Literbike Shootout: Aprilia RSV4 Factory vs. Ducati 1198S vs. KTM RC8R

Another year, a bigger battle.

With BMW’s S1000RR and KTM’s updated and new-to-the-U.S. RC8R as an all-new model, the field of liter-ish superbikes expands considerably for 2010.

Apologies to MV Agusta for not counting the 2010 F4, but no one’s yet signed up to race it in a large-scale series – the KTM was the runner-up in the 2009 IDM (International German Superbike Championship). We sure wouldn’t mind a spin on the MV, though. (Hint, hint, MV Agusta.)

Like the race grid, we’ll now expand the roster of contestants in our annual liter test.

No longer limiting the battle to the Big Four from Japan, we’ll eventually include the BMW S1000RR on the list of participants powered by the popular inline-Four configuration. But for now, to start off what has become a literbike mêlée, we’re first evaluating all the Vee configuration contenders.

It’s a three-way tug-o-war in the first phase of our annual literbike shootout!

Wonderful excess!

Not only have we added three new bikes as legitimate contestants, we went one step further and tested the premium models from each brand: the RSV4 Factory from Aprilia, 1198S from Ducati and RC8R from KTM.

Both the Aprilia and Duc are suspended (including steering dampers) with Öhlins.

KTM breaks from tradition in the streetbike arena and runs WP suspension all the way ‘round. And it does so in good form, too, as the shock on the RC8R offers easy access to its full adjustability: It smartly employs use of a large, single lock ring for spring preload rather than a pair of locking rings found on so many other shocks.

2010 KTM RC8R

All three machines bring their high-horsepower antics to a halt with Brembo monobloc calipers up front. And each bike is dressed in various carbon bits, including fenders and subfenders, along with small side panels here and there.

Both Italian models are adorned with magnesium-alloy engine covers for weight savings advantages.

The Aprilia offers three rider-selectable engine modes: (T) Track for unmitigated power, (S) Sport for a mild but notable reduction of power in the first three gears, and (R) Road for considerable neutering of ponies across the board.  Mode selection is accessed via the starter button after the bike’s been running for approximately five seconds.

We’ve read where the mapping is supposed to be switchable on the fly, but our experience was that no amount of fiddling with the starter button whilst the bike was in motion would alter the modes, so we attempted changes only while stopped. Even then, figuring out the rhythm was a bit frustrating. Nevertheless, toggling between modes became easier.

2010 Ducati 1198S

Eventually easier, too, was the ability to sense the minor reduction of power in Sport mode. Power reduction in Road mode reminded us of the C mode in the A, B, C settings of Suzuki’s S-DMS (Suzuki Drive Mode Selector). Even a rider newly graduated from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s basic rider course could discern the castration of power in Road mode on the Aprilia.

Since 2009 the 1198S offers multi-level (8), rider-selectable traction control. Furthermore, it can be disabled.

In our humble opinions this electronic nanny brings genuine value to the Duc in the form of real-world practicality of electronic wizardry. DTC as found on the 1198S (and not the standard 1198) might just save yo’ ass some day!

Rather than merely scaling back on power at certain throttle openings, gear positions, or all the time, the Duc’s system constantly monitors wheel speeds front and rear, retarding ignition or cutting fueling if the rear wheel spools up quicker than the front.

Although of no benefit to the average owner/rider, the Aprilia has the ability to alter engine and swingarm height as well as repositioning of the headstock to alter steering angle. What the typical Factory owner might more readily appreciate is the bike’s fit ‘n’ finish.

2010 Aprilia RSV4 Factory

“The Aprilia’s attention to detail is much better than the Ducati and on the level of MV Agusta,” tester Kaming Ko exclaimed.

Small but notable indicators of this are aluminum body panel screws with Aprilia engraved on their heads.

Getting acquainted with the Titans

Ducati race-derived sportbikes can seem committed in riding position, and the 1198 series is no different. Low clip-on placement pulls the rider over the fuel tank in what feels like a long reach to the clip-ons when compared to the Aprilia and KTM.

When immediately switching from the RC8R to the 1198S during our street ride, I couldn’t help but notice how the lowest part of my sternum/upper gut area was pulled into the back of the Duc’s fuel tank. Nothing uncomfortable, but the change in riding position from the more open, upright KTM to race-ready on the Ducati is noticeable.

Nothing makes the back end of a superbike look as sexy as a single-sided swingarm. Ducati’s been using them for years.

On the flipside, there’s a surprising amount of room between the Ducati’s seat and footpegs. Dedicated riders or Duc purists could live with the 1198S day in and day out on the street, but it isn’t as friendly as the KTM’s rider triangle.

And on a final Ducati ergo note, guest tester Tom Roderick, as well as Kevin, disliked the less-than-perfect orientation of the rear brake pedal.

“For almost $22,000 I expect a bike to come from the factory with a more ergonomic placement of the rear brake lever instead of feeling like it was mounted as an afterthought,” said Tom.

Before the first outlap of the day at Buttonwillow Raceway in McKittrick, CA, was finished, I was immediately struck with the impression that the Aprilia felt hauntingly familiar. Yeah, that was it! This V-4-powered open-class super stallion felt (and handled!) more like a 600cc supersport than a heftier literbike.

What brought that instant sense of familiarity was a rider triangle reminiscent of the fit of the Honda CBR600RR.

The note coming from the RSV4’s exhaust is intoxicating to the ears of those who love mechanical noises. “If a motorcycle exhaust can sound sexy, this is it. It's like a cross between a GP bike and a V-8 sprint car,” said Kevin.

Footpegs are high and rearward, matched by what feels like a short reach to the clip-ons. Since most of the fuel on the Factory is carried below the rider as part of mass-centralization efforts, the fuel tank we see is afforded a smaller shape, therefore the space between the rider and the clip-ons is more open than on the Duc and KTM.

Despite the RSV’s claimed tank capacity of 4.49 gallons, nearly 0.4 more than the Duc and 0.13 more than the KTM, the Priller gets crap fuel economy. On more than one occasion the low-fuel warning light illuminated before reaching the 100-mile mark on a full tank.

