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• Violence against precision
• "Not spectacular, Arne?!"
• "There is simply too much power there"
• "With the Aprilia RSV4 RF I can anchor later"
• Conclusion
• Data Kawasaki H2R

j.kuenstle.de

28 photos

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Comparison test Aprilia RSV4 RF vs. Kawasaki H2R.

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Space design: at speeds of well over 300 km / h you are happy about the “seat wedge” on your rump. You then sincerely hope that it just won’t break off now.

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Space design: at speeds of well over 300 km / h you are happy about the “seat wedge” on your rump. You then sincerely hope that it just won’t break off now.

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Kawasaki H2R.

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Kawasaki H2R.

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Comparison test Aprilia RSV4 RF vs. Kawasaki H2R.

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Comparison test Aprilia RSV4 RF vs. Kawasaki H2R.

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Tire warmers down and quickly check the settings again. At the end of the day time is running out and the test crew has to work hard.

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On the racetrack, fuel consumption is an almost irrelevant criterion. Still, the H2R only wants the high-octane, expensive material. And not too short of it!

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Technician Karsten is looking for a place for the recording.

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The route is divided into four sections.

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Recording.

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Comparison test Aprilia RSV4 RF vs. Kawasaki H2R.

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Form follows function: For once, the saying is true, because without the specially designed wings, the H2R would have too little contact pressure.

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As the speed increases, the corresponding numerical value lights up red. Not only does it look chic, it is also easy to read.

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18.5 liters of fuel fit into the nicely drawn tank. Its shape allows a clean knee grip and great lateral support.

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The cockpit of the RSV4 RF differentiates between a normal and a racing display. In the “Race Cockpit”, the gear and lap time are large, the speed is displayed lower left at the bottom.

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A clever solution: while driving, the traction control can be adjusted using the plus (thumb) and minus (index finger) switches.

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Italian design is just awesome! Or really want to disagree with someone looking at this stern?

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Racing in series: the control head and pivot point are variable.

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Racing in series: the control head and pivot point are variable.

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Aprilia RSV4 RF.

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Aprilia RSV4 RF.

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"Humans are creatures of habits. You learn to deal with power." Arne death.

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Kawasaki H2R.

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The compressor wheel rotates at full load at 9.2 times the crankshaft speed. So that it doesn’t tear the engine apart, it had to be built with extra thick walls.

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There are volume limits to be observed on almost every racetrack. The wicked Kawasaki H2R blows them all up with ease.

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Measured values: power on the crankshaft, measurements on Dynojet roller test stand 250.

Aprilia RSV4 RF versus Kawasaki H2R in comparison test

Violence against precision

Content of

The brutal Kawasaki H2R is almost nowhere to go. We have found a place and let the ground missile compete against the Aprilia RSV4 RF there. Who makes the race?

Two hundred and fifty, two hundred and sixty … boom! Sure, the monster has to catch up at some point. About halfway along the legendary Mistral straight from Le Castellet, the time has come: to the left of the Aprilia RSV4 RF, the catapults Kawasaki H2R, roaring like a Star Wars tie fighter approaching its defenseless victim. Only a few routes allow the supercharged Kawasaki to play so easily with a powerful superbike. Here on the Circuit Paul Ricard in the south of France, the conditions are right. The long version of the ultra-modern facility has almost six kilometers of slopes. According to the recording, 1.9 kilometers of this is on the Mistral straight. For the pilot of the Über-Kawa sufficient to bring the terror bike to maximum speed and to turn the sixth gear fully, right into the limiter. There is only one catch: at some point even the longest straight will come to an end. Then the nimble Aprilia takes up the chase like a bloodhound. In the end, who has the edge, steam hammer or precision tool?

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Aprilia RSV4 RF versus Kawasaki H2R in comparison test
Violence against precision

Kawasaki H2R pulls out like there’s no tomorrow

For our little duel we therefore need a hardened pilot. Quasi a Han Solo of the motorcycle world, or just someone like ex-Moto2 rider Arne Tode. He’s had the pleasure of testing MotoGP machines in the past. You could say his brain is already calibrated for crazy engine performance. Thus into the action. Arne first checks out the character of the Kawasaki H2R and lets it run cautiously into the corners. In the first few laps it is not difficult to distance the H2R somewhat. Brake late, push the Aprilia RSV4 RF hard into the corners and accelerate again very early. Superbike behavior at its finest: take that, black and green monster!

But the more the former Moto2 rider shoots himself into the Kawasaki H2R, the more delicate the situation becomes for the PSler on the RSV4. The problem is not the combination of curves, but the straight lines. There the H2R leaves like there is no tomorrow. On the Aprilia RSV4 RF, a quick look into the cockpit provides proof: Yes, you are accelerating full throttle out of the curve. No, there is absolutely nothing you can do about getting sniffed. Unfortunately, the great sound of the V4 is also completely lost. Despite the earplugs you can hear the angry H2R approaching. If both motorcycles fire on an intermediate straight at the same time, the Kawa first goes endless meters. In the saddle of the RSV4, it feels like one of those nightmares in which you want to run away from something but cannot move forward.

