All five of our streetfighter test bikes were good, but we had to rank them against one another. Our scorecard consisted of ten 10-point questions, with each tester's rating adding up to a 100-point scale.
1. Aprilia - 79.5%
2. Kawasaki - 77.7%
3. Triumph - 75.1% (DQ'd)
4. Ducati - 68.3%
4. Yamaha - 68.3%
10-Point Questions
10 = Best of the Group
9 = Excellent
8 = Very Good
7 = Good
6 = Above Average
5 = Average
4 = Below Average
3 = Poor
2 = Very Poor
1 = God Awful
Engine: User Friendliness
Warm-up, drivability, accessible power, vibration, carburetion and throttle response.
Aprilia - 7.8
Ducati - 7.3
Kawasaki - 8.3
Triumph - 8.2
Yamaha - 7.5
Engine: Open-Road Performance
Judge overall power characteristics during performance riding. Overall power, throttle response (smooth vs. abrupt) and predictability (linear power delivery vs. spikiness).
Aprilia - 7.8
Ducati - 7.5
Kawasaki - 8.5
Triumph - 8.0
Yamaha - 7.5
Transmission/Clutch
Ease of shifting, positive gear changes, neutral access, clutch modulation and durability.
Aprilia - 6.7
Ducati - 6.7
Kawasaki - 8.5
Triumph - 6.5
Yamaha - 7.5
Handling/Chassis/Suspension
Stability, turning speed, confidence, chassis design.
Aprilia - 9.0
Ducati - 7.5
Kawasaki - 6.7
Triumph - 7.0
Yamaha - 5.7
Brakes
Power, initial bite, ease of modulation, fade, feel.
Aprilia - 8.5
Ducati - 7.2
Kawasaki - 7.7
Triumph - 7.8
Yamaha - 7.7
Ergonomics/Riding Position
Overall comfort, adjustability (levers, seat, etc), legroom, handlebar bend, seat padding, control placement, mirror effectiveness, wind protection, etc.
Aprilia - 7.8
Ducati - 6.2
Kawasaki - 7.5
Triumph - 7.5
Yamaha - 7.5
Fit & Finish/ Instruments/Cockpit
Inspires pride of ownership. Quality of paint, decals, components and welds. Instrument legibility, attractiveness, special features and simplicity.
Aprilia - 8.7
Ducati - 6.8
Kawasaki - 7.3
Triumph - 6.8
Yamaha - 6.7
Appearance
Design elements, relation to competitors, overall package and cool factor.
Aprilia - 9.0
Ducati - 6.3
Kawasaki - 6.7
Triumph - 7.5
Yamaha - 5.7
Grin Factor
Fun to ride, whether easy, challenging or just simply capable; makes a rider feel special.
Aprilia - 8.2
Ducati - 6.8
Kawasaki - 7.5
Triumph - 8.3
Yamaha - 6.2
Value
Balance of price against overall "goodness" of motorcycle in comparison with similar machines.
Aprilia - 6.0
Ducati - 6.0
Kawasaki - 9.0
Triumph - 7.5
Yamaha - 6.5
Back to the
2007 Streetfighter Comparo II.
