This article was originally published in the October 2000 issue of Sport Rider.
It's difficult to believe that in this era of ultra-rapid sportbike development, Massimo Tamburini's engineering and styling masterpiece—the Ducati 916/996—has remained at or near the top of the sportbike performance charts since its 1994 inception. Despite minor updates (other than an 80cc boost in displacement in '98), the 996 has weathered repeated attempts to bump it down the sport motorcycling food chain. Even previous efforts by Japan, Inc., to build its own V-twin sportbikes have failed to replicate, much less surpass, the desmodromic bullet's twisty pavement performance capabilities. The Ducati's standard-setting performance has also inspired an entire generation of V-twin-powered sportbikes from upstart manufacturers.
Recent times, however, have seen the introduction of the most serious threats to the desmo's dominance. Last year, rival Italian manufacturer Aprilia unveiled its eagerly awaited V-twin sporting flagship, the RSV Mille. Featuring a unique 60-degree V-twin design, we came away highly impressed with the Aprilia's overall performance ("The New Twin in Town," April '00), and couldn't wait to see how it stacked up to the Ducati. Undoubtedly the most highly anticipated challenger to Ducati's reign is Honda's RC51. The sole mission of Big Red's all-new, 90-degree, V-twin weapon is to create the basis for its factory and factory-affiliated Superbike racing efforts around the world. But unlike the limited-production RC45 V-4 it replaces, Honda also intends for the RC51 to be a sportbike suitable for mass street pavement consumption. Judging by the swarms of RC51s we've already seen at sportbike hangouts and track days across the country, it's a sure bet that Honda is building a fair number more than its previous homologation-regulated 500 RC45s per year. And at an unbelievably low suggested retail price of $9999, it's no wonder the bike's availability is scarce. The initial shipment was snapped up before it even touched the showroom floors.
Our first impressions of the RC51’s performance were highly favorable (“This Ain’t No VTR,” June ’00) but too short, due to rain and other attendant problems. So, we were chomping at the bit to pit the latest flexing of Honda’s prodigious R&D muscle against the two Italian V-twins on the street and track.
Before some of you start wondering why we included the Suzuki TL1000R in this test when it finished behind the Ducati in our '98 Bike of the Year comparison (December '98), we should warn you that you'll be surprised by the TL-R's results, especially during the track portion of our test. Although largely unchanged since its '98 debut, the big Suzook V-twin is a highly competent sportbike that's often been overlooked in all the excitement over the latest machinery.
After racking up an extended period of serious city, canyon, and racetrack mileage on these twin-cylinder sportbikes, we finally had our winner. It wasn’t a clear-cut victory; the top-ranked bike in this contest didn’t stomp the others in any single category. No, the winner here simply had the balance of outright performance and confidence-inspiring feel to eke out an advantage over what is obviously a talented group of sportbikes.
Crosstown Traffic
All four entrants here are fuel injected, which should signify easy morning start-ups, since the fuel injection maps are able to compensate for a cold engine—just hit the starter button and go.
Only someone forgot to tell the Aprilia it was fuel injected. Our Mille would start easily enough, but any attempt to ride off within a few minutes would result in a slightly lurchy ride and a stalled motor at the first stoplight. The other three bikes (including the Suzuki) can be ridden off almost immediately.
The Aprilia was the hands-down favorite of the bunch ergonomically; it had the most upright seating position, plenty of legroom and a comfy seat. The Honda and Suzuki tied for runner-up honors, depending on your size. The TL-R has a taller seat height, is a tad roomier and offers better wind protection. The mirrors on the Aprilia, Honda and Suzuki are all decent. And the Ducati…well, by now everyone knows it’s not a bike for city duty—race-tuck riding position, Joe Weider clutch lever pull, useless mirrors, yadda yadda yadda….
The Ducati and Honda are both hampered by severely tall gearing that requires clutch abuse to get off the line quickly (the RC51 mostly due to a tall first gear required with its close-ratio transmission). Cruising around 70 mph in top gear on the 996 puts the engine at 3600 rpm, and any attempt to accelerate results in a shuddering vibration as the engine fights against the gearing. The TL-R’s gearing is shorter, but its top end-weighted powerband means that it falls behind the Aprilia when it comes to instant grunt. The Mille’s engine is a joy to use in the city, because of its crisp response and a stomping midrange lunge that allows you to handle traffic with ease.
