Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2020 i Fast Bikes

KEIS G701 HEATED GLOVES Winter is here; there’s no escaping that now, and that means that there’s no escaping the cold either. There are a few things you can do to keep a little toasty if you’re riding through the colder climates, such as getting yourself some top quality heated kit, like these new gloves from Keis. Constructed from a mixture of semi-bonded Hipora with a Ballistic Spandex outer shell, the G701 gloves resist water while allowing perspiration to escape. Flexible armour across the knuckles and scaphoid area look after you in case of a spill, and thanks to 3m Thinsulate insulation, they aren’t too bulky either. The controls are integrated on the back of the wrist for easy operating when riding, and the G701 gloves come with everything needed…

The only way you won’t have heard the hype surrounding Honda’s new Fireblade RR-R SP is if you’ve been self-isolating in an underground cave, with no access to anything other than a tin of Spam and a ’40s+ mag trying to avoid the dreaded ’Rona. It’s no secret that ’Blade’s smashing the ball out of the park in pretty much every racing aspect, with it seemingly dominating both Superbike and Superstock at British level, and gaining strong momentum at WSBK in a very short space of time. The British superbikes have barely been modified from the standard road bike which is the biggest revelation. The Honda Racing team, based in Louth, are running the bike with a standard swingarm with very little modification to the engine, making their current championship…

Getting back on the SP2 was a bit like dating the girl next door after getting out of a short-term adrenaline-fuelled relationship with a super-hot, bipolar nymph you met online. Sure, she might not spontaneously suck the soul out of you, but at the same time she isn’t going to throw random objects at your head for seemingly no reason. That said, it doesn’t mean you can’t have unadulterated fun on the old ’Blade. In fact having jumped off the new screamer and turned the TC off on the SP2, one of the first things I could have quite easily done on the older model was loop it. The midrange and bottom end on this bike is leagues ahead of the new ones, and in a second gear ‘roll-on’ test…

The ZX-10R & ZX-1ORR really haven’t done! badly in terms of World Superbike results - I mean since 2012, they’ve only been beaten to the title on one single occasion, which isn’t a bad haul if you ask us. And hell, even when World Superbike stuck in some, well, 'unwelcome changes' to the technical regulations in order to try and slow ‘em down for the 2018 season, the team in green rose to the challenge, releasing their ZX-10RR with fettled internal engine work. And just look at it! The World Superbike spec machine from KRT is a full factory-spec outfit, with the very best in terms of just about everything; for the trick electronics to the priceless Showa suspension and even the fact that it runs a BMX-style lever rear…

Some people like the cold and wet; I don’t. But I do like my ‘Blade, and knowing that our relationship is soon set to end, I’ve made a concerted effort to get out on it as much as possible before the roads turn to ice rinks and that fat lad from the north comes breaking and entering your house (not Boothy, the other one). So what have I got to tell you this month? Largely how impressed I’ve been by the Honda’s adaptability to less than desirable conditions. I’m used to toying with tech to get the very best performance out of a bike, but that’s not always such a wise path when the roads are piss wet and your fridge compares tropically to the ambient temperatures I’ve been riding…

In this modern era of fuel injected, high power two-wheeled speed machines, it’s rare you see anything smaller than a 600cc bike on UK trackdays. However we stumbled across a peach of an old-school classic, a Kawasaki ZXR400. The 400cc sector was hugely popular not too long ago, back before greetings were made with elbows and face coverings became normal shopping attire. This 1992 L2 model has seen its fair share of rubber-burning action, competing in the Manx Grand Prix and taking its owner, Adrian Kershaw, to victory in the newcomers’ race on the Isle of Man. He actually then sold the bike to a friend before buying it back a handful of years later, competing in 2018 where he continued to dominate in the Southern 10 0 races, winning…

Now the dust has settled I’m finally able to step back and take in what an awesome year it’s been. It didn’t start too well, to be honest; having had two shoulder ops and another one on my ankie over fast winter meant i came into me year on the back foot and missed a load of testing. Would I be fit enough to race? Would I be able to adapt to a whole new Honda? would we even be able to go racing thanks to coronavirus? As it happened things panned out perfectly and taking my very first win in National Superstock 1000 at the very first round batted a load of doubt from my head. From that point on my confidence only grew, taking a total of four…

Eighteen races, 18 finishes. A pole position, seven podiums, a win and my best ever finish in the British Superbike Championship with third and am I happy? Well kind of, but not really. Donington was the penultimate round and for the first time this year we got some dodgy conditions to contend with. Everyone always comments on how much I love riding in the wet but honestly that couldn’t be further from the truth... I’ll take a warm, sunny day every time! I just don’t particularly dread the conditions and from my experience in Supermoto I do enjoy when the track is changing lap on lap. Who doesn’t love a game of Russian roulette going faster and faster into wet corners? Well Donington gave us exactly that. In any normal…

