Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2018 i Fast Bikes

Yep, Kawasaki may have just revealed a new H2 but their old one definitely isn’t slow, having clocked up a brand new speed record at the Bonneville Speed Week event in America. Entered in the P-PB 1000 class, which is for production models with supercharged engines up to 1000cc, the H2 established a world speed record of 209.442mph with Team 38, who are a completely independent racing team comprised of Kawasaki engineers and test riders. The H2 had two runs, with 211.621mph being the first, and 207.263mph being the second, which led to the record breaking average. Not bad for a standard road bike……

We all love a good fest, right? Well two of the UK’s most popular bike weekenders are joining forces to create one huge festival next summer. Prescott Bike Festival has teamed up with the Kickback Motorcycle Show to create one giant party, as well as incorporating the Gloucestershire hill climb as well… now that’s a lot of activities for one weekend! The event will take place on June 15-16, 2019, and will include everything from trade stands, to live entertainment and everything in between.…

Bending WSB’s rulebook used to be the domain of Ducati with their various homologation specials that bore only a visual resemblance to their road-going siblings. Extra capacity, high spec engine internals, even a different bore and stroke was all fair game for the Bologna manufacturer in order to secure that top step. And now Kawasaki have got in on the rule-bending act with their new 2019 ZX-10R range – and more specifically the homologation special ZX-10RR. Although considering their recent domination of the championship, you have to wonder why they have decided to improve what already seems to be the best bike on the grid being ridden by the best rider… Making very little apology for the fact that they have updated the ZX-10R solely with the intention of overcoming…

“The Kawasaki racing department works very closely with the production bike department, so there is always a link and the focus of the RR was on its engine’s performance, which was to help our race bikes. “The WSB regulation changes have seen us lose a lot of engine performance due to the ZX-10R’s rev limit being reduced. We have a lot lower rev limit than our rivals, 14,100rpm compared to 14,700rpm, and so our focus this year was to improve acceleration and top speed using our lower rev limit. We also tried to maintain the manageable feel of our bike, which has good torque characteristics and is a very nice machine to ride. “The issue with losing revs is that you have to homologate a gearbox at the start of…

A lot has changed over the last thirty years in motorcycling, some of it becoming arguably pretty damn sanitised by stringent manufacturing legislation and equally castrating licence types. Yep, we’re talking about A1 and A2 categories in particular, which are more painful than a boil on your arse… and have a bit more sticking power too. But if you’re lumbered with one or the other, all hope’s not lost as there’s been something of a kick-back of late from manufacturers eager to fuel the hopes and adrenalin kicks of new or returning riders. The days of full bore, ozone-slaying RGVs, ZXR400s and seven-speed Mitos might be truly dead in the water, but there is something of a little bike resurgence on the cards, egged on by growing small capacity markets…

If the CBR500R is the fat bird of the group, then that makes the KTM some sort of angry-looking, kinky, anorexic pornstar. Being the lightest and least powerful machine, yet dare I say the most delightful looking of the three, KTM have worked wonders with those edgy fairings and that aggressive, transformer-style front end. It’s not just looks that drew me in, as even though the RC has been largely unchanged since its unveiling in 2014 besides the odd ride-by-wire throttle and slipper clutch, the sporty RC390 has a little place in my heart that was rekindled as I hopped on board. Even though I found it comfy, as far as sporty cockpits go, they don’t come much more aggressive than the RC, with the lowest bars and highest peg…

Believe it or not, there are some old two-strokes that just about squeeze into the A2 category by the skin of their proverbial teeth. So if you’re homo sapiens enough for a ‘proper’ bike, here’s what you could get. First off, Yamaha’s legendary RD250LC is an option, or if you’re hankering for something even more upright, the epic Yamaha TDR250 can also be considered. If you’re after super flash wheels, then Honda’s delightful NSR250 MC28 could be yours, and the chassis on that bikes puts these modern versions to shame. You’d have to keep them standard though, as any mods such as exhausts could add enough power to pass the power-to-weight limit. And then of course, there’s looking after decades-old two-strokes to consider, too – get one that’s not quite…