Although the KTM provides zero ability for the rider to switch engine mapping, and doesn’t offer up some form of traction control, it does bring an unparalleled amount of rider triangle tuning.

As Kevin informed us in his single-bike review of the RC8R, the Austrian steed offers practical chassis changes, like seat height adjustment via a two-position subframe. And there’s also adjustable footpegs, three-position shift lever linkage (including a relatively easy tweak for GP shift pattern) and a two-position clip-on height adjustment, to name just a couple tunable points.

The RC8R’s footpegs and rear brake pedal peg (as well as the shifter peg) are just a couple examples of the way a rider can adjust the KTM to suit riding style or fit. Note the eccentric on the upper rear of the shock linkage is used for ride-height adjustments. Even more impressive is how easily the shock is accessed.

It’s worth noting that with the subframe in the higher of the two positions, Tom (6’0”) and I (5’8”) often felt like we slid forward into the tank, causing us to put what seemed like an undue amount of weight on both wrists/hands when compared to riding the Aprilia or Ducati. This sensation was most present during canyon carving or when on the track.

Sailing the Super Slab, the KTM’s relaxed rider environment was a welcome break from the 1198S’s racy rider triangle, and the supersport-compact ergos of the RSV4.

"A majority of our test riders gave the KTM the nod for everyday, street-friendly ergos..."

The higher setting on the KTM’s easily adjusted clip-ons creates an open and upright position; just enough windblast at freeway speeds holds the rider up, making for a surprisingly cozy mount. And the RC8R’s seat-to-peg relation was the roomiest of the bunch when its adjustable subframe was in the highest position.

A majority of our test riders gave the KTM the nod for everyday, street-friendly ergos when factoring in its most useful wind protection, best view (more like lesser of three evils!) from the mirrors and least painful seat.

T-Rod (Tom) lauded the KTM for its changeable chassis. “The real world adjustability of the RC8 R is brilliant … making it easy to go from a relaxed street riding position to a more aggressive configuration,” he quipped.

Data from each scoot’s instrument panel is comprehensive.

We favored the RSV4 Factory’s analog tach/LCD combo over the LCD-only panels as found on the Ducati and KTM.

Ultimately we preferred the RSV4’s mix of an easy-to-read analog tach flanked by an LCD that details everything else.

The 1198S’s dash, if you’re not already familiar with it, is a wide, MotoGP-derived LCD panel that includes a bar graph tachometer. Toggling through the various settings to locate and switch DTC levels with efficiency takes some practice.

The RC8R’s compact panel provides reams of info, too, and the miles per hour reading and bar graph tachometer are simple but effective. Generally, though, the all-in-one panel seems a little too busy for the eyes and mind to sort out while at speed aboard the Austrian superbike.

A feature we like in the KTM’s cockpit is the dedicated Lap button at the rider’s left thumb. When the display is in Road mode the Lap button serves as a toggle to run through the features of the display (Race and Rode modes are for the display only, not engine mapping, etc).

Suspension: Dialing It In

Accessing some of the adjusters on the Aprilia’s shock is downright difficult when compared to reaching to fiddle with the KTM’s WP shock. Our time at the track reminded us what a treat it is to ride premium suspension and all the variety of settings they provide. But even high-dollar Ohlins and WP components require proper fettling to achieve a setup for a rider’s weight and speed. After suffering in the first session from suspension too stiff for Buttonwillow’s many bumps, we began wheeling our bikes under the Race Tech canopy for an optimum setup for our riders. Seasoned wrench Lenny Albin was on hand to dial in the bikes, and he quickly spun his wrenches to give us massively improved setups from the way we received the bikes. We discovered, for our light arses, there’s a whole lotta spring on the shock of each bike here! If you scale in less than, say, 160-ish pounds or aren’t a club racer vying for a class championship, you’ll likely need to consider backing out a few turns of shock preload. Albin also made several key adjustments to the damping circuits to provide compliance with control. We told Albin that the 1198S steered heavier than the other bikes, and we suggested increasing the rear ride height to achieve a steeper rake angle. But Albin has plenty of experience working on Ducatis, and he instead recommended reducing the height of the rear. Huh? Albin says the stock 36mm offset triple clamps results in less trail than is ideal, and he has had success in swapping to a 28mm offset triple clamp. Now with more trail to work with, an 1198 can then be tweaked with ride-height adjustments to bring the fork to a steeper and quicker steering rake. With the stock triple clamps on our bike, the Ducati still required quite a bit of energy to turn in, making for a slightly exhausting ride. But the payoff was stellar handling from just past corner entry all the way through corner exit, with brilliant levels of feel from the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa up front. If you’re at a track day, an optimum setup can be worth huge gains in confidence and big chunks in lap times, so the $30 Race Tech fee is a bargain. And the amiable Albin will helpfully debrief a rider afterward, at the ready to improve any setup further. Highly, highly recommended.

Vee Power

Looking optimistically to dyno charts as a way to appoint one bike as King of the Vees only resulted in further frustration at finding the obvious champ.

The 75-degree V-Twin in the KTM hangs as a stressed member in the trellis frame. The 1198S, like virtually all Ducatis, also uses a steel trellis frame.

The 1198s’s peak hp reading of 147 at 9900 rpm isn’t the loftiest number here, but it’s darn close; and when paired to the highest torque reading of just over 87 ft-lbs at 8K rpm, the Duc’s 90-degree Twin has the strongest combo of peak horsepower and torque.

At 3500 rpm the Ducati’s muscular mill made a solid 20 ft-lbs more than the RSV and 10 more than the KTM at that same point in the revs. However, starting around 4K the Duc’s twisting force takes a dip, by as much as 6 ft-lbs at some points, until around 5500 rpm where it rebuilds quickly toward peak torque only 2500 rpm later.

