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• Reason and emotion bikes in comparison
• Overall conclusion

j.kuenstle.de

39 photos

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Suzuki B-King: Price 14,490 euros, additional costs around 145 euros.

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Kawasaki Z 1000: Price 11,295 euros, additional costs around 180 euros.

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Suzuki B-King: The optical gigantism is deceptive. The B-King drives like a good all-rounder – but is much, much stronger.

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Next candidate: Honda CB 1000 R.

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Suzuki B-King: The daring design did not lead to market success.

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Honda CB 1000 R: Price 10690 euros, additional costs around 170 euros.

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Suzuki B-King.

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Honda CB 1300 R: The Honda only conveys the radical naked bike feeling visually. Technically, handling dominates – and perfection.

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Kawasaki Z 1000.

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BMW K 1300 R: Price 13,900 euros, additional costs around 206 euros.

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Yamaha FZ1: last candidate in the naked bike quintet.

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Yamaha FZ 1: Price 11,195 euros, additional costs around 170 euros.

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Which naked bike has the edge in the 1000-point ranking??

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Yamaha FZ 1: it inspires drivers with a penchant for streetfighters.

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Candidate with tradition: Kawasaki Z 1000.

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Suzuki B-King: a proud 1340 cubic capacity, measured 174 hp.

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Yamaha FZ 1: abrupt increase in torque at 7000 rpm.

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BMW K 1300 R..

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Suzuki B-King.

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Yamaha FZ 1: there is only one thing missing – more torque. The streetfighter image still comes across.

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It starts with the BMW K 1300 R..

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Suzuki B-King: the underestimates.

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Kawasaki Z 1000: the snakeskin look polarized.

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BMW K 1300 R: unconventional chassis with Duolever at the front and Paralever at the rear.

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Rare on naked bikes, typical for BMW – electronic driving aids.

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The BMW K 1300 R (730 points) wins with a clear lead: With a first-class chassis and a brutal engine, the BMW definitely fulfills the specifications of an emotional power naked bike – and saddles the sensible (comfort, equipment) on top.

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Yamaha FZ1.

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The rest of the field serves the naked bike fan base through conceptual rather than qualitative differences. The Suzuki (663 points) inspires performance-loving big boys, the Honda (657 points) result-oriented perfectionists, the Kawasaki (649 points) those who are also otherwise passionate, and the Yamaha (633 points) power types with a penchant for streetfighters.

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The defoliated: The "R." comes directly from the disguised S model.

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Kawasaki Z 1000: the Z builds on a great tradition – and proves that four-cylinder engines can also have character.

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Honda CB 1000 R..

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Kawasaki Z 1000: Kawasaki has succeeded in creating an expressive naked bike.

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Honda CBR 1000 R..

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Honda CB 1000 R..

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Honda CB 1000 R: Its handiness is unrivaled in the naked bike segment.

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Honda CB 1000 R: Price test motorcycle 11,490 euros, including ABS 600 euros, special paintwork 200 euros.

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Price test motorcycle 17 210 euros with safety package (1400 euros), Comfort package (700 euros), ESA (electronic suspension adjustment) 740 euros, luggage rack 110 euros, automatic gearshift (360 euros).

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Big naked bike test 2010. MOTORRAD divided the eleven candidates into two groups this year: reason machines and emotion machines. Here are the so-called reason machines: …

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Yamaha FZ 1: 150 hp at 11400 rpm.

The big naked bike group test

Reason and emotion bikes in comparison

No other type of motorcycle conveys the driving experience as directly as the powerful naked bikes. But how much common sense, how much emotion should there be? MOTORRAD tested eleven undisguised Power Nakeds in two groups.

Power naked bikes. The name alone sounds like asceticism, like motorcycles that don’t own more than necessary. Except for one thing: power. It has to be well over 100 hp to belong to the club of the strong and beautiful. Strong, beautiful, naked? The association with body cult is not too far-fetched. In the literal sense of the word, original motorcycles, which do their job without a fairing or special alignment, practically without make-up, are no longer the current naked ones. The mix of sporty compactness and aggressive streetfighter flair is visually beguiling. In practice, Power Nakeds interpret motorcycling in their own way. A performance between 121 HP of the KTM Super Duke and 174 HP of the Suzuki B-King shift the criteria.