PERFORMANCE: • Full engine rebuild and restoration – too many bits to mention! • All new bearings • SP Engine – close ratio box, adjustable cam sprockets etc • Fully tuned head that has been skimmed/ported • Stainless race valves • JE pistons • Custom radiator with ram-air cut-out • Kit airbox • Carbon ram-air duct • 33mm Keihin flat slides (genuine race items) – not road ones! • Nassert Beet exhaust system • Cordona quick shifter • Samco coolant hoses • DynaCoil miniature ignition coils • One-off race wiring loom made by ‘Track Electronics’ • Lightweight race battery HANDLING: • Fork internals reworked by ‘Magical Racing’, Japan • Nitron rear shock • Small race calliper by ‘Harrison’ and ‘Lucas’ brake master cylinder • ZX-6R 2006 Nissin front brake master…

Whatever happened to the supersport bike? In the 1990s and 2000s you were guaranteed a new model from each Japanese manufacturer every four years and midway in between these dates you also got a sexy little update to keep your interest whetted. But consider this, the GSX-R600 L1, which arrived in 2011, the last time Suzuki updated their supersport bike. Yes, a staggering seven years have passed since the GSX-R600 received even as much as a new set of brake calipers. In fact, so much water has passed under the bridge that the GSX-R600 has now died a death. It is deceased. No more. It is an ex-supersport bike… But let’s not think about that depressing fact and instead let us celebrate the last, and in many ways the greatest…

TRACKING… Hi guys, Do you have few tips for buying a GSX-R750? Gonna be a second-hand but should I buy standard or already ready for track? It will be for track use anyway. Thanks. Keep up the good work with the magazine! Zoete Matti FB: Oooh we love a good GSX-R750. Personally, I’d buy a road bike that’s as near to standard as possible for peace of mind that nothing has been messed around with or crashed, and then build it up from there for your preference – but obviously track-ready should be cheaper! And thank you, glad you’re enjoying it! MILE-MUNCHING Just back from putting my 1050 Speed triple through its paces. Two days and 650 miles of mainly twisty, good and inspiring roads around Wales. (FB mag used…

This month has been another busy one, albeit not doing all the jobs I was hoping to get done. The adaptors I need for my oil cooler were out of stock so I haven’t been able to finish that off, the aluminium I ordered to make my rear calliper hangar got lost in the post and my little ultrasonic cleaning bath has decided to stop working so my carbs are still minging. In light of all of this and with the weather being so nice I decided it would be great to get out of the garage and socialise with other human type people. I chucked the bike in my van and popped over to see a good mate of mine, Rich, and his big tool (a hydraulic pipe crimping…

Most of the time I have a selection of slicks for dry riding and a pair of wets just in case, with my preferred choice being Dunlop as for the past couple of years I’ve used the GP Racer slick – purely because it’s handy to get away with using the same compound in all conditions! It’s not the same level of grip as the mighty Dunlop KR full race slick, but for my fast track day coaching in the UK and Europe, the Dunlop GP Racer gives me good grip, feel, longevity and is fairly priced (which is bloody important to me). However, I’m far from perfect and often need to buy tyres on the go, so I’ve used Bridgestone, Pirelli, Metzeler and Michelin, which are all quality products…

Back in 2015 Kawasaki released their absolutely monstrous H2; a supercharged road going beast that looked as insane as it rode. Thankfully, the Japanese giants in the green corner have had another dose of insanity and uprated it for the first time since its inception. Although Kawasaki won’t give us all the saucy details yet, they have told us that the power has been hiked massively from 197bhp to 228bhp, thanks mainly to a brand new ECU with a snazzy new map – showing just how much potential that powerplant has. It’s not just bigger power figures that the H2 has been gifted though, as Kawasaki have also actually made the machine more rider-friendly, taking spark plugs, the ECU, air filter and the intake chamber from the sports touring H2…

After 17 years of racing action, motorsport activity is finally coming to a close at Rockingham, with a change of ownership planning to build an ‘automotive logistics hub’ – which basically sounds like it’s going to be a big industrial estate. It’s not all bad though, as the new owners Rockingham Automotive LLP (RAL) say it will create about 200 jobs. Peter Hardman, current chief executive at Rockingham, said: “The team at Rockingham have done a tremendous job running the circuit and the facility over the last five years. However, it has been reluctantly concluded that motorsport activities are unlikely to produce an economic return for the new owners when set against the acquisition cost of the land. “All events to the end of 2018 will be run with the…

A bucket and shim design always has a bit of float in it due to the fact the bucket is designed to rotate when the cam strikes it to reduce wear. So, as well as travelling up and down, the bucket is spinning around, all of which creates drag within the head – and with 16 valves this small amount soon adds up. A rocker system does without the bucket as the rocker arm directly strikes a shim on top of the valve. This style of follower is lighter than a bucket system, which allows the bike to rev higher, and is more accurate to set up and also more compact. In addition its accuracy means you can run very aggressive cam profiles, which again is good news for racers.…

