2021 Middleweight Naked Spec Sheet Shootout

[Peon Maface]

With the Aprilia Tuono 660 and Triumph Trident 660, we’ve got two brand new middleweight nakeds on the market this year, entering what was already a pretty good field with the Honda CB650R, Kawasaki Z650, Suzuki SV650, and the Yamaha MT-07. Obviously, this calls for us to put all six motorcycles together in a shootout.

John, Troy and Ryan have been putting these middleweight naked bikes to the test, with Evans taking photos and Sean shooting video in preparing this six-model comparo. Of course, with me more than 2,000 miles away up in Toronto, I get the much less exciting task of comparing these middleweights on the spec sheet. I’m not bitter. At least I have the Stanley Cup playoffs to look forward to… dammit.

All right, let’s get this over with (still not bitter).

Engine

Most of the field is powered by Twins except for the Honda CB650R’s Inline-Four and the Triumph Trident 660’s Triple.

The term “middleweight” doesn’t mean the same as it used to. With the bigger bikes now pushing into the 1200-ish range, the middleweight class has grown to cover a wide range of displacements. Just look at our middleweight adventure shootout earlier this year featuring bikes ranging from 689cc to 889cc.

Thankfully, for this shootout, we’re able to wrangle six contenders that are relatively close in engine displacements, ranging from 645cc to 689cc. At the low end, we have the 645cc Suzuki SV650, with the Honda CB650R and Kawasaki Z650 only slightly larger at 649cc. We then have the Aprilia Tuono 660 and Triumph Trident, the two newest models in this shootout, coming in at around 660cc. The Yamaha MT-07 tops this competition with a 689cc displacement, but the overall gap between the largest and smallest engines is pretty narrow.

The Tuono’s 659cc Parallel-Twin is derived from Aprilia’s V4 engine.

Among our six battlers, half of them are powered by Parallel-Twins in the Aprilia, Kawasaki and Yamaha. The SV650 mixes it up a bit with a V-Twin configuration, but then we have the three-cylinder Trident and the CB650R’s Inline-Four.

Putting all six bikes on a dynamometer, we start to see some separation between the engines. The Tuono 660 produced the most power with 84.6 hp at 10,500 rpm. At the low end, we have the Kawasaki Z650 with just 61.4 hp at 8100 rpm. Both are Parallel-Twins, with just 10cc separating them, but the Aprilia overpowers the Kawasaki, thanks to its higher rev limit and a significantly higher compression ratio (13.5:1, easily tops in this competition, but much higher than the Z650’s 10.8:1).

The SV650 and MT-07 all hover around 70 hp, with the Trident a little higher at 72.3 hp, which further shows how much a disadvantage the Z650 has in this comparison. The CB650R produced the second highest horsepower with 81.9 hp, but you had to get close to its rev limit to get there. In the midrange, from 5,000 rpm to 8,000 rpm the Honda was at the bottom of the pack before it finally caught up. Though it produced the second lowest peak, the MT-07 offers more power of all six bikes up until around 8,300 rpm.

It was a similar story on the torque curve, with the CB650R having a big dip in the midrange, but this time it wasn’t able to outrun the competition, peaking at 42.1 lb-ft. at 8500 rpm. The Trident, SV650 and Z650 were all fairly close in the midrange while the Tuono 660 didn’t catch up until around 8000 rpm. The Yamaha MT-07 produced far and away the most torque for most of the rev range, peaking with 48.7 lb-ft. at 6300 rpm.

