I have ridden all three bikes and owned two, the bmw is quick but to me lacks charisma, I owned the aprilia rsv4 aprc which was a fantastic bike, but I traded it for the ducati 1199. The ducati has character, and is quicker than the rsv4, it is much lighter as well by about 20kg and has a stronger hp so the power to weight ratio is awesome! Basically its like having the power of a litre bike in a 600 body, its also stunningly gorgeous and better finished, its the experience it gives you which is basically riding a bike with personality which sets this bike apart from the other two awesome bikes. But thats just my taste and opinion as someone who has experienced all three bikes.
As a current BMW car owner it feels good to know the bikes they make are the best, as a motorcycle rider (I ride a 2007 YZFR-6 and a naked SV650s) I really wanted Ducati to come up on top, can't explain it. Great job MCN your videos are informative and well shot.
Thank you for the great review Michael , an everyone at MCN, I have been waiting for the review on the top three new models. I love my RSV4, (engine is why I bought mine). Cheers.
I must say, I just bought a 2012 s1000rr...I love it. I've had Jap bikes forever, even though the Beamer is about 3-4k more in price, it's worth it. It's a Euro bike with all the trim'ns at a fraction of the Euro price. You can't lose with it, and look how it's dominating world superbike.
The Ducati 1199 is not just the sexiest of the bunch, it is a technical achievement far beyond anything that any other bike manufacturer can hope to achieve in the next couple of years. MCN knows this. They also know that other bike reviewers will have the Ducati as the clear winner. They just want to stand out among the crowd of reviewers by showing the audience that they can focus on details without getting swept away by the sexy. Just covering for past credibility issues.
Im´ not a bike enthusiast bit i still like to see whats going on. This review was fine, thou I miss to see the Bikes a bit more. Would suggest to to get some good low cam shots on tarmac with a simple background to frame the bikes well - Add some graphics with the stats including price etc.This would help giving the review a bit more personality. Anyway Thanks :)
You sir are a genius. KTM looks awesome and youre right, they should do more shootouts, I just told my father about the zx10 and BMW's speed catching up to the aprillia. AND I LOVE THE RSV4 my dad has 2 1000cc aprillias and i have the rs 125 APRilia is awesome .
MCN SUX!! Last in 2011,the rsv4 aprc was the best bike of the superbike shootout and even though nothing has changed on the rsv4 and neither at the bmw!! SO HOW THE FUCK COULD BMW BE BETTER THIS YEAR WTIH LAST YEARS BIKE?
Not that poor. The k5-6 gsxr 1000 was and still is one of the finest liter bikes ever made, just ask any major motorcycling magazine. It's so good in fact, that it was used as a comparison base when the s1000rr was being developed. You still have an awesome bike.
It's been a long time since Ducati made a proper production bike below 600cc. Modern Ducati is about V engines with plenty of torque. What is a Ducati without that booming V sound? Perhaps things will change, now that they're owned by Audi. Aprilia made their name in 125 and 250 GP racing, so it makes sense for them to stick with it. Plus the RS125/RS250 is still a much loved bike. Coincidentally I just bought an RSV4 and was shocked by how similar the RS4 (125) looks, until you get close up.
I really like MCN videos, and I appreciate they are free... But it's really hard to understand what you guys are saying sometimes. I don't know what camera you are using, but I think a boom-mounted mic, or even a cheap record player like iRiver with a lapel microphone, would improve your videos a lot.
They are mate, but its going to be based massively on the Honda RC213V race bike not the classic RC30...(basically a tuned down version) apparently. But expect to pay over $100k.
Oh wow congrats on RSV4 purchase. What did you have before that? I desperately desperately want an RSV4 but feel I'd be better suited to a 675 triple or 750 I4 or something. This wouldn't be my first bike, its my 5th (last was Ducati MS) but I'd feel like a right eejit on track on the RSV4 if some1 passed me on a 600, so figure I'll get a 675 for a few months /a year, do Calif SBK school level 3 and 4, and then get the RSV4. The sound makes me go weak in the knees tho so I duno if i can resist!
