Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2017 i BIKE

Riding a brand new Suzuki GSX-R1000 for the first time requires dry roads and, in the rider, a state of uncompromised mental agility that usually evades me. It took a while before I’d got these two essentials aligned. A couple of times I went to the lock-up, walked around the missile in question, admired its details, sat on it, made brum, brum noises and bounced on the suspension, then looked outside at damp tarmac and grey skies and thought, ‘Thanks, but not today’. But this lunchtime it finally happened, and it was flippin’ amazing; inconceivably, astonishingly and mind bendingly fast. And I never found maximum revs or top gear, let alone explored the limits of the multi-stage traction control, the different riding modes and other ‘rider aids’. It is so…

‘The plan is for 100 trackday bikes... then a range of road bikes’ REMEMBER THE HAUNTING howl and crazy speed of JPS Nortons? Fancy a larger, faster, modern version? Of course you do. The force behind rotary-engine Norton racers was Brian Crighton, who currently develops rotaries for drones at Rotron, which is part of Gilo Industries. Gilo have just received funds from a big Chinese firm, and this means cash for Crighton Racing to develop a new rotary bike engine. Folklore says rotaries are thirsty, dirty and unreliable, but Crighton has other ideas. ‘NSU cars got rotaries a bad name, as the rotor tips would jam up with carbon. They do get very hot and can use oil, but materials have advanced a lot – with our ceramic seals just…

THE DAYS OF a manufacturer launching a new bike and being on race pace straight away seem to be over, as Honda and Suzuki’s ongoing struggles with the Fireblade and GSX-R1000 show. I’ve developed new bikes such as the Honda RC45 and Foggy Petronas in BSB and WSB and it can be really demoralising. Sometimes you get lucky and things work well straight out of the crate, but generally it comes down to how much development work the factory have done on-track before launching the bike – and what parts they then make available to riders. As the parts start to come through, bikes tend to come on-song, but you can be stuck without any new parts for so long. Of all the manufacturers Ducati seem to be the ones…

‘Delight in the sweet aroma of burnt methanol and castor oil’ >>Speedway. Is that still going? Yes, though the diehards would tell you the sport has never been in a worse state. But the internal politics, petty jealousies and rule tinkering that upsets regulars will go straight over the casual observer’s head and you can delight in the sweet aroma of burnt methanol and castor oil while dedicated pros sprint around a shale oval. The riders themselves are more professionally presented than they’ve ever been and the spectacle of a good speedway meeting is as exciting as ever. >>Why should I go now? A trip to the races on a warm evening is one of the best ways to get up close to bike sport. There are 27 tracks across…

THE ISLE OF MAN TT course is divided into six timed sectors, which provide the vital info that top riders see on their signal boards at certain parts of the 37 ¾ miles. The sectors also prove it’s possible to go even faster around the Mountain course. Michael Dunlop’s TT lap record stands at 133.962mph, but combining the fastest sector times, established by Dunlop, Ian Hutchinson and 2009 Senior winner Steve Plater gives us a lap speed of 134.662mph, a significant five seconds faster. Dunlop’s best lap took him 16 minutes 53 seconds, significantly less than the one hour and seven minutes it takes to ride the course on normal roads, observing speed limits. Dunlop’s and Hutchinson’s sector times are from last year’s TT. Incredibly, Plater’s record is from eight…

‘I’m a big Blade fan but it was the worst on track’ MOST EAGERLY ANTICIPATED bike of the year? For all but the most hardcore GSX-R fans, certainly. After years of sticking its corporate fingers in their ears and saying ‘la-la-la’ while the rest of the world developed sophisticated electronics and loony power, Honda have finally taken the Fireblade to the next level. And it looks fabulous. Parked next to the others, you can’t help but notice how compact it is – the wheelbase is 35mm less than the ZX-10R’s, and the stubby nose fairing makes it look smaller than the tiny R1 (which has the same 1405mm wheelbase as the Blade). Under the plastics, 90% of the bike is completely new according to Honda, with multiple weight savings resulting…

