LET’S start with a disclaimer. With power limited to a maximum of 35kW (47bhp) and power-to-weight limited to no more than 0.2kW-per-kg, the margins between one A2-legal machine and another are going to be tight to the point of insignificance.
Throw aerodynamics, rider weight and riding style – not to mention ability – into the pot and defining the outright ‘fastest’ A2 bike is virtually impossible. And that’s before we even enter the argument over whether it’s acceleration or outright speed that really matters.
The fact that more powerful bikes can be restricted to A2 level (although not if, as standard, they have more than double the 35kW limit) makes the minefield even harder to navigate. But even so, despite the fact that the A2 limits create a level playing field where an increasing number of bikes are equal, some are certain to be more equal than others.
There is an official list of A2-legal bikes on the DFT website (specifically it’s a list of bikes that will be accepted for the practical riding test, which for A2 means between 25kW and 35kW of power and more than 395cc – once you actually have the licence, it’s OK to ride bikes less powerful or lower capacity than that, but you still can’t ride ones that are more than 35kW). You’ll find it here: http://www.dft.gov.uk/motorcycle-test-vehicle-list/
While it’s regularly updated, it’s also not terribly accurate. For instance, the Triumph Street Triple is listed as A2-legal once restricted to 47kW, but the fact that bike makes 105bhp as standard should, theoretically, make it ineligible. So we’re ignoring the Government list and finding machines that have the specs to fit the A2 class.
Our list isn’t definitive or terribly scientific, but it does aim to throw up some ideas that A2-restricted riders might not have instantly considered. Please add your own suggestions too…
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