Big Mids - Comparison Test

A 749cc inline-Four, an 849cc 90-degree V-Twin and a 675cc inline-Triple: One wag described this comparison as the “apples and oranges shootout.”

But the Ducati goes slightly downmarket for the Italian company with its $12,995 848 EVO in matte-black “dark stealth” trim, while running with the Triumph Daytona 675 and 600cc Fours in the AMA’s Daytona SportBike class. Triumph took the upmarket direction with its new-for-’11 R model (with Öhlins suspension, better brakes and a quickshifter), putting this Daytona’s $11,995 price at the top of the 600-ish range. Meanwhile, the new Suzuki GSX-R750 shares its chassis with a 600 but costs only slightly more with a price tag of $11,999.

So, while these three machines may be different fruit, they also make up the-bigger-than-a-600, smaller-than-a-1000 sportbike class, with a price-range variation less than within the 600 or Open categories themselves. As with the other bikes in this sportbike comparison festival, we spooned on Metzeler Racetec K3 Interacts to level the gripping field, and off we went to road and track to find out which is the fruitiest—or at least the best.

Ducati 848 EVO

Ducati's been working hard to bring the 848 down into the price range of its competitors, and this all-black version helps. It really can be cheaper to paint or anodize parts matte black than other colors. The "EVO" engine was leaned on for 2011, with a retuning (hotter cams, higher compression and new throttle bodies) bringing claimed peak power up an additional 6 horses. On the CW dyno, it laid down a 119-hp run, with strong torque between 3000 and 4000 rpm that dips slightly around 5000 and then soars smoothly to a 9000-rpm torque peak. Max power is reached just 500 rpm before the 11,000-rpm rev limit.

Not only does the 848 EVO look seriously techno-menacing in its flat-black trim, the riding position is similarly dedicated. The V-Twin is as narrow between the knees as a motocrosser, if not more so. Footpegs are high, bars are low and forward—you have to support the most weight on your arms when riding this bike in anything but a full tuck. Even on cool riding days, heat began to seep from under the fairing and seat onto the rider’s legs. On the street, the Ducati was planted and confidence-inspiring, with powerful brakes, cool looks, a torquey engine and a riding position that had thumb joints protesting after 20 minutes of city riding.

On the tight Inde circuit, the essential Ducati character of the 848 EVO came out. Designated fast guy Mark Cernicky praised the engine: “It makes great power, almost like a Four. Most Twins, you have to use the midrange, but this Ducati actually revs out—there’s a surge on top if you run it all the way to redline.” But at the same time, Cernicky had to adapt his riding style to the chassis: “The steering is heavy, and it takes muscle on transitions. With the low bars, it really works your upper body: It’s like doing pushups when you’re on the brakes.”

The new Brembo Monobloc front brakes, too, have brand-specific character. Ducati has the lightest brake-lever forces among most sportbikes, and it’s very easy to overbrake when you first start riding one.

Cernicky was a bit shocked when his 1:56.05 lap time on the Ducati was more than a half-second off his times on the Suzuki; he would have sworn he was going faster on the very direct and sharp-feeling 848.

Suzuki GSX-R750

Since there is no 750cc racing class anymore, and because most of its competitors have decided to leave the race-replica space between 600 and 1000cc unfilled, Suzuki had the luxury of doing what it wishes with its 750 instead of tailoring it to the demands of Supersport racing. The 750 is fundamentally a GSX-R600 bored and stroked. Even the stroke, at 48.7mm, is longer than would have been chosen for a pure 750 race-engine design; the new Suzuki is less oversquare than some of its predecessors, even as the trend for new designs is the opposite.

While wheelbase for the 750 is cited as 0.2 inch longer than the 600’s, that’s almost certainly just because of varying chain adjustment for the slightly different gearing of the bigger machine. The two share a chassis, with only slight changes to suspension settings. The engine changes and the required larger muffler only boost weight by 7 pounds over the 600.

On the dyno, it’s easy to see what Suzuki gained by not having to push this engine to the limit in search of the last horsepower or two. It peaks at a healthy 127 hp (just under 13,000 rpm), but the torque curve stretches over a broad, flat plateau from just over 5000 rpm to the 14,500 rev-limiter.

On the street and the track, you can feel that breadth. The Suzuki accelerates hard and is simply easy to ride, the engine allowing at least two gears to work in most situations. The riding position is pure GSX-R: bars close to the seat and a little high, pegs a little lower and farther forward than on the other two machines. The suspension feels as creamy and cushy as the rest of the motorcycle, at least by race-replica standards.

For Cernicky, the Suzuki was “everyman’s bike. Anyone can get on it and feel comfortable immediately. It just works.” He also was surprised that the plush suspension gave very good feedback. Only the low-ish pegs were an issue: Cernicky’s boots would get trapped against the ground (even with the pegs in their highest position), slowing him slightly as he ran out of lean angle. Even without the full midcorner speed that the tires were capable of, his best lap time on the Suzuki was a 1:55.36. Some of that was explained when later looking at data-logging information: The 750 Four propelled the GSX-R to a 6-mph higher top speed on the main straight than what was achieved by either the Ducati or Triumph.

Triumph Daytona 675R

While the Suzuki 750 is what it is precisely because it’s not a racebike, the Triumph 675R was built at least in part to get a few choice components approved for the World Supersport class. Triumph started with a regular 675 and installed an Öhlins fork and TTX shock, plus better-performing Brembo brakes, a quickshifter and some carbon-fiber panels replacing plastic ones. The engine is in the same tune as a standard 675.

The Triple reaches 110 horsepower at just over 13,000 rpm on the CW dyno, and has the smoothest torque curve of the bunch, a plateau that begins at 3500, climbs gradually at 7500 and doesn't fall off until it hits the rev-limiter at about 13,700 rpm.

On the street, the smooth-running engine feels noticeably torquier than even the Suzuki’s larger one, and the skinny, light machine invites quick turns and deep lean angles. The bars are closer than the Ducati’s, while its footpegs are higher and more rear-mounted than the Suzuki’s. Consequently, your legs take some weight off your ass, which is fortunate, as the Triumph seat is thin and a bit hard.

Railing around the track, the relatively soft, smooth power of the Triumph, its light weight and its superb cornering clearance led to a different riding strategy for Cernicky: “It’s like a 250cc GP bike,” he said. “I brake a little early, carry more corner speed in, and get on the gas yards earlier than on the other bikes, before the apex.”

Cernicky praised the brakes and the excellent feedback from the suspension. He also noted that on this flickable machine, the high-corner-speed strategy was far less work for him than muscling around Open-class bikes. “When I was practicing, I came in wet from sweat from riding the ZX-10R, hopped on the Triumph, went out and did some fast laps at almost the same lap times, and came in dry.” It was simply easier and more fun for him to ride than the liter-class bikes. The Triumph’s best lap was 1:55.56, better by half a second than the Ducati, and a couple of tenths off the Suzuki’s best time.

Conclusion

So, which of these machines is top fruit? The Ducati would have to be a pomegranate: juicy, rich, flavorful and getting in to enjoy it could be a bit annoying. Not the taste for everyone, but some will love it passionately. The Triumph would have to be a kiwifruit: light, crisp, refreshing and kind of exotic—we could readily see how you might choose it. But the Suzuki is a Braeburn apple: sweet and easy, a little ordinary but so accessible. And if we had to pick just one, the winner.

Video window may take a few moments to load...