Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2020 i Fast Bikes

TUCANO URBANO PETER RIDING BOOTS Established in the late 90s in Milan, Tucano Urbano have always been pretty damn fashionable when it comes to two-wheeled clothing. Their new Peter boot is absolutely no different, constructed from 100% raw-grain cow leather, and fastened with some posh-looking tubular laces. As far as safety goes, they’re CE certified to category 2, which means the shoe comes equipped with toe, ankle and heal protection. They’re fully waterproof, have an inner breathable membrane and also come equipped with a non-slip sole. They come in brown, with both dark red and brown laces so you can mix it up. RRP£129.99 www.tucanourbano.com/en HJC RPHA 11 CAL CRUTCHLOW SPECIAL REPLICA Who doesn’t love a special edition lid? Because we certainly do, and if you’re on the hunt for…

FB: In reality, how much more efficient is it than the naked SR/F? AA: It’s funny, because although the bodywork makes it more efficient and aerodynamic, as the foot pegs are lower, the handlebars are higher and the seating position is more upright, the rider is actually more exposed. So the bodywork efficiencies are almost offset! If the rider is tucked in though, that’s where the 13% efficiency at 70mph comes into play, and it will be more at higher speeds. FB: Lithium-ion is where the technology is now, but what’s the next step for batteries in the future? AA: Whether it’s solid state electrolyte, whether its different materials, everyone’s working on the next big thing – there’s a lot of experimental chemists out there, but no one has come…

I spent most of my school career making paper aeroplanes and writing BOOBS on upside-down calculators so as a result I can’t count and I can barely read or write (thank heavens for spell checker). I wouldn’t go back, even if you paid me. Unless, of course, going back to school meant going round and round in circles on a speedway bike, with an ex-speedway champ showing me the ropes. I’d be well up for that. Well, as luck would have it, not an hour away from my front door lies Eddie Wright Raceway, home to the Scunthorpe Scorpions Speedway Team and the Scunthorpe Speedway Experience, a Speedway training school set up by former Scorpions’ Wayne Carter. After a smashed leg in a 2006 crash forced an end to his…

Some bikes are just born with a bad attitude, none more so than the 2004 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. Bristling with aggression, the original litre Ninja was unleashed on the world with a point to prove. Kawasaki were fed up of being the whipping boys of the premium sportsbike class with their outdated ZX-9R and rejuvenated through a new brash attitude, they were going to do something about it. The result of this now seriously fired-up Kawasaki was a bike that was targeted at dominating the track and if it scared a few road riders along the way, all the better… Boasting a claimed 172bhp (182bhp with RAM-Air included) from an all-new engine, Kawasaki then packed it in a chassis that was incredibly compact to ensure the ZX-10R had the sharpest…

Last month, we had a real in-depth look at cold tear, because as most of you are based in the U.K, chances are you’re going to run into some low temperatures at some point on track. But then again, it’s not just all about being chilly, as there is an issue that arises from warmer temperatures called hot tear. This will almost look like the tyre is smudging or smearing in a sense, rather the deep, thick tears you might have from the cold weather. We don’t see massive amounts of this on track days and when it does raise its head, it’s normally on a pretty worn-out race tyre. Hot tear is caused when the tyre compound is actually too hard for the track surface. So if we take…

QI was pootling along behind a taxi in a 30mph zone. The taxi indicated right, moved to the centre of the road and left me an 8ft wide gap to ride along to pass along his inside. So, I did. Then some utter twunt turned right from the opposite carriageway straight into my path to turn into his golf club. I did not think cases came much easier than this, but my solicitors are telling me that I need to take a hit of 50% as I was ‘undertaking’ and my position would be ‘unexpected’ for the driver turning right. I got a very different impression from the Police, who breath-tested the driver and the Police officer came back and told me that the driver had ‘blown amber’ and had…