‘Even with all that power it’s so sensitive and simple to ride’ WHAT A MACHINE this still is,’ says James, puffing as he gets off the S1000RR. Eight years after its launch – and still the best-selling sportsbike over 125cc – the S1000RR has clearly lost none of its ability to give even the fastest riders a surprisingly vigorous work-out. We’re testing the best-selling version of the bike, the Sport, which comes with the semi-active Öhlins suspension, heated grips, LED indicators and an auto-blipper. For good measure, our test bike has the £565 performance package, with cruise control, two customisable riding modes and cornering ABS, plus all the stuff the standard bike gets for this year – quickshifter, ABS, Race, Sport and Rain riding modes, and a bigger catalytic converter…

>> 600 miles (after run-in): change oil and oil filter, general function and safety checks. Cost: £148 >> 3800 miles: mid-schedule checks (brake pads, drive chain, emissions). Cost: £54 >> 7600 miles: change oil and oil filter, replace plugs, check wheel bearings, general safety checks. Cost £327 >> 11,400 miles: mid-schedule checks (as 3800) plus replace the air filter. Cost: £127 >> 15,200 miles: Same as 7600 miles, plus new brake fluid, change fuel filter, lubricate steering head. Cost £405 Schedule then repeats. >> Additional items: Coolant and hoses are changed at 22,500 miles or three years. Valves are checked at 26,250 – expect to pay £228. Rubber brake parts are four years or 30k miles, fuel hose five years. >> Get yours refreshed: Prices from Corby Kawasaki (corbykawasaki.co.uk, 01536…

THE MANGHEN PASS, ITALY >> The Italian north-east is famous for the Dolomites: jaw-dropping mountains which are part of the Southern Limestone Alps and shared between South-Tyrol, Trentino, Veneto and Friuli. But the majority of motorcyclists take the Great Dolomites Road from Bolzano to Cortina and traverse the passes around the Sella Massiv, missing out the hidden gem of Passo Manghen (SP31) – a steep and narrow connecting route between the Fiemme and Valsugana valleys. Starting from Molina di Fiemme, the road narrows first across a dense forest (trees from this area are used to produce the best violins) and then over the vegetation line to the 2047-metre Passo Manghen. Once there park your bike – ideally a light tourer – beside Lake Cadinello and savour the grilled salsiccia trentina…

Mike Armitage >> Deputy Editor Riding RC30s, in the sunshine at Donington. Can there be a better way to spend a spring weekend than that? No… ‘Rolling smoothly into corners, picking up drive and rushing out hard in one flowing action’ NEXT TO ME is Steve Chambers on a Team Bike Honda RC30. He’s won the Macau GP, put Team Bike on pole at the Spa 24hr in 1989, and is wearing fabulous leathers from Suzuka, 1990. Alongside him is Team Bike podium finisher and World Endurance champ Steve Manley riding the RC30 recently extracted from Mat Oxley’s lounge (see last month, p34). I’m on the team’s main race bike that won the Bol d’Or Classic in 2015. Ian Martin, the outfit’s driving force, is here on the Harris…

Nigel Grimshaw >>Managing Editor Part two of our Yamaha Yard Built custom project and the front end’s shaping up. Our debut at Bike Shed – 26-28 May – is assured A QUICK RECAP JUST in case last month’s momentous news eluded you: we, Bike, have become customisers, assisted by Down & Out Café Racers (doing all the hard graft) and Yamaha (giving us free stuff, including the bike). We’re using an XSR700 as our base and we’re debuting at Bike Shed (thebikeshed.cc) at the end of May. Better get on with it then… Three weeks at Down & Out’s Rotherham HQ has seen progress. Lots of progress. Our hastily drawn up vision of a utilitarian, urban, adventure, Tonka bike morphing into a sinister, black, utilitarian, urban, adventure bike that both…

Mark Graham This month: our man Graham likes a good yarn, especially about bikes and racing. He was dispatched to visit TT privateer Gary Johnson, a man deeply passionate about his sport. ‘Bloody hell he can talk,’ reported MG. Inside a privateer’s TT on page 48 John Westlake This month: former editor John drew the long straw and got to put together our 1000cc sports group test. Two weeks of road riding and a trackday with James Haydon and Pete Boast, you say? No arms needed twisting. Sportsbike group test on page 56 Mike Armitage This month: our deputy editor was the first person outside Triumph to ride the then unreleased Street Triple back in 2007. Ten years later and he’s the first to put the latest high-tech RS version…

