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Aprilia RSV4 R, Ducati 1198S and MV Agusta F4

Comparison test: Italian superbikes

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When the Aprilia RSV4 R, Ducati 1198S and MV Agusta F4 kick off with full throats, the walls shake. Even the famous ones "Three tenors" Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo and Jose Carreras can still learn a lot. But the three sounding Italo superbikes also master other disciplines than hero singing…

I.The protagonists experience a lot in the eventful, sometimes rough everyday testing of PS. Sometimes more than they’d like. This is also the case with this group test of Italian superbikes. First the planned fourth test participant is canceled, then the weather goes crazy and finally, with a very tight text deadline, all that remains is the escape to the supposedly dry and sunny southern France. The journey is in a subdued mood, 700 kilometers are unwound in the finest spring rain. And then that: shortly before Valence in the Rhône valley, the sky finally tears open, the nightmare turns for the better. A little further on, in the destination area of ​​the caravan, the legendary Gorges de l`Ardèche, the sun smiles from the sky, warms the asphalt and brings the stressed souls of the testers back into balance. The weather just has to hold on…

The next day, 8 a.m. The weather holds up, the hairstyles fit and the leather suits fit. Aprilia RSV4 R, Ducati 1198S and MV Agusta F4 flash vainly in the soft sunlight, vying for the pilots’ favor with their crisp lines, tight engines and provocative details. But time is pressing, the photographer urges you to hurry. Finally the still silent choirboys are brought to life, sing carefully warmly, in order to immediately articulate their boisterous lust for life with well-accentuated, beautifully like Verdi.

The Ducati’s muffled rumbling bass is fun even when standing still. Free of mechanical noises, the 1200 thunders powerfully and powerfully from the two thick tailpipes in the rear. In addition, the Aprilia-V4 purrs almost high-frequency and aggressively like a rebellious cricket on a mild summer night on the Mediterranean beach. The in-line four-cylinder of the MV adds one more to this. He hisses hoarse and snotty from the air filter box, trumpeting pithily from his four small end tubes under the passenger upholstery. Seat heating sometimes with acoustic background.

Even at idle, the three of them have a rough idea of ​​how their power of sound will be reflected by the rock walls in the Ardèche gorge – and the Aprilia makes this clear when it engages first gear. The sound changes suddenly, becomes even more intense and a shade louder. Why? Because when the first gear is engaged, it becomes clear that no stationary noise measurement is carried out by the evil test engineer, but free blowing is the order of the day. A valve in the exhaust opens, the sound becomes richer. But before the free solo, the way into the gorge and the photo production are on the plan. And that means: crawling behind the photographer’s car and countless turning maneuvers while taking photos. We are talking about self-mortification – Italian superbikes do not accommodate their pilots as comfortably as travelers or sports tourers.

A beautiful sight, not just because of the three bolides.

Instead, the differences in ergonomics become clear. MV and Ducati are both classically Italian and therefore classically racing. That means: low in the front, high in the back, a lot of pressure on the wrists and a head stretched backwards into the neck. Only speeds over 150 km / h bring relief in the shoulder area. While the 1198S still allows a wonderfully tight knee thanks to its narrow twin, the MV Agusta F4 feels long. Your pilot is still stretched over the tank, the knee joint is typically not the narrowest in-line four-cylinder. The steering angles of the two, which are not too large, also require more maneuvering work when turning than on the Aprilia. This can be easily turned around on the spot. However, the RSV4 R surprises the first time it is mounted. While Duc and MV integrate the driver more into the vehicle, the driver sits enthroned on top of the compact Aprilia. It pushes itself a little this "Monkey on the grindstone"-Feeling open, but disappears immediately as soon as the tap is cocked and the V4-Mille starts rolling.

