Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2016 i Fast Bikes

There can be many a good reason for loving a particular bike. You might like the Kawasaki ZX-10R because you’ve got a set of green leathers, not because Jonathan Rea has just won the 2016 WSB championship on one. You might go touring on a 125, even though life will only pass you by at 70mph. Hell, go green-laning on a Ducati for all we care. So long as you’re doing it with a massive smile on your face and you’re not hurting anyone else (too badly) we say play on, play on… So this month’s challenges were to do stupid things on some serious bikes. Al and Beej went off on some supermotards to act the goat. Beej then took a posse of mates to France on those well…

That’s it, it’s official, the world has gone race mad. With the addition of the new Kawasaki ZX-10RR, Suzuki GSX-R1000R and two Honda Fireblade SP options, almost every manufacturer now has an upgraded version ofa superbike to offer to race hungry road riders – or racers who want added pep in their step. Ducati has been at this game for years, offering S and R versions of its superbikes. Aprilia, too, has always gone down the two bike route (even if the standard RSV4 isn’t available in the UK). MV has more models that you could shake a stick at, Yamaha has the electronically suspended R1M leaving only BMW with a lonely standard model now that the S 1000 RR has moved so close to the spec of the HP4…

The Second Coming? KTM is calling this the Beast 2.0 – promising that the evolution of what should be the most rampant of all the super nakeds is what we wanted all along. KTM was stung by the reaction to the original bike not being completely and utterly bonkers, with much of the criticism revolving around the lack of electronic integration. The Beast 1.0 promised outrageous antics, but only allowed this sort of behaviour if everything was switched off. Now, however, the anti-wheelie is part of the bike’s electronics suite and can be turned off. Hallelujah! But first the Beast 2.0 had to pass Euro4 emissions tests, and it does this by cutting CO2 output from its 1,301cc motor by 10 per cent (showing how little work was needed to…

“THE RIVALE HAS THE BROADEST GAMUT OF REVS ON THE TEST...’’ Do you remember T’Pau’s 1987 smash hit, ‘China in your hand’? Well, MV has released a modern-day remix named, ‘Spindle in your hand.’ Short, stubby and aggressive (remind you of anyone? –Ed), but grotesquely elevated, MV perches you over the front wheel with ‘bars that emulate clutching the spindle, bringing aperceived frontal bias that’s actually more weighted over the rear. Of the trio on test, the Rivale has the most peculiar of riding positions, requiring the most peculiar contorting for hardcore action – and that’s saying something with this crowd on tour. If MV’s Brutale is brutal, then the Rivale should have been named ‘Burroso’ instead – Italian for buttery. Not only is the fuelling peachier than an actual…

I’ve been lucky enough to do a lot of touring over the last year, to a whole host of destinations, and on various different types of bikes. Be that to Portugal on litre sportsbikes, the North West 200 on naked hacks, or Land’s End on adventure style metal – I’ve done thelot. And which isbestoverall would you say, from starttofinish? It is, of course, the not-so humble sportsbike when you consider every single aspect ofthe act. Ignore a lot ofthe other outlets that’ll tell you sportsbikes are dead, it’s baloney! They’re just getting old, tired and scared of power! Anyway, for our issue of inappropriateness I wanted to go touring on two sportsbikes that really could be pushing it a bit in terms of the job at hand. Surely there…

PRICE GUIDE: £5,000 - £9,500 Cheapest private: £5,000 15,576 miles, 2009 model in standard condition. Our choice private: £7,450 2,600 miles, 2012 bike with Akrapovic exhaust and FSH. Cheapest dealer: £5,490 17,401 miles, lovely example of a 2010 model with extras. Our choice dealer: £6,599 7,729 miles, 2011 model in excellent condition and FSH. Ex-demo: n/a You only get one chance to make a first impression. Sadly for KTM, when it came to the Austrian firm’s first foray into the sportsbike world the factory blew its chance. The first RC8 should have been a genuine WSB contender, another European V-twin to be a thorn in the side of the Japanese inline fours and a proper rival for Ducati on the world stage. But it wasn’t and when the RC8 arrived…