Without the protective cover, the fun of motorcycling is suddenly no longer based on mere speed or even on utility. It is less about how much than how. About crisp response, about thrust from the lower rev range, about nimble handling and about pure acceleration. In order to have the experience of igniting a hurricane even on the shortest straight, sitting relaxed behind the broad handlebars to feel in control of the situation. Ultimately, about unfiltered fun in motorcycling. Or to put it another way: about emotion.

That works. Every third motorcycle sold in Germany (see diagram below) belongs to the naked bike segment. The big hits among the big bare-bones are the Yamaha FZ1 (12th place in the 2009 registration statistics) and the Honda CB 1000 R (13th place). The Kawasaki Z 1000 (28th), the BMW K 1300 R (42nd) and the Suzuki-B-King (51st) follow at a respectable distance..

Naked bike

Comparison test of naked bikes

The reason machines among the naked bikes

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Naked bike

Comparison test of naked bikes

Comparative test of naked bikes – emotion machines

read more

39 photos

Pictures: The big naked bike comparison test

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B-King and the K 1300 R passed in 38th place.

Back to reason: In MOTORRAD’s 1000-point evaluation, the evaluation scheme is based solely on hard facts, i.e. how the machine does what it can and does. The emotional aspect is deliberately decoupled from the assessment, sound, feeling, character or design play no role. Extreme concepts that have special orientations but accept certain weaknesses are not easy.
But thinking in black and white would be too easy. Cultivated four-cylinder engines do not necessarily have to be boring, and the vibrations of a V2 do not necessarily show character. Also: do Italian bikes really have more charm? Or are you just less lenient towards Northern European and Japanese concepts? Questions that are looking for answers: from the brain and the heart. In other words: on the day of truth, rational arguments usually decide. Technical reliability, smoothness, equipment (ABS), dealer network and, last but not least, the price dominate even this unreasonable segment – and ultimately divide the naked bike guild into two camps: The rational faction from Japan and Germany (BMW, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha) against the technically broader conglomerate of emotion-oriented lone fighters from Italy and Austria (Benelli, Ducati, KTM, Moto Morini, MV Agusta) as well as the wanderer between the worlds, the Triumph. After all, the British woman managed to get past the B-King and the K 1300 R in the sales charts to 38th place last year.

Back to reason: In MOTORRAD’s 1000-point evaluation, the evaluation scheme is based solely on hard facts, i.e. how the machine does what it can and does. The emotional aspect is deliberately decoupled from the assessment, sound, feeling, character or design play no role. Extreme concepts that have special orientations but accept certain weaknesses are not easy.
But thinking in black and white would be too easy. Cultivated four-cylinder engines do not necessarily have to be boring, and the vibrations of a V2 do not necessarily show character. Also: do Italian bikes really have more charm? Or are you just less lenient towards Northern European and Japanese concepts? Questions that are looking for answers: from the brain and the heart.

Overall conclusion

j.kuenstle.de

In the end, what belongs together grows together. Despite all the differences, the representatives of both groups are much closer than it initially appeared.

Here are the cool, sober machines of ratio, there are the purely emotional fun machines? More of a cliche. Or is well over 100 hp in an undisguised motorcycle reasonable? Where the rascal attacks freely from the wind, pulls head and shoulders, thwarted a constant speed of over 140. No, these Power Nakeds are gifted with a good portion of irrationality and highly concentrated experiences. Across all brands and
Concepts. Just because they wear ABS doesn’t mean that driving fun is neglected for the Japanese. On the contrary. Taking a winding pass under the wheels with an incredibly agile Honda CB 1000 R is pure pleasure. Just like enjoying the thrust of the brand new Kawasaki Z 1000.

And when an MV Agusta shines in everyday life, can be driven easily and relaxed, then it is not that far away from the rest, "reasonable" Four cylinders. Except for the price. The same applies to the BMW K 1300 R and the Triumph Speed ​​Triple, the two finalists, as point winners in both groups. Anyone who has ever turned the gears of the K to the red area with the most aggressive exhaust sound knows what a kick in the stomach area feels like. And how agile this long timber truck cuts through the Winkelwerk. Brain? Heart? Sure both. Just like the alleged street fighter from Triumph skilfully mimes everybodys darling, is really easy and easy to drive. Is that completely unreasonable? In the end we should question the whole person. He needs both. Brain and heart.

winner "brain"-Comparison: BMW K 1300 R

winner "heart"-Comparison: Triumph Speed ​​Triple

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