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The KTM 1290 Super Duke R Suzuki Hayabusa My cousin has a 2023 1290 Adventure R, and the power doesn't really start to build until 4000 rpm and doesn't begin to impress until 5000 rpm, and sitting in top gear under 4000 rpm just hammer the whole driveline. The Busa can be ridden from idle in top without protests. And, like with the 690, try and ride for 50,000 miles and check the condition of the KTM engines vs the Japanese engines. KTM have managed to extract a lot of power for singles and twins, but it does come at a cost, both in longevity and also usefulness in daily city commuting. Admittedly, KTM have upped the quality a lot over the years, but they are still demanding more attention than average.
You must have had a very boring day. It's time for you to go for a ride and quit thinking.
The problem is the narrow use of the term "better" which in and of itself means nothing until it is qualified. Multis are not "better" enough in anything that matters to me, ergo the "facts" are irrelevant. Tastes are subjective.
I prefer singles and twins myself, and I also prefer an engine that feels eager vs one that is fast but feels gutless. For instance, my son's MT-07 feels like a rocket, while my brother's 955i Triumph feels rather slow, yet in any kind of performance comparison, the latter just kills the Yamaha. My KZ1300 DFI was the same thing; was fast, felt slow.
Can someone define "better" as it pertains to this thread?
The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.The name that can be named is not the eternal name.The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth.The named is the mother of ten thousand things.Ever desireless, one can see the mystery.Ever desiring, one can see the manifestations.These two spring from the same source but differ in name;this appears as darkness.Darkness within darkness.The gate to all mystery.― Laozi, Tao Te ChingSo, the better that is defined better is not the true better but is the origin of the full garage.
Wadda bout less is more?
Ah!, I was wrong, here is the "better" from faffi's initial post. "This is where more cylinders really start to shine IMO. Even my old Suzuki GS650G and Yamaha XJ750 Seca would take full throttle in 5th gear from their 1100 rpm idle. Without protest, without vibrations or pinging. Not with a lot of acceleration, but without strain. That is what I miss with singles and twins. I do not like the busyness and sometimes buzziness that comes with multis, but I really like their flexibility."
I think that would be a Zen thing. jokes aside, you're right, faffi didn't say what "better" means.
Perhaps I failed to make that clear. My point is that, at least for engines around 750cc or more, an inline 4 can be made to make more power than a twin at every rpm, from idle to redline. Even substantially more. Plus they can be made more flexible, meaning they will pull smoothly from lower revs and keep on revving higher. Also, an inline four of the same capacity and power, will outlast any single or twin, provided sound designs from both.
Perhaps I failed to make that clear. My point is that, at least for engines around 750cc or more, an inline 4 can be made to make more power than a twin at every rpm, from idle to redline. Even substantially more. Plus they can be made more flexible, meaning they will pull smoothly from lower revs and keep on revving higher. Also, an inline four of the same capacity and power, will outlast any single or twin, provided sound designs from both.This was evidenced above by the more than 25 year old Hayabusa design engine outpowering the more modern MTM 1290 everywhere. Another example could be the Suzuki VS1400 Intruder vs the GSX1400, where the latter make more power - and hence torque - from idle on, plus 40 hp more on top.Despite all these benefits, I have long since lost all interest in inline fours, primarily because of how they sound, but also because of the finger-numbing tingles the majority of them comes with. Hence I will readily live with the shortcomings inherit in singles and twins.