Conclusion

Before I dive into the end game, a couple of points. Firstly an apology. We didn’t have time to get the bikes on the JHS dyno, so we must use claimed figures for the moment. Yes, it would have been ideal given Euro4, but they all felt faster than their predecessors and we will, at some point, get around to doing it. So, sorry!

The second thing is that, exactly like last year’s naked group test, there’s no real loser here. Each and every bike you could fall in love with, especially with more time in the saddle, so many things you’d adore, with traits to snare and enrapture you. Some are better at things than others, and vice versa, but ride only what you buy and I doubt you’d ever be disappointed.

Unless, of course, you buy the BMW and Cadwell Park is your local circuit! I feel a bit sorry for it, being honest. It was only really fun at Cadders in a masochistic sense, so exposed was its chassis there. This is odd because it’s a fantastic road bruiser, and chasing a KTM-mounted Bruce across stupidly fast Lincolnshire roads, it took it all in its stride, no problemo. The guys on test just weren’t fans either, reckoning it felt old and out of date, and they’ve got a point. There are other issues, like without the dongle (for extra TC tinkering etc), to stunt you must have the TC switched off. The brakes aren’t brilliant and the downshift blipper’s sometimes inconsistent in action, too. This sounds a bit down on the BMW, but I’ll just refer you right back to point two, and that low price.

The KTM I really like. In actual fact, confession time, I like the SuperDuke for the first time since the 990 version – gasp! The last one just annoyed me, it never felt complete, but now it does. It’s the odd one out of this bunch, no doubt, but I like that. It has enough performance to stick with the rest, best them in some places, and keep them in sight on track. And the TC that previously caused me so much ire, is now bang on near-perfect.

That motor is a right nutter, blapping away like a loon. It’s an eager beaver, just desperate to impress, and impress it does.

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So, onto the Yamaha MT-10 SP, which takes the honours here as the best road option. It’s genuinely a remarkable road machine in so many aspects. There’s much to admire and it’s a brilliant seat to be on during a road thrash. In the grand scheme of things, only its ultimate lack of track pace (plus slight dearth of top-end), and a couple of other points, cements its final finishing position here.

Its gearbox, for example, can often be notchy at all but thrashing speeds, plus in this company the lack of a pukka down-blipper is glaring. Oh, and that fuel gauge is rubbish. It’s also disappointing that it isn’t light years better than the stock version. It is better alright, sure, but the engine is the same, as are the brakes, and while they fared well on test, I know from experience they go off the boil quickly.

That being said, it still just pips the rest on the road and is, possibly, the bargain of the bunch, too. It is easy to live with and more importantly, very easy to instantly fall in love with – I certainly did.

But the Aprilia Tuono reigns supreme yet again. You’ll know from Bruce’s track report as to why that side of things makes it so incredible. It’s not just a bit better than the rest there, it’s night and day better. But from a road perspective it’s the fact that it is so close to everything else here now, so adept at road craft, even if it doesn’t quite match some of the others in that discipline, that in overall terms it’s once again the clear winner. Aprilia can make it that good on track, and that good on the road, too, what’s everyone else’s excuse?

They’ve proved it can be done, you can have your cake and eat it, full-on Italian-style. However, it was my ride home from Cadwell that secured this victory, but not on the V4, I was on the Yamaha.

An identical journey in reverse to the one the day before on the Aprilia, I twigged soon on the Yamaha that it was going to be more difficult. That upright riding position turned me into a sail, meaning I had to severely slow my cruising speed as my head felt as though it’d fall off.

The Aprilia’s riding position is flatter than before, but still inclines you forward enough that (in combination with the RSV4’esque bikini fairing), the wind mostly slips over you. Smaller pilots may not suffer as much, but after nearly 200 miles I got off the Aprilia fresh as a daisy, but off the MT my neck and shoulders were wrecked. Worse still, this necessity to slow meant the journey took 40 minutes longer. The final kicker was that the Aprilia was better on fuel, in both MPG displayed and physical miles pounded to unleaded fuel imbibed.

So, fancy that, the Tuono is better on fuel and better at long distance travel, especially if you want to get a move on and, hey, this is Fast Bikes magazine, after all, so you’ll probably want to!

True, you have to pay a lot more for the Tuono, but look about and you’ll find inviting deals, such as the one by Wheels Motorcycles where they offer a lifetime guarantee on the bike. That is piece of mind enough to negate a lot of the cost differential, but you are paying for the best and as such, it’s just life that the best always costs more…