With 79 ft-lbs at 8200 rpm the KTM doesn’t post 1198-like torque numbers, but what it can claim is the flattest torque curve of the three. Furthermore, the RC8R’s 72-degree V-Twin has essentially matched the 1198S’s torque production by the time the Ducati digs itself out of that little hole mentioned above. At roughly 6500 rpm the big red bike’s engine reveals its strong mid-range, as it finally leapfrogs ahead of the KTM’s torque curve.

All three motorcycles utilize Brembo monobloc radial-mount calipers. We like the black color of the calipers as found on the KTM. It’s a cool change from the usual gold or aluminum color.

The RC8R hangs tough with the Ducati, however, and comes in second place in the horsepower race with just under 149 hp at 10,200 rpm, two more ponies and 300 rpm later than the Duc.

Unfortunately for the KTM, incredibly snatchy fueling detracted severely from enjoyment of the potent Austrian engine.

KTM explained that the current batch of RC8Rs in the press fleet lack a “cam-shaped throttle tube" which they state will come standard on the 2010 production models, and should provide a marked improvement in throttle response. We sincerely hope this is the case, because as is, the fueling overshadows a number of the good things about the Katoom.

Also noteworthy on the KTM was the amount heat from the engine wafting up to the inside of the rider’s legs. We observed this during a cool, December-evening street ride, so we expect the sensation will be worse during summer months.

The KTM isn’t the only hothead here, though.

“An 1198 rider feels a considerable amount of heat coming from the rear cylinder and its header pipe,” Kevin remarked after a long street ride.

After putting all three on the dyno at Carry Andrew’s shop, Hypercycle, the RSV4 Factory took top spot with 150 rear-wheel ponies at 12,300 rpm.

The Factory’s compact overall design makes for a bike that’s comparatively easy to hustle around a racetrack.

Dyno results supported what we discerned at the track: The Aprilia lacks the bottom-end grunt of the Twins but provides inline-Four-like top-end power, evident by explosive acceleration above 10,000 rpm. Hold ‘er steady at that rpm, then slam the throttle open and feel the instant rush of power!

Perhaps, though, what we enjoyed as much as the Aprilia’s power production was the accessibility it granted to all that power.

"...all the test riders fell in love with the manageability of the stupendous spank coming from Aprilia’s V-4."

The Factory has some of the best fuel-injection programming we’ve experienced, especially on such a screamer of an engine. Regardless of the engine’s speed, minute inputs at the twist grip resulted in immediate yet flawless response from the EFI.

In the interest of objectivity we give you dyno results, but it doesn’t take an atomic physicist to realize that it’s basically a dead heat in this department. Be that as it may, all the test riders fell in love with the manageability of the stupendous spank coming from Aprilia’s V-4.

Turn it in, stand it up, go, then stop. Smile and repeat!

The KTM’s light steering effort shone even brighter after suspension tuning. The bike was much more compliant over B-willow's many bumps, and front-end feedback was good but not quite on par with the amount of feel the RSV4 offered.

The stump-pulling low- and mid-range power in the Duc’s 90-degree Twin often has the front of the 1198 pawing at the sky.

“Its handling is biased toward its wonderful-feeling front end, encouraging its rider to drop his inside shoulder to carve corners with the trustworthy feel from the Pirelli Supercorsa SP front tire,” said Kevin of the Aprilia’s chassis performance.

Earlier we noted that all three supermachines come equipped with Brembo monobloc calipers. And, really, that’s about all you need to know. However, to make like we’re doing our job, we’ll mention the KTM and Aprilia’s brake levers had more initial travel compared to the Ducati.

Like many things about motorcycles, evaluating braking performance is often a matter of rider preferences. I like the strong initial bite from the Duc’s binders, while Kevin and Kaming were more keen on the softer initial bite (especially for street riding) as found on the other two.

The Aprilia and KTM have similarly performing chassis, but the RSV4’s slightly more communicative front-end and ultimately stronger motor up top keeps the KTM at bay – but just barely!

The Track Club

By Kevin Duke We’re continually baffled that so few sportbike riders opt to take their racetrack-bred machines to the wide-open spaces of the track. Despite the easy access to track days across the country, research suggests that less than 10% of sportbikes ever see the track. To those people, we say you don’t know what you’re missing! The track is a place where the bountiful limits of today’s sportbikes can be explored, allowing riders to brake harder, lean it over farther, and stretch the throttle cables in a way that can’t be safely done on the street. And there’s never any worry of a speeding ticket! The California area has been ably served for more than a decade by The Track Club. Formerly called Club Desmo in its early days due to its Ducati clientele, TTC caters to all brands and riders. The track-day provider is under the stewardship of Mark Duncan, an avid motorcycle enthusiast who has been producing track days since all the way back in 1994. His event total has now surpassed the 400 mark. “I have a passion for providing the best track riding experience for everyone attending all of our events,” says Duncan. “They have counted on and trusted us to continue delivering the safest and best run track days that we can.” These days, the majority of The Track Club events take place at Buttonwillow Raceway, a track just west of Bakersfield, CA, off Interstate 5, and that’s where we recently joined Duncan’s crew. The price for a day at Buttonwillow is so reasonable ($175 on weekends; $150 on weekdays) that even miserly riders won’t have excuses. Like most track-day organizers, TTC separates riders into three skill levels: Advanced, Intermediate, Novice. We anted up for the Big Dog pass that allows access to any session. Booking consecutive days gets a discount on the cost of the second day. Not sure if you’re ready for a track day? Then take TTC’s school for new track riders for an extra $100. Riders ready to step up to the next level might want some personal instruction from multi-time World Superbike champ Doug Polen who frequently attends TTC days with his 1On1 Riders School. Also part of a TTC day are full tire services, including the sales and mounting of Continental’s stickiest tires, both DOT-approved and full slicks. Learn more at SuperbikeTires.net. A nice touch is a dry-erase board with recommended pressures for nearly every brand of tire to suit the day’s track and weather conditions. For those who want to keep tabs of their progress on track, electronic lap timers are available for $20 and include regular on-site postings as well as printouts at the end of the day. A pro suspension setup from Race Tech costs just $30. Photography services are typically on hand. We can’t say we enjoy Buttonwillow’s pocked surfaces or the many shiny pavement patches, but we do like the air-conditioned clubhouse and the nearly 1000 sq-ft of canopies TTC sets up over the track at the staging area. Professional corner workers keep on-track action as safe as possible. Duncan is especially proud of his multi-stage rider/bike recovery team, which he says has resulted in the industry’s best record for keeping an active track. If a rider goes off the track, one of a dozen or so of TTC’s control riders will be on the scene in seconds, followed closely by a dirtbike-mounted responder. If the rider isn’t injured, an ATV/trailer rig can take an infield route to quickly load up the stricken bike. “It allows us to keep the track active, and we are able to address any on-track incident and have it removed and cleaned up in a matter of minutes.” This wasn’t our first experience with The Track Club, and we were glad to again see a friendly and hospitable staff, a warm and eclectic clientele, and the smoothness of a well-oiled track-day-providing machine that went off from start to finish without a hitch. “It is important to me,” says the convivial Duncan, “that the customer ends up driving away at the end of the day with an ear-to-ear smile on their face, with worn-down tires, empty fuel cans and that satiated sense of, ‘Man, this was a really great day!’ Then I know that we have done our job.” Duncan is currently finalizing his schedule for 2010, which will also include four days at the fabulous Laguna Seca circuit for $250 each, plus at least 20 events at Buttonwillow. Check out TheTrackClub.com for the latest information.

