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Middle class test comparison, Aprilia SL 750 Shiver, Kawasaki Z 750, KTM 690 Duke, Triumph Street Triple 675

Gaudimax: Naked Bikes

How many cylinders does a person need? There, where curve follows curve, the interplay of banking, acceleration and braking takes center stage. When it comes to maximum enjoyment, pure fun, pure dynamism. Four motorcycles, four engine concepts in search of an answer.

Everything has limits. Bigger is better does not apply unreservedly either. More displacement, more power and more cylinders do not automatically mean more driving pleasure. Sometimes handling is more important than performance. At the end of the day, when it comes to maximum fun while swinging around corners, is the best compromise needed: the finely composed blend of performance, weight, and handling? Shooting single? Turbine-like rotating row quad? Or is the answer somewhere in between?

Hissing, screeching, grumbling, rumbling, this is how the little ball of motorbikes rages over the pass road that eats its way up the mountain in bold turns. KTM 690 Duke, Aprilia SL 750 Shiver, Triumph Street Triple 675 and Kawasaki Z 750, a colorful bunch from one to four-cylinder, all representatives of the sporty middle class with a maximum of 750 cc. Arrived to clarify what the number of cylinders has to do with driving dynamics.

The upper end of the performance scale is marked by the 106 hp Triumph and Kawasaki, the lower end by the Austrian Ballermann with 65 hp. Sure, single cylinder. Huge pistons, huge valves, enormous moving masses. This sets limits in terms of turning ability and the search for performance.

Middle class test comparison

Gaudimax: Naked Bikes

KTM 690 Duke

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Single cylinder: KTM 690 Duke.

In terms of performance, the KTM lags behind the others. But be careful: It is fueled by the strongest approved series single of all time. Things get really exciting when you look at the scales. Between 30 and 72 kilograms in addition, the other three have to accelerate up the mountain and along the straight. In addition, the Duke is translated heartily for short.

Doesn’t that sound spectacular? But it has it all. Because the compact single pulls on the chain with incredible energy. Hangs directly and snappy on the gas and does not make a lot of fuss with the slim 160 kilos. Every corner exit is a feast, a quick turn of the whisk, vrrooap, a little joy to the front wheel, and the Duke clicks uphill.

The KTM only really blossoms in the second half of the rev range, but then goes off like a champagne cork thanks to the low centrifugal masses. When the going gets tough, to the point where other single cylinders have long been slaughtering valves and connecting rods and cremating their pistons. Turns up to over 8000 / min, pushes real 70 HP, the madness. Sensitive natures are likely to wince painfully at such escapades because of the mechanical background noise. In contrast, the vibrations remain within an acceptable range. Downside: The usable speed range is narrow. Below 3000 rpm there is only ungracious chopping on the chain, jerky concentricity, in short: no joy, especially not in switchbacks.

Maybe you can’t even seriously blame the engine for that, because it’s hardly possible to do otherwise with high-performance singles. After all, a stew ignites once every 720 degrees of crankshaft rotation, and a Four ignites four times in the same period. That is why a single cylinder normally needs a lot of centrifugal mass to hold still around the bottom, but this opposes high engine speeds. The KTM single, however, turns. And how.

If there is only a little flow in the curve sequences, the Duke blossoms enormously. She demands, cannot stand still, wants to turn, sprint, break up. Shortly translated gears require a smooth shifting foot. Others should puff their hulls. This is certainly not for everyone. But if you get involved, the KTM gives you a very special kick. And the thing below 3000 / min is forgotten.

Kawasaki Z 750

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Four-cylinder: Kawasaki Z 750.

The Kawasaki does not know anything of this kind. Double the number of cylinders again? even better manners. The Kawa foursome is a real flatterer. Already runs around just above idle and grumbles sonorous to itself. A cultivated four is top notch for relaxed curve surfing. He delivers his performance in a finely dosed manner and without underhand snares. And practically spans its usable speed range from idling to limiting. Another plus point of the Z: the fine throttle response. A real treat on narrow passes. If the going gets tough, the Z 750 wants to be properly onion. Because in order to stay on the heels of the others, you need speeds that the martial silencer accompanies with a real racing soundtrack.

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Aprilia SL 750 Shiver

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Two-cylinder: Aprilia SL 750 Shiver.

