Comparative test of athletes naked bikes

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Comparative test of athletes naked bikes
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Comparison test athletes / naked bikes

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While modern naked bikes are getting sharper, the flawless athletes have long been able to manage the balancing act between the circuit and everyday life. The borders are slowly blurring?

And who was there from the start? Honda! You have to admit that to the motorcycle superpower. While the top dogs à la Suzuki Bandit and Yamaha XJR paced their lanes slowly and at best waited with a lot of pressure in the speed basement, Honda had an early idea that the world of nudes could look different. Hornet 600 was the name of Nippon’s first attempt on this subject in 1998, in which undisguised dynamics replaced force and mass in the best athletic manner. With the Hornet 900, a new class of omission was finally established, while the other Japanese manufacturers only gradually came to terms with these shocking bare facts.

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Comparative test of athletes naked bikes

Comparison test athletes / naked bikes
Frontier workers


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Honda CBR 600 RR versus Honda Hornet 600.

And where does the little hornet stand today, almost ten years later, especially in comparison to its sporty sister, the CBR 600 RR? If you only look at the sober numbers at first, you come to an ambiguous conclusion. In terms of engine, the Hornet with the current athlete engine is, unlike in the past, very close to it or even on the level of the convincing CBR. It therefore always delivers a similar amount of power and torque in the speed range relevant to country roads and, if designed to be a bit tamer, only falls behind at five-digit speeds.

So far so good. Nor is it decisive for the war that the driving performance is not quite as brilliant as that of the sportswoman, because they have never played a central role in terms of driving fun. Another point is more concise. Provide the weight information ?? as with the following pairings? a pertinent indication of how dynamics and driving fun are basically going. 207 to 186 kilograms is the shocking balance here ?? to the disadvantage of Hornet.

You don’t have to be an outspoken shopkeeper to recognize that this is a considerable handicap for the Hornet. There is also some feeling in the buttocks. The striking ease with which the double R sticks in bends of all kinds, the force with which it is thrown out, but also the hair-like report that the fork transmits to the driver about the road condition and the tire’s grip limit, give the CBR driver the feeling of absolute trust. With the result that in direct comparison on the Hornet, all of this is definitely missed. She never seems so carefree, so full of action.


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Almost everything is different: only the engine base is identical in the Hondas, the rest is different.

This fact is of course not solely due to the higher weight. Two other building blocks are at least as important with regard to the joy of cornering, namely the quality and design of the spring elements as well as the ergonomic conditions. And both in one respect and the other, the CBR 600 RR shows the Hornet that it not only ranks well in its class but also in principle. There is hardly any other super sports car whose arrangement of handlebars, bench and footrests suits everyday life as well as that of the CBR. Highly concentrated, yet relaxed? This is how you could describe the driver’s posture, while the Hornet, with its softer seat, poorer leg contact with the machine and the tourist tube handlebars, is more inviting to pick flowers.

In particular, the non-adjustable fork with full compression damping, nor with the reserves and responsiveness of the CBR component, the ABS-controlled composite brake with the brilliant controllability of the CBR stopper and the Hornet overall not with unlimited lean angle.

The bottom line is that anyone looking for unfiltered driving fun should consider the CBR 600 RR, which is unfortunately 2600 euros more expensive, instead of the Hornet. Even ?? and that is an amazing result ?? for purely civil use. That applies to occasional trips to the racetrack anyway. A victory across the board for the athlete? and a surprising defeat for the Hornet, a street fighter from the very beginning.

Yamaha YZF-R1 versus FZ1


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Yamaha YZF-R1 versus Yamaha FZ1.

Are the tight naked women not yet as far as one would wish? As for the state of play in Japan, the next pairing will shed some light on. Yamaha FZ1 versus YZF-R1: The cards should be reshuffled here, after all, the naked FZ has inherited far more R1 genes than the Hornet from the CBR. Mighty aluminum bridge frame, huge, upper tension-reinforced swing arm, last-generation R1 engine, everything else cut very tight, nothing superfluous.

The FZ1 approach follows pure teaching down to the last detail. And still weighs 215 kilograms, whereas the fully encased R1 only weighs 210. Every accountant knows how that happens. Weight optimization costs a lot of money, and that was obviously not available in the case of the bare FZ1 (10039 to 13997 euros), which is almost 4000 euros cheaper.

