Off Duty, Automotive - Navy Times

Hot wheels

What has a power-to-weight ratio better than a Ferrari Enzo, runs a 10-second quarter-mile, gets 40 miles per gallon and has an unrivaled ability to startle the locals when you zip around off base?

Sport bikes!

Better still, they cost less than a new econo box.

Here are four hot rides for 2008 selected for their power, performance, affordability and innovative upgrades:

APRILIA SHIVER SL 750

From its 90-degree, liquid-cooled V-twin to its trellis-style modular steel/aluminum frame, gorgeously anodized in magnesium/copper, the Shiver is arguably one of the hottest things on two wheels. The upper section is tubular aluminum; the lower sections are cast steel and webbed for light weight/high strength.

The short stroke V-twin produces 95 horsepower at 9,000 rpm, making it one of the highest-powered twins of its type. A full stainless exhaust routes the spent gases under the seat and out behind you, leaving both sides of the bike symmetrical and free of “can clutter.” That gives the rider greater lean potential without worrying about scraping the pipes. The exhaust is finished with twin triangular tips.

The handlebars are standard — not clip-ons — so the bike has obvious street-friendly ergos.

MSRP: $8,999.

SUZUKI B KING

It is a naked version of Suzuki’s 1,340cc, 190-mph Hayabusa with a more upright (and comfortable) seating posture. It also loses the ‘Busa’s clip-ons and body cladding. Only now you can see the thing in all its 12.5:1-compression dual-overhead-cam and fuel-injected glory, including the beautiful stainless steel header/exhaust that’s hidden behind all that plastic on its fully clothed cousin.

Special features include a ride-adjustable “Suzuki Drive Mode Selector” similar to the setup used on the ‘Busa. It lets the rider dial up the engine’s available fury (for the experienced and the brave) or a milder setting that keeps a few horses corralled until you’ve worked up the nerve to saddle them. The six-speed gearbox has a torque-limiting clutch to help keep the back tire from skittering too much on downshifts as it tries to cope with the massive output this bike is capable of delivering.

MSRP: $12,899.

KTM SUPER DUKE 990 R

The additional $1,200 you’ll spend on a race-ready “R” version of the Super Duke 990 buys an extra 8 horsepower (128 vs. 120) from a tweaked version of the 75-degree water-cooled V-twin engine, as well as key chassis, suspension and brake upgrades. These include new geometry for the frame for a lower (93.9mm) trail, a more aggressive 67.3-degree steering head angle, CNC-milled triple clamps, factory steering damper and high-capacity radial-mounted Brembo brakes with aircraft-type braided metal hoses.

The R’s a true gunfighter, so there’s no extra set of pegs for a passenger — just a solo saddle that drops the rider closer to the bike’s center of mass.

For greater range, R models have a slightly larger fuel tank than the standard 990 — as well as a revised instrument cluster and windscreen, and clear lens tail lamps. But the bike’s most obvious difference is its orange powder-coated trellis-style frame (it’s black on the standard Duke) and the extensive use of lightweight carbon-fiber bits and pieces.

MSRP: $15,598.

HONDA CBR 1000RR

Although street legal, it is clearly designed for the track. And to go faster, you need to be more powerful — or lighter. The ‘08 CBR is both.

About 5½ pounds were dropped from the frame (made of four die-cast main sections, each hogged out to keep down pounds), while the revised DOHC four also is about 5 pounds lighter than before. Another 2-plus pounds were shed by going with new-design rims and a revised front brake system.

The steering damper also is a new design — it’s hidden beneath the fuel tank now — that’s more compact and weighs a few ounces less than the previous one. Even the battery has been downsized.

All told, the new CBR is about 17 pounds lighter than the previous-generation CBR l.

The ’08 CBR’s inline four has a service ceiling of 13,000-plus rpm. Honda engineers also reconfigured the design/positioning of the cylinder head and cams/valvetrain to lower the center of mass.

Interesting stylistic features include a new 4-2-1 exhaust with both electronic and pressure-controlled valves. The can is a triple-chamber design that arches up like an artillery piece just ahead of the rear caliper; it is aerodynamically tucked flat against the right side of the bike, allowing impressive lean angles, as well as a low drag coefficient at the 170-plus mph speeds this bike is capable of delivering.

MSRP: $11,599.

DUCATI 848

The 848 — all new for 2008 — is an attempt by Ducati to bring Italian exotic liter bike performance to buyers whose finances aren’t quite as exotic.

And because it’s a middleweight, the insurance bill should be more manageable, too.

The heart of the 848 is a fuel-injected DOHC V-twin working through a close-ratio six-speed gearbox. Though smaller in cc’s, its claimed output of 134 hp puts it among the most powerful sport bike V-twins available. (Pack that kind of punch into a bike that weighs just 370 pounds (almost 45 pounds lighter than the previous Ducati 749) and there should be no complaints about performance.

There’s also a Digitek LCD dash with “at a glance” shift lights, sharp and angular bodywork, “floating” single-side swing arm and a dual underseat exhaust system, too.

MSRP: $12,995

TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE

Taller riders will love the new Street Triple 675 because, unlike it’s more expensive Daytona 675 brother, it loses the clip-ons and hunched over riding position but keeps almost all the functional parts that make the Daytona 675 one of the most dominant middleweights on the racing circuit.

Same basic fuel-injected DOHC in-line triple (just tuned for more low and mid-range power) ready to wheelie at your command; almost identical frame/chassis — and suspension and brakes, too. A five-speed gearbox replaces the Daytona’s six-speed, but it works well with the fatter torque spread down low (and mid-range) that the Street Triple’s version of the 675 cc in-line three provides.

The only other thing that’s missing (besides the clip-ons) is the Daytona’s full-coverage racer-replica bodywork. But that’s no downside — unless you consider being able to see the glory of the Triple’s mechanics a negative.

MSRP: $7,499

YAMAHA YZF R1

Open-class sport bikes have been developed and refined to such a high state of tune that it’s hard to imagine wringing significant improvements in performance out of the existing designs.

And yet, the engineers continue to do just that, the latest generation R1 being “Exhibit A.”

It has been uprated with state of the art electronics like “fly-by-wire” throttle that sharpens already knife-edged responses to your right hand beyond what is possible with mere cables. Computer controlled variable length intake funnels (able to adjust their length from 65 to 140 mm) allow further fine-tuning of power delivery across the RPM range. Yamaha claims the electronics allow the engine to produce all-out race bike peak power — without the flat spots and abrupt peaks and surges that are often typical of such high-strung engines.

The 998 cc DOHC four also gets a new-design “lay down” cylinder head that’s lighter and more compact than before, along with a higher 12.7:1 compression ratio — resulting in a claimed 180 hp at the crank. All the go-mojo feeds through a close-ratio six-speed box fitted with a ramp-type slipper clutch — just like the MotoGP bikes you see on ESPN.

Other upgrades, including exhaust, gauges and suspension, abound.

The whole works is designed to outflank (and outrun) rivals.

MSRP: $11,699

Eric Peters is an automotive columnist who has covered the auto industry since 1992. E-mail him at epeters952@aol.com.