“Which Vee is the best for me?”

Big shocker here (wink), but no one bike says, “Take me and forget the rest!”

At the beginning we lamented how comparing today’s sportbikes is a maddening proposition. Dust off well-worn clichés about “no losers” here.

For a first effort at producing a top-shelf, commercially available superbike, KTM impresses greatly with the RC8R.

Its use of premium WP suspension (owned by KTM) all the way ‘round, heaps of adjustability, and vanguard styling should grab the attention of riders wanting a refreshing change from recent choices in this segment. And The KTM’s Twin is as powerful, for all intents and purposes, as the engines in the Ducati and Aprilia.

With nearly 150 rwhp, this is a common occurrence on the RC8R. No one’s complaining though.

However, more vibes make their way to the rider on the RC8R; and although the company says throttle response will be improved on production models, the RC8R’s unrefined fueling was a serious demerit. At $19,998 the KTM is the least expensive of the expensive.

“It's hard to believe a bike this good might not win,” Kevin said about the 1198S after wrapping up a day of laps at Buttonwillow.

Indeed, how does any bike compete against the brand that most folks, riders or not, consider the Ferrari of motorcycles? Hopefully we’ve illustrated that attempting to unseat a Ducati superbike as the highest object of rider lust isn’t an easy thing to do.

The Ducati requires more initial effort to turn, but once in the corner its stability is excellent!

With gobs of low- and mid-range power, Öhlins everywhere and the brilliance of rider-manageable traction control, the $21,795 1198S is a dream machine through and through. But when ridden back-to-back against the others, the Duc’s heavy steering effort prevented us from favoring it as the best Vee of the three.

If we had only one word to characterize the RSV4 Factory, it would be the word obedient.

Whether buzzing around on a 125cc scooter or a high-performance sportbike, a machine that does precisely what its rider asks of it is a trait of nearly priceless value. All the more so on a motorcycle with 150 hp at the wheel.

Aprilia has created a spectacular literbike with the overall feel and responsiveness of a 600cc supersport.

The ingenious compactness of its powerful V-4, along with fuel carried below the rider, lends to the Priller's small bike feel. Mix in buttery smooth fueling, telepathic responsiveness from the chassis, an effective slipper clutch and the feature of switchable engine mapping, and we're left to wonder if a rider could ask much more from the $20,999 Aprilia?

This was a hotly contested battle, with nary a gap between the Duc, KTM and Aprilia. But in the end the RSV4 Factory noses across the line by virtue of its awesome V-4 powerplant wonderfully matched to an equally stellar chassis package.

If we had our druthers we'd trade switchable engine mapping for some form of genuine traction control. If Ducati can bring that feature and keep the 1198s's MSRP within a stone's throw of the competition, then it seems it possible for other manufacturers to do the same. But playing tit for tat, the Duc doesn’t offer a slipper clutch – an item with plenty of merit in this class considering the level of performance expected from these supreme machines.

With Phase 1 of this year’s liter battle now completed, we'll bide our time as best we can, eagerly anticipating which inline-Four superbike will rise to meet the 2010 Aprilia RSV4 Factory in the last dance of our 2010 Literbike Shootout.

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Ducati 1198 SP Review

Ducati’s superbike series has been impressing over several generations, a concoction made even more desirable since the debut of the 1098/1198 series launched in 2007, later enlarged to 1198 potent cubic centimeters in 2009. Gorgeous, soulful and devilishly brutal, Ducati’s 1198 is a very special motorcycle. 

 

But for enthusiasts with deep pockets, especially aficionados of Italian bikes, the base 1198 might not be special enough.

Enter the new-for-2011 premium Ducati Superbike, the 1198 SP.   

SP stands for Sport Production, which is nomenclature Ducati has used for decades to designate some of the high-end models in its superbike series. This lineage stretches back to the 851 SP which debuted in 1989.

The new 1198 SP elevates the Ducati experience with a slipper clutch, better suspension and a trick aluminum fuel tank.

Added to the potent 1198’s equipment, the SP adds all the bits from the former 1198 S (Ohlins suspension and forged Marchesini wheels), plus a slipper clutch, Ducati Quick Shifter, Ohlins TTX shock (formerly T36PR), and an aluminum fuel tank. It retails for $21,795, just $200 more than the old S version.

