Blickpunkt: What makes driving fun?

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What makes driving fun?

The essence of motorcycling

The second best feeling of all, was what Continental once named motorcycling in an advertising campaign many years ago. And by that he meant the only real drive for what we do in motion: the pure enthusiasm we can experience while driving. Often incomprehensible to outsiders, absolute consensus for motorcyclists of all stripes. To get in tune with your machine, to experience the pleasure of movement, the kick when accelerating, the dance of the incline. This is about the essence, the core, the essence of being mobile on two wheels: driving fun.

This joy of driving ennobles and ennobles the moment. It awakens the child in us, turns the mere movement from A to B into flirting with physics, into pure pleasure. Feel the heartbeat. His own. And that of the machine. Motion and emotion live close together. Driving pleasure can wait around every bend, be experienced again in every bend, start anew every second. He can turn every kilometer into a little adventure. Once you’ve experienced it, it won’t let you go. Seemingly impossible to grasp, since driving fun burns firmly in the brain, becoming a passion for mobility. Driving pleasure can be shared. In a group, with a pillion passenger. Everyone experiences them a little differently, individually. But regardless of whether we prefer to plow through the Sahara, cruise on Route 66, heat up on racetracks or climb mountain peaks: Motorcycling should be fun. Otherwise we could leave it the same, there are enough more practical modes of transport. But what exactly characterizes driving pleasure, what makes it so? Can one define the term, which is diffuse in itself, and break it down into criteria? And what is hindering him? After all, everyone can spontaneously say after a test drive whether they “like” a particular motorcycle or not.

Certain models are definitely more fun for certain people than others. So where are the striking differences between the individual machines, concepts and types? This is all about this driving fun comparison. Which therefore gets by without any reason or consumption, without a 1000-point rating and price-performance ratio. Instead, the pure passion that seeks to fathom the joy of driving.

Six experienced and yet different motorcycle people came out for this. On Aprilia SX 125 Supermoto, BMW R 1200 GS, KTM 990 SM R, Moto Morini Corsaro Veloce 1200, Triumph Street Triple R and Yamaha MT-01. Selected as an example, these six models stand as representatives for terms relevant to driving pleasure: low weight, high comfort factor and great driving dynamics on the one hand. A motor with pressure, “easy going” when driving and character on the other. All together the guarantee for fascination, enthusiasm and goose bumps?

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Blickpunkt: What makes driving fun?

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What makes driving fun?


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The best part: driving fun is divisible.

Each driver drove all six machines in direct alternation over the same test lap. Then it was time to submit a personal ranking in the six criteria. The chapter rating is then derived from the sum of the six subjective rankings. And from the first, second and third places achieved there, the overall victory in the driving fun test. Now maybe some people will miss their luxury tourer or fat cruiser. It’s logical that guys like that can be a lot of fun in the right environment. But this story here is all about the fun factor on country roads. It’s about driving fun on changing surfaces and in varying curve radii, up to the tightest downhill bends.

That’s why there are no super athletes: In real life, off the racetrack or the autobahn, they are simply not in their element. Because you’re always busy turning off the gas, not knowing what to do with all that sheer power. And either live with sore wrists or accept speeds at which driving licenses can take off.

Even if very powerful machines can do things calmly, you don’t need an abundance of power to be lucky on country roads. 180 hp are rather counterproductive in this story. Much more important are charm and momentum.

And, for example, the lowest possible weight. Objectively considered, a tough criterion. Place on the scales, measure, done. A question of mass. But that was not the only aim of the search for carefree mobility on two wheels. It’s about the mass experienced – how heavy does the machine feel when driving, like when maneuvering? The first result: Subjective sensation and the actual weight ranking of the machines largely matched, from the feather-light 125 to the mighty 1700. Although this does not mean that a 400 kilo chunk does not have its own special charms.


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The magic formula of a good motorcycle? Be direct and honest.

The feel-good factor may sound cumbersome. And yet it opens up intuitively. What is the point of simply trying it out at motorcycle trade shows? Is the posture comfortable, do I fit the cut of the tank, handlebars and seat? How well do I get along with the height, contour and upholstery of the bench? Nevertheless, this chapter means more than just ergonomics and usability: Does this or that machine make things even better? Does it enable mobile meditation or rather stress it out?

Driving dynamics mean roller coaster in the stomach. Felt agility, experienced maneuverability: What about handling, steering behavior, stability and feedback from the chassis? Liveliness beyond mere propulsion. After all, the magic formula of every sporty-dynamic motorcycle is to be direct and honest.

