Captain
06-12-2008, 08:14 AM
Buell XB12STT Super TT vs.
Ducati Hypermotard 1100 vs.
BMW HP2 Megamoto vs.
KTM 950 Supermoto R
Forget what the brochures say. These aren't supermoto bikes. Not supermoto as in supermotard, as in the French fusion of roadracing and motocross run on go-kart tracks with some dirt and a jump thrown in to keep things interesting. For the most part, they're crafty exercises in niche marketing. Naked twins dressed up to emulate the sort of thing Benny Carlson and Mark Burkhart back into corners for a living.
http://image.motorcyclistonline.com/f/9896594/122_0806_01_z+sumo_supermoto_motorcyclist_comparo+ comparo_bikes.jpg
With the notable exception of Aprilia's SXV550, our lightest big-bore twin is nearly 200 pounds heavier than a proper supermoto racebike, and infinitely more civilized. This is a good thing, since something like Mr. Carlson's '07 AMA Supermoto Unlimited Championship-winning 550 has all the warmth and charm of a 12,000-rpm, 78-horsepower Insinkerator. Slideways fantasies notwithstanding, let's just say a real supermoto bike with lights is a bit too focused for 99.44 percent of the street-riding populace.
Meanwhile, our quartet of big twins serves up supermoto for the rest of us. More biased toward city streets and twisty back roads than the average broadband standard, they offer a sit-up alternative to the ubiquitous plastic-wrapped supersport. But BMW's HP2 Megamoto, Buell's XB12STT Super TT, Ducati's Hypermotard 1100 and KTM's 950 Supermoto R use decidedly different trajectories to hit that target. To figure out who comes the closest, we ran all four through a post-modern urban decathlon of surface streets, freeways, diabolically twisty backroads along with some fast bits, then capped it all off with a day at the racetrack. What happened? There's only one way to find out...
4th - Buell XB12STT Super TT
As with just about any Buell built over the past quarter-century, the Super TT diverges from the center of its chosen niche. Building on the basic Ulysses/Lightning Long foundation of a twin-spar frame/fuel tank carrying a 1203cc air/oil-cooled 45-degree V-twin, it's what the factory calls a blend of streetfighter agility and supermoto style. The riding position combines wide, flat, motocross-style bars with a soft, relatively broad seat and the highest footpegs of the group; legroom is tight if you're tall. We're not exactly sure what to call it, though long-legged testers came up with some intriguing definitions after an hour on the freeway. The Milwaukee pushrod twin has a personality all its own as well.
http://image.motorcyclistonline.com/f/9896600/122_0806_02_z+sumo_supermoto_motorcyclist_comparo+ Buell_testing.jpg
Named after an early iteration of American supermoto racing, the SuperTT trundles through the urban landscape happily enough. At least until traffic congeals and the engine gets hot enough to roast a chicken, loses interest in internal combustion and stalls at maddeningly regular intervals unless you keep the revs up. And limited steering lock enforced by the broad-shouldered frame complicates the simple U-turn-allow plenty of real estate there. The Thunderstorm mill is more like a stiff breeze below 4500 rpm anyway, which means more trips to the shifter than you might expect with 73.4 cubic inches under the hood. At 478 lbs. soaking wet, Buell's Super TT is the heftiest of the foursome, carrying 28 lbs. more than BMW's longer, taller Megamoto. Though it's never really bothersome on the street, that extra mass is more noticeable than you might expect, given the most extreme steering geometry and compact chassis dimensions of the bunch.
Put some fast, sweeping corners ahead of it and the 'TT is capable of surprising velocity if you play by its rules. No pointing your boot at the apex. Cornering is knee-down, roadrace-style. Hard braking pitches everything forward, overwhelming soft fork springs, so don't. Nothing but smooth control inputs here, people, plus plenty of cornering speed, rpm and did we mention smoothness? That compact aluminum chassis is stiff where it needs to be, but the bike feels top-heavy despite what the brochure copy says. Assisted by competent (if somewhat flaccid) Showa suspension bits at either end, the Buell rails through corners with the sort of bolted-down feel that inspired even the card-carrying supermoto racers in our midst. Acceleration is somewhat less inspiring, especially when it's compressed into a relatively narrow band between 5000 and 6750 rpm. With an abundance of flywheel mass and some big gaps between cogs in the notchy five-speed gearbox, painstaking smoothness is the only way to go fast. That's considerably easier at the track where corners are the same every lap than on less predictable public pavement.
