Comparison test: Ducati Diavel, Suzuki B-King and Yamaha Vmax

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Comparison test: Power Bikes 2011

Ducati Diavel, Suzuki B-King and Yamaha Vmax

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Big appearance, powerful sound waves, pressure from all positions. The muscle mountains of the Ducati Diavel, Suzuki B-King and Yamaha Vmax excite the horsepower mind. After all, this is manifest unreason. attack!

The people creep by crouching, their existence is sad and dreary. The sun only throws it stale light on a planet without hope. Dr. Dark, who robs the souls of the Earthlings. Under his yoke there is no joy, only asceticism, dull reason and the turning away from all lust. But there is hope. The fate of the world rests in the hands of three superheroes.

Your mission: Power to the People! In view of the three power bikes, one inevitably feels reminded of comic heroes, Gotham City and the Batbike, Kryptonite or the incredible Hulk in the brain cinema flicker. The rumbling, the bulging muscles and the shameless display of sheer strength. When Ducati Diavel, Suzuki B-King and Yamaha Vmax along the country road and massage the asphalt with their tires is what Dr. Dark nothing more to laugh about. Your end is near, tyrant!

Markus Jahn

Ducati Diavel: surprisingly nimble for its proportions.

Power, in abundance, units our three heroes. They can do nothing better than to give everyone one with a twist of the throttle – kawoom! And otherwise? There are three completely different superheros ready to fight. Diavel, the red devil, escaped from the Bologna laboratory. Surprisingly nimble for the proportions. It sits deeply and passively in the saddle, arms go far out to the handlebars. Tea seat of the Vmax is even more passive. The Japanese amazon decouples her rider considerably from the front structure, and the handlebars on the towering fork appear narrow. The most agile of our powerful troops is B-King.

A mountain of muscles with athletic attributes. The pilot actively takes hold of the giant by the handlebars and can use it to throw him in steep inclines, which the other two with their deep footrests do not have on their plan. The sporty genes of the Suzuki are also underlined by the steering damper, which the B-King is the only one to offer and which is necessary, because the brutal engine likes to lift the front out of the corners. So if the B-King has enormous power, it hardly demands that from the driver when it comes to changing bends. The handling is simply amazing for such a large motorcycle.

However, the violent erection moment on the brake spoils the otherwise flawless picture. The 200 mm rear tire with the low 55 mm cross-section has a negative impact here. You would have to expect the worst from the Diavel, because it has a 240 tire rolling over the asphalt. But there is no sign of the moment of erection on the devil. It is completely neutral to the point and is characterized by excellent cornering stability. Sure, he lets the B-King take precedence in terms of handiness, logically, doesn’t turn the bike from left to right so quickly. But put in the power cruiser drawer, the driving behavior is enjoyable even for sports fans. Pirelli deserves praise for the specially developed rear tire. The same applies to the Brembo stoppers. Both dosability and bite fit the concept more than adequately. In addition, there is a sporty ABS, which gives the pilot sufficient confidence for aggressive braking maneuvers, which would otherwise be lost due to the lack of feeling for the front wheel.

The fork is not only a weakness of the Diavel because of its influence on the geometry. The rapid sagging during braking attacks is particularly annoying. More fork oil may help, because the phenomenon only occurs in the first third of the suspension travel. Despite the fully adjustable fork and our efforts to find a suitable setup, we were not able to remedy this fad with the Diavel. The Vmax also offers fully adjustable dampers. The preload at the rear can also be easily operated using the handwheel.

Markus Jahn

The Yamaha Vmax has a gigantic wheelbase: 1700 millimeters.

This handle is essential for the Vmax in the basic setup. Her stern hangs down like a hyena. If you drive the Vmax with train through the curves, it starts to pump clearly at the back. With the gigantic wheelbase of 1700 millimeters, it should actually lie nailed over the asphalt. This unwanted wagging could be significantly mitigated when it was appropriately biased, but you can’t get rid of it completely. The shock absorber does not fit, the compression stage is underdamped, the rebound stage overdamped. The Yamaha is not made for the sporty ride. In addition to her generally sluggish disposition, the fork with the lack of feeling for the front wheel speaks against it. In addition, the Vmax automatically steers in in tight bends in the best chopper style, so that your rider has to constantly push against it. Even in lively, open arcs, you can’t quite avoid countering.

Probably a tribute to the extremely long trail at 148 millimeters. In return, the damping responds well. The stoppers are a bit dull and the brake metering is just fine. The ABS, on the other hand, is convincing and yet encourages a few wild maneuvers. In the fight against Dr. So dark everything on one card. That reads: engine power.

