Aprilia Tuono v Ducati Monster v Triumph Speed Triple

From the outside looking in, these three bikes - Aprilia Tuono, Ducati Monster S4 and Triumph Speed Triple - appear to be mild-mannered nakedbikes. Uniquely-styled they are, but they're 'just' nakedbikes all the same, right? Wrong.

Have a gander at what each of these bikes originated from. The 'newcomer' Tuono? Basically a stripped-down RSV Mille - one hard-edged sportsbike.

The Monster? A full-fairing-free version of the sportsbike that tipped the motorcycle world on its ear nearly ten years ago, the Ducati 916. And last but not least, the Speed Triple is descended from the potent Daytona sportsbike - grunty, fuel-injected 955cc engine included.

What I'm getting at is this: while these are nakedbikes, two V-twins and a triple, they behave like out-and-out sportsbikes, with ample grunt, nimble handling, outstanding brakes - and impressive top speeds.

So, we figured, if each was going to behave like a sportsbike, we'd bloody well treat them that way. We fired them down a three-kilometre runway at a radar, thrashed 'em 'round a racetrack, and took them on a lengthy road ride.

The bikes not only soaked up all of the above abuse with disdain, they also produced some surprising results. How's a genuine 264kmh top speed from a nakedbike sound? Yeah, we thought so too...

MID-RANGE MUSCLE
It's often the case that a bike's engine is the centre piece of the riding experience, and this naked group is no exception. Each boasts an engine that will bring a smile to your dial, though they all do it in very different ways.

Driving hard off a slow turn is a reward in itself aboard the Tuono, the 60¡ V-twin punching through the mid-range with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer in a china shop, a deep bellow accompanying the rapidly lightening front wheel until the tiny red shift light winks on, and it's time to do it all again.

During the track session at Motorcycling Victoria's Broadford complex, the Aprilia was wheelstanding on the power exiting the right hander at the end of the back straight. That's impressive..

That mid-range is very useable on public roads too, though the torque does hit harder than on the Ducati or Triumph. You have to be wary on the throttle mid-corner as 9.4kg-m of torque is prone to unhook the Aprilia's rear tyre if you get too hasty, such is the engine's eagerness to get on with hurling you at the horizon.

Luckily, on the two occasions at Broadford I did get over-excited, I was backed up by the grippy Michelin Pilot Sport hoop which, though it needs a bit more heat than some other tyres to start working properly, helped keep things shiny side up.

MOBILE MECHANIC
The Ducati's mill feels leisurely through the rev range by comparison, but that's mostly just a trick. A quick glance at the speedo reveals you're travelling faster than it feels, but it all sounds more relaxed when compared to the harder-edged Aprilia.

Mind you, the Tuono is pumping out 12 more neddies (113ps to 101ps at the rear wheel), so it's always going to feel a little more lively.

The Ducati's 90-degree V-twin is a sweet one none-the-less - even if it doesn't sound that sweet at idle. In fact it sounds like somebody shaking a bag full of chisels. Simon reckons pedestrians were stopping him in traffic to point out the bike was in dire need of an overhaul!

For people in the know however, that's all part of the Ducati charm, and it isn't anything a throaty set of end cans wouldn't fix - a louder V-twin burble would shut out the metallic carry-on of the desmodromic valve gear and dry clutch.

The Triumph was the only one of the testbikes to turn up at the AMCN bunker with a non-standard muffler - both the Aprilia and Ducati end cans are the standard items, the Speed Triple sporting a Triumph Carbon Wrap muffler (priced at $850). Needless to say the prize for the best exhaust note goes to the Triple, admittedly unfairly.

Some similarly muffled Triumphs that have winged AMCN's way have done nothing more than annoy with a bizarre, piercing drone at highway speeds, but the Speed Triple sounded great.

WHAT FLAT SPOT?
Flat spot? Not this bike. The in-line triple's musical wail is sweet all the way through, as is the power delivery. The reason? The bike's fuel injection system had been enhanced with the Hinckley (UK) factory's latest 'tune' or map - the 15th such upgrade. It works.

When AMCN last tested the Speed Triple (Vol 52 No 4) I was not alone in my criticism of the bike's chronically lean state of tune, and subsequent flat spot, which made city riding a pain in the arse.

With this latest tune that flat spot, running from 4000rpm to 5000rpm, has disappeared completely. Throttle response is also much improved, to the point where it's the best of this bunch.

I haven't been a fan of Triumph's fuel injection on its sports models, the Daytona's initial tune one of the most disappointing, but there's no denying Triumph has got it all sussed out now.

