Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2019 i Fast Bikes

The clocks have sprung, the outdoor heating’s been cranked up a few notches and every which way I look there’s a motorbike. This is the best time of year. That part of the season where you’re gagging to get out and ride just for the sake of it… or typically for the tea and cake at the other end of a blast (I’m not here to judge). We’ve been pretty manic the last few weeks, eating a lot of cake, riding all kinds of bikes in all kinds of places and generally having the best of times, and if the ‘You and Yours’ pages are anything to go by, so have you guys. It’s great to see your antics and hear what you’ve got planned, so keep the correspondence coming.…

ALPINESTARS RACING ABSOLUTE SUIT Alpinestars aren’t shy of putting out some pretty pricey high-end race suits, and their newest addition to the range is undoubtedly the trick-est one to date. Using all of their tech, development and lessons learned in MotoGP, the Racing Absolute Suit’s shoulders, knees, elbows, forearm, bum, sides and back (where there’s a chance of high abrasion) are constructed from a brand new innovative aramid bonded leather, significantly improving the tear and abrasion resistance, which work with the fully certified kangaroo leather for the ultimate in protection. If that wasn’t enough, the Racing Absolute comes equipped with CE-approved armour on the elbows, shoulders, knees and the tibia, alongside the external GP Dynamic Friction Shields on the knees, elbows and shoulders. The suit has been ‘body mapped’ for…

ENGINE: Type: 65° V-4 cylinder, 1,078cc, DOHC Bore x Stroke: 81 x 52.3mm Compression: 13.6:1 Fuelling: Marelli Electronic fuel injection Claimed power: 214bhp@13,200rpm Claimed torque: 122Nm@10,000rpm ELECTRONICS: RBW/Riding Modes: Yes/3 Traction Control: Yes/8 ABS: Yes Shifter/Blipper: Yes/Yes Wheelie Control: Yes Launch Control: Yes CHASSIS: Frame: Aluminium Dual Beam Front suspension: 43mm Öhlins NIX fully adjustable forks Rear suspension: Öhlins TTX monoshock fully adjustable Front brakes: 2 x 330mm discs, 4-piston Brembo Stylema calipers Rear brakes: 220mm disc, 2-piston caliper DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase: 1,439mm Seat height: 851mm Kerb weight: 199kg Fuel capacity: 18.5 litres INFO Price: £21,499 From: www.aprilia.com/uk ENa…

The GSX-S is a hideously ugly motorcycle. To look at the bike parked up, it is easy to think there is way too much fairing, but it doesn’t take long in the saddle to appreciate the benefits of the aforementioned. The tall screen and big bits of bodywork do a great job of shielding you from the elements, which Is handy seeing as the Suzuki seems much more encouraging when it comes to getting up to speed. Apart from a bit of a flat spot in the mid-range, the power was smooth and the bike handled as well as something with MX-style handlebars should but I did feel as though thee brakes let the package down a bit, or more specifically the ABS.…

There’s no such thing as the Pied Piper of motorcycling, but that didn’t stop me from being drawn unapologetically to the Triumph 765RS in Cadwell’s upper holding area. It was emitting a palpable boom, rhythmically rising and falling in revs all by itself. Now, I know what you’re thinking, and coming from Lincolnshire I will admit that strange things do happen around these parts, but on this occasion it was not a case of witchcraft; the bike’s HM M3 dash was auto-warming the Trumpet ready for an unholy assault on the triple’s collective of valves. The practice was mesmerising, encapsulating the rock-star Moto2 persona of this equivalently powered Street Triple 765RS-based machine, that was being loaned to me for the day by Smallboy Trackbikes. My excitement was on another level…

If you wanted a track-ready 765RS (like this one we tested), Matt from Smallboy would hand you the keys to a spanking new Trumpet for £12.5k. That price includes all the standard components of the Street Triple (headlights, indicators, ’bars, etc), plus the performance exhaust, CRC race fairings, HM Quickshifter/ blipper, rearsets, clip-ons and enhanced suspension. Basically, a bike fit to race, with all the components needed to meet ACU standards, and having been run-in and properly mapped on the dyno. All that you’d need to do is get on the thing and ride it. For more info call 07974 742 485, or visit www.smallboytrackbikes.co.uk…