But it is not primarily five kilograms more that have an impact. It is also not the slightly poorer performance or the clearly falling power and torque curve from 7000 rpm. It’s something that the tall nude has been dragging around with her since she first appeared and has never been entirely rid of. There is a certain imbalance that is difficult to describe.


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Where the R1 is is in front. The FZ1, on the other hand, has good facilities, but is unbalanced.

Still an attempt: The FZ1 will probably never achieve the neutrality with which an R1 falls into an inclined position, its accuracy and stability, despite noticeable improvements in the context of the facelift. Instead, she still affords herself little quirks that make life unnecessarily difficult. About their self-steering behavior and the lack of accuracy. With the FZ1, small, but clearly noticeable corrections are constantly necessary to keep it on course. Why is not completely exhaustive. The Dunlop D 221s put up in the test probably played their part in this, as did the geometry, which, however, with a steering head angle of 65 degrees and a wheelbase of 1460 millimeters and a wheel load distribution of 49 to 51 percent, is by no means extreme. Apparently it is the interaction of the components that does not want to succeed convincingly. Be that as it may: where the R1 can be thrown over with ease and finds its way to the excellent Michelin Pilot Power as if by itself, the FZ1 always demands full concentration.

The same was true of the first FZ1 models when the five-valve engine implemented the gas command. The effort was delayed and then extremely hard. In this respect, too, a lot has improved, but not everything has turned out well. The R1 with its “ride-by-wire”, an electronic throttle valve control, shows the naked sister how to do it more smoothly and precisely. So the FZ1 only has two arguments to score in terms of driving pleasure, namely the relaxed seating position and a power plus in the lower speed range, which is so important on country roads. Can you do both? you suspect it ?? at best with restrictions. While the seating position on the R1 is sporty, but otherwise very successful, the wide tank and the peculiar cranked handlebars on the FZ1 are bothersome. And the minimal performance advantages in the lower speed range are not felt in practice.

The bottom line is that this means another victory across the board for the athlete? even on the country road. It is not surprising that the R1 of the FZ1 also hits an edge on the racetrack. The fact that Yamaha missed a great opportunity with the radical FZ1 naked bike, all the more so.

Triumph Daytona 675 versus Street Striple


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Triumph Daytona 675 versus Triumph Street Striple.

With Triumph, there is no doubt about that after the convincing performance of the Street Triple, this opportunity was used decisively. This makes the question all the more justified: does it have to be the sporty sister Daytona in its dynamic form, or does the little Nackedei do it too? Their answer with regard to the seating position is clear after the first few meters: On the one hand, the Daytona is committed to the front wheel-oriented posture even more painfully on the wrist than the CBR or R1, on the other hand, the Street Triple offers exactly the right mix of comfort and tension that you get in this class waiting.

And when it comes to the decisive criterion, dynamics, the new middle-class star does not spoil. Only at 8500 rpm (that means around 170 km / h converted to the last gear) the Daytona engine can noticeably set itself apart from the Street Triple. In practice this means: Since the Street Triple, with a sensational 190 kilograms full of fuel, does not weigh a gram more than the full athlete Daytona, its performance is hardly lower. In pulling through from 60 to 100 km / h, both 675s even distance the Yamaha FZ1 thousands ?? and the rest of this field even more.


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Sister act: The two Triumph siblings have so many technical similarities as different as their faces are.

When it comes to handling, the Street Triple doesn’t have to fear anyone, not even its sporty sister. Identical frame, identical dimensions, same weight: In this case, the wide and high handlebars decide the race and thus the fun rating in civil life. Those who travel between home and work instead of between start and finish clearly have more fun on the go with the Street Triple. And can also save a lot of money, because there are technically little differences between it and the Daytona, but the price is over 3000 euros.

If you want to find out where they are, a trip to the racetrack is recommended. Enthusiastic four-piston radial pliers, strut and fork with plenty of reserves: the Daytona can only show what it’s made of on the track, only here does the seating position fit perfectly, while the Street Triple shows the limits of its pricing policy and the upright concept. But, mind you, only very late, as the similarities between the two are far greater than in the previous pairings. Which is why the English nude is the one who gives the most joy on the circuit too. A tie, depending on the purpose? and a big fun point for the new naked bike class.

