Navara Circuit. Lap times and overall ranking below. Clearly a very subjective matter but interesting results nonetheless. 1. Aprilia RSV4 RF - 1.51.877 2. BMW S1000RR - 1.51.776 3. Suzuki GSXR 1000 - 1.52.100 4. Ducati V4 - 1.52.118 5. Yamaha R1M - 1.52.576 6. Kawasaki ZX10R - 1.53.276 7. Honda Fireblade - 1.53.346
Think he is referring to the Sportsbike of the year test that Fastbikes just did. The Aprilia was fastest despite the post above. As you read through it, the RSV4 wins on it's shear easy of use, confidence inspiring power delivery and feel. They said the Ducati would have probably won around a different track but it still had a tendency to get seriously lively on application of throttle at lean over bumps. The S1000RR was so close to 1st for a similar reason, that it just instills such confidence for the rider to really lean on it and push it harder. In other news, Suzuki made a not so marketed changed to their brakes over winter and all of a sudden none of the Journo's are getting brake fade etc, so well done Suzuki for listening to the comments from buyers and journo's. And in more other news the Panigale Course got a bit of a slating for not having a blipper or TFT etc, for having quite a peaky power delivery and for being £16k. Oh, and the fact it was nearly 8 seconds a lap slower than an RSV4
Sorry chaps and Chapetts, as above it’s the Sports Bike of the Year test by Fast Bikes. Title changed The times above were on the Bridgestone R11. On slicks the Aprilia was the fastest by over a second.
I find these time trials a bit daft really. Unless they are all ridden by a robot in exactly the same way in exactly the same conditions (weather, temperatures, track conditions, same lines etc) then quite frankly those hundreds of a second difference between bikes are meaningless. Just my opinion of course.
Sportsbikes are performance machines designed to compete so it doesn’t seem so ridiculous to me. Clearly there is no real “best” amongst the current crop, and it’s very subjective, but it’s still interesting nonetheless.
Depends which mag you buy. Which YouTube clip you watch. Everyone believes what they want to believe. And I believe the V4S is the fastest, badest, muthafuckerist bike on the planet. Cos I've just bought one As you were
I don't think it's the time that's the important thing, as I tried to elude to it's the comments regarding how easy the bikes are to ride, how much confidence they give the rider etc that are the important things. Through the spread there are lots of really useful commentary from all the riders talking about different aspects such as overly tall gearing which would be horrid on the road, or poor ergonomics, or questionable quickshifters etc.
V4S would certainly be my choice if I was in the market, but it’s interesting that now the launch hype has settled down it seems to fit nicely in with the others opposed to being a total game changer.
The elusive topics of 'feel' and 'confidence' that a sportsbike gives the rider is critical when pushing 9/10ths and 10/10ths. In this regard, the chassis and power delivery of the V4 Ape is sublime. It may not be the most 'characterful', or one that makes you go 'OMG', or one that gives the greatest ownership pleasure, but it's an awesome bike.