If there were German church towers in Saint Martin d‘Ardèche, they would now ring stormily at noon. The photographer has done his job, the absolute minimum program of image production has been carried out in view of the time pressure. For him, 12 o’clock simply means returning to the hotel to sort his pictures. For the three tenors and their pilots, however, the time of day only signals one thing: high noon, the shoot-out on the D 290 along the sweeping valley begins. Behind the place name sign it’s down to business. The 1198S trumpeted first, closely followed by RSV4 R and F4. The quick entry into the labyrinth of curves suits the former, while in second gear she always shoots out of the smooth curves with the front wheel raised. The Desmo-Twin is simply brutal over 5000 rpm, has a fantastic grip on the gas and, despite its impetuous power development, appears very well mannered. Neither load changes nor improper response behavior disturbs, the 1200 behaves very cultivated on these points, and the lack of an anti-hopping clutch on the racetrack is not a real defect here. The gearbox could be shifted a little better. Still bony to use, it demands pressure on the gearshift lever to reliably engage the desired gear. The DTC, the Ducati Traction Control, is very helpful in the hunt, even if hardly in action. At level five and with the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP fitted as standard, it lurks in the background of the control unit on the grippy asphalt of southern France. This "double bottom" but is hardly needed, mainly serves to increase the driving pleasure of the pilot, the path is blocked for the bad highsider.

With these three thoroughbred racers, things are making good progress.

The Aprilia following like a shadow does not have such a life insurance. Needs it, at least in good conditions, but also not. Because the V4 is at least subjectively far from being as nasty and beautiful as the Ducati Ballermann. Both the V2 and the V4 need 9.1 seconds from 50 to 150 km / h in last gear (MV: 10.5 s). Still, it is difficult to move the Aprilia in the same gear as the Ducati. If the Duc is flown towards a 180-degree curve, it is sufficient to arrive in second gear at the apex with over 4000 turns. When you apply the throttle, you get the fullest acceleration with a wild wheelie inclination from 6000 rpm. In this speed range, the Aprilia simply lacks the torque to accelerate in a similarly impetuous manner. So first gear has to go in to stay tuned. And even in the first gear the propulsion is subjectively not as brutal as with the Duc. As I said, subjective, because the objective measured values ​​of the RSV4 R are far from being like that "cozy", how it feels on the country road. However, S-Mapping (sport) should be activated for the curve twist, as it jumps on the gas in a nasty manner in T mode (track), which is no longer fun in combination with the rather harsh load changes. The consumption of the Aprilia is really unpleasant. Whole 9.9 liters per 100 kilometers and thus exactly two liters more than MV and Duc the drunkard pulls in. The tuning of the injection of the V4 at the Aprilia plant in Noale definitely has to be reworked.

And the MV F4? The in-line four-cylinder gazes at the top as if from its senses, but can only stick to the other two at speeds up to 150 km / h. The MV foursome is always not so stormy on the Ardèche when it is needed. But it strikes brutally when the straight line already seems too short to use the enormous thrust sensibly. In other words, you are actually concentrating on the upcoming braking maneuver when the Italian Cavalli are in full swing. In order to stay tuned, you then leave it standing a little longer than desired, which becomes very exhausting in the long run. Mainly because the MV is a real men’s motorcycle. So always wants to be challenged and doesn’t think much of cuddling. Not only their power delivery confirms this. The rough running culture of the engine, the comparatively sluggish throttle grip, the quite hard throttle response and its imprecise transmission, sometimes with intermediate idling, fit into the image of the impetuous bully who needs a strong hand.

Unfortunately, this trait also continues in the handling. Of course, the MV still runs fantastically stable in deep lean angles and runs its line very precisely. And it has certainly become much more manageable than its predecessor, but until it is once in this stable angle, the pilot is challenged. The MV is as far removed from giving in at the mere thought, as Aprilia does so sleepwalking, as Hertha BSC Berlin is from the championship title in 2010. Should it be in the corner, then with physical effort. It’s still okay on the race, but on the winding country road it can quickly become stressful and cost a lot of grain. Definitely breathtaking, but not breathtaking, on the other hand, the butterfly-like nature of the RSV4 R. Aiming at the curve, sticking to it – oops, there is a stone, change the line – completely calmly and safely put on the gas and pull it up. Cornering made easy! Naturally, the Ducati cannot keep up with that. It also wants to be tilted with pressure, but is then not as full as the MV and does not drive as accurately as the other two. Its rock-hard shock absorber repeatedly brings unrest into the chassis and thus messes up the accurate line through the curve labyrinth. The basic setups of Aprilia and MV fit much better. While the MV cuts through life tightly but harmoniously, the Aprilia features the comfortable fork and the somewhat stubbornly appealing shock absorber. This slight dissonance could not be eliminated during the test.