At the heart of these Dunlops is a Rayon carcass. Never heard of it? Well, it’s an alternative material to nylon and Kevlar, with which you might be more familiar. It’s part of the cellulose family and it’s actually made from wood pulp… with a few additives thrown in. You might think you’d have to be ‘barking’ to use wood in your tyres, but this mostly natural product is crammed with great qualities, including high levels of stability and durability, but its USP is its thermal stable attributes that allow for even heat dissipation across the entirety of its construction, which is great news for road riders who aren’t using tyre warmers on their daily blasts to work and back. Because the caracass warms the compound more evenly than an…

Apart from it changing colour a bit, what happens to the oil when it’s in your engine and why do we really need to change it? Well, who better to ask than the boys and girls at Rock Oil? The family-run business has been blending oil since 1928 and now export over 2,000 different products to 70 countries from its HQ in Warrington; it’s fair to say that the business probably knows everything there is to know about oil. And it’s not just bike stuff, either. From industrial to agricultural, from marine to motorsport, there’s a Rock Oil range to do the job. So, after having a little nosey around the factory, we sat down with Rock Oil’s Technical Director, Martyn Waterhouse, who explained (in basic enough terms for a…

Over the years oil has become thinner and thinner to improve fuel economy, so to maintain its slipperiness you have to use additives called friction modifiers. That’s great for fuel economy in cars, but terrible for motorcycles with a wet clutch – where you need friction. So then they came up with this clutch friction test, JASO. If your oil says JASO MB on it, it will be no good in a bike with a wet clutch. Look for a product that has JASO MA on it, JASO MA is ok, but JASO MA2 has a much higher coefficient of friction (which is exactly what your clutch needs).…

Hawk Racing – www.hawk-racing.co.uk Suzuki GB – www.suzuki.co.uk Bickers – www.bickers-online.co.uk GB Racing – www.gbracing.eu Performance Parts – www.performanceparts-ltd.com Hel Performance – www.helperformance.com Racebolt – www.raceboltuk.com Crowe Performance – www.croweperformance.com Speedycom – www.speedycom.co.uk Evotech Performance – www.evotech-performance.com Cool Covers – www.coolcovers.co.uk Mupo Suspension UK – www.muporacesuspension.co.uk Woolich Racing – www.woolichracing.com Bike HPS – www.bikehps.com No Limits Trackdays – www.nolimitstrackdays.co.uk Pirelli UK – www.Pirelli.com…

DAD ‘N’ LAD Good Morning! I did my first track day of the year the other week having not been out on track for about 18 months, thanks to the arrival of this little monster in April last year amongst other excuses (being burgled, extending the house, marriage, losing my mum)! This was the first sit on a bike for Derek (yes, his real name!) and he wasn’t phased in the slightest with everything going on around him. I’ll continue with the trackdays/road riding and hope Derek shares my love of bikes as he grows so he can progress from pit crew to rider and show his dad how a bike should be ridden! Great mag guys, long may it continue! All the best, Dave Townsend. FB: This is absolutely…

Stopping is a pretty important part of going fast, and without some decent brake discs, you’re going to really struggle. We headed over to Black & White Bikes once again to get the lowdown on how to check your discs aren’t warped, what to do if they are, and the correct way of keeping your stopping power at its best. 1 Find the fault The first thing to do before taking bits apart, is finding the fault – if there is one, of course. This is important. As an example, a lot of MOTs show brake disc problems on the rollers, so we know that we can change them. Another sign of a brake being warped includes the feeling of the lever almost pushing back against your braking fingers,…

FB: How good is a battery on a standard bike? GH: Standard batteries which, nowadays, are normally sealed AGM (absorbed glass mat, a special design of glass fibre mat designed to wick/absorb the battery acid/electrolyte between the battery plates), are normally very effective and far better than the previous – and often leaky – regular vented lead acid batteries of my youth, which often created nasty corrosion problems via their unavoidably necessary overflow pipes. AGM batteries contain only enough liquid to keep their very fine mat wet with sulphuric acid electrolyte, meaning that if their case is punctured, no excess liquid is normally available to leak out, making them ordinarily spill-proof. Being sealed also allows their use at odd angles; they deliver high starting currents on demand; and provide a…