Engine	Aprilia Tuono 660	Honda CB650R	Kawasaki Z650 ABS	Suzuki SV650	Triumph Trident 660	Yamaha MT-07
Engine Type	659cc liquid-cooled, Parallel-Twin, DOHC, four valves per cylinder	649cc liquid cooled Inline-Four, DOHC; four valves per cylinder	649cc liquid-cooled Parallel-Twin, DOHC, four valves per cylinder	645cc liquid-cooled, 90˚ V-Twin, DOHC, four valves per cylinder	660cc liquid-cooled, Inline 3-cylinder, DOHC, four valves per cylinder	689cc liquid-cooled Parallel-Twin, DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Bore and Stroke	81mm x 63.9mm	67mm x 46mm	83.0mm x 60.0mm	81.0mm x 62.6mm	74.0mm x 51.1mm	80.0mm x 68.6mm
Compression Ratio	13.5:1	11.6:1	10.8:1	11.2:1	11.95:1	11.5:1
Horsepower	84.6 hp at 10500 rpm	81.9 hp at 10800 rpm	61.4 hp at 8100 rpm	70.7 hp at 8600 rpm	72.3 hp at 10300 rpm	70.0 hp at 8500 rpm
Torque	44.4 lb-ft. at 8800 rpm	42.1 lb-ft. at 8500 rpm	43.5 lb-ft. at 6900 rpm	44.5 lb-ft. at 8100 rpm	42.8 lb-ft. at 6400 rpm	48.7 lb-ft. at 6300 rpm
Transmission	Six-speed with Aprilia Quick Shift up-and-down system and assist & slipper clutch	Six-speed, assist & slipper clutch	Six-speed, return shift	Six-speed, constant mesh	Six-speed,assist & slipper clutch	6-speed; wet multiplate clutch
Final Drive	Chain	Chain	Sealed chain	Chain	X-ring chain	Chain

Chassis

The Aprilia Tuono 660 stands out from this field with its aluminum frame. The other five motorcycles have steel frames.

The Z650, SV650, MT-07 and Trident each use tubular steel frames while the CB650R uses a twin-spar steel frame. The Tuono stands out with both its frame and swingarm made of die-cast aluminum.

The Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha each use 41mm telescopic forks. The Triumph and the Honda are equipped with inverted Showa Separate Function Forks, but the CB650R gets the slightly better Big Piston version. Aprilia equipped the Tuono with a Kayaba fork, the only one of the bunch with adjustable rebound and spring preload.

The Tuono and MT-07 offer adjustable rebound damping and spring preload on the rear suspension. The rest offer only preload adjustment.

The CB650R is equipped with radial-mount four-piston calipers and a Showa Separate Function Big Piston fork.

All six bikes offer dual front disc brakes and ABS as standard, but there are still different levels of brake quality. On the lowest tier, we have the Z650 and Trident using two-piston front calipers. The SV650 and MT-07 offer a step up with four-piston calipers, while the CB650R adds radial mount calipers.

The Tuono goes the extra step with a radial master cylinder and steel-braided brake lines (the Trident also has steel-braided lines). The Aprilia is also the only one that offers an optional IMU which enables cornering ABS (our test bike is equipped with this $400 option).

Chassis	Aprilia Tuono 660	Honda CB650R	Kawasaki Z650 ABS	Suzuki SV650	Triumph Trident 660	Yamaha MT-07
Frame	Die-cast aluminum frame and swingarm	Twin-spar steel diamond frame with pressed aluminum swingarm plates	Steel trellis frame	Steel trellis frame	Tubular steel perimeter frame	Steel trellis frame
Front Suspension	Kayaba 41mm upside-down fork, adjustable for rebound, and spring preload on a single stanchion. Wheel travel 4.3 inches (110mm)	Separate Function Big Piston 41mm inverted Showa fork; 4.25 inches of travel	41mm telescopic fork; 4.9 inches of travel	41mm telescopic, coil spring, oil damped; 4.9 inches of travel	Showa 41mm upside down separate function forks (SFF); 4.7 inches of travel	41mm telescopic fork; 5.1 inches of travel
Rear Suspension	Aluminum swingarm with asymmetrical trusses. Monoshock with adjustable rebound and spring preload. Wheel travel: 5.1 inches (130mm)	Showa single shock with adjustable preload; 5.04 inches of travel	Horizontal back-link with adjustable preload, swingarm; 5.1 inches of travel	Link type, single shock, coil spring, oil damped with adjustable preload; 2.5 inches of travel	Showa monoshock RSU, with preload adjustment; 5.3 inches of travel	Single shock, adjustable preload and rebound damping; 5.1 inches of travel
Front Brake	Dual radial-mounted Brembo calipers with four 32mm pistons. 320mm discs. Radial master cylinder and steel braided brake lines with Cornering ABS (when equipped with the optional IMU)	Dual 310mm discs with radial-mount four-piston calipers; ABS	Dual 300mm petal-style discs with two-piston calipers, ABS	Dual, 4-piston calipers, twin disc, ABS-equipped	Nissin two-piston sliding calipers, twin 310mm discs, ABS	Dual four-piston calipers, 298mm hydraulic disc; ABS
Rear Brake	Single Brembo caliper with two 34mm pistons. 220mm disc with Cornering ABS (when equipped with the optional IMU)	Single 240mm disc; ABS	Single 220mm petal-style disc, ABS	Single, 1-piston caliper, single disc, ABS equipped	Nissin single-piston sliding caliper, single 255mm disc, ABS	245mm hydraulic disc; ABS
Front Tire	120/70-17, radial, tubeless	120/70-17	120/70 ZR17	120/70 ZR17 (58W), tubeless	120/70 R17	120/70 R17
Rear Tire	180/55-17, radial, tubeless	180/55-17	160/60 ZR17	160/60 ZR17 (69W), tubeless	180/55 R17	180/55 R17

