TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE BENELLI T T TM 990 SUPER DU E DU TI MONSTER S4R … · 2005-04-20 · DUCATI S4R. 26 | MOTOR CYCLE NEWS MARCH 16, 2005 suspension (including ride height) and

24 | MOTMOTMO OR CYOR CYOR C CYCY LE NEWS MARCH 16, 2005

THE new Speed Triple and the magnificent new Super Duke are the two most celebrated new arrivals in a class of bikes that

has become the talking point of 2005 – what we’ve chosen to call ‘super nakeds’. But they’re not the only ones.

Super nakeds are the new alternative to conventional superbikes. But whether they are a stripped-down sports bike like the Aprilia Tuono, or a purpose-made streetfighter like the Buell Lightning, one thing is clear: a super naked needs to have superbike levels of acceleration (but not necessarily their top speed) and

handling. They should also have comfy riding positions and wide bars to enable them to lever their way through trafficand slice down twisty lanes with ease. Above all, they need to be big fun.

So, to find out which is best – and what they can offer different riders – we’ve put together our biggest test of 2005 so far. We assembled all of the leading supernakeds – eight bikes in all – along with eight very different riders, for our most in-depth test yet. We rode them at the test track and on a variety of roads, then performance tested them, logging all our findings. This is the result.

Triumph invented production-based super nakeds with the Speed Triple. By ripping the fairing off its Daytona 900 in ’94, it came up with a modern classic, which has been copied over the years (although not by the Japs, strangely – Z1000 excepted). You might argue that the original Ducati Monster 900 started it all a year earlier, but that was more urban chic than urban warrior.

The Hinckley firm has now come full circle with a brand new 1050cc version ofits triple, complete with aggressive new bodywork, underseat exhausts and radial brakes. It looks stunning, and was the

BENELLI TNTTRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE

The new kings oHWORLD EXCLUSIVE GROUP TEST

ROAD TESTTRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE H BENELLI TNT H KTM 990 SUPER DUKE H DUCATI MONSTER S4RMV AGUSTA BRUTALE S H KAWASAKI Z1000 H APRILIA TUONOH BUELL XB-12S LIGHTNINGwww.motorcyclenews.com/bikereviews

Mad unfaired roadsters likeTriumph’s new Speed Triple andthe KTM Super Duke are THE class of 2005 – so we put eight of the best to the testBY MICHAEL NEEVESBY PICTURES BY HOWARD BOYLANBY

MARCH 16, 2005 MOTMOTMO OR CYCOR CYCOR C LE NEWS | 25

machine everyone wanted to go on most. The first impression is the Speed Triple

is actually smaller than it looks in pictures. Even for shorter riders, getting both feet firmly on the ground at junctions is never a problem. Neither is the simplicity of threading your way through town traffic. The new three-cylinder motor has oceans more torque than before and a slicker gearbox, which makes this evil-looking little fiend a surprising pleasure to ride at low speeds.

That’s true of the Super Duke, too. It’s hard to reconcile KTM’s ultra-smooth 999cc motor with it being a V-twin.

Everything about the Austrian bike is smooth and plush, from the throttleresponse to the light action of the clutch and gearbox and the compliant suspension. It looks superb, is beautifully put together and is dripping in designer goodies like WP suspension, Brembo brakes and Renthal handlebars. In fact the only factor to spoil a day in urban paradise is its relatively tall seat height which is a tip-toeing pain for shorties.

Despite the fact that the 996cc V-twin powering the S4R was originally designed to push Carl Fogarty around a racetrack at championship-winning speeds, the

Ducati is almost as smooth as the KTM. There’s more of a deep burble emanating from the twin upswept pipes, which reminds you of the engine’s special heritage, and it’s grunty, too, so you can cruise around in top gear all day without having to disturb the six-speed box. What’s more, a low seat height makes the S4R particularly easy to handle.

