2018 Superbike comparison: Aprilia RSV4 RF Vs BMW S1000RR Vs Ducati Panigale V4 S
A year after having compared the four Japanese Superbikes, Site opposes three – super – European productions: the recent Aprilia RSV4 RF and BMW S1000RR (full options) compete against the all new Ducati Panigale V4 S… On the way to the circuit !
Comparo SBK 2018 – page 3: On the track, Forza Aprilia or Ducati ?
Theater a year ago of our 2017 Superbike comparison which brought together the four Japanese sportswomen, the Circuit des Écuyers welcomes us again in 2018 to test this time the three European Superbikes … without risking the loss of points on the license, the prison box or the collision with a tractor! MNC takes this opportunity to warmly thank the owner Franck Guittard, his son Erik and Ingrid Becard.
3.5 km long, the Beuvardes track is particularly winding and technical, so perfect for judging the agility and stability of our machines. Hilly, it is very taxing for the pilots as for the parts-cycles … and the electronics: our monsters of 200 horses cover the majority of the lap in seconds! It will swing.
Finally, the straight uphill line is ideal for comparing engine performance: it allows you to pull lightly on 2, 3 and 4th gears before plunging into a fast blind curve that trades in three. Guaranteed thrills !
With the Ducati however, the shudders begin at the bottom of the straight line, when the throttle is opened wide … To do this, it is imperative to put all your weight on the front axle because the latter has an unfortunate tendency to want to leave the ground. Watch out for the first knock-on acceleration: the ball is lurking !
Holding on to the handlebars of the new Panigale as well as possible does not only keep the steering function of the front wheel – sometimes useful! -: this also makes it possible to prevent the electronics from restricting the rotation of the rear wheel and to take advantage of the full potential of the V4 whose revivals are magnified by the pots !
The "Twin Pulse" setting is not a simple marketing argument: it actually allows the V4 to pull as hard as it sings, which is saying a lot. The vigor of the 4-cylinder V has enough to ignite thrill-seekers, but also cool less experienced pilots…
Fortunately, there is no risk of leaving in the sun: as on the Aprilia and the BMW, an inertial unit is responsible for determining the position of the Ducati in space. Too prancing? The motor is then automatically clamped in order to keep the front wheel on the asphalt, or just above.
More powerful and lighter than the RSV4 RF and the S1000RR FO (for "Full Options"!), The Panigale V4 S logically accelerates harder. Much stronger. In mid-revs, the differences are amazing: during tests of times around 4000 rpm in 3rd as in 4th, the Ducati easily beats the BMW and humiliates the Aprilia…
With its 1103 cc V4, the Bologna Superbike immediately leaps ahead of its two 999 cc rivals. She inflicts a nice correction on the German and her 4-in-line which, however, hangs after a handful of seconds and then maintains its ten-meter delay … but does not go up for all that..
The Ducati for the full of sensations
The second Italian remains in place, literally. The RSV4 is twice as far as the S1000RR when its "little" V4 finally lets go of the horsepower, around 8000 rpm. On the Aprilia, however, the feeling of acceleration is increased tenfold by the fabulous soundtrack, audible from low revs.
To get out of the pins more efficiently at the controls of the RSV4 RF, our host Éric Guittard – World Endurance pilot, please! – does not hesitate to enter 1st gear. Exceptional fact according to him! Less expressive than Noale’s Superbike, the S1000RR turns out to be more full in mid-range: we can therefore stay in second, as on the Panigale V4…
By keeping the three machines high in the towers, the gaps in the straight line are much smaller, if not nonexistent. Better: the pilot who skilfully whips his Aprilia can possibly pass in front of his comrade overwhelmed by the ardor of the Ducati !
A little heavier and better placed on its front wheel, the BMW is the European Superbike which requires the least experience to open wide in the stretches: you wring the handle without asking – too many – questions and without risking take the bubble in the chin…
In addition, the S1000RR’s footrests give the boots the best grip and their raised toes allow them to land well on the bends. The RSV4 RF is also well equipped from this point of view. Much better than the Panigale V4 anyway…
The Ducati’s footrests are oddly flat, short – for more pronounced angles? Let’s say … – and slippery. Twice Site has had the unpleasant experience of attacking the straight with the outside foot in the air. Not glop. And not very suitable for a motorcycle which precisely requires high mobility from the rider.
