It was only a matter of time before everyone began to ask, "When will the Japanese build a V- twin sport bike?" With their incredible engineering manpower and manufacturing capacity, jumping onto the double- barreled bandwagon seemed like a foregone conclusion. What wasn't predicted, however, was how or where the Japanese would inject their own brand of engineering into the V-twin engine's overall design, and whether they could improve on the 916's impressive performance abilities.

As the '97 model year approached, the new VTR1OOOF wasn't exactly the world's best-kept secret. A few years ago, rumors circulated through the motorcycle press causing a commotion similar to, but not as dramatic as, the CBR1100XX's release. Big-displacement, V-twin sport- bike prototypes had been sighted at the Asaka R&D facility. The way some info was leaking out, a few began to wonder whether Honda was intentionally handing out little snippets of data, in order to build up some pre-release excitement for its new SuperHawk.

Photos and specs of the new Honda soon dribbled out in advance of its debut at the Cologne Motor Show. Sport-bike enthusiasts salivated over the bike's features: a 996cc, liquid-cooled, 90-degree V-twin with monster 48mm Keihin carbs, as well as an interesting "pivot less" aluminum chassis that utilizes the engine case as the swingarm pivot point (similar to the Ducati 9OOSS). And with talk of an MSRP of around $9000, many were already heading to the nearest Honda dealer to slap down their deposit.

But while Honda confidently moved toward releasing what they hoped would be the new star of the sporting V-twin category, rumors trickled out about the debut of another twin-cylinder sport bike from, of all places, Suzuki. "Yeah right. A V-twin from the guys who've made the inline-four their bread-and- butter? No way!" said the doubters.

Way. Suzuki stunned the sport-bike world, and Honda, by introducing the TL1OOOS. Although powered by a V- twin of similar bore/stroke dimensions (98mm x 66mm), the Suzuki one-ups the VTR in the spec charts by using fuel injection, a more radical state of tune,

and unique innovations in the motor and chassis to overcome design limitations imposed by the engine's dimensions. The suggested retail price for this new sport bike? Just under $9000. Honda officials were clearly blindsided by this one: "We did not know about the Suzuki TL!" said Honda R&D Chief Engineer Naoyuki Saito. (Suzuki knew Honda was developing a V-twin, but weren't sure how they would position it; see "Parallel Developments" sidebar.) Suddenly, the V-twin sport-bike class has become a war with multiple fronts.

But are these two newcomers talented enough to take on the El Supremo 916, the undisputed master of the V-twin sport-bike class (and, some say, master of the sport-bike world)? We decided to find out by putting them through the usual Sport Rider wringer, including the drudgery of commuting through city traffic, the soul-restoring fun of slicing through the twisties, and the unmatched excitement of the racetrack. A new era of V twin, four-stroke sport bikes is upon us, and we wanted to find out just how bright this future looks.

Oh, so you thought we were gonna make it easy on you and print the final rankings out in the open for all to see? Sorry, bub-you'll have to read this article to the end, just like everyone else. (And don't go looking at the SR Ratings chart, either.)

If there's one bike that our test thrashers totally agreed was out of its element in concrete confines, it was the Ducati. Sure, the blood-red desmo's ultra-sexy lines and baritone exhaust note (which neither of the two challengers come close to matching) get admiring looks from the opposite sex, but with zero passenger accommodations out back (unless you opt for the biposto version), what can you do about it, anyway? After half an hour or so of highway droning, the 916's seat approximates the paddle that Sister Mary used on you in elementary school. The suspension's fairly stiff spring and damping rates definitely don't help matters much, either. Plus, your thighs get cooked medium-rare in traffic, the clutch pull will have your forearm muscles looking like Arnold's after repeated use, and its GP riding position puts major weight on your wrists.

Honda's VTR basically exudes the same feeling as any other Honda we've tested: a highly-polished product that reflects a lot of R&D. Compared with the Ducati, the SuperHawk is like riding your favorite couch. It sports the most upright seating position of the three, has decent legroom and a broad, well- padded seat. Control feel is crisp, with a fairly light clutch pull, but a bit of drive- line lash is present, and the transmission has that typical Honda feel: a bit clunky,

especially between first and second. Also, our particular test unit suffered from a tendency to jump out of second gear during hard acceleration.

Although the Honda vibrates the most, it's a mellow V-twin thump, not an inline-four buzz (Honda wanted the VTR to have some character, so it seems they "designed in" a bit of V-twin vibration). The SuperHawk has the strongest low-end and midrange torque, allowing you to promptly dispatch offending four-wheeled neanderthals with ease. And its spot-on carburetion (the only non-fuel-injected twin in the bunch) combines with tall gearing to allow effortless highway cruising.