With twice the number of cylinders, runout is no longer an issue. At least not in the case of the Aprilia Shiver. The newly developed V2 can already be taken on the rope at the 2000 mark without jerking. What’s more, the 90-degree twin runs extremely cultivated and is almost as narrow as a single. And while the Duke has a lot to offer, just no hearty sound enjoyment, the Aprilia sounds downright full-bodied and bass-strong from the square mufflers.

Like the Duke equipped with a ride-by-wire system, i.e. throttle valves operated by a servomotor, the first Shivers had received strong criticism for the inharmonious action of the electronic throttle valve control. That is why the technicians have made significant improvements. With completely revised injection mapping ?? that owners of the first models can upgrade? should that be out of the world now. And since the revision, three injection programs can now even be called up from the handlebars. For direct sporty responses, gentle touristy or very reserved with reduced performance for driving in the rain.

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Triumph 675 Street Triple

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Three-cylinder: Triumph 675 Street Triple.

Triumph teaches the assembled rascals a lesson in terms of even, powerful performance development. The triplet growls bravely just above idle. Purring through the village in the large corridor? No problem. And at the exit of the town, turning the whisk is not followed by an asthmatic rattle, but rather powerful propulsion. The higher the speed, the more energetically the engine goes to work. It hangs posh on the gas, runs mechanically smooth with a small, well-measured shot of vibrations. And from middle positions at full throttle he roars his lust for turning unabashedly from the two stubbed mufflers. The sound and punch that Hinckley teases out is splendid. Tea triple turns higher than the three competitors and pulls through from the deepest depths of the speed partnerre without any problems. Tea three-cylinder seems to be the ideal compromise between pulling power, revving and a wide usable speed range. Of course there is no light without shadow. The almost uncomfortably hard load change reactions carve a few corners into the planned round line in turns.

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Chassis and comfort

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The KTM 690 Duke is ahead when it comes to a sprint out of a curve.

Only the Duke chassis withstands the burdens of highway booby with similar ease. Its WP spring elements are the only ones that are fully adjustable, including high and low-speed compression adjusters on the shock absorber. And are less comfortable than decidedly sporty and tight. Nothing coats, nothing wobbles, there’s no mistaking it when drilling into the corner with millimeter precision. Thanks to the handlebars as wide as the sail rod, the ideal line is aimed in no time at all. In addition, the KTM with its narrow tires is so handy that you pirouettes around the tin cans when overtaking and you have to be careful not to ram the handlebars into the ground while jiggling back and forth.

Alone, there is no earthy feeling for the front wheel when cornering, and the driver remains a little in the dark when turning hard on the brake, how far the limit is still away. Otherwise, however, the handy chassis merges with the lively stew into a first-class fun beast.

A good mood is also announced at Aprilia. The high, but casually relaxed seating position, the sonorous roaring twin and the light-footedness with which she waves over curved streets, the sun rises behind the wide aluminum handlebars despite the clear momentum of the Dunlop. And everything is in the green area. At least as long as you don’t fall into sporty cockiness. Then the Shiver, who was so relaxed until then, loses her composure a little.

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The sitting posture, which has just been praised as relaxed, is too inactive for robbing, the driver puts too little pressure on the front wheel, which then hardly provides any feedback about the state of grip. If the shock absorber does its job properly at the extended gallop, the fork that is too softly tuned mainly causes disharmony due to the lack of rebound damping. There is movement in the front, especially when the downright biting stoppers are briefly activated in an inclined position. In addition, with increasing test duration, the Shiver exhibited an uncomfortable, hard vibration of the fork even when braking.

The Kawasaki driver has even less reason to laugh at the sports lesson. The shock absorber has practically no rebound, the Dunlop Qualifier with its powerful erecting moment, the bravely moving Z 750 crumples and rocks not very elegantly thanks to its speed curves full of waves. Without constant corrective pressure on the handlebars, a clean line cannot be achieved. Neutrality is different. In addition, the Kawa is the most unwieldy in the field. And in front of sharply braked corners, the contact area of ​​the front tire feels wide like a worn-out elephant hang out. Turning in requires strength. A liquid line can hardly be achieved, at least when exercising. In any case, the cultivated engine cannot really develop its fun potential.