JHS RACING OWNER/BIG CHEESE James Holland runs JHS Racing in Keynsham, and he is our go to guy whenever we need a bike looking at. JHS Racing was set up in the mid 1990s and has since expanded as its reputation has grown. The workshop deals with everything, from scooters to superbikes. Having built and worked on race Suzuki SVs and Triumph 675s James has a wealth of knowledge with these bikes, but elsewhere James’ knowledge is as extensive as it gets. So from tyre fitting to MOTs, from dyno work to suspension, James really does do it all. And here he is, passing on his years in the business to Fast Bikes readers! As you should know from this column, we’ve been building and racing Suzuki Minitwins and Supertwins…

DOES THE EARTH MOVE FOR YOU, TOO? Firstly, let me applaud you on your great magazine. I travel a lot with work and the magazine gives me great reading when I’m away from my much loved Ducati 749. I have spent a small fortune on this bike and love being out on the open road listening to the deep throb of the twin and Termis in tandem! I LOVE IT. Please see the attached pictures as Iwould love to see my pride and joy in your magazine one day. I actually work for Caterpillar so if you fancy a good photo shoot with some big boys toys in the background we can arrange something for sure. Jason Lewis Awesome offer Jason – we’ll darken your door one day for a…

Oh dear, oh dear, there’s been a common running theme in most of the big race series this year – rivals giving away titles through severe bouts of inconsistency. OK, the winners have been tested and haven’t always won everything, but the fact remains that for those champions of 2016 the competition hasn’t been quite what it could have been. Take Marc Marquez and MotoGP title number three. His rivals kept falling off, or their teams couldn’t fathom the Michelin tyres or electronics while he racked up the points. Points mean prizes, but only if you can throw some wins into the mix too, which Marc certainly can. In BSB Shane Byrne, following a shaky (sorry...) start over a couple of rounds, hit his stride and never looked back. Oh,…

There’s been a raft of new rules in WSB and MotoGP implemented. One we like very much is the fact airbag suits will be made compulsory in MotoGP. This is because it will drive development of the ones we can buy in the shops making us all safer in the process. Elsewhere, they’ve putting the final nails in the winglets coffin by denying all bar one change to be made during the season to the fairings. However, it is rider specific, which opens up some possibilities for wing kings Ducati, but it’ll be a very expensive option if they choose to pursue it. Over in WSB, bikes will now have to have generators fitted to provide electricity, doing away with any total-loss systems run by the likes of Kawasaki. Apparently…

“DOING LONG STINTS IN ENDURANCE IS BENEFICIAL TO KEEPING AHEAD. LESS SO IS LOBBING YOUR BIKE AFTER 49 MINUTES” That bloody leak was back. I couldn’t even bang in a lap of Brands without enough water leaking into the undertray to make a brew. That much of the wet stuff plays on your mind, and I knew there was no way I’d get away with the bike surviving the following day’s four races of the No Limits Cup, let alone the three-hour endurance race me and my brother Bruce were set to compete in on the Sunday. It was a gutting feeling, especially because the leak would vanish every time the bike wasn’t under load. I’d already wasted four of the day’s test sessions and the remaining two were looking…

After months, née years, of wild speculation and scurrilous rumours, Yamaha has finally pulled the cover off a new YZF-R6. With other manufacturers retreating from the category, Yamaha now has the opportunity to see off the dregs of the sector with an all-singing, all-dancing techo wunderkind that should blow the socks off anyone dipping their toes back into the supersport class. Racing, too, will clearly be in Yamaha’s crosshairs, breathing new life into supersport paddocks the world over. As resurrections go, this could be the biggest one in over 2,000 years... Using the success of the R1 as a blueprint, the new YZF-R6 has been inseminated with the DNA of the big bike. The family resemblance is clear to see, but delve behind the new flashy fairings and while the…

KAWASAKI ZX-10RR EXTRAS, EXTRAS, READ ALL ABOUT ‘EM The new RR isn’t stacked with new stuff, but quality counts here. The 500 units made will all feature changes to the cylinder head, the downshifter as standard, a set of seven-spoke Marchesini wheels (with Supercorsa SPs on) and a single seat option. The factory reckons the changes lop over a second from a laptime around its test track, Autopolis. We’ll see when it gets launched. The beauty lies within... SUZUKI GSX-R1000R R YOU HAPPY WITH MORE TRICK BITS? The standard bike’s spec is much improved over the current bike, but on top of all the frame, electronics and engine changes comes the R with uprated Showa suspension, a quickshifter/autoblipper, added launch control and a lithium ion battery. There’s no extra claimed…

