2002 Ducati 998 vs. Aprilia Mille R.

2002 Ducati 998 vs. Aprilia Mille R
11/11/2002
Italian Twins Face Off
By Kevin Duke, Source

We're a lot like you out there in cyberspace. We have lustful, nearly immoral thoughts about motorcycles. And few things turn our crank harder than exotic sportbikes, even more so when they're bred in the region of Northern Italy.

If you've ever been to Italy, then you understand the fervor there for mechanical entities with soul. From Ferrari and Lamborghini to Moto Guzzi and Laverda, Italian vehicles exude a "soul" perhaps more clearly than machines from other parts of the globe.

That same passionate soul is shared by Ducati and Aprilia, separated by a day-ride blast up the Autostrada from Bologna (Ducati) to Noale (Aprilia) near Venice. Both companies have flourished by tapping into the Italian passion for racing.

The biggest problem with the Italian bikes is finding the money to afford the throbbing V-Twins in sexy clothes. Well, we don't have the 17-large entry fee, but we do have access to test bikes. We've wrangled the hottest sportbike from Bologna, the $17,695 Ducati 998, and the coolest race-rep from Noale, the $17,299 R-version of Aprilia's RSV Mille, for your reading and viewing pleasure. Feel for us, dear readers, as we were forced to flog these streetable Superbikes in the canyons, on the freeways, commuting around town and on the racetrack in the battle for high-end sportbike supremacy.

Ducati's 998 should look familiar to those who worship at the altar of Desmodromics. Visually, it doesn't look much different from the iconic 916 that was introduced in 1994. Keen observers will note a smoothed over side fairing due to the loss of the intake and exhaust ducts of the 996; engine heat now escapes through a mesh-grilled vent nicely integrated into the side fairing's trailing edge. Trainspotting types will notice Italian colors and laurel wreath with a "#1" on the fuel tank, and a new "Ducati Superbike" decal on the tailsection.

But cosmetic revisions aren't really the selling point of the 998. Fresh from winning the 2001 World Superbike title comes the Testastretta engine. A bigger bore and shorter stroke (100mm x 63.5mm, compared to 98mm x 66mm) boost displacement to 998cc, and the more oversquare design reduces piston speeds to allow for a safe redline 500 rpm higher to 10,500.

More important to the new engine are the all-new narrow heads that give the Testastretta its name. Significantly, the included valve angle is reduced from 40 degrees to a much more contemporary 25 degrees for a flatter, faster-burning combustion chamber. A 10mm spark plug replaces a 12mm plug for better placement of the larger valves (40mm intake and 33mm exhaust, compared to 36mm and 30mm, respectively), and a wider cam belt runs in pulleys with revised relationships for less belt vibration. A bigger water pump increases coolant flow by a claimed 15 percent, making possible smaller coolant passages that make a stiffer cylinder head structure.

Getting fuel into the engine is a shower-type single-injector system as used on Ducati's race bikes. Fuel is squirted straight down toward the throttle plates through 54mm throttle bodies rather than the previous 50mm units that used two injectors to direct fuel at an angle under the butterflies. Ducati says more optimum combustion at all engine speeds is the result. A new 32-bit Marelli ECU is nearly one pound lighter than the old 8-bit unit it replaces, and it samples throttle inputs in finer increments for improved responses from the ignition and injection systems.

The result of these changes is an increase of peak power to a claimed 123 horsepower at 9750 rpm, up from 112 hp at 8500 rpm. Torque figures are also boosted, rising from 67.2 ft.-lbs to 71.5, both at an identical 8000 rpm.

As for the 998's Italian rival, the RSV Mille (say Mee-lay, Italian for 1000) has received several updates. The first noticeable change is the addition of wind deflectors on the sides of the nose fairing that mimic those of Aprilia's GP/Superbikes for better aerodynamics. To keep engine temperatures low, the side fairing has a larger vent, supplemented by screened vents just below the rider's seat. Aesthetics are enhanced by the smooth underside of the tailsection and revised taillights. A reshaped fuel tank is narrower and lower, helping a rider get more weight on the front wheel and providing more room for a larger airbox.

Experience in World Superbike competition has resulted in revisions to the Mille’s chassis geometry. Its rake gets kicked out half a degree to 25.0 degrees, and the swingarm pivot is 3mm higher for a theoretical increase in rear-wheel traction by increasing the swingarm’s downslope. In addition, the engine is raised 5mm in the frame: Quicker steering results by bringing the center of mass more in line with the bike’s roll axis. Several changes to the engine’s internals are designed to add durability and reduce noise. This makes for interesting reading if you’re a mechanical engineer, but as there is no power gain claimed, we’ll skip the details. The 60-degree V-Twin retains its 97 x 67.5mm bore/stroke ratio and 997.6cc displacement.