You can blame it on me. Yup. It’s my fault. I was busy giving it the big ‘un about how 2020 was going to be the biggest and most belly-busting championship ever with an unprecedented 20 rounds. Boy did I put the commentators’ curse on that one. We’ve all seen the news. You can’t avoid it. Ordinarily I’d open with some kind of witty quip or two about stereotypical MAGA Americans refusing to buy a certain well-known brand of bottled lager and how hilarious it all is. But the fact of the matter is it’s not hilarious. There’s nothing funny about the Coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak sweeping the globe. It has taken lives, it has taken livelihoods. The MotoGP paddock is no exception. Whether it be freelance journalists, photographers or any number…

A couple of months ago I could barely do anything. I’d been laid up for three months because of the foot and shoulder operations so I couldn’t walk or use my arms. Over the last month, though, once I’d got back on my feet, I’ve been absolutely hammering the training trying to get fit and strong again, ready for the British Superstock Championship. I’ve been doing the odd day on the mini bikes down at Boasty’s Flattrack School; I’ve had a day on the MX bike; a day with Boothy and my twin brother Tim on a little speedway bike; and then just loads of mountain biking and running, and it’s paid off because I’m feeling really fit now. At the minute I’m in Spain with the Honda Racing UK…

Big power, a big supercharger and big attention; the introduction of Kawasaki’s Z H2 caused quite a stir at the back end of last year, but was this to be a parts bin special or the supernaked we’d all been lusting for? One thing’s for sure, with a claimed 197bhp on tap and an arm-wrenching 137Nm of torque to back it up, even the most cynical of critics would struggle to lambast its potency. To put things in perspective, there has never been another production naked bike this powerful (…although Ducati will soon have something to say about that), top-trumping the onslaught of stripped off head-bangers that have swarmed to the supernaked market in recent years (think BMW S1000R, Aprilia Tuono, Yamaha MT-10). Based largely around the H2 SX’s proven…

The supercharged Kawasaki Z H2 is the latest of the company’s forced induction models to come to the market and, while it was only relatively recently that Kawasaki launched their supercharged sportsbike when the H2 was launched in 2015, the supercharger is actually a tuning device that has been around for nearly as long as the concept of motorcycles has existed. Kawasaki actually demonstrated a supercharged inline four-litre capacity engine at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2013, claiming at that time that it was ‘the first supercharger designed by a motorcycle manufacturer’. Wrongly, because it seems that not only is nothing ever new in the world of motorcycling, but Kawasaki had already used a supercharged four-cylinder powerplant in a jet ski. Besides, not only were there several supercharged scooters built…

FB: Could you have won the BSB championship if you’d have stayed there in 2019? JD: I don’t know, that’s the ultimate question that I can’t really answer. I gave it a good go in '17 and '18 and for one reason or another, engine failures and the odd crash, it didn’t work out. But we came close to it for a private team with barely enough money – if I was with PBM then who knows, maybe on the best bike with the best team, I would have won it. But I don’t know, is the honest answer. I don’t regret the move I made because now I know I’m a much better rider than what I was. You learn and you grow from the mistakes you make in…

FB: Talk us through your Speedway career. WC: All in all, I rode for 18 years professionally, starting at Wolverhampton, always used to be contracted to them in the elite league. Then when I was a bit older, I moved down to the championship league. I’ve won championships in every league there is in the UK. My racing career ended when I had a bad crash and broke my leg riding for Scunthorpe in 2006, and we opened this little track in 2007, so I started my coaching career almost as soon as my racing finished. FB: Who is the training facility aimed at? WC: We cater for all different age groups and capabilities. Our main aim is to bring young kids on in British speedway so we teach kids…

FB: What are the advantages of an electric motor? AA: It’s funny actually, there are lots! Are you ready? You’ll never need to buy gas, change the engine oil filter or the engine oil, replace the clutch, sync throttle and idle speed, change the air filter, adjust valve clearances, replace spark plugs or timing belts, change the fuel filter, check your clutch cables and clutch fluid levels… the list goes on! From a long-term perspective, over time the bike will actually pay for itself, thanks to all of these things, and the fact that all Zero motorcycles have a direct drive, maintenance-free powertrain. FB: What actually makes up one of your motors? AA: We go with the motto that it’s sophisticated, but still simple. The motor has been developed from…

