All Comparisons – Sports trails comparison test: Multistrada DVT Vs S1000XR Vs Versys 1000 – The ” Gehesse-XR ” prints the – big – rhythm!

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Comparative test of sports trails: Multistrada DVT Vs S1000XR Vs Versys 1000

All Comparisons - Sports trails comparison test: Multistrada DVT Vs S1000XR Vs Versys 1000 - The '' Gehesse-XR '' prints the - big - rhythm!

Before, sports motorcycles were stripped to become vitamin roadsters. From now on, they are mounted on stilts in order to make them sporty trails … MNC opposes three new 2015 models: Multistrada 1200 DVT, S1000XR and Versys 1000. Comparative !

The ” Gehesse-XR ” prints the – big – rhythm !

Getting out of Parisian traffic jams is a formality riding the Ducati Multistrada 1200 DVT, BMW S 1000 XR and Kawasaki Versys 1000. Well balanced, the three motorcycles overlook the traffic thanks to their upright position, their significant travel and their wide handlebars. Anticipating a sudden change of direction in front of you or sudden braking is facilitated by this relaxing ergonomics.

On the Ducati, the handlebars close to the bust and extremely wide (1000 mm at the handguards against 725 for the BMW and 895 for the Kawasaki) provide optimal control of the front axle, in addition to offering excellent leverage. Combined with its relatively low weight (232 kg against 228 for the BMW and 250 for the Kawasaki), this characteristic gives it the best handling..

This ease facilitates tight maneuvers during which it reveals the best turning radius. However not advantaged on this point by its large 48 mm sleeves (46 on the German and 43 on the Japanese), the Italian indeed points the shortest. A good robber Ducati, who would have believed it ?! However, it requires 50 cm less to turn around than its rivals, both perfectly tied !

As the Multistrada is also very compact between the thighs, it is easier to cause a light change of direction, with pressure on the handlebars or the footrest. This appreciable compactness – especially for small and medium sizes – gives the feeling of fitting "into" the motorcycle. Blindly, you would almost believe riding a Monster 1200 with large handlebars !

On the BMW, it’s the other way around: the bike is as long as it is leggy and its handlebars are the farthest of the three. Bringing it to the stop during a U-turn requires having a long arm, in addition to soliciting the biceps to counter the sensitive braking exerted by its steering damper at low speed.

Definitely, the S 1000 XR seems cut for bikers of 1.80 m and more, which confirms the positioning of its clutch control: not adjustable (unlike its rivals), its lever requires orange hands. outang! Fortunately, the optional shifter eliminates the need for both upshifting and downshifting. !

And that’s good, because this clutch lever is also quite stiff, although a good notch below that of the Ducati. In comparison, the clutch of the Versys 1000 evokes a lump of fresh butter! Bad point also concerning the Italian selection, rough, sound and sometimes imprecise … The gear lock is more effective and smooth on the BMW and Kawasaki, yet they also quite firm in the selection.

What about the Versys 1000 in all of this? Like a good Japanese motorcycle, it tends to compromise. Neither too big nor too small, it enjoys almost universal ergonomics, favored by its handlebars curved towards the rear. Set low enough, its footrests also cause the least strain on the legs. In return, they strain its ground clearance when taking very pronounced angles, unlike its rivals whose limits in this area are almost unfathomable on open roads. !

And then its engine is a model of pleasure: more flexible than a Russian gymnast, it is full like a submariner of the same nationality on a stopover night! Strolling at idle speed in the last gear then taking off again at a stroke does not pose any problem for him, even if this phase reveals an injection not quite as precise as the BMW and Ducati ride-by-wire, better calibrated and more transparent..

Endowed with an inertia betraying its distant roots (originally, the 4-legged is derived from the late ZX-9R), the Kawa block is multi-faceted: it pushes vigorously on the torque between 4000 and 6000 rpm – perfect for the duo – or can be used with a whip in sport mode.