Ducati 1198 Gets Notable Upgrades for 2011

The most cost-effective way into the Ducati superbike lineup is the hotted-up new 848 EVO reviewed late last year. In terms of Italian sportbikes, the word value rarely crops up. But for the base Ducati 1198 model, the MY2011 version is a value-added proposition. For the same $16,495 price charged in 2010, the basic 1198 now comes with Ducati Traction Control, Ducati Quick Shifter and Ducati Data Analyzer as standard equipment. The former 1198 S is replaced this year by the new SP reviewed here. The $39,995 1198 R Corse is deleted from the 2011 lineup.  Anyone who does have an 1198 R will want to hang on to the Superbike homologation special, as production numbers were miniscule, according to Ducati. Also within the Ducati Superbike lineup is the new 848 EVO, which we sampled recently at the famed Imola circuit in Italy. The revitalized 848 has more power and better brakes, which you can read about here.

Italian Dream Date

So there we were at the historic Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, fresh from a couple of sessions aboard the 848 EVO. With much more power than a 600cc supersport machine and a superb chassis similar to the 1198 SP’s, the 848 hauls considerable butt around a racetrack. 

Although 140 crankshaft horsepower is more than adequate, the 1198 SP brings an extra 30 horses to the party – the SP retains the same engine tuning as in 2010, so the SP should duplicate the 147 hp we saw at the rear wheel of the 1198 S we tested last year.

But it’s the mountains of torque that got our attention while pulling out of Imola’s pit lane, as the front wheel is regularly yanked off the deck with some 87 ft-lb of torque thumping to the rear wheel. The 1198’s extra 350cc of grunt over the 848 is impossible to ignore, catapulting viciously from every corner exit and making the 848 seem like a weakling in comparison. 

Wheelies happen without trying on the potent 1198 SP.

And while accelerating, you’ll appreciate the new Ducati Quick Shifter. It uses a micro-switch on the shifter that provides a brief interruption in spark/fuel to bang off upshifts at full throttle without dipping the clutch. This is not only convenient for a rider, it also reduces shift time from 230ms to just 80ms, a 65% reduction in duration.

DQS worked flawlessly under my toe, even if a racer at the event said it’s not quite as good as a Dynojet quick-shifter unit. The shift quality of Ducati gearboxes is one of the few less-than-excellent areas of its motorcycles, which the DQS handily alleviates. The base 1198 also receives this upgrade.

Corner entries are made easier on the SP thanks to a slipper clutch that minimizes rear-wheel hop while downshifting.

Also making a welcome debut on the SP is a back-torque-limiting slipper clutch sourced from the previous R version. Banging downshift entering Imola’s many chicanes, the slipper proves to work terrifically. It’s a huge benefit when riding a big Twin like this on a racetrack, as the two big jugs produce a sometimes overwhelming amount of compression braking that can cause the rear tire to hop during downshifts. No such drama on the SP.

Another SP-specific upgrade is the addition of an aluminum tank – a rarity among motorcycles – sourced from the 1198 R. It not only trims more than 2.5 lbs, it also boasts a greater capacity – up from a small 4.1 gallons to a more useful 4.75 gals. At a purported dry weight of just 370 lbs, the SP undercuts the base 1198 by 7 lbs and is 2 lbs lighter than the previous 1198 S.

The SP’s handling dynamics are aided by its lightweight forged-aluminum wheels, something not available on the base 1198 or the 848. Forged wheels weigh less than the typical cast-aluminum wheels, and this aids steering quickness and suspension compliance – both valuable enhancements on a sportbike.

The 1198’s braking system carries over unchanged, but the Brembo monobloc calipers and 330mm discs decelerate the Duc as ferociously as any two-wheeled contrivance, and especially so at the high speeds generated on a racetrack. Nothing short of stellar.

The 1198 SP is a regal and raucous red ride.

Conclusion

Ducati’s traction-control system aids security on corner exits.

The 20-minute session I got aboard the 1198 SP was a wonderful tease. The standard 1198 is easily enough to satisfy most anyone’s penchant for Italian sportbikes, and the SP simply makes the experience more special.

There is so much power on tap its front end is continually and satisfyingly pawing at the air, even accelerating in third gear, and its slipper clutch tremendously eases high-rpm downshifts. All the while, it’s blessed with Ducati’s typically stout racetrack-bred chassis and exceptional brakes.

The 1198 SP is a machine both beastly and suave, able to induce grins unlike anything else out there. And for those who can afford singular experiences, the SP will not disappoint.


Source : motorcycle.com

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Supersport Shootout: CBR600RR vs Daytona 675 vs ZX-6R vs R6 vs GSX-R600

"These things don't belong on the street!"

This has become the cry of the rational motorcyclist when the subject of modern literbikes comes up. But what if you could have virtually all of the same performance-driven componentry and research and development that go into most superbikes in a motorcycle with roughly 30-35% less spank? Would most riders, young and old, veteran and newbie, feel like they could handle such a bike? Apparently, yes.

Supersports, or more commonly, 600s, are red-hot sellers. Editor Duke reported back from his time at the U.S. launch of the 2008 R6 that the tuning fork company claims "the 600cc segment makes up 51% of what Yamaha calls the Supersport market, a segment that is up in sales a huge 52% since 2001." Yep, these things are pretty important.

The contenders in Motorcycle.com’s 2008 Supersport Shootout.

Changing of the guard?

As a matter of fact, the supersport class may become even more important to OEMs than it already is –whether they like it or not. When the AMA essentially admitted to its ineptness at handling American pro racing and announced in March of this year that Daytona Motorsports Group was granted rights to promote, sanction and manage various AMA racing series, one of DMG’s first moves was to change the current structure of road racing. Starting in 2009, the premier class will likely be the “Daytona Superbike” class. As of the writing of this story, DMG hasn’t yet released specific rules for the new class but has stated that the collection of contenders will include Twins, Triples and four-cylinder bikes, and will have “middleweight performance horsepower limits,” said to be 140 rear-wheel horsepower. In effect, this opens the door for six more brands that DMG says fit the bill: Aprilia, KTM, Triumph, BMW, Ducati and Buell.

Well then, guess it’s a good thing we got around to testing at least 5 of the 10 bikes potentially eligible for the new Daytona Superbike class.

The ‘08 CBR600RR returns to the supersport fray unchanged from last year and undaunted by the task of taking on updated models from Suzuki and Yamaha.