The Mille sold in Europe received a new cylinder head with revised cams and and larger intake valves in 2001, but it wasn’t until 2002 that the American version received those same updates. Changes to the airbox and muffler give the Mille competitive power without resorting to the quasi-legal mods (pulling an airbox plug, drilling out a muffler restrictor, and clipping a wire on the ECU) the previous version needed to get full power.

While the standard Mille ($13,495) is exotic enough for most, at MotorcycleUSA we’re a little bit greedier. That’s why we decided to opt for the R-version, which includes more carbon fiber (fenders, intake ducts, dashboard cover) and trick forged-aluminum wheels. A trio of high-spec Ohlins products helps set the $17,295 R apart from the $3800-cheaper standard Mille. An Ohlins Racing fork with titanium-nitride coating for reduced stiction goes on in place of the regular version’s Showa unit, and a Swedish-made shock replaces a Sachs damper. An Ohlins steering damper mounted just above the lower triple clamp raises the R’s trick factor. The combined result is a bike that is nine pounds lighter according to Aprilia.

Unlike cruiser riders, sportbike fans care only about performance and don't care a whit about the appearance of their bike, right? Well, despite what most of us might say publicly, how a bike looks is a major factor in a sportbike purchaser's decision.

The problem with comparing the aesthetics of a machine, though, is that it can be judged only subjectively—the eye of the beholder, and all that. Regardless, we'll point out some of the stylistic successes and failures in each design. Although the general public

won't be able to distinguish your new 998 from an eight-year-old 916, the Ducati still looks fresh. Bystanders regularly locked their eyes on the 998 when traveling with the Mille, and these are people whose brains aren't sucked into the whole Ducati legend, either. It's easy to admire the graceful simplicity of its enduringly sexy styling. From the low, angular cut of its nose to its wonderfully exposed Marchesini rear wheel thanks to its single-side swingarm, even casual observers know they've seen something special and exotic.

Which is not to say the Mille is a styling dog. It is blessed with a beautiful aluminum perimeter frame and what surely must be the most gorgeous double-sided swingarm in the biz, with shiny alloy snaking almost liquidly to the back axle. And in the cockpit, the Mille's gauge panel looks almost aircraft-like, what with its comprehensive digital displays (except, thankfully, for its easy-to-read analog tach) that offer all the information you could want, including a lap timer function! Try finding that on a bike not built in Italy. And if seen at night, the sinister looking, blood-red backlighting on the gauges usually causes oohs and ahhs. Those more knowledgeable about machinery often stoop down to their knees to check out the trick eccentrically-adjustable shifter and rear brake nubs attached to lovingly relieved levers.

Compared to the 998, however, the Mille's styling, though voluptuous, is just a little too busy for us, and its slathering of decals somewhat cheapens its appearance. Your mileage may vary. And even though Claudia Schiffer may be at the top of your list, that doesn't mean you'd turn down a date with Heidi Klum. Both of these bikes are supermodels in their own right.

These bikes, perhaps more than any others, call out for the squiggliest lines on a map. But unless you're really lucky, the twisty roads that are their calling aren't exactly in your backyard. So we put this Italian duo through the gamut of street riding, from running down to the 7-11 for a quart of milk to lolloping down the freeway to our favorite canyons. They are, after all, streetbikes.

The Aprilia quickly became our favorite for navigating the environment filled with traffic lights, SUVs and cops. It has a reasonably comfortable riding position with a shorter reach to the bars than the Duck. And its broad and comfy seat makes you wonder why Ducati chose to upholster a brick for its saddle.

Both bikes require fiddling with a fuel-enrichener lever on cold startups, despite being fuel injected. The 998 settles into its smooth buh-duh-buh-duh-buh-duh idle produced by its 90-degree configuration of its V-Twin engine, while the Mille counters with a staccatto cadence. Frustratingly, the Ducati can't be run with its sidestand down, making warmups while donning helmet and gloves an unneeded hassle.

Rolling off, we noticed the reduced pull at the lever of the Aprilia's hydraulic clutch for 2002. But the clutch engages only at the end of its travel and its friction zone is a bit vague. A wheezy, whiny airbox at part throttle sonically disappoints at first, but that wimpy sound transforms to a booming intake bellow when the throttle is cracked, accompanied by a delicious basso profundo V-Twin exhaust note. Power builds from down low, with revs gathering quickly to the 10,500-rpm redline. Power is easy to access from anywhere above 4000 rpm, and second-gear clutch wheelies proved to be endlessly entertaining.