Diffirent strokes for diffirent folks,if they could make a bike that goes like the bmw looks like the duc and sounds like the V4 that would be the ultimate bike, as it stands the V4 for me is the best it just makes me smile more than the other two and for my needs it is perfect.
i was thinking to get one and do the same but i think i'll go with the ducati for now - i ride for fun and 1/10th of a second on a track or 2 mph more isn't a big deal to me
I am 67 years old, and will take on anyone not from East Tennessee or Western North Carolina on my trusty CBR900RR. If you are from Florida, I'll ride my CBR 600 F2. (When I was a child of 47, I set the lap record on the first CBR 900, but only until others showed up on this bike.) It's all relative and all fun.
i hope honda would build a new V4 like in the past, like the old rc30 which had a lot of success! a new version of the cbr 1000rr , but v4 , like the motogp prototype
Love the 2 blokes at 3:30 who know whats up and are rubber-necking looking at those bikes as if they were Ferraris! Apart from the noise, most people wouldn't even notice that this £50k's worth of bikes were any different from £25k's worth of Suzukis!
Cool stuff, but like you wrote - motorcyclists seem to be maturing, and if we aren't doing track days then there are so many other bikes that are striking on their own terms for the ways we can, and do, ride. If I had the money I'd buy the Ducati and hang it up on a wall - I'm sure it's nice. If I have the time to ride, and don't want to haul bikes or risk losing 20-grand at a track day, then I need something that leaves my house and hits whatever I want to see... with gear and a tent.
Finally! you guys gave us what we want. I'd been waiting for the panigale to go against the bmw. I guess BMW still the king for 3 years in a row. My only question is why you guys don't match them against the kawasaki zx10r which is the best japanese bike.
I wonder what the red lines and final gear ratios are in each gear for each of these bikes. That might tell the tale with respect to the BMW's advantage. That i4 is known for great overrev, but what's the tq at the wheel when you take into account the different gearing these things have....
You can drive your car 365 days a year and carry groceries/kids in it. For a lot of people in the world, $15k is a lot for only being able to ride it half the year and then the additional costs of being able to store it properly, keeping it serviced, etc. Not to mention, parts are also insanely expensive for this level of bike.
That Duc is sexy as hell but If my hard earned cash is going down I'm taking the BMW as well. It's still an excellent looking machine, great power and electronics package. Unfortunately I'm poor and still riding my K5 Gsxr 1000 but i love it too!!
Brilliant mate! Glad to see you enjoy your bike so much. And hey - could be worse right? YOu could be riding a Yamaha! Just kidding. Btw if you dont do trackdays, might be worth trying it, absolutely addictive
They are pretty harsh to ride on the road off the shop floor,needs some work done to the suspension to make it comfortable.bmw is nice right away no clue about the aprilia havent ridden one yet but would like to!
All 3 bikes are good so it doesn't even matter. It's all about what's to your liking. I'll personally would take the ducati cuz it stands out from the rest( only ducatis I seen on the road are monsters), makes u feel like a baller lol, and cuz of the name( all the lady's know about them if u get what I mean).
yes yes i konw... s.body must have heard what i said few months ago XD unfortunately the price will be over 48 k euro for the road version. i'm happy they decided to make it... i have in my garage a ducati 998 and a vfr 750f m.y. 1990 XD it is still a reliable bike and veeeery good to ride. the v4 sound is amazing. Honda knows what she does, the never make mistakes with motorcycles, and this rcv1 will be epic. ciao ciao
so when will we FINALLY start seeing reviews on interesting european motocross and enduro 450 class and two stroke bikes like Benelli, Ossa, Husaberg, Husqvarna, TM, BMW, Aprilia?