"Not spectacular, Arne?!"

Briefing in the box. Arne says the Kawasaki H2R is less spectacular than he had imagined. I beg your pardon? When the PSler looked puzzled, he added: “But it’s a lot of fun, really awesome!” At first it sounds crazy, but Arne Tode’s statement tends to be right. Humans are creatures of habit, and if you spend enough time with the ground missile, you become friends with it. It is important to drive extremely concentrated. Sometimes you think you can still feel wheelspin in fourth gear when shifting slightly from left to right. The traction control, which comes from the last ZX-10R, works okay on a slight lean angle. In view of the H2R power, you no longer want to rely on it in deeper slopes. There is no relaxing moment of inattention.

Due to the compressor and the crisp translation, the engine pushes out powerfully from below, but also accelerates hard. It’s hard to believe that there is “only” 998 cm³ displacement. From 7000 rpm the Kawasaki H2R makes even thicker cheeks and runs like an angry bull up to 14,000 rpm. When the Mistral straight comes into view, the following happens: The compressor’s impeller rotates at 130,000 revolutions per minute at full load. The loader draws in 200 liters of air per second via the Ram-Air, builds up 2.4 bar pressure and lets the four-in-line march well over 300 km / h as if the ship wanted to jump into hyperspace. An engine has to withstand such high forces first. The technicians implanted the propellant in a tubular space frame not only for optical reasons. In addition to a suitable ratio of rigidity and flexibility, it also offers additional cooling from the airflow.

The quickshifter switches from fourth to fifth with one hard blow. It only takes what feels like a fraction of a second, then it’s the turn of the sixth. Bam Bam bam! When the speedometer is 357 km / h, the Kawasaki H2R runs into the limiter. Fortunately, the cattle brake as well as they accelerate. Not spectacular, Arne? It takes a few rounds to get enlightened on this question. But no impression beats hard data. Before our ex-racer can start recording, the Kawa gets a new rear tire. Their power kills the rubbers like Jack the Ripper once did the red light ladies in London.

"There is simply too much power there"

The test crew stands at the pit wall and watches as the Kawasaki H2R turns lap after lap. Hardly once does the screamer get out of earshot. Arne later records that, above all, he never turns off second gear. “There is simply too much power there, the response is very aggressive and it may pull your rear wheel away. Better to take the third one, drive the cleanest possible line and pull the throttle precisely! “Then he describes another phenomenon:” I don’t have any feedback on the brakes, which is certainly also due to the weight of the motorcycle. Its mass is pushing. You don’t really know what the front wheel is doing. It doesn’t mesh perfectly with the asphalt and slips. ”Incidentally, Arne deactivated the ABS on the H2R. He further explains: “The trick is that you just have to dare to brake later and then even harder. The tire then builds up more mechanical grip. As soon as that worked, I got on better with the motorcycle overall. “

With the Kawasaki H2R you just have to work harder and grab it by the horns. Sure, on the straight you drive through the sheer power time. The rest is mainly decided on the brakes at the corner entrance. Arne continues: “If you brake really hard, the rear comes across easily and in a nicely controllable manner.” A characteristic that can probably also be ascribed to the flex of the tubular space frame. The ex-racer still does not want to go into the last tenths, the H2R does not behave transparently enough in the limit area.

"With the Aprilia RSV4 RF I can anchor later"

Then the switch to the Aprilia RSV4 RF. Arne was sure in advance that he would set the faster time with the superbike. But his sweaty face reveals that it couldn’t have been that easy. The first comment: “Compliments to Aprilia, what an unbelievably good motorcycle!” A look at the times shows what he means by that. The Aprilia RSV4 RF gives the Kawasaki H2R up to 1.52 seconds on the lap. What is it? “The sitting position is awesome!” Praises Arne. “You grow together with the machine, which creates insane feedback for the front and rear wheels. With the RSV4, in contrast to the H2R, I let it run into the curve and immediately feel that it works. On the next lap I do the same thing a tad faster and it still works. Because the Aprilia is so stable, I can anchor much later than with the Kawa. “

Its driveability makes the Aprilia RSV4 RF extremely fast. The pilot remains relaxed and can concentrate on the essentials. Thanks to the soft response behavior of the V4 and the clean power delivery without load changes, all inhibitions about really pulling on the cable disappear. According to Arne, the RSV4 also contains the best series electronics he knows. On a smaller course with shorter straights, the time difference to the Kawa would certainly be even more pronounced. Nevertheless, the mighty H2R cannot compete with any lap times in the world for the “want to have” factor. Skeptical? A sip of pressure to perform changes everything!

Conclusion

28 photos

Pictures: Aprilia RSV4 RF versus Kawasaki H2R in comparison test

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