I’m sweating my nuts off, my adrenaline’s bouncing off the limiter and my head’s pondering whether the stiffy-inducing bike I’ve just been spanking is, in fact, a new Daytona 765. Of course, the bike isn’t called that, and it wasn’t sold to me that way. The invite was to test Triumph’s Moto2 ‘mule’ around Silverstone’s tight and technical Stowe circuit, but there’s not much Moto2 in this particular steed, aside from a few stickers and an ear-obliterating Arrow race system. The frame’s from a Daytona, so too are the swingarm, the forks, the brakes, electronics and even the dash. Sure, it’s got some race fairings on it, and the larger than life rear wheel looks broader than a chopper’s, but we’re otherwise talking about a Daytona with a Street Triple…

When I was a lad, the only ‘rider aids’ you had on your bike were the speedo, throttle, brakes and clutch. And, if you were lucky, a reserve fuel tap, which you could switch to ‘reserve’ when you ran low, then forget to turn it back, and run out next time anyway. We were dead ’appy though, weren’t we? Now though? Modern riders can do almost everything except make a skinny soya latte with the high-tech gizmos on their bikes. And we’re expecting the Nespresso edition Ducati Scrambler anytime now. Electronic suspension, traction control, anti-lock brakes, colour dashboards, cruise control, power modes, quickshifters, wheelie control, anti-rear-wheel-lift control, launch control slide control – where will it all end? Setting up your bike for a Sunday blast can now seem as big…

“AS A SPORTSBIKE IT LEAVES A LOT TO BE DESIRED.” Being the most premium, powerful and mature looking of the three, the only thing the Honda seemed to have going against it was its sheer size. Lined up with its rivals ahead of a big old blast on some spectacular roads, the CBR500R looked a right whale, not much smaller than the brand’s iconic Goldwing. In fact, I bet that’s what they based it on. Maybe I’m just being cruel, but I couldn’t figure why you’d work so hard to build a poky motor, only to go and stifle the bloody thing with a lardy old package to power. See, that’s the worst bit; the bike didn’t just look big, it smashed the hell out of the scales too with…

It might sound like hard work trying to make A2 bikes fun, but in reality they’re a proper bloody laugh. I had more fun on these bad boys around Castle Combe than I did on my stupidly fast thou’ race bike. These A2 bikes most certainly weren’t the compromised, bland outcasts of motorcycles that I was expecting them to be. Better still, they were all pretty different, which spiced the job up no end. It’s easy to break them down by their virtues, with the Honda being that sensibly dressed, pragmatic performing boffin that every school seems to boast. No, it wasn’t very exciting, but it sure as hell delivered, albeit it in its own unique little way. Fast? No. A great handler? No. But it was without a doubt…

Riding bikes off road is great fun. I absolutely love it, but like most of us, I wish I was a bit better at it. Due to my lack of skill, it was music to my ears when I heard Triumph have just opened a new Adventure Riding Experience (ARE) in the Brecon Beacons, in Wales. The all-new facility, headed up by ex-Dakar racer Nick Plumb, offers training programmes for all levels of riding experience, as well as dedicated ‘ladies-only’ days so the girls can get stuck in without feeling quite so intimidated by a bunch of big hairy blokes. The training programmes are all carried out over two days, with accommodation included, but if you would just rather experience the thrill off off-road riding in the beautiful Brecon Beacons…

Q This is slightly embarrassing. I am an ex-copper and I have been riding bikes for more years than I care to mention. I regard myself as a pretty steady and safe motorcyclist, but I made a riding error. Going into a fairly ordinary left-hand bend, not at any great speed, I just made a pig’s ear of it, overcooked it, went onto the wrong side of the road, fairly marginally, and was clipped by an oncoming vehicle. Unfortunately, I sustained some pretty serious injuries, and spent a period in hospital. Now that I am out of hospital I am about to be interviewed under caution by the Police. Obviously, I know the form. I am ex-job. I entirely accept that the collision was caused by my lack of concentration.…

