Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2017 i Cycle World

Cycle World|August 2017

RISK

What was magnificent about the Ural “record” run was its ridiculousness. We are fortunate to live in a world where much of what we do can be contrived, like spending too much time in a sidecar riding on some of the greatest roads in the world. For no good reason except that. It’s making life into art, rather than just survival. Many people recognized this. We got a huge number of letters in support of the effort, the story, the video, and the very notion that got it all started in the first place. We also received a surprising number of letters decrying the run for being too dangerous and putting ourselves and others at risk. We have a sampling of those in Intake too. What surprised me about the…

3 min

Cycle World|August 2017

2017 DUCATI DIAVEL DIESEL

If in need of quick separation from a post-apocalyptic zombie horde, I can think of no better weapon than the Ducati Diavel Diesel. Owner of the quickest zero-to-60-mph time of any production motorcycle Cycle World has ever tested, Ducati’s low-slung, fat tire muscle cruiser is even quicker to turn heads given the Diesel treatment. Ducati Design Center has collaborated with stylists at Diesel, a premium denim retail and fashion brand. “Diesel has always been a very provocative brand,” explains Stefano Tarabusi, Ducati product manager. “We could never launch a bike like the Diavel Diesel as Ducati alone; it would be a little bit too disruptive and far from our brand values and approach. We can do very crazy things when we work with them.” Crazy in this sense is a…

2 min

Cycle World|August 2017

CRASHING AND LEARNING

“Just go faster and lean over farther until you crash.” Acceptable advice for waterskiing but not so good for motorcycle riding! Yes, you can learn lessons from crashes, but you have to survive them first and have enough money and health to return with your newfound knowledge. What if you had a list of “impending drama” issues you could recognize and repair on the upright side of our sport? Pain is on the way if: 1) YOU CONTINUE TO SHOCK THE SUSPENSION AND TIRES WITH AGGRESSIVE BRAKE, THROTTLE, AND STEERING APPLICATIONS. Traction is finite and changes with temperature, surface, and tire compounds. Aggressive control inputs don’t give the tires a chance to load, or spread out on the asphalt, to provide feel and increased grip. Think of traction as a…

2 min

Cycle World|August 2017

THE WAITING GAME

Aprilia RSV4 RR vs. Honda CBR1000RR vs. Suzuki GSX-R1000 vs. Yamaha YZF-R1 THE OLDER GENTLEMAN at the guard shack doesn’t appear to be in a hurry. The world waits. Or at least our world waits as he shuffles past the caravan of cars, stopping to make friendly but slow conversation with everyone in our group, all through a drawl that perfectly welcomes us to the farmland lining Willows, California. There’s probably some policy that keeps him from opening the gate a moment before 7 a.m. Or until every last one of us puts pen to the liability waiver hanging from his tattered clipboard. You know, legal stuff. Stuff we should’ve considered last night when we told everyone to show up no less than 30 minutes before the track opened. None of that matters…

14 min

Cycle World|August 2017

OUR GUEST TESTERS CHIME IN

COREY ALEXANDER 2013 AMA SuperSport East Champion/ MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Podium Finisher As a racer, I’ve spent a fair bit of time wondering where the competition’s machinery differs from what I’m riding, where their bikes excel and lack. This here was my first opportunity to ride some of the bikes I’ve never ridden before but would race against—in one form or another—in MotoAmerica. Excited? Yeah, you could say that. These are all showroom-stock models, but bikes have become so good that even in stock trim it’s amazing how far you can push your luck. The R1, for example, feels amazingly well rounded with aggressive brakes, a super-smooth power delivery, and well-functioning electronics. With just a few chassis adjustments, I felt extremely comfortable. The Aprilia drew me in with its thunderous…