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. For road…

As I sit in a deserted airport departure lounge, following on from World Superbike round three, I can’t help but think about the problem that is Alvaro Bautista. A happy, smiley Spaniard, with the strange combination of biker tattoos and a face for children's television, is destroying the World Superbike field this year. When I say destroying, I mean destroying. Three wins at round two in Thailand and now a further three at Aragon. Nine out of nine for Number 19. But behind Bautista and upwards of 10 seconds behind at some points this year, (15 in race one at Aragon), we are having some of the best racing we've had for years. Four time and reigning champ Jonathan Rea is second in the championship, but is going quicker than…

It was straight off the back of a fantastic test in Spain that we headed over to the Isle of Man for the TT launch event. It’s always really good fun, but in recent years it’s got mega, mega professional and a lot more commercialised, and sometimes it seems as though a lot of the lads are just reading from a bit of a script when they are on the stage or getting interviewed and what have you. I understand why people feel the need to be like that. There is big money involved when it comes to sponsorship and we need to show that we are taking the job seriously, but it’s a shame that we don’t get to see people’s characters as much as we used to. That…

Well, since the last time we caught up things have finally quietened down a fair bit! It’s been an incredibly busy few months and they have been bloody awesome, but now I’m back it’s looking like I’ll have to dive headfirst into the shed load of paperwork sitting at my desk. Bullocks to that though… So what have I been up to? Well, for starters it wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t spending my time taking the piss. I’ve just been away on a golfing weekend with some of the old boys and I couldn’t help but get a jump start on one of the tees under Freddie Spencer’s supervision. Thankfully, he didn’t notice and I’m sure Cal Crutchlow will be jealous that I got away with it when he…

Were you on the Fast Bikes magazine trackday last year? If the answer is a big fat YES, then you’ll know just how much of a laugh it was. If the answer is no, then you can rectify that sin and get booked on for a day of tracked fuelled frolics! We will once again be returning to Cadwell Park for a day of summer spanking – so make sure you block out Monday, July 1 on your calendar right now. This year, we’ll be running alongside our buddies over at No Limits Trackdays, who’ll be doing a grand job of running the event as well. The day will be run across a usual trackday format, with groups for Novice, Intermediate and Advanced – meaning there’s a session fit for…

The Ducati didn’t excite me. It looked, to me, like a bit of a sheep in wolves clothing – the fairing looked fairly trick, as though it had been shoehorned on off a sportler steed, but the handlebar risers and nafi-looking end cans gave the game away. And riding the thing was just as und awe-Inspiring. It wasn't a hideous bike to ride; the brakes were good, It was comfortable, and it handled very smoothly, but It was just a little bit wet. The engine didn't seem keen on being revved, and the gearbox seemed even less keen on the prospect, as faisles were par for the course on the Duke. Probably great for commuters, but I'm not a commuter. Not for me, thanks.…

• MTC race exhaust system • Brembo mcs front brake master cylinder • Evotech Performance brake and clutch levers • Brembo M50 Monoblocs calipers • KTech DDS Lite rear shock • KTech Fork Springs and service • Power commander V • HM quickshifter • HM autoblipper • BMC race air filter • HEL braided lines • CRC Daytona fairings • CRC seat cover • SES clip-ons • SES rearsets • Arrow high level exhaust bracket • EBC front and rear brake pads • Jap4Performance carbon frame covers • Jap4Performance carbon swinging arm covers • Renthal medium compound grips • GB Racing Engine covers • GB Racing Paddock stand bobbins • R&G Engine crash bobbins • R&G Radiator grill • R&G Downpipe grill • Suspension set up by 100% Suspension…

“I first hired a 765RS the back end of 2018. Matt had only just finished building the first one and I booked it for a day at Pembrey. I’m a fan of smaller bikes, but I’ve ridden everything from R1s to GSX-R1000s on track. I kind of hoped the Triumph would bridge the gap between the handling of a CBR650 and the punch of a litre bike, and the 765 did not disappoint. It hooked me in an instant, so much so that I booked a three-day trip to Cartagena so I could ride it that bit more. Already this year I’ve hired the bike 10 times and I’m going to be racing one at Cadwell Park. It’s such a brilliant motorcycle, being agile and manageable, but still plenty punchy.…

