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Comparison test of speed bikes

Full throttle once and back

If you only reduce Suzuki’s new Hayabusa, the BMW K 1200 S and the Kawasaki ZZR 1400 to their top speed, you can make it short. 16 seconds are enough on the A 81 between Heilbronn and Wurzburg. The rest will take longer.

Are there things more unreasonable than motorcycles with almost 200 hp? There is much to be said for it. How about, for example, a 400-hp mid-range sedan? Or off-road vehicles weighing tons with 500 hp? Free climbing on the north face of the Eiger is probably bottomlessly unreasonable. Landing on the moon too. Or a visit to the Oktoberfest.

Clearly: The question of meaning does not let us go. And yet it can never be answered. Seen in this way, Suzuki’s new hunting falcon is just another statement in what is undoubtedly a dubious subject. 197 HP and like slipped out of the wind tunnel. Almost 300 km / h is the end of the line in Germany anyway. As is well known, the 175 hp of the old Hayabusa were enough for this. “Hayabusa is a cult,” says Mr. Suzuki, Bert Poensgen, against it. Especially in the Eldorado of cultivated foolishness, the USA. There the streamlined bird is still one of the best-selling motorcycles. Without a voluntary speed cutter like in this country, of course. But in the land of the sometimes unlimited possibilities there is a rigorous speed limit and sheriffs who know no mercy. If you shake your head now, you shouldn’t drive Hayabusa. Or ZZR 1400, which with at least 190 hp belongs to the same group. Maybe the BMW would come K 1200 S in question, because only the Bavarians in this performance class keep a spark of residual sanity and let it be good at 167 nominal hp.

For the supporters of the pure ratio, however, even that should be too much. Some things can never be enough. It just depends on the point of view. In any case, 167 hp are easily enough not to let the Japanese cars escape even on unlimited motorways. Even if full throttle is possible for 16 seconds. Which finally brought us to the Autobahn 81 between Heilbronn and Wurzburg. And when it comes to speed. 16 seconds of full throttle. Long time? Or a short one? Hard to say. One thing is certain: somehow you want it to pass. And curiously enough, he’s still afraid of the end. Because the end is almost always a screeching halt. At least felt. 16 seconds at around 297 km / h (then Hayabusa and ZZR run into the limiter) corresponds to a distance of 1530 meters. That’s 88 meters per second. If you then have to decelerate down to 130 km / h (and this happens often), you brake with an average deceleration of 7.8 meters per second. To the square, of course.

Comparison test of speed bikes

Full throttle once and back

Displacement Goliaths

Despite the magnificent engine, the Suzuki Hayabusa 1300 has to line up behind the BMW K 1200 S..

That means: 292 meters of braking in 5.53 seconds. And it feels like an emergency stop to a standstill. This is how 130 km / h feel when you return from this distant, full-throttle galaxy. It is so unreal that shortly afterwards only black lines tell of what has just happened. On the straights, in the long motorway curves ?? If you look closely, you can follow the tracks that the three low-flying planes have painted on the asphalt like contrails. Anyone familiar with physics imagines the slip and extrapolates the tire wear. Anyone who was hardy enough and looked for a second from the narrow strip of asphalt may have registered the maximum consumption of the Kawa display out of the corner of their eye. 19.6 liters at 10500 rpm and the speedometer needle at the stop. For 16 seconds. At this point at the latest, the next car always pulls out. If you’re lucky, it’s not a truck.

It brings even junkies back to the here and now immediately. And back to what makes these cars so attractive. As soon as the man in front has reined in again, there is plenty of thrust from all angles. Relaxed cruising in the manner of a gentleman, knowledge of infinite reserves of strength, drawing on the full. In this respect the old Hayabusa was already queen. It’s all the more new. Because it not only sets the standard in almost all driving performance disciplines, but also in the way in which it for this cornucopia of power over the driver and vehicle. Gentle on the throttle response, with emphasis from medium speeds, like a storm above? this is indeed a very fine piece of engine construction that comes from Hamamatsu. In this regard, the larger displacement (1340 to 1352 cubic centimeters) Kawa drive would not even keep up, if its creator had not got into this unfortunate torque brake in the lower speed range. But they have.