Slashed by £459 Hanway Scrambler Hanway are new to the UK, built in China by the outfit who make scooters for popular brand Scomadi. The good-looking Scrambler is 125cc with a fine spec and list price of £2371 on the road, yet Wildcat Scooters (01633 549545) already have it at £1912 ready to roll. That’s a hefty 20% off a bike that’s only been available for a couple of months. £450 off + free bits Yamaha XSR900 Toddle off to Bransons Motorcycles (01935 474998) and they have Yam’s rather excellent XSR900 in Rock Slate Blue for £7849 (plus on the road). That’s one of the finest road engines ever, staggering agility and retro cool for £450 off list. They’ll also do you three-for-two on official accessories. Make sure you get…

‘I go on living more from force of habit than anything else’ YOU SEE THINGS on a motorcycle in a way that is completely different… In a car you’re always in a compartment, you don’t realise that through the car window everything you see is just more TV. On a motorcycle you’re completely in contact with it all, you’re in the scene, not just watching it and the sense of presence is overwhelming.’ So wrote the late Robert M. Pirsig in Zen & The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance, a book that exemplified the wide-eyed, post-hippie zeitgeist that was changing the world, even the world of biking, all the way back in 1974. Essentially chronicling an epic ride from Minnesota to California made with his 11-year-old son and two friends, it…

Trouble with birds Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) found over 2000 dead crows on Alberta Highways over the past weekend. A pathologist examined the remains and, to everyone’s relief, confirmed the problem was NOT Avian Flu. The cause of death appeared to be vehicular impact. By analysis of paint residues it was found that 98% of the crows had been killed by impact with motorbikes, while only 2% were killed by cars. The RCMP hired an Ornithological Behaviorist to determine if there was a cause for the disproportionate percentage of motorbike versus car kills. The Ornithological Behaviorist quickly concluded that when crows eat road kill they always have a look-out crow to warn of danger. They discovered that while all lookout crows could shout ‘Cah!’ not one could shout ‘Bike!’…

>> 2007-2012 Street Triple The first. 675cc, 97bhp (claimed 107), 189kg. Twin round lights, underseat cans, two-pot sliding calipers. From £2800 >> 2009-2012 Street Triple R Same basic spec as base bike, but R has adjustable suspension, sportier geometry, four-pot brakes. From £3000 >> 2013-2016 Street Triple Evolution. 6kg lighter. Taller first gear, more weight on the front to add sportiness. Angular lights, belly exhaust. From £4500 >> 2013-2016 Street Triple R More adjustment, four-pots, but less different to the base bike than previously. Red accents mark it out. From £4750 >> 2015-2016 Street Triple Rx The R model, enhanced with Daytona-style seat unit, belly pan, flyscreen, matt silver paint and red wheels. From £6500 >> 2017 Street Triple S New 765cc engine, 111bhp, Showa suspension, less weight, Speed Triple…

‘ It goes exactly where you want – it’s tiny so you can boss it about’ IN ALMOST ALL respects, the R1 is the most extreme bike here. It puts you in the most aggressive riding position, with the highest seat height and lowest bars forcing more weight through your wrists. It has the shortest wheelbase (matched by the Blade), the firmest suspension, the most adjustable electronics and, along with the ZX-10R, the biggest contrast between midrange and top-end. Put another way, it’s the most like a race bike – tiny, sharp and designed for 100% commitment. This is no great surprise given that Yamaha’s development start point was to put an R1 engine in an R6 chassis and then make the dimensions identical to Valentino Rossi’s 2012 M1 MotoGP…

‘Even the almighty S1000RR doesn’t feel this powerful.’ THE FIRST CORNER on Rockingham’s National circuit is a deceptively fast third gear right that leads on to what’s effectively a straight. If you’re prone to experiencing fear, you tend to go in too slowly, then – every bloody time – realise at the apex you could have gone faster. This is where the GSX-R comes in. Its midrange is so absurdly strong that when you wind it on, knowing you should really be higher up the rev range, it catapults you out at such a pace that you’ll reel in riders who did a better job of the corner in the first place. Even the almighty S1000RR doesn’t feel this powerful. It’s immense. And for those riders who don’t do fear,…