BMW R 1200 S against HP2 Megamoto


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BMW R 1200 S against BMW HP2 Megamoto

There were times when you would have just laughed at the following pairing about driving dynamics. BMW and pure driving pleasure, ha! In a sporting sense, of course. No way. In this respect a lot stood in the way of the people of Munich. Especially herself. With her delusion of equipping motorcycles with everything they don’t initially need. And with their technical extravagances. Boxer without performance, fork legs without springs, cardan without pardon. This “without” had something, of course. Something very touristy. It wasn’t dynamic.

Those days are over. This is what the HP2 label stands for. And that’s what the Megamoto stands for. The term alone breaks with any Munich tradition. Especially the motorcycle. It is enough to take a look at the new tomboy and the athlete of days gone by, the R 1200 S, to make it clear what the hour has come. The S looks old against the Megamoto. Or better: lush. It stretches its curves in all directions, as if it also had cylinders to the front and back. There is also a pound in every extra. Heated grips, infotainment, sofa upholstered bench, luggage hook ?? everything makes sense on the big tour, everything nice and cozy. But all counterproductive with happy blowing. Simply because it is mercilessly reflected in the weight. The balance is 218 to 202 kilograms. Advantage HP2!

This is a first and serious hint that you can hardly believe in view of the towering Megamoto. 202 kilograms! It even beats the current 1000 super sports generation from Japan and Italy. And so the Megamoto fully fulfills one of the central basic driving fun conditions. After all, the formula “less weight, more fun” is and will remain? see above ?? a key size. Not the one that gets you going alone, but in combination with an agile chassis and a hearty drive, it is more than half the battle.


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Outside over? With the new HP2 Megamoto, competition has grown up against the sportiest boxer model, the R 1200 S..

The rest is no longer rocket science. The 1200 boxer goes wonderfully out of the corners, luckily the few additional horses that the R-drive got in the Megamoto above didn’t hurt. Neither does the upside-down fork, which guides the front wheel instead of the telelever and, together with the Ohlins shock absorber, is not only on the taut side for BMW standards, but also among athletes in general. Against this combination, the wide handlebars, the tight seat, the exact feeling for the road conditions and the relaxed ergonomics of such a tall and narrow motorcycle, Sister S ?? an active motorcycle by BMW standards ?? not the slightest chance.

This does not mean the usual measured values ​​(see table on page 33) and also not the pure engine power (see curve). The S is usually in front. What is more precise is the comparison of the times that MOTORRAD determined on the top test course. Regardless of whether it is faster or slower slalom, whether braking measurement or a circular path: the Megamoto is always ahead. And above all: the playfulness with which the HP2 masters these exercises and especially the civilian use, the lightness it conveys, the carefree ?? no BMW could do that as well as this one.

In comparison, the R 1200 S looks like a cozy touring steamer, which can also be moved quickly, but never burns such intense experiences on the driver‘s hard drive as the Megamoto. This opens up a new world of experience for boxer fans. On the country road and also on closed piste, where this inspiring agility is just as effective as the brute braking system.

The Megamoto has only one reproach (besides the high price of 17,592 euros): The straight-line stability leaves a lot to be desired due to the concept. Given her qualities, that’s one more reason to look forward to the next trick by Bayern: the disguised athlete in the HP2 dress. Of course, the R 1200 S no longer has to be retired. Megamoto has already done that.

And the moral of the story: if the topic of naked bikes is approached with the necessary consistency, the athlete will have a hard time in everyday life. The fascination that an uncompromising supersport motorcycle can trigger remains unaffected.

MOTORCYCLE conclusion


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BMW
The matter is as clear as it is surprising: only in the BMW showroom is there a very strong naked woman who easily surpasses the more or less sporty sister in matters of driving dynamics. And so it is both a lot more fun and arouses far more emotions.

Honda
Victory across the board? for the sportswoman. The CBR is just as at home on the country road as it is on the race track, shaking an Alpine bend from the wrist as well as the Eau Rouge. The Hornet, on the other hand, is a very well-functioning, but basically good naked bike in a progressive guise.

triumph
In everyday life, the no less dynamic Street Triple is not only the first choice in front of the Daytona, but among all eight candidates. For this, given the cheapest price in the test field, it deserves the highest praise. The Speed ​​Triple is also a real size on the racetrack? but the Daytona is a completely different number.

Yamaha
And again the sportswoman wins. Because it is simply more fun than an FZ1, which has all the systems but does not bring them together precisely. Seat position, chassis, engine response ?? everywhere there is something to improve. The R1, on the other hand, was able to mature in peace. You can feel that, whether on the country road or on the race track.