Like our literbike shootout from last month, this battle supreme has a couple of freshened-up entrants mixed in with a couple of models not yet at the end of their model cycles. AMA Formula Xtreme reigning champ, Honda, is naturally in the fray with its CBR600RR unchanged from last year; same goes for Kawasaki’s 2007-08 Daytona 200-winning ZX-6R.

Though it can’t lay claim to any U.S. championships, the Daytona 675 from Triumph – unrevised since its ’06 intro – is a champion of the hearts of many and has taken top honors in the Supersport class at the Spain-based track-centric Supertest three years running now, and three-peated this year in the same category in a similar uber-evaluation called Masterbike run by the Spanish sportbike mag Motorciclismo. Tooting our own horn a bit while paying further accolades to the English Triple, the 675 won Motorcycle.com’s 2006 Supersport shootout as well as our 2006 Best of the Best comparison. Phew! That’s a tough act to follow.

Triumph’s Daytona 675 is the old man of the group being unchanged since its 2006 introduction. This bike doesn’t need Depends though; the world seems to love it!

This leaves the two newest bikes: the Yamaha R6 and Suzuki GSX-R600. Both bikes received a healthy dose of revision but not so much as to make either wildly different from last year.

For ’08 the R6 gained YCC-I (Yamaha Chip Controlled-Intake), first seen on the 2007 R1. Both supersport and liter machines from Yamaha now have throttle-by-wire (YCC-T) and YCC-I. In addition, the middleweight mill received upwards of some 50 tweaks, a couple of them being increased compression and substantially larger crossover pipes in the exhaust headers; the targeted goal being improved mid-range. To augment engine improvements, the R6’s frame was updated to enhance both rigidity and controlled flex in all the right areas. The aluminum subframe was tossed in favor of one constructed from magnesium. Finally, things like altered clip-on placement, new EFI, 0.5mm thicker rotors for improved heat dissipation and revised bodywork join numerous other changes that add up to what Yamaha calls a “brand new bike from the tires up.”

This year was revision year for the formidable R6.

Suzuki has reason to be proud of the GSX-R600. According to Garrett Kai, American Suzuki’s Senior Communications Specialist, it is the best-selling machine of all the products in the company’s catalog. The little Gixxer got a gaggle of improvements this year, and like the R6, a heavy focus was on mid-range power improvements. Compression was pushed from 12.3 to 12.5:1, intake ports were reshaped, valve lift was reduced on the intake cams and exhaust pipe diameter was reduced by a scant 3mm while overall muffler volume increased. Fueling was enhanced and ventilation between cylinders was increased marginally to reduce pumping losses. Though the chassis remains largely unchanged from last year, the GSX-R600 picked up an electronically controlled steering damper. Improvements to braking come via changes to increase pinching power without increasing effort at the lever. Oh, and we almost forgot, to complete the circle, so to speak, the 2008 GSX-R600 now, like all current Zook sport bikes, has the A-B-C of Suzuki–Drive Mode Selector.

Not only did the 2008 GSX-R600 get engine and chassis updates, it also got a new look. Other motorcyclists commented on it every time we parked it somewhere.

Back in the saddle

With the players in place we summoned a motley collection of hapless riders eager for a spin on the latest 600cc hardware and a free meal at Outback Steakhouse. Fresh from our literbike rumpus is ex-Limey, Steve “Speed” Kelly. Steve’s a salty veteran of the motorbike courier world, first in Ol’ Blighty, then sunny L.A. He’s owned more bikes – and sold ‘em at a profit! – than George Barber, holds a WSMC racing license (sourced from an I-5 rest-area bathroom) and has countless miles round a track. He’s plenty qualified, but we just like his accent.

Steve “Speed” Kelly returns from our 2008 Literbike Shootout. He’s English, but we love ‘im anyway.

Kaming Ko tagged along for the five-bike battle. This smooth cat helped us realize how poorly we ride for people 15 years his junior.

Also returning – and still suffering mental duress – from the literbike battle is Alexandra Bongart. Alex owns a late-model GSX-R600, knows her way around the pits and track, and is an accomplished street rider. She brings a fresh, female perspective to Motorcycle.com, which is very important these days and rarely, if ever, seen in most publications. I hate to admit it, but I’ve had a hard time keeping her out of my mirrors during street rides.

'...we logged hundreds of street miles through twisted mountain pavement, urban sprawl and droned the superslab'

New to the tomfoolery is Kaming Ko. This incredibly friendly character has a lengthy resume in Formula car racing a well as a ‘70s motorcycle racing survivor. Kaming’s riding style is a dead give-away to his age, as some fused vertebrae keeps him from laying over the tank in a sportbike tuck, but he still rides faster than most us who have a fully functional spine! Again, like the other two above, we really keep him in the mix for ulterior motives. He has owned some of the coolest sportbikes ever built, like the Desmosedici RR he recently let Editor-in-Cheese Duke and me bumble around Willow on.

Finally, this time we added someone as sharp with a keyboard as he is with a twist-grip. Mark Gardiner is to motojournalism like a wrongly-accused inmate is to death row: full of time served and glad to be out. Jesting aside, it needs to be known that Mark worked at Motorcyclist magazine for a stint, raced in the Isle of Man TT, and is an accomplished author with his well-received book, Riding Man, about his TT experience.

Over the course of several days we logged hundreds of street miles through twisted mountain pavement, urban sprawl and droned the superslab. Mix in one nearly perfect day on the Big Track at Willow Springs Raceway in Rosamond, CA, where we doubled-up on sessions courtesy of trackday company, Take It 2 The Track, and  we were ready to cast ballots in hopes of a clear-cut winner. Clear-cut? Pfft!

We employed the same scoring method as in this year’s liter comparo wherein we took a cumulative sum of scores over 12 categories – with the same bias toward the Engine category – that encompass the things we care about in a motorcycle.

Let the testing begin!

