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BMW R 850 R test comparison against Ducati Monster 800s i.e…

racoon & Washboard

In case of doubt, between 70 and 73 hp is worlds apart. Do not you believe? MOTORRAD invites you to a test ride on two naked bikes that couldn’t be more different: BMW R 850 R and Ducati Monster 800s in other words.

She has something. Conveys a sense of security and comfort like grandmother once did when she took you in her big arms. Acceptable leg angle, good knee closure, upright sitting position, 83 centimeters seat height, the handlebars wide ?? the BMW R 850 R would even look good as a TV armchair. Stop! That is not washed away. But to see it positively. In a world in which everyone mostly only demands and rarely gives, it is almost a stroke of luck that motorcycles are built,
whose spirit is pure comfort.
There is another way: Ducati Monster 800. Footrests mounted far back, handlebars positioned far forward. No trace of cosiness. The driver is literally stretched over the tank, a lot of weight rests on his wrists. Plus the seat: only 80 centimeters high, but the bench is narrower and harder than that of the BMW. Likewise the rest: uncompromising. A clutch that can be used as forearm training, a pillion seat that can only do justice to articulated passengers weighing 50 kilograms or 1.50 meters in height. At the latest at every traffic light or on the motorway access these things are forgotten.
Let’s go. A look to the left, pull up the gas from a slight right-hand angle. It is hard to describe what happens to the Monster. It feels as if the throttle grip is connected directly to the tire via gears. All the familiar movements, such as turning the right hand, engaging and disengaging, shifting, become instantaneous
implemented. Absolute obedience. No contradictions. Command carried out, next please. After just 6.7 seconds, the speedometer 140 km / h shows. The 800 twin-cylinder moves silky smooth through the entire speed range. And pushes the asphalt surfer, which weighs only 192 kilograms, forward with such vehemence that one suspects several more horses.
According to the factory, there are "only" 73. But perfectly trained. Ducati has increased its former 750cc engine by 4.5 millimeters larger stroke to 803 cm3 and so incidentally nine
PS tickled out more. In general, the Italians awarded the air / oil-cooled
L-engine and the chassis of their mid-range monster fine-tuning. It breathes through a larger-volume air filter box, has a modified tubular space frame, six-speed gearbox, new, more ribbed cylinders and a lighter clutch basket. The S model also comes with a
Equipped with aluminum swing arm. A U-Kat helps
the 800 to comply with the Euro 2 standard. But in the end it is not just any facts that fascinate. It’s the Ducati’s engine characteristics. The monsters do not allow themselves to sag. Can be driven smoothly and accelerated from 2500 turns. The performance increases almost linearly, it peaks at 78
measured PS at 8300 rpm. The torque curve is also very homogeneous, although it drops slightly at 6500 rpm. Something that the Ducati Monster communicates to its driver as a shift request in normal, stress-free, pleasure driving.
Stress-free driving? of course related to the potent engine. Who would have thought this trait would ever be associated with a Ducati? They have completely different written themselves on the flag. BMW, for example. With the R 850 R this applies unconditionally to the seating position,
but the engine of the test copy
surprised across the board. Annoying vibrations, he always seems trying and powerless. Something that the typical BMW customer hardly expects. In the worm-
straight to the Ducati: The BMW needs
for pulling through from 140 to 180 km / h
3.7 seconds longer at the sprint
140 km / h she loses 1.9 seconds on the Ducati.
The six-speed gearbox installed since autumn 2002 is of no use either. The reason for this lies in the torque curve. The boxer comes out of the cellar fat. Presses over 60 Newton meters from 2500 rpm. Thrust from the turns guaranteed. At 4000 rpm, however, it slacks off, climbs briefly and then falls back into depression. Only from 5500 rpm does it finally pull itself up and mobilize everything that is possible. 1500 / min further he then no longer feels like it. Things their only 450 euros
more expensive 1150 sister are alien.
The 850s usually only succeed in substantial overtaking maneuvers from touring pace
by downshifting twice. Only those who keep the tachometer needle between 5500 and 7000 rpm can really let it rock.
Such a character plays a subordinate role when both machines dive into cornering paradise. There, the 800 monster has to prove itself against the mystery of the 850 BMW: a weighty 252 kilograms, yet surprisingly handy and also neutral and sufficiently stable. We compare: Ducati, 192 kilograms, tightly sprung, also stable, the rest will show. Among men: raccoon versus washboard.
Here we go. The conversion of power into speed takes place first and foremost in the tire contact area, adhesion is required. Both the slightly sporty
inspired Pirelli MTR 21/22 on the
Ducati and the more touristy Bridgestone BT 56 on the BMW harmonize perfectly with the machines. With the Monster, however, it is one of those things with perfect contact with the road.
The Sachs shock absorber makes no mistakes. With successful compression damping and adjustable rebound and spring base, it guides the bike excellently on the ground. The non-adjustable fork, however, does not respond very sensitively and has too much rebound damping. Little one is
to medium bumps cause unrest
in the front. The handlebars flutter over when accelerating hard
Bumps, it stirs a little at top speed. The sturdy response of the fork robs the driver of confidence in the front wheel. It does not fully feat the otherwise very precise and stable driving behavior of the monsters.
It is exactly the opposite
at BMW. Your sensitive Telelever front suspension creates enormous trust. Iron out almost everything that comes under the wheel. The cardan hindquarters, on the other hand, only work then
Somewhat satisfactory when the rear is raised a lot with the spring base adjustment and the rebound damping is a third open. With country roads of the second to third order, the comfort-oriented chassis of the BMW gets better despite slightly less suspension travel
rightly than that of the Ducati.
In general, the R 850 R, which is 60 kilograms heavier, never falls behind in normal driving. Keyword trust, which also applies to braking. Although the semi-integral ABS with its digital controllability is not for everyone, even inexperienced users can achieve extremely good braking values ​​with it. At
The monster stoppers are hardly inferior in effectiveness. Due to the lack of ABS, however, trained fingers are required in critical situations.
S.o what? Let’s face a brisk drive through confusing winding curves. With indifferent radii, constantly changing asphalt and bumps. The Ducati dips first. But their trump cards do not stand out here. Neither its lightness nor the powerful engine help to really shake off the BMW. The R 850 R compensates for the disadvantage of the inhomogeneous power delivery with high speeds more a nimble shift foot. Less handiness and steering precision due to more confidence in the front wheel due to the better guided front. Only when the radii become wider and the route is clearer, the gourmet topping has been rolled out, does the Ducati pull up and away? Genes sports, of course. Washboard instead of raccoon.