The pressure chapter is about the drive and the start. So not just about superimposing torque and power curves or comparing tenths of a second in pulling power and acceleration. It’s about personal feelings: does it groove when you hit the gas? How strong does the engine actually feel? Does the machine really storm off when you turn the throttle grip? Or the power dissipates emotionally somewhere between the crankshaft and the rear tire?

Easy Going ultimately means user-friendliness in German: How easy does the respective motorcycle make it for its rider? How easy is it to deal with it, how easy is it to move? Is there a driving symbiosis with the “upper half of the motorcycle” (Prof. Bernt Spiegel on the motorcyclist in and of himself)? Or does the respective type offer more power for experienced skiers alone, does something hinder relaxed country road surfing? Ideally, the motorcycle does what the rider wants almost telepathically. After all, driving fun has something to do with artistry. He makes us artists of the moment because we don’t have to think about what we are doing.

What remains is the often used and often misused concept of character. He means here the look of the motorcycle. Not at the meeting place, but in us. It is automatically transferred to the driving experience and can turn every road into a dream. Vibrations, good vibrations, play a role here. And of course the sound: comfortably bassy sound arias or sewing machine sounds stream to the ear?

But even if this story cannot answer all the questions, one result remains after all the experiences: Especially when it comes to motorcycling, the Rhenish saying “Everyone is different” means what makes us happy or frustrated, everyone has to decide for themselves. What people feel while driving is at least as important as what they are driving. So have fun with whatever motorcycle. Because one thing is certain. Anyone who has ever enjoyed the special driving fun on two wheels will never want to be without it again.

So in the end there is more than just a joke. About what really counts in life, what is the best and second best feeling: A motorcyclist is stranded on a lonely island. One day he was standing on the beach when a beautiful diver emerged from the sea. Your wetsuit hugs your dreamlike figure. She shakes her long, wet hair and asks the poor motorcyclist: “When was the last time you smoked a cigarette?” “Well,” he replies, “five years ago, before I got stranded here.” The diver makes a waterproof suit on her wetsuit Open his bag, take out a cigarette and hand it to him. He lights it, takes a deep drag and says: “Aaahh, that’s good.” “And when was the last time you had a sip of alcohol?” The diver wants to know. “Five years ago.” The diver reaches into another pocket on her diving suit, takes out a hip flask and gives it to the motorcyclist. He takes a strong sip: “Aaahh, that’s good.” Then the diver slowly opens the large front zipper of her wetsuit. while she asks lasciviously: “And when was the last time you really had your fun?”

The motorcyclist hops excitedly from one leg to the other: “Oh come on, now just say you have a motorcycle with you too ?!”

Weight


Aprilia

There is something going on! Crazy inclines, cheeky stoppies, everything is included.

You almost forgot: Lighter is easier, is funnier, is more fun. Even professionals have fun on the Aprilia, which weighs only 125 kilograms. It’s amazing how much speed you can take through the curve. Hui, that’s fun. “Maah, maah, maah”, diligently quilted the six gears: happy blue clouds show that Aprilia still adheres to the two-stroke principle after many World Cup titles. The eight-liter single with kick starter and U-Kat is homologated according to Euro 3 and has 22 HP. Get some momentum and then throw it into the tightest corners with violent verve. The horizon is crooked until the doctor comes. There’s nothing to put on, and the Pirellis have the flu. They’re fat for a 125, but the narrowest in the test sextet, 110 millimeters wide at the front and 150 millimeters at the rear. That makes you fast. Because with the same incline you are faster. A real sweeping miracle, the Aprilia. At least downhill. It is wonderful to experience this felt lightness.

Otherwise only Triumph and KTM with 190 and 203 kilograms offer that. Weight is relative: the Moto Morini is certainly not too heavy at 219 kilograms, the BMW is appropriate given 244 kilograms with bulging equipment, a Bandit 650 weighs more. The MT-01 feels heavier than it is (267 kilograms). Even if these five of the SX hurry on longer straights, with the 125cc fun mobile you can get there again and again. At intersections, behind columns of cars or because the MT-01 stands in the way in curves. It’s fun to get stuck in the slipstream of the big bikes on the autobahn. Works up to 135 km / h. Narrow seats and high consumption of oil such as gasoline with a small ten-liter tank are more suitable for short rides. Just for fun .