Interestingly, the bike least suited for everyday commuting returned the best mileage figures; the Ducati consistently ran up at least 165 miles before the low fuel light came on. The Mille would usually go at least 145 miles on its tripmeter before warning you, while the Suzuki’s dual stage warning light would blink around 135 miles, then go solid at 155 to signal you’d better find a gas station immediately. One legacy of the Super Hawk still remains with the RC51: it consistently returned the worst mileage, with the fuel light coming on around 130 miles (meaning you’ve approximately 20 miles max left).
On Track
Here's where things got interesting. While the stopwatch numbers don't lie, in this case, they don't tell the whole story. In using the tight and twisty layout of the 1.7 mile, 11-turn Streets of Willow track, we wanted to emphasize the slow-to-medium speed acceleration advantages of a V-twin engine. But it also exposed factors that can be crucial to a quick lap on the Streets course. After fitting the bikes with Dunlop's ultra-sticky D207GP Stars to equalize the traction quotient, we cut 'em loose to sort it all out.
The TL-R surprised us by more than holding its own on the Street. Its suspension requires a bit of dial-in, but the Suzuki’s chassis and engine fortés remained consistent throughout. There’s no getting around the Suzuki’s 510 pound wet weight, and you feel that heft when flinging the bike through fast, bumpy sweepers; yet the TL-R carries that weight low, and its wide bars offer good leverage for aggressive steering inputs. Overall, the suspension is undersprung, but front end feedback is decent, and the front tire feels planted on corner entries. Stability, while hard on the brakes, is excellent, but the brakes require more effort than the others; ground clearance is very good, with only the pegs touching down.
Although the throttle response can be somewhat abrupt, the TL-R engine's revvy nature helps you access the top end-weighted powerband and with nearly 119 horsepower on tap, acceleration isn't scarce. The TL-R cranked off a best lap of 1:15.70, but it was hard work. The Aprilia Mille is extremely flickable, and ground clearance is superb. Its Brembo brakes are excellent, offering good feel, power and modulation. Steering is precise (though chassis setup is crucial to achieve this), and suspension action and compliance are superior to the TL-R's. The RSV feels a bit top heavy compared to the others, however, and it sits higher also. Even after dropping the chassis considerably from its as-delivered state, the Mille still felt tall, which tended to sap confidence on certain portions of the course.
The RSV’s powerplant displayed considerable spunk on the track, although it seemed a bit lazy on the long front straight. Low and midrange acceleration off the tighter corners was exceptional, but things seemed to peter out on the faster sections. Perhaps the engine was a bit “tight,” since it had only 400 miles on the odometer before we flogged it on the Streets. Still, the Mille managed to rip off a 1:15.46 lap time. Things were much closer between the Ducati and Honda. But the result was surprising, despite what our immediate impressions were out on the track. Jump onto the 996 after a stint on the RC51, and the desmo suddenly feels long, heavy and slow-revving. The Honda steers with far less effort (even though the 996’s adjustable steering head was set on the more conservative angle), and the RC is eminently more flickable than the Ducati. Its more oversquare engine (100.0 x 63.6mm vs. the Ducati’s 98.0 x 66.0mm) cranks out 11 more horsepower in a quicker, freer-revving package, and its close-ratio gearbox seems ideally set to make use of that top end power.
But when the numbers came up, the Ducati had a clear advantage with a 1:13.96 lap time vs. the RC51’s 1:14.31 lap time. How and why did the 996 go quicker? Two reasons: ground clearance and powerband/gearing. The RC51’s stock mufflers (especially the left side) ground out rather early, and they’re solid bits; lean on them too hard and you unweight the rear tire. This cuts into midcorner speed, since you’re constantly aware of ground clearance limitations. The Ducati, with its signature underseat mufflers, obviously doesn’t suffer from this problem.
The RC51’s powerband is weighted toward the top half of the rpm scale too. Real acceleration doesn’t start happening until 7000 rpm and with a tall first gear enforced by the close-ratio gearbox, the Honda loses some time coming off the slower hairpins on the Streets course. Meanwhile the Ducati makes ample use of its strong midrange to leap off the same corners, and its rock-stable chassis keeps it close in the faster sections.
With the Streets’ extremely tight layout, would the RC51 have fared better on a faster course such as the ultra-high speed Willow Springs main road course? Perhaps. We may see these two square off again in our upcoming Bike of the Year battle….
Canyon Carving
After slapping the stock skins back on the bikes and heading out to our favorite curvy roads, most of the initial racetrack handling impressions carried over to the canyons. But the reduced speeds of public roads altered the overall rankings somewhat, as the differing demands on the chassis and engine made other performance aspects more important.
