All Comparisons – Comparison test Tuono V4RR Vs GSX-S1000 Vs MT-10: 1000 fires! – Fight of three naked sports bikes

Comparative test Tuono V4RR Vs GSX-S1000 Vs MT-10: 1000 fires !

All Comparisons - Comparison test Tuono V4RR Vs GSX-S1000 Vs MT-10: 1000 fires! - Fight of three naked sports bikes

Launched this year by Yamaha, the MT-10 intends to shine in the 1000 cc roadsters category. To assess its capabilities, Site compared it to the best Japanese, the Suzuki GSX-S1000, and the all-powerful Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 RR.. Comparo.

Fight of three naked sports motorcycles

As different as they may be visually, our three maxiroadsters have one thing in common: all descend from a (top) Superbike model! The family bond is more or less stretched depending on the brand, but as we have seen on the first page, their heart is that of a sportswoman..

On the MT-10, star of this comparison since it is a brand new model, the R1’s Crossplane 4-cylinder tuned has been thoroughly revised with the main aim of promoting mid-range revival. And at the same time, Iwata engineers had to comply with the new Euro4 emissions standard.

At Noale, the improvements made in 2015 to the engine of the are declined on the Tuono. But the Reds have also – and above all – increased the displacement of their V4 (3 mm more bore): the 1077 cc version thus develops 5 horsepower and 8 Nm more than the 999 cc approved for the SBK.

The Hamamatsu Yellows, for their part, started with the 4-cylinder engine set at 180 ° from the 2005: a relatively long-stroke engine, synonymous with generous torque. This character has been reinforced by Japanese engineers, even if it means losing maximum power (178 hp on the "Gex K5" as a reminder).

In the end, the GSX-S1000 develops 145 hp, the MT-10 160 hp and the RSV4 175 hp (see the full technical sheets on the last page). But the Suzuki defends itself better in terms of maximum torque value: 106 Nm at 9,500 rpm, against 111 Nm for the Yamaha and 120 Nm for the Aprilia, 500 rpm lower. Yum…

Faithful to their "Deltabox" type aluminum frame, the Bleus d’Iwata replaced the magnesium in the rear buckle and the rims of their Superbike with less noble materials (steel and aluminum respectively). This partly explains the increase in weight: 210 kg for the MT, 199 for the R1.

Announced by its manufacturer at 209 kg all full (ABS / "Full power" option at 500 euros naturally checked!), The Suzuki benefits from a lighter aluminum frame than that of the original GSX-R! Its swingarm, on the other hand, is taken directly from the Superbike..

On the Tuono, the swingarm was slightly lengthened compared to that of the RSV4, while the front axle geometry was closed accordingly. Some measurements of the Italian bomb are not communicated, which limits comparisons with the two Japanese…

Coquette, Aprilia only indicates its dry weight, for example: 184 kg. We note in passing that the Tuono tank carries 1.5 liters of gasoline more than the other two (18.5 against 17 liters), but that its dashboard is the only one without a fuel gauge. !

The Tuono V4 1100 RR pumped up

The Italian roadster, however, has a large tachometer, much more readable than the Japanese digital versions. The speed and the gear engaged are clearly displayed on the three counters and it is only by filling in its practical aspects and equipment sheet (on the penultimate page) that MNC notices that a shiftlight is missing. Suzuki. Not enough to reverse the outcome of this fight !

Side suspensions, Yamaha assures to have mounted on the MT-10 the same inverted fork of 43 mm and Kayaba mono-shock absorber as on the R1. Site readers – who, as everyone knows, have a little more elbow grease than others – will have to verify this information for themselves….

Suzuki uses the same Japanese supplier for its GSX-S1000 while Aprilia prefers to equip itself from Sachs. According to the Italian manufacturer, the elements are identical to those of the previous Tuono V4, but their calibration has been modified to make this maxisportive maxiroadster more comfortable….

Similar to that installed on the R1, the MT-10’s braking system uses dual 320mm discs for the front bitten by 4-piston radial calipers (recognizable by Yamaha’s distinctive star tuning forks!), And for the rear has a 220 mm disc and single piston caliper.

The braided hoses of the Yamaha Superbike disappear on the roadster, but they are maintained on the Tuono. The disc dimensions are the same as on the MT, but the Aprilia’s calipers – golden, like the fork – come from Brembo.

Suzuki also shopped at Brembo, selecting for its GSX-S the same caliper models as for its GSX-R1000 (from 2014 this time), associated with 310mm discs. At the rear, the Hamamatsu firm did not select an Italian 2-piston caliper like Aprilia, but a single-piston Nissin. Simple and efficient ?