The Suzuki splits the difference between the 916 and the VTR in the ergonomics department, with a wide, cushy saddle and moderate legroom (the seat height is rather high, though) offset by a slightly sportier forward cant of the rider's torso. The fairing offers the best wind protection of the tree, and Suzuki's V-twin is the smoothest, although a resonance around 4000 rpm causes the mirrors to blur slightly. Its hot-rod state of

tune means a bit more revs are needed for really brisk acceleration, but the short and crisp shifting is second only to the Ducati's Swiss-watch gearbox.

Our Suzuki test unit (a pre-production model) wasn't the greatest when it came to steady-state cruising, however, with a noticeable surge tendency at light-throttle (4000 rpm or so) situations. Suzuki said it's still fine-tuning the injection maps, so production models may be cured of this ill. Which, incidentally, leads us to our biggest complaint with the new twins: range.

Both the Honda and Suzuki get pretty dismal gas mileage: under moderate use, the SuperHawk averaged approximately 34 mpg (usually around 135 miles before it went bone dry), while the TL could only manage around 30 mpg (about 135 miles as well, although under hard use, we once had to hit the reserve at only 90 miles!). You'd better plan for plenty of gas stops on any long trip. Not that you'd want to take any long journeys on the Duck, but it's possible to squeeze 175 miles out of the 916's tank.

Once we hit the usual wide-open confines of Willow Springs International Raceway, and the tighter curves of the Streets of Willow, we wanted some big questions answered, not the least of which was whether the new Japanese iron could dethrone the reigning King Rat of the racetrack, the Ducati 916. But an interesting sidenote concerns the subject of tires on the Honda VTR.

When American journos were given a tech briefing prior to riding the Super- Hawk at the Honda press intro, company personnel emphasized the "tuned" nature of the tires and chassis, which utilizes the theory that an overly-rigid frame and swingarm can contribute to front-end instability and handling problems (see "Twin Tech" sidebar). We were steadfastly warned not to use any thing other than the stock Dunlop D204 Sportmax II radials, as any other tire could upset the balance of the tires and chassis. Being the inquiring (and ignorant) minds that we are, however, we had to see for ourselves if this was true. We mounted Michelin's newest generation Hi-Sport TX15 and TX25 Race 3 radials on all three bikes, and headed out to the track.

Due to various delays and photographic requirements, we had very little time for suspension and chassis adjustments when we hit the big nine-turn course at Willow (actually, just another lame excuse by the editor to explain his butt-slow lap times). We clocked tentative first laps on the Honda, since we didn't want to be greeted in wide-open turn eight by an incorrect tire-induced, 140-mph tank-slapper. But our fears proved unfounded, as the Honda reacted quite nicely to the Hi-Sports; no major instability was present, with excel lent traction and steering characteristics displayed throughout the testing. (We must caution, however, that we've heard stories-you don't think we'd read those other magazines, do you?-of other tires causing major handling problems with the VTR. We can't guarantee satisfactory results with anything other than the Michelins or stock Dunlops.)

Honda emphasizes that the VTR wasn't designed for the racetrack, and it shows when the pace heats up. Up to an eight-tenths pace, the VTR's wonderful platform puts the rider right at home, with an agile, yet confidence-inspiring feel. Beyond that, however, things get a little nervous, with comparatively limited ground clearance (pegs, then header pipes touch down rather quickly) and a slight ('settling in" of the chassis after a bump or aggressive steering input, sapping that previous confidence. Subsequent testing with the stock tires showed the weave wasn't due to the Michelins. The midrange-tuned motor starts to wheeze a bit at high speeds, and the suspension's somewhat soft spring and damping rates prove their street targeting.

The Suzuki TL1OOOS took to the racetrack more readily, with its superior horsepower (112.4 horses, over eight more than both the 916 and the VTR) making for strong corner exit and straightaway speeds. Steering effort with the Michelins was lighter than the stock Metzelers, and abundant ground clearance and decent brakes translated into quicker lap times. But it was by no means flawless, with bumps upsetting the chassis slightly in faster corners, and a slight lack of front-end feedback spoiling the festivities. By the end of the day, the fork's rebound damping had croaked, killing its lap times on the tighter Streets of Willow.

When the chips were down, however, even the superior firepower of the Honda and Suzuki couldn't hold off the 916's relentless onslaught in the corners. The Duck's vastly superior front-end feedback and rock-solid chassis translated into higher corner speeds, even if its speed down the straights was lower, while the excellent feel and power of the Brembo brakes made for deep corner entrances. The overall sensation on the track with the Ducati is that you can do no wrong; its lap times reflect that.