We know that cash is in tight demand at the moment, but the fact that so many bikes are being released for 2021 is good news for all of us bikers, no matter what. And it’s not all just about the super-exotic stuff, so if you want some new, naked metal for a proper snip then you won’t want to look much further than Triumph’s all-new Trident, which is entering the savagely competitive, affordable middleweight sector; meaning that it will be going up against the likes of Honda’s CB650R, Kawasaki’s Z650 and Yamaha’s MT-07 - you know, the sort of lower-powered nakeds that offer a barrel of laughs. So what makes the Trident? Well let’s start with that brand spanking new 660cc triple motor that has been developed just for…

I don’t know about you lot, but when Aprilia unveiled their all-new RS 660, I was in two minds. Thinking of everything from the peach of an RSV4 to the legendary RS250s of yesteryear, it’s got some big ol’ boots to fill using that RS name, but you see, I’m really not a fan of mini-twin type middleweights; you know, those shopping trolleys that pretend to be a sportsbike (cough, Ninja 650). But then again, if they could make a proper little middleweight, you know, something that was just dialled down a little in terms of aggressiveness from the likes of a proper Supersport machine but could still hustle, look good and be jam-packed with tech, well it would absolutely clean up... and thankfully it looks like they have with…

The first things that struck me about the new ’Blade parked next to the old are twofold; firstly how sexy those in-built wings are, and secondly how damn fat the new bike looks! Surely the idea of an upgrade is to be lighter, thinner, more aggressive and pack oodles of sex appeal? You wouldn’t trade in your athletic, toned yoga instructor of a wife for Brenda down the local butcher’s just because she had love handles which help pin her down, would you? Okay, possibly a bad example but I’m sure you catch my drift; at a first glance it seems Honda have gone the other way. This soon changed as I chucked my leg over the new bike. It almost harked back to the CBR900RR days where you had…

You can’t beat a good road trip with your mates or your mistress, but finding the time, money and excuses needed often makes the difference between packing up your underpants, or sitting in a pair on your sofa as you binge-watch TV and poke pizza down your gullet. For three years now one route has whetted our appetites for adventure quite like no other, with the promise of mountains, endless haggis and speed camera-free roads dangling like a juicy, Nutella-coated carrot. I’m talking about the North Coast 500 that typically starts and ends in Inverness, having navigated one’s way around the northern coastline of Scotland in either a clockwise or anti-clockwise persuasion. See, here’s the thing: as well- known and adored as this iconic route might be, the hard and…

A few years ago the motorcycle world was going hipster crazy with all manner of fairly hideous ‘customised’ bikes appearing as manufacturers paid chaps with beards and tattoos to basically ruin a perfectly good machine in the name of fashion and PR. Frames were chopped, inappropriate wheels and tyres fitted, brown seats added; you name it, it happened and was then followed up by a photo shoot in some backstreet workshop to make the bike look all moody and cool. However a few good things did spring out of this fairly annoying subculture (although it’s not really a subculture when it is mainstream…) and the best is probably BMW’s R nineT. Launched in 2014, the R nineT had all the hallmarks of being a fashion-led disappointment. BMW’s pre-unveiling waffle centred…

Well, well, well. We’re now over 3000 miles in on the old Trumpet, and I’ve got to say, it’s been a fair old slog for the both of us! We’ve been through rain and sun, hot and cold, and just about everything in between, but I do have to say, it’s been rather bloody good… especially for most of this month. In between smashing in mileage and having a couple of run outs when the sun is shining (which seems to be a lot less often now!), I finally managed to bag a couple of pillion rides, starting with a quick 15-minute blat on some B-roads. And no, I didn’t ease the Trumpet in, as my first two-up adventure was with the big ol’ lump that is Jack, cruising on…

@JAMIEMORRIS19 So here we are. We made it. At one point it looked to be all over just after it had begun, but after a condensed, hectic and heavily revised calendar, we completed World Superbike in 2020. Coronavirus tried its best to stop it, bringing havoc to the world and having us on our sofas dreaming of what could have been. But some incredible work by all organisers, officials and people in charge made a distant dream of racing back in March, a reality come the end of October. With Covid came another new track for many in Estoril, and although a few riders had previously raced here in 125/250GPs, the majority of the pitlane were rolling out for the first time come FP1. The charge for the 2020 championship…

There’s always a lot to cover when setting a track bike, so taking things step by step should make the job a little easier. But a good place to start is by getting your machine in the ball park. So what should you do with your rear end? Rear ride-height Measuring rear ride-height is almost impossible without having a universal point or measuring tool. Most professional race teams would have their own tool which fixes to the frame and gives them a consistent point to measure from, and the figure is no use to anyone else unless they have the same components and tool. However, the most accurate way to ensure a factory set ride-height is to measure the shock length and wheelbase. First of all find out the standard…

SPEEDY On the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, my glorious Speedie! David Johnston FB: Nicely done. We had a great trip up to Scotland... we’re just working out when we can go again! PANIGALE SCRATCHING East Yorkshire roads perfectly lend themselves to scratching on the 1199S. I’ve had the bike for four months and covered 3000 miles on it in that time. It’s never missed a beat but has destroyed three rear tyres! Bike is a fairly standard 1199S, but it does have a full Termi system mated to a Rapid Bike Evo fuelling module, carbon disc coolers and LighTech brake lever and remote adjuster. Over winter I’m toying with the idea of replacing the stock fairings with carbon items and taking the tank back to bare aluminium. Rich West…