http://image.motorcyclistonline.com/f/9896612/122_0806_04_z+sumo_supermoto_motorcyclist_comparo+ air_cooled_Thunderstorm_twin.jpg
Pirelli Scorpion Sync radials do an excellent job of holding on to any sort of road. Clean, dirty, wet or dry, it really doesn't matter. And they generate a good deal more grip at the track than that omni-surface tread pattern might suggest. Brakes turned out to be the biggest impediment to speed on our bike. Grabby and short on feel from the beginning, the heat of a half-day at Willow Springs' Horse Thief Mile turned the 375mm inside-out front disc a lovely shade of blue. It also incinerated whatever feel remained from our street testing, making it difficult to slow things down from speed without locking the front wheel and pulling in for fresh Jockey shorts. Fresh pads and fluid helped, but we really expected the Zero Torsional Load disc to deal with the heat better than it did.
Total all the columns and the Super TT ends up being more Buell and considerably less supermoto than its peers. If you're after a sporting big-bore twin that doesn't care how they do it in Munich or Bologna-or anywhere else, for that matter-this is it. But for those who prefer a bit more bandwidth in a pseudo-moto twin, this one comes up a bit short.
3rd - Ducati Hypermotard 1100
Pierre Terblanche had an idea that begat a swoopy little concept for Ducati's display at the '05 Milan Show, which begat sufficient buzz to ink production plans in '06 and stacks of deposits before the bikes materialized in dealer showrooms in '07. As it turns out, spinning the Captain Sensible Multistrada into a post-modern supermoto was a good one. And if the stylized supermotard lines don't convince you, one ride will.
http://image.motorcyclistonline.com/f/9896624/122_0806_06_z+sumo_supermoto_motorcyclist_comparo+ ducati_hypermotard_1100.jpg
Finally, a Ducati that looks and acts like one in the city. Cut short like a sawed-off Benelli shotgun, the 'Motard carries you close to its tapered-aluminum handlebar and Desmosedici-derived dash. The result is like a tight pair of Diesel jeans: A lot of cool makes up for a little discomfort. Mirrors integrated into stylized bark busters-SUV mirror busters where we live-deliver a fine rear view, but make an otherwise stiletto-thin motorcycle way too wide for L.A. traffic. Style, you see, enforces certain concessions.
The 3.3-gallon fuel tank-smallest of the bunch-feels nice and skinny between your knees. It also runs dry every 110 miles or so, which makes ferreting out arcane curves any distance from outposts of civilization such as the gas station a bit dicey. On the plus side, tall gearing factors vibration out of the equation all the way up to an indicated 80 mph, and the seat is comfortable enough to let most of us sit through 100 freeway miles.
Power comes from an air-cooled, 90-degree idea that has been evolving since Dr. T decided to spin Desmodue cams with Uniroyal Powergrip belts nearly three decades ago. Though it inhales though a smaller, more restrictive airbox than the Multistrada, paring rear-wheel output to 78 bhp at 7600 rpm, the 1078cc dual-plug twin dispenses every pony in the sort of strict, linear fashion that delivers a steady stream of thrust. Euro 3-compliant emissions make for an overly abrupt off-idle transition that gets worse when heated rush-hour traffic pushes the oil temp to 230 degrees. New friction material and lighter springs make the dry clutch easier to deal with, but it still squeals and grabs after 20-30 minutes of urban stop-and-go. We'd gladly shelve our "Loud clutches save lives" T-shirts for the Multistrada 1100's better-behaved wet clutch.
http://image.motorcyclistonline.com/f/9896636/122_0806_08_z+sumo_supermoto_motorcyclist_comparo+ MotoGP_inspired_dash.jpg
Though it comes up short against the stronger Germanic twins, the 440-lb. Ducati is lighter and lower than either one, and that exemplary chassis keeps things close in the twisty bits with more momentum and cornering speed. With most of that weight biased toward a front wheel that feels like it's right under your chin, the 'Motard lets you use cornering trajectories that bigger bikes can't. That wide bar provides enough leverage to transition from dead vertical to peg-down lean angles in a heartbeat, but watch it: The brake pedal and/or shift lever are next, which means it's time to ease up before the Bridgestone radials lose interest. The front BT014's relatively blunt profile makes steering slightly slower and less accurate than it could be. And we'd swap the stock brake pads for something with more bite. Either that or swallow hard and part with $14,495 for the up-market S-model, complete with stronger Brembo Monobloc front calipers, lighter forged Marchesini wheels, stickier Pirelli radials, nifty ride-height adjuster and strategically placed flashes of carbon fiber that help shave 7 lbs. and justify that stiffer bottom line.