The Suzuki generates good speed with its sure-footed front end feel and powerful motor, but tighten up the corners and throw some bumps and dips into the equation and the TL-R’s excessive high-speed compression damping and abrupt throttle response come to the forefront. Trying to compensate for the too-soft spring rates has the suspension using less of its travel overall, and combined with its touchy throttle, resulted in a “busy” handling feel that sapped concentration. The Suzuki’s additional weight further contributed to this problem in fast switchbacks, forcing the rider to tone down his aggression levels.
Ranking the Aprilia, Ducati and Honda became much more difficult in the canyon arena. All provide quick, stable handling and ultra-responsive power. Each offer excellent suspension and braking packages also. But once the pace really heated up and we were forced to split hairs, small details made the difference.
Both the Mille and RC51 are more flickable in tighter cornering combinations; the 996’s narrow bar placement (which offers less leverage) means some muscle is needed to hustle the Ducati through switchbacks. The desmo’s chassis is a tad more stable through the faster and rougher sections, requiring less concentration during high-speed sorties. But without that stability, the 996 would have to work harder, because both the Mille and the RC51 are faster once they get to stretch their legs a little. And while the 996’s front end feedback is unsurpassed, both the Aprilia and Honda are very close in pavement/rider communication.
In the end, however, the RC51 eked out the slimmest of advantages. While its motor may not have the same midrange lunge on the street as the Mille (or the 996, in tighter corners), its free-revving character and close-ratio gearbox help negate that advantage to a large extent; and once the road opens up, its hard to argue with 120 horsepower on tap. The Honda’s overall handling feel is lighter and more responsive than the Aprilia (and much more so than the Ducati), and it carries its weight low, lacking the Mille’s top-heavy feel. That low center of gravity makes the difference on the corner entries, too; the RC51’s front end feedback is far closer to the Ducati’s long-held standard, making it easier to sustain high midcorner speeds.
Conclusion
This comparison testing is getting to be a tough job. There are no truly bad sportbikes available these days; most are supremely capable, and in the right hands, any one of them is capable of leaving the others behind.
But when push comes to shove, there can only be one “winner” in these shootouts. And in Sport Rider’s battle of V-twin sportbikes, Honda’s new RC51 scratched and clawed its way to the top by virtue of its overall performance. It didn’t turn the quickest lap time, nor is it the most hospitable bike to live with on a day-in, day-out basis; but the RC51 was extremely close to the best in these areas, while offering a total package that often put it at the forefront of our post-ride discussions. And probably the biggest advantage had nothing to do with outright performance: Its unbelievably low $9999 price tag undercuts the competition here by up to $7000.
The Honda RC51 is the real thing. Just ask Colin Edwards II.
SR Opinions:
Since I love twins, choosing which of these bikes to ride is like being a mosquito at a nudist colony. Ooh, where to start….
The Duke simply rocks at the track and, as we all know, won’t let you forget its preferred venue on the street. I, however, simply can’t afford to lay out that kind of money for a single purpose bike. The TL, with its injection glitches and funky suspension, also comes up a bit short for me. Therefore, I’m left with the Mille and the RC51. Both of these bikes rub me the right way. Whichever one I rode most recently becomes my new favorite. On the track, I felt equally at home on either one, but I did prefer the 51’s top end rush—and that Honda whine from the top end at full scoot. Then again, the Mille’s strong midrange rocks in the canyons. Both are a dream on the brakes.
So, just for yuks, I sat down to tally up how many days I'd ridden these two bikes. When viewed in this manner, the Mille pulls ahead slightly. I guess I'll chalk it up to the wonderful intake note coming from the Mille's engine bay and the just-tall-enough-to-be-annoying first gear on the RC51. Still, any way you look at them, these bikes are pretty tasty.
—E.B.
It seems to me that the big twins are all about style, sound and sex appeal rather than outright performance, and that makes it difficult to pick a favorite. The TL-R has been a love-hate bike for me. I loved it during the twin, triple or four test (June 2000) and it’s a great bike, but stacked up against these twins it just doesn’t have the goods. The RC51 is the most competent all-rounder, making short work of twisty backroads as well as the daily commute. But if I was basing a buying decision on those criteria alone, I’d rather have something like the CBR929 than the twin. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the 996; flair and panache in spades, an exhaust note to die for, and performance to back up the looks. The Duke would be an easy pick if money wasn’t a problem—because I’d want a second bike for the daily grind. The Ducati is just too committed.
