EUROPE'S mind-boggling licence laws are creating subdivisions of motorcycle ranges as manufacturers strive to satisfy both fully-fledged riders and the ever-growing numbers forced to endure power restrictions for extended periods of time.
As a quick recap, riders on an A2 licence are restricted to 35kW (47hp). They can use power restrictors, but only on machines that didn’t make more than 70kW (94hp) in standard form. Oh, and there’s a power-to-weight limit of 0.2kW per kg, too, so a bike with the full 35kW can’t weigh less than 175kg while lighter machines each have to have their maximum restricted power worked out depending on their weight (it’s still unclear as to whether that weight includes fuel, and different manufacturers interpret it in their own ways). Because it just wouldn’t be a proper European regulation if it was simple and easy to work out, would it?
So among the headline-grabbing new models like Kawasaki’s H2 and Yamaha’s R1M (we don’t need a calculator to confirm that no, you won’t be able to ride them on an A2 licence) there’s been a spate of new-for-2015 bikes that can be restricted to fit the A2 class.