2 min

Cycle World|August 2017

Service

BIKER BELCH Q:I have a 2014 Harley Electra Glide Police (FLHTP) motor cycle. I have an issue with filling the 6-gallon gas tank. When the gas gets up to the top, I have to stop, shake the bike back and forth to make the gas go into the tank so I can put in more. Sometimes I can put in 1/2 to 1 gallon more after the gas comes up to the top. I’ve asked several other riders who have the same bike and they say they have the same problem. Is there something wrong with the ventilation of the tank, or am I missing something? TIM BARGY CYCLEWORLD.COM A:The police editions can either be Road King based (with right-side fuel fillers) or Street Glide based, which have a center…

6 min

Cycle World|August 2017

A GREAT ONE REMEMBERED

THE VIEW FROM INSIDE THE PADDOCK It’s still hard to fathom. Nicky Hayden, at just 35, is gone. His life taken away in a tragic bicycle training accident in Italy. Hit by a car. His family said the doctors told them mercifully Nicky probably never felt a thing. He died on May 22, 2017, a date that motorcycle racing fans will long remember. Years from now many of us will recall what we were doing when we heard the news that the “Kentucky Kid” passed away. Hayden was incredible on the track. He began riding minibikes at just three years old and began racing a couple of years after that. By the time he became the youngest AMA Superbike Champion at age 21 in 2002, he’d already been racing for…

9 min

Cycle World|August 2017

Intake

I don’t usually read articles word for word, beginning to end. I scan them and look at the bikes, and I have never written a letter to the editor. But I started reading about the nonstop Ural sidecar ride from Seattle to Los Angeles (“Unnecessary Express,” June) and couldn’t stop reading until every word was read and reread. Maybe it was the fact that other people were experiencing freezing temps, extreme fatigue, or urine baths while I was in the comfort of my recliner, or maybe it was the fact I was appreciating the exploits of crazy people doing something so stupid that after a safe completion will grow in momentousness with each telling. If I ever have the chance to do something for no good reason whatsoever, I will…

3 min

Cycle World|August 2017

TRACKDAY DELIGHTS

1 YAMAHA DATALOGGER Lap analysis can improve a rider’s on-track performance. The GYTR Communications Control Unit ($699.99) equips current-gen YZF-R1, R1S, or R6 with the same components as on the YZFR1M. Yamaha’s Y-TRAC and CCU configuration apps for iPad and tablets connect with the CCU via Wi-Fito retrieve captured GPS and onboard data. → (800) 962-7926 yamahamotorsports.com 2 ROLLED INTO ONE Performance tires designed for street and occasional track use make perfect sense. The Michelin Power RS ($184.95–$316.95) features race-bred compounds and Michelin Adaptive Casing Technology utilizing a single ply for a less rigid crown while folding the ply onto itself on the shoulders to ensure straight-line and cornering stability. → (800) 346-4098 michelinman.com 3 RADIAL MASTER Improving the feel and performance of a front brake system or hydraulic actuated…

1 min

Cycle World|August 2017

IT’S AN INDUSTRY THING

Motorcycle sales have been on a downward slope for a decade. Has the world changed, or has the industry changed—or, even, have bikes themselves reached a stage of maturity? The internal-combustion motorcycle seems to have reached a point of diminishing returns technologically, as even a smallcapacity machine is capable of double any speed limit, with good suspension and brakes. Electric motorcycles are different; they face big hurdles compared to an IC bike, with issues around riding range and battery size. They can be made wicked fast but not for long. So gas bikes are technically pretty near perfect; is that why they became boring? Specifically, is that why OEM factories are scrambling (café racing, even) to poach ideas from independent customizing shops? There was a time when talented designers like…

3 min

Cycle World|August 2017

LAP ANALYSIS:

Our VBox Sport GPS datalogger allows an in-depth analysis of each bike’s quickest lap around the undulating 15-turn, 3-mile Thunderhill layout. The lap has been broken into four sectors, each of which highlights different aspects of a bike’s performance envelope. Sector one begins at start/finish on the pit straight and includes peak speed. Turns one and two are among the fastest of the lap with both rewarding a bike’s deep trail braking ability and midcorner grip under high chassis load. Our comparative point-to-point average speed through turn two showcases both factors. Sector two involves a series of tight, technical corners and rewards agility and tractability. Speed picks up again through sector three with the fast turn-eight dogleg placing particular emphasis on cornering stability at speed. Our final sector includes a look…