THE RETURN OF THE Z900 A pair of new Kawasaki Zed models were hastily unveiled at Eicma, in the form of the return of the Z900 name – and also a Z650 machine. The latter is a funky new replacement for the ER-6n, following in the footsteps of the new Ninja 650 that you’ll have read about earlier. The Z900, however, is an interesting proposition as it uses much from the current Z1000 machine, but in a newly sleeved 984cc guise (the stroke remains the same as the Z1000). A lightweight trellis frame (weighing just 13.5kg) is used, thus moving away from the Z1000’s design. Suspension comes in the from of USD 41mm forks and a horizontal back-link system at the rear. HONDA CB1100EX This is the standard CB, tarted…

Having fun is the fundamental reason we all started riding motorcycles, right? I can’t remember any of my mates saying in the school playground that they wanted to ride a bike to get in to work 15 minutes earlier or that they yearned for a more environmentally friendly alternative to a car. No, it was all about going fast and feeling awesome. And when it comes to smiles-per-hour, there ain’t many more fun-packed rides than big motard-based bruisers. They take their cues from supermotos of yesteryear and combine a handful of naked sportsbike traits to bring a hint of practicality to the party/riot. 90mph is the inherent climax, whereas the current crop of superbike exotica only start to make sense at 90mph – in first gear – while fresh models…

Stretching from Macclesfield to Buxton, and teeming with sexy corners as it goes up hill and down dale, the infamous Cat and Fiddle section of the A537 was once upon a time the greatest road in the UK. It kinda still is, but we’re going to caveat that with the word ‘potentially’. Being one of the most treacherous roads in the country, and holding the crown for many a year, local authorities thought it prudent to install eight 50mph average speed cameras (the rear facing buggers, too) in a bid to prevent further fatalities and most definitely not to bump up speeding ticket revenue. £1.2 million worth of investment has ensured the Cat and Fiddle is no longer in the UK’s top-ten most dangerous roads (as of the last figures…

British riders have been doing pretty well this year, haven’t they? Scott Redding had a podiumearlierinthe year,therewasCalCrutchlow's maiden win at Brno, Sam Lowes has scored well in Moto2, his brother Alex got a shot on a MotoGP bike, and just look at the British flags smothering the WSB steps. But how do we keep this progress up, because it’s not always been like this and we don’t want to be heading to the dark old days again… Well, we've gone to take a look at the first real feeder series for our little ones that can finally rival the breeding grounds found in Spain and Italy. With seven BSB teams helping out, the plan is to create a clear route from novice to champion in a decade. It sounds a…

QA car pulled out on top of me on a damp road. I braked, my bike went down and sustained some pretty minor plastics, lever and silencer damage. My bike is a Suzuki GSX-R750. My insurance company told me to leave everything in their hands. I was third party only, so I was quite happy with this. They told me that I would get a replacement bike and all my repairs would be looked after. Two guys came round in a van, dropped off a VFR800 and took away my Kawasaki, told me not to worry about anything and my bike would be brought back repaired. After 13 weeks my Suzuki was brought back, bodywork repaired, scuffed pipe replaced, nice new levers so all was good. I had completely forgotten…

POSTCARD FROM: SCOTLAND I'd like to share some photos of a recent trip around Scotland. There was eight of us in total and the trip was 1,620 miles over six days. The route took us from Inverary-Skye-Ullapool-Thurso-Killin taking in some of Scotland’s best scenery and roads. The weather for the most part was brilliant – apart from the fog coming into Applecross, with close to zero visibility. Dave, on the S 1000 RR slipped into a ditch when a car came the other way and was lucky and got it stopped shiny side up. We all pulled over to help drag him out – and to take the piss... The last day was a chill out day so a few of us went for a ride around Loch Tay, while…

