PS and BHP

What is exactly PS? I know its like the "new" way that manufacturers quote power but how does it relate to good old BHP? The reason I ask is because I thought the GSXR 600 had 100 BHP (or like 99BHP), anyway the suxuki GB website quotes it as having 120 PS. So whats what?
Also whats up with the Nm? why not stick to Lb/ft?.......and inches! ok maybe no the last as I work with engineering drawings and sometimes get confused with the older ones!

In post-war Germany, ‘PS’ was and is still used – which was/is a functional equivalent of the ‘British’ Horse Power. In reality, it equates as 1.0 HP = 1.07 PS. Today, it seems the Car/Bike advertisers use ‘PS’ to mislead the gullible public - as the same HP/BHP ‘sounds’ a little higher when expressed in PS!

This was unashamedly plagerised from another site, but is about right!

The following specs are all from the Suzuki web site


Seat Height: 800 mm
Dry Mass: 169 kg
Fuel Capacity: 17 litres
Max Torque: 64 Nm @ 7,200 rpm
Piston Displacement: 645 cc


Max Power: 72 PS (53.0 Kw) @ 9,000 rpm

I dident know PS wasent the same as BHP
Also it’s the only value given in non SI units ( although its SI version is given in brakets )

Like Scoobs said ( plagerised ) I think its to mislead or flatter us.

Small point: Is the correct SI representation of 645 cc given as 645 cm³?

Originally Posted by Addick

Small point: Is the correct SI representation of 645 cc given as 645 cm³?

Indeed, though cc is perfectly acceptable.

FYI - "PS" is short for Pferde-starke which is German for horsepower!

other posts correct about the slight difference in measurement - Germans have weaker horses!

Originally Posted by exduker

FYI - "PS" is short for Pferde-starke which is German for horsepower!

Or "Pferdestärke" for the truly pedantic.

OK so my German is a bit rusty!

[embee]

Originally Posted by Scoobs

..... it equates as 1.0 HP = 1.07 PS.

according to my Bosch Automotive Handbook (the bible!)

1 PS = 735.499 Watts
1 HP = 745.70 Watts

or 1 HP = 1.0139 PS

also 1 PS = 1 ch (cheval vapeur = France)
(it also gives a French unit of 1 poncelet = 981 Watts, though I've never seen that unit used anywhere, must be peculiar to some discipline??)

Stick to kW, you know what you're getting.

More significant is the correction factor used in determining power, SAE, JIS, DIN etc

Originally Posted by embee

(it also gives a French unit of 1 poncelet = 981 Watts, though I've never seen that unit used anywhere, must be peculiar to some discipline??)

A poncelet is a small French ponce I think. He may or may not find discipline peculiar.....difficult to tell with the French.

Originally Posted by El Boccadillo

A poncelet is a small French ponce I think. He may or may not find discipline peculiar.....difficult to tell with the French.