When I took the BRC and toyed around with their little 250cc bikes, within a few minutes I learned that the “I’m a bigger guy so I need a bigger engine” belief was basically just bullshit. I weighed around 330 lbs at the time and those 250cc bikes moved my fat ass quite well. The only area where I felt unsure of pertaining to my weight was in the suspension.
But we need to be real with ourselves here. When you’re that big like I was, your weight is negatively impacting the way the bike handles in way a that, well, to be honest, makes being on a sportbike counterproductive. You can’t ride them like they’re meant to be ridden and you end up treating them like a big cruiser. I’ve lost over 70 lbs since then and I’ve noticed a HUGE difference in how my bike handles as a result of my weight loss. I’m actually able to ride it like a sportbike now.