With that niggle sorted, the Triumph's engine is not only the most powerful, as it was in the past, but it's also the most civil of the trio.

You can rev it all the way to the 10,000rpm redline in fang mode, or just grunt your way around the bottom reaches of the tacho - the engine does it all without snatching, hesitating or complaining.

The Tuono on the other hand, isn't as flexible. The engine is more abrupt to the point of feeling almost peaky - for a V-twin anyway - and definitely has the 'racier' feel of the two. It doesn't roll into the mid- and top-end rev ranges so much as snap into them. This isn't a negative point - it just depends how you like to ride your motorcycles.

The Monster feels flatter, but it's only in press-on mode that the power deficit becomes really apparent.

LOOKING GOOD
Looks-wise, all three of these bikes are pleasing to the eye, which led to many passionate discussions amongst the AMCN crew as to which was the best looking. In the end, we couldn't reach a unanimous decision - it is, after all, a personal thing.

Simon remains loyal to the Monster's shape, despite my protestations its styling has reached its use by date, the young 'un insisting the Duke's lines look as sharp today as they ever have. Myself, Adam and the esteemed Ed opted for the Triumph's streetfighter look.

The bottom line is, all three designs stick out like a dog's proverbials when parked amongst a sea of plastic-coated sportsbikes. For the rider looking for something a bit different, any of these three should do the job.

SITTING PRETTY
Ergonomically, the three are chalk and cheese. The Aprilia seemingly towers over the others, whose statures are relatively compact.

The Tuono's super-wide 'bars just accentuate this feeling, as does the location of the instruments, which are mounted in the same position as on the RSV Mille donor bike.

With the pronounced 'sit up and beg' riding position, the trick Aprilia LCD speedo and analogue tacho arrangement seems a mile away, whereas on the Mille, the racer crouch places the clocks in your face.

The speedo has always been hard to read in direct sunlight, and now it's even harder, but the tacho and idiot lights are still visible.

It is the bike taller riders will feel more comfortable on, backed up by the Woosebag who, at 187cm tall (and perhaps around the gut...) gravitated towards the Aprilia whenever he thought he could get away with it.

Simon preferred the Tuono's ride position too, despite his 178cm height matching mine. He enjoyed the leverage those wide 'bars offer.

For me, it's the Triumph. My knees slotted in around the tank nicely, and the 'bars, while still wide, don't spread my arms as much as the Monster and Tuono - something I find uncomfortable.

Seats on all three bikes are wide and flat, especially the Tuono and Speed Triple, but the padding is fairly minimal. There's not much in it, but common consensus is the Monster wins out in this respect.

BE FIRM
On the road, there isn't much between the trio handling-wise. This changed on the racetrack (see the separate panel for all the low-down) but the bikes are evenly matched in real world conditions, though once again they go about it in different ways.

All hold a line well, though the Speed Triple handles bumpy corners slightly better than the other two.

The Tuono's ride is the firmest, but not by much, and it has the best ground clearance. Even with that grunty mid-range working its magic, the bike's front end remains stable and twitch-free in this environment.

The Monster is prone to the odd wiggle of the 'bars in bumpy going. Nothing scary, just enough to let you know you're alive, but its ride is definitely the most 'comfortable' of the group, albeit only just.

THE VERDICT
By the end of two weeks' commuting, a day ride or two, and a day and a half at a racetrack and airstrip, a winner was becoming clear.

Opinion was divided at the start of play, Simon wavering between the Tuono and Monster, with my goodself camped in the Triumph's corner, but those opinions began to change as the test wound on.

The $18,495 Monster S4 is a fast, competent and practical package, but it's showing its age now, especially since Triumph got its fuel injection even better and that 'other' Italian V-twin manufacturer has arrived with a flashy new offering. How about a 999-based Monster, Ducati? That 998cc Testastretta engine might square the ledger...

The Tuono was consistently quick around Broadford lap after lap, which is probably why on the road it feels narrow focused and hard edged. But at $21,990, it is priced well above the other bikes, particularly the $16,490 Speed Triple.

The Tuono offers a lot of bike for the cash, but in the end, it's hard to beat the Triumph for value for money.

The Speed Triple scored the fastest lap at the bumpy and gnarly Broadford circuit, is more versatile on public roads, and is $5500 cheaper than the Tuono.

The 2002 Speed Triple came up trumps in AMCN's most recent nakedbike comparo (Vol 52 No 4), and it's now improved, thanks to the latest injection tune.

It's close, but it's the Triumph I'd park in the garage - and my workmates agree.