All Comparisons – Comparison test Tuono V4RR Vs GSX-S1000 Vs MT-10: 1000 fires! – Tuono V4RR, GSX-S1000 or MT-10?

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Comparative test Tuono V4RR Vs GSX-S1000 Vs MT-10: 1000 fires !

All Comparisons - Comparison test Tuono V4RR Vs GSX-S1000 Vs MT-10: 1000 fires! - Tuono V4RR, GSX-S1000 or MT-10?

Launched this year by Yamaha, the MT-10 intends to shine in the 1000 cc roadsters category. To assess its capabilities, Site compared it to the best Japanese, the Suzuki GSX-S1000, and the all-powerful Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 RR.. Comparo.

Tuono V4RR, GSX-S1000 or MT-10 ?

Last year, in French version (106 hp), the in-line 4-cylinder of the GSX-S1000 was awarded the title opposite those of the CB1000R and Z1000. The FZ1, of which only a few copies were still in concession, had not competed…

In 2016, the end of the clamping and the arrival of the MT-10 turned everything upside down: the Yamaha roadster largely dominates the previous champion! Between 2500 and 6000 rev / min especially, the famous 4-cylinder "Crossplane" is better filled and hits much harder than the Suzuki block.

In order not to be left behind at each exit of town or turn, the GSX-S1000 must accelerate the movement … of its crankshaft. After around 7000 rev / min, the "Gexesse" takes its breath, which also becomes more hoarse and captivating. 4-cylinder "Screamer" enthusiasts will appreciate.

The Suzuki’s slightly longer gear ratio on intermediate gears works against it dynamically (much less in terms of consumption, we will come back to this): at 50 km / h in third gear, the GSX-S purrs at 2750 rpm against 3250 for Aprilia and 3200 for Yamaha.

Praised for its solid recoveries in the first half of the tachometer, the engine of the "Gex K5" would seem sharp today. Announced less powerful in the turns than the Yamaha, the Suzuki finally has an excellent extension which allows it to stay in the wake of the Yamaha … but never to go back on it..

The Tuono V4 1100 RR, on the other hand, is untouchable: from 3000 rpm, the Aprilia set in Track mode is as responsive as the Yamaha set in mode B (also the most nervous mode), then widens a gap by approaching mid-regimes. The gain of 71 cc is not a simple inflator !

Pushed to high revs, the thunderous 1100 cc V4 increases its lead over the two Japanese 1000 cc 4-cylinders which growls – as far as Yamaha’s "CP4" is concerned – and howls – as for the Suzuki, because of its 180 ° setting – of despair !

Graduated up to 15,000 rpm, the tachometer of the RSV4 Tuono encourages the pilot to pull the engine at length. Fortunately, the "shiftlight" warns 4000 revs lower than upshift can – must! – be engaged, via the "quickshift" with a delectable sound.

Just as exhilarating, the fact of feeling the front wheel leave the ground on the first three gears at full load this time invites the pilot to move forward as much as possible on his machine. Nothing could be easier: the driving position (!) Of the Tuono is reminiscent of a Superbike…

It is on the Italian that the footrests are highest and furthest, naturally tilting the rider towards the wide handlebars: 805 mm measured by Site, against 790 on the MT and 770 on the GSX-S. The hands, on the other hand, are not too wide apart: 495 mm on the Aprilia, 500 on the Yam ‘and 485 on the Suz’.

A bit less efficient than the Tuono V4 1100 RR in terms of pickups, the MT-10 is no less impressive: its riquiqui wheelbase (6 cm less than the GSX-S1000 in particular!) And the more upright position of the driver facilitate the rear wheels, unintentional at first.

After a few kilometers, in fact, we have fun offloading the front wheel: no need to step back on the saddle or pull on the handlebars: a good ladle of gas – even in A mode, supposed to be softer than the standard ?! – before a slight slope or at the top of a small bump is enough !

Radiant Yamaha

The Suzuki also exudes great sensations when accelerating, but is more docile than its two rivals: riveted to the ground, the "Gexesse" will further reassure motorcyclists accustomed to medium-displacement or large cubes flanged to 106 horsepower.

It is no coincidence that the Aprilia and the Yamaha are equipped with a steering damper while the Suzuki does not. We observe in passing that at very low speed, the steering of the Tuono is a little less light than those of the two Japanese.

In the bends of small departmental roads, the compact MT-10 is the most agile. Aided by a handlebars placed a little higher than on the other two roadsters, its pilot dives more easily and faster towards the rope, then changes direction more quickly if necessary.

