Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2018 i Fast Bikes

I learned two very important things this month: instant BBQs aren’t all they’re made out to be, and to never drink downstream. Out of context, both of those references will mean absolutely nothing, but once you’ve indulged in this month’s three of a kind Beemer test you’ll get the gist. In essence, Carl, Boothy and I went on something of a road trip, armed with three very different S1000-powered BMWs and three very knackered tents. We had a right laugh, learned a lot about our steeds, and even managed to take in some truly epic UK roads. We’ve plotted our route and would highly recommend you try it out for size the next time you’ve got a free weekend. The other thing I’d recommend you try is Ducati’s Desmosedici RR,…

After unveiling a brand new Katana concept at EICMA in 2017 that teased us all, Suzuki have finally pulled the pin and made the dream a reality for 2019. Essentially, under the skin of the gorgeously reworked body the Katana is a modified version of the GSX-S1000, using the same 2008 GSX-R1000 engine as the previous naked which has been tuned to give just under 150bhp – although there’s a few slight changes to the geometry of the throttle connection to make the Katana as smooth as possible from the get go. The same goes for the frame, which is once again based on the current GSX-S1000; although a little fun fact is that it does only weigh about the same as what you’d find on the current GSX-R1000. Suzuki…

In some way the Desmo RR’s lack of electronics counted against it as despite the GP bike running traction control, the Desmo was given nothing in the way of assists. Considering its price tag this was a bit of an omission, especially as the 1098R arrived just a year later with a traction control system, taking a bit of the shine off the RR. The Panigale is left lacking nothing with the latest generation of Ducati’s electronic assists, called EVO. Controlled by six-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), the Panigale has three-level cornering ABS, Ducati Traction Control EVO with a ‘spin on demand’ function, two-level Slide Control, Wheelie Control, three-level Power Launch, an up and down quickshifter, Engine Brake Control, three Riding Modes and even semi-active suspension on the S model.…

Ducati’s V4 sportsbike experiment started publicly in 2002 when the firm pulled the covers off their MotoGP bike, which was actually already 12 months into its development. A year later, in 2003, the Desmosedici GP3 competed in a full season with Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss, where Loris podiumed in its first race, won the Catalunya GP and finished fourth in the title chase. And much of this early success was down to the V4 desmo engine. Ducati stuck to what they knew and effectively slapped two 90º V-twins together to make a V4. This ‘super twin’ configuration has both benefits and drawbacks – it’s naturally perfectly primarily balanced, so can take the high revs necessary to make its claimed 230bhp. But the wide V-angle, while allowing lots of room…

So there we have it, two very special motorcycles. As to which one you should go for, that’s a pretty subjective decision… and one your bank balance is likely to have something to say about. But if money’s no problem and you were to choose a bike using your noggin, there is only one choice. For the easy life, the greatest amount of power and the best tech to keep you from launching yourself down the road, the Speciale wins hands down. I really did enjoying blitzing it around, it proving effortlessly adaptable to all roads, speeds and conditions. It was a piece of piss to ride, being so much more predictable and manageable than the Desmo – especially where cornering was concerned. It was the most comfortable too and…

BMW S1000RR Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always loved the S1000RR and I was expecting it to be good, but I really wasn’t expecting it to be this good. In fact, it felt incredible just about everywhere; Okay, it felt most at home the harder it was ragged with the linear engine just gagging for abuse at every opportunity. And indeed, when I did get the chance, it absolutely ate up B-roads quicker than a fat bloke at a Chinese buffet. It wasn’t just about the speed either, and I’m not sure how or why, but for me it was actually the comfiest of the lot as well as everything was just that little tighter; it was just the perfect combination of snug and spacious, and even the screen gave…

On track the KTM was awesome. Okay, it hasn’t got the power to keep up with the big bikes down the straights, but round Cadwell Park it could really hold its own. The brakes were great and didn’t fade at all in a full 20 minute session and it was always obliging when I was forcing it from right to left through the Chicane and Hall Bends. Ground clearance was a bit of an issue through the longer corners but the biggest hindrance to lap times was the low rev limit. You had to really use the engine’s grunt, rather than allowing it to rev, so most turns had to be taken a gear higher than first anticipated in order to avoid walloping the limiter and having to struggle for…

