All Duels – Duel Ducati 899 Panigale Vs Kawasaki ZX-6R 636: off to the track! – On the road to the Ecuyers circuit

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Duel Ducati 899 Panigale Vs Kawasaki ZX-6R 636: off to the track !

All Duels - Duel Ducati 899 Panigale Vs Kawasaki ZX-6R 636: off to the track! - On (auto) road for the Ecuyers circuit

In the – stricken – segment of mid-capacity sports motorcycles, the last two innovations have appeared at Ducati and Kawasaki. They highlight their versatility and it was therefore logical that MNC opposes these 899 Panigale and ZX-6R 636. Duel.

On the road to the Ecuyers circuit

Diving for a quarter of an hour in the heavy traffic of the capital – and in a fine rain – the Ducati experiences its first hot flashes. While the outside temperature – informed by the on-board computer – is limited to 22 ° C, that of the driver’s right thigh soars.

The pot of the Panigale is in fact curled up just below the rider’s seat before descending under the engine and, unfortunately, its thermal protection does not absorb all the calories, far from it. The same goes for the rear cylinder covers.

The observation made at the end of the previous page is therefore confirmed over the first few kilometers: MNC feels more comfortable on the Kawasaki. It is all the more so since the Akrapovic pot of the 636 is paradoxically much less noisy than the small original "silencer" of the 899 !

Rowdy is arguably the most appropriate qualifier to define the tone of the little one – really ?! – Panigale. Better not to start your motorbike in your yard in the morning – rather push it on a few numbers in its street! – so as not to be hated by your neighbors, roommates or your own family…

The Ducati tries to catch up with its pilot – and its pilot only – by offering two levers adjustable in spacing. The latter actually allow to adapt to very small handcuffs as to large bear paws, while on the Kawasaki, the brake lever alone is adjustable..

On the 899, assure the Italians, "the clutch has been designed to provide smooth acceleration and increased load on the plates without making it harder for the rider to press the pedal (the lever rather, Editor’s note!)and disengage"…

Unfortunately, the left control of the Panigale is still too hard to face traffic jams. That of the Kawasaki in comparison is much less tiring. Even if you can’t drop your lever impeccably under the knuckles, you prefer to handle the Kawasaki.

Thanks to the Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) fitted as standard on the 899, the driver of the Rouge can however spare his left hand when upshifting. To lower them, however, it is imperative to use the lever: the "DQS up / down" device is reserved for the 1299.

If the Panigale requires a strong and enduring left hand from its driver, it requires a delicate and precise right hand. Ducati recalls that "the ride by wire allows to have different powers and distributions according to the selected Riding Mode (Riding Modes), but also to manage the engine brake (EBC) occasionally, and also contributes to the control of the slip of the rear wheel (DTC)".

On the handlebars, the "cable-free" accelerator system above all makes the right grip very easy to pivot … almost too much! At the beginning, the gas shots given to enter a report seem to be mistaken for sharp remonstrances addressed to other users … who suddenly move away, frightened by the noise of the motorcycle !

Still in town, do not overload the Superquadro when you go up a gear to the shifter in low or mid-revs: this limits jerks. Perfectly controlling his interventions on the right handle of the Ducati therefore requires a little practice, especially for the biker accustomed to good old carburetor engines. !

In this sense, the Kawasaki is easier to handle. Especially since the right lever – that of the brake, as a reminder! – is also less "hypersensitive" on the Japanese than on the Italian: less biting than the Brembo calipers, the Nissins are a little more dosable and then do not lack power.

The rear brake attack is a little weak on the Kawasaki, but it is even more so on the Ducati. Conversely and unsurprisingly, the engine brake is much more pronounced on the Italian, but it can be reduced by selecting modes 2 or 3 of the EBC (disconnectable, set to 1 by default).

Too long on the 848, the gear ratio has been shortened on the 899 Panigale: starting and walking at low speed are therefore simplified. The new "Supersport" Ducati even accepts to drive at 50 km / h in 6th gear (2500 rpm), while its predecessor was unable to do so (it jerked at 2000 rpm).