I am in awe of many things on a monthly basis. Be that the skill shown on track or classic close-fought and hardcore action. Hell, even the idiocy shown in paddocks the world over makes me sit up and pay attention. And then on occasion it’s something simple, like a single lap. Well, one lap did for sure, and even though I was watching it on my laptop from the confines of my rather peculiar Japanese hotel, it astounded me. I am, of course, referring to Tom Sykes’ Jerez pole lap where he banged in a 1.39.1s circulation. To put that into perspective, Valentino Rossi qualified on pole earlier in the year with a 1m38.7s. Sykes would have found himself leading the second row had he done the same thing…

I’ve got so much to tell you this month that I’m going to dive right into practice at Magny Cours. If I remember right, we were quickest in both sessions on Friday, so all good there. But on Saturday it rained in the morning and we weren’t particularly competitive. We made some changes though, which made me able to put it on the front row and this was very important for the races. We were best of the rest, the Kawasakis seem to have an upper hand in those conditions; they get on with it while the rest of us tip-toe around for a bit. The first race was patchy and I decided on the grid to go with intermediate tyres. I’d never tried them before in all my WSB…

RC, in MV-speak, means Reparto Corse. I suppose you now want to know what Reparto Corse means. The direct translation is Racing Department, and this is exactly where this particular F3 has emerged. We’ve seen the RC in F4 guise (got the world exclusive first ride, too), and the F3-sized one too – both in 675 and 800 versions. So this is not a new machine, nor is it packed to the gills with Gucci-kit. The main change looks to be the removal of the AMG sticker from the new bike over images of what was available up to now. The saga between both parties brought production to a standstill earlier in the year – although healthy numbers of bikes are being produced now. 350 Rcs are planned to be…

DUCATI SUPERSPORT The SuperSport that isn’t a Supersport. Confused? Read on... When Ducati unveiled its new SuperSport (and S model) at the Intermot show in Cologne, it was hoped that the concept of old would be readily harked back to by riders looking for a bit of an easier time in the sportsbike saddle. That wish, however, got lost in the nomenclature of the machine, with most going ‘you can’t race that in supersport, the motor’s too big’. SuperSport can refer to two different periods in Ducati’s history. The first was from 1973, where a 750 Super Sport was developed for racing for the likes of Paul Smart. The second reference is to the SuperSport (SS) bikes from the late 1980s. Developed around the 904cc air-cooled engine, the bike was…

Highlights 3bhp less power 19 kilos less weight New trellis frame Sharp new style Bosch ABS system Unadjustable suzzies While we’ve seen lots of tweaks and tinkering elsewhere in the range, the radical remake of Kawasaki’s middleweight twin looks to be a most welcome addition to the range, replacing the long-in-the-tooth ER machines with a very sharp new look, what with its scalpel-like snout and WSB inspired lines and logos. Indeed, the squint test has the new Ninja looking every bit the superbike. A massive 19 kilo weight loss is also terrific news, as are some very stylish additions to what would otherwise be termed a budget bike. The Ninja’s motor has essentially been pulled out of the ER-6, so we’re talking about the almost indestructible (until you tune it…

Let’s face it, thoroughbred supermotos are a bit shit unless there’s a kart track involved or your daily commute is one of those twisty roads you see in a dreamy meme drifting off into the horizon. Or your name is Ruben Xaus. But let’s also be straight; the Husqvarna 701 isn’t a 450cc supermoto of yesteryear – this is a full-fat, thumpy muthafunkster. It’s alavish, gentlemen’s übermoto that offers far more than its one-dimensional racier brethren and broader riding parameters than you might expect. And it looks utterly boss. On paper, its inclusion in this test is grossly unfair on the Husky. A complete lack of electronics or riding aids (save for the handily switchable ABS for skids) and, most poignantly, bereft of a cylinder and the gallivanting ponies associated…

After a day shooting a test like this one, there’s always an intense satisfaction when you’ve dodged either arrest and/or flipping wheelies. If your licence is brimming with points, the lack of horsepower from this trio is compensated by their inherent naughtiness and it’s probably best to opt for something more sensible, as pootling around simply doesn’t happen aboard these feisty fellows. We’d suggest a bus pass should suffice… At nearly £8k, you really do have to crave the Husky 701, bordering on bizarre affection and mechaphilia. Having a few friends that own one, they’re all more than satisfied with their nutty choice, although they’re also fortunate enough to have them as second bikes and weekend playmates. I wouldn’t and couldn’t do much more than a few hours on the…