The Ducati didn’t seem to work as well as the KTM on track. The extra power was great but the riding position made it a lot more difficult to get into a racing crouch, and the high centre of gravity didn’t help when trying to change direction quickly – it felt as though it wanted to jump in the air when you change from one peg-down lean angle to the other. And the pegs did ground out, frequently. So much so that the gear selector peg got bent back. Whoops. The Hypermotard is far from the consummate track bike, but it was a lot of fun. Its high stance didn’t inspire anything like the same amount of confidence as the and knee scrubbing requited a great deal more commitment than…

With 27 bikes in the garage things can get a bit busy, but I absolutely love 600s and especially love an R6. This is actually the second incarnation of the M6 that Phoenix Motorcycles in Trowbridge have built, as I also have an old one that’s had the same sort of treatment. The basic aim has been to get it going as quick as we can for a 600 – I find them a lot more fun than the big 1000s on track. I ordered the bike new from Phoenix Yamaha, and throughout the winter months I just kept on chucking parts at it to make it go better and better. I ran the bike for the first time at Donington and it was absolutely mint, handling like an absolute…

The BMB was set up as a championship to allow racing on two wheels to be cheap, fun and accessible to every age and level of talent. With that, it is important that we provide a class to cater for everyone. Pit bikes are great fun and the classes will continue to go from strength to strength. From the juniors on the 90cc bambinos, 140cc pit bikes and Mini GPs, parents are now seeing that they don’t have to pay thousands for their little ones to go out, have fun and learn racecraft. In the senior classes, the stock 140, 160 and veterans have never had larger grids. However, not everyone wants to ride a pit bike. We wanted to make the Open class a forum to give those who…

The Fast Bikes Legal Clinic is compiled by Andrew Dalton, and his bike riding barristers and solicitors at White Dalton Motorcycle Solicitors. They deal with personal injury claims and their sister company, Motor Defence Team, deals with all the motoring offences. They know everything about bike law. Andrew is a former London motorbike courier turned barrister and solicitor, and we know he’s good. All the White Dalton lawyers are qualified barristers, or solicitors, or both - and they all have full bike licences, too. They don’t act for insurance companies or the prosecution. They are Britain’s most specialist law practice, and if they don’t know the answer to your question, there probably isn’t one. Don’t rely on the advice from your insurance appointed solicitor, get proper independent advice.…

Rear tyre ripping up on the edge: Rebound damping is too slow and this normally happens when you have a long corner with hard drive on to a straight and the rear end squats without returning quick enough. Expect to see this when riding Gerrards at Mallory, Coppice at Donington or Charlies at Cadwell. Open up the rebound three-four clicks to make a big difference. Lack of rear grip: Rear end is too hard or too high – start with taking off some preload and a little bit of compression. If this doesn’t improve grip, go back to the original setting and then lower the rear ride height. Head shake or a ‘Tank Slapper’: More than likely this is caused by the rear end being too soft, so try adding…

Tis’ a bit weird how things play out isn’t it? I mean take the Bennetts British Superbike Championship as an example. For the first nine rounds, it’s all about getting in the showdown. Then after that it’s literally split in two; from nine gruelling weekends of trying to consistently remain in that top six, to three rounds of balls out, must win action… and it makes the riders, well, better. And that’s what’s making BSB so glorious. With the even rules, the superbike class is so cut-throat that there’s a European champion who has barely scored any points this year, former showdown contenders languishing outside the top ten and a whole host of quality pilots scrabbling to get anywhere near the top. It’s absolute madness, but it teaches the riders…

It could very well be that WSB bosses Dorna will keep changing and tweaking WSB until they ‘get it right’, and we’re to expect a raft of new initiatives for 2019 and beyond – except right now, nobody has a clue what they really are. There has been talk of holding three races per weekend, rather than just one each on Saturday and Sunday. Global TV audiences for the Saturday race have, according to Dorna, been fairly impressive and far outstrip those from when Superpole was the only televised action on that day. So, that’s something that they’ll want to hold on to. While the split race format hasn’t gone down well in the UK when it comes to feet on the ground at Donington, it has in fact increased…

I’ve been a busy boy this month, and not just with bike related stuff, either. I’ve just got back from a lads’ weekend away and what a laugh we had. It was a bunch of lads from the Triumph factory that I know from the work I do there, and a few other bike racers – they are a cracking lot and I get on with them really well. One of them was celebrating his 40th birthday so we went to Wales for some drinking and white water rafting. I think I might have enjoyed the party atmosphere a little too much as when we got up to do the rafting, I found that I wasn’t really feeling up for it. I wasn’t going to pull out, but when we…