The Superquadro naturally does not reach the extreme creaminess of the Japanese 4-in-line. It descends without flinching to idle regardless of the gear engaged and leaves just as obediently. But for a twin-cylinder – very – sporty, the 899 defends itself very well.

At idle, the beats of the two big Bolognese pistons are sensitive in the handlebars and visible in the mirrors, but are not penalizing. On the contrary, they bring an extra soul to this Italian motorcycle which was already not lacking !

Extremely light and equipped with the same – satisfying – turning radius, the two sport bikes easily take pole position at each red light. We appreciate in passing that the mirrors do not slow down the progression, while ensuring a very good vision on the MP3s that try to follow…

On the 636, "modification of the caster angle, the height of the fork tubes and the steering column (compared to the ZX-6R "short", Editor’s note) contribute to an easier handling", assure the Greens.

Lively without being falling, the front of the Kawasaki is indeed very intuitive. At low speed, it is less resistant than that of the Ducati which is a little too braked in these conditions by the steering damper fitted as standard (and not adjustable).

Also too firm, the suspensions of the Ducati transmit to the pilot the slightest imperfections of the coating. Next, those of the Kawasaki are more gentle on the wrists and lower back. Easier to handle, the Ninja is also easier to live with.

The helpfulness of the Japanese motorcycle is reflected in the roundness of its engine, which prevents the driver from having to play too much with the gearbox. And that’s a good thing, because Akashi’s machine selection is a bit rougher than Bologna’s.

On the way to insert the eastern motorway (towards Beuvardes and its Ecuyers circuit), Site releases the two sports cars for the first time: the two motorcycles are in fourth gear and against all expectations, the Kawasaki 636 is on par with the Ducati 899 on the first few meters.

It was only when the pilot of the Panigale saw – badly … – the 5500 rpm bar light up on his tachometer that he gained the upper hand over his rival. But this first confrontation turns short: MNC prefers to give up the gas so as not – too much – to exceed the regulatory 90 km / h of this start of A4…

Stalled in 6th gear at 100 km / h counter, the Ducati makes its engine purr at exactly 4000 rpm. At this speed and rpm, the thundering sound of the silencer becomes a more diffuse and bearable hum. Also good surprise: no vibration numbs the hands or feet.

To follow the 899, the 636 must reel at 5500 rpm and it shows: on the Kawasaki, it is at this precise moment that the first thrills appear in the handlebars. Past 7000 rev / min (approximately 130 km / h), the crackles gain the saddle and the footrests.

If a good pair of trail boots helps prevent tingling, leather suits and "recingue" gloves do not filter anything. After only 70 km of motorway, we come to regret the hard but immobile saddle of the Ducati and its wide handlebars. Who would’ve believed that ?!

The original screen installed on the Panigale allows the helmet to be completely isolated from the eddies, on condition of course to put his left forearm on the tank and to wedge his chin there … On "our" Ninja, the Double curvature bubble from the Performance pack disappoints because it does not protect much more.

Shoulders in the wind therefore, Site wonders why the sporty – road – Kawasaki does not receive an adjustable screen that would significantly improve comfort (high position), without distorting the look of the beast when stationary (low position), the everything for a weight gain and an undoubtedly acceptable additional cost…

Suddenly, MNC is drawn from these reflections by the Ducati: its reserve indicator has just come on, automatically initiating a third partial trip kilometer. The pilot of the Panigale sketches a small smile of relief, because he will be able to relax his legs while that of the Ninja can coat himself with anti-ants..

On average on the road – in town and on the motorway – the Ducati consumed 6.3 l / 100 km while we were driving and the Kawasaki 5.7. Considering these consumptions, the theoretical maximum autonomy is therefore limited to 270 km on the Panigale, while it reaches 308 km on the ZX-6R.

The gap widens on the track, where the Bologna twin engulfed 15.5 liters to cover 167 km while Akashi’s 4-cylinder was content with 12.5 liters. Did the Kawasaki turn much slower than the Ducati so far? This is what we will see on the next page !

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