2015 Literbike Spec Chart Comparo

If you’re like us, then you must be salivating over the 2015 literbike prospects. With no less than eight new bleeding-edge sportbikes on the table from both European and Japanese marques, the bar is being raised in the quest for track domination or, in the case of the Kawasaki H2 and H2R, simply having the rider experience intense acceleration like they’ve never felt before. However, there’s an interesting trend in the method in which each manufacturer is going about upping the literbike ante. More and more, a greater emphasis is placed on technology and electronics rather than hardware. Sure, hardware isn’t being ignored, but with today’s bikes making so much power, being able to harness it effectively is of utmost importance.

With that, we’ve compiled a list of eight new or significantly updated 2015 literbikes vying for superbike supremacy in the coming year. They are: the Aprilia RSV4 RR and RF, BMW S1000RR, Ducati 1299 Panigale and 1299 Panigale S, Kawasaki Ninja H2 and Yamaha R1 and R1M. In the below , we’ve broken down each bike’s vital stats, then at the bottom listed a few pertinent technologies and which bikes are equipped with them. Models with different variants (like the Aprilia, Ducati and Yamaha) are grouped together to save space and hopefully make the chart a little easier to read. Of course, you might notice the exclusion of the Kawasaki Ninja H2R. This wasn’t an oversight – since the H2R is not road legal, it serves no practical purpose in this comparison.

From there, the next development is the race to 200 crankshaft horsepower. The two Italian brands are the only ones who claim to have exceeded that mark, though the BMW, Kawasaki and Yamaha are so close it’s understandable if one decides to round up. In the case of the Kawasaki, it’s plausible to think Team Green was being a bit conservative, considering the H2R, whose engine is largely similar to the H2, is claimed to put out 300 hp. Of note is the fact Aprilia uses a relatively high 13.6:1 compression ratio to help meet the 200 hp target, while the Kawasaki H2 uses just 8.5:1 to cope with the added boost from the supercharger. More importantly, the H2 should trounce the other four-cylinders in the torque department, bested only by the larger Ducati Twin, at least according to the factory claims.

Of course, the real talking point here is the proliferation of electronics. Each bike comes equipped with power modes and traction control as standard equipment. ABS also comes standard on all the bikes, but Ducati and Yamaha both get bonus points for equipping the new 1299 Panigale and the (linked, IMU controlled) R1/R1M with forms of Cornering ABS, which can reduce the risk of falling should you need to grab a handful while leaned over.

This is made possible via an Inertial Measurement Unit, or IMU, which is equipped on both the Ducati and Yamaha. With the ability to measure parameters like pitch, roll, yaw, and a G-sensor to track acceleration fore-aft, up-down and left-right, Ducati uses the IMU to interface with the ABS, wheelie control and Ohlins electronic suspension on the 1299 Panigale S. Yamaha doesn’t outright claim the R1 and R1M has the Cornering ABS function, however, it does claim the pressure provided to the ABS and UBS (Unified Braking System) is determined from readings given from the IMU.

Perhaps the biggest winner in the technology battle for 2015 is Yamaha. While Kawasaki relentlessly teased the world with countless H2 and H2R videos, the Yamaha R1 and R1M brings to the table a stunning package of MotoGP-derived tech. It takes traction control a step further with banking-sensitive TC, and raises the bar yet again with its slide control function. The R1M utilizes the IMU to allow the electronic Ohlins suspension to automatically adjust rebound and compression damping, in real time, to the street or track conditions.

All but the H2 have some sort of data logging capability, but the R1M really impresses with its exclusive Communication Control Unit. Using the CCU and GPS antenna, running data can be recorded via a data logger, with track mapping and lap times managed by GPS. That information can then be transferred to an Android or iOS app, and after analyzing the data, setting changes can be made and uploaded to the R1M via WiFi. It’s an amazing bit of technology unheard of before.

The technology at play here is complex, so we’ll have to wait for further info from OEMs to properly dissect it. The intent here is to break down each bike’s specs, to serve as a central resource to sate your curiosity. It will still be a few months before we get to ride most of these models, and when we do, we’ll provide a more in-depth look at their respective systems.