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Brake horsepower is the flywheel power measured at the brake on a an engine dyno. Brake horsepower was an SAE standard until 1971 or so. It measured flywheel horsepower of an engine without running any accessories.

From 1972 onwards, SAE net horsepower was used, this was measured at the flywheel running all the engine accessories and through a full exhaust system and produces a slightly lower figure. This was still called BHP and is the current SAE standard.

Many horsepower figures now are rear wheel horsepower which takes into account losses through the drivetrain and is measured at the brake on the chassis dyno. You typically lose around 20ish% of BHP on a chassis dyno, it varies quite a bit depending on the type of drivetrain.

There are a few different standards for measuring power and unless you are racing dynos it doesnt really matter. As long as you can measure changes on the same dyno it doesnt really matter if it reads in buckets of fish.

Basically, 1 HP is the amount of energy required to lift 550 pounds one foot in one second.

SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) BHP is the power of an engine measured at the flywheel on an engine dyno.

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