Another noticeable feature of the Aprilia is when it comes to hard braking maneuvers. Your V4 does not generate the braking torque that one expects from a four-cylinder engine with a thousand cylinders, as the slipper clutch is engaged for a long time. In addition, the rear of the RSV is very light and prances out of line when the anchor is really hard. A tribute that is probably due to a high center of gravity and the compact chassis. While the anchors on the front wheel go about their work inconspicuously, transparently and reliably, the pilot can try to direct the stern in the desired direction by pressing the footrests, so that the Aprilia can be positioned in the desired direction before the apex. If you try this on the Ducati, you have to use a lot more force. Although the front of the red dips deep when braking, sometimes even blocks, but the rear never gets the lightness of the Aprilia. It always keeps the 1198S on course, while the front pads bite brutally into the large 330 mm discs. In addition, the driver has to avoid punching the rear wheel on very nasty bumps with the clutch pulled slightly, which admittedly is not often the case. F4 can be decelerated hard without any excitement. Very good stoppers grip reliably and controllably with little manual force, the MV always remains stable and does not want to punch or slide. Good home cooking with a hefty delay is on the menu.

The sun is still shining over the Gorges de l‘Ardèche. The test was done, the assessment made, the three tenors are silent. Only their cooling engines and exhaust systems crackle softly to themselves. The testers on the park bench let the last rays of the sinking planet dry their sweaty hair and warm their faces. Your eyes wander from the MV to the Ducati to the Aprilia and back. A feeling of bliss arises, peace of mind comes. The silent dance of the pairs of eyes is only interrupted by an extremely crisp Dutch woman, who swings sportily on a Kawasaki in chic leather and whispered away, barely audible. A feast for the eyes in front of a perfect backdrop, even the rising rain clouds no longer disturb.

Conclusion: lightness over performance over stability. The Aprilia RSV4 R wins thanks to its great handling in front of the powerful Ducati 1198S. The high consumption of the Aprilia is hard to criticize, the Ducati is slowed down by its unbalanced setup. The MV F4 in third place is a real character bike, but it is unwieldy and requires a lot of effort from the pilot.

Technical specifications

Drawing: archive

Power diagram of Aprilia RSV4 R, Ducati 1198S and MV Agusta F4.

Ten hp separate the strongest, the MV Agusta F4, from the weakest in the test field, the Ducati 1198S. The Aprilia RSV4 R can be found exactly in the middle. So much for theory. On the country road, the Duc burns the two four-cylinder engines because she simply has more and more traction on the chain. Their torque advantage amounts to almost 40 Newton meters in places and is simply indisputable. The Aprilia always feels a little weaker than it actually is. Those who get used to it are on the move at lightning speed, but think they are sitting on a 750. The MV, on the other hand, hangs around like a wild bull at the top, while its propulsion of up to 6000 rpm is standard for the class. She played only really big on over 11,000 turns.

Aprilia RSV4 R

It is clearly audible when the exhaust flap in the muffler of the Aprilia RSV4 R opens when first gear is engaged.

drive:
Four-cylinder 65-degree V-engine, 4 valves / cylinder, 132 kW (180 PS) at 12,500 / min *, 115 Nm at 10,000 / min *, 1000 cm³, bore / stroke: 78.0 / 52, 3 mm, compression ratio: 13.0: 1, ignition / injection system, 48 mm throttle valves, mechanically operated multi-disc oil bath anti-hopping clutch, six-speed gearbox, G-Kat

landing gear:
Light alloy bridge frame, steering head angle: 65.5 degrees, caster: 105 mm, wheelbase: 1420 mm. Upside-down fork, Ø fork inner tube: 43 mm, adjustable in spring base, rebound and compression. Central spring strut with deflection, adjustable in spring base, length, rebound and compression stage, spring travel front / rear: 120/130 mm