Placement category weight

    1.    Aprilia SX 125 Supermoto
    2. Triumph Street Triple R
    3. KTM 990 SM R
    4. Moto Morini Corsaro Veloce 1200
    5. BMW R 1200 GS
    6. Yamaha MT-01

Aprilia dates

Water-cooled single-cylinder two-stroke engine, 125 cm³, rated output 17.0 kW (23 PS) at 10,000 rpm, torque 17 Newton meters at 9750 rpm, seat height 960 mm, weight with a full tank of 125 kg, price of test motorcycle 4672 euros
 

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Artist

Georg Jelicic, 42, test driver at MOTORRAD.

What is driving fun? Turn around on a stamp with the Aprilia, overtake hobby athletes around the outside in curves, and all within the framework of the STVO. Always with a smile on your face.

Feel-good factor


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That very special GS feeling? Just that built-in sovereignty.

Welcome Home. And yet the GS rider remains open to great experiences. Extremely broad-shouldered, dignified and sublime, he is enthroned above all earthly things on the GS. As if he could undo the world with her broad handlebars. Everyone feels like a king there. This feeling of invulnerability makes you incredibly confident while the landscape moves by in widescreen format. Just drive and enjoy. Relaxed and relaxing.

Unbeatable: this unmatched versatility of the BMW. City, country, river – a GS can do everything except make coffee. From traveling, also as a couple and with luggage, to vaporizing, easy terrain like everyday life. The rest of the quintet has to pass before these all-round qualities. Suitability for touring? With the Aprilia’s tiny tank, you only drive from tank to tank. On vacation with the KTM? There the fun comes to an end. The Moto Morini lacks the finishing touches to ergonomics. And the MT-01 always requires a firm hand. Alone on the Triumph you can feel just as comfortable as on the GS. And yet the 1200 remains the favorite armchair.

If required with heated grips, on-board computer, traction and tire pressure control. The optional ABS underlines the feel-good factor. Such built-in security just in case is unfortunately not the case with the other five. As astonishingly easy as the 1200 is to drive (it also turns on the palm of the hand), it (v) frightens the less experienced with its size. Despite its widespread use, the GS feeling remains closed to them: their idiot-proof chassis, as an extra, electronically adjustable at the push of a button while driving. It is very forgiving, and the Telelever irons the tar carpet wonderfully smooth. Only with an extremely sporty driving style does the little feedback from the front get in the way. The boxer engine fits the concept, distributes powerfully but inconspicuously. No wonder if driving is relaxing here.

Placement in the comfort factor category

    1.    BMW R 1200 GS
    2. Triumph Street Triple R
    3. KTM 990 SM R
    4. Yamaha MT-01
    5. Moto Morini Corsaro Veloce 1200
    6. Aprilia SX 125 Supermoto

GS data

Air / oil-cooled two-cylinder boxer engine, 1170 cm³, 77 kW (105 PS) at 7000 rpm, 115 Nm at 5750 rpm, seat height 870 mm, weight 244 kg, price of the test motorcycle 15,709 euros

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Artist

Thomas Schmieder, 42, test editor.

Typically German, because technocratic? Okay, a GS sounds like a tumble dryer, but it can withstand a lot, drives comfortably, downright unspectacularly fast.

Driving dynamics


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KTM 990 SM R, the real name for "Fun bike": greedy, fiery, demanding.

It’s not about tenths of a second. Although the 203 kg KTM accelerates best, from zero to one hundred and further to 140 km / h. But what counts is the feeling when you scratch it, and that is incomparable. The picture of Munchhausen’s ride on the cannonball is correct here. Welcome to reality. This motorcycle built from the finest components demands, does not like leisurely rolling, and does not like constant speed. It wants to do and do, brake and accelerate. The Supermoto needs changes, from left to right, bend further, push in deeper, straighten up faster. Here an intermediate sprint, there another drift, there another power wheelie. You can’t feel more speed on country roads.

No other motorcycle in this field circles the tightest curve radii so rapidly. And suddenly everything is so easy. Even in the deepest sloping position, you can change the line playfully as you wish. Direct, immediate, greedy. The Pirelli Dragon Supercorsa Pro go well with this, they stick, once warmed up, diabolically, know no slides. Why accelerate out of the curve when you can already do it right in the middle? Wheelies can only be avoided with a lot of body control anyway. The excellent chassis also works according to the motto “the faster the better”. Extremely handy, but not nervous, extremely stable, but never stiff, sporty and tight without appearing too uncomfortable.

The KTM lies fascinatingly well on the road. Even Triumph has to rank behind it. Also applies to the BMW and Moto Morini, born with suspension weaknesses. The 75-degree V2 is aggressive, flaring up from 5000 rpm a real firework. Shaking off the supermoto means reliving driving dynamics. If you can’t feel your heart beating here, you’re dead. The downside? All pretty much devoid of utility. And the pep can be exhausting, you can be too fast.