Conclusion and test result

Bottom line? At the end of the day, maneuvering in the cornering paradise in terms of pure fun and driving pleasure, i.e. that element that can hardly be put into a point table, with KTM and Triumph not only the handiest machines in front. There are also those in which the motors and their rotating innards contribute to the handling. Above all, however, the two dominate because they offer the best framework conditions for sharpening bends in terms of chassis set-up and balance. Because that’s the only way to have fun. With a little polish on the chassis and a more modern engine design ?? see box on page 36 ?? the Kawasaki could certainly hold up the four-cylinder flag a little more proudly. Just like the Aprilia with its powerful twin does with both two-cylinder engines.

Tea three-cylinder turns out to be the best compromise on the country road. Because the Triumph hardly lets anything burn in the everyday relevant things, it is at the top of the table of points. With its extreme design, the Duke cannot land there. The single, with its robust expressions of life and the narrow usable speed range, demands a willingness to compromise. And with the pillion passenger, the single disc in the front wheel has its hands full.

This is exactly where the Kawasaki scores. ABS, great range, comfortable drive, good light. All of this does not ensure the quick kick on the home track, but in addition to sympathy for points with which it narrowly beats the Aprilia. So the four offer plenty for heart and mind. But the best way to do this is to use the Street Triple.

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The Triumph Street Triple secured first place with a 35 point lead.

MOTORCYCLE test result

1. Triumph Street Triple
Whether driving dynamics, engine, fun factor, the Triumph hardly shows any nakedness and is therefore at the top of the fun and points evaluation.

2. Kawasaki Z 750
The Z 750 is characterized by good running smoothness and decent all-round qualities. Although it is the most unwieldy and heaviest, thanks to ABS it just takes second place.

3. Aprilia SL 750 Shiver
A handy, pleasant curve swinger with a powerful drive and gripping brakes. From a sporting point of view, the suspension setup still needs fine-tuning.

4. KTM 690 Duke
That was clear, in terms of driving pleasure right at the front, from the points right at the back. The Duke takes it easy, that’s life as an extremist.

Train number ?? who tackles how hard?

Single cylinders have bangs from below, twins as well, barrel-organ four-cylinders only above. Such a common misconception. Power is the product of speed and torque. In single and two-cylinder engines, high speeds are opposed by the large moving masses. AT oven-cylinder with small piston strokes and cylinder units has a clear advantage. In addition, the best possible cylinder filling and large displacement are required for high torque. Good filling requires large free valve cross-sections. The large valves and strokes required for this in turn limit the speed. In addition, there are limits to the increase in cubic capacity of single and twin cylinders due to the large pistons, valves and thus moving masses.

In addition, a single only ignites every 720 degrees of rotation of the crankshaft, which is why it generally needs larger centrifugal masses for good concentricity. The twin fires every 360 degrees minus the cylinder angle, the triple every 240 and the four every 180 degrees, good for concentricity. And: Thanks to the narrow firing intervals, three and four-cylinder cylinders in particular can use the negative pressure waves in the exhaust tract of a cylinder that has just been fired via interference pipes on the manifolds for the best possible cylinder filling in order to fan the intake flow in the cylinder that is just opening when the valves overlap. The single benefits less from it. Engines with fewer cylinders score points in terms of power loss due to lower internal friction due to fewer bearing points on the crankshaft, shorter camshafts and shorter piston ring lengths. Nevertheless, they have a narrower usable speed range than three- and four-cylinder engines. The fact that the KTM leaves the others behind when sprinting on the mountain is mainly due to its low weight and the shortest gear ratio.

Engine concepts and handling

Not only chassis geometry, center of gravity, tire width and type as well as the gyroscopic forces of the wheels influence the handling, but also the engine ?? by weight, installation position and the gyroscopic forces of the parts rotating inside. So for transverse and forward turning crankshafts and camshafts add up? So apart from boxers, Guzzi-V2 and Triumph-Rocket engines on most of the series bikes ?? their gyroscopic forces to those of the wheels. Anyone who has ever pulled the clutch in an inclined position at a higher speed knows how great its stabilizing effect can be. On the one hand, the mass moment of inertia (MTM) of the crankshaft is decisive. The MTM does not only depend on the weight of the crankshaft, but on how the masses are distributed. So of the shape and height of your crank webs. The crankshaft of the flywheel-dependent, long-stroke KTM weighs only around 5.3 kilograms, almost as much as that of the Triumph, which is trimmed for revving (5.4 kg), but has a significantly higher MTM due to the larger crank webs. The crankshaft of the Kawasaki, on the other hand, is by far the heaviest at 9.26 kg and also has relatively high crank webs ?? comparable to those of triumph ?? equipped, thus has a high MTM. However, the speed at which the crankshaft rotates is also decisive for the gyroscopic forces. And that is also higher with the four-in-line than with the single.