In the towers, its surly acceleration and its immediate response can then surprise more than one … starting with the modern in-line 4-cylinder of the BMW and its sophisticated distribution by pawls! MNC would have bet that the sports engine of the S 1000 XR was going to make short work of its Japanese rival, especially as the German, lighter at 22 kg, has a better weight / power ratio…

Keener to take its turns and more "communicative" thanks to its whining soundtrack, the 4-legged from the S 1000 RR equalizes the elasticity and responsiveness of the Versys at low and mid-range. But its less linear revs, frankly "hairy", give it a rough side at the origin of an impression of superior performance to the Kawasaki…

Nay: our rigorous recovery tests show that in reality, on these French versions still limited to 106 hp, the two 4-cylinders fit in a pocket square! The discreet sound – the most bearable in the long run – of the Versys 1000’s exhaust conceals in fact a mechanical health as surprising as it is pleasing. What peps, these 4-legged !

It is only at very high speeds that the Kawasaki irreparably yields ground, but the speeds reached then quickly go beyond the legal framework! The S 1000 XR gallops, for example, at 150 km / h in 6th gear at 7000 rpm, a speed where its vibrations become unbearable. And to think that there are still 5000 laps to be exploited … Insofar as the BMW develops 40 hp more than the Kawasaki, the same type of result would probably be obtained in the Full power version..

The 4-legged twin…

Behind, the Ducati painfully brings up the rear, dropped by these bubbling 4-cylinders at each restart. And this including in the first part of the tachometer, where the twin cylinders traditionally take the ascendancy thanks to their additional torque. This is not the case here, despite its advantageous displacement of around 200 and 155 cc respectively on the BMW and Kawasaki….

Penalized by its very long transmission, the Multistrada 1200 DVT is especially less well filled between 3000 and 5000 rpm. A shame! It is only from 6000 rpm that the transalpine trail gets excited enough to – finally – give the response to its very efficient opponents. Underneath, the Italian twin may grow cheerfully and voluntarily, that’s not enough…

During our, we already deplored the sensitive smoothing of the Bologna twin in this version with variable distribution, especially noticeable in the first half of the tachometer. It is painfully confirmed – but logically – with 54 hp and especially 23 Nm of torque stuck at the French border…

On the other hand, the twin cylinder has really made progress in terms of its availability and its roundness: on condition of being gentle on the gas, it is possible to travel at 50 km / h in 4th gear at 2200 rpm without having the impression of risking take its Desmodromic distribution in the knees. Bravissimo !

MNC also particularly appreciated its sobriety, put forward by a very flattering 5.1 l / 100 km measured in "relaxed" driving, that is to say one liter less minimum than the S 1000 XR and Versys 1000. By typing in the reserve during 20 km, we have thus exceeded 300 km of autonomy despite its tank of only 20 liters (same for the BMW, 21 l for the Kawasaki).

Not bad at all for such a "big" engine: the announced virtues of DVT in terms of consumption are obviously not a sham! On the other hand, the testers of Journal moto du Net liked less its strong heat releases, particularly painful when the mercury "ignites" (more than 35 ° C during our driving!). To this discomfort is added the heat sent to the left calf by a cooling hose when the motorcycle is too closely surrounded….

In the winding, the "Gehesse-XR" continues its sporting recital, well helped by its precise, stable and sharp front end. Too firm in preload, its damping is nonetheless formidable in efficiency. Very rigorous and not very sensitive to mass transfers, the German does not encourage to stiffen it even more by engaging the "Dynamic" mode of its optional piloted suspension !

On the contrary, even: MNC would rather deplore the absence of a "Soft" suspension function, as on BMW road motorcycles, in order to gain comfort on bumpy passages. The advantages offered by the large travel are not fully utilized, particularly in terms of progressiveness in shock absorption.

Nevertheless, the S 1000 XR is a sacred tool in the sequences, fast as well as tight! The exits of "muscular" curves are its specialty, thanks to the health and the overflowing length of its engine and the unfailing efficiency of its traction control (informed by optional inclinometers) !

