2021 Heavyweight Naked BIkes Track Shootout

What do you get when you put together seven of the biggest and baddest naked bikes on the market today and let them loose at Thunderhill Raceway? The second half of one hell of a Heavyweight Naked Bike Shootout, that’s what. If you missed our street installment, you can find it here:

Here are the bikes we have in store:

- Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory
- BMW S1000R
- Ducati Streetfighter V4S
- Kawasaki Z H2 SE
- KTM 1290 Super Duke R
- MV Agusta Brutale 1000RR
- Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS

With a combined total of more than 1100 horsepower on tap, we let them loose on on the undulating curves of Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, CA. Here we get to open up the throttles and let these beasts howl. How did they do? Watch and find out. Just as we did with the street test, the final rankings are based solely on our subjective ratings. But our overall scores combining subjective and objective points are included to help paint a clearer picture. As we promised before, the results were very surprising. 

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
4:48 MV Agusta Brutale 1000RR
11:37 Kawasaki Z H2 SE
18:52 BMW S1000R
25:59 KTM 1290 Super Duke R
33:37 Ducati Streetfighter V4S
42:58 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS
51:02 Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory
59:59 Conclusion

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[thedaily]

“The MV is too loud” and “That damned supercharger on the H2 was annoying” cracked me up 😂 you boys are getting old

[barryholden]

Good to see the Aprilia doing so well, great job guys. You replace the rear trim piece with a pillion seat, comes with the bike. :)

[CycleCruza]

I wish Japan would make a bike that looked as good as the MV Agusta Brutale.

[slopetechno]

Mark is a great addition to the feedback, I can tell he's a very fast rider and engineering minded, very articulate and succinct in his feedback. He provides a nice counterpoint to Evans humbly referring to himself as the "mere mortal" among the group. Would have been interesting to hear from Ken in person, but he might just not like the new whiz-bang electronics.

[pauldark]

The Kawasaki! The most comfortable and a ton of laughs everytime u twist the throttle

[CubanRider]

Triumph made great strides getting the Speed Triple to 436 lbs wet weight, it really feels like a Street Triple with more power. I own one and I completely agree that while the suspension may feel stiff on the street, it feels amazing at the track.

[TerryMasri]

Surprised only one of the big (Japanese) four were featured in this shootout! Would've liked to see the MT10-SP, Katana or GSX-S1OOO, and CB1000R included.

[apantelop]

The KTM has adjustable handlebar and rearset positions, you had the former in the back position and the latter in the front, those are the "street" settings ("supermoto" as you called them).
For the track the handlebar should ideally be in the forward position to put more weight over the front and the rearsets in the back position for better cornering clearance and body position for the track. Great video otherwise.

[cwugrad]

great work and insight from the lads. since i’m on the street 99.9% of the time i’ll take the Kawasaki or the KTM.

[stevenwalk]

The best thing about the Tuono is that it's existence has really pushed this category into excellence. I own a Tuono Factory and I absolutely love it. The rest are all great with different personalities and with the exception of two bikes in this test, I would consider them as a great add to my garage.

[vagnersteinindustries]

I test road that ktm superduke 1290 r last weekend and it was a blast. 2nd gear pulling wheelies. It is a badass motorcycle and will be purchasing one soon

[crownmoto]

I'm with Troy. I own a SDR 3.0 and absolutely love it. It's everything he stated and will make you giggle like a child on the street and track. So much useable power EVERYWHERE! I added BST carbon wheels and the KTM/Gilles rearsets and it feels "Ready to Race". I've ridden the Tuono Factory and SFV4S, and they're also top notch, with the edge going to the Ducati. It's really user friendly and easy to go fast on, which may be a bit detrimental to your license on the street, but worth the risk. I'd like to try the new Speed Triple. I like the character of that motor and being the lightest bike makes it intriguing. Great comparison, but I think Ken just hates electronics. He's old school!

I see a lot of grumblings in the comments about the MT-10 not being included. The MT-10 SP weighs in at 467lbs and has 131 RWHP, which is far less HP than any in the test, but as much weight as some of the heavier contestants. And let's face it, the only reason the MV and Kawi were included is because one is the most exotic and expensive, and the other has a supercharger

[villea]

Best description of the Aprillia rear seat.
"It doesn't want to be your friend. It just wants to penetrate."

[vtranmoto]

I have the Speed Triple RS and have had a Tuono Factory; they’re both amazing bikes. Both are incredible bikes especially on track, the Tuono though is the best for both street and track.

[strahinjaboskovic]

Im on street only and i love my superduke... you just cant go wrong with 1290 end of story :)

[lhdrones]

I’m here to check if the Aprilia is still the one to beat after a decade of dominion.
Wasn’t let down.

[commanderroddi]

I love the 1290 Super Duke R. Owned one, and while its not a perfect bike, and it will occasionally try to murder you, it will do it while you're smiling... Its a fun bike that will get you smiling on the road, its docile enough around town, and fun on the canyons and on the track days I took it to. I think I had as much fun on the track with this as I did with the ZX-66Rs and R6 I owned and the R1M bike I owned. As for all KTM, recomend the ergo seat upgrade and an Akrapovic exhaust upgrade (may SC Project). BIke did good on few long range trips too. and that took few modifications. Again, Keep it naked for the track, daily use and canyon carving, but you add a windscreen, lugage, and maybe some handle guards, and you got a good tourer.

[blakebiggs]

The scores are all over the board with no consensus, meaning it’s a free-for-all of personal preference which is the “best”.

[Mrenji]

Job well done, guys 💖.
As a proud owner of a Tuono Factory 2019, I can absolutely agree with your choice, haha.
I did a 'Rom-Tuning' with my bike. Now it has no revolutions gap at 3000 rpm any more and it is way faster concerning the topspeed.
There's now also a sound evolution! Oh my God, it was excellent before but now....unbelievable (with the original exhaust).

[kuiperdasniper]

Tuono's been killing it since it's inception, I love them but hate how they are so good...