All Comparisons – S1000R, Monster 1200, Superduke R and Z1000: Fantastic Four! – Roadsters attacking small roads

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S1000R, Monster 1200, Superduke R and Z1000: Fantastic Four !

All Comparisons - S1000R, Monster 1200, Superduke R and Z1000: Fantastic Four! - Roadsters attacking small roads

In 2014, the BMW S1000R, the Ducati Monster 1200 and the KTM 1290 Superduke R simultaneously attack the hegemonic and new Kawasaki Z1000! Which of these four fantastic bikes will emerge victorious from this fight ? Site counts points…

Roadsters attacking back roads

Sixth gears engaged, counters set at 70 km / h, right hands ready to spin: "one, two … gas !Instantly, the Z1000 leaps in front of its opponents like a rubber band! The S1000R follows at half length, while the Superduke R and Monster take longer to lengthen their stride..

Several face-to-face tests validate this first confrontation: to give company to his little comrades during a ride, like that without warning, the Kawasaki is the best weapon. It must be said that the "Big Zed" is doing a damn thing in 6th !

When the 6000 rpm LED on its tachometer lights up, the Kawasaki is driving at a still legal pace – on the highway – of 130 km / h. On the KTM and Ducati, driving at the same speed is already punishable by prison since the twin cylinders take about 30 km / h per 1000 revolutions on the last report !

The gear ratio of the BMW is modeled on that of the Kawa, but the low revs of the German are a bit less hairy than those of the Japanese. From the outset therefore, "Fantastic San" scores a point, very important in this medium of big arms…

By falling two or three speeds, on the other hand, the balance of power is completely reversed: the "Thing" KTM dismisses its opponents, then taking full advantage of its impressive torque of 121 Nm available from 4000 rpm, for a completely contained weight (211 kg all full).

The Austrian twin may well leave 80 horsepower at the French border, it forces its rider to settle into the back of the saddle and cling to the handlebars. Only regret about the "thirteen hundred cubic centimeters": it delays at about 6500 rpm, right where the cavalry of the "Full" version went from trotting to galloping. !

Less bothered by the clamping in France – and less annoying, suddenly -, the Italian twin is also much more demonstrative on 3rd and 4th gear. The Testastretta is almost as powerful as the LC8, and hits harder than the 4-cylinder.

Still neck and neck but relegated to the background this time, the Z1000 and S1000R must bow to their more reactive rivals. However, the BMW has a significant advantage that sets it apart from the Kawasaki: the sound !

Bulky and rocky, the voice of the small but strong Behème exhaust makes the acceleration of the "Torch" more exhilarating than those of the Kawa. While the Japanese did a good job of increasing the hoarse sound of the airbox, they deliberately muted all four exhausts. At this stage of the test, we almost regret it.

The Superduke R has no lessons to learn in terms of singing, no more than the Monster 1200 which, if it is not the most effective against the clock, is certainly the "sono": in addition to being "Visible", the Miss Ducati is audible, and from a distance !

The Superduke R hits the hardest

Under acceleration and deceleration, the "double barrel" hoots and backslash like no other. The Italian never stops singing at the top of their lungs … Some bikers will no doubt find her puzzling in the long run, but to attack on small roads, the soundtrack is connected !

Cycle part level, the Ducati will also delight the most "sporty" since on a perfectly flat tarmac it is by far the most incisive. A light pressure on the wide handlebars (83 cm, the widest of all, see the Practical aspects and equipment sheet) is enough to melt the motorcycle towards the rope.

The responsiveness of the front end of the little big monster is such that the first turns are often taken much more indoors than expected by triggering the movement. Better to exercise restraint when discovering the bike !

This precautionary principle also applies when entering for the first time, a portion of the road less well paved, because the Italian then goes from really smart to terribly nervous. The pilot must be extra careful: careful reading of the tarmac and avoiding bumps and hollows are imperative.

Indeed, crossing a pothole or a sharp projection invariably results in a series of sudden movements going up from the rims to the handlebars and is accompanied by a sudden surge of adrenaline throughout the body of the pilot !

In this, the Monster 1200 is not intended for small natures. On a tired departmental, it even encourages less seasoned bikers to release the gas at the exit of a curve and to return less strongly at the entry. In short, in a nutshell, MNC will not go four ways and will be quite clear, frank and direct: the Ducati encourages you to drive slower..

Also made up of – big – steel tubes, the KTM’s orange and white chassis looks as stiff as the red, but benefits from more efficient and better tuned WP suspensions than the Kayaba and Sachs duo mounted on the "standard" Ducati. Thus, on the bumpy, jolts occur but stop more quickly.