Comparison test BMW R 850 R against Ducati Monster 800s i.e…

racoon & Washboard

Technical data: BMW R 850 R

Engine Air / oil-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke boxer engine, crankshaft lengthways, one overhead camshaft each driven by gears and chain, four valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, bumpers, rocker arms, wet sump lubrication, electronic intake manifold injection, Ø 45 mm, engine management, regulated catalytic converter, E. -Starter.Bore x stroke 87.5 x 70.5 mm, displacement 848 cm3, rated power 52 kW (70 PS) at 7000 rpm, max. Torque 77 Nm (7.9 kpm) at 5500 rpm Pollutant values ​​(homologation) CO 3.00 g / km, HC 2.00 g / km, NOx 0.02 g / km Power transmission Mechanically operated single-disc dry clutch, six-speed gearbox, cardan shaft. Chassis Load-bearing engine Gear unit, telescopic fork guided by longitudinal control arm, stanchion diameter 35 mm, adjustable rebound damping, two-joint single-sided swing arm made of cast aluminum, central spring strut, directly hinged, adjustable spring base and rebound damping, double disc brake at the front, Ø 320 mm, floating bearing, four-piston calipers, disc brake at the rear, Ø 276 mm, Double piston caliper tires 120/70 ZR 17; 170/60 ZR 17 tires tested Bridgestone BT 56 chassis data, steering head angle 62 degrees, caster 127 mm, wheelbase 1487 mm, spring travel f / r 120/135 mm. Dimensions and weights Seat height * 830 mm, weight with a full tank * 252 kg, payload * 198 kg, tank capacity / Reserve 20.5 / 4 liters. Two-year warranty with unlimited mileageColors: silver, bronze, redPower variant 25 kW (34 PS) Price 9750 euros Price test motorcycle ** 11 698 euros Additional costs 262 euros

Technical data: Ducati Monster 800 S i.e…

Engine Air / oil-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 90-degree V-engine, transverse crankshaft, one overhead, toothed belt-driven camshaft, two valves per cylinder, actuated desmodromically, wet sump lubrication, electronic intake manifold injection, Ø 45 mm, engine management, uncontrolled catalytic converter, E- Starter.Bore x stroke 88.0 x 66.0 mm, displacement 803 cm3, rated output 54 kW (73 hp) at 8250 rpm, max. Torque 69 Nm (7.0 kpm) at 6500 rpm Pollutant values ​​(homologation) CO 0.24 g / km, HC 0.48 g / km, NOx 0.16 g / km Power transmission Hydraulically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, O-ring Chassis, tubular steel frame, load-bearing motor, upside-down fork, sliding tube diameter 43 mm, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum profiles, central spring strut directly hinged, adjustable spring base and rebound damping, double disc brake at the front, floating brake discs, Ø 320 mm, four-piston calipers, disc brake at the rear, Ø 245 mm, two-piston caliper. Tires 120/60 ZR 17; 160/60 ZR 17 tires tested Pirelli MTR 21/22 Chassis data Steering head angle 66 degrees, caster 94 mm, wheelbase 1440 mm, spring travel f / r 130/148 mm. Dimensions and weights Seat height * 800 mm, weight with a full tank * 192 kg, payload * 193 kg, Tank capacity / reserve 15 / 3.5 liters. Two-year warranty with unlimited kilometers. Colors red, yellow, blue, black, gray. Price 9300 euros. Additional costs 200 euros

Conclusion: BMW R 850 R.

Too bad. This engine: vibrates, seems powerless, is weak. Anyone who drives the BMW after the Ducati thinks only one thing: There are tens of horsepower missing. The fact that the R 850 R is still ahead is due to the overall package and the wider range of applications. The chassis set-up is the better compromise for all types of roads, it is more suitable for everyday use and more comfortable. However, that does not change the fact that an important element goes under: emotion.

Conclusion: Ducati Monster 800s i.e…

The 800 monster is as agile as an excited sand viper. Always looks lively and wants to be driven too. Active and sporty. With a lot of physical effort. Accordingly, the emotional bond with the monster is strong. It captures, lets you participate. The road and curve experience is much higher than with the R 850 R. Ducati should improve the details. With a clean, attractive fork, the Monster would be an absolute hit.

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