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Comparison test, Harley-Davidson Sportster 883, Kawasaki VN 800, Suzuki VS 800 Intruder, Yamaha XV 750 Virago

Chopper

Somewhere between the slender Yamaha XV 535 and the heavy Harley Fat Boy glitters a multitude of other choppers. Harley Sportster 883 Standard, Kawasaki VN 800 Classic, Suzuki VS 800 Intruder and Yamaha XV 750 Virago embody the golden mean.

The modern chopper culture is blooming. From the hammer-heavy, four-cylinder Yamaha Royal Star – 325 kilograms live weight must first be beaten – to the rustic, single-cylinder steam hammer Suzuki LS 650, everything is allowed that can carry buckhorn, T-bone or other strangely shaped handlebars. But there is a huge gap between the warhorse, mostly of the American model, and the little wannabes, in the center of which, let’s say around 800 cm3, the tendency towards individuality seems to be slowed down, at least on the engine side. Mainly two-cylinder, in a V-arrangement with cylinder angles between 45 and 75 degrees, one meets and, as if one had discussed one another, they are around 50 HP strong.

Comparison test

Chopper

Sportster 883 Standard, a Kawasaki VN 800 Classic, a Suzuki VS 800 Intruder and a Yamaha XV 750 Virago have very different styles and choppers.

Let’s start with the VN 800, the latest development, which for ounce is called Classik. Not without reason. Its style elements come from the sixties and seventies of American motorcycle construction, where thick spoked wheels and massive fenders, massive forks and spherical headlights, bulging tanks and soft seat cushions came into fashion and are still in fashion today. The VN 800 Classic is the most brilliant copy of an obese Harley.

The blatant counterpart to this 256 kilogram thick ship is provided by Harley itself. At just under 15,000 marks, the Sportster 883 Standard is not only the cheapest Harley that can be bought, it also relies on asceticism inherently. By Harley standards, the Sportster doesn’t hang a gram too much. A tiny from Tank clings to the upper frame tube, a delicate fork guides the narrow spoked wheel, and the solo seat allows a clear view of a short sheet steel fender. Tea Sportster looks stocky, small, but muscular like a bull terrier.

On the other hand, the Virago does not think much of the optical test of strength. It comes from a time when plenty of chrome trim, a deliberately teardrop-shaped tank and a plush step seat made a normal motorcycle a chopper. Playful fittings – the speedometer even has a tachometer – ultimately ensure that Yamaha’s XV 750 looks more like an overloaded Christmas tree.

Tea Suzuki VS 800, thank God, missed this baroque era. Or did she even finish it? Because with clear shapes, a simple, factual structure and a no-frills design, the first Intruder in 19xx, back then as the VS 750, set a new standard in chopper design, which many manufacturers still use today.

Still long-forked and equipped with beautiful spoked wheels, large-wheeled and narrow tires at the front, with a small, fat roller at the rear, the VS 800 differs only slightly from its trend-setting predecessor today. But we let others answer the question of which of the four is the most beautiful, most original or even the most typical chopper variant. Ultimately, it’s all a matter of taste, and it’s not good to talk someone into it.

The question of the most characterful engine for a motorcycle that does not provoke high speeds, does not crave power, and yet has to be powerful in order to put itself in the limelight from below from the lowest revs can be answered more objectively and easily. And if possible with "good vibrations" and sonorous acoustic background.

To all disappointment: No one can find the right tone anymore. In the context of the tough legal regulations, the grumbling twins are literally speechless. At best, the Suzuki-Vau still has a few subtle basses on it, just like the small Harley engine groans and babbles restlessly in idle, but only shows in the beginning what rich arias it could rumble a long time ago. Otherwise it has become quiet in the chopper choir.

Only the Japanese can know why well-intentioned vibrations have to disappear in the nirvana of the licensing regulations with the sonority. How else can it be explained that the Vau motors from the Far East do their work sterile and disconnected from the world. How fine pee. The harley-Twin, on the other hand, can only come from working-class circles. Without restraint, he shows his rough shell, lets everyone feel how he works and his heart pounds. It transmits its tingling and whirring sounds to hands, feet and knees. The more he has to do, the more violent his rough demeanor becomes. It must be like this, it should stay that way. But beyond a tempo of 110, the rough fellow becomes a rude fellow, the vibrations hurt deep under the fingernails. No. It shouldn’t be like that again.

But let’s get back to power and torque, which is expected to be around 800 cc, distributed over two cylinders. The water-cooled V-Twin of the VN 800 Classic, which in the first test (MOTORRAD 9/96) put many larger-displacement specimens to shame, this time gave up. This engine can only dream of the 58 HP measured in the individual test. It releases just 52 horsepower. Too little to match the good performance values ​​in the individual test. With a top speed of 151 km / h, an acceleration of 10.5 seconds from standstill to 120 km / h and a pulling speed of 60 to 100 km / h in the last gear in 18.9 seconds, it fits well back into the phalanx the colleague. But who cares. Fortunately, the four-valve engine hangs gently on the gas, pulls up cleanly and evenly from low revs and does not suffer any noticeable loss of performance even "around the top". Only the heavy weight of the bolide is a hindrance at times. When the going gets tough, one or the other gear has to be taken back in order to put the sluggish masses into powerful acceleration.