At the controls of the Aprilia, Site has identified only one major defect on the circuit: the excessively protruding cut of the tank sides slices the inside of the thighs, at the risk of getting a pair of bruises at the end of the track day. ! Luckily for them, MNC riders only spent a third of their time on the RSV4 RF.
To a much lesser extent, the Ducati can also hinder its rider because of its tank which is a little too prominent in its front part: this time, it is the outer arm which does not land on it very naturally. However, we do not prefer the BMW tank, which is very imposing….
In the slower parts, moreover, the BMW is the most physical to take: you have to put in a little more effort in the legs to pivot around its tank, and a little more in the arms to make it join the rope or cross a chicane. Advantage on the other hand: once installed, the BMW is the most stable of the three machines.
The BMW to discover the Superbike
On the S1000RR "FO", the feeling of riding a big motorcycle is accentuated by the lack of restraint of the electronic suspensions in Sport mode. The downforce, under braking as in acceleration, is not as solid as on the RSV4 RF whose suspensions are not electronically controlled, but have been very well adjusted by Aprilia France.
By selecting the Race mode of the BMW, its hydraulics are more closed, so that we can attack harder in the winding. On the demanding track of the Écuyers, however, it is not necessary to be called Loris Baz – the only BMW driver in WorldSBK this season – to define the limits of the German part-cycle..
On the Panigale V4 S, the sensation – strong! – to pilot a ringworm is omnipresent … Its thunderous engine catapults the pilot sharply. However, the wide handlebars also react strongly to the imperfections of the tarmac: at first, MNC prefers to bypass certain connections of the Beuvardes route so as not to be jostled too much..
The Ducati seems devilishly agile for a weapon of this caliber … It can no doubt thank its counter-rotating crankshaft from MotoGP, as well as the geometry of its front axle (see the technical sheets on the following page). It is only its wheelbase which is clearly superior to the others: three good centimeters which are not too much to pass the 214 hp on the ground !
The only machine in the comparo – and in Superbike production in 2018 – to benefit from an elegant single-arm, the Panigale V4 S is also the one that moves the most during the go-around, even when setting its electronic Ohlins to Race. The (over) powerful Italian might have been more comfortable at Mugello or Le Mans. But MNC unfortunately does not have the keys to these MotoGP circuits !
Player, rowdy, disruptor, agitator, provocateur (furry beast?) … The qualifiers of the character of the Panigale V4 on the circuit vary from rider to rider, but all agree that the Ducati is the more demanding. Too much for those who want to work on their position on the bike, or take care of their trajectories: in the first case, it is better to ride the BMW, in the second the Aprilia…
With its fabulously rigorous front end, the RSV4 RF instantly inspires confidence. This is not the case with the Panigale V4 S that the pilot must learn to tame, must gradually probe the – unfathomable for ordinary people? – ability to tackle bends or almost. The Ducati can turn hard and fast, even on a tired surface, but it shakes badly !
Likewise, the Aprilia enjoys imperial stability, on the angle as in a straight line: unlike the tempestuous Ducati, it never guides when changing gears in the straight line. And yet, Site swears to have whipped these two compatriots in the same way. And just as much German, by the way.
Of the three motorcycles also, the Aprilia is undoubtedly the one which has the best traction when exiting a curve: in "Race" mode, the traction control indicator light only flashes on very rare occasions, while that of the Ducati lights up much more often.
If we add to – all – this, the fact that the RSV4 is the most adept at diving, to tighten or widen a trajectory in the middle of a turn, we obtain the best tool of the comparison for those who wish to lower their lap times. It will also be necessary to adjust the suspensions, little by little: MNC just regrets the absence of mini-knobs that would allow the fork to be adjusted, as we modify the hydraulics of the shock absorber..