Data Honda Hornet 600

Water-cooled four-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, injection, Ø 36 mm, displacement 599 cm³, rated output 75.0 kW (102 PS) at 12,000 rpm, max. Torque 64 Nm at 10500 rpm, central tubular frame made of aluminum, upside-down fork, Ø 41 mm, central spring strut, directly hinged, adjustable spring base, double disc brake at the front, Ø 296 mm, three-piston floating calipers, tires 120/70 ZR 17,180 / 55 ZR 17, Michelin Pilot Power, price 8360 euros

Data Honda CBR 600 RR

Water-cooled four-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, injection, Ø 40 mm, displacement 599 cm³, rated output 88.1 kW (120 PS) at 13500 rpm, maximum torque 66 Nm at 11250 rpm, aluminum bridge frame, upside-down Fork, Ø 41 mm, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, double disc brake at the front, Ø 310 mm, four-piston fixed calipers, tires 120/70 ZR 17, 180/55 ZR 17, BridgestoneBT 015, price 10960 euros

Data Yamaha YZF-R1

Water-cooled four-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, injection, Ø 42 mm, displacement 998 cm³, rated output 132.4 kW (180 PS) at 12500 rpm, max. Torque 113 Nm at 10500 rpm, aluminum bridge frame, upside-down fork, Ø 43 mm, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, double disc brake at the front, Ø 310mm, six-piston -Fixed calipers, tires 120/70 ZR 17, 190/50 ZR 17, MichelinPilot Power, price 13,997 euros

Data Yamaha FZ1

Water-cooled four-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, injection, Ø 42 mm, displacement 998 cm³, rated output 110.3 kW (150 PS) at 11,000 rpm, max. Torque 106 Nm at 8000 rpm, aluminum bridge frame, upside-down fork, Ø 43 mm, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base and rebound damping, double disc brake at the front, Ø 320 mm, four-piston fixed calipers, tires 120/70 ZR 17, 190/50 ZR 17, Dunlop Sportmax D 221, price 10 039 euros

Data Triumph Street Triple

Water-cooled three-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, injection, Ø 44 mm, displacement 675 cm³, rated output 78.0 kW (106 PS) at 11700 rpm, max. Torque 68Nm at 9200 / min, aluminum bridge frame, upside-down fork, Ø 41 mm, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base, double disc brake at the front, Ø 308 mm, double-piston floating calipers, tires 120 / 70ZR 17, 180/55 ZR 17, DunlopSportmax qualifier, Price 7600 euros

Data Triumph Daytona 675

Water-cooled three-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, injection, Ø 44 mm, displacement 675 cm³, rated output 90.4 kW (123 PS) at 12500 rpm, max. Torque 72 Nm at 11750 rpm, aluminum bridge frame, upside-down fork, Ø 41 mm, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression stage damping, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression stage damping, double disc brake at the front, Ø 308 mm, four-piston fixed calipers, tires 120/70 ZR 17, 180/55 ZR 17, Pirelli Supercorsa Pro, price 10690 euros

Data BMW R 1200 S

Air / oil-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke boxer engine, injection, Ø 52 mm, displacement 1170 cm³, rated output 90.0 kW (122 PS) at 8250 rpm, max. Torque 112 Nm at 6800 rpm, load-bearing engine-gearbox combination, longitudinal link-guided telescopic fork, Ø 41 mm, adjustable spring base and rebound stage damping, central spring strut, directly hinged, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression stage damping, double disc brake at the front, Ø 320 mm, four-piston fixed calipers, tires 120 / 70ZR 17, 190/50 ZR 17, Michelin PilotPower “B”, price 14,912 euros (incl. ABS, heated grips, wide tires, sports suspension)

Data BMW HP2 Megamoto

Air / oil-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke boxer engine, injection, Ø 47 mm, displacement 1170 cm³, rated output 83.0 kW (113 PS) at 7500 rpm, maximum torque 115 Nm at 6000 rpm, tubular space frame Steel, upside-down fork, Ø 45mm, adjustable rebound and compression damping, shock absorber, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, front double disc brake, Ø 320 mm, four-piston fixed calipers, tires 120/70 ZR 17,180 / 55 ZR 17 , Michelin PilotPower, price 17,592 euros

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