Fraternal Twins
Fraternal Twins
Three "Twos” from which to choose
MARK CERNICKY
V-TWINS ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR FORGIVING POWER AND willingness to let riders confidently take them to the edge. Judging by the racing resumes of the three Super-Twins tested here, that’s most assuredly true. The Aprilia RSV Mille R, Ducati 998 (a.k.a. 996R) and Honda RC51 were all in contention for the 2001 World Superbike Championship, and it looks like more of the same in '02.
That said, I was having a hard time exploring the limits of traction during our recent testing at Las Vegas' classic road course. Mother Nature simply wasn’t cooperating. In fact, she was having a fit, blowing sand in our faces, throwing trash anywhere she wanted and, when that didn’t get our attention, toppling, then cartwheeling a porta-potty. Now that stinks!
What really got me were the blinding sandstorms that blitzed through the premises, blanketing our faceshields and the track surface with silica-sand and rendering zero-zero visibility at times. Following Road Test Editor Don Canet, I could see a wake of sand wafting off his rear tire like a water-roost. In fact, conditions were very much like that of a wet track in that you didn’t dare stray off-line. The dreaded specter of a front-end tuck lurked ’round every comer-thank God for knee-sliders! Did I mention that the track surface was cold, too?
Our fraternal Twins-or are they triplets?-were all tested on their stock tires. That meant two of the three were on sporty street rubber-the Honda on Dunlop D207RRs and Ducati on Michelin Pilot Sports-while the Aprilia was on race-compound Pirelli Dragon Corsas. We set the tires at typical street pressures of 34 psi front and 36 psi rear, and after numerous hot laps, photo passes and 400-odd street miles, they all look none the worse for wear. Tire companies working hand-in-hand with motorcycle manufactures is a wonderful thing, because we reap the benefits of bikes and tires working together.
You can ride these Twins on the street, but we started on the racetrack because that’s the side of the fence from which they come. After taking some time to get familiar with the bikes and track, we did two sets of seven timed laps on each of the contenders, one set before and another after lunch, during which we took the liberty of removing the sand from our eyes!
Ducati’s 998 was first up. The new Testastretta engine’s improvements are substantial, with a gain of 11.7 horsepower and 5.1 foot-pounds of torque over the old 996 Desmoquattro. A 5-mph increase in top speed to 164 mph isn’t bad, either, but the 998 is still the slowest of these three Twins.
The motor on our testbike felt extremely tight, as did the gearbox, the latter costing time on downshifts while braking over the pavement-waves into Tum 1. Also, trying to over-rev the V-Twin to save an upshift on a short straight resulted in the rev-limiter kicking in, slowing forward progress dramatically; a shift light would be nice right before that happened. Lastly, heavy handling, combined with a rear brake that requires a lot of pedal pressure, made the 998 cumbersome in the slow, tight comers, preventing it from challenging for the top spot. Its best lap time was a third-placed 1:31.19.
As much as I like its styling and love its mechanical engine noise, the Ducati is a pain in the neck for everyday street riding. The mirrors are so small, you can forget about them! The hand controls are laborious at low speeds and overshadow the fact that the 998 motor felt best down low, pulling from ground-zero rpm. New 52mm throttle bodies, coupled with a bigger-bit fuel-injection brain that’s physically smaller, make for better
fuel atomization that helps power < Also row seat set .e Ducati feels tiny, and the narówer than its 31.5-inch height; even the vertically impaired have no trouble touching both feet down. This is comforting when coming to a stop.
True to its lineage, the Ducati’s unique single-sided swingarm, underseat exhaust and I’m-not-hiding red paint still command attention. The 916/996/998 has to be given the Monumental Styling award for holding the interest of the ADD generation for eight years running. We can’t wait to see what Ducati’s MotoGP entry looks like. Will its shape trickle down to a new production bike?