Wheels and brakes:
Light alloy cast wheels, 3.50 x 17"/6.00 x 17", Front tires: 120/70 ZR 17, rear: 190/55 ZR 17. First tires: Metzeler Racetec Interact K3. 320 mm double disc brake with four-piston fixed callipers at the front, 220 mm single disc with two-piston fixed calliper at the rear

Measurements and weight:
Length / width / height: 2070/740/1120 mm, seat / handlebar height: 845/865 mm, handlebar width: 665 mm, 212 kg fully fueled, v./h .: 50.4 / 49.6%

Rear wheel power in last gear:
120 kW (163 PS) at 262 km / h

Performance:
Acceleration 0-100 / 150/200 km / h: 3.2 / 5.3 / 8.0 s
Thrust 50-100 / 100-150 km / h: 4.6 / 4.5 s

Top speed: 290 km / h

consumption:
Fuel type: Super unleaded. Average test consumption: 9.9 liters / 100 km, tank capacity: 17 liters, range: 172 km

Base price: 15.364 euros (plus ancillary costs)

Ducati 1198S

Push rod for height adjustment of the rear and the chic Ohlins leg of the Ducati 1198S. Unfortunately a bit too insensitive to convince.

Drive:
Two-cylinder 90-degree V-engine, four valves / cylinder, 125 kW (170 PS) at 9750 / min *, 131 Nm at 8000 / min *, 1198 cm³, bore / stroke: 106.0 / 67.9 mm, Compression ratio: 12.7: 1, ignition / injection system, 64 mm throttle valves, hydraulically operated multi-plate dry clutch, six-speed gearbox, G-Kat

Landing gear:
Steel tubular space frame, steering head angle: 65.5 degrees, caster: 97 mm, wheelbase: 1430 mm, upside-down fork, Ø fork inner tube: 43 mm, adjustable in spring base, rebound and compression. Central spring strut with deflection, adjustable in spring base, rebound and compression. Suspension travel front / rear: 127/127 mm

Wheels and brakes:
Forged alloy wheels, 3.50 x 17"/6.00 x 17", Front tires: 120/70 ZR 17, rear: 190/55 ZR 17, first tires: Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa "SP", 330 mm double disc brake with four-piston fixed callipers at the front, 245 mm single disc with two-piston fixed calliper at the rear

Measurements and weight:
Length / width / height: 2080/810/1100 mm, seat / handlebar height: 810/860 mm, handlebar width: 675 mm, 197 kg with a full tank, v./h .: 49.4 / 50.6%

Rear wheel power in last gear:
116 kW (158 PS) at 264 km / h

Performance:
Acceleration 0-100 / 150/200 km / h: 3.2 / 5.3 / 8.0 s
Pulling speed 50-100 / 100-150 km / h: 5.0 / 4.1 s

Top speed: 288 km / h

Consumption:
Fuel type: Super unleaded. Average test consumption: 7.9 liters / 100 km, tank capacity 15.5 liters, range: 196 km

Base price: 21,990 euros (plus ancillary costs)

MV Agusta F4

The four horns nestle nicely under the stern of the MV Agusta F4 and sing their trumpet song almost at ear level.

Drive:
Four-cylinder in-line engine, four valves / cylinder, 137 kW (186 PS) at 12900 / min *, 114 Nm at 9500 / min *, 998 cm3, bore / stroke: 176.0 / 55.0 mm, compression ratio: 13.1: 1, ignition / injection system, 49 mm throttle valves, hydraulically operated multi-disc oil bath anti-hopping clutch, six-speed gearbox, chain, G-Kat

Landing gear:
Steel tubular frame, steering head angle: 66.5 degrees (adjustable), caster: 100 mm, wheelbase: 1430 mm, upside-down fork,? Inner fork tube: 50 mm, adjustable in spring base, rebound and compression. Central spring strut with deflection adjustable in spring base, rebound and compression stage, spring travel front / rear: 120/120 mm