The Ducati, on the other hand, won't perform the same second-gear, mono-wheeling antics, despite its higher power output. Its loads of low-end power is somewhat masked by its tall gearing. Thankfully, there are shorter third- through sixth-gear ratios for 2002, with sixth gear taking last year's fifth-gear ratios. The result is more appropriate gearing for the street, though still cursed with a too-tall first gear. How tall? Well, the 998 is capable of whisking you up to 70 mph, without changing out of first gear!

Wheelies actually make sense on the Testastretta: The handlebar position is so low that a rider's head must be pulled all the way back in order to see far ahead of the bike, so riding on the rear wheel gives you a longer field of vision ("You see, officer, it's like this..."). Plus, the narrow bars don't provide much leverage for quick changes of direction. The low windscreen that looks so cool (even though the factory Superbikes have a large bubble to tuck in behind) directs considerable windblast to the helmet, which further strains neck muscles. While I do know some 916/996 riders who sport-tour, it takes atypical endurance and dedication.

If you're looking for a modicum of freeway comfort, then you should be looking in the direction of the Mille. Its taller bars and much higher windscreen work in conjunction with what is likely the most protective fairing in sportbikedom to offer a tidy aerodynamic bubble for the rider. The Mille remains unaffected in crosswinds, and a rider can stay mostly dry in the rain by tucking in. Even hands and feet are mostly out of the airflow.

The Ducati, though, does have a smoother engine thanks to the perfect primary balance of its 90-degree V-Twin arrangement. The Mille's 60-degree engine is equipped with Aprilia's Anti-vibration Double Countershaft (AVDC) which includes a crankshaft counterbalancer and another in the rear cylinder head to control bad vibes. Indeed, the Mille seems smooth, but the cumulative effects of vibration will numb hands on a long ride.

Slowish steering combined with greater mass than four-cylinder machines and the racer-style ergos makes both bikes feel a bit cumbersome in the city, but that changes once in a canyon playground. The ass-up riding position that is awkward at low speeds makes sense in the twisties. Both bikes offer excellent communication from the front tire with near-unflappable stability. The Mille exhibited a slight reluctance on turn-in that I hadn't experienced during other tests, probably due to the shagged Pirelli Dragon Super Corsa that came on our bike. The 0.5-degree of extra rake might've been blamed if not for experience on other tires later in the test.

Power from both bikes is more than adequate on the street, with the readily available thrust from the torquey V-Twins allowing a rider to get on the gas early, squirting out past the apex with controllable urgency, an oxymoron for some sportbikes. Despite the higher-revving nature of the new Testastretta powerplant, the Ducati has a big boost in midrange power compared to the 996. That bulging midrange combined with its surging top-end makes it feel like it has a big-bore kit next to last year's model. The Mille's relative power deficiency, though still strong and meaty, is offset by its more street-oriented gearing.

As a side note, we were surprised by the discrepancy between the speedometers of the two bikes. When the 998's analog speedo was reading 80 mph, the Mille had 71 mph showing on its digital display. At the next gas stop, the Duc had 57 miles on its odo while just 54.2 were on the Aprilia, a pattern that would repeat itself later, with 85/80.6 readings, respectively. With no radar guns pointed at us (thankfully), we can't confirm which bike has the accurate numbers.

Other details: The mirrors on the Aprilia have a small adjustment range, but are easily superior to the tiny and barely adjustable reflectors on the 998. The biposto 998 we tested has passenger accommodations, but the hard pillion seat with high pegs is for short trips only. The Mille R comes with a tail seat hump where the passenger seat would be, so you'll have to leave your friend at home.

Perhaps the Mille's most obvious distraction is the placement of its turn signal switch. It's placed lower than typical, making a rider look foolish by occasionally honking the horn when trying to signal a lane change.

To explore the limits of these superbikes, we took them to a Pacific Track Time track day at the Streets of Willow. In our experience, PTT (877/809-2170) puts on a first-class track day; look for an article on PTT in the coming weeks. The Streets track in the high desert of Southern California is a tightish circuit that is well-suited to testing streetbikes, with a top speed on the main straight of "only" 130 mph.

We spent the morning riding on the stock tires, getting familiar with the track and the bikes. Later, we spooned on two sets of Metzeler's track-focused Rennsports. Props need to be given to racers Amir Khoyi and Oliver Chami who were exceedingly gracious by lending tools and helping hands when changing tires. The duo is behind the clever hand-cleaning product Wood-Ease, a clever hand-cleaning product made from a unique wood powder blend. (Short evaluation: The stuff works.)

With the Rennsports, 998 steered with far greater linearity than on the stock Pirelli Dragon Evo MTR21/22s, and the Mille lost its reluctance on turn-in. The new buns offered loads of grip, even over broken pavement, and they still looked relatively fresh after several hours of track thrashing. Highly recommended for those who mix in occasional track days with regular street riding. The only caveat we'd offer is that the lack of tread on the side of the tire won't offer much water evacuation in the rain. Metzeler's, new, more street-focused Sportec M-1 may be a better choice for some riders, and we'll be testing them in the coming months.