Although also V-twin powered, the 997cc Aprilia Tuono isn’t in the same pussycat league as the KTM and Ducati. Instead it’s as if it has mafia blood flowing through its veins. The Tuono somehow manages to be much louder than the

competition, and there’s so much low down grunt from that RSV Mille superbike engine that just a whiff of throttle will send the bike darting forward with menace. That’s not a criticism – merely just a reflection of what it is: a full-on superbike with the fairing whipped off. And as such, it should be treated with respect.

By comparison, the MV Agusta Brutale delivers a slightly different bowl of pasta. The Brutale is arguably one of the most beautiful-looking motorcycles on the road – which is perhaps no real surprise as this Massimo Tamburini-designed Italian

stallion is an F4 750 superbike with no clothes on. It’s also one of the smallest bikes here, so it’s light and easy to hack through rush hour traffic on, although a bit on the cramped side for those who are long in the leg.

Much more rough and ready is the Buell XB-12S Lightning. Its Harley-Davidson, air-cooled 1203cc V-twin motor shakes and throbs so much that people hear you coming from miles away.

KTM 990 SUPER DUKE

EIGHT bikes, one test. Which is the best of thedominant new breed of

big naked bikes?

CONTINUES OVER

s of the road

DUCATI S4R


andheight)ride(includingsuspensiondecent ground clearance also make it an excellent trackday bike.

You get the feeling that the Speed Triple would like life on the circuit too. The speed with which the Triumph can cover ground from A to B is staggering.

There’s masses of power all the way through the rev-range, so even if you happen to be in the wrong gear, the Speed Triple will still pull hard when the throttle cable is stretched to the stop. With the right gear dialled in, though, it will lunge out of corners with utter ferocity, hanging its front wheel in the air if you’re in the

bottom two gears. Overall, the handling is superb; rock-solid but still light-steering.

By comparison, when you’re on the right road, in the right mood, at the right time, nothing comes close to the thrills dished out by the Brutale. The little MV may be cramped and its peaky, rev-happy 749cc in-line-four may be a pain in the rear during normal riding, but if you’re after a super naked in its purest form, the MV is the one for you.

It goes and handles like a superbike. You could roll up to a club race at Cadwell on one of these and give the competitors some red faces – it really is that good. And

the sound? Well if the induction roar and wail from the stacked twin pipes attached to that Ferrari-designed motor don’t stir the soul, you might want to check yourpulse to ensure that you’re still alive. It’s an absolutely astonishing piece of kit. You have to pay for all these thrills, though, because at £10,500, it’s not cheap.

The Tuono is less about delicately dissecting corners, and more about taking them by the scruff of the neck and smashing them with a sledgehammer. Thanks to its RSV roots, its handling is racetrack perfect, but it would hardly matter if it wasn’t. With so much grunt at

KAWASAKI Z1000

It stops them in their tracks when you arrive, too. Those rim-mounted brakes, underslung exhaust, wild styling and supermoto-like riding position are aggressive and stunning.

As the only Japanese bike, you might expect the Kawasaki to be smooth and civilised – and you’d be exactly right. Despite the edgy kudos of the famous name and the hostile looks, the Z1000 is a peach to ride. In fact, so much so that even novice riders can jump on and feel at home with its smooth controls, silky 953cc, in-line four-cylinder engine and light, flickable handling. It’s the bike all the tired testers wanted to relax on when it was time to head home after our blast.

Like the Speed Triple, the Benelli TNT is also powered by a rasping three-cylinder motor, albeit a bigger one at 1130cc. It’s got the most low-down grunt of all the bikes, making it easy to ride at normal speeds, just leave it in top gear and twist and go. It sounds fantastic too. It’s quite tall, making junctions tricky for shorter riders, but the commanding view you get over traffic gives a feeling of get-out-my-way invincibility, not to mention being comfy on a long haul.

Once we’d finally left the towns behind, it was time for some action on these bikes’ preferred playground – twisty A and B-roads. Forget dual carriageways or motorways, these machines have little or

no wind protection, so your neck will have to work overtime to keep your head attached to your body.

There are a couple of notable exceptions though. The Tuono’s half fairing is excellent at keeping off the windblast and the headlight fairing on the S4R does its level best too.