If you can live without the racy bits and flashy designer labels, the standard model is anything but for $11,995. If your devotion to Adriano, Marcello and Bruno is expressed by a Societa Scientifica Radio Brevetti Ducati 1926 tattoo where only certain medical professionals will ever see it, slip into stickier rubber and more aggressive brake pads-and maybe some suspension work if you're feeling flush-and you've got an exceedingly capable, visually stunning, fairly practical Italian in the garage. For the more open minded in the audience, BMW and KTM have some persuasive alternatives you might want to look at.
2nd - BMW HP2 Megamoto
Megamoto? Like the bad-tempered lummox that trashes Tokyo and then has a go at Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Megalon, BMW's most unlikely sportbike is a little intimidating at first. But don't be afraid: Unlike the 44,000-ton napalm-spitting guardian of Seatopia, Megamoto's considerable powers are used only for good. Still, for anyone who was shocked by BMW's original HP2 Enduro, the best way to approach $20,520 is confidently, and downwind.
http://image.motorcyclistonline.com/f/9896648/122_0806_10_z+sumo_supermoto_motorcyclist_comparo+ BMW_HP2_megamoto.jpg
There's about 40 percent less suspension travel at either end, with a conventional hlins shock in place of the strange Enduro's weird-Alice Continental air spring. For those tall enough to straddle a seat 35 inches above pavement-about an inch lower than the Enduro version-the Mega feels like a gigantic mutant dirtbike: wide bars, firm, skinny seat and sawtooth steel footpegs. Most of what happens from there is-shall we say?-un-expected. The 1170cc boxer-twin gains 8 bhp in the translation to pavement duty, mostly from the addition of a dual-chamber Akrapovic muffler and bumping compression to 12.0:1. The 104-bhp result flattens everything else here in a straight line, pushing the 450-lb. aberration through the quarter-mile in 11.26 seconds at 122.6 mph.
The mega-boxer is more impressive pottering around town. Throttle response is essentially flawless, and so is the six-speed gearbox. But with upward of 70 lb.-ft. of torque online from 3500 rpm, shifting is mostly optional. Wide bars and a low center of mass make the BMW more agile than its monstrous dimensions might suggest. Suspension is decidedly taut right out of the box; dialing down stock compression-damping settings-especially up front-serves up a more compliant ride on rough pavement. But if plush is what you seek, buy an R1200RT. The Megamoto, in case you haven't guessed already, is a decidedly less practical beast.
Hung out in the wind on a broad, flat handlebar, relatively short gearing factors in enough buzz beyond 75 mph to make extended freeway travel a necessary evil. The 3.4-gallon tank carries a half-gallon more than an HP2 Enduro; enough to fuel stops about 140 miles apart if you're careful or 120 if you're not. But with the sort of back-road demeanor that encourages a less prudent right wrist, that last number is usually closer to reality. The boxer's 101mm pistons and hefty crankshaft can't spin up as quickly as the KTM's lighter bits. But persuade the tach needle to the right of 6500 rpm and the Bavarian afterburner kicks in enthusiastically enough to leave the Austrian interloper for dead.
http://image.motorcyclistonline.com/f/9896660/122_0806_12_z+sumo_supermoto_motorcyclist_comparo+ Megamoto_Brembos.jpg
Just in case the cylinders didn't do it, abundant engine braking tends to discourage authentic boot-out cornering. Still, genuinely stupid lean angles become standard operating procedure once you're accustomed to sitting nearly a yard from the tarmac. Relaxed steering geometry and a 63.3-inch wheelbase add up to a disturbing amount of front-end chatter entering tight corners at the track. But most such complaints disappear on the street.