Well Ferrari now makes the California that costs about the same as a top level Merc. But I get your point though in that these brands are exclusive and don't want to be seen as being too "common".
Nice video and I wanted the BMW to win because it remains the best. The Aprilia has an old looking front. Ducati is too stylesh. Q: Which helmet is better in terms of noise while riding? Arai or SHOEI?
The Rc8 does compete in ama superbike, but that series has gotten watered down. I don't think it's a factory effort either. What do we need to do force KTM to grow a pair and race in wsbk?
the rc8 is an amazing bike but not as powerful or advanced as these. they featured that bike on last year's test. this year though the bike is a bit old i'm sad to say. love the bike but it needs updates to keep up.
If you could find a way to get 25-30 hp out of a fully built engine, they'd be winning WSBK with the right riders. The thing handles like a scalpel, but is down on power quite a bit. The Ducati is in a similar boat; think Checa at Monza, where he is left for dead down that runway-for-a-straight! The RC8R is a severely under-appreciated bike.
i like this channel and all, but it bothers me that they don't test any bikes that are not as fast as the speed of light. I mean comon, i'm sure most people here can't afford those.
Well, there are more factors than that of speed involved in designing a bike. If speed was everything, then pretty much all of the worlds sports bikes would be neck and neck, like they are in professional racing.
Sad part is for average or even heck...below average riders like myself....whatever looks and sounds the best is the bike I'm going with....which for me has to be he aprilia, the BMW, then the duc
What about an expensive 250 then? They could charge perhaps £6000 for it and I guarantee you it would sell. They did used to sell the 250 Diana I think, and their first bike ever was a 50 or 60cc bike back in the late 40s. After all, Aprilia sells the RSV4 lookalike RS125 for a few 1000 quid.
I have ridden all three bikes and owned two, the bmw is quick but to me lacks charisma, I owned the aprilia rsv4 aprc which was a fantastic bike, but I traded it for the ducati 1199. The ducati has character, and is quicker than the rsv4, it is much lighter as well by about 20kg and has a stronger hp so the power to weight ratio is awesome! Basically its like having the power of a litre bike in a 600 body, its also stunningly gorgeous and better finished, its the experience it gives you which is basically riding a bike with personality which sets this bike apart from the other two awesome bikes. But thats just my taste and opinion as someone who has experienced all three bikes.
Thumbs up to MCN. Proper video (and sound), proper comparison of the bikes. Thanks MCN!
A non-biking friend of mine heard the RSV4 when the dealer started it up for him and my friend said "holy crap you can feel that thing in your chest!"
Before watching this video, i wana thank MCN for these bikes comparison. I was waiting for this video for a long time :)
I'd take the RSV4.. something about that engine is just awesome :)
4:16 "I have always enjoyed riding the twins" Ha ha, Neil!
Another superb little vid, Mickey! Many thanks and keep up the good work!
This is why MCN rocks, comprehensive reviews with qualityu commentary.
As a current BMW car owner it feels good to know the bikes they make are the best, as a motorcycle rider (I ride a 2007 YZFR-6 and a naked SV650s) I really wanted Ducati to come up on top, can't explain it. Great job MCN your videos are informative and well shot.
The Ducati kicks both their asses on looks, but you can't beat the BMW's speed and performance. The engineering in that bike is simply immense!
The quality on these reviews have definitely gone up. Good job.
Great group test but you know what's better? Not hearing wind noise all the time :P Please keep up this level of production value now MCN!
Thank you for the great review Michael , an everyone at MCN, I have been waiting for the review on the top three new models. I love my RSV4, (engine is why I bought mine). Cheers.
The three Queens of Europe, and the world! Good job, Neevie!
Those front disc on the ducati are huge.
Yea, only MV does a rear end like that.
Sick bikes in this video.
IT,S A BLESSING TO LISTEN YOUR REVIEWS
MCN where have you been? You have been missed greatly!!
A very well done test and review !