PERFORMANCE TESTING >> It might have an upright stance but the Z1000SX is quick. Properly quick – zero to sixty in three seconds dead is about as quick as it gets (the new GSX-R1000 holds the record at 2.9s), and it goes on to batter the rev limiter in top gear in just three quarters of a mile. It’s thanks to oodles of stomp at accessible revs and road-friendly gearing, not race track ratios, and is why the Zed romps so briskly from 40 to 80mph in top gear as well. It’s a seriously potent road blaster. FACTS AND FIGURES >> Ten years ago this sort of geometry would have been pretty crisp for a supersport 600. It’s certainly sharp for weighty, grunty sports tourer. TYRES >>Rubber sizes are a…

Ducati SuperSport Pros: aspirational name on the tank, lovely handling, charming V-twin. And if you squint the red trellis looks like a 999R. Cons: despite the upright comfort this is definitely still a sportsbike, and so hasn’t the practical touriness of the Zed. Price: £11,632 otr (£12,932 for S) PCP deal: £2449 deposit, £116 for 36 months, final payment £6430. Total £13,068. Yamaha Tracer 900 Pros: sensational engine, light and exploitable handling, fine spec and all-day comfort. Big wheelies too. Oh, and it’s also extremely reasonably priced. Cons: adventure stylee and riding position means less sporty engagement. Price: £8839 otr PCP deal: £2250 deposit, £98 for 36 months, final payment £4511. Total £10,310. Suzuki GSX-S1000F Pros: plush suspension, whooshing old-school four cylinder thrust, confident handling. Not expensive. Cons: close to…

THROTTLE RESPONSE Original bikes were criticised for having unrefined fuelling. This manifested itself as an overly sharp throttle response, caused by the ECU opening the ride-by-wire throttle butterflies much faster and more urgently than riders anticipated. There was also a harsh on-off throttle transition caused by base mapping created to satisfy emissions regulations. As a fix, Yamaha created a non-reversible software update in late 2014 to soften the response, and invited existing owners to have it applied to their ECUs. Future models came with the map applied as standard. RECALL There was a recall to fix a problem with the front wiring harness, which if left unaddressed could lead to the headlamp failing when the bars were turned to full lock. All 2014 bikes were recalled by dealers to have…

‘If you finish up in a ditch you’ll have no cause of action’ The attraction of technically challenging tarmac is catnip to most riders. A new twisty road, with some nice black top and the little black and white chevrons is an invitation for riders to play. But what happens when the disappearing apex isn’t signposted and you overcook a bend which disappears into itself when you’re riding at a pace where your skills are outstripped by a sneaky deviation? If you cannot ride out of it, and it all goes wrong, can the law help you? In short, not really. The Highway Authority has the power to erect warning signs but no duty. In English law in order to bring a negligence claim there has to be a duty,…

Jonathan Pearson Off-road Editor JP welcomes the 1290 Super Adventure S with a joke without a punchline. Tune in next month for the outcome. Possibly PART OF ME IS A LITTLE UPSET about taking on KTM’s 1290 Super Adventure S. My stomach. The Super Adventure holds a notable distinction among all the bikes I’ve ever ridden: it was the first bike to make me feel travel sick. It isn’t a fault of the bike, quite the opposite and its 380 miles so far have been a joy, transforming the most mundane journeys into events. But ever since I first tested one a couple of years ago, I find twisty roads make it brake, turn and accelerate with such inner gyroscope-testing force that it can make me feel sick. I look…

Mark Williams >>Founding editor With MoTs looming, the spanners were out again and there was good and bad news… FLAGGED LAST MONTH due to a wobbly rear-end which clearly wouldn’t pass MoT muster, I got an £18 swingarm bearing set from Wemoto (wemoto.com), trawled through my CBX750F Workshop Manual on CD (fiddly, but essential) and began removing the wheel, ’arm and linkage. What I hadn’t accounted for when my bruised knuckles finally got to uncork the swingarm pivot itself was that it wasn’t entirely nutted down tightly… hmmn. However, a little research informed me that it’s quite common for play to develop after the original bearings and spacer have ‘settled down’ and so all that was required was to nip up the assembly slightly, which I did. Result: wobble gone…