Honda’s RC51 can’t be faulted; it’s a utility that disappears beneath you as you roll into the throttle of the most powerful Twin here and lay down beautiful, arcing, dark comer-exit bumies, a signature of the 125 ponies arriving at the rear Dunlop.
APRILIA RSV MILLE R
$17,299
DUCATI 998
$17,695
Unlike the Aprilia and Ducati, the Honda requires almost no acclimation. Instead of adapting your style to it, it seems to accommodate yours. Feel free to move about the cockpit once the Honda’s wings are aloft; the in-flight movie will be “The Revenge of Colin Edwards.”
Introduced in 2000, the RC51 went unchanged in 2001, but this year everything but the bodywork and color have been altered.
The frame of this maturing Twin went through stress-management classes and now adheres to zero-tolerance scrutineering, as do the HRC factory racebikes. Compliments of a lengthened swingarm and revised shock-link, traction at both ends has been improved. New 62mm throttle bodies are 10mm larger than the Ducati 998’s, which may help explain the Honda's 9-mpg deficit in fuel economy.
Ironically, our adverse testing conditions let the Honda shine. You could make mid-comer corrections and consistently brake while leaned over without a scare. The RC51 responds to your commands with exacting precision, giving you utmost confidence. The fact that it set the quickest lap time, a 1:28.13, was no surprise, and was fun, not taxing.
The only complaints we had about the RC51 had to do with street riding. The mirrors are well-placed and usable, but are a little floppy. And the low-fuel warning light is hard to see in daylight. Not knowing exactly when it came on, we saw 135.5 miles on the tripmeter while riding into the gas station to refuel, not pushing.
Taking the RC51 to the street feels like you’re getting away with something, like riding a road-going Grand Prix bike. Best of all, with an MSRP of $10,999, you’re stealing it out the back door of the HRC race shop!
HONDA RC51
$10,999
For trick details, however, it’s hard to beat the Aprilia RSV Mille R. Check out the eccentrically adjustable shift lever and brake pedal, programmable shift light, on-board lap timer and full complement of Öhlins dampers.
Slender and curvy, the Mille’s fuel tank looks good in black. Good looks aren’t everything, you know, but the curves also provide a place to lock your outside knee when hanging off the inside for comers.
There are lion’s head decals on the fairing, but you have to look close, because they’re gloss-black on flat-black. White and fluorescent-orange decals also highlight the Aprilia’s attire. Her looks are easy to fall for; what puzzles are the blue O.Z. wheels. They’re lighter and stronger than the hoops on the $13,499 base-model Mille, but we have to wonder, why aren’t they painted fluorescent-orange?
The windshield and fairing offer very good protection, and were welcomed in our blustery testing conditions. There’s no helmet buffeting when you’re tucked-in watching for the shift-light while preparing for some smooth downshifts. The Aprilia is blessed with the softest seat of our trio, and has the most spread-out riding position; you could almost call it roomy. On the freeway, you can lay down on your tankbag and take a break from the windblast. Speaking of which, magnetic tankbags need not apply,
because the tank is plastic.
Peeling away from the starting line or a green light, the Mille likes more revs than its competition. The excellent brakes are always there for you, front and rear, and the plush-yet-taut suspension soaks up braking bumps, allowing you to get set up for the lean into comers.
On the racetrack, the Mille turned the second-quickest lap time, a 1:28.37, just a quartersecond off the Honda’s pace.
As for choosing a winner in this comparison, how
can you pick one when all three can win races on any Sunday? Like trying to pick your favorite child, they’re all in the family, but definitely have distinct personalities.
Logically, the Honda RC51 holds the candle that bums brightest. It’s the most affordable, the most powerful and the easiest to ride fast. Emotionally, the Ducati 998 wins my heart. The venerable artistic impression of Massimo Tamburini’s 916 does not go gently out of the limelight. On strictly a got-to-have-it basis, however, the Aprilia RSV Mille R makes me the most anxious. If I have to narrow it down to
a single Twin, she’s the one. Anybody got a spare $6K?