But out in the twisties, each bike begins to reveal its unique personality – none more so than the KTM. Despite its bad-boy looks, the Super Duke is actually the easiest of this bunch to ride fast and muck about on. It comes over as less of a road bike than the Brutale or Speed Triple, and seems more like a supermoto on steroids. At times you ride the KTM with a cavalier lack of respect, just like you would a dirt bike: chucking it from side to side through the turns; knee-down, leg-out, foot-up, it doesn’t really matter. The KTM’s smooth engine, coupled with perfect throttle response from the fuel injection, makes riding fast all the easier.

Life on the Monster S4R is just as simple, as it has a very similar easy-going engine character. Power output is comparable and acceleration out of corners is just as fierce as on the KTM. The Ducati’s handling is much more solid and race bike-like than the more dirt bike-inspired KTM, giving the rider the confidence to generate typical Ducati big lean angles. Fully adjustable

ROAD TESTTRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE H BENELLI TNT H KTM 990 SUPER DUKE H DUCATI MONSTER S4RMV AGUSTA BRUTALE S H KAWASAKI Z1000 H APRILIA TUONOH BUELL XB-12S LIGHTNINGwww.motorcyclenews.com/bikereviews

MV AGUSTA BRUTALE S

BRUTALE S

SUPER DUKE

SPEED TRIPLE

TUONO XB-12S

Z1000

S4R

TNT


BUELL XB-12S LIGHTNINGAPRILIA TUONO

TURN OVER FOR VERDICT

your right wrist, it’s just a case of twisting the throttle and hanging on. If the Tuono isn’t lifting its front wheel, it’s ripping up tarmac like a loose carpet as it claws at the competition between corners.

You need to be careful when you get on the Benelli too. Like the Aprilia, the TNT has stacks of low-down torque, so much so that riding on cold tyres or in the wet has to be done with care to avoid spinning the rear. With tyres up to temperature, things become saner, with wheelspin replaced by wheelies.

You can feel the TNT’s superbike influence through the twisties with its

agile and precise handling. The suspension is quite stiff to start with, but a lack of damping adjustment on the forks and rear shock causes it to pitch and weave when pushed hard. Benelli has addressed this issue on the TNT Sport.

Although not as hard-edged as the competition, the Z1000 is still quick. It’s as easy as the KTM to ride fast, thanks to the soft power delivery and neutral handling, and will flatter novices andexperts alike, but ultimately loses out tothe competition thanks to its lack of, well… special-ness. You could forgive the Kawasaki if it was really cheap, but it’s

only a few hundred quid less than the Speed Triple and Tuono.

The Buell’s reputation for handling like a superbike and steering as fast as a 250cc GP bike is well deserved. Scratching on the handling circuit at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground in Leicestershire, it doesn’t take long to realise that out of the box, the Lightning out-handles all the bikes here. But that’s not all – if you could get an R1 to brake, steer and feel as solid mid-corner as the Buell, you could paint it blue and give it to Rossi to play with.

Through the really tight stuff it can even hang with the Brutale, flicking from

bend to bend like a supermoto. But once the road opens up it doesn’t have the power to keep up, the revs run out abruptly and the rev-limiter cuts in too soon. If the Buell had more go it would be sensational.

So, for hardcore riders, the aggressive nature of the Tuono, Brutale, TNT and Speed Triple will float your boats no end, while the Super Duke, S4R and Z1000 are all fast but flattering. The Buell lags behind slightly in outright performance but makes up for that in style.

What all these bikes are is colossal fun. Honestly, there’s not a bad one among

them. It’s a close call between the Speed Triple and Super Duke for the winner, but the Triumph gets it. It’s got everything that makes a super naked great: incredible looks; masses of low-down stomp; a smooth power delivery (for mega-controllable wheelies); a superb sound; and handling fit for a track. You couldn’t ask for any more.l Thanks to: Planet Bikes for the loan of the Z1000. Contact: 0116-244-2000.


