Originally Posted by L-Pink

Sure they are. If I was riding a Ducati I would eventually want to see how fast the top end is (obviously higher than my Harley). I would want to see how fast I can take a turn (my Harley's pegs would touch so leaning hard into a turn is pointless ). Doing something over my head is harder on a Harley than say a Suzuki Hayabusa.

Taking a vehicle to it's limits is natural and racing bikes encourage a rider to test these limits vs a bike like a Honda or Harley cruiser.