GIRO DAY

ON THE ROAD
WE’LL TAKE THE RED ONE
Each of these bikes lights our fires in different ways...
THE SUN IS setting, so
we park up to pick a
winner. It’s impossible
of course. Unlike lap
times, dynos and top
speeds, on the road with bikes
like the R1, S1000RR and
Panigale there are no empirical
absolutes. It’s all about opinions
and preferences.
Obviously all three operate at
a stratospheric level of
performance, with handling and
electronics to match. if you’ve
got the money all three of these
bikes unlock an amazing world.
But within that there are
differences and the bikes have
slightly different strengths and
weaknesses. It’s all about what
you want from a bike. So...
IF YOU WANT TO
FEEL LIKE A RACER
The R1 is the race bike of the
bunch; the lightest-feeling
and the most aggressive. You’d
choose it if you wanted to live
on a track and replicate the
feats of Rossi and Lorenzo.
But the engine is perfectly
atuned to road riding, too, and
the handling is brilliant. It’s as
good as Japan gets in 2015.
IF YOU WANT TO
FEEL AMAZED
And amazing, the Ducati is
the best-looking, surprisingly
civilised but still boomingly
domineering. It’s a highly
visible, swaggering statement of
speed – but now packaged with
more finesse, and genuinely fun
instead of terrifying. But it is a
huge amount of money – even
the base model is £17k and this
S model is almost £21k.
IF YOU WANT THE
MOST COMPLETE BIKE
The S1000RR is the most
refined and civilised, with the
most concessions to the niceties
of life. It has huge power, great
handling and an easy-to-expolit
manner than makes you get the
most of of it soonest.
But it’s also the least
engaging, emotionally – the one
motorcycle here that stirs the
soul slightly less.
But, ultimately, Michael
Rutter, John McAvoy and I all
agree. We’d have the red one...
SECOND OPINIONS WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE AS A ROAD BIKE?
“THE DUCATI IS
your Ferrari on two
wheels; a show
machine. I love the
noise and the looks, but it hasn’t
quite got the performance edge
over the Yamaha.
The BMW is a go-anywhere,
do anything bike, and I’d buy one
if I was planning on doing many
miles. And you could do a lot on
it and not have a problem or
complaint.
“But the R1 is a race bike. It’s
so exciting to ride; it makes your
heart beat faster and you push it
that little bit harder as a result.
You get a real rush from caning
it. You just want to ride it again
and again and the engine is
really, really special. It feels like
it’s worth £15,000 just for that.
“If I had to chose right now
which one to have, it’d definitely
be the R1. It’s a bit of fun, the
engine is incredible. The R1 isn’t
a bike you’d ever get bored of.”
Michael Rutter
“FOR ME, THE
Yamaha is trying a
little bit too hard. It’s
basically Yamaha
catching up with what Ducati and
BMW (and Aprilia) are already
doing. It hasn’t got anything they
haven’t, apart from the
crossplane engine.
“The look and the finish is a bit
rushed, too. It doesn’t look like a
£15,000 motorbike. The Ducati
definitely lets you know where
the money went. It’s pure theatre
– all about the show. Plenty of
go, too, of course, and it’s much
easier to use than the 1199
Panigale. A much nicer bike on
the road.
“I’d have the Ducati as a road
bike. It’s just... silly. Theatre,
noise, riding position. I’d have the
base model, though, without the
fancy suspension; I don’t see the
point for the money. You can do
a huge amount of trackday with
the money you’d save...”
John McAvoy