Here's one part of the WSJ article that really caught my attention:
"In the late 1970s and early 1980s -- the last time motorcycle fatalities were this high -- the hottest bikes included machines like Kawasaki Motors Corp.'s Z1000. A fearsome bike at the time, its 90-or-so horsepower and total weight approaching 600 pounds seem benign compared with the nearly 200 horsepower generated by the company's new ZX-14 or rival bike maker Suzuki Motor Corp.'s GSX-R1000.
The Suzuki weighs barely 400 pounds with a full fuel tank, and can accelerate to 60 mph in about 2.5 seconds. It even comes with a switch so the rider can select low, medium or high power settings. Other bikes have adopted electronically controlled brakes, transmissions and traction control to keep the rear wheel from spinning out of control under acceleration."
I ride a Vulcan 900 but really have to watch myself when I ride my wife's V-Strom 650 because of its light weight and ability to accelerate compared to a cruiser. I am really interested in the Concours 14 as a sports-touring bike but IMO the super-sports class bikes are better for the track than the public highways.
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