Although we know the Ducati makes about five peak horsepower more than the Aprilia, it was difficult to feel it in the seats of our leathers. Both bikes pulled hard running up the main straight, and the similar acceleration can be attributed to the Mille's shorter gearing and about 10 pounds less weight to carry than the 998.

The use of fuel-injection on motorcycles is becoming more prevalent each year. It offers a reduction in exhaust emissions, greater adaptability to varying temperatures and altitudes, and a theoretical improvement in fuel economy. But a chronic complaint about its use on many injected bikes is a sudden lurch when reapplying the throttle, which can be upsetting to a chassis when the bike is at an extreme lean angle. Both the 998 and the Mille exhibit this characteristic, though the Aprilia can be ridden through this condition if the twistgrip is carefully finessed. The 998 also has a bit of abruptness when coming back on throttle, though a quick dip of the clutch works around it.

The Mille, with its titanium-nitrided Ohlins fork, also leads the class is suspension quality. The high-spec fork handily sucks up bumps that would tie lesser bikes up in knots. The 998's Showa fork (also with TiN-coating on its fork sliders) works well, but it doesn't offer the range of adjustment nor the suppleness of the Ohlins legs.

Controlling the rear wheel on both bikes is an Ohlins shock. The Mille gets a less progressive shock linkage for 2002 that works with a revalved damper and, combined with the higher swingarm pivot, its rear tire seems to bite harder into the pavement under acceleration than the stiffly sprung 998.

While many street riders would kill to have an Ohlins shock on their bike, we did find details to carp about. The Mille's rebound adjuster, located at the lower end of the shock, is a pain in the knees to access. By the same token, the 998's shock preload adjuster is a nightmare to get at, whether by spanner or by the trusted punch and hammer combo.

The R-version of the Mille earns the award of quickest-steering big-bore V-Twin, largely attributed to the OZ Racing forged aluminum wheels. OZ, a supplier to F1 teams, uses an 8000-ton hydraulic press to forge the wheels, resulting in a wheel 25% lighter than a cast aluminum wheel, with no cracks or imperfections.

Riding a standard version of the Mille at the track confirmed the theory that lighter wheels result in a quicker steering bike. Though the two bikes had different tires fitted, which can affect steering qualities, the R-version was much more nimble in a tight flip-flop chicane. The forged wheels, besides looking trick as hell, are worth price as part of the R-version.

The Mille's shorter gearing necessitates an extra gear change, often making for harder corner exits through better torque multiplication. And even going in a gear high, like the slow, 35-mph Turn 4 in second gear, the wide powerband still allows the bike to torque away with authority.

While the Mille gets through the tight stuff a bit quicker, the 998 comes into its own in fast sweepers. Its lack of nimbleness pays off with high-speed stability, and the Duc carves into corners like its front wheel is following an ordained path.

The 998, though, is not a bike for a gentle rider. It demands a firm and sure hand to command it what to do, and it does not suffer fools gladly. The Mille is simply easier to ride than the aggressive Ducati.

This is no better illustrated by lap times. The greater horsepower and torque of the 998 catapults it harder when the road opens up, but there's just two places on the track where it can be fully exploited. Conversely, there are four slower sections of the track that demand quick steering and acceleration from lower speeds.

The tale of the stop watch says the Mille had the best combination of power and flickability on the Streets track, though just barely. Its best lap was 0.16-second quicker than the 998, and perhaps more important, it was easier to string together consistent laps. A trip to the much higher-speed Willow Springs big track would've likely swung the victory to the more powerful Ducati, but that's an environment far removed from street riding which, despite racy pretensions, is where these bikes will spend the vast majority of their time.

And this brings us to the topic that decides this comparison test: How and where will you use your Italian Twin?

You're the perfect candidate for the Ducati if: you like to spend weekends on the racetrack; ride less than 150 miles a day, usually only on weekends; have fallen for Ducati's legendary and historic racing mystique; or have the need for people to look admiringly at your bike (or you).

The Aprilia is the fitting choice for those who: need enough comfort to ride several times a week, often for day-long sorties; desire trick bits slathered on your bike; and root for the youthful racing underdog.

Simply put, the Aprilia RSV Mille makes a better streetbike than the Ducati 998. If you want more comfort, high-style and rare hardware, the exotic R-version of the Mille will never disappoint. The Ducati 998 Testastretta counters with eye-grabbing styling, more power, and affiliation with the most dominating World Superbike race heritage in history.

Now, how many boxes of mac and cheese would I have to eat to come up with 17 grand....?

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