Dimensions

The Kawasaki Z650’s minimal trellis frame helps contribute to its relatively low weight.

Measuring all six bikes on the MO scales, the Tuono comes in the lightest at just 401 pounds (with the caveat that it was the only one we weighed without mirrors). The MT-07 wasn’t far behind at 406 pounds, followed by the Z650 at 412 pounds. The Trident’s 427 pounds looks relatively porky, but our unit was equipped with accessory grab rails and engine protectors. Even then, it’s still lighter than the 438-pound SV650 and 443-pound CB650R.

The SV650 offers the lowest seat height at just 30.9 inches, followed by the Z650’s 31.1-inch saddle height. The Trident and MT-07 offer identical 31.7-inch seat heights, with the Honda slightly higher at 31.9 inches. The Aprilia offers the highest perch at 32.3 inches. That’s nearly an inch and a half higher than the SV650’s seat.

The Suzuki SV650 has the lowest seat height of the six at just 30.9 inches.

Dimensions	Aprilia Tuono 660	Honda CB650R	Kawasaki Z650 ABS	Suzuki SV650	Triumph Trident 660	Yamaha MT-07
Rake	23.9°	32°	24.0°	25.0°	24.6°	24° 50′
Trail	4.1 in.	4.0 in.	3.9 in.	4.2 in.	4.2 in.	3.5 in.
Wheelbase	54.3 in.	57.0 in.	55.5 in.	56.9 in.	55.2 in.	55.1 in.
Seat Height	32.3 in.	31.9 in.	31.1 in.	30.9 in.	31.7 in.	31.7 in.
Curb Weight (Measured)	401 lbs. (without mirrors)	443 lbs.	412 lbs.	438 lbs.	427 lbs.	406 lbs.
Fuel Capacity	3.9 gal.	4.1 gal.	4.0 gal.	3.8 gal.	3.7 gal.	3.7 gal.

Price

The MT-07 is a perennial pick for our Best Value MOBO awards.

Looking at the specs sheet, it comes as no surprise with its premium components that the Aprilia Tuono 660 has the highest Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price at $10,499. That’s over a grand more than the second priciest, the $9,199 Honda CB650R. The Trident is next at $8,095, which also makes it the least expensive bike in Triumph’s entire lineup. In this group, however, it falls in the middle above the MT-07 ($7,699), SV650 ($7,499) and Z650 ($7,749).

So, which of these naked middleweight motorcycles is the best? On paper, we can make some assumptions, but we’re going to have to wait for the testing to be done to find out.