Stiff suspension is allergic to nasty pavement, and the limo-esque wheelbase favors premeditated cornering trajectory over indecision at the apex. Still, a little steering input goes a long way. It's easy to turn inside the appointed line below 60 mph until your neural circuits recalibrate. An exasperating tendency to stand up under the slightest trail-braking maneuvers takes some getting used to as well. Otherwise, the BMW's Brembo four-piston front calipers and 320mm rotors serve up more power and better feel than the others. Michelin Pilot Power radials lay down the most tenacious grip as well. With effectively unlimited cornering clearance, the sound of metal on pavement means you've just crashed-extremely ill advised where physical dimensions are exceeded only by exclusivity. In the end, BMW's ultimate stripped-down sporting tool is too expensive, too long, too tall, too narrowly focused or just too openly weird. And that's why we're not answering the door right away when they come to take it back.
1st - KTM 950 SuperMoto R :mod_smilie_rockwoot
It's not the coolest or the lightest or the strongest or even the least expensive. So how does KTM's 950 come out on top in this little exercise? It acts more like a real-deal supermoto bike if you insist on backing into the occasional corner. At the same time, the orange-and-black Austrian bike is always a little better at being a do-it-all motorcycle. The most glaring bit of irony in all that is that you may have a hard time finding one. More on that later.
http://image.motorcyclistonline.com/f/9896666/122_0806_13_z+sumo_supermoto_motorcyclist_comparo+ KTM_bike.jpg
A more handsome fuel tank-pirated off the 950 Super Enduro, aka KTM's answer to BMW's HP2 Enduro-makes the '07 version easier to look at, but styling requires a taste American buyers haven't acquired quite yet. What is this thing? A stripped-down KTM Adventure twin? A dressed-up Super Duke? Actually, it's a little of both. The 34.4-inch seat height makes it more accessible than anybody's adventure-sport bike. It's also easier for regular-sized humans to throw a boot over than the towering BMW. On the down side, the saddle foam is too soft, and it's upholstered with a diabolically slippery material that makes staying put tough unless you're wearing leather. Or gaffer's tape. The nicely balanced ergonomic equation is theoretically capable of packing double. But considering the gluteal proximity to those high-mount mufflers, passengers will require a high pain threshold and/or heat-resistant skivvies.
A pair of 43mm Keihin anachronisms called carburetors-complete with quaint bar-mounted choke lever-give the 942cc version of KTM's 75-degree V-twin the sort of smooth, snappy, willing response that makes fuel injection look bad to everybody but the EPA. The 950 is smoother than its peers. Less flywheel weight lets it rev noticeably quicker as well-all the way to an 88-horse peak at 8000 rpm that trumps all but the BMW. A tach would make it easier to stay in the upper-midrange happy place, but we managed without one. An 11.56-second dragstrip run at 118.3 mph makes the Austrian second quickest as well. But the KTM doesn't move to the front of this pack until you file all the printouts and live with it for a week.
http://image.motorcyclistonline.com/f/9896678/122_0806_15_z+sumo_supermoto_motorcyclist_comparo+ industrial_looking_dash.jpg
With a ready flow of cooperative power behind the most agile chassis of our foursome, the R slips through nightmarish urban traffic with minimal effort. Clutch pull gets stiff after extended bouts of stop-and-go, but the gearbox shifts as smoothly as the BMW's through six rations that are more effectively spaced to run the Monday-through-Friday gauntlet as readily as the inevitable Saturday-morning scrape. Tall gearing means fifth works better under 80 mph, but freeway travel is relatively painless until butt and seat develop irreconcilable differences after 90 minutes or so. Hopefully the route takes a turn for the better before the burn sets in.
The KTM gives up less ground to the BMW in any corner-to-corner skirmish than its 16-horse shortfall might suggest. The Buell and Ducati work a whole lot harder to hold on once the pace heats up. The WP fork and shock offer the broadest range of adjustment. Brakes are plenty strong, if a big grabby up front. And though finding that perfect combination of spring preload, compression and rebound damping takes some time, the results will be worth it. Once dialed in, the 950 can generate serious velocity through the kind of tight, bumpy dirty corners that make most sportbike pilots U-turn for home. It's nice to have the road to yourself on a Saturday morning.
Still, U.S. buyers don't quite know what to make of a sit-up sportbike dressed in motocross plastic. And since more of them wrote checks for KTM's 990 Adventure or the sportier Super Duke in '07, the 950 SMR has been dropped from the '08 lineup. Europeans get the spanky new fuel-injected 990cc version while we watch from the wrong side of the Atlantic. But there's good news if you know where to look. The 990 Adventure and Super Duke took their time getting here too, and with a little luck we'll see the 990 Super Moto in '09. Meanwhile, there are miles of bumpy, dirty, unpatrolled pavement waiting weekend after weekend for somebody on the right motorcycle to lay down some fresh rubber. What are you waiting for?