So that leaves the Mille. It's not quite the lust object the Ducati is, the Honda will outrun it, and the TL is cheaper, but with the Aprilia I could ride to work Monday to Friday, go canyon blasting on Saturday, and pose on Sunday.
—A.T.
Even though the RC51 is a case of “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,” it’s nice to see a Japanese manufacturer finally get serious about a V-twin sportbike. The previous efforts (i.e., the Super Hawk, and the Suzuki TL series) were good, but they just didn’t have that razor-sharp performance edge of the Ducati. The fact that it took this long to get it right is a testament to the desmo’s outright abilities. Anytime Big Red gets down and really flexes its big R&D muscle, you know something big is going to happen. Sometimes they don’t work out in the end (like the RC45). The RC51, however, delivers on the performance promise that its spec sheet indicates (porky wet weight notwithstanding).
The Ducati's ultra-narrow focus drops it behind the Mille and RC51, despite its still undeniable racetrack/serious-canyon-pace prowess. And although the Aprilia is a more hospitable companion for day-to-day use, the Honda is by no means a rack; and its short, quick, stubby feel and revvy motor give me the type of visceral feedback when cornering hard that reminds me why I love to ride sportbikes so much.
—K.K.
Suspension Settings:
Aprilia RSV Mille
Front: Preload: 4 lines showing; Rebound damping: 3⁄4 turn from full stiff; Compression damping: 1 turn out from full stiff; Ride height: fork tubes raised 24mm from top triple clamp.
Rear: Preload: 44mm from spring to top thread; Rebound damping: 10 clicks out from full stiff; Compression damping: 10 clicks out from full stiff; Ride height: minimum.
Ducati 996S
Front: Preload: 4 lines showing; Rebound damping: 9 clicks out from full stiff; Compression damping: 10 clicks out from full stiff; Ride height: fork tubes raised 21mm from outside edge of top triple clamp.
Rear: Preload: 35mm from top of spring to top thread; Rebound damping: 12 clicks out from full stiff; Compression damping: 14 clicks out from full stiff; Ride height: linkage rod extended 3mm.
Honda RC51
Front: Preload: 1 line showing; Rebound damping: 6 clicks out from full stiff; Compression damping: 15 clicks out from full stiff; Ride height: fork tubes raised 16mm above top triple clamp.
Rear: Preload: position 4 of 9; Rebound damping: 2 turns out from full stiff; Compression damping: 14 clicks out from full stiff.
Suzuki TL1000R
Front: Preload: 1 line showing (maximum); Rebound damping: 2 clicks out from full stiff; Compression damping: 10 clicks out from full stiff; Ride height: fork tubes raised 13mm above top triple clamp.
Rear: Preload: 17mm from top of spring to top thread; Rebound damping: 5 clicks out from full stiff; Compression damping: 25 clicks out (minimum).
Test Notes:
Apilia RSV Mille
+ Broad, revvy power with a stomping midrange
+ Decent chassis, great brakes
+ Fairly comfy ergos
- Chassis sits tall compared to others
- Gee-whiz dashboard's novelty wearing off
- A bit cold-blooded in the morning
x Make sure to de-restrict yours
Ducati 996S
+ Same great torquey motor and superb chassis
+ Same great suspension action
+ Same brilliant handling
- Same rack-like ergos
- Same stiff clutch pull
- Same high price
x We like the non-self-retracting kickstand, but you can't warm up the bike with it down
Honda RC51
+ Great, revvy motor with strong top-end
+ Stout, nimble chassis with good suspension
+ Short, squat feel
- Tall first gear
- LCD bar graph tach hard to read at first glance
- Dismal fuel mileage (again)
x Short supply is feeding scalpers' prices, and we hear next year's model won't be as cheap
Suzuki TL1000R
+ Another revvy motor with strong top end
+ Another stout chassis
+ Stable on the brakes, good front end feedback
- Needs to lose weight
- Spring rates too soft
- Too much slow speed compression and rebound damping
x Lindemann or Öhlins rear shock replacement improves handling tremendously, but costs $$
Riding a Trio of twins to a race that wasn't
Pity the siblings of race replica motorcycles. While the press—and the moto-public alike—froth at the mouth to throw a leg over the newest, greatest techno-finery, many competent motorcycles get overlooked in the melee. Imagine how a merely above-average athlete feels when compared to an Olympian family member. How many of us could hold up under such scrutiny?
