Aprilia Caponord 1200 vs BMW R 1200 GS vs Ducati Multistrada 1200 S vs 1190 KTM Adventure

Aprilia Caponord 1200 vs BMW R 1200 GS vs Ducati Multistrada 1200 S vs 1190 KTM Adventure: To remember

The verdict of the bench

In this comparison, we are dealing with a pack of twins. On the one hand, three V-twin (Aprilia, Ducati and KTM) at the forefront of technology, relatively close to capacity and each featuring a final chain drive. Facing them, the BMW R1200GS and its all new flat-twin air-cooled and water and with a final drive shaft and drive shaft. In short, three relatively close mechanical and more atypical. We compared the dyno, placing the injection mapping the most possible sporting values.

The BMW R 1200 GS (yellow curves) shows the most efficient, but also less constrained our four bikes. In addition, it is also the BMW which suffers least on paper the French clamping because it expressed so far:. 125 hp free version against 150 for Ducati
Nevertheless, the curves displayed reflect quite accurately what happens on the road: BMW R1200GS develops a lot of torque, with the delicious feeling of always having the resource under the handle and provides more flexibility than others. In addition, it dominates all others in recovery tests at very low speeds, as usual pace.
His shaft final drive consumes slightly more power (about 2 c.) and torque (in 0.2 mkg ) than chain drives competing: the German is doing well.
Aprilia Caponord 1200 (red curves) reveals a curve for the less chaotic: 4 500 r / min to 6 000 r / min, it suffers a fairly marked hollow, which severely penalizes during times when it closes walking. The hairpin turns and U-turns also reveal his little nonchalant side midrange. Attention everything is relative: even when we talk of a V-twin developing 10.9 mkg! Beyond 6000 rev / min, the Aprilia pushing very hard with a big feeling of torque and the clamping comes into play and Italian engineers muzzled Caponord to 9000 rev / min. It's a safe bet that the injection mapping will be reviewed by the plant shortly.
Ducati Multistrada 1200 (green curves) shows a beautiful development of injection Magneti Marelli, which allows him to have a nice rendering of net gas constant, as the KTM and the inverse of the Ducati and BMW, less regular when driving at 130 km / h stabilized. If the clamping of the Ducati is present from 6 500/7 000 r / min with curves that decline sawtooth, it keeps filling in the midrange that allows him to do well in times on the road (third a wheel KTM). What the bank does not reveal is the lack of flexibility at the bottom plaguing Ducati takes it really worse than the other.
The 1190 KTM Adventure (blue curves) shows curves less regular than the Ducati, with a slight hollow to 5500 rev / min, which is hardly feels on the road. At times, due to its lightness and vivacity engine most marked in this comparison (tied with BMW), it compares favorably with the BMW R 1200 GS. Beyond 7500 rev / min, the KTM reveals also the entry into operation of the clamping, but remains above the Ducati.This is confirmed on the road longer than the feeling offered by the 1190 KTM Adventure.
Note that these bikes are quite frequentable in French, the performance is very adequate and the characters already present. Still, the ultimate acceleration (pushing the second to bottom, for example) lose their bestial side, especially on the Ducati.

Power and torque readings to the crankshaft (CE95 / 1 standard):

Aprilia Caponord 1200 (red curves): 103.8 hp at 7271 rev / min, 10.9 kgm at 6697 rpm / min BMW R1200GS (yellow curves): 112.6 hp at 7380 rev / min, 12.8 kgm at 5726 rev / min Ducati Multistrada 1200 (green curves): 105.8 hp at 9019 rev / min, 11.2 kgm at 5513 rev / min 1190 KTM Adventure (blue curves): 107.9 hp 7 923 rev / min, 10.7 kgm at 4166 rev / min

Power and torque returned to the wheel

Aprilia Caponord 1200 (red curves): 95.1 hp at 7271 rev / min, 10 kgm at 6697 rpm / min BMW R1200GS (yellow curves): 103.7 hp at 7380 rev / min, 11.8 mkg 5726 rev / min Ducati Multistrada 1200 (green curves): 96.9 hp at 9019 rev / min, 10.3 kgm at 5513 rev / min 1190 KTM Adventure (blue curves): 98.9 hp at 7923 rpm / min, 9.8 kgm at 4166 rev / min