But as I said, that’s just a small stone in the handling mosaic. Ultimately, the decisive factor is the skilful overall composition of all the factors that make a manageable vehicle. How the four of them did in front of the incorruptible stopwatch in the pylon jungle is shown below.

Data KTM 690 Duke

engine
Water-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke engine, a balancer shaft, an overhead, chain-driven camshaft, four valves, roller rocker arms, wet sump lubrication, injection, Ø 46 mm, regulated catalytic converter, alternator 224 W, battery 12 V / 9 Ah, hydraulically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch (anti- Hopping), six-speed gearbox, O-ring chain, secondary ratio 40:16.
Bore x stroke 102.0 x 80.0 mm
Cubic capacity 654 cm³
Compression ratio 11.8: 1
Rated output 48.0 kW (65 hp) at 7500 rpm
Max. Torque 67 Nm at 5500 rpm

landing gear
Steel tubular frame, load-bearing motor, upside-down fork, Ø 48 mm, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, front disc brake, Ø 320 mm, four-piston Fixed caliper, rear disc brake, Ø 220, single-piston floating caliper.
Cast aluminum wheels 3.50 x 17; 5.00 x 17
Tires 120/70 ZR 17; 160/60 ZR 17
Dunlop Sportmax GPR Alpha 10 tires tested

Dimensions+
Weights
Wheelbase 1472 mm, steering head angle 63.5 degrees, caster 115 mm, spring travel f / r 140/140 mm, seat height * 870 mm, weight with a full tank * 160 kg, load * 190 kg, tank capacity / reserve 13.5 / 2.5 liters.
Two year guarantee
Service intervals every 5000 km
Colors silver, orange, white
Price 8,995 euros
additional costs 250 euros

Data Kawasaki Z 750

engine
Water-cooled four-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, wet sump lubrication, injection, Ø 32 mm, regulated catalytic converter, 336 W alternator, 12 V / 8 Ah battery, mechanically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, O-ring chain, secondary ratio 43:15.
Bore x stroke 68.4 x 50.9 mm
Displacement 748 cm³
Compression ratio 11.3: 1
Rated output 77.7 kW (106 hp) at 10500 rpm
Max. Torque 78 Nm at 8300 rpm

landing gear
Bridge frame made of steel, upside-down fork, Ø 41 mm, adjustable spring base and rebound damping, two-arm swing arm made of steel, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base and rebound damping, double disc brake at the forehead, Ø 300 mm, double-piston floating calipers, disc brake at the rear, Ø 250, Single-piston floating caliper, ABS.
Cast aluminum wheels 3.50 x 17; 5.50 x 17
Tires 120/70 ZR 17; 180/55 ZR 17
Tires in the test Dunlop Qualifier »PTL«, »NK«

Dimensions+
Weights
Wheelbase 1440 mm, steering head angle 65.5 degrees, caster 103 mm, spring travel f / h 120/125 mm, seat height * 810 mm, weight with a full tank * 232 kg, payload * 178 kg, tank capacity 18.5 liters.
Two year guarantee
Service intervals every 6000 km
Colors green, black, silver
Power variants 25 kW (34 PS) and 72 kW (98 PS)
Price 7895 euros
Additional costs 180 euros

Data Aprilia SL 750 Shiver

engine
Water-cooled two-cylinder, four-stroke 90-degree V-engine, two overhead, gear / chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, wet sump lubrication, injection, Ø 52 mm, regulated catalytic converter, 450 W alternator, 12 V battery / 10 Ah, hydraulically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, O-ring chain, secondary ratio 44:16.
Bore x stroke 92.0 x 56.4 mm
Cubic capacity 750 cm³
Compression ratio 11.0: 1
Rated output 70.0 kW (95 PS) at 9000 rpm
Max. Torque 79 Nm at 7250 rpm

landing gear
Steel tubular frame with screwed cast aluminum parts, upside-down fork, Ø 43 mm, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut, directly hinged, adjustable spring base and rebound damping, double disc brake at the front, Ø 320 mm, four-piston fixed calipers, disc brake at the rear, Ø 245 Single piston floating caliper.
Cast aluminum wheels 3.5 x 17; 6.0 x 17
Tires 120/70 ZR 17; 180/55 ZR 17
Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier tires tested