Ducati Hypermotard 1100 vs.
BMW HP2 Megamoto vs.
KTM 950 Supermoto R
Forget what the brochures say. These aren't supermoto bikes. Not supermoto as in supermotard, as in the French fusion of roadracing and motocross run on go-kart tracks with some dirt and a jump thrown in to keep things interesting. For the most part, they're crafty exercises in niche marketing. Naked twins dressed up to emulate the sort of thing Benny Carlson and Mark Burkhart back into corners for a living.
http://image.motorcyclistonline.com/f/9896594/122_0806_01_z+sumo_supermoto_motorcyclist_comparo+ comparo_bikes.jpg
With the notable exception of Aprilia's SXV550, our lightest big-bore twin is nearly 200 pounds heavier than a proper supermoto racebike, and infinitely more civilized. This is a good thing, since something like Mr. Carlson's '07 AMA Supermoto Unlimited Championship-winning 550 has all the warmth and charm of a 12,000-rpm, 78-horsepower Insinkerator. Slideways fantasies notwithstanding, let's just say a real supermoto bike with lights is a bit too focused for 99.44 percent of the street-riding populace.
Meanwhile, our quartet of big twins serves up supermoto for the rest of us. More biased toward city streets and twisty back roads than the average broadband standard, they offer a sit-up alternative to the ubiquitous plastic-wrapped supersport. But BMW's HP2 Megamoto, Buell's XB12STT Super TT, Ducati's Hypermotard 1100 and KTM's 950 Supermoto R use decidedly different trajectories to hit that target. To figure out who comes the closest, we ran all four through a post-modern urban decathlon of surface streets, freeways, diabolically twisty backroads along with some fast bits, then capped it all off with a day at the racetrack. What happened? There's only one way to find out...
4th - Buell XB12STT Super TT
As with just about any Buell built over the past quarter-century, the Super TT diverges from the center of its chosen niche. Building on the basic Ulysses/Lightning Long foundation of a twin-spar frame/fuel tank carrying a 1203cc air/oil-cooled 45-degree V-twin, it's what the factory calls a blend of streetfighter agility and supermoto style. The riding position combines wide, flat, motocross-style bars with a soft, relatively broad seat and the highest footpegs of the group; legroom is tight if you're tall. We're not exactly sure what to call it, though long-legged testers came up with some intriguing definitions after an hour on the freeway. The Milwaukee pushrod twin has a personality all its own as well.
http://image.motorcyclistonline.com/f/9896600/122_0806_02_z+sumo_supermoto_motorcyclist_comparo+ Buell_testing.jpg
Named after an early iteration of American supermoto racing, the SuperTT trundles through the urban landscape happily enough. At least until traffic congeals and the engine gets hot enough to roast a chicken, loses interest in internal combustion and stalls at maddeningly regular intervals unless you keep the revs up. And limited steering lock enforced by the broad-shouldered frame complicates the simple U-turn-allow plenty of real estate there. The Thunderstorm mill is more like a stiff breeze below 4500 rpm anyway, which means more trips to the shifter than you might expect with 73.4 cubic inches under the hood. At 478 lbs. soaking wet, Buell's Super TT is the heftiest of the foursome, carrying 28 lbs. more than BMW's longer, taller Megamoto. Though it's never really bothersome on the street, that extra mass is more noticeable than you might expect, given the most extreme steering geometry and compact chassis dimensions of the bunch.
Put some fast, sweeping corners ahead of it and the 'TT is capable of surprising velocity if you play by its rules. No pointing your boot at the apex. Cornering is knee-down, roadrace-style. Hard braking pitches everything forward, overwhelming soft fork springs, so don't. Nothing but smooth control inputs here, people, plus plenty of cornering speed, rpm and did we mention smoothness? That compact aluminum chassis is stiff where it needs to be, but the bike feels top-heavy despite what the brochure copy says. Assisted by competent (if somewhat flaccid) Showa suspension bits at either end, the Buell rails through corners with the sort of bolted-down feel that inspired even the card-carrying supermoto racers in our midst. Acceleration is somewhat less inspiring, especially when it's compressed into a relatively narrow band between 5000 and 6750 rpm. With an abundance of flywheel mass and some big gaps between cogs in the notchy five-speed gearbox, painstaking smoothness is the only way to go fast. That's considerably easier at the track where corners are the same every lap than on less predictable public pavement.