The two-cylinder of the Diavel, the four-in-line of the B-King and the V4 of the Vmax may be completely different concepts, the emotions they arouse are the same – lust for unreasonable hard work. With the Ducati, what you can experience works less through the pure performance of the twin than through the interaction of the whole. With a weight of 241 kg with a full tank of fuel, the 1200 engine with 153 hp can already impress. And that although this engine in the 1198 superbike has a whopping 10 Nm more with 132 Nm. The Diavel hangs so greedily on the gas that every turn provides an immediate boost, which is emotionally reinforced by the upright sitting position.

The laboratory assistants in Bologna succeeded in developing their performance very well. The Diavel also hardly knows load changes. Tea twin does its thing best between 3500 rpm and about 6000 rpm. He runs so calmly, linearly and powerfully – that’s how the red devil will destroy you, Dr. Dark! Under it it sometimes chops, over it it shakes and the twin no longer looks quite as lively. The gearbox is a bit unbalanced. Although the gradation is well done, the gears do not slide in easily and require determination in the ankle. The clutch, on the other hand, works extremely well and is enhanced by the anti-hopping. Unfortunately, the B-King doesn‘t do that. A lot of hand strength and the lack of an anti-hopping clutch, so that the Suzuki sometimes punches the back when shifting down hard, cost points. But the gear is cream.

Other power bikes in the test: BMW S 1000 RR, Kawasaki ZZR 1400 and Yamaha Vmax

Markus Jahn

Suzuki B-King. A clear highlight: the engine.

The engine is also the highlight of the B-King. The performance development is flawless. The 1340 is not quite as greedy on the gas as the Diavel twin, sometimes needs a moment of thought, but then fires properly forwards. This feeling of madness is only reduced by the fine vibrations here and there. While the Duc dispenses with power caps, the B-King has severely cut it in gears five and six. The end of the top speed is 250 km / h. The torque is cut off in the lower gears. The full speed of 11,000 rpm is only available in fourth gear. When Dr. But Dark thinks he is dealing with a wimp, he is very wrong!

If B-King and Diavel are still not enough to destroy the earth tormentor, the Vmax will judge him. This power boom in V4 format is quite simply the top hammer. Smooth running, torque, power development, no matter in which area, the Yamaha engine hurls the most brutal fists at the chin. A slight turn of the throttle is all it takes to line up all of the viscera on the spine. That feels gigantic, even though the electronics intervene to regulate the situation. In fifth gear, for example, the peak is reached at 7500 rpm, and in fourth gear it ends after almost 9000 rpm. Only in third gear does the Vmax break the 10,000 rpm limit.

Markus Jahn

The Yamaha Vmax seems to be the most controversial bike in the battle: the potent engine hangs in a chassis that is only partially enjoyable.

Nevertheless, a maximum torque of 171 Nm is a blunt announcement that is easy to access. The Japanese have succeeded in balancing the masses very well, this gigantic 1700 engine actually doesn’t know any vibrations. At most, the cardan over the drivetrain brings a slight unrest if the downshift is decidedly sporty. The anti-hopping clutch ensures that this stays within tolerable limits.

Seen in this way, the Vmax is the most controversial bike in the battle: This incredibly potent motor – which is also quite thirsty – hangs in a chassis that is only partially enjoyable. But when the battle smoke clears, there are three winners in the end. They came out of nowhere to bring back petrol-laden hedonism. Hardly was Dr. Dark disappeared with a loud echo of thunder, the sun broke through the hazy firmament. Everywhere people rose from the yoke, gathered around our heroes and cheered them up. B-King was in tears because while the other two enjoyed their fame, he knew his fate. His time on this wonderful planet is up. May the world never forget him!

Performance chart

Readings.

In short, superior performance data and the best driving performance make the Yamaha V4 a winner. If it weren’t for the landing gear.
The B-King, which we will only find on the used market in the future, ranks second. There is a little lack of determination when it comes to pulling through, but the redesigned Hayabusa engine has great potential that Suzuki obviously no longer wants to exploit.
Ducati has something completely new on offer for power fans, and the test, as well as the diagram and the performance show that the Superbike engine, with the appropriate revision, is good for power cruising. The chassis also takes part.

Ducati Diavel

Markus Jahn

The Diavel is decorated with two huge elbows and a front spoiler including a radiator.

drive
Two-cylinder V-engine, four valves / cylinder, 112.7 kW (153 PS) at 9500 / min *, 128 Nm at 8000 / min *, 1198 cm³, bore / stroke: 106.0 / 67.9 mm, compression ratio: 11.5: 1 , ignition / injection system, 56 mm throttle valves, hydraulically operated multi-plate oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, G-Kat, chain

landing gear
Steel tubular space frame, steering head angle: 62.0 degrees, caster: 130 mm, wheelbase: 1590 mm, upside-down fork, Ø fork inner tube: 50 mm, adjustable in spring base,
Rebound and compression. Central spring strut with deflection, adjustable in spring base, rebound and compression. Suspension travel front / rear: 120/120 mm