Wheels and brakes:
Light alloy cast wheels, 3.50 x 17"/6.00 x 17", Front tires: 120/70 ZR 17, rear: 190/55 ZR 17, first tires: Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa "SP", 320 mm double disc brake with four-piston fixed callipers at the front, 210 mm single disc with four-piston fixed calliper at the rear

Measurements and weight:
Length / width / height 2070/790/1090 mm, seat / handlebar height 840/845 mm, handlebar width 695 mm, 214 kg fully fueled, f / r 51.9 / 48.1%

Rear wheel power in last gear:
121.3 kW (165 PS) at 275 km / h

Performance:
Acceleration 0-100 / 150/200 km / h 3.3 / 5.3 / 7.5 s
Pulling speed: 50-100 / 100-150 km / h 5.9 / 4.6 s

Top speed: 305 km / h

Consumption:
Fuel type: Super unleaded. Average test consumption: 7.9 liters / 100 km, tank capacity 17 liters, range: 215 km

Base price: 18,500 euros (plus ancillary costs)

1st place: Aprilia RSV4 R

A bike with performance – the Aprilia RSV4 R.

Category engine:
The V4 doesn’t feel very strong and always wants to be driven one gear lower than the other two. Its consumption is too high.

4 out of 5 stars

Category chassis:
Clear announcement: It couldn’t be better – handy, cornering stable and absolutely precise with very good feedback, the RSV playfully rages through the country.

5 out of 5 stars

Category ergonomics:
The pilot is sitting very high up on the Aprilia "we it", Not "inside". In the test field, it is the most compact, but not the most uncomfortable seating position.

4 out of 5 stars

Category driving fun:
Sure thing, the agile whirlwind is endless fun on the country road. Never before has a superbike been so light-footed on the floor.

4 out of 5 stars

PS judgment:
The agile Aprilia RSV4 R fights for the top podium on the country road. Now turn on the engine again and everything will be even better.

17 out of 20 stars

2nd place: Ducati 1198S

What a silhouette – the Ducati 1198S inspires from all perspectives.

Category engine:
The only criticism of the twin, the gnarled transmission. Otherwise, the Desmo is the most fun engine for heating – even without an anti-hopping clutch.

5 out of 5 stars

Category chassis:
Too soft at the front, too stubborn at the back, the Ducati is annoying on bumpy roads. Her cool brakes and traction control compensate for the loss of points.

4 out of 5 stars

Category ergonomics:
The Duc makes a very sporty bedding, but also offers the tightest knees. The seat pan is pronounced, so there could be more space to work.

3 out of 5 stars

Category driving fun:
The Twin is the greatest pleasure on the Duc. Hahn opens, the front wheel rises, the load pushes forward irresistibly. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!

4 out of 5 stars

PS judgment:
Second place for the Ducati 1198S. Once again, her grandiose engine cannot save the points that are lost due to her half-baked chassis setup.

16 out of 20 stars

3rd place: MV Agusta F4

MV Agusta F4: An icon doesn’t have to be slick – having its own character is more important.

Category engine:
The foursome runs rough, but is strong around the top. The gearbox acts imprecisely with long shift travel, and there are often intermediate idle runs.

4 out of 5 stars

Category chassis:
The MV lies full and reports clearly from the ground, but it is the most unwieldy in the test and requires a lot of effort from the driver on narrow stretches.

4 out of 5 stars

Category ergonomics:
Still a little "Old school", the F4 feels long. The pilot sits a little stretched out instead of gathered, the handlebars are quite wide.

3 out of 5 stars

Category driving fun:
Much better than its predecessor, the MV still demands a lot of effort from the driver. She wants to be tamed, which is exhausting on narrow streets.

3 out of 5 stars

PS judgment:
The Agusta has to be content with third place, as it demands a lot from its pilot. It lacks a bit of lightness that the Aprilia has in abundance.

14 out of 20 stars

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