Legal If you’ve been a naughty biker, you need some decent legal advice: get it from mail@whitedalton.co.uk Q I took my bike in for its annual routine service and MoT and the bike was taken off me by what I thought was a baby-faced apprentice, wearing the dealership fleece. Later on the same day I got a phone call from the dealership. My bike had been dropped by this lad as he was loading my bike on to a van – I did not know that the MoT test was carried out elsewhere. I presumed they would pay for repairs but they are trying to wriggle out of paying for the damage. I received an unusually aggressive solicitors’ letter advising me that if I made further contact with this workshop…

SHOEI NXR TALE TC-5 HELMET TESTED BY: Farmer Brod MILES: 2000 TIME: 18 months RRP: £469.99 WEB: www.shoeiassured.co.uk I’m used to finding myself wondering where I am and how I got there, but that’s often down to alcohol. A few months back a mega crash had the same outcome, leaving me knocked out for a while before waking up more confused than normal with no idea of the circuit I was at or what the hell had happened. Bangs to heads aren’t uncommon in racing circles but, as with every time I’ve had a biggie, I’ve been grateful to the kit I’ve been using for keeping me as safe as possible. This was my second NXR I’d destroyed, but it had done its job well and left me largely okay…

FB: In comparison with other bikes, where did you want the RS 660 to fit? PS: When this concept was presented, we were not totally focused - I mean a new 600 today, almost seems crazy. But when we properly looked into this concept, and looked at how the market has changed over the past two years and how sportsbikes are becoming more popular, it just fits perfectly; think in between something not sporty, such as a Ninja 650, and something very sporty, like an R6. FB: So how difficult is it going from designing Moto Guzzis to jumping on bikes like this? PS: Pft, yes I know! They have different guidelines, different needs, they’re just very different! When it has an Aprilia badge, it always has to be about…

Many of the world’s great ideas and inventions have been conceived and forged over the dinner table. It’s not a new thing. Maybe a drink or two has played a part, a lack of inhibition giving a freedom to ‘think outside the box’. Don’t get me wrong. There are plenty of rubbish plans hatched over dinner - a proverbial yin to balance out the inspirational moments’ yang. I, much like you I imagine, have numerous personal experiences of both excellent and terrible ideas: over a particularly well- lubricated dinner 10 or so years ago, my old mate Hoefty and I decided we should attempt to attend every MotoGP round in Europe - legendary idea. We also decided that walking 10km in the Tuscan summer sun to Mugello was not only…

IN BRIEF… Rider: Carlos Track: Brands Hatch GP Series: British Superbikes Class: Ducati TriOptions Cup/R&G Shield Bike: Ducati Panigale V2 Fastest lap: 1:31.971 Position: DNF/8th Championship position: 11th/3rd Excuse(s): Saving fuel and tyres! Well, that’s 2020 done and dusted! What a year it’s been, and even after a whole season of racing and testing, I’ve only just tipped over the 700-mile mark on my V2… so yeah, in normal terms, it would just be ready for its first service. Oosh. So our final round was at Brands GP, which isn’t only my home track, but is one of my favourites as well; if you haven’t done it, it’s bloody awesome. We had a wicked weekend at Oulton and found something in terms of pace (well, I found the throttle) and…

@FAIRMANGP It’s getting to that point in the season where things start to get serious, as the 2020 MotoGP season has been every bit as mad as the rest of the world. In fact, so mad has 2020 been that I think the ultimate champion is going to deserve his own acronym. I’m a big fan of acronyms and initialisms in a sporting context. The most famous MotoGP acronym is, of course, Valentino Rossi, aka The GOAT. I’ve already trademarked 2020 as The COAT (Closest Of All Time). Even the UFC has got in on the act with its own BMF belt aka the Baddest Motherf… well, you’d best Google that one. I’ll definitely crown the 2020 champion with something suitably snappy. With Spain and Portugal playing host to the…

WINNER WANT TO WIN? To be in with a chance of winning a No Limits trackday, either send us a pic on our Facebook page or email one to fastbikes letters@mortons.co.uk Closing date: December 13, 2020 Here at Fast Bikes magazine, we love trackdays. So much so, we wanted to give something back to you, the reader! We’ve teamed up with the lovely lot over at No Limits Trackdays to offer a free trackday every month! All you have to do is send us a picture of yourself at your last trackday for a chance to win. If you’re the lucky person highlighted on this page, you’ve won a trackday of your choice! If it’s you, get in touch with us, and we’ll look after the rest, and if you…

Well, we’re another month down and another month closer to Christmas, and it still feels like things are properly mad, doesn’t it? This time last year we had absolutely no idea what was coming, but hopefully, by this time next year (and much before) everything will be looking a lot better. Usually this is about the time we’re all gearing up for those exciting bike launches and big shows, but this year it’s all going online now call me old-fashioned, but it doesn’t quite feel the same. You know, it’s all about the atmosphere for me; being able to get up close to sit on and touch the new metal, meet everyone, I really am going to miss the lot – well besides the overpriced food, of course. Mind you,…