BMW S1000RR JETPRIME E-WIRE PERFORMANCE PROGRAM Used by the Althea BMW Racing team in World Superbike and Superstock 1000, these Jetprime handlebar switches for BMW’s S1000RR are totally plug and play. Available for road and race use, they are usable with standard bikes or alongside the I2M dash and BMW Motorrad Motorsport Wiring, and will have all the same functions but with neat little buttons. £260 www.jetprime.it VENTURA EVO-22 BIKE-PACK Engineered from high quality ballistic fabric and shaped to cheat the wind, the EVO-22 fits securely on the specially designed EVO rack (which is sold separately), with two quick-release buckles for easy attachment. Two attached carry handles and a shoulder handle make it easy to grab and go, while inside there are pockets to keep your keys, wallet,…

Both the RR and Panigale run a 90º V4 motor with a desmodromic valve train, so in this aspect they are similar; however the V4’s crank rotates counter-clockwise while the RR’s runs clockwise. MotoGP bikes also generally run counter clockwise, however Ducati never admitted when their GP bike adopted this format. Based on the GP6 MotoGP bike, the Desmo runs a 989cc capacity through an 86mm x 42.56mm bore and stroke (MotoGP swapped to 800cc in 2007 from 990cc) while the Panigale is 1103cc with a 81mm x 53.4mm bore and stroke. Which shows just how massive the RR’s bore was! Both bikes run a desmo valve train, but the RR has gear driven cams with titanium valves while the Panigale has steel valves with a cam chain turning the…

A First World War army barracks in the heart of Sheffield city centre isn’t where you would expect to see a bike shop. But The Bike Specialists isn’t a normal bike shop. It’s a veritable treasure trove of performance and investment motorcycles, which would have any collector or bike enthusiast drooling from the moment they set foot in the spotless showroom. The first thing that you notice is the smorgasbord of Ducatis parked line abreast along the length of the room. Dave told us why they are so popular: “We don’t have a particular penchant for Ducatis per se, but our customers like them, particularly the numbered ones, and they are valuable. Take the Desmo for example, it’s the jewel in the crown for any Ducati collector. There were only…

BMW S1000XR I do love a proper sporty-sports tourer, so the thought of an S1000RR with some higher bars and a comfier riding position should really make for the perfect all-rounder – alas for me it just missed the mark. Don’t get me wrong, the engine is incredibly sublime and smooth a t low speeds and it offers substantial protection from the elements while still looking pretty aggressive, but it’s literally just too big for my liking. The bars are incredibly high which takes a bit of the feel from the front end when pushing on hard, and the seat height is so high I was literally on tip toes on one foot whenever we came to a halt. I liked it, but I didn’t love it – give it…

PERFORMANCE: • Full race Yamaha ECU • Full race Yamaha loom • Translogic Blipper system • Full Akrapovic Titanium system • BMC air filter HANDLING: • Brembo M50 calipers • Brembo discs • Brembo Z04 brake pads • HEL brake lines • BST carbon wheels • K-Tech DDS rear shock AESTHETICS: • Yamaha rearsets • Yamaha crash protection • Yamaha lever guards • Yamaha tail tidy • Yamaha foot peg eliminator • Yamaha pillion cover • Yamaha mirror eliminator • ASV levers…

MAN OR MONKEY? Hi Fast Bikes, I absolutely love the mag, I spend most of my working day reading it… as long as the boss isn’t looking. I love riding bikes but I’m a bit of a short arse so I was wondering if you could recommend a good bike for someone with little legs. Oh and nothing too fast. Les Buxton FB: Les, we’re glad you’re enjoying the mag, don’t let the boss catch you! We’ve all had a chat in the office and we reckon you would look great on the new Honda Monkey. BEEMER? Hi guys, do you think this is real or fake? Larry S Duke FB: As much as we’d love it to be real, it smells like fake to us! We’ll keep an ear…

To be in with a chance of winning this most tasteful of tops, just email us (letters@fastbikesmag.co.uk) or post on our Facebook page with a pic of you, your bike and a few words about it, where you’ve been on it and why you rate it so highly. We’ll then pick our favourite post each month and that lucky person will be the proud owner of their very own Fast Bikes hoodie – which is proven to make you at least 60% faster!* *Disclaimer: May not actually make you any faster. Send yours to letters@fastbikes.co.uk…