UP AND COMING Hi guys, you should speak to Steve from Moto Rapido, as we’re so proud that they have taken an interest in Ryan Hitchcock and it would be awesome if you do a write-up, as it’s the first time anyone has done this in the Cool Fab Racing paddock. Lisa Brown FB: We’ll look at doing something in the future for definite! For the meantime, we hope these gloves find you well and look after him. It’s awesome to see young talent coming through the ranks, and even better to see the lovely lot at Moto Rapido Ducati doing their bit to help out. Good luck for the rest of the season! WIN You can win a pair of Weise Renegade gloves for simply…

WINNING RIDE Pete Weeden Suzuki GSX-R750 Dear Fast Bikes! Love the mag! Be great if you could include a pic of my 2008 GSX-R750 in the ‘You & Yours’ section. I’ve carried out mainly cosmetic stuff so far, including R&G rearsets and crash protection, shorty adjustable levers, Renthal bars and a Zero gravity screen and, on the performance, side a Yoshimura end can and de-cat pipe, R6 throttle tube (quicker action – lots of buggering about with a dremel to get it to fit in the original housing!) and K-Tech fork springs. The first pic was taken on a day out with my mates Ian and Chris in Essex on their 2008 and 2005 Fireblades. Next up for the Gxxr is a Power commander, HM quickshifter and lots more trackdays!…

1 Brabham Straight It may be called Brabham Straight, but it’s fair to say you won’t be getting any time to rest. You’ve just exited Clarke Curve which means you’ll be hard on the gas and holding on for dear life as you drift over to the left hand side of the track amid all the bumps. The track dips away before the rise into turn one, so be aware that you’re going to be unsettled, and rear braking helps to keep things in check. In order to make things harder, the track is also fairly undulated as well towards the pit wall, so you’ll be at a constant angle. Here you’ll probably be in about fifth gear (bike and gearing dependant) so it’s incredibly quick, but be thinking about…

It’s been another rollercoaster of a month. Setting the fast lap and winning at Oulton definitely put a smile on my face, even if getting a little lazy in my second of two outings meant I had to settle for fourth – despite setting the fastest lap again. You live and learn. Getting back on the Triumph has really put a leap in my step. I’m back to winning and it’s a good feeling, especially because the lap times are half decent for a bike that’s six years old and makes 119bhp. It’s not the quickest, but I proper love it. Besides, horsepower isn’t always the answer… is it, Bruce? With two solid rounds of No Limits in the bank, we decided to push the boat out and head to…

October 5-7 – Bumtoberfest – Essex October 6 – Ride to the Wall – Staffordshire October 7 – 6 Balls in Hand – Warwickshire October 7 – Auto 66 Final round – Oliver’s Mount October 12-14 – Britsh Superbike final round – Brands Hatch October 13-14 – Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show – Staffordshire October 14-15 – Fire & Forge Festival – Trowbridge October 20 – Kempton Park Motorcycle Jumble – Middlesex October 22 – BBC Radio Derby Children in Need Ride – Derbyshire…

Got yourself a new GSX-R125 and want to make it look that little bit special? Well look no further than this genuine Suzuki accessories kit which has been designed exclusively for the black model. It includes a pillion seat cowl, double bubble screen, red graphics kit and wheel decals, which transforms the stealthy look of the machine – although there is no performance gain. The accessory pack costs £330 including fitment which saves £160 against single item purchase, and is available from all authorised Suzuki dealers now.…

SPECIAL  What’s the best way to test out products? Abuse them of course! And our man Boothy is pretty damn good at that. He managed two weeks at the Isle of Man TT on his trusty old 2012 ZX10-R without one crash, but as soon as he got to Cadwell Park, he couldn’t handle the pressure and threw himself over the ‘bars over The Mountain within just a couple of laps. Here’s what our crash test dummy made of some of the kit he was using at the time… HELD CUSTOM FULL SPEED RACE SUIT TESTED BY: Boothy MILES: 7,000 TIME: 2 years PRICE: £2,100 WEB: www.held-uk.co.uk Never in my life had I ever done so many miles in a set of leathers without crashing. Normal…

PAINT A smart red rocker cover donates the new style cylinder head hides beneath on all three ZX-10R models, not that you can see it below the fairing. It’s a bit of a shame Kawasaki didn’t paint it green, but presumably Kawasaki feel red is a bit racier… Oddly, the SE now has a paint finish that can ‘heal’ small scratches due to its flexibility. RR’S CONRODS The RR features titanium Pankl conrods that are 102g lighter than the units used in the ZX-10R and SE. Overall, this reduced weight of rods by 408g gives the crank a 5% decrease in inertia, resulting in a sharpening in the throttle response, as it allows the motor to pick up revs faster. It also means that Kawasaki can now run titanium conrods…

