Honda VTR SP-2 vs Ducati 998

The stopwatch doesn't lie. And Honda's VTR1000 SP-2 was the slowest bike at the 2002 Master Bike shootout at Spain's Almeria circuit - the timesheet proved it.

That comprehensive sportsbike comparo (featured in Vol 51 No 22) pitted 12 of the world's best sportsbikes against each other in three separate categories - Supersport, Superbike and Open.

And it was pretty much a case of egg on face for Honda with its flagship sports model being bettered on the lapcharts by not only the 11 other bikes, but by its own CBR954RR FireBlade and CBR600F4i to boot.

At the technical and challenging 4.0km Almeria circuit the 'Blade (1:46.326) was a whopping 2.097sec a lap quicker than the SP-2, and the F4i a still commendable 0.717sec faster than the twin. And that's with some of the fastest guest testers in the world in the saddle - ex-500GP and World Supersport competitors, as well as multi-national champions and ex-factory riders.

Given that the SP-2 sells for $21,990, the FireBlade for $17,290 and the F4i for just $14,690, you've gotta ask what's the attraction of spending the extra $4700 to $7300 on a sports roadbike? Maybe if you're Colin Edwards and you need to go World SBK racing there's a good reason, but otherwise?

I guess it's a question Japanese bike owners often ask of their road-riding Ducati brethren, especially when the 916/996/998 derivatives produce less power and have a lower top speed than the 1000cc Jap fours.

ALMERIA AFTERMATH
The aftermath of the Almeria experience seemed like a good enough reason to put the SP-2 under the microscope, so why not take Ducati's new base-model 998 along for the ride - after all, both bikes had yet to be sampled by the AMCN test crew in real Aussie road conditions.

Speaking of which, it was yours truly who ended up with the assignment - not that I don't mind a fang on a couple of V-twin sportsbikes, but given that I'd just chalked up a fistful of kilometres on the TDM/V-Strom comparo (last issue), and then backed up with a FJR/R1150 RS long weekend (this issue), I really didn't need another gallop through the mountains so soon.

Hey, I too have lawns that need mowing, carpets that need vacuuming and a pantry that needs filling. But with Mav facing impending fatherhood (for the second time), and Sam yet again out of action (bad back, toothache, crook knee, etc, etc) it looked like being the ol' fella and my young apprentice (Simon) who would be heading for the hills. And that's how it panned out.

BUT WHY?
But first, let's have a look at why Honda added a V-twin sportsbike to its model range - after all, building a big V-twin sportsbike until recently didn't really fit in with Honda's design philosophy.

Honda built its racing reputation on its trademark V-fours, and had plenty of success on the GP scene with its record-breaking NSR500, and in the Superbike World Championship with its RC30 and RC45.

But with only one championship win under the RC45's belt after six seasons of competition (1994 to 1999), it was clear Honda had to build something quite different to sample some winning. In 2000 it did just that, and the VTR1000 SP-1 took the title in its debut year.

But after losing (again) to Ducati last season, Honda wheeled out a new creation for 2002 - the SP-2. And that's the bike that has spent most of this season chasing Troy Bayliss's #1 Ducati 998R. If it wasn't for the determination and talent of Troy, the SP-2 world be leading the world championship.

The SP-2 isn't that different from the SP-1, and the engine has lost none of its easy-going and flexible manner. A combination of 8mm bigger throttle bodies (up from 54mm to 62mm), a reworked fuel-injection system, new exhaust, and revised exhaust port shapes combine to increase peak power by 3ps to 133ps.

Throttle response is crisper on the SP-2, and this gives the new engine a slightly sharper feel throughout the rev range. How do I know? Well, AMCN has had a long-term SP-1 for the past 12 months, and it was only been after the fitment of a Dynojet Power Commander PC3R that our SP-1 got its act together enginewise.

PROGRESSIVE SPREAD
The main virtue of the SP-2's engine is its progressive spread and useable power. Just look at the dyno graph on page 26 and you'll see that nice flat power curve from around 4500rpm all the way to the 9800rpm power peak. After that things flatten off.

That power spread was especially noticeable during an enjoyable strop through the southern reaches of the Great Divide, with little need to change gear as the tacho 'needle' buzzed up and down the dial in the 4000rpm to 8000rpm zone.

Incidentally, I hate that digital tacho on the SP-2 with a passion - give me the Duke's old-fashioned but easy-to-read analogue gauges any day.

That extended fang over variable roads was a good test for the rubber as well, with the Michelin Pilot Sport radials on the SP-2 hanging in exceedingly well. They didn't have the ultimate grip of the Corsa race-compound Pirellis fitted to the Duke, but it's not really comparing apples with apples. You can get sticky-compound Michelins as well if you want, or alternatively road-compound Pirellis, as we've fitted to AMCN's long-term SP-1.

