GIRO DAY

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‘The burbling from the collector box as unburned fuel ignites on the overrun is pure Group B rally car’ The new R1, pictured here in its natural habitat, under a TT winner ‘Are you that John McGuinness?’ Yep, they’ll outrun a Piaggio MP3 conventional, and feels like an evolution of previous inline four litre sportsbikes,” says McAvoy. “The R1 and the Ducati are doing something different mechanically, and have a more contemporary riding sports riding position.” The BMW is noisy, too, with a lot of chain whine and howling inline four exhaust note. It sounds harsh against the musical purr of the Yamaha and the basso profondo of the Ducati – but the burbling from the collector box as unburned fuel ignites on the overrun is pure Group B rally car. As the big hand moves past midday, I realise that although the S1000RR doesn’t ignite quite the same intensity of seething passion as the Yam (and we’re talking fractions of a degree of trouser arousal), it’s a much better road bike. The engine is more tractable, with a bigger shunt off the bottom end and up to 7000rpm, the riding position is roomier, the fairing and screen are taller and keep more wind off, the handling is steadier and the motor is less inclined to land you laughing maniacally in front of a magistrate. It’s also a lot less thirsty; both the R1 and the Ducati are perfectly capable of sucking petrol away at 25mpg on the road while the BM does nearer 40mpg for the same pace. It means the Beemer gets close to 150 miles on a tank while the other two are under 100. That’s a big difference – sod the money, it’s an extra pit stop even on a short run. Ducati time. The 1299 Panigale S is basically a big-bored 1199 Panigale, with enhanced electronics and, on the S model, semi-active suspension. Technically, to wrest this much power from a 90° V-twin without having to throw crankcases, gearboxes and internals at it with WSB regularity, is astonishing. Even more astonishing is how much difference there is between this 54 PERFORMANCEBIKES.CO.UK | JUNE 2015
THE RUTTER TEST / S1000RR v R1 v 1299 S bike and its predecessor. The 1199 was a bastard of a handful at speed, especially away from a racetrack where bumps, cat’s eyes, potholes and white lines would blur the rider’s vision like sitting on a supercharged Kango hammer. It had plenty of performance, but the trick was getting to use it. Even quality ex-international racers struggled on track to match the lap times other bikes could comfortably set. On the road, you couldn’t take the bike anywhere near full potential because it’d leap about like a beached mackerel trying to climb back into the sea. The 1299 takes that zone of extreme behaviour and pushes it 30mph further away, then smoothes out the rest of the ride as if Claudio Domenicali himself is ironing out the wrinkles in the road before you get to them. The engine feels more managed than the 1199; softer edges to the combustion blows, less driveline chatter, greater rev range flexibility and more forgiving suspension. Where the old bike would charge headlong, bars flapping and suspension bucking, the 1299 dips its tail and gets on with going fast. All three bikes are physical at speed. The R1 spends so much time with its front wheel hovering serenely a few inches off the ground you sometimes forget and only realise when you go to steer it and you can’t. The BMW, physically larger than the R1, takes more muscle to thread it down a country road. And the Ducati has the most chassis movement, moving about beneath as if to remind you how fast you’re travelling. Neither is better nor worse; just different flavours of fantastical. Even the 1299’s riding position feels different from the 1199 (although it’s apparently almost identical; the fairing nose is wider, screen taller and seat is comfier). It all adds up to a serious degree of usability; the 1299 Panigale S is a Ducati with manners even a committed four-cylinder fan can appreciate. This morning I was convinced I need an R1 in my life, by midday the BMW was the only bike for me... but now, as the shadows lengthen, it’s the Panigale I can see in my garage. As the day draws to a close, we cruise back to the PB office. At a leisurely pace, the BMW shines with its competence and user-friendliness – until I jump back on the Ducati and it becomes my favourite again, with its lumping great character. Then I finish on the R1 and decide no, that’s the engine I’ll be dreaming about tonight. Hop on then, I’ll go easy ‘So I grabbed it by the hips and...’ Fast crest = S1000RR launchpad Öhlins EC suspension is a real leap forward JUNE 2015 | PERFORMANCEBIKES.CO.UK 55
Page 1 and 2: GIRO DAY Fancy a bike to do the Mot
Page 3 and 4: ‘I’VE FINISHED FOURTH OVERALL I
Page 5 and 6: Q Pure Ducati: Desmo valve gear, ta
Page 7 and 8: ‘FOR A BIKE MADE IN THE MID-’50
Page 9 and 10: Q Comfy position and torquey engine
Page 11 and 12: ‘IT’S COMFORTABLE AND FAIRLY TO
Page 13 and 14: THE RUTTER TEST / S1000RR v R1 v 12
Page 15: THE RUTTER TEST / S1000RR v R1 v 12
Page 19 and 20: Kawasaki ZZ-R1100D Go far and fast
Page 21 and 22: Not the quickest around bends but m

GIRO DAY

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