STAR LETTER ON TOUR I’m away in Peyia, Cyprus, for a couple of months getting away from the wet UK weather. Missing my bikes (Ducati Supersport, Honda XR) though, oh, and the wife (brownie points), so just had to take your last couple of mags to give me that daily fix. Kelvin Windsor FB: Nothing beats a magazine abroad! WIN The winner of the Fast Bikes Star Letter this issue wins a pair of Duchinni Canyon boots. Tough hi-top boots with retro style that look good and are comfy away from your bike – yet incorporate a waterproof outer and full impact protection. Find out more at thekeycollection.co.uk LEFT OUT My mate Tony is a little jealous that I’ve made it in the mag again... He’s a long-term subscriber and…

There’s no denying that us Brits have a serious hold on the superbike class the world over. I mean, just look at World Superbikes; there’s more British flags than you could shake a stick at, and out of the last 26 years of racing, the title has come back to our very shores on half of those occasions. Yep, 13! Mind you, with the absolute ferocity and competitiveness of our thriving British Superbike Championship, we shouldn’t really be too surprised. But then again, here lies the problem. Although we seem to be world beaters where production bikes are concerned, we just don’t seem to have that last few per cent when it comes to prototype machinery. Yeah, Danny Kent has taken a Moto3 title, but if we stick that to…

You might have read in my last column about the Triumph Tiger 900 launch that I was at over in Morocco. Well, after that I flew back to Birmingham for the No Limits Racing endof season prize-giving ceremony and I was booked in to stay at my old mate Michael Rutter’s place, but the senile old bugger forgot all about it and when I rang him, he was in Spain! It wasn’t the end of the world though, I just ended up booking a Premier Inn and having an Indian meal for one, which turned out to be actually quite lovely. My girlfriend and my dad turned up to come to the prize-giving with me, which was nice, although I didn’t have anything to collect due to the fact that…

ALPINESTARS FASTER-3 RIDEKNIT SHOES TESTED BY: Carlos MILES: 4,000+ TIME: 15 months PRICE: £119.99 WEB: www.alpinestars.com As much as I love getting fully kitted up for a flat-out ride in the sun, it really can be a pain in the ass sometimes – which is why over the past year or so I’ve been all over the casual riding get-up. It makes life that little bit easier, whether on long or short journeys, and to be honest, these riding shoes from Alpinestars have very quickly become my favourites. Not only do they look pretty smart with a nice design, but they’re incredibly comfy, whether walking around all day, or actually riding in. They’re super easy to put on, thanks to the strong laces and one Velcro fastening piece at the…

Electric bikes, they’re a funny old subject, aren’t they? I mean, I’m genuinely starting to warm to ‘em. Don’t get me wrong, there’s no better smell than a two stroke, nor is there a better sound than a growling V4, but if it means that I can go green-laning without arousing the rozzers, ride on trackdays without Doris who lives half-a-mile away complaining about noise and even have indoor tracks that would allow all-year-round riding, I’m all for it. Instead of an anti-Christ to biking, think of them as a potential saviour in case the whole world ever does go to pot, and we aren’t allowed the glorious scent or feel of internal combustion. But how close are we to having one that ticks all the boxes? You’ve only got…

When it comes to road tyres, Metzeler know a thing or two about producing a corker. Since 2013 they’ve claimed 58 international road race wins, including 16 at the Isle of Man TT, with lessons learned directly influencing the compounds, profiles and make-up of their street products, such as 2020’s new M9 RR. This is the fifth generation of the acclaimed, fast road M-series range (M1, M3, M5, M7, M9) with the message being, on its launch around the Spanish Ronda mountain range and much-loved Ascari race circuit, that the product had made big leaps over its predecessor’s dry grip, wet handling, durability and stability levels. So how did they do it? The answer’s a pretty long one, so you might want to pull up a chair, but in essence…

