some tests put pressure on you: "Am I good enough for this type of machine?
Will I be able to tame the power, or will I be reasonable enough not to push too hard?"
But with passion taking precedence over reason, I feverishly awaited my appointment with KTM..
are they all asleep today or what?
if the mere mention of a brand like MV Agusta or a Superduke model makes your hair stand on end, what can you say when the Brutale and Superduke models are followed by an R?
We've reached the pinnacle of today's roadster, with a good 120 hp/din minimum and a contained weight of less than 190 kg, our two beasts of the day are already putting forward figures that make you shudder.
Not to mention the on-board equipment: light, carbon, Brembo, Pirelli super Corsa, +50 mm fully adjustable forks, etc..
But is there any way to ride these fighter jets on the road?
first Miss received: the KTM.
the R immediately stands out thanks to its orange frame, which looks like Batman's bike, especially as the rear section, redesigned for the 2007 model year and raised in relation to the bike's stance, could easily be mistaken for a spoiler in the purest Lamborghini Countach style.
The resemblance must be "striking", given that an unfortunate bat tried to kiss the front of the Superduke, but didn't see how fast I was going!
Katoche 1 - Bat 0 !
The driving position is rather confusing.
At a standstill, your feet barely touch the ground (despite my 1.80 m!) and don't count on the sagging rear suspension or the saddle ... The saddle is so comfortable that for a moment I thought they'd forgotten to put one on !
take-off ..
after a quick look at the new dashboard, I turn the frail ignition key ... A low, metallic rumble sounds. Truly, with the exception of the 690 SM, KTM always manages to deliver a pleasing sound within the current regulations.
There's nothing new about the MV's panel.
We find the same element already fitted on the 750, which does nothing to detract from its look.
In both cases: analog rev counter on the right (white background for the MV and red orange zone for the Katoche) and the "digital block" on the left, a small shift on the MV that lights up at 11,000 rpm followed by the breaker at 12,000 rpm.
On the KTM, it's a little drier, with the breaker at 9,000 rpm, period! It goes Brooaaa and poof!
engine behavior is very different (between a twin and a four, who would have thought?). The 990 delivers torque from the lowest revs, and the 10.2 Mkg at 7,000 rpm gives the impression that power never falters. In fact, the trilogy of high-performance suspension
torque, turns the bike into a real high-slide machine if you're not careful. 
The MV, on the other hand, boasts a much sharper engine, with power that's already more than adequate at 7,000 rpm (98 NM) and continues to increase right up to the breaker. Engine behavior gives the impression of riding an ultra-powerful two-stroke, with the front end struggling to stay on the ground. What's more, unlike KTM, MV Agusta didn't see fit to equip its Brutale with a steering damper... the first investment to make when buying a bike!
another notable difference is the size.
The Italian is as narrow as ever, and it's not uncommon to touch the curve of the tank with your knee pads when changing gears.
The Austrian spoils its rider more, but on the other hand, everything is hard: the clutch tires the wrist after a few laps (oops, just a few laps) and the seat is simply mega-hard for everyday use.
everyday is a word that the designers of these two models must not have included in their specifications.
For the 2007 model, KTM "invested" in a 2 cm windshield (my physio will be happy!) and on the R model, they abandoned the passenger folding seat, thus saving 800g on the passenger footrests.
With MV, the violent character of the engine at high revs, the power of 139 hp/din and the short wheelbase practically gave me a sunburn during a hard acceleration in 3rd gear (and one more figure on my scoreboard!). I can't imagine how it would perform on wet ground... it's Holliday on Ice every day!!!!
so: comparable or different?
apart from the seat, the KTM is more affordable for everyday use; the bike, more human, is usable for touring, as long as the rider doesn't go nuts (which is never far away!!).
The Italian Diva, on the other hand, loves to be abused. As proof, the engine struggles to maintain a constant revs, and the acceleration makes your eyes pop out of your sockets. Despite this, I'm not sure it pulls much harder than the KTM.
That impression comes more from the way the power is distributed.
riding peacefully with this type of machine is virtually mission impossible, and the 15-odd kilometers to work each day always ended with the rider drenched and out of breath!
the difference of almost 4,000 Euros in favor of the KTM should be taken into account when purchasing, as both bikes provide the same pleasure..
so, tastes and colors ... ?