Im planning on never getting rid of K5 as well. Although the allure of all this new technology is tempting, im very satisfied.
I just love the way the Ducati looks
I must say, I just bought a 2012 s1000rr...I love it. I've had Jap bikes forever, even though the Beamer is about 3-4k more in price, it's worth it. It's a Euro bike with all the trim'ns at a fraction of the Euro price. You can't lose with it, and look how it's dominating world superbike.
i Drive a aprilia rsv1000r 07, and i realy want that rsv4 when i have the money ! love that v4 sound
The Ducati 1199 is not just the sexiest of the bunch, it is a technical achievement far beyond anything that any other bike manufacturer can hope to achieve in the next couple of years. MCN knows this. They also know that other bike reviewers will have the Ducati as the clear winner. They just want to stand out among the crowd of reviewers by showing the audience that they can focus on details without getting swept away by the sexy. Just covering for past credibility issues.
the wind just love MCN mic........
Im´ not a bike enthusiast bit i still like to see whats going on. This review was fine, thou I miss to see the Bikes a bit more. Would suggest to to get some good low cam shots on tarmac with a simple background to frame the bikes well - Add some graphics with the stats including price etc.This would help giving the review a bit more personality. Anyway Thanks :)
It appears that the best supersport track bike is still the BMW, they did an excellent job balancing everything, great great bike.
You sir are a genius. KTM looks awesome and youre right, they should do more shootouts, I just told my father about the zx10 and BMW's speed catching up to the aprillia. AND I LOVE THE RSV4 my dad has 2 1000cc aprillias and i have the rs 125 APRilia is awesome .
MCN SUX!!
Last in 2011,the rsv4 aprc was the best bike of the superbike shootout and even though nothing has changed on the rsv4 and neither at the bmw!!
SO HOW THE FUCK COULD BMW BE BETTER THIS YEAR WTIH LAST YEARS BIKE?
great review guys!
Finally a fair review from MCN !!! and the shock is that ducati is not the alpha male...
I would love a BMW, the insurance is a killer for me yet, few years time and I will look at getting one. Brilliant vid.
Not that poor. The k5-6 gsxr 1000 was and still is one of the finest liter bikes ever made, just ask any major motorcycling magazine. It's so good in fact, that it was used as a comparison base when the s1000rr was being developed. You still have an awesome bike.
Aprilia...FTW!!!! Although in the canyons today the Panigale is a beast.
Absolutely correct. The RS4 is a pretty impressive copy of it's bigger brother.
What are you talking about? I can hear them fine. They have made major improvements on the audio compared to 2-3 years ago.
Hodgson is a great addition to the MCN team!
It's been a long time since Ducati made a proper production bike below 600cc. Modern Ducati is about V engines with plenty of torque. What is a Ducati without that booming V sound?
Perhaps things will change, now that they're owned by Audi.
Aprilia made their name in 125 and 250 GP racing, so it makes sense for them to stick with it. Plus the RS125/RS250 is still a much loved bike. Coincidentally I just bought an RSV4 and was shocked by how similar the RS4 (125) looks, until you get close up.
Great work!
I really like MCN videos, and I appreciate they are free... But it's really hard to understand what you guys are saying sometimes. I don't know what camera you are using, but I think a boom-mounted mic, or even a cheap record player like iRiver with a lapel microphone, would improve your videos a lot.
This is awesome. But it would be even better if we could have some more contestants, and some numbers. =)
these guys aren't Aprilia fans but I'm glad the comments realize its just their opinon.
waited long for this.. It's worth it.
They are mate, but its going to be based massively on the Honda RC213V race bike not the classic RC30...(basically a tuned down version) apparently. But expect to pay over $100k.
