There is a ducati 900ss with 78 HP vs a 1999 Honda cbr f4 with 110hp. Who would win in a drag race?
Does more cc mean faster even though the horse power is less?
Tough question.
To answer your displacement question, more displacement does not always mean faster. The Duc is a V-twin (2 cylinders), which means it is slower revving, with a redline, depending on the year, between the mid-8000s and high-9000s. The displacement advantage, combined with the fact that each cylinder is larger than on even a similarly-displacing inline 4 engine, means that the bike puts out much more torque. But it is down on power, because the power of an engine is the product (think multiplication) of RPMs and torque. In other words, it delivers a bigger bang each time a bang occurs, but it delivers exactly one half of the bangs of a 4-cylinder machine per each revolution, and actually is limited to less revolutions per unit of time than the 4 cylinder engine (for various reasons, some straightforward, some more esoteric).
The CBR600 F4 is an inline 4 cylinder engine. Rev limiter kicks in probably around 13-14k for a 1998 (actual RPMs, not indicated, which are always inflated). The engine creates less energy per bang, but it has twice the cylinders, thus twice the bangs per revolution, and is able to reach much higher revolutions than the larger twin. Less torque and more power (again, torque times RPMs).
Another reason the Honda puts out more power is that it is water cooled, and the 900SS is an air-cooled engine. Water-cooled engines are capable of more specific power output because water cooling is more efficient than air cooling. Finally, the Honda has 4 valves per cylinder, whereas the Duc has 2. More efficient breathing always results in more power.
That was a rather long side track. Enough about comparing the power and torque of these two units. Back to your actual question.
Who wins in a drag race? Assuming the two bikes are launched with identical skill and reaction time, the Honda would probably win over a quarter mile. The Duc may well pull ahead from the line thanks to its superior torque, but the substantially higher power of the Honda would soon come through and catch, and then pass, the Duc.
Generally speaking, over a quarter mile, and all else being equal (identical launch, traction, and aerodynamics), the vehicle with a higher power-to-weight ratio will beat a vehicle with a higher torque-to-weight ratio every day of the week…and twice on Sunday.
) (sorry about english)…
