PEPE TIME #53

I have a friend named Pepe.
He's pretty funny and I like to keep a log of all the funny things he says and does.
Enjoy.

POWER TO WEIGHT RATIO

From a couple of years ago, this episode takes place when the several of us went to the International Motorcycle Show in beautiful downtown Long Beach. Of course Pepe had his usual little freak out at the show about leaving right away and wanting to go down the aisle on the left instead of right, etc. but it was fine. We dealt with it as usual. 

It got a little interesting when we were leaving though. Pepe had XR1200 Fever at the time. His XR was the end all and be all of anything on two wheels. Pepe understood that large displacement sportbikes absolutely dominate in the arena of raw speed... but anything other than that, it was a little questionable for him.

Me: what bikes did you guys like? 

Nator: that fucking Ducati 1098 was insane. 

Me: fuck yeah, that booth was off the hook...

Pepe: you know what I thought was trippy though?

Me/Nator: ...what?

Pepe: my XR1200 is faster than the Ducati Monster.

Me: how did you figure that?

Pepe: well my XR makes 5 or 6 more horsepower than that Ducati.

Nator: what does that have to do with anything?

Pepe: pssht, I'm just saying, dude, I read the thing. That's what it said.

Me: it said it was faster?

Pepe: no, it said my bike has more horsepower.

Nator: your bike weighs more though dude, power to weight ratio is way different.

Me: yeah, your bike is like 175lbs or 200lbs heavier than the Ducati.

Nator: if the bike weighs more its slower, Pepe

Pepe: yeah but it makes more power.

Me: ok, how's this - Nator weighs like 190lbs right?

Pepe: yeah.

Me: say if you had two bikes that weighed exactly the same with the same engine...

Pepe: ok...

Me: and they both raced... but one of them also had NATOR on the back riding along, which would win? 

Pepe: the one with the single rider of course.

Me: so that's the difference between your XR and that Ducati. There's an EXTRA Nator on your bike.

Pepe: .....?

[a few moments pass]

Me: look at it this way, if you had two hot rod Chevy V8 engines. One in like Toyota Corolla or something and the other in a 4x4 Quad Cab Long Bed Chevy pick up truck, which would be faster?

Pepe: that Corolla of course.

Me: that's what I mean dude!

Nator: it's all power to weight ratio. 

Pepe: psssht, what does that have to do with anything?