Mei es, ne consis clegitiam st C. Quit et reo, quemus? Patora dem es nequam tra rem que con dius nintem ium nihili, C. Poponsultu consum perbem teati,

POWER

HANDLING

USABILITY

FUN FACTOR

VALUE

FINAL RATING

TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE

25 OUT OF 2525

ROAD TESTTRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE H BENELLI TNT H KTM 990 SUPER DUKE H DUCATI MONSTER S4RMV AGUSTA BRUTALE S H KAWASAKI Z1000 H APRILIA TUONOH BUELL XB-12S LIGHTNINGwww.motorcyclenews.com/videos to see video footage of the test in action

BIKE que

22 OUT OF 2522 24 OUT OF 2524 20 OUT OF 25 23 OUT OF 25 18 OUT OF 2518 21 OUT OF 25

KTM 990 SUPER DUKEBENELLI TNT DUCATI MONSTER S4R MV AGUSTA BRUTALE S

1ST 2ND 3RD4TH 5TH6TH 8TH

Feels every inch like the 996 superbike it shares its engine with, thanks to adjustable suspension, superb brakes and improved ground clearance. 5 out of 55

A lot of sports bikes couldlearn about handling, balance and chassis feedback from the MV – it’ssublime and you need a track to find its limits.5 out of 55

With fully adjustablesuspension and a girder-stiffaluminium frame theTriumph is as happy on 100mph sweepers as it is flicking through hairpins. 5 out of 55

The power delivery from the 996cc V-twin is so smooth. It’s flexible enough to potter round all day in top or rag it through the gears pulling big wheelies.4 out of 54

You have work to get thebest out of the Brutale’s four-cylinder engine – whenit’s on song it’s amazing; butit’s a pain when you’re not in the mood.5 out of 55

There’s no shortage of power anywhere through the rev range. From as low as 2500rpm, the new 1050cc motor pulls hardand never seems to stop.5 out of 55

A low seat height andsmooth power-deliverymakes the S4R a doddle around town and a piece of cake to ride fast, too.4 out of 54

You’ve got to be in the mood to get the most out ofthe Brutale – you need to keep the engine fed withrevs to get anywhere.5 out of 55

At town speeds the Speed Triple is docile and easy to manage, but its hard-edged, bad-boy nature may put offless experienced riders.5 out of 55

The S4R is much more composed than the KTMand TNT so you have to push it more to get yourkicks. It’s great at wheelies. 3 out of 53

The Italian stallion is a blast, superbike levels of acceleration and that sweet engine note make you wish you could afford to buy it...5 out of 55

With its stoppie-inducingbrakes, a habit of lifting its front wheel and a love ofdusting off sports bikes you can’t fail to giggle.5 out of 55

WP suspension, Brembobrakes and a super-stiff steel trellis frame give the KTM neutral, confidence inspiring-handling. It feels more like a supermoto.5 out of 55

It’s not how much power the KTM has got; it’s how it makes it. The delivery is so smooth that every singlehorsepower is accessible, making it real-world fast. 5 out of 55

The only blot on its copy book is the tall seat. Aside from that it’s as easy to rideas a commuter, with light controls and smooth power.5 out of 55

The neutral handling and balance means you canjump on and ride the wheels off it. Turns modestriders into a stunt gods.5 out of 55

Not the cheapest here but it’s worth forking out the extra just for that peach of an engine… and then there’sthe styling and quality parts4 out of 54

With no dampingadjustment on forks or shock, handling at the limit is compromised, but in normal conditions it’s not a problem.4 out of 54

With so much low-downgrunt it makes its superbike brother the Tornado look limp and the rasp from thattriple-cylinder engine is fantastic.5 out of 55

Its grunty engine makes it easy to ride around townand the roomy ridingposition means it is comfortable on long trips. 5 out of 55

Although the suspension is on the soft side, it’s beautifully balanced which allows you to muck aboutwith ease.5 out of 55

Production numbers are kept low to keep the Benelli brand exclusive, but it’s not worth £1300 more than the Triumph.3 out of 53

Having that Ducati badgeadds kudos to what isalready a superb bike. Butit’s the wrong side of £8k for a 13-year-old design.4 out of 54