Ian Holme Love it! Did my last one with Jamie Whitham Trackdays, and had Jenny Tinmouth instructing... what a star she is! Full circuit offers a great mix of bends, whatever level you ride at... and the view ain’t bad either! Would love to see BSB there... far better than the glorified roundabout that is Brands Indy. Rob Shepherdson Loved the place. Both the coastal and GP layout. The old track was a hoot too. Andy Nuttall It’s within my top three personal favourite UK tracks; it has a bit of everything. Mega fast sweeping bends, undulations, hairpins and really wide so forgiving on any minor mistakes. When you string it all together you can’t help but have a smile on your face. Couple that with great facilities, a decent…

Yep, it’s that time of the year already, I mean, who’d have thought it? By the time you’re reading this there should be a few more bums in seats, but as I’m writing this, it’s all up in the air. Think about it; there’s a lot of big names who’ve struggled this year, yet there’s still a lot of bikes that need developing and an experienced pilot, and thanks to the undeniably awesome rules in BSB, there really isn’t a bad team out there. There’s already rumours of a few young chaps stepping up from Supersport and Superstock which will be awesome to see, and there’s a lot of space to have just as much, or maybe even more talent on the grid than this year – if that’s possible.…

As we write, there is still much to be sorted in the WSB transfer market. Tom Sykes is a man in demand, and is being courted by the few teams with a seat left and, we hear, several in BSB too. We’d say a move back home now is too early for Tom, he’s still got a lot to give on the world stage, which is why Red Bull Honda and Shaun Muir’s team are after him. We still await who SMR will be partnered with, be that Aprilia again, Ducati, Suzuki or even BMW. A bigger question is, who will run the manufacturers he doesn’t decide to choose? Suzuki have never really put much effort into WSB, it was only the sterling efforts of the Alstare team (with pretty…

Are you after the most advanced YZX-R125 ever? Because if you are, you’re in luck. Yamaha’s all-new 2019 R125 gets a full engine overhaul – it’s got a new Variable Valve Actuating system which alters the valve position according to rpm, giving it more torque and a broader spread of power, as well as a redesigned fuel injection system which has improved fuel efficiency. The new model has also got a slipper clutch for better control. The new Deltabox frame and swingarm has had a bit of cutting and shutting too, to give, according to Yamaha “a more thrilling ride”. The new R1 inspired bodywork gives the R125 an ever sportier look and the MotoGP inspired cockpit gives it a sportier feel. Handling has been improved with a wider, 140…

KRIEGA R35 TESTED BY: Pretty Boy MILES: 3,000 TIME: Years! PRICE: £180 WEB: www.Kriega.com Now, we’ve had Kriega in here before but on our journey these backpacks were absolute lifesavers – we all had one. The other lads seemed to have a little problem getting it to sit straight because of the speed hump on their leathers, but I had absolutely no problem with mine, and I find that thanks to the front closure system, it sat perfectly on my back and even after a full day of riding I could barely feel it on – even though it was rammed full with just about everything I needed for a four day trot away from home. It’s not waterproof by any means but even through a…

Even in its base trim, I love the new Panigale V4 – it’s such an exciting bike to ride, so I was really excited to ride the Speciale. So much so that I forgot to put my earplugs in. Huge mistake. The sound from that Akrapovic exhaust nearly made my ears fall off. It sounds great but it’s very, very noisy. Aside from that, it’s very similar to any other Panigale V4; it’s fast, it’s nimble, the brakes are awesome and it looks great. Okay it looks better than great in its fancy pants tricolour livery and it was more than just fast, it was absolutely bonkersly fast, with wheelie-inducing power from tick-over to redline. But the V4S, and even the standard V4, don’t look bad and certainly aren’t slow…

I always wanted to be a MotoGP rider, so when I got the chance to ride the Desmo I was like a kid at Christmas. I couldn’t wait. It wasn’t until I actually got on board, though, that I grasped the reality of the situation – I was sat on a £60,000 MotoGP bike for the road, a bike which has been designed for professional GP racers to use on billiard-table-smooth circuits, not a washed up second rate Superstock racer on Lincolnshire’s finest highways. The novelty of riding such a valuable and exciting bike soon turned into fear and panic. What if I broke it, or worse, crashed it? I’ll give the Ducati its due; it was quite a thing to ride. It was super stiff and I could feel…

BMW S1000R In all honesty, I did think the S1000R would be my favourite of the bunch as I do a love a good naked… bike. The problem is, for some reason it just didn’t quite fit me right. Coming in at 5ft 7in, the R just felt big, and everything was a bit of a stretch; almost like a chopper more than a roadster, especially with how far out the bars were. With that aside, it was always going to struggle without wind protection on the motorway slogs which made it a bit of a struggle, but it did definitely pull some points back in the twisties as it was incredibly agile and light on its feet. The engine and chassis combination was always going to be a match…