Unfortunately, a low-flying herd of sheep scratched our top-speed test session; we didn't think sheepskin seat covers would look too good on these bikes. At the dragstrip, the Duck man aged to reel off the quickest run with a 10.77 seconds at 126.25 mph run due to its good clutch feel. The Honda's clutch grabbed violently off the line, resulting in its relatively poor 11.17 seconds at 124.85 mph blast. The Suzuki's clutch feel was rather vague, with its 10.84 seconds elapsed time reflecting a poor 60- foot time due to an inability to get a strong launch out of the hole without the clutch becoming grabby, yet the 128.40 mph terminal speed indicates its superior horsepower.

The V-twin's major advantages are said to be in its tractable, user-friendly powerband and agile handling in the tight stuff We made sure to access some of the tighter, twistier two-laners during our canyon sojourns to more fully assess the contestants.

Although the Duck reigns supreme at the track, and was the preferred mount on most of the faster bomb sessions through the canyons, it had a few slight limitations. In the tighter stuff, a fair amount of steering effort is necessary to flick 'er in there, and the 916 just doesn't have quite the killer lunge out of the corners like the two Japanese twins. True, the Ducati's ultra-stable chassis encourages higher cornering speeds, but you can only use so much of that advantage on the street. Its firm damping and spring rates shine in the fast stuff, but if you encounter abundant pavement irregularities in the slower sections, the ride gets a bit busy and harsh. Nevertheless, the Duck seems to carry weight more comfortably, with its telepathic front-end feedback allowing you to easily keep pace with the others.

As expected, the Suzuki stormed the canyons with aplomb. The rounder profile OEM Metzeler ME Z1 race- compound radials made steering a tad slower than with the Michelins, but still much quicker than the Duck, with com parable precision. Both tires provided more traction than you can use on the street. Suspension action at street-sane velocities was excellent. While the TL's quick-revving motor shreds corner exits, its superior top-end power pays dividends in faster sections. Its higher state of tune means a bit more revs are necessary for full-boost power, how ever. Also, the Suzuki's rather high weight placement (rider included) and comparatively bulbous feel take a little getting used to in the tight stuff.

In those tighter portions, the VTR simply shines. The SuperHawk's chassis feels thin between the rider's knees, and inspires instant confidence with its superb feedback and well-damped suspension. Its steering is very quick with out being nervous and is very precise. Plus, the motor's super-wide, flat-as-a-Kansas-plain torque curve means that the Honda isn't finicky about what gear you're in; just wick it on and go. Even in the faster stuff, the Honda remained very stable. Only when pressed extremely hard, at speeds we consider a little too fast for the street, did an over abundance of compression damping seem to rear its head, making the ride a little bit choppy.

So what's the verdict after putting the contestants through this major thrash? Well, unfortunately we don't really have a clear-cut winner here. Although each of them have serious strong points, their weaknesses are enough to offset those advantages, making the contest a subjective decision on your part. Obviously, if you've got the bucks, there's still nothing else like the Ducati. You may have to put up with a little physical discomfort while getting there, but when it comes to attacking your favorite roads or racetrack (as long as the speeds are moderate to high), the Duck remains king. And the Japanese twins
definitely can't match its incredibly sure footed chassis feel and precise front-end feedback. We're also doubtful that the others will ever achieve the Italian marque's reputation.

But the others don't cost $17,000, pound your bod in traffic, or require a couple of days for a valve adjustment, either. And for $9000, you could buy either one of the Sushi twins, and have plenty of cash left over for trick stuff like pipes and suspension work.

The Suzuki TL's motor has a killer upper-end punch, and the chassis is quite stable. Its steering is fairly light and precise, and both the engine and chassis have a lot of great race potential. It isn't perfect in stock form, however, and there are some rough edges that need a little polishing (we must reiterate, though, that our test unit was a pre-production model). With a little work on the suspension, the Suzuki could be one seriously fun bike. The styling was considered questionable by some, though, and the fake carbon-fiber dash was unanimously disliked.

The Honda is a finely polished piece, with a motor that many considered the best for street riding. Overall handling is spot-on, and its chassis inspires instant confidence. But when pressed hard, the chassis and suspension start to get flustered. And the restricted choice of compatible tires is frustrating.

So what's it gonna be? Big bucks, big grins and chiropractor bills for the Duck? Or maybe a little suspension fiddling to get the Suzuki's chassis up to spec with its killer motor? Or how about just plain ol' user-friendly, hospitable street manners with the Honda? Tough decision, and we can't make it for you. You make the call.

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