http://image.motorcyclistonline.com/f/9896612/122_0806_04_z+sumo_supermoto_motorcyclist_comparo+ air_cooled_Thunderstorm_twin.jpg
Pirelli Scorpion Sync radials do an excellent job of holding on to any sort of road. Clean, dirty, wet or dry, it really doesn't matter. And they generate a good deal more grip at the track than that omni-surface tread pattern might suggest. Brakes turned out to be the biggest impediment to speed on our bike. Grabby and short on feel from the beginning, the heat of a half-day at Willow Springs' Horse Thief Mile turned the 375mm inside-out front disc a lovely shade of blue. It also incinerated whatever feel remained from our street testing, making it difficult to slow things down from speed without locking the front wheel and pulling in for fresh Jockey shorts. Fresh pads and fluid helped, but we really expected the Zero Torsional Load disc to deal with the heat better than it did.
Total all the columns and the Super TT ends up being more Buell and considerably less supermoto than its peers. If you're after a sporting big-bore twin that doesn't care how they do it in Munich or Bologna-or anywhere else, for that matter-this is it. But for those who prefer a bit more bandwidth in a pseudo-moto twin, this one comes up a bit short.
3rd - Ducati Hypermotard 1100
Pierre Terblanche had an idea that begat a swoopy little concept for Ducati's display at the '05 Milan Show, which begat sufficient buzz to ink production plans in '06 and stacks of deposits before the bikes materialized in dealer showrooms in '07. As it turns out, spinning the Captain Sensible Multistrada into a post-modern supermoto was a good one. And if the stylized supermotard lines don't convince you, one ride will.
http://image.motorcyclistonline.com/f/9896624/122_0806_06_z+sumo_supermoto_motorcyclist_comparo+ ducati_hypermotard_1100.jpg
Finally, a Ducati that looks and acts like one in the city. Cut short like a sawed-off Benelli shotgun, the 'Motard carries you close to its tapered-aluminum handlebar and Desmosedici-derived dash. The result is like a tight pair of Diesel jeans: A lot of cool makes up for a little discomfort. Mirrors integrated into stylized bark busters-SUV mirror busters where we live-deliver a fine rear view, but make an otherwise stiletto-thin motorcycle way too wide for L.A. traffic. Style, you see, enforces certain concessions.
The 3.3-gallon fuel tank-smallest of the bunch-feels nice and skinny between your knees. It also runs dry every 110 miles or so, which makes ferreting out arcane curves any distance from outposts of civilization such as the gas station a bit dicey. On the plus side, tall gearing factors vibration out of the equation all the way up to an indicated 80 mph, and the seat is comfortable enough to let most of us sit through 100 freeway miles.
Power comes from an air-cooled, 90-degree idea that has been evolving since Dr. T decided to spin Desmodue cams with Uniroyal Powergrip belts nearly three decades ago. Though it inhales though a smaller, more restrictive airbox than the Multistrada, paring rear-wheel output to 78 bhp at 7600 rpm, the 1078cc dual-plug twin dispenses every pony in the sort of strict, linear fashion that delivers a steady stream of thrust. Euro 3-compliant emissions make for an overly abrupt off-idle transition that gets worse when heated rush-hour traffic pushes the oil temp to 230 degrees. New friction material and lighter springs make the dry clutch easier to deal with, but it still squeals and grabs after 20-30 minutes of urban stop-and-go. We'd gladly shelve our "Loud clutches save lives" T-shirts for the Multistrada 1100's better-behaved wet clutch.
http://image.motorcyclistonline.com/f/9896636/122_0806_08_z+sumo_supermoto_motorcyclist_comparo+ MotoGP_inspired_dash.jpg
Though it comes up short against the stronger Germanic twins, the 440-lb. Ducati is lighter and lower than either one, and that exemplary chassis keeps things close in the twisty bits with more momentum and cornering speed. With most of that weight biased toward a front wheel that feels like it's right under your chin, the 'Motard lets you use cornering trajectories that bigger bikes can't. That wide bar provides enough leverage to transition from dead vertical to peg-down lean angles in a heartbeat, but watch it: The brake pedal and/or shift lever are next, which means it's time to ease up before the Bridgestone radials lose interest. The front BT014's relatively blunt profile makes steering slightly slower and less accurate than it could be. And we'd swap the stock brake pads for something with more bite. Either that or swallow hard and part with $14,495 for the up-market S-model, complete with stronger Brembo Monobloc front calipers, lighter forged Marchesini wheels, stickier Pirelli radials, nifty ride-height adjuster and strategically placed flashes of carbon fiber that help shave 7 lbs. and justify that stiffer bottom line.