FIDDLING NEEDED
Getting the best from the SP-2's chassis isn't as easy as utilising the ample stomp from the powerplant. The slightly revised Showa suspension does need to be fiddled with a bit for best results, a trait commented on by Chris Moss who attended the SP-2's world launch (coincidentally, at Almeria) earlier in the year for AMCN.

"Luckily I had the master of bike set up, in the shape of former GP ace Ron Haslam, to arrive at the best settings as soon as possible," said Moss.

"With Haslam's invaluable help we popped a bit more preload on the forks, took off a bit of compression and left the rebound settings as standard.

"The shock performed well enough not to be altered from standard settings."

Here at AMCN we've done some fiddling with our own long-term SP-1, first by softening things up (via Frank Pons' Biketek) for our Sydney ad man Iain 'Mr Soft' Aitken for his Harbour City 'profiling'. Then more recently we stiffened things up (via Trevor Manley's Shocktech) for AMCN's own fine-weather, head-down, bum-up, nancyboy Sam. Either way there's no doubt the SP-1/2 benefits from careful suspension set-up - as the laptimes at Almeria proved.

OPEN ROAD
Out on the open road there wasn't the front-end nervousness on the SP-2 that greeted Simon during the photoshoot at Motorcycling Victoria's Broadford circuit, although to be honest, it was more than just a photoshoot.

Broadford is quite a bumpy circuit, and as such it is an ideal venue for putting roadbikes through their paces without the sceptre of speed cameras and radar traps hanging over one's bonce. Along with South Australia's Mac Park circuit, it's the closest circuit to real world road conditions.

Given that I'd just spent five days fanging around Spain's Almeria circuit, it didn't take much to for Sam and Simon to convince me that it was they who could look after 'photo' duties. Their track-based Second Ops after a half-day of photographic duties can be found on page 27.

Speaking of Simon's slapper, Honda has fitted a boss to the frame rail so that a steering damper can be fitted if need be.

Other changes to the SP-2 are quite subtle, and consist in the main of a bigger diameter steering-head axle and top head bearing, and revised engine mounting bracket.

The massive new swingarm is a replica of the one used on Colin Edwards' racebike, and it's also slightly longer to increase the wheelbase and improve the bike's composure.

No changes needed to be made to the SP's brakes though, as they are some of the best on the market.

Comfort is a bit better on the SP-2 thanks to a taller screen, and the upgraded fuel-injection system cuts out some of the jerkiness which plagued the previous model on small throttle openings. Bungee hooks and some reasonable underseat storage are handy road touches that 998 owners can only dream of.

Though it's lost 4kg courtesy of some weight-paring from some of the chassis parts, the SP-2 is still quite heavy at 217kg fully-fuelled. And if you climb aborad the Honda after getting off the Ducati, then you really notice just how 'big' the Honda is in comparison. It may only weigh 3kg more, but it feels wider, bulkier and much heavier. All of that is to do with the SP-2's fuel tank, which is nowhere near as svelte as the Duke's.

'TESTA' WHAT?
Speaking of the Duke, the 'basic' version of the 998 on test here is the replacement for the 996. It features many updates, but its 'Testastretta' engine is the most relevant change.

This newly-designed 998cc engine was first used in the very expensive and limited-edition 996R of 2001, introduced so that Troy Bayliss could win the Superbike World Championship. But now it's fitted in all of the three-bike 998 range - the 998, 998S, and 998R, albeit in different levels of tune.

The 998R was the model used in Master Bike, with all five of the $50K units allocated to Australia already sold. However, there are still a few $47K 996Rs available - if you move quick.

Anyway, back to our plain Jane testbike. The Italian word 'Testastretta' translates to 'narrow head' in English, and gives a clue to the more inclined angle of the 998's valves. These are now set at just 25 degrees, instead of the old 996 engine's 40, and allow straighter ports, bigger valves, and a flatter combustion chamber.

With new cams, injectors and throttle bodies, a bigger airbox, and mods to the exhaust system, power is up by a claimed 11ps to 123ps. However, we 'only' got 114ps at the rear wheel on the Dynobike dyno, surprisingly up by just 2ps over the 'old' 996 we tested at the end of 2001 (in Tour of Duty, Vol 51 No 12).

There's a 2mm bigger bore on the Testastretta 998, up to 100mm, to help accommodate the increase in valve sizes - inlets are up by 4mm to 40mmm, and exhausts 3mm to 33mm. The shorter stroke helps the new 998 engine to rev higher and more freely.

Throttle bodies are now 4mm bigger than the 996's at 54mm, and the fuel-injectors are now of a single shower type which sit above the bodies, like they do in F1 cars. The system's ECU, which also controls the ignition timing map, is significantly smaller than the 996's and can process more information, and do it twice as quickly.