With the result that the full load curves do not adequately depict the sad depiction of the ZZR 1400 to 4000 rpm and even beyond. The Kawa four-cylinder can only be used as it wants from about 6000 rpm? and immediately catches up with the Suzuki foursome without catching up with him completely. Unfortunately, this broad field, which at least extends over around 5000 rpm, is mostly of a theoretical nature in real life beyond the test bench role. If you don’t want to believe that and continue to pay homage to the sheer power, you are a candidate for the test ride on the K 1200 S. In the field of this displacement Goliath, she gives the David, while her short translation plays the sling that the other two use their most sensitive point. Only 3.7 seconds pass when it accelerates from 60 to 100 km / h in last gear, while the Hayabusa takes 3.9 seconds and the ZZR 1400 is outclassed with 4.4 seconds. The situation is reversed as a result, but the first serve is there. Because when the others strike back with concentrated power, the tempos are at which the guardians of law and order take a closer look and tempo freaks like to show the ladle.

Comfort and equipment

The BMW K 1200 S shows all-round talent.

In order to save yourself that, you should look at the speedometer from time to time in view of the enormous possibilities. The fact that the good old pointer comes into its own with all candidates is not only pleasant, but also no coincidence. It is indicative of the philosophy of these Kraftmeier. This is not about lightweight construction? which manifests itself across the board in weights around 250 kilograms and mighty dimensions? about winning laurels on the circuit. The fact that BMW initially launched the K 1200 S in this direction may be credited to the exuberance that moved into Munich when they first ventured into these performance regions. The fact that the second edition of the Hayabusa still offers a seating position that sports motorcycles would no longer be able to afford today cannot even be explained as a »cult«. Long tank, deep handlebars, high notches ?? About ten years ago, when the 300 km / h falcon appeared, it was due to the record run. Today it’s just yesterday.

Especially in view of the Bavarian conditions. The K 1200 S fits like a tailor-made crack leather. There is no other motorcycle that masters the balancing act between combined sportiness and dignified Gran Turismo demands so skillfully. The Kawasaki is also miles away from that, the arrangement of which tends to stretch the driver less over the tank than the Suzuki, but with a peculiar positioning of the footrests and handlebar ends, it still doesn’t suit most people. This rating also applies roughly to the second row. BMW ?? not bad kawasaki ?? well, Suzuki ?? rather poor: That is the order of precedence in the pillion business, and it is not unimportant because it is about a point that is unreservedly suitable to legitimize this class of motorcycles. Fast on the motorway and brisk on the country road ?? The hot 1000 athletes can do that neither worse nor less comfortable these days. But would you also like to go fast for two, with a lot of power on vacation, without having to use a sweeping tour steamer? This is the territory of the racing cars, here they could score.

BMW has done a great job in this regard. The ESA chassis, which is subject to a surcharge and can be adjusted at the push of a button, is a terrific number that has the right setting ready for every purpose and load condition. The other two don’t have much to oppose. Their tuning, which tends to be more uncomfortable, is due to the stability and is more likely to be called "Sport" than "Tour". Just like wind protection, traditionally a domain of Bavaria. Despite the tightly cut Plexiglas, you feel well protected on the K 1200 S, while the Kawasaki and even more so the Suzuki driver reap the storm sown with the throttle hand at least sitting upright. She has to catch him again. The partially integral brake of the BMW, brute in its effect and finely ABS-controlled, is not exactly to dose well, despite the renunciation of the brake booster previously found to be guilty, but speaks surprisingly violently. Or the BMW transmission. After all, the Kawasaki gearbox has a serious competitor in the competition for the cracking first gear in motorcycle history, while the Hayabusa gear train shines as a shining star in the transmission sky.

Seriously, nobody will want to say that about their new four-piston brake calipers, which now bite into smaller (310 millimeters) but thicker discs. Why Suzuki upgraded in terms of performance, but rather disarmed in terms of safety with blunt stoppers and, above all, without ABS, can at best be understood with regard to the twitching in the United States, especially since Kawasaki and BMW are up to date . The Kawa system can be more finely dosed, the BMW ABS has more precise control? in this respect there is almost a tie between the two at a level that is appropriate for this performance class. Overall, however, there can be no really talk of a stalemate. The lead of the BMW is too big, which continues to mature (so the test motorcycle stood on the finely harmonizing Pirelli Diablo instead of the previous Bridgestone BT 14) and which does not afford a serious weakness in any chapter. The imbalance of the Kawa is too great in many respects, too great are the old weaknesses of the new Hayabusa, which shines with its formidable engine, but otherwise has hardly developed any further. That may be enough for anyone looking for a thrill on the Autobahn. For the rest of the world, a two-wheeler life is definitely more than a few seconds.

Data BMW K 1200 S

Engine: water-cooled four-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, two balance shafts, two overhead, gear / chain-driven camshafts, four valves, rocker arms, dry sump lubrication, injection, Ø 46 mm, regulated catalytic converter, alternator 580 W, battery 12 V / 14 Ah, hydraulically operated multiple discs – Oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, cardan.

