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
Kawasaki ZZ-R1100D Go far and fast with Kawasaki’s 175mph ZZ-R1100 WE WANT IT WORDS CHRIS NEWBIGGING PHOTOGRAPHY JASON CRITCHELL Chris tests the ZZ-R’s aerodynamic efficiency 70
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