Driving report Yamaha BT 1100 Bulldog

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Driving report Yamaha BT 1100 Bulldog

The best friend…

…man is supposedly the dog. MOTORRAD tried to find out whether Yamaha’s 1100 roadster could tie in with this tradition and hum with its fat V2 in the hearts of naked bike fans.

Bulldog ?? some associate it with sturdy, snarling four-legged friends, others immediately think of the legendary, single-cylinder Lanz tractors. Now it is time to rethink, because the Yamaha BT 1100 Bulldog will be available from dealers from October. In contrast to its namesake, the Japanese roadster made by Belgarda in Italy is neither particularly martial nor has a high displacement. Propulsion is provided by the air-cooled 72-degree V2 with a displacement of 1063 cm3, which made its debut in the TR1 20 years ago, at that time still with 981 cubic centimeters and a chain drive. Since then, the ohc unit, now equipped with a cardan drive, has been cruising and chopping through the area on board the XV 1100 Virago and XVS 1100 Drag Star. And in the opinion of Yamaha, it does its job so well that the two-valve engine was allowed to slip into the newly developed tubular steel aluminum frame of the roadster after applying a larger-volume airbox and a sloping-friendly two-in-two exhaust system made of stainless steel. A secondary air system is responsible for exhaust gas cleaning, and 65 HP at 5500 / min and 88 Newton meters of torque at 4500 / min also mean a tiny increase in power, but the maximum torque is 2000 tours later than before.
In practice, the V-Twin gently but firmly pushes the Yamaha, which weighs 230 kilograms when dry, from 1500 rpm. Beyond the 4500 mark, it seems a little trying, vibrations in the handlebars and tank as well as mechanical noises increase and prompt you to change gears in the cleanly shiftable five-speed gearbox. Sure, if you need it, you can let the needle of the tachometer – integrated in the speedometer – click towards the red area, but the vigor of the big pot is noticeably less. Is it much nicer to swing around the area appropriately with around 3000 tours ?? the long gear ratio helps to keep the speed level pleasantly low. Relaxed “torque surfing” instead of hectic throttle milking is the motto in the Bulldog saddle. And that is also advisable, because the V2, which is supplied by two carburettors, reacts somewhat delayed and with noticeable load changes to sudden gas bursts. In addition, the softly tuned fork does not have too much damping reserves ready when driving quickly. So please feel free, then you can hardly feel any of the reactions of the cardan drive, which are already low thanks to the long aluminum swing arm, and turning corners becomes unrestricted pleasure. The BT 1100 stalks around corners easily and precisely on its 120 tire at the front and the 170 at the back, the smooth power delivery does the rest, even in hairpin bends, the handle for the smooth clutch is not necessary.
The grip on ?? adjustable ?? Brake levers every now and then, precisely adjustable, the one-piece four-piston calipers in combination with the two 298 discs have the Bulldog firmly under control, with the rear stopper acting inconspicuously when necessary. The lean angle does not stand in the way of quick fun in curves, at some point the footrest nipples touch the asphalt gently, but that’s not dramatic, especially since the relaxed seating position behind the wide, handlebars is perfect for mastering even tricky passages. The Bulldog is even available for relaxed passenger operation, its moderate resting position and the rear cushions, which are arched to prevent unintentional sliding forward, invite you to a two-person trip. Unfortunately, the spring of the central spring strut, which, like the fork’s damping, cannot be adjusted, has to be laboriously preloaded with a hook wrench. It’s a shame that a tricky mechanism with two separate springs, such as that offered by the TDM 850 or the FJR 1300, is not used.
S.Such technical features apparently fell victim to the red pencil, but the 16,000 mark BT 1100 is solidly processed and comes up with loving details, such as the speedometer / rev counter combination. These are good prerequisites for becoming the best friend of classically oriented roadster fans.

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