Comparison test: the diary of the mega test

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Comparison test: Germany is looking for the Superbike, Aprilia RSV4 R, BMW S 1000 RR, Ducati 1198 S, Honda Fireblade, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, KTM 1190 RC8 R, Suzuki GSX-R 1000, Yamaha YZF-R1 / R1M

The diary of the mega test

No more gray theory. 180 hp and more – what’s really going on? After the everyday test, we went to Nardò in southern Italy. The job: testing to the limit. Who accelerates the fastest to 250 km / h? Who is most effective in delaying? What is the top speed? Who is using the most? And, very important: How do the engines withstand this stress??

When MOTORRAD is looking for Germany’s best superbike and pulls out with nine super athletes, there is a lot of logistics, a lot of commitment and then the realization that not everything can be planned.

Comparison test: Germany is looking for the superbike

High-speed test in Nardo

Only provide 1198 S anyway because Pirelli test boss Salvo Pennisi had made sure that Pirelli people brought the test machine into southern Italy. At that time, there was snow chaos in northern Italy. But it couldn’t be later because the high-speed course in Nardò was only available on this one Sunday. For the test squad this meant:

Day 1: Six motorcycles, carted in from half of Germany the day before, are loaded in Stuttgart. A Sprinter with three motorcycles drives over Varese, the MV pick up. A second (also loaded with three motorcycles) via Noale, invite an Aprilia. Meeting point with Salvo in Bologna, where he had already picked up the 1198 S at Ducati. Distance to be driven in each case: around 1000 kilometers.

Day 2: From Bologna by axis to the second stop on the Gargano Peninsula (564 kilometers). Driver swaps every 80 kilometers, and refueling stops every 150 kilometers at the latest. It is meticulously kept – and it lasts. As always, longer than expected. Until late in the evening.

Day 3: Photo trips on southern Italian country roads. It starts to rain just in time for breakfast. The unknown roads are not only wet, but also dirty and slippery. We torture ourselves with the nine 180-hp rockets over 130 kilometers through the narrowest of terrain, take some rain photos, always looking for the sun. Frustration spreads.

Day 4: Departure to Nardò. Rain again. Again no photos. Shortly before Taranto, the end of the motorway, then unexpected sunshine. The photographer has reacted and is already waiting in the accompanying Sprinter at a gas station. Move quickly, put on your leather, fly in formation. The photographer snaps and steers at the same time, while nine drivers have to get into formation and position on a three-lane motorway. Who knows how long the sun will shine. From the end of the motorway, around 100 kilometers of coastal road to Nardò. Nine completely dirty motorcycles are cleaned. Sunshine, but no curve far and wide. Therefor a knoll. A GSX-R driver randomly passing by stops oncoming traffic for the photo. 6 p.m. Meeting point at the Nardò gate (see page 24). Done!

Day 5: Get up six o’clock, eight o’clock start of the test drives, 9.10 a.m. Aprilia broken, a few hours later the other four too. What now? Plenty of phone calls, a few individual photos, pack up, that’s it.

Day 6: Morning crisis meeting, countless phone calls. Italy correspondent Eva Breutel speaks with MV and Aprilia, test boss Gert Thole from Stuttgart with Suzuki, KTM and Yamaha. KTM complains about the wrong fuel (see box on page 28). The racetrack test has to be canceled first. Not bad, it’s raining anyway. We drive back to Rodi di Gargano. On the way back, a stone smashes the Fireblade cooler, Wilk squeezes the ribs together with pliers. It holds.

Day 7: Slowly, after more phone calls, a plan. Rainer and Sven take the Sprinter to Bologna, where they meet MV and KTM people. The F4 is repaired, the RC8 R replaced. At three in the night they are back at the hotel, at four Karsten and Stefan leave for Nardò, following the program with both of them. Salvo arranged that. Grace thousand!

Day 8: At nine o’clock in the morning, the two of them are at the gate again in Nardò, following KTM, BMW (with Super Plus) and MV. Return to Rodi in the afternoon.

Day 9: Test drive on finally dry country roads. And finally photos!

Day 10: Back to Bologna, deliver Ducati. Then go home. A total of 1500 kilometers. The head of testing has already organized replacement machines in Stuttgart, and the weather is finally getting better.

Day 11: We start again with nine motorcycles. Test drive on the known route, verify everything again. Unfortunately, the racetrack test has to follow later.

The balance: Time required (ten people): eleven days Total kilometers driven (two sprinters, one car, nine motorcycles): 28,740 Consumption: 2565 liters Total kilometers of motorcycles: 18940 Total consumption of motorcycles: 1315 liters Sleep hours per team member: far too few . The next morning at the editorial conference, the boss is in a good mood. Everything worked out fine!

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