COMPARED: Four Fun Middleweights

Are you one of these people who won’t crack a smile unless you’re on an open-class bike? If so, you probably haven’t ridden any of these middleweights. Each of these dissimilar machines, in its own way, will have you grinning from ear to ear inside your trusty full-face lid.

We know that the definition of fun is about as broad as the European and Asian continents separating our pairs of Italian- and Japanese-built motorcycles. Some folks like to be visually titillated before the sidestand has even been stowed; others need the wail of the exhaust under hard acceleration. Still, others find the most joy in packing for an overnight trip and taking all day to ride there.

Wherever you are on that spectrum, chances are good that one of these personality-packed, non-retro middleweights is calling your name.

Ducati Hypermotard SP

Conceived a decade ago during the supermoto boom, the Pierre Terblanche-styled Hypermotard applied dirt bike-inspired elements to a road-going platform powered by a 1,078cc, desmodromic, air-cooled, two-valve, 90-degree V-twin. The Hypermotard SP, introduced two years ago, employs Ducati's 821cc liquid-cooled V-twin featuring four-valve heads and 11-degree valve overlap, which provides much smoother low-rpm operation and instant-on power across the rev range. Awesome torque here.

Our SP testbike gets additional tasty bits: forged Marchesini wheels, grippier Pirelli Supercorsa SP tires, a race-quality 50mm Marzocchi fork, and an Öhlins shock. The $2,800 upgrade is completed with a carbon-fiber front mud guard and engine covers, plus a race-derived saddle.

A warning: While the SP’s taller stance provides superior cornering clearance, sub-6-footers will be balancing on tiptoes at stops. But there’s big-time fun to be had once the bike is in gear and the light-pull ATPC slipper/assist clutch is engaged. The chug-a-lug low-rev drive snatch of yore is absent, transforming the Hyper into an urban weapon that turns crosstown errands into your own personal sorties.

With Ducati selectable ride modes, eight-level TC, and ABS, the Hypermotard tracks true, and wheelies are kept in check if you’re not in the mood. But when you’re feeling it, simply dial back the electronic intervention and unleash that Hyper personality. Back-road blasts are just that, a blast, aided by light handling, crisp ride-by-wire throttle, and excellent Brembo monoblock brakes. In capable hands on the right tight roads, the Hypermotard can shred liter-class supersports.

It just doesn’t get any more fun than that.

Kawasaki Versys 650 LT

For many of us, the greatest joy is found in two-wheel travel and adventure. But the machines that fuel such fancy often carry a high premium. Not the Versys 650 LT; it turns dreams into reality at a very reasonable $8,699. This Kawasaki, a versatile everyday mount, is also a world-class workday commuter.

The Versys 650 received some comfort upgrades for 2015, including a roomier seat-to-peg relationship, a larger fairing, a height-adjustable windscreen, and revised rubber mounts for the engine and handlebar. As a result, this bike has all-day ergonomics, and minimal vibration from the liquid-cooled 649cc parallel twin reaches the rider.

Sporting and load-carrying capability for 2015 has been improved for solo and two-up riding thanks to a Showa SFF inverted 41mm long-travel fork (offering spring preload and rebound damping adjustment) and a new shock absorber featuring remote spring preload adjustment. ABS is also standard.

Best of all, the LT version is equipped with hand guards and a pair of 28-liter color-matched saddlebags that utilize the same key as the ignition. Having lived with this same bag design on our long-term Ninja 1000, I am a big proponent of its helmet-swallowing practicality, plus its ease of installation and removal.

On freeways, curvy mountain routes, even graded dirt roads, both solo and two-up, the LT took every mile in stride. Indeed, on this new Kawasaki, the possibilities for fun and exploration seem limitless.

MV Agusta Brutale 800 Dragster

When you're looking to express your passion with a bike that stands out from the crowd, the head naturally turns to Italy. And one glance at the MV Agusta Brutale family of sport-naked models is all it takes to see that these bikes tickle the two-wheel funny bone like none other.

The Brutale 800 Dragster starts with a proven engine/chassis package and takes it down the road of outrageous style, eventually becoming what is perhaps best described as a contemporary sport bobber. Fully exposed within the unique-looking chassis is MV’s liquid-cooled 798cc inline-three, one of the most soul-stirring engines from Europe in recent years. As you click through the Dragster’s quickshift-assisted, close-ratio six-speed gearbox, it’s as if you’re hearing angels singing out the Dragster’s triple-outlet exhaust.

Seated in the rock-hard saddle, you’ll feel every pebble in the road transmitted though the firmly calibrated 42mm Marzocchi fork and Sachs shock. The seat also has an aggressive forward cant that feels best when you’re accelerating hard or while lofting the front wheel. And speaking of wheelies, the fun is a mere snap of right wrist away in the bottom three cogs when the eight-level TC is dialed back to a minimal setting.

As on MV’s flagship F4 superbike, MVICS (Motor and Vehicle Integrated Control System) gives the Dragster custom adjustability with Sport, Normal, and Rain ride modes. About the only thing it can’t alter is the sweep angle of the handlebar…

As quirky as the Dragster’s stubby seat appears at first sight, I recall having the same reaction over an odd Duc tail gracing the original Monster. If history is any indication, such things grow on you.

Suzuki GSX-R750

A throwback to superbikes of the 1980s and '90s, the GSX-R750 celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, having outlived all other 750cc sporting fours, the last of which faded into history a decade ago. While Suzuki is motivated by heritage, the GSX-R750 remains relevant due to its superb balance of power, weight, handling, and price.

To truly appreciate this bike, you need to know one thing above all: It shares its chassis with its 600 supersport sibling. An oversquare bored and stroked version of a bike designed and developed for racing at the world championship level, the GSX-R750 delivers sharp and agile handling with a dose of midrange delivery that makes it shine as a real-world streetbike.

Pulling away from a stop is a breeze, thanks to clean response and ample bottom-end torque. Butter-smooth shift action and seamless delivery throughout the rev range make for fluid acceleration, while the slipper clutch alleviates any rear wheel hop when downshifting on corner entry. Yes, this Gixxer foregoes electronic rider aids (no TC or ABS here), but it does feature two levels of S-DMS (Suzuki Drive Mode Selector) that can be toggled on the fly. You can choose between full power and a reduced power/response setting when road conditions are sketchy.

Steadfast stability, telepathic front-end feel, excellent cornering clearance, and confidence-inspiring Brembo monoblock calipers allow the GSX-R pilot to hit his marks with the utmost precision.

If canyon carving or trackdays top your list of fast and fun activities, there’s no better scalpel than the GSX-R750 for the skilled hand.

Several Shades Of Fun

Face it: Picking a winner among these vastly dissimilar machines would reflect a rider’s personal preferences and interests more than anything. The Hypermotard’s intoxicating frolic factor is impossible to ignore, and the versatile Versys 650 LT shines in its sheer utility. As for the head-turning MV Dragster, it’s hard-core fun best enjoyed in small doses. And anybody looking for a classic superbike should seek out the GSX-R750, which delivers refined unfiltered performance.