Beautifully made, sounds amazing, gorgeous to look at, goes like stink, but ten and a half big ones is a lot to pay for a naked bike.3 out of 53

APRILIA TUONO

The sheer height makes it harder to flick through thetighter stuff but the leveragefrom the wide bars more than makes up for that. Thelast word in stability.5 out of 55

The Aprilia is superbike-powerful. It’s got the besttop speed here at 154mph, and the low and mid-rangegrunt has to be experiencedto be believed. A monster.5 out of 55

The sheer grunt can make it a bit intimidating when you’re trying to go slow, you get the sense it would rather be out playing.3 out of 53

The Aprilia will make your teeth itch with excitement. Even in third you’ll bestruggling to keep the front wheel down.4 out of 54

The price has tumbled and it’s the second cheapest inthe class, amazing when you think this is basically an RSV Mille with no clothes.4 out of 54

KAWASAKI Z1000

At normal speeds theKawasaki is easy to chuck around, but through faster corners the soft, floatysuspension makes it feel vague.3 out of 53

Although the Z1000’s 953ccfour is creamy smooth, it needs to revved to get the most out of it, but not as much as the manic MV. Itstill tops 150mph though.3 out of 53

For everyday riding the Z1000 is smooth, civilised and easy to get on with,especially compared withthe Brutale, Tuono or Buell. 5 out of 55

If you’re a secret stunt monkey, you’ll love it. But it ultimately lacks the composure and grunt of the Speed Triple or KTM.3 out of 53

The cheapest bike here and you do get a lot for your money, but it does lack the‘special-ness’ of most of the other bikes here.4 out of 54

The Triumph is one of the cheapest bikes here, just behind the Aprilia and Kawasaki. It’s more thanthe sum of its parts too.5 out of 55

TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE HHHHH

Available: NowColours: Black, blue, yellowInsurance group: 14 (of 17)Contact: Triumph, 01455-251700

TECHNICAL SPEC

COST: £7699POWER: 117bhpTORQUE: 74ftlbWEIGHT: 189kg

Engine: Liquid-cooled, 1050cc (79mm x 71.4mm), 12v four-stroke, in-line-triple. Chassis: Tubular aluminium frame. 45mm upside-down fully adjustable forks, single fully adjustable rear shock. 2 x 320mm front discs with 4-piston radial calipers, 220mm rear disc with twin-piston caliper. Tyres: 120/70 x 17 front, 180/55 x 17 rear

TOP SPEED: 148mphSS 1/4 MILE: 11.53s @ 120.2mph0-60mph: 3.35sec0-100mph: 7.28sec

4 Loaded with attitude8 Could be too aggressive for some

KTM 990 SUPERDUKE HHHHH

Available: NowColours: Orange, blackInsurance group: 13 (of 17)Contact: KTM, 01280-709500

TECHNICAL SPEC


Engine: Liquid-cooled, 999cc (101mm x 62.4mm), 8v four-stroke, 75° V-twin. Chassis: Steel trellis frame. WP 48mm upside-down fully-adjustable forks, WP fully-adjustable single rear shock. 2 x 320mm Brembo front discs with four-piston calipers, 240mm rear disc with single-piston caliper. Tyres: 120/70 x 17 front, 180/55 x 17 rear


4 Fast and easy to ride8 Rubbish fuel range

BENELLI TNT HHHHH

Available: NowColours: Yellow, red, blackInsurance group: 17 (of 17)Contact: ISE, 0845-130-1903

TECHNICAL SPEC


Engine: Liquid-cooled, 1130cc (88mm x 62mm), 12v four-stroke, in-line-triple. Chassis: Tubular aluminium frame. Marzocchi 50mm upside-down non-adjustable forks, single rear shock adjustable for pre-load only. 2 x 320mm Brembo front discs with four-piston calipers, 240mm rear disc with twin-piston caliper. Tyres: 120/70 x 17 front, 190/50 x 17 rear