When I look back now I realise my 1998 Christmas list might have been a little bit ambitious. I couldn’t see the appeal of yo-yos, I already had Dr Doolittle on VHS and I didn’t need any more Lynx Africa. All I wanted for Christmas was my two front teeth and a Yamaha YZF-R1 – I didn’t think that was too much to ask but Father Christmas obviously didn’t get the memo. To most seven and a half year olds, a new litre sports bike might not have made much sense, but to me, even then, I knew it was a game changer. Since then I’ve always had a real soft spot for the R1 dynasty. And it’s a soft spot that turns into a raging hard one almost every…

With the new wave of Supersport racing hitting tracks around the world like a ton of bricks, it was the Japanese giants in the green corner who jumped on the bandwagon first to give us some new metal. Now, from the outside it might look like Kawasaki have been a bit lazy: starting off with a Ninja 250, moving onto a Ninja 300, and finally giving us the 400, but for the baby Ninja it really wasn’t a case of just plastering some added capacity into the mix and firing it off down the production line. Nope, the 400 shares little with its predecessor as near enough everything’s been revised. They’ve stiffened and dropped some timber from the chassis, shortened the wheelbase and even reworked the wheels to save almost…

Triumph and I wanted to offer a premium adventure training facility – their bikes are premium and everything about them is premium. When we first had the idea, it was to open a global centre where people could come from all over the world to improve their off-road riding skills. The idea being to one day open up centres like it everywhere. The magic of what we do is up on the mountain, but when people are coming from far and wide to experience the bikes and the riding, it’s great to be able to offer them some fancy coffee, a clean shower and somewhere warm to get changed. We do some really hardcore stuff with the Triumphs – they are mega strong bikes. Triumph are more than happy to…

FB: What is the purpose of a brake disc? AJ: To stop you! It is the disc attached to the wheel, which works with the braking system to give you stopping power. They took over from the good old fashioned drum brakes and there’s a wide range of discs offering different levels of performance. FB: How does a brake disc work? AJ: In layman’s terms, when you squeeze the brakes, it sends hydraulic force down through the brake lines into the caliper, causing the brake pads to squeeze together. As the disc is connected to the wheel and turns with it, when the pads and disc come into contact, the friction works to slow the disc, slowing the wheel. FB: What are the advantages of aftermarket discs? AJ: Brembo make…

ULTIMATE DUCATI V4 We pitch the iconic Desmosedici against Ducati’s latest and greatest Panigale V4 Speciale. READER’S RIDE: YAMAHA YZF-R1 Want to know what it’s like living with a 2009 R1? We’ve got the low-down. APRILIA RSV MILLE BUYER’S GUIDE Fancy one of these cracking, bargain V-twin beauties? We do too. Read all you need to know about them before parting with your cash. PLUS LOADS MORE: SAM LOWES TALKS GPS, MOTO2 AND WHY HE’S DESPERATE TO RACE WITH TRIUMPHS. WE WENT PITBIKE RACING AND HAD AN ABSOLUTE HOOT. On Sale 16 October, 2018 Buy it from WHSmith, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and all good newsagents. Failing that, try a bad one. Check out the eye-poppingly good digital edition at www.classicmagazines.co.uk…

This month’s been really eventful. In fact I think the whole season has been the weirdest one of my career so far. Just the other day I was prepping my Gixer for the next round of the British Superstock Championship, after standing in for the injured Jason O’Halloran on the Honda Racing Fireblade in British Superbikes, when I got another phone call. This time it was from Colin Wright, one of the most successful team bosses in BSB, who’s now in charge of the Halsall Racing team. He asked to see me and I had a feeling I knew what it was about, as their rider Chrissy Rouse had crashed at Cadwell and broken his wrists; I knew they would be looking for someone to step in. I went to…

Well, things have finally calmed down for me but only slightly. The last few months have been just plain hectic but my feet are starting to hit the ground again and I’m finally managing to get a few nights in my own bed which is good as BSB is mental at the moment. As I’m sure you’re all aware, it’s pretty much a split championship and after nine rounds the championship challengers are decided. By the time you read this I’ll be either in or out so it really is crunch time… Looking back, I had a rubbish Thruxton. Despite having all the pace in the world, we just couldn’t get a grip (see what I did there) of the tyre wear situation so I did a bit poop. I…