Motorcycle testing and measurement
These might include simple measurements like rake, trail, or wheelbase, or basic features, such as the type of brakes or ignition system.
Other measurements are often doubted or subject to misunderstandings, and the motorcycling press serves as an independent check on sometimes unrealistic sales and marketing claims.
The parameters most often in contention for motorcycles are the weight, the engine output (power and torque), and the overall performance, especially acceleration, top speed, and fuel economy.
In directive 92/61/EEC of 30 June 1992 relating to the type-approval of two or three-wheel motor vehicles,[3] it is referred to as "maximum engine power", and manufacturers use similar terms.
Historically, this convention may have come from the pre-unit construction, wherein the crankshaft was directly accessible for measurements, and the gearbox might have come from a different manufacturer.
One would hope that manufacturers would test their motorcycles in normal running order, so the condition that they are sold in, and for which they obtained type-approval, but this is not always the case.
The difference between GVWR and wet weight is how much the motorcycle can safely carry, including the rider, fuel, and other load.
[9] Beginning in 2009, the Japanese Big Four manufacturers and BMW began publishing the wet weight rather than dry, usually providing some explanation for what this means.
"[11] The wet weight of a motorcycle includes, but is not limited to fuel, engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, and battery.
In the EU, Council Directive 93/93/EEC specifies wet weight as "mass in running order", which includes all equipment normally fitted to a bike such as windscreen, tool kit and at least 90% of its fuel capacity.
Cycle World has published wet weights with all consumables on board, but only half a tank of fuel, while Honda has recently published specification tables that use the typically automotive-oriented term curb weight, and stated that it included full fluid levels and the bike was "ready to ride."
The difference between GVWR and wet weight is how much the motorcycle can safely carry, including fuel; the rider, passenger and their clothing; cargo; and other accessories.
This is especially of interest in touring motorcycles because when comparing motorcycles ridden by the same operator and passenger, clad in the same safety clothing, the machine with the greatest difference between its GVWR and wet weight can safely bear the most additional weight; for instance, camping food and gear, extra fuel, or spare parts.
It also indicates that a large rider and passenger might overload the machine even without carrying any additional load, in which case they might need two vehicles for a planned tour.
However a more relevant figure of merit, CdA, factors in the vehicle's frontal area, and thus actual power required to overcome wind resistance.
[17] Another factor making aerodynamic measurements relatively uncommon in the popular press is the lack of access to research-quality wind tunnels by journalists.