Engine (power, tractability, response, user-friendliness, vibration)
1.	Daytona 675	94%
2.	CBR600RR	90%
3.	GSX-R600	83%
4.	ZX-6R	78%
5.	YZF-R6	73%

Surprise! Not exactly, but the Honda’s powerplant, being as linear as it is, can’t quite compare to the 675’s, according to the unblinking Dynojet at our friends at Area P. In classic inline-Triple fashion, the Daytona makes the best use of its shootout-leading 47.9 ft-lbs of torque in a very manageable way starting from as early as 3,000 rpm where it’s making 36 ft-lbs. At that same mark the CBR, the next most potent powerplant, is only making 21 ft-lbs. This middleweight represents with near perfection the characteristics we look to consider when assessing the engines. Power comes on early and isn’t absent in lower rpms like so many flaccid 600cc mills. The smooth on/off throttle transitions of the 675 translates into the most tractable bike here. Driving into and through Turn 8 at Willow revealed a rheostat-like quality: dial the power in, roll it off gently, and then turn it back up. On the street, Mark and Kevin kept using the phrase “cheater motor” after climbing out of the saddle with silly grins on their faces.

As you can tell from the orange line, the Triumph's motor makes more power at nearly every point on the graph. The Honda (red) and Suzuki (light blue) trade spots for best among the four-cylinder bikes. The R6 has big power up top but lags behind the others everywhere else, which greatly affected its street performance scores.

Set the oddball aside for a moment and the CBR is clearly the best powered of the four Fours. In many ways it mirrors the 675. It, too, has an exceptional amount of user-friendliness, as it doesn’t require its neck be wrung for maximum fun. Feed the throttle in from way down the rpm range and the Honda pulls more like a 750cc Four, its powerful grunt belying its displacement. “Not sure how the hell Honda does it, but this bike rips out of corners,” exclaimed Speed Kelly. That’s a good observation considering it shares identical bore and stroke figures (67 x 45.2mm) with the other three Japanese machines. The simple answer is that the CBR is just a tick shy of the 675 in terms of horsepower and torque. With 105 ponies peaking at 14,100 rpm and 46 ft-lbs maxing out in the 12,500 rpm neighborhood, it’s a force to be reckoned with and understandable why the bike has been so successful in AMA Formula Xtreme.

The 675’s smashing success in the Engine category was thanks to all the wonderfully torquey things its inline-Triple mill offers.

It seems Suzuki’s efforts paid dividends in the search for more mid-range usability. It doesn’t have the stonk of the 675 but pulls with authority – save for a soft spot around 7,000 – as early as 4,500 rpm making 30 ft-lbs. The GSX-R600 actually outpaces the CBR’s torque figures by 2-3 lbs on average from just below 3k until about 8k where the CBR leaves the Gixxer behind. The strange thing here is that seat-of-the-pants sensation is quite the opposite. We’re attributing the Honda’s shorter gearing for its extra-torquey feel. The Gixxer offers smooth throttle transitions and trouble-free fueling that are the work of Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve system, and a new ECU controls fueling as well as a valve in the exhaust system. Torque is quickly becoming the new catch-phrase in supersport tuning. The end result is a more robust spread of power that brings the GSX-R closer to the CBR and Daytona in terms of greater everyday usability. One small negative with the Zook’s mill is that seemed to be buzzier than most on the freeway.

The current ZX-6R is likely at the end of its lifecycle, and it’s starting to show in the face of the competition. Before all the Ninja loyalists start planning to burn us at the stake for such blasphemy, we fully and readily acknowledge the ZX as a very excellent choice, and the Ninja’s motor seemed the smoothest among the buzzy inline-Fours. But, the Green Machine was dead last in the horsepower race, posting a sub-par 97.7 hp in stock form, according to our pals at AreaP and their reliable Dynojet dynamometer. There’s something of a minor controversy regarding the tuning of the ZX, something you’ll want to read more about in the below sidebar.

Duke learns that meeting EPA regulations hampers racetrack performance. Really cheap power boost. ZX-6R Free Horsepower! By Kevin Duke Pity the poor sportbike engineers who must find a way to create 599cc engines that produce 100 horsepower at the rear wheel while meeting every-stricter exhaust emissions regulations. And while spent exhaust gases must be cleaner than ever, noise emissions must also be kept in check, although that standard hasn’t been revised in decades. Nowhere is that more apparent than Kawasaki’s ZX-6R. Since its 2005 iteration, the ZX’s ECU includes programming which closes a valve in the exhaust at high revs, restricting its top-end power and reducing its overrev zone past the engine’s power peak. (European ZX’s aren’t afflicted, as they have different sound-level regulations across the Pond.) This combines to make the stock Ninja feel less exciting, and its rapid power loss once past the engine’s peak forces some extra gearshifts, especially when riding in the power-hungry environment of a racetrack. Our ZX test unit was the least powerful 600 on the dyno, spinning up just 97.7 hp at its peak. But why is the Kawi saddled with this limitation while the other OEMs don’t seem to suffer from similar programming? That’s been difficult to identify, but Kawi reps assure us their bikes adhere to the obfuscatory EPA noise regulations guidelines that are self-regulated by the OEMs. “All Kawasaki street motorcycles, including the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, sold in the United States have been designed to meet all current U.S. emissions and noise regulations for street-legal motorcycles,” is Team Green’s official statement on the subject. Since the sportbikes from other OEMs aren’t similarly affected, the implication is they aren’t meeting the same requirements. Glenn Hansen, Suzuki’s communications manager, explained to us that the ECUs on Suzuki products bound for America are different than their Euro counterparts, and he added that all their bikes meet current regulations. He pointed out that using dual mufflers on Suzuki’s GSX-R1000 was partially the result of meeting noise edicts. Lucky for ZX trackday riders (off-road-use only, doncha know? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more…), the party-pooping programming can quickly be defeated. Simply unplug the cap of the four-pin electrical connection under the seat and bridge the black/yellow wires to the green/dark green wires across from each other in the connector. This defaults the ECU to European spec and lets the engine breathe at high rpm by keeping the exhaust “power” valve open. When we performed this trick on our ZX, we found a 5-hp increase (102.8 hp) in peak power, making it competitive with its rivals, but the biggest improvement was in the overrev zone above 13,000 rpm where the stock ECU programming strangles the Ninja. There is nearly a 10-hp gap at 14,000 rpm, with the stock bike wheezing out 93.4 ponies to the modified ECU’s 102.7. It should be noted that the Ninja doesn’t feel particularly down on power during street rides, as it’s only when screaming up near maximum revs that this shortcoming becomes apparent. But it’s too bad that the stock bike needs an excuse, because in race trim the ZX-6Rs are formidable foes in the Supersport and Formula Xtreme race classes. In stock form, the ZX-6R runs out of breath at high revs, but the ECU jumper mod lets it run like it should. In modified form, it posted a 5-horse boost in horsepower and a much more usable overrev zone.