If you can live without the racy bits and flashy designer labels, the standard model is anything but for $11,995. If your devotion to Adriano, Marcello and Bruno is expressed by a Societa Scientifica Radio Brevetti Ducati 1926 tattoo where only certain medical professionals will ever see it, slip into stickier rubber and more aggressive brake pads-and maybe some suspension work if you're feeling flush-and you've got an exceedingly capable, visually stunning, fairly practical Italian in the garage. For the more open minded in the audience, BMW and KTM have some persuasive alternatives you might want to look at.
2nd - BMW HP2 Megamoto
Megamoto? Like the bad-tempered lummox that trashes Tokyo and then has a go at Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Megalon, BMW's most unlikely sportbike is a little intimidating at first. But don't be afraid: Unlike the 44,000-ton napalm-spitting guardian of Seatopia, Megamoto's considerable powers are used only for good. Still, for anyone who was shocked by BMW's original HP2 Enduro, the best way to approach $20,520 is confidently, and downwind.
http://image.motorcyclistonline.com/f/9896648/122_0806_10_z+sumo_supermoto_motorcyclist_comparo+ BMW_HP2_megamoto.jpg
There's about 40 percent less suspension travel at either end, with a conventional hlins shock in place of the strange Enduro's weird-Alice Continental air spring. For those tall enough to straddle a seat 35 inches above pavement-about an inch lower than the Enduro version-the Mega feels like a gigantic mutant dirtbike: wide bars, firm, skinny seat and sawtooth steel footpegs. Most of what happens from there is-shall we say?-un-expected. The 1170cc boxer-twin gains 8 bhp in the translation to pavement duty, mostly from the addition of a dual-chamber Akrapovic muffler and bumping compression to 12.0:1. The 104-bhp result flattens everything else here in a straight line, pushing the 450-lb. aberration through the quarter-mile in 11.26 seconds at 122.6 mph.
The mega-boxer is more impressive pottering around town. Throttle response is essentially flawless, and so is the six-speed gearbox. But with upward of 70 lb.-ft. of torque online from 3500 rpm, shifting is mostly optional. Wide bars and a low center of mass make the BMW more agile than its monstrous dimensions might suggest. Suspension is decidedly taut right out of the box; dialing down stock compression-damping settings-especially up front-serves up a more compliant ride on rough pavement. But if plush is what you seek, buy an R1200RT. The Megamoto, in case you haven't guessed already, is a decidedly less practical beast.
Hung out in the wind on a broad, flat handlebar, relatively short gearing factors in enough buzz beyond 75 mph to make extended freeway travel a necessary evil. The 3.4-gallon tank carries a half-gallon more than an HP2 Enduro; enough to fuel stops about 140 miles apart if you're careful or 120 if you're not. But with the sort of back-road demeanor that encourages a less prudent right wrist, that last number is usually closer to reality. The boxer's 101mm pistons and hefty crankshaft can't spin up as quickly as the KTM's lighter bits. But persuade the tach needle to the right of 6500 rpm and the Bavarian afterburner kicks in enthusiastically enough to leave the Austrian interloper for dead.
http://image.motorcyclistonline.com/f/9896660/122_0806_12_z+sumo_supermoto_motorcyclist_comparo+ Megamoto_Brembos.jpg
Just in case the cylinders didn't do it, abundant engine braking tends to discourage authentic boot-out cornering. Still, genuinely stupid lean angles become standard operating procedure once you're accustomed to sitting nearly a yard from the tarmac. Relaxed steering geometry and a 63.3-inch wheelbase add up to a disturbing amount of front-end chatter entering tight corners at the track. But most such complaints disappear on the street.