LESS RADICAL
Chassis changes are less radical. The fairing's look has changed, having lost its side vents for improved aerodynamics. The steel-tubed trellis frame appears little altered, and is in fact the same as the 996R's.

However, on the basic 998 there's a steel subframe to handle the extra weight of a pillion on the Biposto version. It's alloy on the single seat version.

Brake disc thickness has been reduced from 5mm to 4.5mm, which reduces both unsprung weight, and gyroscopic force to improve front end handling.

All in all it's a testament to the design of the original 916 that the latest 998cc version of Ducati's V-twin Superbike hasn't ended up being that radically different to the bike that changed the face of Ducati - and in fact sportsbike design - way back in 1994.

Okay, during its eight-year reign there have been many upgrades to the model to improve it. And that's the theme with the latest 998cc version. But I reckon if the 916 was launched tomorrow, it would still cause as much amazement as it did back in 1994.

The most noticeable alteration is the fairing. As mentioned previously, gone are the big side-vents, and the front cylinder-head is now fully enclosed. There are a couple of wire mesh-covered apertures on the edge of the protective plastic near the frame rails, and some graphics changes to help distinguish the new bike.

But otherwise, visually at least, the 998 is pretty much the same as the original 916.

STILL MORE
There are another two higher-spec 998s in the 2002 Ducati range. The sportier S version makes 136ps at 10,000rpm, and 10.3kg-m at 8000rpm. It differs from the standard bike by having titanium conrods, sandcast crankcases, and a deeper sump.

The S has an adjustable Ohlins steering damper, four-pads-per-caliper brakes, and a dry weight of 187kg. It comes in either twin, or single seat versions.

More powerful, lighter and of higher spec still is the 998R, which ironically has a 999cc engine. As mentioned earlier, it was the model used at Master Bike.

Essentially it's the homologation special built for World Superbike racing, and is only be sold in limited numbers. It has a shorter stroke, 104mm x 58.5mm engine which is claimed to produce 139ps at 10,000rpm, and 10.7kg-m at 8000rpm.

Like the S it is has the deeper sump, sandcast cases, titanium conrods, Ohlins damper, and four-pad brake calipers.

Its chassis is of a slightly higher spec than both the 998 and 998S, and though the frame dimensions are exactly the same, the R has Ohlins forks rather than the Showas the other two bikes are fitted with.

The R's fairing and airbox are made from carbon-fibre, and the 183kg R is only available in single seat form - at a price of $50,000.

WHIMPERING TUCK
Irrespective of which model you choose, the Duke's riding position remains unaltered and very focused. The layout of the bars and pegs enforces a fairly extreme and committed tuck, one that had Simon whimpering after just half an hour in the saddle.

It's here that the SP-2 earns some brownie points over the 998, as it's not only more comfortable with its more rational riding position (well, relatively speaking), but there's more wind protection for normal road-going duties from the bigger screen (bigger than the SP-1's as well).

But then, my argument has always been that you don't buy sportsbikes for their comfort factor. If that was the case then we should be riding VFR800s and ST4 Dukes. No, sportsbikes like these are bought for their image and racing pedigree, and that very subjective thing called the 'smile factor'.

In that, I reckon the Duke wins hands down. I'll openly admit that the SP-2 is the better road bike of the duo for 'legal' Australian road use, but it's the Duke I'd most likely buy.

NO LUMPS
The new Testastretta engine is a good one, even in cooking model non-R configuration. It's not as jerky or as lumpy low down as the old 996. In fact it's more like the 748 powerplant in smoothness, but with the big bike's grunt.

The new engine revs freely up to the rev limiter, set at 10,500rpm, but tails off a bit before that. The 996 wasn't exactly peaky, but the 998 engine has a broader spread.

Feedback from the chassis is exceptionally high, and virtually unmatched by any other production bike. There's never any doubt about what's going on at ground level, helped by the superb suspension and top-notch Brembo stoppers.

Sure, the steering isn't as fast or as light as some sportsbikes out there, though that can be improved by adjusting the steering-head angle to the 23.5-degree setting.

THAT DAMN BAYLISS...
The SP-2 is a much more competent bike on the road than it was at Almeria's track test (or in fact Broadford), but whether it's any better than the $4700 cheaper 'Blade on public roads is open for debate. I think not.

The Duke on the other hand is not as as user-friendly on the limbs, or the wallet, as the SP-2 but has that immeasurable pride of ownership factor that the Honda doesn't quite capture - but one's $21,990 and the other $26,995.

The bottom line? I've no doubt that Honda would sell more SP-2s in 2002 if it wasn't for one thing - that bloke called Troy Bayliss.