The R6 trails behind the others in terms of streetable power. It doesn’t make 30 ft-lbs until 6,000 rpm, then manages to dip below 30 for a short rpm range, then regains its composure at almost 8,000 where it barely makes 31.5 ft-lbs; at 8k rpm the Gixxer is making nearly 6 more ft-lbs. Though the ZX-6R sees a modestly better 32.5 ft-lbs in the same spot, it’s more linear much earlier than the R6 as it starts to see those 32 ft-lbs as soon as 5,000 rpm. Where the Yamaha shines is beyond the 13,000 mark where it screams, quite literally, to 100 hp, leaving the green bike in its dust. Unfortunately for street riders, the fun zone on the Yammie is all at the top. Racers won’t care.

Transmission (clutch actuation/modulation, shift ease, precision, slipper clutch)
1.	ZX-6R	98%
2.	GSX-R600	88%
3.	CBR600RR	80%
4.	YZF-R6	77%
5.	Daytona 675	72%

The two-year old Ninja may be lagging a bit these days in overall peak power and torque figures, but it seems it is still a step ahead in the gearbox game. The close-ratio six-speed cassette-style tranny is the poster kid for snick-snick shifting. Not unlike its bigger brother, the ZX-10R that shared top honors in this category with the Honda CBR1000RR in our liter comparo, the 6R’s tranny is essentially transparent. Taskmaster Duke often spoke of the 6R’s shifting as “light-action,” and never seemed anything short of impressed with its slipper-clutch. For myself, I couldn’t deny the impeccable function of the components that make the bike shift, but I also couldn’t help but note – whether on track or street – what felt like short gearing on top.

There’s a pretty big gap between the Kaw and the Suzuki here, but the Zook is still pretty damn good, especially its back-torque-limiting clutch. As Kevin reported from his time at the Misano unveiling of the ‘08 Suzuki, the company “… added an additional clutch plate with revised friction material and a modified drive cam shape.” Those minor clutch tweaks and a very smooth shifting transmission kept the junior Gixxer solidly in second in this category.

The ZX-6R’s transmission and clutch were rated highest for their performance on the track as well as on the street. Both worked flawlessly.

“Why such a poor showing for the CBR,” you might rightly ask when normally it’s raves all ‘round for most Honda shifting. The fact is that the RR is really quite good – as basically all of them are – but in such a closely contested battle small things stand out. There are some commonalities and some stark differences in this quintet: all five have cable-actuated clutches, yet only three have slipper clutches. The Honda is one of two slackers. Now that Big Red’s liter machine has one, Honda’s fans can sleep easy tonight knowing that the next iteration of the CBR600RR will have one too.

The R6’s biggest failing was a clutch that engaged near the end of lever travel making for some temperamental shifting on the street and thus was relegated to fourth spot. The 675 suffered “slightly notchy” shifting and is the other delinquent in this group without a slipper

Handling (quickness, feedback, stability, confidence)
1.	CBR600RR	93%
2.	ZX-6R	90%
3.	Daytona 675	90%
4.	GSX-R600	87%
5.	R6	77%

Claiming its first, first-place finish in the category of Handling, the nimble CBR600RR did the best job in the majority of our testers’ minds. Its chassis dimensions aren’t exceptionally flightier than the other four, and it is only rivaled by the 675 which has substantially shorter trail (86.8 vs. 97.7mm) and identical rake (23.5º). Nevertheless, the Honda simply was “the easiest to flick from side to side, yet was super stable mid-corner,” according to trackday junkie Steve. Along with the shortest wheelbase (53.9”) the Honda boasts the most advanced steering stabilizer in the group. Having improved greatly from its first edition, the HESD – discreetly hidden under the front lip of the fuel tank – is the perfect ally to “add stability to a bike with aggressive steering geometry,” notes Duke. If there’s a drawback to the HESD it is that steering can seem a touch on the heavy side when initiating a turn at high speeds, as the complex steering damper considers vehicle speed, throttle position and rate of acceleration when determining the amount of resistance to apply. The CBR’s handling is also aided by the superb Dunlop Qualifiers.

The Daytona most closely resembles the Honda’s handling as it has the aforementioned tiniest trail figure that could make for skittish handling, but it’s balanced out by a 54.8-inch wheelbase and a non-electronic steering damper. In addition, the 675 is the most waif-like in the collection. From tip to tail the Daytona is skinny. The bike’s narrow waist and slim fuel tank make for easy and unencumbered movement across the saddle when transitioning between corners. Add in the most excellent Pirelli Dragon Supercorsas, and it starts to become clear why the Tri has been the top choice in so many magazine evals and large group tests.

Handling supremacy is a hallmark of the CBR600RR. It scored highest for its light and accurate steering and its confidence-inspiring stability.

The Ninja still managed to “feel lighter than the 675” at the track according to El Duke, despite the longest wheelbase at 55.3 inches, a modest 25 degrees of rake and a crazy-long-by-class-standards 109mm of trail. The 6R’s wide, flat clip-on placement helps mask the lazy geometry, as does its lack of steering damper. Its stability-inducing geometry and a set of Bridgestone BT015 tires had Speed Kelly saying the “Kawi handled like it's super-glued to the tarmac!”

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