It’s funny actually, because I can’t even remember why I bought it now! With the rules changing and the EU regs and stuff all looking to be coming in pretty harshly, back when it was released, I bought it because it was a concept bike, and an investment, and I didn’t think we’d ever see something as crazy as that engineering-wise in the future. Thankfully though, manufacturers are still building crazy bikes! When it was released, I fell a bit in love as I thought it would be a nice thing; you know, it signifies the technology improvements over the last 30 years, and be the sort of thing you’d find in R&D that they’d never produce! I’ve never actually ridden it, but I’ve never felt like I need to…

The amount of shiny parts you can buy for your bike is limited purely by the available funds in your bank account, or what’s still left on your credit card, and this topic of buying aftermarket products or go-faster goodies could be expanded to fill this entire issue of Fast Bikes. So, I’m going to compile a list of parts that will improve the bike’s handling andperformance, make crashing slightly cheaper and ultimately improve your lap times, upsetting a few race bike owners along the way. I’m going to base my top 10 recommendations for upgrading a completely standard road bike, keeping it road legal if you fancy a road ride in between. I don’t advise riding your bike to a track day, so take it in a van and…

Send yours to letters@fastbikes.co.uk Daniel Turnbull Honda CB650R Bought the bike last month, took it for a spin on one of the only dry days since, up the valleys. Fingers were bloody freezing as the temperature dropped to 4° as I got up the mountain. Dan Burgess BMW S1000RR For me it was just a local blast/test ride after fitting a few winter modifications. Followed by a good hose down. Now just the long wait for winter to end; a hoodie would help keep us warm while I wait. Failing that, the new exhaust (in the next pic) will have to keep me warm until the good weather arrives. Trevor Dalton BMW S1000RR Long weekend away to the Netherlands to see my girlfriend for Valentines weekend and she is now…

Thought you guys might like to see my fully carbonised SMR. No expense spared, and a labour of love over the past few years. Here's a list of the current spec, but there's always more to do: ■ Carbon dipped/painted wheels ■ Galfer Tsunami oversized front discs ■ Carbon fibre Moto GP brake ducts ■ Galfer sintered front pads ■ Brake caliper 9mm stand-off spacer ■ Black Titanium caliper bolt ■ HEL brake hoses ■ Carbon fibre upper and lower mudguard ■ Carbon fibre headlight covers ■ Carbon fibre windshield ■ Carbon dipped headlight case ■ Carbon dipped speedo mounting plate ■ Carbon fibre Driven handlebars ■ Carbon fibre Acerbis hand guards ■ Anodised reservoir covers ■ Anodised shorty levers ■ Anodised bar risers ■ Power parts throttle cam ■…

FB: How did the idea for a middleweight prototype come up, and why now? SH: I think it’s because things have just trickled slightly too far in one direction in production bikes. We knew from data that comes from the MCIA (Motorcycle Industry Association) that the 600cc market wasn’t doing amazing as road bikes – even though as a track bike and race bike they’re amazing, and produce great racing globally. We went to the manufactures to talk about the future and their plans for imports, and they tell us what they know – or maybe just what they want to tell us! In the end, it came to a point where a lot of the bikes were disappearing – no more CBR600RR, Daytona 675, GSX-R600 or 600cc ZX-6R. And…

Anyone who read my last column will know that I had just embarked on an epic European pre-season preparation tour. Well, since writing that column I have yet to return home. For just over a month I have been living out of a Vito van and two small hand luggage size cases, which I guess either says a lot about my ability to pack well or a lot about how often I change my underwear. I'll let you guys decide which of those two attribute my modest luggage to. After a short stint of cycling with my mate Eugene Laverty in the Algarve, I picked up my dad and fiancée and we headed to Monteblanco. I've never been there before and I certainly won't be rushing back. It's a car…