Master Stats

MASTER STATS

Master Blasters by the numbers

Master Bike is a test of stock streetbikes with steps taken to ensure that each participating machine is standard in specification.

Motociclismo's technical staff sets up the magazine’s dynamometer in a garage stall at the circuit and runs each bike-fueled with the Shell pump gas used throughout testing-to verify all are within 3 percent of a manufacturer’s published power specification. Each bike’s CPU is sealed and random spot checks keep everyone honest. Sound level and exhaust-gas emissions are also checked and must be within the bike’s homologated norm.

Although the numbers produced by Motociclismo's dyno don’t jive directly with what we’re accustomed to seeing with our own dyno at Cycle World, the power figures gathered offer readers a relative comparison among the bikes tested.

Lap times listed in the chart represent the very quickest time set by each bike, regardless of which rider was twisting the throttle. While several of the testers are current racers, others have little or no racing experience, giving a broad cross-section when assessing how many riders achieved a personal best time on a certain bike. Suzuki’s GSX-R750 clearly stands out in its category, with all but one rider achieving a best lap aboard the Gixxer. In the Superstock category, the condition of a bike’s tires had more bearing on the outcome.

-Don Canet