Hyperbikes

A friend of mine who is a car guy and I were talking yesterday over a beer. He was going on about the LaFerrari, McLaren P1 and the 918 being on a completely new level and starting the HyperCar term. We threw a few others out there like the Pagani and the Bugatti on and on.
Then he asked me what would qualify as a hyperbike, what ticks all the boxes expensive, exclusive, performance and the lust factor. Obviously the 1199 SL and the 1299SL make the list(yes the desmo does also but we were talking within the last 3 years or so), the H2R definitely qualifies and possibly even the H2. The MV Augusta F4 RC should be in the conversation, but if that's the case then so should the Panigale R.
What do you guys think, what's out now that qualifies as a hyperbike? I'm not talking about a build your own because we know that can and has be done, but a bike off the showroom floor that meets the criteria.

IMO a hypercar is something that is (state of the art engineering aside) so expensive, that only a very tiny fraction of the population is able to afford it. The Panigale R is expensive (compared to most bikes) but it is still VERY affordable to masses of people.

Also, the performance of a hypercar compared to a supercar is still huge. Most bikes you've listed are still too close in performance to the lesser expensive bikes...with the exception of the H2R maybe, which isn't streetlegal (the hypercars are streetlegal)

just my 2 cents.

Pushing the edge of what is technically possible/innovation, price and looks to match. The only two that come to mind is the Honda rc213 and the H2R. They offer innovative tech, price is in order and I wouldn't kick them out of my bed. The SL and everything else you listed is nice but nothing that's pushing the boundaries of what is currently available in the after market.

I would say all of the extremely limited production bikes would qualify, 1199SL, 1299SL, MV F4 RC, RSV4 RF-W, RC213V-S, Norton V4-RR, H2R, KTM RC16 and the new CF framed HP4 may qualify as well? I don't think road legality is a qualifying factor.

Great topic and basically what i was trying to do with the first and second builds. Build 1299 with the best pieces you can. No expense spared. Bike two is more refined in that direction with a lot of "one off" pieces in exotic materials. If I could pull it off, I would do something with the motor above and beyond SBK spec. I had thought a small supercharger would have been cool.
Personally i would not group anything that is out there from the factory as a "hyperbike" as it relates to the Hypercar market. I personally do not look at the La Ferrari or the McLaren as a hypercar only for the fact that Koenigsegg, Bugati (Chiron) Hennessey (Venom) Pagani, SSC etc exist. So I guess "hyper" In a bike for my definition would be something along that line of thinking. I think the Desmo and the new HRC bike were probably supposed to garner something similar to what may be defined as 'Hyper" status but do not really fit as both those machines used a lot of off the shelf production pieces and most certainly skimped on the build pieces. Maybe the current crop of "tech" bikes are "hyperbikes" because I don't think anyone is actively building a motogp spec street bike with lights and a plate.

Would this qualify?

jock39racer said:

Would this qualify?

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The problem with the limited runs you listed is that they are based off current models. A hypercar is it's own model. The new batch of hypercars are pursuing tech and numbers that enthusiast's can't fathom (for a street legal car). There's also the argument that if you're spending 60-80k on a bike you don't want it to be confused with a base model with stickers and carbon add-ons. That is why I don't consider them as hyper bikes. The Honda RC213 cannot be confused with anything else and the H2R is doing something completely different (supercharger) with numbers to back it up.

jock39racer said:

Would this qualify?

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Kaneda's bike ?

cristhian702 said:

The problem with the limited runs you listed is that they are based off current models. A hypercar is it's own model. The new batch of hypercars are pursuing tech and numbers that enthusiast's can't fathom (for a street legal car). There's also the argument that if you're spending 60-80k on a bike you don't want it to be confused with a base model with stickers and carbon add-ons. That is why I don't consider them as hyper bikes. The Honda RC213 cannot be confused with anything else and the H2R is doing something completely different (supercharger) with numbers to back it up.

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I'm not completely convinced that matters. All three mainstay Hypercars (LaFerarri, P1 & 918) all have track only versions. I would assume you would still consider those Hypercars even though they were based off the street model? What if Ducati produced the 1199SL first before the the everyday run of the mill 1199 Panigale. Would the SL be considered a Hyperbike then? The Panigale was cutting edge in 2012 with it's TFT display, frameless chassis, power to weight ratio, etc. IMO, the definition of a Hyperbike would be slightly different from a hypercar. I mean, why wouldn't a 1000CC bike weighing less than 400lbs, making more that 200 horse, able to go 0 - 60 in under 3 sec, run the quarter mile in the 9s, be capable of 200+ MPH sprints and cost more than $80k not be considered a hyperbike?

