Power! In the form of horsepower is something readily available if you
have the cash, the rich relative, or the FICO score to afford it. There are
many ways to go shopping for it, both two and four wheels, but the car guys will
complain that the bikes have a price advantage, and the bike guys will argue
about a size difference. So what is a fair common denominator.....when all else
is said and done, how about dollar per horsepower. Let’s see how this levels
the playing field.....
Using MSRP, not what can be bought at a discount or with added ADM,
Haggerty Insurance claims $837 dollars per horsepower of their insured, the
average no matter the actual cost of the car. Sounds high, but look at the
bargains to be had. A 2009 Saleen S7Twin Turbo can be had for only $733/hp, a
bargain at $550,000. A Mercedes Benz McLaren vintage 2010 a bargain at $202,000
or $327/hp. Feeling like a bargain hunter, how about a Ferrari 599GTB for only
$206/hp, or $126,000. Prefer buying American, how about a Dodge Challenger
Demon SRT for $119/hp, or $100,000? Go MOPAR. Got room for a ten year old
Vette at $86/hp? Only $55,000. Go Bowtie at $55/hp, or $32,000, for a 2015
Camaro ZL1. Less than most SUV’s. Still interested? But what if you
ride.....
My Street Triple was $95/hp. My Bonneville was $151.25/hp. What about
smaller bikes? A 10 year old Suzuki SV650 for $44/hp. A Yamaha FZ07 for
$107/hp, while its bigger brother, the 09 is only $78/hp. But what about a
Sportster...at only $179/hp. OOPS....or an overall average of $100/hp, is it
above or below average? As the kid on his 250cc scooter honks so you move over
and let him pass....Seems maybe the playing field isn’t what we thought it to be
after all, so much for the old “how fast do you want to go? How much money do
you have?” But yet a new GSXS 1000 offers you a 144hp bargain for only $69/hp
at MSRP, I see these discounted all the time to about $59/hp. But who but the
nerdy buy on price, and who but the gear head buys on power? Isn’t there an
intangible that unites us all who ride? And some who drive.....It seems there
is more to buying a vehicle than the power it makes or the price we pay, it is
how it makes us feel, the moment we sit behind the wheel or throw a leg over the
seat. It is how we look on it and the overall balance of it that make us feel
the way we do. And then we open the throttle WFO and nothing else
matters....and the thrill of the ride is what counts the most.
There is a certain thrill to knowing Jesus that cannot be measured by any
criteria. Power, no one has more. Availability, 24/7. Uniqueness, he was
begotten. Reliability, 100%. And he will fit in any sized heart, next to the
Hayabusa and Cobra GT. But with all three sharing a common denominator, no
power is found until you access them, until you turn on the car or turn onto
Jesus. But power can become an addiction, and I know guys who have to have the
most power to be the fastest, just as I know those who must brag on Jesus for
what he can do. For them. But God warns us about power, and that of all his
qualities, there is one that overcomes them all. Meekness, or power under
control, part of the fruit of the spirit. And so while some brag on riches,
knowledge, or who they are or who they know, God refers us to his holy spirit.
“Not by might, not by power, but by my spirit,” says the Lord of hosts. Adding
that the things that are seen are temporal, the things not seen are eternal.
Look around your garage, compared to a few years ago, how the vehicles have come
and gone. Now turn to Jesus, the same yesterday, today, and forever. God got
it right the first time, no model year changes needed, only a change in us. Yet
we who have faith only truly believe by what we see....so much for saying we
walk by faith, even upon acceleration we can feel the horsepower, but how do we
feel or express the power of God via his spirit?
Love. The commandment Jesus left us with. Love God first, then yourself,
and then love others as you do yourself. We tend to treat others as we feel
about ourselves, look it up in the Bible. How many times are we guilty as not
charged by neglecting to just love instead of critique? Every man made system
has the power to compare, but who do you or who can you compare Jesus to? Know
anyone else who loves you as you are? Would die voluntarily for you? Put up
with all your crap and lies and religion, and still loves you? My friends,
there is power, then there is the power of love via the holy spirit. Jesus knew
we couldn’t do it alone, so he left his spirit to guide. To assist, to be a
comforter. You want power, you need the holy spirit.
Still seeking more power and love? Give it up to Jesus. Confess your sins
and needs to him, for your sake, he already knows them. Let him have them,
release the tether strap, and go riding. No matter the power, if tied down you
don’t get very far. And when you do you find a peace that surpasses
understanding or a dyno chart. That you want to share with others, because
Jesus has shared with you. True love demands a verdict that must be passed on.
On any dyno, no one will ever surpass the greatness of God and his power and
love. It must be practiced, it must be passed on, not over. Still stuck in
denominational dogma or religion, you are paying too much and not getting enough
Jesus. In our weakness, his strength is made perfect. Only in Jesus do we find
all we need, and then will find all we desire.
Lots of bargains out there promising deals, both on power and religion.
The deals change, Jesus never does. Seek him first, then all things will be
added unto you. Will be. Shopping for horsepower, don’t shop for Jesus the
same way. Long before Amazon he delivered overnight. And if his power isn’t
enough, there is a real deal out there for only $6.14/hp. Available via our
federal government. All you need is a garage big enough and the $682 million
the Saturn V booster costs. Not to be confused with the old GM Saturn....it too
was a different type of car company. Gone today. While Jesus waits patiently
for your answer....Jesus still saves, and even at today’s prices that’s still a
bargain!
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com