Wheels and brakes
Light alloy cast wheels, 3.5 x 17"/ 8.0 x 17", Front tires: 120/70 ZR 17, rear: 240/45 ZR 17, first tires: Pirelli Diablo Rosso II, 320 mm double disc brake with four-piston fixed calipers at the front, 256 mm single disc with two-piston floating caliper at the rear

measurements and weight
Length / width / height: 2230/940/1270 mm, seat / handlebar height: 760/1080 mm, handlebar width: 765 mm, 237.5 kg fully fueled, v./h .: 50.1 / 49.9%

Rear wheel power in last gear
106.6 kW (145 PS) at 228 km / h

consumption
Fuel type: Super unleaded. Average test consumption: 6.8 liters / 100 km, tank capacity: 17 liters, range: 250 km

Base price
16,990 euros (plus ancillary costs), test model Diavel Carbon 19,690 euros

Yamaha Vmax

Markus Jahn

The V4 of the Japanese Amazon is a hammer engine. Apart from the consumption, this engine sets standards

drive
Four-cylinder 65 ° V-engine, four valves / cylinder, 147.2 kW (200 HP) at 9000 / min *, 167 Nm at 6500 / min *, 1679 cm³, bore / stroke: 90.0 / 66.0 mm, compression ratio: 11.3 : 1, ignition / injection system, 48 mm throttle valves, hydraulically operated multi-plate oil bath clutch, five-speed gearbox, G-Kat, cardan

landing gear
Light alloy bridge frame, steering head angle: 59 degrees, caster: 148 mm, wheelbase: 1700 mm, conventional telescopic fork, inner fork tube diameter: 52 mm, adjustable in spring base, rebound and compression. Central spring strut with deflection, adjustable in spring base, rebound and compression. Suspension travel front / rear: 120/110 mm

Wheels and brakes
Light alloy cast wheels, 3.5 x 18"/6.0 x 18", Front tires: 120/70 ZR 18, rear: 200/50 ZR 18, initial tires: Bridgestone BT 028, 320 mm double disc brake with six-piston fixed calipers at the front, 320 mm single disc with single-piston floating caliper at the rear

measurements and weight
Length / width / height: 2395/820/1190 mm, seat / handlebar height: 775/1090 mm, handlebar width: 740 mm, 314 kg fully fueled, v./h .: 49.9 / 50.1%

Rear wheel power in fourth gear
133 kW (181 PS) at 189 km / h

consumption
Fuel type: Super unleaded. Average test consumption: 9.2 liters / 100 km, tank capacity 15 liters, range: 156 km

Base price
19,750 euros (plus ancillary costs)

Suzuki B-King

Markus Jahn

Finally handsome and yet over: The B-King in its last form, the model expires at the end of 2011.

drive
Four-cylinder in-line engine, 4 valves / cylinder, 135 kW (184 PS) at 9500 / min *, 146 Nm at 7200 / min *, 1340 cm³, bore / stroke: 81/65 mm, compression ratio: 12.5: 1, ignition – / injection system, 44 mm throttle valves, hydraulically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, G-Kat

landing gear
Light alloy bridge frame, steering head angle: 64.5 degrees, caster: 107 mm, wheelbase: 1525 mm, upside-down fork, Ø fork inner tube: 43 mm, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression level. Central spring strut with deflection, adjustable in spring base, rebound and compression. Spring travel from / h: 120/137 mm


Wheels and brakes
Light alloy cast wheels, 3.5 x 17"/ 6 x 17", Front tires: 120/70 ZR 17, rear: 200/50 ZR 17. First tires: Dunlop Qualifier "MT"/"NK". 310 mm double disc brake with four-piston fixed calipers at the front, 310 mm single-disc brake with single-piston floating caliper at the rear

measurements and weight
Length / width / height: 2226/850/1260 mm, seat / handlebar height: 810/1020 mm, handlebar width: 790 mm, 262 kg fully fueled, v./h .: 51/49%

Rear wheel power in fourth gear
120 kW (163) PS at 223 km / h

consumption
Fuel type: Super, average test consumption: 8.5 liters / 100 km, tank capacity / of which reserve: 16.5 / k. A. liters, range: 194 km

Base price
13,290 euros (plus ancillary costs), test model special edition 17,490 euros

Markus Jahn

Ducati Diavel.

Ducati Diavel
With the concept, the Ducati amazes with its driving characteristics, the engine crowns the whole thing, and the electronics and equipment bring the decisive victory points. As an athlete fan, I had a lot of fun riding the devil.

Markus Jahn

Suzuki B-King.

Suzuki B-King
Why didn‘t the B-King come out the way it now looks like in the end? We always knew that the motorcycle was really capable. The weak sales figures are 100 percent due to design.

Markus Jahn

Yamaha Vmax.

Yamaha Vmax
Quite simply: this awesome engine – you have to experience it – put in a sportier chassis! A sportsman can never get out of it, but a little more agility is certainly feasible.

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