Also progressive when setting on the angle, the GSX-S1000 is not as maneuverable as its compatriot. But it is the Tuono V4 1100 RR that requires the most commitment to turn from one angle to another. A little more physical certainly, the Italian on the other hand offers greater mobility…

The narrowness of the V4 allowed Aprilia to design a thin tank which facilitates swaying. Higher and concave, its sides allow the pilot to firmly wedge his thighs. The Yamaha tank is much less pleasant: wider than that of the Suzuki at the level of the crotch, it is lined with raw plastic parts that can interfere with the biggest.

On the condition of moving a minimum on his motorcycle, the Tuono rider manages without difficulty to follow the rhythm of his two comrades in the winding, especially as he covers the stretches more quickly between each turn! Then, when the horizon clears, it’s up to him to lead the dance.

The Italian roadster indeed delights in the more open curves of our national roads. The rider fits perfectly with his machine and benefits from precise and reassuring feedback from the Sachs suspensions which work as well on flat as bumpy roads..

There is hardly that on the – very – big braking on the angle that Site finds fault with: the Tuono has a slight tendency to freeze on its front axle, slightly refusing the obstacle. Absent on the Yam ‘and a little less present on the Suz’, this phenomenon does not however call into question the extreme precision of the Aprilia, its reactions being perfectly predictable..

At the start of the ride, the front of the Yamaha surprised us more: it was much more restless on a wrinkled surface than during our ride, and offered less cushioning on big bumps, speed bumps and cobbles….

A quick look at the settings of the Kayaba fork – different settings on each sheath (!) And too closed, have colleagues set a trap for us? – then a few turns of the screw allowed us to correct the situation, but not to reach the excellent compromise of Aprilia.

The Suzuki, for its part, confirmed the very appreciable sport-comfort compromise which had greatly contributed to its coronation during the. Faced with an admirably suspended Tuono V4 1100 RR, however, the GSX-S1000 was forced to bow.

Able to stay in the wheel of its adversaries, even led at high speed, the Suzuki gives up the weapons in the exits of beautiful turns. In this configuration, the Tuono and the MT-10 allow the box of their 175 and 160 nags to be opened wide, while the GSX-S must retain its 145 horsepower because of a rear axle a little too undulating..

On the other hand, exits from less well-surfaced turns will give the advantage to the Aprilia and Suzuki … In these conditions, the Yamaha, which is a little too "firm" from the rear, is struggling to transmit all its power to the ground. The rider hops on his saddle unfortunately harder than the shock absorber.

However, let us recognize that the limits of the Japanese in terms of suspensions will be crossed much less quickly than the limits of the highway code in terms of speed on open road … Let us therefore consider that on the circuit, the Suz ‘and the Yam’ will have difficulty to beat Aprilia !

Stunning Aprilia

But on the track as on the road, the Tuono V4 1100 RR also imposes itself on braking thanks to its equipment worthy of a sports car, even if it does not benefit from the M50 calipers which equip the RSV4, the Panigale or the last one. .

The force required from the lever ensures the pilot a very precise dosage in all circumstances, whether he tries a trapper’s braking at the end of a long straight line or he is surprised at a much more moderate pace by a pedestrian venturing out. on a zebra crossing without consulting his "Chtraversoupa" app.

The GSX-S1000 requires a little more grip from its user to benefit from all the power – amply sufficient – of its front brake, but has the best rear brake of the band: less hard than on Aprilia and less soft than on the Yamaha !

On the MT-10 precisely, the dosage of the front brake is a little less obvious than on the controls of the Tuono V4 1100 RR, because of its feel of the lever a hint more spongy. It requires a little more restraint at the very beginning, then in case of the unexpected.

MNC has only a small criticism to make about the Aprilia during very late braking requiring disaster downshifts: the work of the anti-dribble device of the Italian is not as discreet as that of the Yamaha. Jolts in the left lever are noticeable.

We also feel slight crackling in the two levers of the Tuono … on the highway! Ants can invade the fingers resting on it, but to get rid of them, it is enough to close the knuckles against the handles, the rest of the handlebars not vibrating, just like the rest of the motorcycle.

On the GSX-S1000, vibrations appear in the footrests at around 110 km / h and rise in the saddle at around 130 km / h when the 4-cylinder reaches 6,000 revolutions in 6th gear (approximately 1,000 more than with the two opponents of the day). The MT-10, for its part, is completely free from thrills.

In terms of protection against the wind, the Aprilia wind break wins the day by allowing the pilot to relieve his neck … provided he lands on the tank of his beast. Less tall, the model – also standard – of the Yamaha protects the shoulders a little better, but the head less well. Finally, the Suzuki brings up the rear with its smoked accessory.

In terms of long distance, Yamaha puts forward solid arguments in favor of its MT-10: the 12V socket allows you to connect a GPS and its regulator, tested and approved by MNC, avoids being stupidly trapped by a radar !