Although the Aprilia SL1000, the Honda VTR1000 and Suzuki TL1000S weren't shod with sexy buns and tossed around the track, they don't exactly lead the lives of wallflowers either. Call 'em broad purpose sportbikes—mounts that are as at home in concrete canyons as granite ones or superslab—machines that wouldn't feel out of place during the occasional track day until eight-tenths speeds were approached. All of which made this trio the obvious choice for the SR gang of three's trip to Sears Point for the ill-fated second round of the 2000 AMA Superbike series.
Then again, things don’t always work out the way you plan. Our plan (if you can call it anything so organized) was to leave the emap tower around noon and spend a glorious Friday tracing the twistiest line between two points. Unfortunately, the realities of the work day delayed our departure until peak traffic. Splitting lanes for more than an hour and a half through Los Angeles’ worst immediately revealed the differences among theses motorcycles in low speed mode.
Ergonomically, the VTR is the gentleman of the bunch. With its upright riding position, ample leg room and good wind protection, the Honda felt at home on the long and non-winding road at both low and high speeds. The Falco leaned a little more toward a sporty upper body position, placing the bars a bit lower but slightly rearward preventing the interstate from being a painful proposition. The same can’t be said of the Aprilia’s footpeg location, which folded up longer riders’ legs rather severely and somewhat too forward for some testers’ tastes. While this isn’t a problem in the twisties, SL riders felt the need to re-adjust their lower body position early and often on the highway. The TL-S had the raciest ergos of the bunch. The widely spaced bars were forward and low, making crawling in traffic a wrist stressing affair. The rearward pegs contributed to the racing crouch feel. Both the Falco and the TL-S offered decent wind protection, but the Suzook was a bit chillier when the temperature dropped. Riders on the upside of 5’ 11” commented on the TL’s blusteriness around the helmet.
But these bikes weren’t designed for chasing horizons Gold Wing style. After a weekend of rain-drenched commuter duty, our sporting trio kicked up their heels for the trip home. Winding our way back to Los Angeles provided ample opportunity to put these bikes through their paces.
In the twisty stuff, the Aprilia steers the quickest, although it never felt hyperactive. The suspension consistently managed to soak up what the pavement threw its way, allowing spirited cornering on both smooth and bumpy tarmac. Though detuned from Mille duty for more midrange poop, the engine suffers from a few quirks. The Falco exhibits more than just a tendency toward cold-bloodedness. Often, several minutes of warm-up are necessary. The fuel injection mapping needs some refinement in the lower rpm range to fix some hiccups, too. Grab a handful of throttle at low rpm and the Falco chatters the chain as it struggles to overcome its tall gearing. Then there’s the issue of whether the engine is derestricted or not. Although SL owners would undoubtedly uncork the air box and snip the appropriate wire, our test bike may not have been EPA legal and may have had an unfair power advantage over the other two unaltered bikes. That said, the Aprilia’s engine still ranked second. The SL’s styling, however, was the trendsetter.
The Super Hawk, in typical Honda fashion, scored well in nearly every category. Although we’ve said it before, the VTR’s fuel range is a joke, forcing riders to plan their trips around the all-too-frequent fuel stops. On the gas at low rpm, the VTR also struggles to overcome tall gearing. The engine puts out good power throughout the rpm range but the revs didn’t climb quickly enough for one tester. Vibration is a constant, annoying companion when riding the Super Hawk—particularly in the pegs, which rigidly mount to the engine. The VTR steers the most neutrally of the threesome, handling multiple transitions with ease. Similarly, the suspension effectively negotiated the transactions between the rubber and the road. Our testers were split on whether the VTR or the SL handled the best. The two bikes also shared top braking honors with strong manageable power.
The TL1000S cleaned up when it came to engine smoothness. We’ve always loved the Suzuki’s motor for top end power. This bike was no exception. Unfortunately, the strongest motor was still hampered by now familiar off/on throttle fuel injection woes, but it also surged noticeably in the 3500 to 4000 rpm range. We suspect the surging was the result of Suzuki trying to improve the TL’s fuel economy. In mountain mode, the TL-S required the most effort at the grips to turn in, though not enough to be bothersome. The suspension suffers from excessive compression damping to make up for the limp spring rates. In the bumpy stuff, the Suzook could be a handful. Although the brakes required a bit more effort, stopping power was only slightly behind the Aprilia and the Honda.
So, when we arrived back in the L.A. basin, the SR staff put its collective heads together to come up with a split decision. One staffer chose the TL, saying he'd simply put some money into the suspension to bring it on par with the Falco in handling and price. The other two selected the VTR for its all-around competence—despite its tiny tank.
—Evans Brasfield