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We Got An HP4 Race!


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How's the suspension on this bike?  I imagine the ohlins feels great.  What changes have you had to make from going from one track to another across the country?  Did you even bother setting sag?

The HP4Race is much lighter, is the chassis size the same?  Or does the adjustable seat height, rear sets, clip-ons make it feel different in comfort from an s1000rr?

Do you notice a significant difference in drive for the different tracks at different elevations?  I heard the world superbikes are really sensitive to this.

How have you adjusted your riding for this lighter, easier steering, deeper braking bike?  Are you hanging off differently?  Are you carrying more brakes into the corners because you feel more stable?

Since it can handle higher corner speeds than a regular 1000cc, are you prioritizing going around corners faster like a 600cc or are you riding it just like the school teaches with focus on exit drive?  Or perhaps just a mix of both?

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Bottom line up front: the bike is extraordinary, awesome, phenomenal.

Why: It is build bottom up as a track-specific bike. Different from a World Superbike that started out as a street bike, this was built as a track bike from the bottom up. Somehow it was incredibly user-friendly. Any intermediate level and up rider will love it.

Handling: Zero changes on the suspension, the bike would not only hold a line, it went anywhere you wanted it to go. Very easy to set it on a line. Rough pavement (at Willow Springs) was no problem. At our race school I was able to make passes over a bumpy outside section where other riders would avoid.

Power: Super linear. Never really hit hard suddenly. The mapping it came with is very manageable and a perfect balance of outright power and user-friendly delivery. 3rd and 4th gear power wheelies are easy and very progressive--not sudden. It definitely is far more powerful than a stock S1000RR.

Gearbox: This was something that surprised me. Super-smooth and positive shifts. The stock gearbox is just fine but this one was even better with a very positive feel and great travel.

Electronics: The traction control is audible; you can hear it coming in with a fluttering sound which is very helpful to get the immediate feedback on what the bike is doing on that. The dash is a race dash with a very simple interface and easy to control and change settings. Launch control: just like the GP bikes! So cool. Used it today at our Race School. Took off like a scalded cat.

Finish: Every thing is so tidy under the seat where the battery and datalogger are. Nothing missing, nothing extra. Most bolts are drilled titanium. Wiring harness is custom with nothing xtra, but there are jacks for additional sensors like brake pressure and suspension travel.

Brakes: Zero fade. Excellent feel. Some travel but not too much, very linear.

Weight: Holy sheet. It's 6lbs lighter than a 300 Ninja when it's fully wet. Wow so easy to transition. I have video of two women lifting the bike completely off the ground.

HP4R Price: $78,000. Engine replacement at 3,100 miles.

Yoshimura superbike: $300,000. Engine rebuild at 700 miles.

Graves Superbike: +/- $150,000 estimated. Engine rebuild at 1,200 +/-.

BMW World Superbike: $120,000. Engine rebuild/replacement at 1,000 +/-

Privateer MotoAmerica Yamaha Superbike: $60,000. Engine rebuild/replacement at 1,000 +/- and lots of bugs to fix and iron out, lower spec brakes and components.

Any true superbike price is very hard to nail down because the development is the real cost. The parts are reflected above, but double, triple, quadruple is spent in development and testing at the track. Just one weekend testing is serious dollars.

What you get with the HP4R is significantly more that you could ever get if you started with a stock S1000RR and tried to build a superbike from there. It's really a totally dialed in and balanced package. I had the owner of a local performance shop ride the bike from Motorsports Exotica, who said after getting off the bike: "I've ridden bikes with twice the money into them that don't even come close to this bike."

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I didn't really think it would be that special until I saw the below video and after reading your post there it all makes sense. Like you say - what they have done is amazing, you end up with a completely different machine building from ground up as a track/race bike rather than trying to turn a street bike into a race bike. 

 

Ducati Desmosedici RR used to be my "dream bike", but the way technology is advancing so quickly and with all this being available to Joe Public (if you have the cash...) well let's just say it's a great time to be alive!

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