Dimensions+
Weights
Wheelbase 1440 mm, steering head angle 65.2 degrees, caster 109 mm, spring travel f / r 120/130 mm, seat height * 830 mm, weight with a full tank * 217 kg, payload * 183 kg, tank capacity / reserve 15.0 / 2.5 liters.
Two year guarantee
Service intervals every 10000 km
Colors blue, orange, black, silver, white
Price 7,999 euros
Additional costs 270 euros

Data Triumph Street Triple

engine
Water-cooled three-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, one balancer shaft, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, wet sump lubrication, injection, Ø 44 mm, regulated catalytic converter with secondary air system, alternator 402 W, battery 12 V / 7 Ah, mechanically operated, Multi-disc oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, O-ring chain, secondary ratio 47:16.
Bore x stroke 74.0 x 52.3 mm
Cubic capacity 675 cm³
Compression ratio 12.65: 1
Rated output 78.0 kW (106 hp) at 11700 rpm
Max. Torque 68 Nm at 9200 rpm

landing gear
Bridge frame made of aluminum, upside-down fork, Ø 41 mm, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base, double disc brake at the front, Ø 308 mm, double-piston floating calipers, disc brake at the rear, Ø 220, single-piston floating caliper.
Cast aluminum wheels 3.50 x 17; 5.50 x 17
Tires 120/70 ZR 17; 180/55 ZR 17
Tires in the Dunlop To qualify test

Dimensions + weights
Wheelbase 1395 mm, steering head angle 65.7 degrees, caster 95 mm, spring travel f / h 120/126 mm, seat height * 830 mm, weight with a full tank * 190 kg, payload * 191 kg, tank capacity 17.4 liters.
Two year guarantee
Service intervals every 10000 km
Colors green, white, black
Power variants 25 kW (34 PS) and 72 kW (98 PS)
Price 7350 euros
Additional costs 250 euros

Comments MOTORCYCLE scoring

Engine:
Although not the largest, the Triumph engine impresses with its amazing pulling power. The fact that he delivers his performance equally as well as lively underlines his impeccable performance. If it weren’t for the miserable load change reactions … Even the larger-displacement Aprilia and Kawasaki can’t keep up with their pulling power. In addition, the Kawa tends to die off from time to time and, especially when it is warm, often only starts after long organs. After all, the four-in-line runs very cultivated and gently accelerates. A little of the nimble turning pleasure of the KTM dugout canoe would still look good.
Winner engine: triumph

landing gear
In the handiness chapter, the Duke clearly beats his opponents out of the field. Wide handlebars, narrow tires, low weight, that’s where things really go. The bottom line when it comes to corner sharpening is the confident and stable Triumph, which dashes through the corners foolproof. And despite the softly coordinated spring elements, she always remains good-natured like a lamb. However, you can clearly see the red pencil in their spring elements. Setup tinkerers are only offered spring preload at the rear. The Aprilia also has at least a usable rebound setting on the shock absorber. The Kawasaki, which requires a more or less corrective grip on the handlebars depending on the speed, is not very neutral.
Chassis winner: KTM

everyday life
You reside very relaxed behind the butted aluminum handlebars of the Shiver. Only slightly pronounced edges in the bench still disturb sensitive people a little in the long run. And for sporty pilots, the sitting posture may be too relaxed because it is too far away from the front wheel. The seating arrangement on the Triumph is also extremely comfortable, albeit with a narrower knee angle than on the Aprilia. And after a short time the upholstery feels like the cheap sofas in Swedish furniture stores.
Winner everyday: triumph

security
In addition to the triumph, Aprilia and Kawasaki also roll on Dunlop qualifiers. But while the British girl gets along quite well with the rubbers, Shiver and even more Z 750 are annoying with a pronounced set-up moment. The simple floating caliper brakes of the Triumph appeal with their bite and proper controllability. The Shiver brakes are also too long. The Kawasaki and especially the KTM points for metering cost a lot of hand strength.
Safety winner: Kawasaki

costs
A very good feed processor, the Austrian single. But the joy of using the expensive juice sparingly only lasts until the next inspection. It is due every 5000 kilometers.
Winner Cost: Triumph

Price-performance winner: Triumph Street Triple
Lowest price, highest score. Respect what Triumph has put on its wheels. The word got around. Currently the demand is exceeding the supply.

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