I went out for a 250 km ride yesterday. The weather was a bit chilly but had an absolute blast. My question is about the ram air. It is spec'd as adding 5 horsepower, but i was amazed at how quickly i accelerated from 120 to 180 kph in overdrive. Does anyone know where that 5 hp number came from? I would suspect that number could change based on speed, headwind and temperature. Five hp doesn't sound like a lot, but i seemed to have a lot of available power. Temp was 7 C, which i think (??) would add hp. Any advice would be welcome.
That is a good question. I have seen the 5hp number several times, yet I do not really know the source. I think I saw it on something official from Kawasaki at some point, so I do tend to think it is real. Physics-wise, I don't think the compression from the ram air effect on such a small intake is all that much, which is why the performance difference is not that much. The potential pressure will rise with the speed, of course, but the engine will also be using more air in that same gear when going faster.
Generally, nothing amazes me while in overdrive in the Concours
6th gear is really a "wet noodle", and the RPM range while using it is typically WAY below the Concours' performance band.... (well, pretty much always at legal speeds). It is a true overdrive and designed to raise fuel economy and lower engine speed as much as possible to make for the most comfortable cruising option (vibration, noise, friction).