Surprisingly, it is generally the opposite which is observed on the Ducati: once is not customary, an Italian motorcycle sins by too much flexibility of damping! In this standard version equipped with suspensions with mechanical adjustments, the Multistrada 1200 DVT indeed lacks hydraulic retention..

Here again, MNC had already deplored this phenomenon during its, before noting that the S version equipped with continuous electronic adjustment suspensions offered a much better behavior..

With each pronounced braking, the fork plunges sharply, fatally compromising the directional precision. Reluctant to dive at exactly the same time as the front, the rear train exerts a slight hold when setting the angle, then kicks in on exits from the curve handle in the corner.

On big go-arounds, the front also tends to shed: the insufficient retention of the suspensions and the sporty hunting angle (24 °) are undoubtedly not foreign … MNC has tried to arrange things by intervening on the suspension settings, but the trigger was already practically fully tight at the rear…

If you take care to drive the Italian without brutalizing it, neither entering or exiting curves, the rigor of its chassis and its first-rate traction work wonders. Under this condition, the Multistrada 1200 DVT reveals its immense potential, materialized in particular by devilish agility and perfectly tuned assistance (the action of ABS and traction control varies depending on the angle).

Verdict: Kawasaki, without making noise !

Once again, where does the Kawasaki fit in? Well its dynamic behavior is located halfway between the sporting rigor of the S 1000 XR and the comfort generated by the flexibility of the suspensions of the Multistrada 1200. !

Fatally penalized in small corners by its "open" front end (27 ° caster angle) and its overweight – a speed of 20 to 30 kg would be welcome -, the Versys 1000 does not match the liveliness of the Ducati, nor the functioning "of a block" of the BMW. In the fast parts, the inertia due to its weight and its mechanics pushes it outwards, forcing to keep a certain reserve.

However, it is far from lagging behind! Better: in the winding, the Green very often follows the BMW and overflows the Italian thanks to its compromise of better controlled suspensions and its strong mechanical response. It’s not the fastest, nor the most rigorous, but its consistency makes it easy and predictable. The kind of bikes that go fast without forcing or stressing…

And when the asphalt creases, the Versys 1000 best protects the pilot and his passenger thanks to its cushioning and seat comfort. The approval is also at the rendezvous in terms of protection: if we plague not being able to adjust the height of the windshield while driving (the bindings are stupidly facing the road), the protection in the high position turns out to be satisfactory.

In addition, its "chubby" fairing sides preserve the legs the best, just ahead of the astonishing Ducati and the disappointing BMW. Yet usually formidable in this area, the Munich manufacturer missed out on this S 1000 XR: whether it is the helmet, the bust or the legs, the "propeller TGV" is the least protective of the three..

Cleverly designed, Multistrada’s adjustable on-the-go windshield – like the BMW, but in a simpler way – really wowed us. The shoulders and head of a 1.75m pilot are properly sheltered, enough to ride with the visor open with a helmet with removable sunscreen. Practical, just like its standard regulator (optional at BMW, not available at Kawa) and LED lighting of the buttons on its stems.

Completely eclipsed when stopped by the noisy mechanical vocalizations of the S 1000 XR and the Multistrada 1200, the Kawasaki Versys 1000 ultimately wins without making any noise at the end of this comparison. Quite simply because it offers the greatest versatility and a superior performance / price ratio: a logical positioning on the part of a generalist manufacturer like Kawasaki, whose trail offering revolves solely around the Versys.

This search for compromise is also felt on the side of Ducati, torn between its positioning as a manufacturer of motorcycles with a strong character and its legitimate desire to increase its success via a more accessible model. From where certainly this choice of a damping openly oriented comfort and the softening of the twin…

No problem of this kind at BMW, since the German trail range extends in all directions and meets – practically – all desires. Impossible then to blame the brand with the propeller on the edge of the nervousness of its S 1000 XR! Ultimately, despite its faults and its lack of equipment (in series), it is moreover that which best meets the definition of sport trail, or rather "hypersportive" !

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