Your missing cost in your equation. If they came out with the 1199 at a base price of 80k and made variations from there then they would all be considered hyper bikes. You can't take a 20k Panigale bump the price to 80k and call it a hyper bike. The 918 was around 800k+, LaFerrari 1mil+, P1 900k+. The Panigale is like the 911 range. Do you consider the GT2/3 and GT2/3 RS hyper cars? That's basically what Ducati did. They made an awesome ground breaking machine and charged peanuts to satisfy demand and be competitive. Then they released a bunch of special editions while increasing price.

This new v4 would be the perfect candidate for a hyper bike if you think about it. Race bike for street that wouldn't share parts with any other product Ducati makes. Charge an insane amount for the tech and capabilities. Make it look good/different so that people would not mistake it for anything else. If they do that then they have checked all the boxes.

No, there is no hyperbike catagory, it's just a car term

I see what you're saying and agree the new V4 platform would be perfect for this. But by your description the first model would have to be $90k+ and limited production. If that's your starting point, you can't make a lesser model.

Mutt is correct. And how would you define it anyhow? I think we may all agree that a motogp bike may qualify as a "hyperbike" if there were a category. However from a different viewpoint perhaps so would the Vance & Hines top fuel bike or the Triumph Streamliner. I surmise "bike" is subjective. All I do know that if there ever is an official category or subset of, they will be hand built customs just like they are with the cars.

All I was getting at is what bikes would you put in a category above the rest. We had been drinking, a bit and it came up. Yes it is a coined term, I was just thinking in terms of what bikes have got above and beyond like the aforementioned cars have. With bikes, yes its different, I completely understand that. I do believe there are certain bikes that go above, as mentioned the RC213S, like the D16RR its completely different. The H2R is along those lines, i just like the see peoples thoughts on the matter.

IMO the only hyper bike available out there is the H2R. Pushing the boundaries with a supercharged 1000cc motor making over 320hp and able to do ridiculous speeds. No other bike can come close in making you sh*t your pants.

rm4two said:

I see what you're saying and agree the new V4 platform would be perfect for this. But by your description the first model would have to be $90k+ and limited production. If that's your starting point, you can't make a lesser model.

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Correct. The whole point of the hyper car on the customer's side is to buy the most advanced piece of machinery their brand of choice can safely produce. All the while having insane performance figures, small limited runs, looking like nothing else and most importantly priced above what mortal humans would ever consider/afford.

If you parked the three cars we mention along side a Chiron and a Pagani there would be no confusion between all of them. Park them in a shopping center and they will stick out immediately. Stick all these limited run bikes you mentioned with a couple of normal ones and most people wouldn't be able to tell them apart. Rich people DO NOT LIKE THAT.

cristhian702 said:

Correct. The whole point of the hyper car on the customer's side is to buy the most advanced piece of machinery their brand of choice can safely produce. All the while having insane performance figures, small limited runs, looking like nothing else and most importantly priced above what mortal humans would ever consider/afford.

If you parked the three cars we mention alongside a Chiron and a Pagani there would be no confusion between all of them. Park them in a shopping center and they will stick out immediately. Stick all these limited run bikes you mentioned with a couple of normal ones and most people wouldn't be able to tell them apart. Rich people DO NOT LIKE THAT.

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Those that are in the know, know the difference. Most people can't tell a Corvette from a Ferrari or a Ducati from a Honda. The people buying these cars and bikes don't care about those people.

You are right about the people in the know, again this is a small circle compared to the population. Go to a bike night with an SL, Tricolore and an R. Park them side by side and most people would find it hard to believe the price differences. People spending 1 mil+ DO NOT want them confused with a run of the mil sports/luxury car. That's why I consider the Desmo, RC213 and H2R on a different level. You cannot confuse those for anything else. Every hypercar will be a product on it's own. Design cues and tech will trickle down but that's about it. The same applies to these three bikes.

The only way we're ever gonna get a HyperBike is if endodoc and Gecko get together and build one.