4 Wheelie-happy8 Non-adjustable suspension

DUCATI MONSTER S4R HHHHI

Available: NowColours: Black, black/white, red/white, blue/whiteInsurance group: 15 (of 17)Contact: Ducati, 0845-122-2996

TECHNICAL SPEC


Engine: Liquid-cooled, 996cc (96mm x 68.8mm), 8v four-stroke, 90° V-twin. Chassis: Tubular steel trellis frame. Showa 43mm upside-down fully-adjustable forks, Showa fully-adjustable single rear shock. 2 x 320mm front discs with four-piston radial calipers, 220mm rear disc with twin-piston caliper. Tyres: 120/70 x 17 front, 180/55 x 17 rear


4 Super-smooth V-twin engine8 Fly screen wobbles at speed


IT was always going to be a close call for top honours between thetwo new boys: the Speed Triple and the Super Duke, and aswe’ve seen the Triumph has grabbed victory, albeit by the smallest of margins.

But some of the big surprises were dishedout by the rest of thesetwo-wheeled hooligans.

We all agreed that if wecould afford it, we’d have the MV Agusta Brutale.It’s exquisitely built, sounds incredible and performs like a demon. Even some of the bigger riders on test, who had to shoehorn themselvesinto the cramped riding position, were totally smitten.

The incredible handling of the Buell took us by surprise, too. You’d never guess when pootling around town with its Harley-derived engine throbbing beneath you that the Lightning willdelicately dance its wayaround a racetrack with more poise and stabilitythan any of the currentbatch of supersport 600s can muster. Incredible.

The sound, grunt and comfort of the Benelli impressed, as did therefinement of the Z1000,

the raw attitude of theTuono, and the utter speed, and downright coolness, of Ducati’s S4R.Honestly, out of all eightof these bad-boy bikes there isn’t one you wouldn’t want to own.

These super nakeds are all Triumph’s fault of course, they invented the class 11 years ago, andthey’re still leading the way now. So it’s a big thank you from us!Michael Neeves

VERDICT

19 OUT OF 25

An engine full of intrusive vibes and a very Harley-likeslow shifting gearbox spoilthings, but the quick steering helps it zip through traffic.3 out of 53

There’s big grunt from the air-cooled 1203cc motor. Thetrick to riding fast is to short-shift and ride the torque. It loses out to the others in outright power.3 out of 53

Eats twisty B-roads for breakfast. It flicks from sideto side like a well set-up 250cc GP bike, but somehow manages to beultra stable, too.5 out of 55

BUELL XB-12S LIGHTNING

SECOND OPINIONS

RICHARD SMEEAge: 35Rides: Triumph Daytona T595Ability: Fast road rider

“THE Brutale is the best – it handles beautifully. You just choose your line and it’ll stickon it. It also doesn’t loseanything for having a smallercapacity engine than theothers, as long as you keep it revving. I really enjoyed the Super Duke as well, it’s solively and powerful. TheTriumph comes third – the new engine is fantastically smooth.”

DAVE ROOKAge: 34Rides: Looking to buy a bikeAbility: Mainly off-road

“IT’S a really hard choice Sbecause they’re all so good but I prefer the KTM Super Duke. It’s the best all-rounder – it’s smooth, easy to ride and goes like stink. Simple as that.After that it’s the TriumphSpeed Triple with its stonkingengine and then it’s theAprilia, which is a complete beast of a bike. The Brutale is a beautiful bike but a bit smallfor my frame.”

PAUL HARRISONAge: 27Rides: Yamaha FZR600RAbility: Swift road rider

“MY favourite was easily theYMV Agusta. It’s just the revs and the way it sounds. Evenwhen you’re low down in therev range it’s really growly andfrom 4000rpm-on it sounds great all the way to the rev limiter. After that it was probably the TNT – it feels faster but just doesn’t quite have the noise. For me the Brutale has more than enough power.”

BEN NEEVESAge: 26Rides: Suzuki GSX-R750 K4Ability: Trackday addict

“I’D have to say the Apriliawas best, it’s the combinationof power, speed and handling that does it for me. It’s just got so much grunt. In secondplace has to be the Agusta Brutale, it’s a lot of fun down the country lanes. After thosetwo it’s probably the Triumph and Benelli. But, sayingthat, there are no bad bikes here. they’ve all got something to offer.”