Speed ​​and played on the counter, calibration schemes:

Aprilia Caponord 1200:
130 km / h, 122 km / h real, 4800 rev / min
90 km / h, 81 km / h real, 3 500 r / min BMW R 1200 GS: 130 km / h, 125 km / h Actual, 4700 rev / min 90 km / h, 87 km / h real, 3 100 r / min Ducati Multistrada 1200: 130 km / h, 125 km / h real, 4800 rev / min 90 km / h, 86 km / real h, 3 200 r / min 1190 KTM Adventure 130 km / h, 126 km / h real, 5000 rev / min 90 km / h, 85 km / h real, 3 500 r / min

In common usage, these mechanical turning to neighboring regimes, it is not surprising that given the proximity of the displacement and engine types, with the exception of the BMW somehow.

Average consumption recorded during the test:

Aprilia Caponord 1200: 7.3 l/100 km (min 6.9 l/100 km to 7.9 l/100 km max) BMW R 1200 GS: 6.5 l/100 km (min 6.3 l/100 km to 6.7 l/100 km max) Ducati Multistrada 1200: 6.7 l/100 km (min 6.3 l/100 km to 7.2 l/100 km max) 1190 KTM Adventure : 6.7 l/100 km (min 5.9 l/100 km to 7.8 l/100 km max)

It is clear that BMW still consume too little. The Ducati Multistrada 1200, taken as it should be, can come down to a reasonable consumption despite its performance. The Aprilia Caponord 1200 consumes more than others, but it is far from the gargantuan consumption recorded during the press presentation or during a test-against in the South, where she swallowed more than 9 l/100 km. The impoverishment of the injection mapping is partly responsible for this return to reasonable values. Finally, the KTM is amazing: it can drop to less than 6l/100 km when others exceed this value or consume nearly 8 l/100 km, leaving it frolicking as she likes to do so ...

Kerb Weight checked:

Aprilia Caponord 1200: 256 kg (122 kg AV, AR 134 kg), 228 kg dry announced BMW R 1200 GS: 247.2 kg (126.2 kg AV, AR 121 kg), 238 kg announced Ducati Multistrada 1200: 238 kg (116.2 kg AV, AR 121.8 kg), 234 kg announced KTM Adventure 1190: 236.6 kg (117.2 kg AV, AR 119.4 kg), 212 kg dry announced

In fairness to the 1190 KTM Adventure which lacked its optional side cases, we weighed the other bikes without luggage. We will indicate the weight of the luggage in addition to special trails on our big suitcases.
Otherwise, we see that BMW is rather mild despite its final drive shaft. This is of course partly due to the minimalist home setting, but less than before on the new GS is above the engine light shows.
Aprilia Caponord 1200 can deny its overweight at the weigh: with 256 kg, is 8.8 kg heavier than the BMW .. Ducati and KTM compete on the scale but more Ducati load the back of the motorcycle. Surprising because we do not guess to drive: the lack of ergonomics on the front of the Ducati!

Comparative protection:

The Aprilia Caponord 1200 protects well the driver with a bubble but rather short comic series, which easily handles off. The mechanism seems robust.
BMW R1200GS shows perfectible significant turbulence, complex forms of the bubble cause the vision of some ... As for the dial, which allows you to play with the height of the bubble in stock, it is oddly placed on the right.
Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Touring our test protected as a GT. And because it had the bubble version of Gran Turismo ... However, the Multi '1200 S Touring series already protects very well, especially hands with generous handguards. The handling of the bubble can be a hand wheel, great! The mechanism seems robust, but less than the others.
The 1190 KTM Adventure has the closest bubble in line with the general smoothness of the Austrian motorcycle. The protection is very correct to 150 km / h, but it is still worse than the Aprilia and Ducati. The handling of the bubble is easy, but stopped only.