free flowing exhaust and a tune.

From talking to friends it sounds like Ducati quality has stepped way up since they were purchased by Volkswagen and managed by Audi a decade ago. I'd love to have Mike's Super Duke R though!!

As a kid in HS, Ducati was the machine, lol. Sexy as all get out, Kawi's, not so much. But I could afford a Kawasaki, lol.

My how things have changed.

In the 70s, we didn't talk about 'sexy' with bikes of this sort. We talked about PERFORMANCE. And performance was all that mattered. Back then, we raced them just like the muscle cars. And pretty or 'sexy' didn't win many races.

And the girls didn't care about 'sexy' styling on the bikes either. What they thought was sexy was a WINNER.

Sad to hear that all that has changed.

NOTHING has changed with motorcycles they are still fast and faster than ever, and some are sexy and sexy and FAST and some are just MOTORCYCLES to enjoy as always unless they are electric then they are not motorcycles IMO. LOL.

10's @ 130+ out of a 1000cc V-Twin not bad IMO. Ridden to the track and back home.

A12 you are the man!!! Launching a bike and running down the 1/4 in the time you do takes serious skills! I sold my really nice 1983 Suzuki GS1100E and stepped into modern cycles back in 2021. This 2019 Indian FTR1200 is really fun. High powered liquid cooled V Twins have incredible instant power.

They all look like crotch rockets! No "crotch rockets" back in the day.

I think a lot of the "crotch rocket" look started in the early to mid '80's. Before that there were a lot of "standards" and "super bikes"; I still have this '79 GS850 G that I made to be more of a sport touring bike. Added Krauser removable cases and added the quarter fairing and lower handlebars and painted and striped the front fender to match the tank paint and stripe. This is basically a shaft drive GS750 and according to my wife the best seat of all of the bikes I've had or have, and I agree.

IMO these were the "crotch rockets" of the day in the late '70's - early to mid '80's. Raced the 24-hours of Nelson's Ledges (a couple of times, best was 4th overall on the GS1000) on a GS750 and GS1000 and Bridgehampton LI on a GS1100, fun but a lot of work and little sleep at the 24-hour races.

Lol

1983 Ducati

Nice bike that '83 Ducati 900 SS but no crotch rocket by horsepower just crotch rocket (look) by way of a road race fairing.

'83 Ducati 900(cc) horsepower was 69.0 hp.

A Suzuki GS850G had 78.0 hp with -50cc less displacement.

A Suzuki GS750(cc) had 84.0 hp with -150cc less displacement.

A Suzuki GS110e had 108 hp with +200cc's

And the 1983 Kawasaki GPZ 1100 had a whopping 120 hp or 51 hp more than the Ducati's hp.

Torque has always mattered more to the Euro and American motorcycle manufactures (HD) but during that time horsepower was king to the American magazines and the J-models delivered that.