Suzuki GSX-S750 vs Ducati Monster 797 vs Triumph Street Triple S vs Kawasaki Z900: Spec Comparison

What is arguably one of the fastest growing superbike segments in India, the middle-weight street naked segment, has just received a new entrant in the form of the Suzuki GSX-S750. We pit it against its rivals to find out if it’s got what it takes to stack up against other highly competitive middleweight street nakeds in India.

Engine and Performance:

The Suzuki GSX-S750 is powered by an updated version of the 2005 GSX-R750’s 750cc four-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine. Power output hasn’t been officially announced yet but  Suzuki claims that the new bike produces 8PS more when compared to the model it replaces, which effectively means the power output now stands at 114PS.

The engine on the Monster is derived from the Ducati Scrambler -- an 803cc, air-cooled, L-twin engine, bolted on to a trellis frame. On the 797, the power output generated is 76PS @ 8250rpm with 69Nm of peak torque coming in at 5750rpm. Ducati has also provided a slipper clutch which prevents rear wheel slip while aggressive downshifting.

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The Triumph Street Triple S employs a 765cc, inline, three-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine which is a rebored version of the one that powered the Triumph Daytona 675R. Triumph has also blessed this engine with new crank, pistons, connecting rods and balance shifter. This has resulted in an output of 113PS of power at 11,250rpm and 73Nm of torque at 10,421rpm.

The Kawasaki Z900 is powered by a 948cc inline, four-cylinder engine which develops 125PS @ 9500rpm and a peak torque of 100Nm @ 8000rpm. It gets a lighter crank compared to the Z800, which helps the motor rev quicker. The Z900 undoubtedly has the most powerful and torquey motor of the lot. All the motorcycles are mated to a 6-speed transmission.

Features:

Similar to the GSX-S1000, the instrument panel on the GSX-S750 uses an LCD display that includes speedometer, tachometer, odometer, dual tripmeters, gear position, coolant temperatures, driving range, average fuel consumption, instantaneous fuel consumption, traction control, and clock functions. Suzuki’s advanced traction control system allows the rider to choose from four traction control modes (1, 2, 3, and OFF). Mode 1 is designed for sporty riding on good, smooth roads and requires a professional hand. Mode 2 offers a moderate sensitivity level that’s beneficial for city riding and regular road conditions. Mode 3 provides maximum sensitivity, suitable for road conditions where the grip may be limited (wet or cold surfaces).

The Monster 797 comes with an LCD instrument cluster that is ready for the optional Ducati Multimedia System (DMS) as well. When it comes to electronics, the Monster is equipped with a Bosch 9.1 MP ABS with an internal pressure sensor. This ensures safe braking, especially under emergency conditions. Riding modes and traction control have been given a miss to keep costs low.

 

The Triumph Street Triple S is equipped with an analogue cum digital combo cluster and ride-by-wire throttle. The switchable traction control in this bike is linked to two riding modes- ‘Road’ and ‘Rain’, which would be useful in modulating power accordingly. The bike also comes with standard ABS to enhance braking performance.

The Z900 follows Kawasaki’s ‘Sugomi’ design philosophy. The all-digital instrument console offers all the basic information including current, average and instantaneous fuel economy reading. On the features front, there isn’t much really. The only electronic aid it gets is ABS. 

That aside, there are a host of additional accessories on offer from the company. These include a flyscreen, crash bobbins for the front forks, engine guards, engine casing covers, gel tank pad, different seat cover and pillion seat cowl with cushioning for the rider, a 12V charging socket on the handlebar and a radiator guard as optional accessories. There is also an Akrapovic exhaust available at an additional cost. The accessories should be worth close to a lakh rupees, and the good thing is, the accessories not only add aesthetic value but are functional too.

Dimensions and Underpinnings:

The Suzuki middleweight gets 41mm KYB inverted forks up front with adjustable preload. The rear monoshock is also a KYB unit with fully adjustable spring preload. Braking is managed by twin Nissin 310mm discs up front with four-piston calipers. Meanwhile, the rear gets a 240mm disc with a single-piston caliper. ABS will be available as standard. The 17-inch rims are wrapped with 120/70 section front and 180/55 section rear Bridgestone Battlax tyres. The Suzuki GSX-S750 tips the scale at 211kh (kerb) and is the heaviest of the lot here, weighing just 1kg more than the Kawasaki Z900. The seat height of 820mm is the highest of the lot as well.

The trellis frame on the Ducati Monster 797 is suspended on 43mm USD Kayaba front forks with 130mm of travel and a Sachs rear monoshock with adjustable spring preload and rebound damping. Rear wheel travel stands at 150mm. The Monster gets dual 320mm discs up front with Brembo 4-piston Monobloc calipers and a single 245mm rear disc with a Brembo caliper. The 10-spoke alloy wheels are wrapped with 17-inch Pirelli Diablo Rosso II dual-compound tyres measuring 120-section at the front and 180-section at the rear. The Monster 797 tips the scales at 193kg (kerb). When it comes to seat height, the Monster has an accessible seat, standing 805mm above the ground.

The Street Triple S uses 41mm Showa USD front forks that feature Separate Function Forks technology while the rear features a Showa monoshock unit with a piggyback reservoir that offers adjustable preload. The bike is anchored to a stop via twin 310mm front discs with Nissin calipers and a single 220mm rear disc with a Brembo caliper. The 17-inch wheels are shod with Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa tyres with a 120-section front and a 180-section rear, grippier than the Diablo Rosso II tyres seen on the earlier model. The Street Triple S' seat height is 5mm more than the Monster 797's, at 810mm. When it comes to heft, the Street Triple S weighs 186kg (kerb), which is 7kg lighter than the Monster.

The Z900 is constructed around a high tensile steel trellis frame. It gets 41mm inverted forks with rebound damping and spring preload adjustability with 4.7-inch travel at the front and monoshock horizontal back-link, stepless rebound damping with adjustable spring preload with 5.5-inch travel at the rear. The motorcycle gets Dunlop Sportmax 120/70 Z R17 tyre at the front and 180/55 Z R17 tyre at the rear. Braking duties are done by dual 300mm petal-type rotors with four-piston calipers at the front and a single 250mm petal-type rotor with a single-piston caliper at the rear. ABS is offered as standard. Seat height is 795mm, which is suitable for riders with average height; ground clearance is 130mm; the fuel tank capacity stands at 17 litres and the motorcycle weighs 210 kg.

Pricing

We expect the Suzuki GSX-S750 to enter India via the CKD route, which will enable Suzuki to price this brute at a very competitive price point. If priced at Rs 7.5 lakh, it will even undercut the Ducati Monster 797 by Rs 22,000. The Street Triple S retails at Rs 8.71 lakh (ex-showroom). At this price point, the Triumph will be Rs 1.21 lakh costlier than the GSX-S750, which offers an additional cylinder, is lighter on the pocket and almost equally rich on the feature front. 

The Kawasaki Z900 proves to be a winner here, priced at Rs 7.68 lakh (ex-showroom). While it may not be the most feature-rich bike here, it is the most powerful of the lot, and also gets the safety net of ABS.