2008 APRILIA RSV-R FACTORY Private: £4,500 Dealer: £5,200 The price tag and level of spec makes this a bargain, but in reality the Aprilia is a bit heavy and starting to show its age now. Engine: 998cc, l/c, 8v, V-twin Power: 123bhp @10,200rpm Torque: 19Nm @ 5,500rpm 2008 KTM RC8 Private: £3,300 Dealer: £4,600 The original RC8 has a smaller engine capacity than the later R models, meaning it is less desirable and therefire cheaper. But it’s still a great bike. Engine: 1,148cc, l/c, 8v, V-twin Power: 137bhp @7,000rpm Torque: 106Nm @ 6,900rpm 2008 DUCATI 848 Private: £4,500 Dealer: £6,800 Fancy a Duke that’s a little less animalistic than the 1098, but with all the looks? The 848 is just that, with all the character of a proper Duke without…

FB: You widened the front tyre’s profile, but left the rear the same. How come? SM: We were very happy with the profile and nature of the rear tyre, but the front tyre was open to improvement. We widened the tyre so it better related to the rear profile, offering improved stability, grip levels and better wear. FB: Why switch from triple Jointless Belts (JLB) to a single cord? SM: The old design meant that it was much harder to fine-tune the characteristics of the tyres. When you have three strands working in sequence, like with the SportSmart II, the strands work as a group, which is ok for stiffness, but not so good for feel. The advantage of a single cord design is that you have a much more…

This stands for American Petroleum Institute and was the first rating system to be introduced, back in 1930. It started off with API SA (the S stands for ‘spark’ ignition and the A was the first alphabetical suffix) – that had a series of simple tests. Now we are at API SN – the tests for which are more numerous and more stringent. Whenever there is a big change in engine technology, there tends to be an update in the API standards. Each upgrade is exactly that, an upgrade – API SN is technically superior to API SM, and so on.…

Put simply, it’s the viscosity of the oil at specific temperatures. The ’10’, in this instance, refers to the viscosity in cold conditions, which is why it is suffixed with a W, for winter (not weight, which is a common misconception). The ‘40’ refers to the viscosity at 100°C (average sump temperature). This is a ‘multigrade’ oil. When all that was available was ‘monograde’ oils, people often had to change their oil every six months, because there wasn’t an oil available that could cope with both winter and summer climates. In the 50s chemists started playing about with viscosity modifying polymers, and this extended drain intervals to years, rather than months.…

If you thought Supercorsas couldn’t get much better, think again. There’s a new version on the cards for 2019 and it’s upped the rubber’s game in every which way. Pirelli claims the V3 has the model’s broadest ever working ranges, best grip levels and most impressive durability. Of course, there was only one way to find out if they were fibbing, and a 6˚C Cadwell Park proved the perfect proving ground. Typically, I’d have run an SC2 rear in these conditions, but I was sent a pair of SC1s, with the new 200/60/17 profile rear for the GSX-R. The advantages of which suggested a greater contact patch and improved stability in, through and out of a corner. So what can I tell you about them? Well, for starters, despite the…

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…

FAST BIKES MAGAZINE – Do you love your bike? Struggling to part with it? If you’ve owned your beloved for three years or more, we want to hear from you. Otis Oddy: Owned my r6 since 2000. Bought new and I’ll never sell it. Alan Hedley: Had k5 1000 from new...178k and still does anything you ask of it... it’s not going anywhere... staying put and getting used. Adam Stephen: Hamilton-Paulley My RC45 I now have off my late father. He bought this in 1995. Jason Haslam: Don’t think I could ever sell my SP2! Roy Hastings: Bought my 996 biposto in late 1998 as couldn’t quite justify an SPS. It was one of the first 996s in the UK and I still have it, although it has evolved and…

Essentially, there’s three main reasons why people change their discs. Number one, and perhaps the most obvious, is a broken or warped disc. This can happen over time as the discs deteriorate, if you crash it or even just knock ‘em slightly in the garage. Secondly, is if you need a performance upgrade. This is mainly for the racers, as some aftermarket discs can offer more braking power alongside better heat dispersion, which means you’ll have better brakes for longer. Finally, another reason to change discs is to make the bike look prettier! A lot of people go down the route of changing discs for a big aesthetical change, like putting on a pair of wavy discs. This also means that while you have the discs removed, you can address…