Placement in the driving dynamics category

    1.    KTM 990 SM R
    2. Triumph Street Triple R
    3. BMW R 1200 GS
    3. Moto Morini Corsaro Veloce 1200
    5th Aprilia SX 125 Supermoto
    6. Yamaha MT-01

KTM data

Water-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke engine, 1000 cm³, rated output 85 kW (116 PS) at 9000 / min, torque 97 Newton meters at 7000 / min, seat height 870 mm, weight with a full tank 203 kg, price test motorcycle 13,155 euros

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Artist

Gerry Wagner, 43, MOTORCYCLE workshop manager.

The KTM 990 SM R is classy sports equipment that wants to be actively moved. It implements everything the driver wants one-to-one. The adrenaline rushes permanently, just like when driving off-road.

pressure


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Dominant: The 87-degree V2 is the focus.

Compact, stocky, powerful: the Moto Morini looks dynamic even when it is stationary. How she proudly presents her cylinder the size of a water bucket, boldly spread by 87 degrees. When driving, the noticeably vibrating Corsaro completely shifts your perception. You don’t want to believe it, only a look at the rev counter reveals that only 3,500 tours are actually pending. Wow, how that pushes from this brand. 6.9 seconds from 60 to 140 in sixth gear. Any questions? Nobody in this test field can do that better, and there are hardly any other equal opponents. The ultra-short-stroke engine with the fat 107 pistons produces a real print product.

An important part of the experience: the hard hammering from the airbox and powerful V2 staccato from the Termignoni exhaust pipes, the hallmark of the expensive Veloce version. Your pressure is impressive. Your thirst too. Power still seems to come from fuel in Italy. Unfortunately, the load changes the Morini violently. If you do not take it very gently on the gas, a violent jolt goes through the motorcycle at the apex of the curve. And the fun suffers quite a bit on bad asphalt, the spring elements in the stiff tubular space frame respond insensitively; You like to jump over bumps, sometimes let the load tilt. What remains is the propulsion of the brilliant, revving engine.

The Yamaha MT-01 does not convert its even more gigantic power into propulsion one-to-one: it has a long gear ratio and locks up early, and in terms of performance on the rear wheel, even at low speeds, it is even behind Morini and BMW. The punchy boxer hits a lot harder than it feels in the stomach. In contrast, the KTM, which is so fiery at the top, only picks up the chain up to 3000 rpm. The 675 triple of the Triumph is surprisingly elastic and powerful, while the tiny Aprilia single, as expected, is narrow-chested.

Placement category pressure

    1.    Moto Morini Corsaro Veloce 1200
    2. KTM 990 SM R
    3. Triumph Street Triple R
    4. Yamaha MT-01
    4. BMW R 1200 GS
    6. Aprilia SX 125 Supermoto

Moto Morini data

Water-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke engine, 1187 cm³, 103 kW (140 PS) at 8500 rpm, 123 Nm at 6500 rpm, seat height 810 mm, weight with a full tank of 219 kg, price of test motorcycle 14045 euros

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Artist

Gabriel Winter, 44, mechanic for youngtimers.

Pressure, power, sound – the Morini is a highly emotional Italian machine that is easily forgiven for small weaknesses. Because it just has an ideal country road engine.

Easy going


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Could hardly be better: it’s safe and playful through the hairpin bends.

The big hit: A motorcycle that is extremely easy to drive, offers plenty of driving fun and always fits everyone. Yes, the compact Triumph Street Triple is great for little people, but drivers of 1.90 meters also sit passably. Beginners feel safe on the 675, which weighs 190 kilograms, while old hands enjoy the crazy driving dynamics. And all drivers of nature have a lot of driving pleasure very, very easily. Unmatched, the range of driving skills. The Triumph circles the tightest hairpin bends loosely and easily. Great. Their handling is child’s play, their neutrality is high. How easy life can be.

And how nice – the relaxed seating position allows for sublime enjoyment of the landscape. The three-cylinder is a real glory, fully there from 2000 to 12,000 tours. Just as powerful as it is easy to turn. Really casual. The triple blow drying the cilia. “Wroop, wroop, wroop” is the sound of the two slim Arrow pots. That certain extra makes the price five-digit, together with the windshield above the two chrome-plated lamps. Only one ABS is missing. That being said, the Street Triple R is a must have. Their four-piston brakes, which are more powerful and finely adjustable than the standard version, leave nothing to be desired. The same applies to the higher quality, adjustable spring mechanism at the front and rear.