Oh wow congrats on RSV4 purchase. What did you have before that? I desperately desperately want an RSV4 but feel I'd be better suited to a 675 triple or 750 I4 or something. This wouldn't be my first bike, its my 5th (last was Ducati MS) but I'd feel like a right eejit on track on the RSV4 if some1 passed me on a 600, so figure I'll get a 675 for a few months /a year, do Calif SBK school level 3 and 4, and then get the RSV4. The sound makes me go weak in the knees tho so I duno if i can resist!
MCN, could we have closed captions for those of us in a quiet work environment?
Diffirent strokes for diffirent folks,if they could make a bike that goes like the bmw looks like the duc and sounds like the V4 that would be the ultimate bike, as it stands the V4 for me is the best it just makes me smile more than the other two and for my needs it is perfect.
might be a weird question but what watch was the guy on the right at the end wearing?
was waiting for this showdown :)
i was thinking to get one and do the same but i think i'll go with the ducati for now - i ride for fun and 1/10th of a second on a track or 2 mph more isn't a big deal to me
right, with the stock gearing
I just love when there's a clash of titans in the motorcycle world. All beautiful, and of course, European are still a heart-stopper.
The Aprilia is by far the nicest. IMO.
RSV4 for me. V4, looks awesome, feels awesome. Is awesome. But if I'm honest, it'll be the Tuono v4r that I buy.
I am 67 years old, and will take on anyone not from East Tennessee or Western North Carolina on my trusty CBR900RR. If you are from Florida, I'll ride my CBR 600 F2.
(When I was a child of 47, I set the lap record on the first CBR 900, but only until others showed up on this bike.)
It's all relative and all fun.
I would love to ride these one day!
i hope honda would build a new V4 like in the past, like the old rc30 which had a lot of success! a new version of the cbr 1000rr , but v4 , like the motogp prototype
Love the 2 blokes at 3:30 who know whats up and are rubber-necking looking at those bikes as if they were Ferraris! Apart from the noise, most people wouldn't even notice that this £50k's worth of bikes were any different from £25k's worth of Suzukis!
This is Pergusa race track in Sicily:) Nice I went there a few time it's a very fast circuit....I'm very curious to know their lap time!
Cool stuff, but like you wrote - motorcyclists seem to be maturing, and if we aren't doing track days then there are so many other bikes that are striking on their own terms for the ways we can, and do, ride. If I had the money I'd buy the Ducati and hang it up on a wall - I'm sure it's nice. If I have the time to ride, and don't want to haul bikes or risk losing 20-grand at a track day, then I need something that leaves my house and hits whatever I want to see... with gear and a tent.
u get used to it! And u start to love the S1000RR. My GF even prefers the BMW above the Duc lol. Do a testride on the RR! Freaking awesome bike!
Aprilia's race ECU and Bazzazz and goof can adds 25hp but for a boat load of money.
Finally! you guys gave us what we want. I'd been waiting for the panigale to go against the bmw. I guess BMW still the king for 3 years in a row. My only question is why you guys don't match them against the kawasaki zx10r which is the best japanese bike.
hooray, now i know which expensive unattainable thing i want most ;) ;) seriously though good review and comparison.
I wonder what the red lines and final gear ratios are in each gear for each of these bikes. That might tell the tale with respect to the BMW's advantage. That i4 is known for great overrev, but what's the tq at the wheel when you take into account the different gearing these things have....
You can drive your car 365 days a year and carry groceries/kids in it. For a lot of people in the world, $15k is a lot for only being able to ride it half the year and then the additional costs of being able to store it properly, keeping it serviced, etc. Not to mention, parts are also insanely expensive for this level of bike.
Track times?
That Duc is sexy as hell but If my hard earned cash is going down I'm taking the BMW as well. It's still an excellent looking machine, great power and electronics package. Unfortunately I'm poor and still riding my K5 Gsxr 1000 but i love it too!!
Brilliant mate! Glad to see you enjoy your bike so much. And hey - could be worse right? YOu could be riding a Yamaha! Just kidding. Btw if you dont do trackdays, might be worth trying it, absolutely addictive
They are pretty harsh to ride on the road off the shop floor,needs some work done to the suspension to make it comfortable.bmw is nice right away no clue about the aprilia havent ridden one yet but would like to!