Hugo Wilson >>Editor To own one Morini Camel is eccentric, to own two is downright daft. The editor spends time tending his herd THE PLAN TO TAKE TWO 1981 Moto Morini 500 Camels to the Isle of Man for the 2017 TT (one for me, one for Wilson junior) has been simmering a while, but with only one month before the ferry leaves I’m forced into a sudden flurry of activity. Bike number 1 should be no problem. The last piece in the pre-MoT jigsaw is a new handlebar switch that electrical wizard (and Bike contributor) Rupert Paul (rupesrewires.com) will fit next week. Then it’ll sail through the MoT. Or that’s the theory. Bike number 2 is more of a challenge. I bought it two years ago, but it’s not…

OBSTINATE BOLTS >>Expletives and plenty of brow furrowing have become standard for Hugo’s spare time, thanks to recalcitrant fasteners. Morini pleasure and pain on page 130 . NOSTALGIA >>Frustrated by the bikes within his price range, Mike solved the problem by simply doubling his budget. And adding a bit. Sound financial advice on page 126 . BARBECUES >>The best-ever trackday feed? We like to think so. Excessive consumption of meat may have affected afternoon laps/naps on our sports group test, page 66 . LOTS OF RC30s >>Team Bike rocked up to the ace Endurance Legends event with four Honda RC30 race bikes. The sights and sounds were amazing. Classic perfection is on page 122 .…

‘A step up in most directions, including power, braking and sheer desirability’ HARLEY-DAVIDSON HAVE BEEN listening to their customers. Or it seems that way as I’m gunning the new Street Rod out of another bend on the twisty road near Coin in southern Spain. The Harley has just braked hard and flicked into the turn with a scritch of right footpeg. Now it’s feeling taut and stable as its liquid-cooled V-twin engine fires the bike out of the turn with a respectably strong surge of acceleration. This is the sort of spirited performance plenty of Harley enthusiasts asked for in 2015, when the Street 750 was launched. That bike was well received and has sold more than 35,000 units, but plenty wanted more. Many were impressed by Harley’s sporty, Street-based…

‘Customisation has become part of everyday life, and bikes really encompass that’ PEOPLE ARE SO fed up with virtual living they want things that are more experiential, they want adventure and getting on a motorcycle delivers that.’ So says Anthony ‘Dutch’ van Someren – founder and spokesman for the Bike Shed. ‘There are bigger things going on and bikes cross into that world. If you can get around a city on a bike that’s great, but if you can do it on something cool that’s even better.’ Bike Shed started as a blog, then became a show in 2013 and later a venue. Arguably Dutch, and his fellow Bike Shedders, are ground zero for the UK’s burgeoning urban custom scene. They know what the landscape looks like… Dutch’s background as…

BREXIT HAD ME worried. The falling pound making bikes more expensive, nobody to pick strawberries, trips to the continent costing a fortune, the queues we will face getting in and out of the UK while clearing immigration checks, giving the Scots an excuse for a second vote on independence, being just a few of the things keeping me awake at night. Then things became clear, Nicola Sturgeon only wants independence for Scotland so she can have a MotoGP at Knockhill. The circuit may need a little extension, the cows might have to move off the hill, but the cost will be offset by the influx of bikers heading north to watch a second MotoGP. Once the Welsh and the Irish realise what independence means for bikers we can end up…

‘ When you’re up to speed it feels nimble… brakes are excellent’ THIS WAS NEW last year and it did Kawasaki proud. In the showrooms the ZX-10R pushed the S1000RR close in terms of sales, and on track Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes were one and two in the WSB championship, and Leon Haslam and James Ellison were only stopped from doing the same thing in BSB by the genius of Shakey Byrne. In our track test it wasn’t quite so dominant though. At the top-end of the rev range it’s extraordinarily powerful and searingly fast – after being overtaken by James on the ZX-10R you could see what his lines were coming out of every corner by looking for the tell-tale black streaks. However, despite multiple changes from the…