Specifications	Aprilia Tuono 660	Honda CB650R	Kawasaki Z650 ABS	Suzuki SV650	Triumph Trident 660	Yamaha MT-07
MSRP	$10,899 (with $400 optional IMU)	$9,199	$7,749	$7,499	$8,095	$7,699
Engine Type	659cc liquid-cooled, Parallel-Twin, DOHC, four valves per cylinder	649cc liquid cooled Inline-Four, DOHC; four valves per cylinder	649cc liquid-cooled Parallel-Twin, DOHC, four valves per cylinder	645cc liquid-cooled, 90˚ V-Twin, DOHC, four valves per cylinder	660cc liquid-cooled, Inline 3-cylinder, DOHC, four valves per cylinder	689cc liquid-cooled Parallel-Twin, DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Bore and Stroke	81mm x 63.9mm	67mm x 46mm	83.0mm x 60.0mm	81.0mm x 62.6mm	74.0mm x 51.1mm	80.0mm x 68.6mm
Compression Ratio	13.5:1	11.6:1	10.8:1	11.2:1	11.95:1	11.5:1
Horsepower	84.6 hp at 10500 rpm	81.9 hp at 10800 rpm	61.4 hp at 8100 rpm	70.7 hp at 8600 rpm	72.3 hp at 10300 rpm	70.0 hp at 8500 rpm
Torque	44.4 lb-ft. at 8800 rpm	42.1 lb-ft. at 8500 rpm	43.5 lb-ft. at 6900 rpm	44.5 lb-ft. at 8100 rpm	42.8 lb-ft. at 6400 rpm	48.7 lb-ft. at 6300 rpm
Transmission	Six-speed with Aprilia Quick Shift up-and-down system and assist & slipper clutch	Six-speed, assist & slipper clutch	Six-speed, return shift	Six-speed, constant mesh	Six-speed, assist & slipper clutch	6-speed; wet multiplate clutch
Final Drive	Chain	Chain	Sealed chain	Chain	X-ring chain	Chain
Frame	Die-cast aluminum frame and swingarm	Twin-spar steel diamond frame with pressed aluminum swingarm plates	Steel trellis frame	Steel trellis frame	Tubular steel perimeter frame	Steel trellis frame
Front Suspension	Kayaba 41mm upside-down fork, adjustable for rebound, and spring preload on a single stanchion. Wheel travel 4.3 inches (110mm)	Separate Function Big Piston 41mm inverted Showa fork; 4.25 inches of travel	41mm telescopic fork; 4.9 inches of travel	41mm telescopic, coil spring, oil damped; 4.9 inches of travel	Showa 41mm upside down separate function forks (SFF); 4.7 inches of travel	41mm telescopic fork; 5.1 inches of travel
Rear Suspension	Aluminum swingarm with asymmetrical trusses. Monoshock with adjustable rebound and spring preload. Wheel travel: 5.1 inches (130mm)	Showa single shock with adjustable preload; 5.04 inches of travel	Horizontal back-link with adjustable preload, swingarm; 5.1 inches of travel	Link type, single shock, coil spring, oil damped with adjustable preload; 2.5 inches of travel	Showa monoshock RSU, with preload adjustment; 5.3 inches of travel	Single shock, adjustable preload and rebound damping; 5.1 inches of travel
Front Brake	Dual radial-mounted Brembo calipers with four 32mm pistons. 320mm discs. Radial master cylinder and steel braided brake lines with Cornering ABS (when equipped with the optional IMU)	Dual 310mm discs with radial-mount four-piston calipers; ABS	Dual 300mm petal-style discs with two-piston calipers, ABS	Dual, 4-piston calipers, twin disc, ABS-equipped	Nissin two-piston sliding calipers, twin 310mm discs, ABS	Dual four-piston calipers, 298mm hydraulic disc; ABS
Rear Brake	Single Brembo caliper with two 34mm pistons. 220mm disc with Cornering ABS (when equipped with the optional IMU)	Single 240mm disc; ABS	Single 220mm petal-style disc, ABS	Single, 1-piston caliper, single disc, ABS equipped	Nissin single-piston sliding caliper, single 255mm disc, ABS	245mm hydraulic disc; ABS
Front Tire	120/70-17, radial, tubeless	120/70-17	120/70 ZR17	120/70 ZR17 (58W), tubeless	120/70 R17	120/70 R17
Rear Tire	180/55-17, radial, tubeless	180/55-17	160/60 ZR17	160/60 ZR17 (69W), tubeless	180/55 R17	180/55 R17
Rake	23.9°	32°	24.0°	25.0°	24.6°	24° 50′
Trail	4.1 in.	4.0 in.	3.9 in.	4.2 in.	4.2 in.	3.5 in.
Wheelbase	54.3 in.	57.0 in.	55.5 in.	56.9 in.	55.2 in.	55.1 in.
Seat Height	32.3 in.	31.9 in.	31.1 in.	30.9 in.	31.7 in.	31.7 in.
Curb Weight (Measured)	401 lbs. (without mirrors)	443 lbs.	412 lbs.	438 lbs.	427 lbs.	406 lbs.
Fuel Capacity	3.9 gal.	4.1 gal.	4.0 gal.	3.8 gal.	3.7 gal.	3.7 gal.

---

Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here.

The post 2021 Middleweight Naked Spec Sheet Shootout appeared first on Motorcycle.com.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Motorcyclefeed/~4/m_aQLCBqye4

Source