Stiff suspension is allergic to nasty pavement, and the limo-esque wheelbase favors premeditated cornering trajectory over indecision at the apex. Still, a little steering input goes a long way. It's easy to turn inside the appointed line below 60 mph until your neural circuits recalibrate. An exasperating tendency to stand up under the slightest trail-braking maneuvers takes some getting used to as well. Otherwise, the BMW's Brembo four-piston front calipers and 320mm rotors serve up more power and better feel than the others. Michelin Pilot Power radials lay down the most tenacious grip as well. With effectively unlimited cornering clearance, the sound of metal on pavement means you've just crashed-extremely ill advised where physical dimensions are exceeded only by exclusivity. In the end, BMW's ultimate stripped-down sporting tool is too expensive, too long, too tall, too narrowly focused or just too openly weird. And that's why we're not answering the door right away when they come to take it back.
1st - KTM 950 SuperMoto R :mod_smilie_rockwoot
It's not the coolest or the lightest or the strongest or even the least expensive. So how does KTM's 950 come out on top in this little exercise? It acts more like a real-deal supermoto bike if you insist on backing into the occasional corner. At the same time, the orange-and-black Austrian bike is always a little better at being a do-it-all motorcycle. The most glaring bit of irony in all that is that you may have a hard time finding one. More on that later.
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A more handsome fuel tank-pirated off the 950 Super Enduro, aka KTM's answer to BMW's HP2 Enduro-makes the '07 version easier to look at, but styling requires a taste American buyers haven't acquired quite yet. What is this thing? A stripped-down KTM Adventure twin? A dressed-up Super Duke? Actually, it's a little of both. The 34.4-inch seat height makes it more accessible than anybody's adventure-sport bike. It's also easier for regular-sized humans to throw a boot over than the towering BMW. On the down side, the saddle foam is too soft, and it's upholstered with a diabolically slippery material that makes staying put tough unless you're wearing leather. Or gaffer's tape. The nicely balanced ergonomic equation is theoretically capable of packing double. But considering the gluteal proximity to those high-mount mufflers, passengers will require a high pain threshold and/or heat-resistant skivvies.
A pair of 43mm Keihin anachronisms called carburetors-complete with quaint bar-mounted choke lever-give the 942cc version of KTM's 75-degree V-twin the sort of smooth, snappy, willing response that makes fuel injection look bad to everybody but the EPA. The 950 is smoother than its peers. Less flywheel weight lets it rev noticeably quicker as well-all the way to an 88-horse peak at 8000 rpm that trumps all but the BMW. A tach would make it easier to stay in the upper-midrange happy place, but we managed without one. An 11.56-second dragstrip run at 118.3 mph makes the Austrian second quickest as well. But the KTM doesn't move to the front of this pack until you file all the printouts and live with it for a week.
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With a ready flow of cooperative power behind the most agile chassis of our foursome, the R slips through nightmarish urban traffic with minimal effort. Clutch pull gets stiff after extended bouts of stop-and-go, but the gearbox shifts as smoothly as the BMW's through six rations that are more effectively spaced to run the Monday-through-Friday gauntlet as readily as the inevitable Saturday-morning scrape. Tall gearing means fifth works better under 80 mph, but freeway travel is relatively painless until butt and seat develop irreconcilable differences after 90 minutes or so. Hopefully the route takes a turn for the better before the burn sets in.
The KTM gives up less ground to the BMW in any corner-to-corner skirmish than its 16-horse shortfall might suggest. The Buell and Ducati work a whole lot harder to hold on once the pace heats up. The WP fork and shock offer the broadest range of adjustment. Brakes are plenty strong, if a big grabby up front. And though finding that perfect combination of spring preload, compression and rebound damping takes some time, the results will be worth it. Once dialed in, the 950 can generate serious velocity through the kind of tight, bumpy dirty corners that make most sportbike pilots U-turn for home. It's nice to have the road to yourself on a Saturday morning.
Still, U.S. buyers don't quite know what to make of a sit-up sportbike dressed in motocross plastic. And since more of them wrote checks for KTM's 990 Adventure or the sportier Super Duke in '07, the 950 SMR has been dropped from the '08 lineup. Europeans get the spanky new fuel-injected 990cc version while we watch from the wrong side of the Atlantic. But there's good news if you know where to look. The 990 Adventure and Super Duke took their time getting here too, and with a little luck we'll see the 990 Super Moto in '09. Meanwhile, there are miles of bumpy, dirty, unpatrolled pavement waiting weekend after weekend for somebody on the right motorcycle to lay down some fresh rubber. What are you waiting for?