What we also like about the Katoche is the fact that you can easily change the hydraulic settings of the fork, via the small knobs at the top of each tube. By taking delivery of the Superduke, Site was thus able to return in the blink of an eye to a medium setting, for an optimum compromise. !

Stronger than the KTM, the electronic system of the BMW makes it possible to juggle between three modes which are aptly named: Soft, Normal or Hard … It is the latter that MNC has selected to judge the ability of the S1000R to fly . And she did not disappoint us !

The S1000R sends into orbit

In the fast portions, the S1000R is the most impressive: between its engine which vociferates almost as loud as the Ducati "herself" and its front axle which remains perfectly stuck to the road (the law of "without" horses would be good, finally ?!), the "Torch" Behème fires like no other.

She goes so well in curves, even a little degraded, that her driver – that’s the right word! – quickly regrets not being on a circuit in order to be able to further exploit the formidable potential of this sports "roadsterized", equipped in our case with a shifter…

More reassuring than the Ducati for beginners – but no less overwhelming! -, the BMW will appear more natural than the KTM for fans of sporty roadsters thanks to its driving position more inclined forward, giving the impression of better control of the front wheel.

This feeling of perfect management of the direction is undoubtedly amplified by the stability of the front axle. In return, this makes the German less playful than the Austrian and the Italian … In the winding, the Munich bomb requires spitting a little more in the gloves and going to coal.

Paradoxically, the Z1000 turns out to be more agile than the S1000R. Under her air of thick brute and despite her greater weight (220 kg for the Kawa against 207 kg for the BM, the lightest of the Fantastic Four!), The Japanese woman makes it easier to follow the Superduke R in small sequences..

At the start of the course, MNC would have gladly softened its suspensions so that they erase the imperfections of the road (like the BMW in Soft mode, for example!) Rather than having them all reflected in the lower back via the tiny saddle. . but we ran out of time to take out the screwdriver.

As the pace of taxiing increased, Site was able to notice that the compromise between factory settings could hardly have been improved. The shock absorber, above all, ends up settling when exiting a curve and can lose track on crumpled asphalt: its trigger would therefore not necessarily benefit from being released..

Conversely, the traction of the Kawasaki would benefit from being controlled! Posted on the Japanese elastic "Fantastic", the biker thinks twice before opening wide on small roads at the exit of bends … especially at the end of winter !

The excessively short draft of the throttle control on the Verte only confirms our opinion: driven in town and in all weathers – in France anyway, maybe not in Japan? -, Akashi’s roadster should be inspired by its Z1000SX twin, equipped as standard with KTRC … and ABS !

You attacked ?

Because without even trying to attack – yes well, not knocking in any case … -, the user of current maxi roadsters is quick to exceed the grip limits of small roads winding through the undergrowth or lanes traversing our congested cities. We may be wary…

In the radius of "driving aids", BMW, Ducati and KTM are supplied from Bosch and they are right: the interventions are extremely gentle, not to say imperceptible. You thus remain fully focused on the trajectory of your motorcycle and those of other users. This is also safety on two wheels.

Site did not need any assistance, however, to decide between the "Fantastic Four" with regard to their braking: the title of best brakeman is awarded to the S1000R, in particular thanks to its superior bite..

As soon as you touch the right lever of the BMW it already begins to slow down noticeably. Then, the more you pull on it, the stronger the deceleration, until it becomes phenomenal and not suitable for road use! Fortunately, the power control is obvious. A must !

The KTM comes in second thanks to its braking just as vigorous, but a little more timid when attacking the lever. The gap between the "Torch" and the "Thing" is fine and it may be that at first, the bikers prefer the Katoche, less reactive and surprising during the first brakes..

If the Z1000 leans here against the Superduke R, it is only because of a weaker rear brake. At the front, however, "Mr Fantastic" has nothing to envy his sidekick, the lever actions being impeccably transmitted to the pistons of the powerful front calipers..

On the Ducati, finally, the rear brake is very disappointing, so much so that the Italian engineers would have done better to remove it – yes, quite simply! – in order to nibble precious grams at the weighing! Too hard, the pedal deprives the pilot of any feeling and does not allow him to dose correctly.

By trying to put more strain on the rear caliper (with two pistons as on the KTM, simple on the BMW and Kawasaki, see our technical sheets on the last page), the pilot ends up waking up the ABS! But the front brake of the "beautiful" Ducati also leaves him skeptical…

Even having noted that its "standard" Monster 1200 did not inherit the same calipers as the Panigale – unlike the "S" – Site expected the Bologna machine to dry up its opponents on this precise point. It is not so.

But finished playing: our "Fantastic Four" must now go to Site’s secret base for the final jury deliberation … The roadsters hurry – that’s their specialty! – to return by taking the motorway, direction the center of Paris…

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