THE TEST - Ducati UpNorth

THE
TEST
The boys were
fascinated by
the new Beetle.
‘It’s not as big
as I’d expected’
THE BIKE TEST VERDICT
TORNADO
749S
RSV-R
999
Engine
You need to love the
gearbox and ignore
the rattles.Then it all
makes sense.
Engine
Fun and responsive but
requires nifty footwork
to keep with the biggerengined
bikes.
Engine
Best here for so many
reasons. Overtakes are
so easy and the gearbox
is supreme.
Engine
Outgrunts them all but
ratios don’t work as well
as the Aprilia’s. 749 unit
is sweeter.
Chassis
Talkative and precise.
Handles the power well.
Chassis
As precise as a jeweller’s
watch.
Chassis
Steady, sure and
unflappable.
Chassis
Not quite in the
749 league.
Invisible
straightjackets
are the latest
fad for trackday
fashionistas
Suspension
Gives no cause for concern.
Worked the tyres on the
track, though.
Brakes
Lacked a bit of feel
when first applied but
performed well.
Suspension
Excellent most of the time.
Foxed mostly on the
rougher B roads.
Brakes
Well matched to the
power and attitude
of this race-bred bike.
Suspension
Harsh over the bumpy
B roads but well suited
to the track.
Brakes
The power, feel and
all the glory. Never
a moment’s worry.
Suspension
Not the same feedback of
the smaller bike but good
in the wet.
Brakes
As grabby as a spoilt kid
when hot.Whizz loudly,
which is nice.
Fairing
Nice styling but does
nothing to keep the
weather off you.
Fairing
Really only there so they
can plaster it in stickers
for racing.
Fairing
Slightly more protective
than the Ducatis’ with
a better screen.
Fairing
Same as the 749, with
the same tiny screen and
very slim profile.
Comfort
On a par with sanding
your flesh with 80-grade
wet’n’dry.
Comfort
Definitely not the Ritz.
Slightly better than the
Benelli.
Comfort
Best here but not up for
long tours. Padding is fairly
thin on the seat.
Comfort
If miles give you piles, then
this needs to be dropped
in a vat of Preparation H.
PERFORMANCE TEST
Sometimes I’d swap all this glamour of testing for a
badge with four-stars and a red-and-yellow clown for a
boss. Conditions for the performance test were grim.
The worst they get. Standing water, driving rain and an
evil headwind. It was more about survival than shaving
tenths and the figures suffered as a result. Sorry.
The four tests are:
Top speed measured on a two-mile runway.
Acceleration through the gears and rolling on from
60mph in fifth gear (fourth on a five-speed gearbox).
Braking from 100mph.
Lapping the Bruntingthorpe handling circuit.
DYNO TEST
Dyno graphs explained
First things first. If you’re expecting the initial explosion
that the old RSV-R had, you’ll be left wanting. In the
midrange stakes, the 999 is the new king, having a
huge dollop of the stuff on tap after about 4000rpm.
Battling for third place are the 749S and the
Tornado. It’s only when the coals get really hot that the
Benelli edges ahead and this isn’t until there’s more
than 9000rpm on the dial. Still, it gives the high revving
Benelli the edge as it goes on till nearly 12,000rpm.
The torque graph shows just how much midrange
grunt the 999 has. Unfortunately, it fails to capitalise
on this in acceleration terms unless you start talking
roll-ons in fifth gear.
Fastest lap
0-60mph
0-100mph
60-100 (fifth gear)
Top speed
Braking 100-0mph
Comments:
Power (bhp)
120
100
80
60
40
20
TORNADO
1m 32.9s
3.76s
7.70s
8.66s
139mph
5.14s (385ft)
Fairly comfortable despite
the conditions. Good feel
from the front Dunlop
and the lack of grabby
brakes help on this
smooth, if slow, lap.
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Tornado
109.7bhp @ 10,800rpm
57.9lb.ft @ 9400rpm
rpm (x1000)
749S
103.4bhp @ 10,500rpm
56.0lb.ft @ 8400rpm
749S
1m 32.3s
3.87s
8.10s
7.60s
141mph
5.23s (379ft)
With just over a hundred
horses, the 749S was
spinning down the
straight due to the
standing water. It broke,
10 miles into the test.
Torque (lb-ft)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
RSV-R
1m 30.6s
3.89s
7.62s
7.18s
151mph
5.17s (386ft)
Felt slow but the clock
says different.Top brakes
give excellent feedback
and that engine powers
it faster. Expect it to top
160mph in the dry.
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
RSV-R
117.0bhp @ 9800rpm
67.2lb.ft @ 8100rpm
rpm (x1000)
999
1m 30.4s
3.97s
8.25s
6.85s
148mph
5.60s (394ft)
Fastest and most
confident on these laps,
the 999 struggles slightly
due to wheelspin and the
brakes lack some bite.
999
115.1bhp @ 9600rpm
69.7lb.ft @ 7900rpm
For Sale:Aprilia
RSV-R, low
miles, tastefully
modifed by
top designer
Donald
Rumsfeld did
not approve
this treatment
of crashers
Useability
Twist the throttle and
it goes. But not best for
town trips.
Finish
Worst here.
Overall
Fun in very small doses.
Useability
Stay away from towns and
rain. No storage anywhere
under the seats.
Finish
Average.
Overall
Pleasure and pain.
The best bike
How do you view this class?
If you want performance,
reliability, build quality and
want something that’ll
withstand a winter, then the
Aprilia RSV-R can be the only one to recommend.
Sure, for brief moments in time the Ducati 749S
is the best fun you can have – but for most of us
the fear of mechincal gremlins is too great a risk
to live with.
The Benelli frustrated until we took it to the
track. Here the emotion of the bike flooded out
and the feeling was second to none. It felt better
than the 749S. But the quality doesn’t spell
exotica – it was far too brittle to look this good
after a season of riding. And it sounded like it
was just a rev away from mechanical munching
from the first to the last mile of this test. That’s
just too rich for our blood.
And the 999? It looked as though it’d fly
through our test without any problems – but
Useability
It’s a sportsbike with little
storage.Wins as it’s not
as bad as the others.
Finish
Japanese level.
Overall
It’s a reliable grower.
Useability
Nowhere to put a lock –
and stay away from towns
and U-turns.
Finish
Average.
Overall
Should be more special.
then they came. They were minor, but no
speedo and crap mirrors are your ticket to HMP
Nofreedom. It could easily leave you by the side
of the road. And our bikes are prepared especially
for these tests.
The best buy
This is a hell of a lot clearer. It’s the Aprilia RSV-R.
The most reliable, powerful, fastest bike here
costs the least (even the more expensive Factory
model wouldn’t look out of place here). If it was
our money, there’d be no other place for it.
The two Ducatis will fight among themselves
come resale time – and it gets confusing with all
the different models out there. Would you buy
either one when it’s out of warranty?
Which leaves the Benelli. Exclusivity never
comes cheap and the Tornado certainly keeps
that side up. Nearly ten big ones gets you
something a bit different, dubious quality and an
air of mystery. But you’ll still struggle to keep that
half-the-price Honda CBR600 behind you.
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