And the rest of the field? The KTM drives even more playfully and easily. But she also stresses, constantly demands more. Its absolute feeling of security speaks in favor of the BMW GS, but its large dimensions speak against it. The Aprilia is light as a feather. But it is not for everyone to keep the two-stroke permanently shifting at rev-mood. The Moto Morini is wobbly in tight corners and needs corrections. In addition, their smooth footpegs without rubber are annoying. The clutch and transmission can only be operated with a lot of power, shift work in the literal sense of the word. And the Trumm of MT-01 needs a strong leading hand at all times.

Placement in the Easy Going category

    1. Triumph Street Triple R
    2. KTM 990 SM R
    3. BMW R 1200 GS
    4th Aprilia SX 125 Supermoto
    5. Moto Morini Corsaro Veloce 1200
    6. Yamaha MT-01

Dates of triumph

Water-cooled three-cylinder four-stroke engine, 675 cm³, rated output 78 kW (106 PS) at 11700 / min, torque 68 Newton meters at 9200 / min, seat height 830 mm, weight with a full tank 190 kg, price of test motorcycle 10,384 euros

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Artist

Pamela Baehr, 28, electrician and design student.

I’m not sure now if my boyfriend or the Street Triple turns me on more. Joking aside, the Triumph could be my next bike. Would be very happy.

character


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Driving feeling at its best: the MT-01 can inspire.

A unique experience, a unique concept: the 1.7 liter cruiser V2 is in a high-quality sports suspension on the Yamaha MT-01. A monument to an engine, a real treat from a purely visual point of view: Tower-high cylinders, in front of which the ducts of the bumpers are reminiscent of beautiful vertical shafts. Insignia from the first life. The Langhuber lets go of huge mountains of torque on the crankshaft, piling up a measured 150 Newton meters at just over 2000 rpm. A bull from a sporty motorcycle. The tachometer reports just 3000 tours with speedometer display 130. At 5000 rpm it’s over, limiter. What a pity. Until then, the rhythm of the fat pistons massages the soul, waves of happiness flood the brain. Wow, how that pulsates. A truly full heartbeat.

Unlike with any cruiser, things are really going on here, the sextet’s second best passage. And then this sound. It’s crazy how it puffs and diesels. Sonorous, dull, deep. What a beat! Only after turning it off do disagreements appear when a pesky fan fills the thickly blinded exhaust roar with a cool breath. In general, less plastic and trim would do the motorcycle good. It doesn’t have to be. If you switch from the BMW to the Yamaha, that’s simply emotional fulfillment: Five out of six test drivers attest the GS the least character, the price of its universality. The MT-01 doesn’t care about that – damn emotional for a Japanese. Silver and bronze in this chapter go to KTM and Triumph, which also make up the overall victory. The MT-01 lacks the feeling of lightness. The difficulty of pushing and maneuvering is simply part of the feeling. The 190 rear tire demands emphasis on undulating curves. So what? After all, the experience value is enormous. And a tractor isn’t a ballerina.

Placement category character

    1.    Yamaha MT-01
    2. KTM 990 SM R
    3. Triumph Street Triple R
    4. Moto Morini Corsaro Veloce 1200
    5th Aprilia SX 125 Supermoto
    6. BMW R 1200 GS

Yamaha data

Air-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke engine, 1670 cm³, 66 kW (90 PS) at 4750 / min, 150 Nm at 3750 / min, seat height 810 mm, weight with a full tank of 267 kg, price of the test motorcycle 13,820 euros

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Artist

Stefan Gluck, 42, test employee.

With the MT-01 I’m not only captain in the bathtub, but also on the country road. The ship’s diesel V2 exudes sovereignty, the thump and the sound are unique.

Our conclusion


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Triumph Street Triple R: One for all. It delights beginners and inspires professionals. Great, this triumph. Quasi the post-socialist uniform motorcycle: It belongs in every good garage. That’s it.


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KTM 990 SM R: The lady from the SM studio always wants to know, keeps the adrenaline level constantly high. Drive slowly? Difficult. A fascinating motorcycle for experts. No one else grows old on it.

Every driver can define driving pleasure differently. Nevertheless, it was a lot of fun for us to deal “seriously” with this topic on our own. What is joy and what is suffering remains subjective. The KTM is a disaster for those with a low spirits. For hotspurs it is the fulfillment. The Triumph is more user-friendly, more conciliatory, the BMW more versatile. In the Moto Morini, the brute V2 inspires, the chassis can’t quite keep up. The Yamaha embodies an interesting mix. And the winner of the hearts is the lively Aprilia…

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