The Discover 135 Sports may have found a 'sweet spot' in engine displacement that has been overlooked since?
Discover Sports had an interesting middle ground between smaller 99cc commuter bikes and larger 200cc sport oriented machines, with a 135cc engine size. This displacement struck a balance between performance and efficiency that was appealing to some riders for real world use. After the 135 Sports was discontinued, few manufacturers have ventured into this particular engine size, and rather have shifted towards the 125cc or 150cc+ categories. Discussion has arisen about whether the 135cc category struck the right balance for many riders in markets where fuel efficiency and price of purchase are as important as performance. The questions often turn to whether modern engineering could wring even more of this potential out of the displacement, or if regulatory and market forces make it impractical to revisit.
Absolutely! The power and the efficiency of the 135cc engine hit the perfect balance. More manufacturers should have explored this displacement. It’s the Goldilocks zone of motorcycles.
The market has spoken I believe and 125cc and 150cc are now the sweet spots. The 135 was cool, but was that bump in displacement worth the extra engineering for just a small displacement increase?
The 135cc class definitely had potential. A new 135 could be a killer daily rider with enough pep for weekend fun and with modern tech like fuel injection and better metallurgy.
I think it was nice but it's not some magic number. Exact displacement is less important than good engineering. A well designed 125 could probably equal or better the old 135.
The 135 Sports did find a nice balance, and emissions regulations have changed the game. However, with current requirements, it might be harder to hit that sweet spot.
I miss the 135cc class. For newer riders, it was perfect for something with a little more grunt than a 125, but not the insurance hit of a 150+.
An interesting idea, but I think flexible engine management has helped to make exact displacement less important. Nowadays, modern 125s can probably hit the old 135’s performance when you need it.
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Discussions and Questions The Discover 135 Sports May Have Found A Sweet Spot In Engine Displacement That Has Been Overlooked Since
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