The hyper-sophisticated electronics of the Yamaha hyper sports car have been significantly simplified: if the MT-10 includes three engine maps (ditto on the Tuono, only one on the GSX-S), it ignores the "IMU" inertial unit. of the R1 and is satisfied with a more basic TCS traction control, but configurable on three levels and disconnectable.

The Suzuki traction control is also adjusted on three levels, also via the left commodo. As for the Aprilia, it receives the "APRC" pack as standard, which includes the set of triggers (+/-, always on the left) allowing you to juggle the eight levels of traction control sensitivity. !

Unlike the MT-10, the Tuono wanted to keep all of the Superbike’s features: on the "decarenated" RSV4 we therefore find the anti-nose-up functions (adjustable on three levels), "launch-control" (departure gun assisted!) and data recovery (usable with the V4-MP application).

The MT-10 enters the ring

Likewise, while the Tuono retains the quickshifter of the RSV4, the MT-10 bazards that of the R1. In exchange, it adopts a speed regulator, a gadget to say the least unexpected on this style of motorcycle but which is proving more and more convenient on the major axes full of radars (fixed, mobile, on-board mobiles, sections, etc.)…

Other surprises will be appreciated by bikers wishing to cover long distances on the handlebars of the Yamaha roadster: it has a 12V socket as standard (on the left of the dashboard, very practical for a GPS in particular) and flexible luggage racks..

These suitcases will also allow you to take the disc lock that you can fit under the saddle of the Suzuki, but that the Yamaha categorically refuses to take (come on, a mini model at a pinch). Aprilia is even more obtuse: you can hardly slip your regulatory yellow vest inside !

The point on which the Yamaha makes no concessions is aesthetics. The bias is fully assumed: after Kawasaki and the "manga" look of its popular Z series, Yamaha seeks to impose the "Transformers" touch of its MT, further accentuating the line on its latest model … Marchera, will not work ?

Once the magnificent fairing of the R1 fell, the Japanese designers took care to dress the radiator – upper, not the lower – and equipped the tank / air box with prominent air inlets that give the machine a size more impressive than its two rivals of the day.

Yamaha has unfortunately not seen fit to install an engine guard: the large gas plenum chamber is only very partially camouflaged. The Suzuki does much better on this point, with protections – decorations … – painted and enveloping.

Having become common among roadsters – especially Japanese – the long lightning-shaped scoops, the fluid and muscular features of its tank and its rear buckle, as well as the falsely original headlight of the "Gexesse", do not attract gazes of passers-by, monopolized by the MT…

Aprilia for its part has slightly revised its copy, replacing the fork crown with double lenticular optics by the more harmonious set of the RSV4. If only the Italians had not glued the front of their Superbike on the whole of their production (,, …), we could have appreciated this "tribute".

The GSX-S1000, Japanese title holder

The two colors available on the Tuono V4 1100 RR refer to two circuits: Donington for our blue test model and Portimao for the gray version. The pretty red rims and more detailed graphics are reserved for the Tuono V4 1100 Factory … 2300 euros more expensive !

The two Japanese roadsters also offer a blue (electric for the Suz ‘, "Race" for the Yam’) and a gray (matt on both). The GSX-S adds to this a classy two-tone black / red, while the MT-10 logically opts for a particularly "dark side" black….

In its gray color, the Yamaha adopts neon rims as "fun" as they are messy. The slightly manic owner – but who dares to ride in the rain ?! – will have to clean his machine frequently. However, the task is tedious: devoid of a shoe and sparsely dressed, the MT-10 exposes every nook and cranny to projections…

In terms of finish, the beautiful fully polished aluminum frame and swingarm of the Aprilia makes a strong impression, but some wiring, hoses and connections do a job next. Some plastic covers could also be adjusted more carefully … as on the Yamaha, for example !

On the Suzuki, we can criticize the welds a little too massive on the sides of the frame or the ABS cables that run along the brake hoses on the right side, so visible when the bike is placed on the side. MNC regrets above all the too basic shape of the indicators (should we be happy to have avoided the orange tint?) And the too massive back plate support.

Note occasionally that our test GSX-S1000 was equipped with a seat cowl (€ 67), a windshield (€ 115) and a Yoshimura pot (€ 790). This last accessory was also not too much in the face of its new adversaries, much louder than the …

With its original exhaust, the Suzuki has a harsher tone from idle than the Kawasaki and the Honda. But even equipped with a "Yosh", it is stifled by the new Yamaha whose deliciously asynchronous sound evokes the MotoGP M1s (listen and compare them).

In turn, the MT-10 must however bow under the growls of the Tuono V4 1100 RR, which one can hardly believe that they are homologated … The Italian roadster does not make as much noise as a machine of World Superbike, but we’re getting close! And the same goes for dynamic performance, to discover on the next page…

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