Aprilia to strike a clock
Aprilia also stands out from the competition thanks to the triggers on its left stalk, hard to modify while driving – while racing? – the level of traction control intervention: from very intrusive 8 to very permissive 1. Even "zero" for the heroes !
The BMW allows the same kind of modifications, but via small buttons that require the thumb to move further away from the handlebars: we therefore prefer to manipulate them in straight lines only. Finally, on the Ducati, changing this setting is a little more complicated while driving … Too bad.
Too bad indeed, because it is instructive to play with the traction control of a Superbike! By selecting the most castrating mode, we force ourselves to ride like MotoGP riders: by straightening the machine as quickly as possible so that it accepts to let go of its horses. !
The excellent grip of the original shods of "our" three motorcycles of the day allows however to accelerate – strong – on the angle, despite the very hot weather. Drifts during acceleration are also taken into account by the on-board scholarly chips: the beginnings of "slide" at the end of sessions are quickly and carefully managed. Phew…
Note that at the end of our driving on the track (about 150 km), the Ducati’s Diablo Corsa SP was more tired than that of the Aprilia, due to the greater constraints applied by the large V4 of the new Panigale. On the BMW S1000RR the Metzeler Racetec RR was in comparable condition to the Pirelli from the RSV4.
What about braking in all of this? The differences are slim … But the Journal moto du Net believes that the Aprilia also wins in this area, slightly dominating the BMW then the Ducati, because it offers braking power as progressive as demonic..
It is the RSV4 RF that MNC used the most on the brakes: as the turns, the grip of the right lever is delayed, reinforced … And the bike ends – finally ?! – by flinching, the rear wheel sweeping the track very slightly, within the limits allowed by the electronics.
On the S1000RR, the lower engine brake allows the rider to manage deceleration a little more naturally. At the same time, the front brake of the BMW is showing more bite: we therefore grip the right lever less clearly than on the Aprilia. You have to be more precise, which is possible on the track, but a little hard on the road in an emergency).
Finally, the Ducati is certainly not a bad braking machine. Its less curved and wide handlebars also offer excellent support! But by quibbling, we can blame him for his less consistent ("hard") leverage than the competitors. The longer lever travel makes it necessary to measure one’s actions better … Not always easy in the heat of the moment !
Unused on the circuit, the rear brakes stand out more clearly in "our" Superbikes. Dosable and powerful, that of the BMW is undoubtedly the most practical on the road … to spare the improbable passenger? In contrast, the Aprilia one requires the most effort, but is good for road use, quiet.
Verdict: two Italians and a German go on the circuit…
Brand new engine, brand new chassis: Ducati released a brand new Superbike in 2018 … while retaining its evocative name (Borgo Panigale, northeastern district of Bologna where the factory is based), its stunning line, its character. in hardened steel forged aluminum and its high price !
With its Desmosedici Stradale, the Panigale V4 is at least as bestial as the 1299 Panigale. As delicate to drive on the road as on the circuit … This is why MNC – and Matthieu, its most unbridled tester – recommends it to bikers who are primarily looking for a motorcycle to fill up on thrills..
Released nine years ago but gradually refined – especially in terms of electronics as advanced as on its rivals transalpine -, the S1000RR now appears as a Superbike – almost – versatile. Too bad his slightly more relaxed riding position is spoiled by the vibrations in the handlebars.
Less scary than the Ducati, less exhilarating than the Aprilia, the BMW nevertheless remains a high-performance and very rewarding machine. Site – and Yves, its most old wise – recommends it to riders who are new to the Superbike category.
Finally, the RSV4 RF is the most efficient on the track. Of these three machines "made in Europe", it offers the pilot the best compromise between passion and control. It is also by far the cheapest of the bunch … without compromising on the quality of the parts and the assembly! According to MNC – and Alex, his most demanding tester -, one of the best sportsmen of the moment.
The Aprilia however sins by its line which begins to date and tires the thighs on track! In addition, the managers of the Piaggio group have used and abused its triple optics, posting it on the cute RS4 125 and exciting Tuono V4, but also on the disappointing Caponord 1200 and insulting SRV 850! The image of (the) brand did not come out enhanced…
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