Unfortunately for him, the Iwata roadster also suffers from a big defect: its original saddle is far too hard … After only fifty kilometers, the pilot begins to waddle on his motorcycle and ‘wait for one thing: to leave the fast lane !

The Suzuki is more welcoming but against all expectations, the Aprilia offers the best seat: wide, flat and suitably padded, the Tuono saddle is much more comfortable than that of the MT-10! Who would’ve believed that ? And who will believe us ?

In town, however, MNC struggles to separate Aprilia and Yamaha, whose "boilers" diffuse an excessive amount of heat! Hamamatsu’s engine is shown to be much more bearable, even in the midst of traffic jams. He is also very civilized…

Of the three 4-cylinders, the Suzuki engine is undoubtedly the most flexible since it accepts to set off again on idle in 6th! In comparison, the Yamaha one does not like going below 2000 rpm even in 4th gear, while the Aprilia one sets its own limit at 2500 rpm..

Note on occasion that our test MT-10 was smoother than the model tested during: in A mode as standard, the recoveries on a trickle of gas were straightforward but not brutal. Far too reactive, mode B should only be drawn on deserted and (re) known roads, or even on circuit only.

Brilliant Suzuki

The engine of our GSX-S1000 on the other hand was faithful to: the injection Suz ‘is not as finely calibrated as that of the Tuono. Jolts are sensitive to cutting and go-around and can interfere with driving, especially in roundabouts, in full curves, during maneuvers … or in duo !

On this last point, Aprilia again amazed MNC: of the three maxiroadsters here, the most "sporty" is also the most suitable for two-man driving! Unlike the Yamaha, its ridiculously high rear footrests and its too hard monobloc saddle, the Aprilia reserves a nice welcome to the "co-pilot".

We especially congratulate the engineers of Noale for having succeeded in providing their Tuono with handles that are both aesthetic and ergonomic. One hand resting on the – top – tank, another pressed into the clever notch: the passenger is firmly on the motorcycle. And he rather better !

In front, however, the pilot encountered three problems in town: he had to deal with a large turning radius (6.6 m measured by MNC against 6 m for the Suz ‘and 6.06 (!) For the Yam’) and go up the lines of cars without warning…

In addition, the biker perched on his Italian "begins to feel fatigue" at the wrists if the foray into the city center lasts more than ten minutes. Stops at traffic lights then turn into stretching sessions … The Yamaha rider, meanwhile, can always dream of a buttock massage. !

The risk of breaking your neck on the handlebars of these three motorcycles is greatly limited by their ABS and traction control, which we were able to briefly. The vast majority of this comparative test, however, took place in excellent conditions: the tires were bumpy. !

Most of the driving was done at reasonable speeds – and revs – in town and on expressways, but MNC admits having plentifully whipped the engines on small roads for a hundred kilometers. Average consumption therefore certainly exceeds that of future owners….

However, we note that the 4-cylinder of the GSX-S1000 is by far the most sober: its 6.3 l / 100 km theoretically allow it to approach 270 km of autonomy. The Tuono consumed one more liter, but takes advantage of its larger tank to exceed 250 km.

Finally, the Yamaha siphoned off an average of 7.5 l / 100 km. She was also always the first to fall on the reserve! Given its speed, the Journal moto du Net could not hope to cover more than 230 km in one go on its handlebars..

This weak point is added to that of the too uncomfortable saddle which also limits the range of action of the MT-10 and its pilot. More subjective, the choice of the look "Transformers" also risks to slow down the motorcyclist legitimately seduced by the bewitching Crossplane, the diabolical agility of this 1000 cc and its hyper complete equipment…

For Site, the GSX-S1000 loses its title of best Japanese maxiroadster: still as strong and bumpy, its 4-cylinder is beaten by the "CP4"! The Suz ’tilts against the new MT, but keeps its city / road versatility and its well-placed price (which will be even more so when the Yam’ goes to 13,500 €).

Finally, the Site testers did well to invite the Aprilia: an excellent surprise, the Tuono V4 RR shone with 1,100 lights thanks to its impressive V4, its excellent behavior on all types of road and its unexpected comfort, including a possible passenger !

Winner of this new MNC comparo, the Italian will have to learn to pass two "painful": the invoice and its brand image … For the first, the trick consists – perhaps – in calculating the price / horse: 83.71 € for the Aprilia against 86.21 for the Suz ‘and 82.50 for the Yam’ !

For the second, however, the work of persuasion promises to be more difficult: even if Aprilia promises that the chaotic debut of the RSV4 engine is a thing of the past, the mechanical noises of the V4 can make you tick. Same problem for after-sales service, supposed to be perfectly managed by the Piaggio group.

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