All we can do is hope.
what about the green monster? zx10r?
All 3 bikes are good so it doesn't even matter. It's all about what's to your liking. I'll personally would take the ducati cuz it stands out from the rest( only ducatis I seen on the road are monsters), makes u feel like a baller lol, and cuz of the name( all the lady's know about them if u get what I mean).
What about KTM? (Kraftfahrzeuge Trunkenpolz Mattighofen)
They've got a sick bike RC8
I can't believe they missed it
What about the KTM RC8R ???
yes yes i konw... s.body must have heard what i said few months ago XD
unfortunately the price will be over 48 k euro for the road version. i'm happy they decided to make it... i have in my garage a ducati 998 and a vfr 750f m.y. 1990 XD it is still a reliable bike and veeeery good to ride. the v4 sound is amazing. Honda knows what she does, the never make mistakes with motorcycles, and this rcv1 will be epic. ciao ciao
My BMW s1000rr license plates are "CLEAN AF" .
Is that an F4 in the background at 3.07 ?
I thought it was a 1098
so when will we FINALLY start seeing reviews on interesting european motocross and enduro 450 class and two stroke bikes like Benelli, Ossa, Husaberg, Husqvarna, TM, BMW, Aprilia?
I think the revamped RS125 is called RS4 to differentiate it from the two-stroke version, and because its a replica of the RSV4. Or am I wrong?
why no lap times?
well tell me what major changes has been done to it S1000RR rider??
I'm sorry but what's the name of the track?
i agree with you entirely except i dont even think the panigale would make a nice road bike either. :P
still want one in my garage though...
Well Ferrari now makes the California that costs about the same as a top level Merc. But I get your point though in that these brands are exclusive and don't want to be seen as being too "common".
Nice video and I wanted the BMW to win because it remains the best. The Aprilia has an old looking front. Ducati is too stylesh.
Q: Which helmet is better in terms of noise while riding? Arai or SHOEI?
How come the zx10r is not included in this test?
The Rc8 does compete in ama superbike, but that series has gotten watered down. I don't think it's a factory effort either. What do we need to do force KTM to grow a pair and race in wsbk?
v4, ducati looks and bmw engineering, that would be awesome
Lucky you!
Ducati 1199 is the bike that makes me want to learn how to ride and own a Ducati. ( i will learn on a cheaper bike though !!! ) !
the rc8 is an amazing bike but not as powerful or advanced as these. they featured that bike on last year's test. this year though the bike is a bit old i'm sad to say. love the bike but it needs updates to keep up.
If you could find a way to get 25-30 hp out of a fully built engine, they'd be winning WSBK with the right riders. The thing handles like a scalpel, but is down on power quite a bit. The Ducati is in a similar boat; think Checa at Monza, where he is left for dead down that runway-for-a-straight!
The RC8R is a severely under-appreciated bike.
i like this channel and all, but it bothers me that they don't test any bikes that are not as fast as the speed of light. I mean comon, i'm sure most people here can't afford those.
Well, there are more factors than that of speed involved in designing a bike. If speed was everything, then pretty much all of the worlds sports bikes would be neck and neck, like they are in professional racing.
Aprilia!
Sad part is for average or even heck...below average riders like myself....whatever looks and sounds the best is the bike I'm going with....which for me has to be he aprilia, the BMW, then the duc
MAN WITH BIKES LIKE THIS MV-AGUSTA needs to do something quick!!!
What about an expensive 250 then? They could charge perhaps £6000 for it and I guarantee you it would sell. They did used to sell the 250 Diana I think, and their first bike ever was a 50 or 60cc bike back in the late 40s. After all, Aprilia sells the RSV4 lookalike RS125 for a few 1000 quid.
I wouldnt mind owning either of those beauties.