Costing just over half the price of the Ducati, packing not much less power and far more tech – including launch control and switchable ABS – you’d struggle to class the Katoom as anything other than a comparable bargain. That said, what it packs in smart gizmos it lacks in outright sex appeal. It feels like a slightly more radical naked bike rather than a full blown motard – like KTM’s Scalpel concept suggested. But if you can get over its image and digest the goods on offer, I’m pretty sure you’ll learn to love the wee 790. It’s a great road bike, being easy to hustle around and potent enough to pull some minging wheelies. However, the gear ratios do seem a little short-lived, which means you need to…

How do you like yours? Different? Better step this way. The Ducati is a kind all of its own, being ganglier than the BFG and punchier than Mohammed Ali. It’s pricy too, which is a real kick in the balls. In my opinion, the price is too rich, but the goods on offer, assuming you’re susceptible to unleashing your inner hooligan, are exemplary. Wheelies don’t come much easier thanks to its torquey disposition that makes pick-ups easier than Boothy on a night out with a bottle rohypnol. The riding stance is very upright, very tall and very much like a motocross bike. That takes some getting used to. It’s spacious, but you’re very exposed. And should you accidentally pull a little too hard on the throttle and exceed triple figure…

QI was knocked off my bike and was left with a broken pelvis. Luckily everything seems to have healed up just fine. A few scary moments when the old fellah wouldn’t stand to attention when requested but after six weeks everything was in working order. I am in the RAF and I did not lose any pay. I am back on full duties. I used a solicitor local to me, and I am perfectly happy with her. However, one issue was really bugging me. I lost a reunion of my old squadron who had organised a big of a get together in Cyprus, it is something we have done every five years. I have only got four years left before I leave the RAF and this was the last chance…

ESSENTIALS… Morning lads! Only pack essentials when the girlfriend drags you to turkey for a sunbathing holiday Tom Phillips FB: Great stuff! Who needs pants and socks when you have got the latest issue of FB! Enjoy your holiday and don’t forget the factor 50. WIN You can win a pair of Weise Renegade gloves for simply writing the Fast Bikes Star Letter. Setting the standard for quality & value in motorcycle clothing for 30 years, all Weise products have a two-year no-quibble warranty. These sporty gloves are made from full grain leather with a polyester lining. Reinforced with integrated TPU to knuckles and fingers and twin layered leather to palm, stretch panels to fingers and above knuckles aid fit and flexibility.…

It has often been a championship-defining period of the season; pick up an injury and you can easily miss three back-to-back races. Get on a winning run and you can have it all but sewn up by the time you land back in Spain. The volatile climate in the Far East has thrown many a curve ball at the championship contenders over the years, not to mention Philip Island’s unpredictable spring weather making the circuit ride like Mugello in June one minute, or Anglesey in December the next. With the main title protagonists emerging from Aragon relatively unscathed (broken toes and broken collarbones aside), all the seats for 2019 are locked up leaving no one singing for their proverbial supper and Marc Marquez casually dabbing and flossing towards his seventh…

Speaking from experience, growing up in Lincolnshire leaves you with three career choices: cattle farmer, tractor driver or motorcycle racer. The county’s disproportionately rife with all three, but among the shire’s many great two-wheelers that’ve ruled on the roads and the tracks over more decades than you can count on a hand – even with the extra fingers – is a certain Sam Lowes. If you’re into your bike racing, neither Sam or his twin brother Alex – Pata Yamaha WSB rider – should be unfamiliar names, having both grafted their way to the top as organically as it comes. They didn’t come from money, they weren’t spoon-fed caviar and they certainly haven’t had it easy. What they did have was a burning ambition to be the best, the unrelenting…

Hi everyone, I don’t mean to make you jealous but I’m on holiday once again! Buy, hey, I’m an old man and we’ve been pretty busy recently, flat out in fact. Since we last spoke we’ve done the Castle Combe Grand National event, which was pretty fabulous, including a VIP evening with Freddie Spencer, which went well. Then I was commentating on the Bol d’Or with a whole bunch like Tom Gaymor, Terry Rymer and Julian Ryder. For an endurance event it was a stunning race, with the gap being something like less than a minute by the end of it, although I felt sorry for Randy de Puniet and the Kawasaki lads who had it all sewn up before it all went wrong. It shows that even a day-long…