Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128611
Cycle News 1DDDee V-twin Superbike Shoot out Engine - Powerplant based on TLlO O 90' V-twin OS - Forged pistons - Twin radiat rs o -, Hiqh-capacity airbox - High-capacity exhaust - Larger clutch - Twin-injector per throttle body fuel-injection system Chassis/Su spens ion/Wheels - Aluminum spar-type frame - Bridge-type swingarm - Inverted fork - Rotary damper rear suspension Controls - Tokico hydraulic brakes Bottom Une: The Japanese original in the sport-racing twin realm, which has since been denied the attention it deserves. The slacker. Specifications DISPLACEMENT 996cc ENGINE TYPE Uquid-cooled V-twin four-stroke BORE x STROKE 98 x 66mm COMPRESSION RATIO 11.7:1 CARBURETION Mikuni/Denso fuel injection IGNmO N Digital transistorized TRANSM ISSION 6-speed STARTING SYSTEM Electric FUELCAPACITY .4.5 gal. WHEELBASE .54.9 in. RAKE/TRAIL 23' /90.6mm SEATHEIGHT .32.5 in. FRONT TIRE 120/70' 17 REARTIRE 190/50-17 FRONTSUSPENSION .4.5 in. travel REAR SUSPENSION .4.9 in. travel FRONT BRAKE Tokico hydraulic wI dual 320mm discs and 6 pistons REAR BRAKE .....Tokico hydraulic wI single 220mm discand 2 pistons FINAL DRIVE Chain CLAIMED DRY WElGHT .434 Ibs. USTPRICE $9549 20 MAY 3 , 2000' c u e I e D y n o je t ::: : In c . r.~u"'kl.':;;~_1;.-;000.;::; ~ _M=_x.=p0•. w ~:;:. ~CC.1"'1:;; ~;C"'"'=~."';.::C:R::;••;c r-=.-~c:.:~;;'--_,.- .-.-. .-..""'=-..-..-..-.; -: ::: :::-.=.. :;- i;- ;;:."' ~",••~ "';::;~_;;:. R;:. ~-:;~ ••••• -fT "' ;••O u.::: ~ :: ~ . :..- . . .. " . . ", .. ;; .. :: 1 1 0 . -_.- : '00 . _. - - . - -. - - i----------,---- 90 R e s e a rc h ~ ; ._ __.. , ; ~ :.· ········ i-··------- 1----------- ~---·------ i·-------- 80 " : : : : 7 0 "r: - · - - -- - ·T- - - -- -- - -r-- - ·-- - - - -~ - - - - - ·- + t--- -_ .. ;--- . ' 10 _ ~-- -- - - _ . _ - : - - - - - - - - - - · 10 0 :._ ---------:--_ ..... :.... _.. _--._ · · · . . " gO . . · 80 T········ ·· :·········· r~~~~~:~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ · 70 15 . ~·------- -!- --------- i----- - · 0 . 60 50 " · 50 40 " " 40 30 " " 30 · 20 3 nellVs 4 5 8 g 10 11 I k ne w I was going to like the RCS], I j ust didn 't know how much . Alth o ug h m y initial reac tion to the ne w Hond a V-t win wh ile g etting up to s peed a t Las Vegas Moto r Spe e d wa y was o ne of ind ifference , th a t soon cha nged. In fa ct, when I started m y day with the Honda , I wasn 't overly impressed. As it tu rns out , th a t was simply a matte r o f me being a bit too slow. B y e arly afternoon , I was up to s pee d a n d e veryt h ing cha n ge d . Whil e m y m id -m o rning p a c e h ad m e in love wit h th e A prilia RSV Mill e (a nd , e v e n to a ce rta in degree, the S uzuki TL) , the Du c a ti 996 and the Ho n da really started to shi ne when my in hi bitions le s s en e d la ter in the day. A ft er my first st int o n the D u c a t i, I de cl ar e d it the g rea te st moto rcyc le I' d ever ridden . Then I decided to give the Ho nda one more go. It was then that e verything changed . Althou g h the Ducati is one hell of a moto rcycle at the race track, I fou nd the Hond a just a little bit better - in every area . Other than the fac t t h at the clutch is a b it grabby on in it ial takeoff, I could n't fin d anyt hi ng abo u t th e RC5] that I di dn't like . A nd , a lt ho ugh I cou ldn 't see m ys e lf goi ng quic k er o n it than wh a t I h ad done o n th e Ducati , I was able to d o just th a t on t h e Ho nd a - a nd I wa s act ua lly m or e co mfo rta b le whil e doing so. I a lso kn ew th a t I pr obably wa sn 't goi ng t o li k e any of th e s e bi k e s m uch wh en it came to la ne splitting on t h e 405. Aga in , I was wrong - at le a s t a little bit . The Suzu k i is a fa irly c omfortable streetbike. D itt o for th e Ap rilia . Bu t what us u all y makes for a co m fo rtab le commuter makes for a less than-perfect motorcycle at the ra c e track. And vice versa. It's known as com promi s e . And all fo u r b ikes are so mewha t g u il ty of not gett ing it completely rig ht , tho ugh that's probably an unobtainable go al a nywa y . Rid ing on the fr eewa y on t he RC5 ] is bea ra ble , b are ly . Rid ing on the fre e wa y o n t he Duc a ti is u nbearab le . Rid ing o n the fre e wa y o n t h e other two is a bout as good as ca n be e x p e c t e d fro m a s p o rt b ik e . Wh e n yo u ge t to th e tw is t ie s , t he ti d e r e v e rs es - thou gh th e Ap rilia a n d S uzu ki still hang tough . At th e ra cetra c k , however, th ere is no compa rison . The Hond a and th e Du c a ti cl ea rly sta nd a bove the o ther t wo , and t he Honda is a s mi dge be t ter. Pa u l Carruthers