You know what they say? Always save the best till last, and I reckon that’s exactly what’s happened with the racing this year as BSB hits the starting grid month(s) later than both World Superbike and MotoGP. It doesn’t matter though, it’s always worth the wait. Now, by the time you lot cast your eyes on this column, round one will have just finished, and even after testing, I couldn’t tell you who’s going to be in the top ten – let alone name a winner on the podium. But the real question is, does it even matter? The British Superbike Championship has to be the most utterly brutal pit of talent two-wheeled racing has to offer; savagely physical tracks, full-blooded superbikes, limited electronics and all in a climate that’s…

Hello my babbies! A lot has happened in the last month. We finally got our hands on the BSB-spec Panigale V4R and spent some quality time together during the first test at Monteblanco. It was a new track for me and a new bike in many ways, as it differed massively from the World SBK-spec bike we rode at Jerez without traction control. It was nice to have decent weather so I could concentrate on the bike and adapting my riding style. We had three days there and I ended on lap record pace, even though we had to work a lot on the set up of the engine and power delivery because we didn’t have much dyno time. We then headed to Portimao and I spent most of the…

FB: How are you keeping busy now you're retired? Do you still get out on bikes much? CE: Man, always! It’s good to keep busy and this year’s schedule is pretty hectic! As for the riding, not racing for a job has almost made me fall back in love with it. This is good as the main thing for me though is the Texas Tornado Boot Camp, which I run throughout the year. FB: What's the Boot Camp all about? How does it work? CE: I would say it’s a man’s Disneyland, although we get quite a few girls coming to do it as well which is cool! We ride bikes all day, shoot guns all day, tell bullshit stories, eat nice food and drink beer all night. I’m not…

Before the KTM I had a whole range of bikes, from a Ducati Monster to a GSX-R750, but surprisingly, this is the best bike I’ve ever had. I had the Suzuki before this and it was just a bit much on the road if I wanted to keep me licence, and when I saw this I just couldn’t resist. I was really lucky actually, as I managed to pick this up as an ex-demo from a KTM dealership in Brighton. It was bog standard, and since I’ve got it I’ve been tearing it up and putting new bits on. I started with the decat and exhaust alongside the airbox and air filter for that bit more power, and then went along to the other bits like the shifter, sprockets and…

A lot of people think that they can only put a mineral oil in their classic motorbike because that’s what the manufacturer said at the time the bike was built, but that’s not strictly true. If the technology had been around at the time, then the manufacturers would have most probably recommended a fully synthetic 10W-40, or something of that kind. It’s not that these old bikes wouldn’t run on a modern synthetic oil, but a lot of the old boys simply won’t have it. In reality, the mineral oil that they want to use is more like a semi synthetic anyway, because 20% of it is made up of synthetic additives.…

If you are going to park your bike up for six months over winter, don’t wait until you drag it out in spring to put fresh oil in it. When your bike’s still for any length of time, all the oil settles down to the sump, along with all of the contaminants that are in it – acids which will attack seals, moisture which will cause corrosion, and wear metals which can have a catalytic effect (speed up) the corrosion process. Rock Oil uses special additives in its motorcycle oils called vapour phase inhibitors which, once they are settled in the sump, permeate out of the oil and stay in the parts of the engine that the oil has run out of, as a kind of vapour, helping to stop…

Yoshimura Second Air Blind Set – Performance Parts Ltd £35.00 Yoshimura ABS Eliminator – Performance Parts Ltd £76.00 Yoshimura Purge Line Set – Performance Parts Ltd £4.00 Yoshimura Side Stand Eliminator – Performance Parts Ltd £25.00 Yoshimura S/Steel System and R11 Silencer – Performance Parts Ltd £1,461.00 Yoshimura Silencer Bracket – Performance Parts Ltd £68.00 Yoshimura Steering Stopper – Performance Parts Ltd £74.00 RenthalClip-ons–B&CExpress £127.15 RenthalRaceDiamondGrips–B&CExpres £7.80 GB Racing Bullet Slider Set – GB Racing £58.28 (Exc) GB Racing Lower Chain Guard – GB Racing £30.22 (Exc) GB Racing Engine Cover Set – GB Racing £161.97 (Exc) GB Racing Paddock Stand Bobbins – GB Racing £18.77 (Exc) Crowe Performance Race Fairings (Comp.) – Crowe Performance £450.00 Hel Performance Braided Lines – Hel Performance £63.99 Racebolt Titanium F/disc Bolts – Racebolt…