1 min

Cycle World|August 2017

2017 DUCATI 1299 SUPERLEGGERA

I felt a sense of relief entering pit lane following an eventful 20-minute stint aboard Ducati’s exotic 1299 Superleggera street-legal superbike. Moments after dismounting the signature red machine and removing my Arai, I found myself face to face with Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali. Not a typical top man of corporate hierarchy, Domenicali not only pilots the ship but is also a passionate and skilled enthusiast who rides the product Ducati sells. In fact, he had just put in a handful of laps aboard a Superleggera as well, and sensing the grinning Italian’s eagerness to hear my thoughts, it pained me to divulge all. “The power delivery is incredible with relentless drive off corners,” I began, attempt ing to put into words the desmo twin’s deep well of midrange grunt. It…

5 min

Cycle World|August 2017

DUCATI 999

YEARS SOLD: 2003–2006 MSRP NEW: $17,695 (’03) to $17,995 (‘06) BLUE BOOK RETAIL VALUE: $5595 (’03) to $7520 (’06) BASIC SPECS: Cradled inside the traditional trellis frame is Ducati’s redesigned (for 2003) liquid-cooled 90-degree 998cc V-twin with fuel injection, six-speed gearbox, dry clutch, and the obligatory desmodromic valve system. Suspension on the base model is a fully adjustable Sachs fork and Showa shock, while the up-spec S and R models got Öhlins front and rear with an adjustable steering damper. Radialmounted Brembo front calipers and master cylinder with 320mm front discs help bring it to a stop. WHY IT’S DESIRABLE: Following the adored 916/998 left the 999 with big shoes to fill. Styling was love it or hate it, but the performance was undeniable. At 122 hp with 70 pound-feet…

1 min

Cycle World|August 2017

NICKY FROM BEHIND THE NOTEPAD

The first time I saw Nicky was at a WERA club roadrace at Indianapolis Raceway Park, possibly 1992. That would have made him 10 years old. He and his older brother Tommy were racing 125cc Honda GP bikes and showing most of the older and more experienced riders the fast way around the track. To supplement the lessthan- meager earnings of a motorcycle racing reporter, my wife Jackie and I would set up a little booth at the club races and sell photos. Earl and the kids came over afterward. Roger was there too, even though he was too little to roadrace at the time. We chatted with Earl as the kids thumbed through the photos. From then on whenever we went to a race the Haydens attended, we always…

2 min

Cycle World|August 2017

2017 KAWASAKI NINJA 1000 ABS

California stretches forward in a burst of emerald and blue. Engorged from an influx of rain, flowers dot the apexes we’re blitzing by. Quick, sure, but not at the detriment of breathing in the scenery—a moment that freezeframes the experience of performance and touring in one. The Ninja 1000 is making a lot of sense. For 2017, Kawasaki’s revisions offer more aggression and convenience. The engine is still a 1,043cc liquidcooled inline-four producing a claimed 138 hp and 73 pound-feet of torque. ECU revisions improve throttle response and torque spread, as well as meet Euro 4 emission standards. The assist/slipper clutch remains, but a secondary balance shaft (driven off sixth gear) has been added to reduce vibra tion. A new intake resonator quiets noise below 7,000 rpm but lets the…

4 min

Cycle World|August 2017

GARMIN VIRB ULTRA 30

Whether blazing a wooded trail, carving canyon roads, or ripping around a trackday circuit, quality POV video puts the viewer in the saddle. Now imagine wowing viewers with captured data such as speed, G-force, a GPS-generated track map, lap times, and more, all easily overlaid onto the video image. The Garmin Virb Ultra 30 action cam and Virb Edit desktop software or mobile app makes this a reality. Featuring built-in GPS receiver and sensors that detect G-force, speed, altitude, and orientation, the camera syncs video and “G-Metrix” data while recording. The cam also offers wireless connectivity to multiple ANT+ sensors (such as heart rate) and Bluetooth devices such as an OBD-II sensor. Roughly the same physical shape and size of the GoPro Hero 5, similarities between the rival camera models…

