Comparison test Multistrada 950 Vs Africa Twin Vs V-Strom 1000: right on target
Since its release in January 2016, the Honda Africa Twin has met with a well-deserved success that arouses much envy: this year, Ducati opposes it to the unprecedented Multistrada 950 while Suzuki updates its V-Strom 1000… Site has therefore brought together these three 1000 cc trails for a new comparison.
Multistrada Vs Africa Vs V-Strom page 1: the other track…
Like the Yamaha Super Tenere 1200, Triumph Tiger Explorer, Ducati Multistrada 1200, KTM 1190 Adventure, Aprilia Caponord or Moto Guzzi Stelvio, the Honda Crosstourer 1200 broke the rims while trying to roll on the flowerbeds of the BMW R1200GS…
When it was released in 2012, a year placed under the sign of the maxitrail in the motorcycle world (read our), the "VFR1200X" from Tokyo had dominated the newcomers on the market but had not shaken the Munich reference.
Last year, another brand new Honda model again took second place in sales of – very – large trails in France, behind the unbeatable (?) GS: this is of course the Africa Twin 1000 ! But this "CRF1000L" has further shaken up the category.
In terms of volume in fact, the trail with twin 1000 cc in line and with the blatantly evocative name excited nearly 2,100 French bikers in 2016. Admittedly, the German "boxer" packed almost twice as much (4010 to be exact), but for once his main opponent did not lose by KO.
Smooth and voluntary engine, balanced and efficient cycle part, well placed price: the strengths identified by Site during its first test of the Africa Twin have clearly hit the mark and brilliantly launched the career of this "pleasant alternative to maxitrails" , the "real" maxitrails, the big ones, the 1200 and more…
Honda hits the nail on the head
Before Honda, however, the "thousand" niche had already been taken over by Kawasaki and BMW with the Versys 1000 and the S1000SX. But the very typical GT motorcycle from the first manufacturer and very sporty from the second did not have the same success in France as the descendant of the XRV650 and 750 !
Honda has skillfully capitalized on the memorable lineage of Africa Twin by launching its "3.0" model: on its official website, the Japanese number one even mentions its glorious NXR750 "designed to survive the harshness of the desert. In extreme temperatures that can drop below 0 ° C at night and climbing to 50 ° C during the day, it had to swallow kilometers of sand, rockery, tracks and savannah, even if the gasoline was contaminated by dust ".
However, "this endurance heritage of our Dakar champions is anchored in the new Africa Twin", guarantees the coat of arms. zealous wing ! In addition to the good points previously highlighted by MNC, the sporty and historical dimensions of the Honda (top) model have undoubtedly influenced buyers.
As proof, two years before Honda, Suzuki had already smelled the right track: that of a 1000 cc trail that would find its place by evolving between the maxitrails as powerful as they are impressive and expensive on the one hand, and on the other. medium-displacement trails (between 650 and 800 cc) less valiant but much more accessible in terms of physical and budgetary terms.
Suzuki wants its share of the desert…
To stand out in priority from the R1200GS and Tiger 800, the firm of Hamamatsu had brought out its V-Strom 1000 in 2014. Unfortunately for Suzuki, the success was too limited and short: 761 registrations in France the first year, followed 499 per second and 345 last year…
The convincing demonstration made by Honda in 2016, however, prompted his compatriot Suzuki to keep the "not-so-big" V-Strom in its catalog. At the same time, the arrival of the new Euro 4 standard has led engineers to review their copy for 2017.
Marketing and communication managers at Suzuki also took the opportunity to consolidate their sales pitch: "worthy heir to the Dakar DRs", evoke these "yellow devils", "the new V-Strom 1000 offers high level performance for free yourself from everyday life and go on an adventure ". Vast program … shared by our third bike !
Because Ducati also intends to hit the "mile" – despite a slightly lower displacement – with its Multistrada 950: while Honda dominates and Suzuki polishes, Ducati declines its maxisportif maxitrail! This new Italian model was still missing from Site’s hunting table … We therefore invited it to this new comparative test.
Ducati is not Dakar
The Bologna brand shines on tar tracks, mainly in MotoGP and World Superbike. Also his speech differs greatly from those of the two Japanese: Ducati wants to be more "down to earth" (hum) than its competitors and highlights the road skills of its new bike…
"The new Multistrada 950 is the smallest multi-use motorcycle from the Borgo Panigale factory, designed to bring all the sensations of a Multistrada to life in a more accessible and versatile way", underlines the Italian manufacturer who is keen to soften the image of the "Multi".
"Developed to offer excellent performance within everyone’s reach, the Multistrada 950 is ideal for those who wish to travel (sometimes even accompanied) as well as for those who want a flexible and fun motorcycle, perfect for everyday life", we promise to the other side of the Alps.
Does the Ducati Multistrada 950 meet these specifications? How does the Italian defend herself against (or how is she attacking ?!) the Japanese benchmark of 1000 cc trails, the Honda Africa Twin, and the other big Japanese novelty in 2017 in the sector, the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 Euro 4? Answer on the following pages in this new MNC comparative test !
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