7TH

‘My favourite was easily the Brutale – it’s just the revs and the way it sounds’PAUL HARRISON

You’ve probably seen stunt rider Craig Jones on a Buell, but for mortals like us even wheelies aren’t easy, thanks to the engine’s inability to rev.4 out of 54

Comfortably under £8k, and innovative touches like rim-mounted brakes and a frame which doubles as anoil tank, it’s very good value.4 out of 54

MV AGUSTA BRUTALE S HHHHH

Available: NowColours: Red, blackInsurance group: 17 (of 17)Contact: Three CrossMotorcycles, 01202-823344

TECHNICAL SPEC

COST: £10,500POWER: 108bhpTORQUE: 51ftlbWEIGHT: 189kg

Engine: Liquid-cooled, 749cc (73.8mm x 43.8mm), 16v four-stroke, in-line-four. Chassis: Tubular steel trellis frame. Marzocchi 49mm upside-down fully adjustable forks, Sachs Racing single rear fully adjustable shock. 2 x Nissin 310mm front discs with six-piston calipers, 210mm rear disc with four-piston caliper. Tyres: 120/70 x 17 front, 190/50 x 17 rear


4 Gorgeous styling and performance to match8 Too cramped for taller riders, lacks low-down stomp

APRILIA TUONO HHHHI

Available: NowColours: Silver, red, blackInsurance group: 15 (of 17)Contact: Aprilia, 0161-4751800

TECHNICAL SPEC

COST: £7648POWER: 112bhpTORQUE: 70ftlbWEIGHT 191kg

Engine: Liquid-cooled, 997cc (97mm x 67.5mm), 8v four-stroke, 60° V-twin. Chassis: Aluminium twin spar frame. Showa 43mm upside-down fully adjustable forks, Showasingle rear fully adjustable shock. 2 x 320mm Brembo front discs with four-piston radial calipers, 220mm rear disc with twin-piston caliper. Tyres: 120/70 x 17 front, 180/55 x 17 rear


4 Superbike power and handling8 Power may be too much for less experienced riders

KAWASAKI Z1000HHHII

Available: NowColours: Green, silver, black, redInsurance group: 15 (of 17)Contact: Kawasaki, 01628-856600

TECHNICAL SPEC


Engine: Liquid-cooled, 953cc (77.2mm x 50.9mm), 16v four-stroke, in-line-four. Chassis: Steel spine frame. 41mm upside-down forks, adjustable for pre-load and rebound damping, single rear shock adjustable for pre-load and rebound damping. 2 x 300mm front discs with four-piston calipers, 220mm rear disc with single-piston caliper. Tyres: 120/70 x 17 front, 190/50 x 17 rear


4 Very user-friendly8 Lacks hardcore attitude of the opposition

BUELL XB-12S LIGHTNINGHHHHI

Available: NowColours: Silver, red, blackInsurance group: 15 (of 17)Contact: Buell, 01293-85233

TECHNICAL SPEC


Engine: Air-cooled, 1203cc (88.9mm x 96.8mm), 4v four-stroke, 45° V-twin. Chassis: Aluminium twin spar frame. 43mm upside-down fully adjustable forks, single rear fully adjustable shock. 375mm rim-mounted front disc with six-piston caliper, 240mm rear disc with single-piston caliper. Tyres: 120/70 x 17 front, 180/55 x 17 rear

TOP SPEED: 135mphSS 1/4 MILE: 12.2s @ 113mph0-60mph: 3.5sec0-100mph: 7.5sec

4 Loads of grunt and GP-bike flickable8 Revs run out too quickly,heavy gearbox

Documents

TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE BENELLI T T TM 990 SUPER DU E DU TI MONSTER S4R … · 2005-04-20 · DUCATI S4R. 26 | MOTOR CYCLE NEWS MARCH 16, 2005 suspension (including ride height) and