Bore x stroke: 79.0 x 59.0 mm
Displacement: 1157 cm3
Compression ratio: 13: 1
Rated output: 123.0 kW (167 hp) at 10250 rpm
Max. Torque: 130 Nm at 8250 rpm

Landing gear: Bridge frame made of aluminum, double longitudinal control arm made of aluminum (with ESA: adjustable rebound stage damping), steering damper, two-jointed single-sided swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base and rebound damping (with ESA: adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping), double disc brake at the front, Ø 320 mm, four-piston fixed calipers, rear disc brake, Ø 265, double-piston floating caliper, semi-integral composite brake with ABS.

Cast aluminum wheels: 3.50 x 17; 6.00 x 17
Tires: 120/70 ZR 17; 190/50 ZR 17
Tires in the test: Pirelli Diablo "E"

Mass and weight: Wheelbase 1571 mm, steering head angle 65.0 degrees, caster 99 mm, spring travel f / r 115/135 mm, seat height * 825 mm, weight with a full tank * 256 kg, payload * 194 kg, tank capacity 19.0 liters.
Service intervals every: 10000 km
Colors: black, yellow / gray, blue / white
Price: 15,590 euros
Price test motorcycle ** 16,610 euros
Additional costs 269 euros

Data Suzuki 1300 Hayabusa

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Jahn, Suzuki

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Jahn, Suzuki

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Suzuki

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Jahn, Suzuki

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Data Kawasaki ZZR 1400

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Kawasaki

Kawasaki

Kawasaki

Kawasaki

Kawasaki

Comments scoring

engine
Overall, a performance at the highest level. And yet the Hayabusa clearly decides the engine chapter for itself. Not only with plenty of power, but also with impeccable manners in terms of response and load change behavior as well as a great transmission. BMW and Kawasaki deliver a head-to-head race at a high level, because the significantly more powerful ZZR fails not only when it comes to pulling power, but also when it comes to responsiveness. With the K 1200 S, the rough load change behavior and a transmission that keeps puzzling up are bothersome. Sometimes butter-soft, sometimes rock-hard shifting, with a cracking first gear and occasionally poor locking.

Winner engine: Suzuki Hayabusa

landing gear
The chassis is a little tighter than in the engine rating. The bottom line, however, is that the BMW with its famous ESA chassis is ahead of the competition because it can be adjusted to all road and load conditions at the push of a button and there is hardly anything to complain about apart from the lack of feedback. The Kawasaki shines with excellent stability, but steers in imprecise and leaves a little lack of comfort. Like the Suzuki, by the way, whose lean angle is limited early by long fear nipples and which has to leave springs with the pillion passenger.

Chassis winner: BMW K 1200 S

everyday life
The hour of Bavaria! The K 1200 S brings out a lead of almost 20 points over the Hayabusa in this chapter. Sitting position, equipment, maintenance ?? The card-driven BMW sets the standard everywhere, it just has to fit in terms of range. And again, it is the Suzuki engine that shines. This time with his unexpected frugality, while the headlights of the ZZR shine brightest and you can see even more in their rear-view mirrors than with the other two.

Winner everyday life: BMW K 1200 S

security
No ABS for the Suzuki? that is a real lapse. Just like the brake metering of the BMW, while the effect and the control behavior of the ABS are really good. Overall convincing: the ZZR brake. Suzuki and Kawasaki position themselves uncomfortably when braking, kickback is most likely an issue at BMW.

Safety winner: BMW K 1200 S

costs
This performance class is not exactly cheap, although the Hayabusa consumes little and the BMW is still affordable in terms of inspection costs. In terms of maintenance, all three of them gnaw quite heavily on the budget.

Winner costs: BMW K 1200 S

Price-performance winner: Suzuki Hayabusa
As is so often the case, the Suzuki is the cheapest machine in the comparison and is ahead with a decent number of points in this evaluation. No chance despite a good point advantage: the expensive BMW.

MOTORCYCLE test result

1st place: BMW K 1200 S
In this field it is the all-round carefree package with the best all-round properties, without giving up any decisive influence on speed. A deserved victory.

2nd place: Suzuki Hayabusa
The engine is magnificent, the rest almost cult. But cult does not give points. Therefore, the new one, which is the old one in many respects, has to be clearly behind the BMW.

3rd place: Kawasaki ZZR 1400
The Greens are revising their stunts soon, and that is necessary. Above all, the torque mishap in the lower rev range causes annoyance. The stability is impressive.

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