All Duels – Duel Derbi-Suzuki Supermotard 125: very good trip! – Where are the watts?

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Duel Derbi / Suzuki Supermotard 125: very good trip !

All Duels - Duel Derbi-Suzuki Supermotard 125: very good trip! - Where are the watts?

Teaser, efficient and fun to ride, the 125 cc Supermoto motorcycles have everything to please lunch … and the less young! Demonstration with this comparison between the Derbi Senda DRD 125 SM and the Suzuki DR 125 SM for a duel… Super funny !

Where are the watts ?

In traffic jams, the 125 SM Suzuki slips through all the more easily as its handlebars are narrower and its turning radius better. In addition, it outclasses the Derbi Senda DRD in the exercise of urban gymkhana thanks to its position closer to the handlebars: this allows you to change course in the blink of an eye or to plant a trapper’s braking without sweating thanks to the sufficient and easily dosable power of the 255 mm front disc.

On the Derbi, the liquid cooling device induces a more pronounced separation of the knees, which generates a more rearward position on the saddle to the detriment of handling. But the Spanish ball takes its revenge at the slightest rotation of the right wrist: responsive and punchy in the turns, the Piaggio block literally fines the aging mono Suzuki !

Unable to match the impressive output of the Derbi’s 124.2 cc, the Suzuki DR125SM engine confirms what reading the datasheets suggests: making the Senda DRD 125 SM four hp and 2.5 nm of torque, the Japanese boiler is indeed dropped in terms of performance and sensations.

A little lazy at low revs, the Derbi single-cylinder then takes its turns with an astonishing conviction – given its displacement – and knocks out its rival without possible dispute when the tachometer needle is maintained between 7000 and 11000 rpm.

With a good reach (85 km / h at bottom of third), the Spanish reached 120 km / h on the flat and even gave us a flattering 129 km / h on a fast track on a slight slope, well hidden behind the tiny windbreak in sixth grade: Zarma, breathes deadly the BiDer moulbif !

Obviously, with its modest 110 km / h breaking fifth and last gear, the Suzuki does not see the light of day when the horizon clears. Worse: while descending from the Senda DRD, the soft revival of the DR125SM then seem totally anemic and above all devoid of the slightest hint of character…

The Japanese may offer a smoother and more precise selection (the Derbi box is subject to false dead centers at full load and its clutch lacks progressiveness) and a smoother injection than the 30 mm carburetor at very low speeds, this is not enough – by far! – to allow him to hope to keep in contact with the DRD125SM.

On the other hand, if the two machines are on an equal footing in terms of protection – almost zero! – and both vibrate slightly at high speeds, the Suzuki engine is less greedy: for the same trip, the Piaggio block of the Derbi can swallow up to half a liter of gasoline more! And as the Japanese has a larger tank (9 liters against 7.5 l), its field of action is automatically wider..

However, the engine performance of the Derbi is so much higher that we can easily forgive its slightly more pronounced thirst for unleaded. However, when taking stock of this duel, the enticing Derbi does not impose itself as easily as one might have thought on the valiant Suzuki: it gives him a lot of trouble, as this either in dynamics or in terms of practical aspects.

The yellow brand has indeed succeeded in combining the fun and efficiency that a Supermotard worthy of the name should claim with driving pleasure and overall comfort that is particularly appreciable on a daily basis … at least by the most bikers " experienced " !

Sharper and more attractive, the Derbi Senda DRD 125 SM dominates the Suzuki DR125SM above all in terms of engine and general presentation, the only real weak points of the Japanese SM … especially in the eyes of "Djeunz" !

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