REDLINE KTM MOTO3: Charlie Nesbitt D.O.B: 12/03/01 “I did a season in Spain and over there you’re looking at over 50,000 Euro’s just to one season on a Metrakit, so to have this support for no cost is wicked. The Championship is really good for us to come back to and the more kids that get involved the better it will be!” MORELLO RACING KAWASAKI SUPERSTOCK: Fraser Rogers D.O.B: 19/12/95 “If it wasn’t for this championship, then I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today so I’m always going to love it. I really like the idea and it’s only going to get better - giving more support to the lads and dads in the paddock.” WILSON RACING HONDA MOTO3 (STANDARD CLASS): TJ Toms: D.O.B: 19/07/01 “Fab Racing is definitely…

On my quick lap I can tell you that there was a lot of concentration going on. We were talking about the heart rates of us as drivers compared to riders earlier, and with me it’s not the physical exertion that puts my heart rate up, it’s the mental effort I have to put in. We’ve been monitoring my heart rate and it’s been up at around 155bpm while I’ve been going round sat in my seat. It’s been such a pleasure to drive round the course in these conditions. Our top speeds aren’t much more than what we had when we last had a crack at this in 2014, probably up by around 4 or 5mph, but the car now is so planted. It just does what I want…

By the time you’re reading this the council will probably be laying down the first layer of salt in a vain attempt to keep the local roads marginally safer for brain dead, car driving numpties in the colder climes. Salt and steel go together like strawberries and Marmite, and whenever the two get together a horror show ensues – using your bike as a backdrop. We get that there’s a good number of you wanting to get out and go hard (on a bike, that is), but wheeling your spanking new Kawasaki H2 out of the garage and making it take on close to zero-degree conditions on salt infested roads is nigh on a sin. What you want is a winter hack, a machine that is built to take some…

THE CALIFORNIA SUPERBIKE SCHOOL Founded by the legendary Keith Code in 1980, the California Superbike School offers a step-by-step method of technique oriented rider training in the art of cornering motorcycles. Over the past 30 years hundreds of thousands of students have improved their riding skills and cornering capabilities at CSS and their team of professional coaches are dedicated to your improvement. One good way to judge your own level of riding competence is by asking yourself the following question. Do you think about the controls, or do you think with the controls? There is a difference. Thinking about the controls is what you did while learning to ride; the lion’s share of your attention went directly to operating the levers, handlebars, and throttle. Thinking with the controls is knowing…

GEORGE IN THE JUNGLE Hi Mr Mole, I’ve just finished reading your very thought provoking column on Lorenzo’s move to Ducati. You state how he’ll fare is such a mystery? As a Ducati fan (and owner of afew of their bikes) it’s no mystery to me – more a case of the Rossi period being revisited. In answer to your questions… 1. There’s no chance Ducati will build a Lorenzo-Desmo. To do this they would need to build a bike that is millimetre perfect and that’s not in their DNA. The only manufacturer that can do that is Yamaha. 2. Lorenzo, because he is the smoothest rider to race in MotoGP since Max Biaggi, will not be able to adapt any more than Rossi could. 3. There’s no chance the…

There are so many huge racing stories we could have run with this month on our big opening spread, but we bet you didn't think this was going to be the one! Well, we think two brothers, sired by one already famous and successful racing father, earning their spurs in the cut-throat world of BSB support racing deserves some serious plaudits, don’t you? Yup, The Mackenzie brothers of Tarran and Taylor won their respective classes at the first attempt, blowing the established order out of the park and befuddling serial race predictors’ pre-season bets. That both have achieved the same result, albeit in slightly different ways, merely adds to the wonderful nature of their victories and, for one of them, this comes off the back of a truly torrid 2015.…

If anyone has been watching the BSB season this year, you'll have seen how ridiculously close the racing is. This means that every tenth of a second is a precious commodity. From the minutest tweaks to the chassis to adjusting your line by a few inches or less – everything on track is scrutinised to squeeze that last little drop of performance from every possible part. On top of all the extensive datalogging, lengthy debriefs and expertise extolled by the Showa suspension technician, Leon Haslam and the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team has a secret weapon in the shape 500cc legend and all round cool-guy, Ron Haslam. We’re not talking about a motocross Dad here, we’re talking about one of the most experienced and successful riders this country has ever produced.…