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My intent was not to minimize the effect of streamlining. I absolutely agree. I do not think it is easy though for those who are not mechanically inclined, and even harder is for some mc owners to make two or three trips per year to places far away from his or her home to compete in these rides. There is no way, for instance, I could make room for these events in my budget or calendar, and even if I could, the spouse would throw a fit. Especially since my one and only trip far away from home on a bike resulted in me getting injured on my bike.
However, I'm sure that their are many owners of efficient mc's and scooters, e.g. Honda's 150, 250, 300, 500, and 650. BMW's 650 that go on rally and rides and do modifications that could get involved in streamlining and hypermiling. The biggest problem and a point of frustration is that hardly anyone has interest in this endeavor, and so we can't know what some of these power trains can do.
My main point is that if one were to take an mc that does not have a typical high revving engine where torque and horsepower move linearly through an extremely long range, like some of Honda's new power trains, and streamline it, even as it is higher capable hp than what is continually suggested at these events, then I feel like these newer engines could compete with the Kawasaki 250s pretty well.
It all comes back to the lack of interests in mc mpg and I'm not just referring to the prospect of comparing more streamlined bikes. These events should have fuel economical bikes and scooters and their riders show up with many brands, styles and displacements of stock bikes; fuel up, line up and go, and the results should be published and discussed and high achievers touted. I was sort of disappointed at the lack of media coverage, the few participates of both streamlined bikes and stock back at the 2014 event. Comparing stock bikes can give good indications of how they'd compare streamlined and so manufacturers' engineering should be a big part of what these events are all about. I was also sort of disappointed that it seemed a little like a good old boys ride with everyone else just kind of there. For instance, I feel like my achievement of beating the number two stock bike by 20 mpg, and the fact that I was near Craig's result should have been highlighted or at least mentioned instead of just listed among the group that was just there.
I do realize that streamlining takes load off all engines and allows for all powered bikes to run at highway speeds at less than peak power, saving fuel, but what I'm suggesting is that maybe an engine that has much higher capable torque much lower on the tachometer can feasibly compete with the prescribed 21-28 horsepower mc's in both set ups: stock and streamlined, and since so few folks streamline, it'd be nice if these events had more stock competitiveness, and maybe some of them do, but if they do, it's not being communicated in the publishing of the results.
Anyway, I'm through with my rant. Hope someone tells us soon what happened at the 2016 ride, and I do appreciate that some people do what they do to make these events happen. I just wish it was a little more participated and better covered, but this is the world we live in.
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