2006 DUCATI 749 Private: £5,000 Dealer: £5,500 Still underrated and therefore not horrifically over-priced like the 999, the 749’s look has grown into fashion and it rides beautifully. Shame it’s quite costly to run. Engine: 748cc, l/c, 8v, V-twin Tested power: 100bhp @ 10,000rpm Tested torque: 73Nm @ 8500rpm 2006 YAMAHA YZF-R6 Private: £5,000 Dealer: £5,600 The all-new R6 arrived in 2006 with its rev-happy motor and track-focused handling. A bit lacking in grunt, but if you thrash it, this is a stunning bike with amazing handling. Engine: 599cc, l/c, 16v inline four Tested power: 109bhp @ 14,300rpm Tested torque: 59Nm @ 11,500rpm 2006 SUZUKI GSX-R750 Private: £4,100 Dealer: £4,600 The GSX-R’s bigger motor makes for a beautiful road bike that is far less frantic than its 600cc sibling. Great…

ESCAPE… On Saturday morning I was minding my own business watching the highlights from the Moto GP, when my wife entered the living room with a face that would have sent Genghis Khan running to the hills. I could tell by the way she threw the toast at me that she wasn’t ready for any of my witty repartee, so I decided that this might be the day to strip my 929 Fireblade. This has been on my mind for some time, but due to the frosty reception I decided to take the coward’s way out and retreat to the garage. My bike is a 2000 model and in desperate need of a makeover prior to what, I hope, will be some good weather. I decided to get the wheels…

As you may or may not have read last month, I have finally got my ZXR-8 running so this month I have been doing all the last little bits needed to get it fully ready to hit the road. The first job I had to do was to balance the carbs, which is a fairly straightforward but pretty satisfying job. I have a little fuel tank off a minimoto I use for doing jobs like this (jobs where the fuel tank needs to be off, but the engine needs to be running). The balancer is easy enough to set up; you have to pull a little bung from the inlet rubbers, which reveals a hole into which you can push a hose. Then you just need to connect the vacuum…

It’s all very well and good having a quick bike, but if you’re brakes are a bit pants, you’re going to have a tough time stuffing your mates. This is why it’s always important to get the very best brake discs you can – although OEM discs are great nowadays, there’s a whole range of aftermarket rotors that will turn your brake lever into an anchor. One thing to note is, if you’re going for an aftermarket set, always go for a reputable brand: EBC, Brembo, PFM, etc. Unknown discs might work out to be incredibly cheap, but chances are they’ll last half as long and won’t give you the same amount of stopping power. There are also different types, materials and weights which all offer different benefits. The main…

Traditionally, it’s thought that the first three races of the MotoGP Championship in its current form have been something of a false start. These rounds don't really teach us a great deal about the relative strengths and weaknesses of the title protagonists and really, the season doesn't start until we get back to Jerez. At the start of the weekend at COTA, Valentino Rossi told us that this just isn't the case any more. So small are the margins between success and failure, and so fierce the competition, you cannot afford to leave a single point on the table. So, as the MotoGP circus heads back to Europe and Jerez, what have we learned so far? Well, for a start, the 2019 Honda is a formidable weapon – particularly in…

IN BRIEF… Rider: Dangerous Bruce Track: Donington Park Series: No Limits Class: No Limits Pirelli Super Series 1000/National Endurance 1000 Bike: 2018 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Fastest Lap: 1:11.628 Position(s): 5th/ 23rd/18th/16th Championship Position: 5th /18th Excuse: Everyone needs to slow down. Round one was like a Carry On film for me. If it wasn’t so painful, it would have been funny… To put it bluntly, I wasn’t ready for Donny and my bike most certainly wasn’t. It didn’t even run right, which meant an emergency visit to Crowe Performance on the way to the track, followed by a drive-by at Hawk Suzuki to do the final bit of fettling, was very much needed. Between them, they got me on the right track, meaning all I had left to do was bolt…