2 min

Cycle World|August 2017

THE TIRE REVOLUTION SPREADS

Dunlop and Michelin advertising is now announcing something we would never have believed before: Newly developed tread rubber compounds can give us both increased wet and dry grip and reduced wear (for Dunlop Sportmax Q3+ and Michelin Power RS). Both tire makers claim large drops in test-track times of between one and three seconds per lap for production tires using such compounds on those companies’ latest tire constructions. Seconds—not tenths. That’s huge. We joke about unlikely engine claims such as, “strong grunt down low, solid midrange, higher top speed, and better gas mileage.” Sure, it does! Better grip and longer wear sound just as unconvincing, but there is actually a way. Charles Goodyear single-mindedly found a way to convert syrupy natural rubber into a stable elastic solid—vulcanization. This heat-driven process…

5 min

Cycle World|August 2017

LIFE ON THE STREET

Rain is the only thing that could put a damper on a 350-mile day aboard the latest crop of literbikes. And it’s raining. Not hard. But strong enough to have us second-guessing our ride plan. “Maybe if we ignore it and just keep riding, it’ll go away,” I think. It works. Or at least the sky starts to play nice during our run down the 5 freeway then completely clears by the time we finish our (late) breakfast and prepare to head inland. A little suffering for a full afternoon of fun. We can live with that. Keys get tossed around quickly as we regroup. A few wide-open back roads cutting through Santa Ysabel are all that separate us from the tighter sections of asphalt crisscrossing their way up Palomar…

4 min

Cycle World|August 2017

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

TODAY’S 1,000cc SPORTBIKES HAVE MORE THAN DOUBLE THE POWER yet weigh 20 percent less than the well-loved classic sit-up literbikes of the 1970s and early ’80s. With much lighter wheels and tires yet more capable brakes, today’s bikes stop and turn with agility impossible to their forebears. Chassis, swingarms, and forks of improved design provide stiffness essential to stability and hard braking yet are laterally flexible enough to stay hooked up in corners on unsmooth pavements. Most recently, the coming of aerospace-derived electronic rider aids supplement human reactions to better control wheelies and wheelspin regardless of the bike’s angle of lean. The big change in motorcycle structure has been a switch in the last 10 years to casting methods that provide “near-forged” properties. This has made engine cases, swingarms, and…

4 min

Cycle World|August 2017

ASK KEVIN

WHY HEAT? Q: In his article about the new H-D Milwaukee- Eight engine, Kevin Cameron, states: “By switching from modified hemi two-valve to nearly flat four-valve, the surface area through which heat can enter heads and pistons has been substantially reduced.” I inferred that this was an improvement. To a non-engineer, it would seem that for the same amount of heat generated, having a greater surface area to absorb and dissipate it would be better. Am I wrong? MIKE SULAK WEST, TX A:The only source of power in an internal combustion piston engine is the extremely hot highpressure gas that results from the combustion of the compressed mixture of gasoline and air. Heat is rapidly lost from this gas into the much cooler metal combustion chamber and piston surfaces, so…

1 min

Cycle World|August 2017

LIGHTING IT UP

READER INFORMATION Editorial/Production: Offices are located at 15215 Alton Pkwy., Ste. 100, Irvine, CA 92618; (760) 707-0100. Editorial contributions are welcomed but must be guaranteed exclusive to Cycle World. We are not responsible for the return of unsolicited material unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Letters: All letters cannot be answered, and neither can all Service inquiries be answered. We appreciate correspondence sent or emailed to the editorial offices and will use the most interesting and appropriate letters in the magazine. Slipstream: We’re looking for stunning photos that capture the essence of our sport and remind us why we love motorcycling so much. Send your best shot to intake@cycleworld.com, being sure to include the word “Slipstream” in the subject line. Subscription/customer service: One year: US & Possessions = $15, Canada…

1 min