>> What’s it like to ride these West Coast desert trails? Navigating Southern California’s tracks and trails is easier than you think and it is certainly less complex than the United Kingdom. Where you can and can’t ride is regulated and mapped. They are follow-your-nose sort of trails and because they are relatively well used they are also usually clearly defined and signed when riding isn’t allowed. ‘Off Highway Vehicle’ (OHV) routes are sign posted with the type of vehicle allowed on that route shown on the signs which sit at the start of trails and often also with difficulty ratings. It’s a system we could well do with in the UK. Sometimes that means all vehicles, others are restricted by width and you can find yourself on a trail…

>> We’ve used panniers (£429, plus £80 for coloured bits). See ‘practicality’. They’re included with inners plus a GPS mount on the Tourer for £600 extra. SLIP-ON SILENCERS Twin Akrapovic cans, road legal noise and save 4kg. Fit with panniers too. £1133. Or go for titanium at the same price. ENGINE SLIDERS Not for seriously impressive lean angles, but to protect the bike in a tumble. Bolt to the motor and protrude a bit. £136 a pair. TANK BAG Water-resistant (not proof), port to let leads out, window in the top so you can read shopping lists. Straps and magnets keep it on. £142. TOP BOX 47 litres, takes two lids, costs £147. Needs a mount, lock, baseplate too... add inner bag, colour-matched top and backrest, and it’s £573. And…

‘Within 15 minutes and after many, many stalls, I’d lost the others’ IT ALL BEGAN WITH an email, subject line: Your next adventure? It came from a group called the Adventurists (theadventurists.com), an adventure travel company with a big difference. 12 weeks later I was boarding a flight to Peru. 30 hours after that I walked into Ayacucho’s Viavia hotel and sat down to a welcome breakfast. Over the next few hours I was joined by three fellow foolhardy pioneers: Alvaro, Alberto, and Heather plus organisers: Joolz, Rich, and their fixer Alfonso. For all their unpredictability trips with the Adventurists are usually fairly well planned and organised. The basics: we have a start line (Ayacucho), a finish line (Atalaya), a bike each (diminutive) and a week to do it in……

This isn’t a limp brochure-style round-up of all the bikes you can buy. No, your guide is far more useful as it only contains bikes that we have tested, with comparable on-the-road prices plus data, expert opinion and must-know detail gathered by fussy full-time testers. We do hundreds of thousands of miles, dyno, datalog, weigh and answer the big questions. Don’t buy a new bike without reading this first. *HUMDRUM EXOTICA Brough Superior are famous for fast V-twins, but also built a four. After failing to develop a V4, their Straight Four used humble Austin Seven power. Intended for sidecars, the tuned 797cc inline four had side-by-side rear wheels. It was £188 in 1932, and 10 were made. Last year Bonhams sold this one for £331,900. * JOEY ON A…

Mike Armitage Deputy Editor There’s a leaky MZ and a neat Mobylette in my shed already. But cash from selling my Suzuki X5 means I’m addicted to the ads... The sensible choice 1995 BMW K1100RS £3200 Moon-mileage K75 triples are under £1k, tidy K100 fours go for £1500. This 1100 is a 100bhp four from the model’s final year, and looks steep. But it’s a one-owner full-history gem with just 23,000 miles, will run forever and not depreciate. Classy, staunch, cool, and neat top-box. And I like that prototypes of BMW’s laid-flat multi used Peugeot 104 car engines. In a rush to make a liquid-cooled four, and wanting a motor that sat alongside boxers and could use shaft drive, they used the unit as it leaned at 72˚ and could…

Mark Graham >>Production Editor Buying bikes is easy, selling them a little more challenging. Especially when it’s the worst bike you have ever owned… BEING A STRANGER TO SELLING on the eBay, not buying, oh no, it was with massive surprise that (a) I managed to put the item ‘up’, and (b) that anyone in their right mind would want to not only buy, but pay a frankly astronomical price for a CZ 175 Trail. Truly, wonders never cease. The wee CeeZee was bought for £400 three years ago with a view to it being a light, nimble, cheap trail bike. It was certainly cheap. Light, yes that too. Nimble, no not really. Slow and unreliable yes. It was dollied up with Preston Petty mudguards, had a nice respray, decent…