The air-cooled two-valve valve in the Yamaha XV 750 is carved from a completely different wood. With measured 56 HP the strongest in the quartet, the twin lives on speeds with a 75 degree cylinder angle. Instead of being bulky, its performance curve makes an ugly hole in the middle speed range, only to then increase even more. With this performance characteristic, the XV 750 easily wins every sprint, but in the upper gears you sometimes run out of breath when climbing. Otherwise, the engine purrs pale up and down the speed ladder, exuding boredom. The Yamaha Twin really doesn’t show a big chopper heart – an engine with characteristics that go far better on a good touring motorcycle.

The rough Harley soul is expected to have far more character. The snorkeling and sniffing steed certainly has that. It only looks poor and lean with the power output. Instead of the stated 49 hp at 6000 rpm, she reluctantly only wants to put out 39 hp. Tough and with loud mechanical applause from hydraulic valve lifters, bumpers and rocker arms, the two-valve long-stroke engine turns up. Obviously, with this lack of performance, good acceleration and full torque fall by the wayside and the performance of the 883 is far behind that of the other three test candidates. Always looking for some torque and a suitable gear, the Harley of all things requires a lot of gear change. Every gear change up to the last gear step is unmistakably announced with a hard metallic impact.

But where there is little performance, you also have to put in little energy. The Harley-Twin really just sips fuel. Consumption of lead-free Supers can drop below four liters. Far less than the competition.

Suzuki gave its V-Twin the probably most typical chopper character in the cradle. The water-cooled four-valve twin delivers plenty of torque from low revs and pleases with its enormous pulling power. The lower stages of the five-speed transmission appear almost superfluous. Even at a slow pace, a twist of the throttle is enough to accelerate the Intruder powerfully. Your driving performance illustrates this great strength. The Intruder sprints from the last gear from 60 to 120 km / h in just half the time of its chopper colleagues. If that’s nothing.

The chassis of the Intruder, for example, is really nothing. The soft, limp chassis setup can enrage even the quietest chopper friend. With every bump in the road, the stern rocks and rocks, and the VS 750 moves unabashedly around its longitudinal axis. The road surface doesn’t even have to be that bad. If it does, then the stereo struts inevitably go to the block with every sag, even in solo mode. The Intruder oscillates even when driving straight ahead, which noticeably dims the anticipation of corners. The relaxed feeling of sitting deep down in the machine doesn’t help much either. Unfortunately, the ends of the Buckhorn handlebars come too close to the body, make firm, accurate access difficult and even hit the rider’s thighs when turning sharply. Another driver has to be found.

In the course of an exchange, you could also redeem the front disc brake. One disc decelerates poorly and requires a lot of hand strength on top of that.

The XV 750 does not have such problems. Your double disc brake (!) In the front wheel brings even the heaviest colossus to an abrupt halt. She also wants to be steered through curves from a casually low sitting position on a Buckhorn handlebar. But it does it too, and with extraordinary recklessness. She changes lively from one incline to the other, sometimes even too lively. But this only affects the accuracy a little. Otherwise nothing suffers with the Virago. Especially not the suspension comfort. It casually takes even the worst stretches under its suspension elements, only bobbing when it gets harder. But it won’t be unstable.

While the Intruder and Virago were still very similar in terms of their seating position, the Kawasaki driver will find a completely redesigned workplace. Legs apart, feet stretched far forward, arms on the wide handlebars, you have the Classic easy under control. Quite relaxed and not at all appropriate to her sedate appearance, she hums through curves and bends of all kinds. Targeted, neutral, constantly seducing to brisk pace. But this is quickly slowed down again due to the lack of freedom from lean angles. Speaking of braking: the heavy Classic proves that a disc brake in the front wheel is sufficient to slow down quickly and effectively. However, not without twisting the massive fork under the one-sided load.

The casual and comfortable seating position somehow also promises suspension comfort. But appearances are deceptive. The spring elements leave a very mixed impression. The hidden central spring strut carefully will go waves and asphalt patches flat, but larger potholes and treacherous manhole covers are passed on unfiltered into the driver’s backbone.

The bony chassis of the Sportster 883 distributes blows even better. While the slim, long-travel fork often has a disadvantage with the driver, the two struts are extremely unyielding. With sporty rigor they rattle over rag carpets, shake man and machine vigorously and whip deep potholes firmly in the back. What the heck: the rider doesn’t have a chance to cuddle up softly on the little sandwich. The hammer-hard grip on the handbrake lever, which brings the load to a standstill, also fits very well.

The feeling of sitting on the slender Harley with its short, slightly cranked handlebars like on a bike, or like Munchhausen on the ball, makes the chassis appear agile and manageable.

You can see that today’s chopper culture is really blooming. Not just optically. The golden mean of cubic capacity and power allows more than 800 cc and two cylinders would initially suggest. Namely, four chopper philosophies.

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