Back At The Office
With the votes tallied and the opinions in, it's the Aprilia that comes out on top here. The remaining bikes are let down by details that shouldn't even be an issue considering what each bike costs. The BMW has an excuse because it's definitely the touring bike of the group. Still, the brakes could be better sorted, and more steam wouldn't hurt. The Ducati, for all its top-notch equipment, should be an easy winner but is hampered by its brakes, unsorted handling and rattly, inconsistent clutch. The Honda needs more torque for serious sport-touring, and the Triumph needs better suspension and brakes. The Aprilia is ranked at the top not so much because of anything particularly outstanding, but rather because it handles both sport and touring duties with equal ease and no fanfare. In other words, this class is open territory for a comfortable, capable bike with nice bags and no gadgets offered at a decent price.
Performance Numbers
Suspension Settings
Aprilia RST1000 Futura
FRONT:
Spring preload: 3 lines showing
Rebound damping: 1 turn out from full stiff
REAR:
Spring preload: 3 turns out from full stiff
Rebound damping: 9 clicks from full stiff
BMW R1150RS
FRONT:
Rebound damping: 0.5 turns out from full stiff
REAR:
Spring preload: 4 lines showing
Rebound damping: 1.25 turns out from full stiff
Ducati ST4s ABS
FRONT:
Spring preload: 1 line showing
Rebound damping: 11 clicks out from full stiff
Compression damping: 13 clicks out from full stiff
REAR:
Spring preload: 4 turns out from full stiff
Rebound damping: 11 clicks out from full stiff
Compression damping: 20 clicks out from full stiff
Honda VFR800 Interceptor
FRONT:
Spring preload: 1 line showing
REAR:
Spring preload: 4 lines showing
Rebound damping: 0.5 turns out from full stiff
Triumph Sprint ST
FRONT:
Spring preload: 1 line showing REAR:
Spring preload: 6 turns out from full stiff
Rebound damping: full stiff