A+
Oli the Belgian - manufacturer's photos
|
|
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MV-Agusta 910 R BRUTALE WALLY 2008 | KTM SUPERDUKE 990 R 2008 | ||||||||
Chassis |
|||||||||
| Nombre de places | |||||||||
| Frame | |||||||||
| treillis en tubes d\'acier au chrome molybdène | treillis tubulaire en tubes d'acier | ||||||||
| Fuel capacity | |||||||||
| 19 liters (5.02 US gallons) | 18.50 liters (4.89 US gallons) | ||||||||
| Oil capacity | |||||||||
| Seat height | |||||||||
| Seat height : 805 mm (31.69 in) | Seat height : 865 mm (34.06 in) | ||||||||
| Length | |||||||||
| Length : 2,020 mm (79.53 in) | |||||||||
| Width | |||||||||
| 760 mm (29.92 in) | 990 mm (38.98 in) | ||||||||
| Height | |||||||||
| Ground clearance | |||||||||
| Wheelbase | |||||||||
| 1,410 mm (55.51 in) | 1,450 mm (57.09 in) | ||||||||
| Dry weight | |||||||||
| 185 kg | 186 kg | ||||||||
| Curb mass | |||||||||
| Weight when fully loaded | |||||||||
| 200 kg | |||||||||
| Brake assist | |||||||||
Front axle |
|||||||||
| Suspension | |||||||||
| Reverse telehydraulic fork Ø 50 mm | Telehydraulic inverted WP forks Ø 48 mm | ||||||||
| Wheel travel | |||||||||
| 126 mm (4.96 in) | 135 mm (5.31 in) | ||||||||
| Angle de chasse | |||||||||
| Setting | |||||||||
| Brake | |||||||||
| Braking 2 discs Ø 320 mm (12.6 in), radial mounting, 4-piston caliper | Braking 2 discs Ø 320 mm (12.6 in), radial mounting, 4-piston caliper | ||||||||
| Wheel | |||||||||
| Front tire : 120 / 70 - 17 | Front tire : 120 / 70 - 17 | ||||||||
| Pressure | |||||||||
| 2.4 bar | |||||||||
| Handlebars | |||||||||
Transmission |
|||||||||
| Gearbox | |||||||||
| 6 stage gearbox , à cassette | 6 stage gearbox | ||||||||
| Transmission | |||||||||
| Secondary by chain | Secondary by chain | ||||||||
Rear axle |
|||||||||
| Suspension | |||||||||
| Mono-damper | WP monoshock | ||||||||
| Wheel travel | |||||||||
| 120 mm (4.72 in) | 150 mm (5.91 in) | ||||||||
| Setting | |||||||||
| Brake | |||||||||
| Braking 1 disc Ø 210 mm (8.27 in), 4-piston caliper | Braking 1 disc Ø 240 mm (9.45 in), single-piston caliper | ||||||||
| Wheel | |||||||||
| Rear tire : 190 / 55 - 17 | Rear tire : 180 / 55 - 17 | ||||||||
| Pressure | |||||||||
| 2.4 bar | |||||||||
Motor |
|||||||||
| Motor type | |||||||||
| 4 cylinders online , 4 strokes | two-cylinder 75° V-shaped , 4 strokes | ||||||||
| Cooling system | |||||||||
| liquid | liquid | ||||||||
| Fuel system | |||||||||
| Injection | Injection Ø 52 mm | ||||||||
| Fuel | |||||||||
| Starting system | |||||||||
| Timing | |||||||||
| 2 ACT | 2 ACT | ||||||||
| Number of valves | |||||||||
| 4 valves per cylinder | 4 valves per cylinder | ||||||||
| Displacement | |||||||||
| 909.1 cc, Bore x stroke: 76 x 50.1 mm | 999 cc, Bore x stroke: 101 x 62.4 mm | ||||||||
| Power | |||||||||
| 134.1 ch to 11,000 rpm | 130.2 ch to 9,000 rpm | ||||||||
| With compressed air | |||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||
| Compression | |||||||||
| 13:1 | 11.9 : 1 | ||||||||
| Torque | |||||||||
| 9.80 mkg to 7,900 rpm | 10.40 mkg to 7,000 rpm | ||||||||
| With compressed air | |||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||
| Émission sonore | |||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||
| Motorcycle can be restricted to 34ch (A MTT1 Permit) | |||||||||
| No | No | ||||||||
| Motorcycle can be restricted to 48ch (French A2 Permit) | |||||||||
| No | No | ||||||||
Options/Equipment |
|||||||||
Practical information |
|||||||||
| The advantages | |||||||||
|
|
||||||||
| The disadvantages | |||||||||
|
|
||||||||
| Performance | |||||||||
|
|
||||||||
| Price | |||||||||
|
|
||||||||
| Country of manufacture | |||||||||
Compare |
|||||||||
Torque
MV-Agusta 910 R BRUTALE WALLY 2008
: 9.8 mkg
KTM SUPERDUKE 990 R 2008
: 10.4 mkg
Power
MV-Agusta 910 R BRUTALE WALLY 2008
: 136 ch (134.10 hp)
KTM SUPERDUKE 990 R 2008
: 132 ch (130.20 hp)
Power-to-Weight ratio
MV-Agusta 910 R BRUTALE WALLY 2008
: 1.38 kg/ch
KTM SUPERDUKE 990 R 2008
: 1.43 kg/ch
Torque-to-Weight ratio
MV-Agusta 910 R BRUTALE WALLY 2008
: 18.88 kg/mkg
KTM SUPERDUKE 990 R 2008
: 17.88 kg/mkg
Speed
MV-Agusta 910 R BRUTALE WALLY 2008
: 262 km/h (162.80 mph)
KTM SUPERDUKE 990 R 2008
: 240 km/h (149.10 mph)
|
|||||||||
Models |
|||||||||
|
2008
|
2007
2008
2009
2010
2012
2013
|
||||||||
Competitors |
|||||||||
France
Bikers' reviews
i confirm that it's the bomb
one word passion
no pleasure no comfort
but what a pleasure to turn the wrist and get a kick in the ass! Rating : 5/5 Respond to pilul83