A2 SHOOTOUT A
RC R C390/CBR500R/NINJA 400
20 YE YEARS OF R1 REVISITI TING THE YAMAHA ICON
OCTOBER 2018 ISSUE 345
2019 KAWASAKI
ZX-10RR 201BHP WSB SLAYER – AND WE’VE RIDDEN IT
XCLUSIVE E H P M IU R T
DAYUTWOANNTAIT7, 65 HOW TO:
MASTER BRANDS HATCH GP
TECH UNDERSTAND BIKE 0 60 X-R BUY A USED GS BETTER BRAKING
“YO D IT” WE’LL BUIL
ISSUE 345 OCTOBER 2018 8
IT’S THE NEWS!
Upfront............................................ 10 All the tastiest biking titbits.
GEARED UP!
Products.......................................... 12 All the latest, coolest and trickest products.
THE KNOWLEDGE
Used Buyer’s Guide......................... 72 Everything you need to know about buying a 2011-2017 GSX-R600
MASTERCLASS
Legal ................................................ 79 If you’re in the wrong, admit it.
Track Attack....................................88 How to master the best of British circuits. This month: Brands GP.
Know Your.......................................94 Know why brake discs are so important.
Track Craft ......................................92 Get the best from your tyres on track.
YOUR LIFE ON BIKES
Addiction.........................................60
18
Ant Van Looy shows off his Kawasaki ZXR400SP race bike.
TESTS
Chatter ............................................80
Kawasaki ZX-10RR ........................ 18
It’s only fair we give the best readers in the world a page of their own!
You & Yours.....................................82 All of your latest adventures!
We ride Kawasaki’s all-singing, all-dancing Ten-RR.
COVER STORY
Triumph Moto2 Project................. 26
OUR LIFE ON BIKES
Bruce got the chance to have a go with Triumph’s new 765 Moto2 engine.
More models, more miles and more mods.
20 years of the R1......................... 40
Staff Bikes.......................................97 Kawasaki H2 SX • Kawasaki Ninja 400 • KTM 1290 GT • Suzuki GSX-R1000R • Honda CB1000R •
Yamaha R6 Track • Suzuki GSX-S1000 • Yamaha YZF-R1M • Yamaha YZF-R6 •
RACE SECTION
Pit Pass.......................................... 106 The lowdown on BSB, WSBK and MotoGP.
Shakey: Down But Not Out .......... 110
We caught up with the six-time BSB champ.
48
COVER STORY
Boothy’s been finding out first-hand what 20 years’ worth of R1 development is like.
A2 bike test................................... 48 Pretty Boy puts some A2 legal bikes through their paces.
FEATURES
Tech(no) ........................................ 32
Some rider aids are great, some not so. We take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly.
Ten With: John McGuinness ......... 58 We catch up with McPint to check on his fitness and his TT plans.
Dirty Weekend .............................. 66 Boothy went to the Brecon Beacons to get down and dirty at Triumph’s new adventure centre.
26
Race Riot ....................................... 116 What we get up to when we’re not putting together the best mag in the world.
COLUMNISTS
Neave twins .................................. 119
Tom’s bagged another great BSB ride.
Christian Iddon ............................. 121 Iddon’s been trucking about.
Steve Parrish................................. 122
Parrish’s take on all things bike-racing.
SUBSC
Gary Johnson ................................ 120
Gaz was on for a classic TT, until it all went wrong...
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Maybe, just maybe
W
here’s Mystic Meg when you need her? Better still, a Triumph Factory mole? Neither appears to be in the Yellow Pages, and Boothy reckons he’s had no luck checking the numbers on public toilet walls. This leaves me no other option than to speculate. Yep, just like one of those truth-bending tabloids I’m about to fill your minds with pure hype, albeit of the considered kind. Of course, I’m talking about the expectations surrounding a potential Daytona 765. I’ve spent a good few days with the Hinckleybased brand this month, nattering to racers, developers and managers alike. I’ve got to know their Moto2 mule pretty intimately, and I’ve seen first-hand the twinkle in eyes when you mention a new Daytona. The retorts have been consistent; regardless of who you ask, saying that if we want it, they’ll build it. And after having had a good stint in the saddle of the largely Daytona-based 765 Moto2 mule, I know we need such a bike in our lives. It was utterly brilliant. But is it going to happen? I reckon so. I’ll leave it there, as there’s loads more goss you can indulge in on my test review of the Trumpet. And don’t forget to sign the government petition demanding the new model before Christmas; I’m sure someone will make one. Something that’s very much real but has been kept a good secret is the revised ZX-10R trio. They’re a smart move by Kawasaki, especially considering the brand’s determination to rule supreme in the ever more stringently regulated World Superbike series, which could’ve left them trailing the likes of Ducati and the expected powerhouse Panigale V4 R. But away from the race track, they’re sure to spice up the Kwackers on the roads, or so our man Urry claims, who’s been lapping them up out in Japan. He’s given us the lowdown and it’s well worth a read if you’re in the market for a new litre bike. And the tests keep coming. Moving to the complete opposite end of the capacity scale, Beej and Pretty Boy have been going big on small wheelers, having a right hoot on the cream of the A2 sector. Last but not least, Boothy’s been getting his leg over a 20-year-old, the jammy bugger. He’s pitched the current R1 against the original head-banger, and he’s not stopped smiling since. I think he’s in love, and maybe you’ll be too once he’s told you what’s so great about the ’98 icon. Enjoy the mag, stay safe and don’t forget to let us know what you’ve been up to.
26
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OCTOBER 2018 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 9
NE W S & RE VIE W S PL ANET FAST BIKES – NE W ME TA L,
NEW KAWASAKI H2 ANNOUNCED FOR 2019 As if it wasn’t mental enough already, Kawasaki have only gone and given their already bonkers H2 a whopping 31bhp power hike…
Back in 2015 Kawasaki released their absolutely monstrous H2; a supercharged road going beast that looked as insane as it rode. Thankfully, the Japanese giants in the green corner have had another dose of insanity and uprated it for the first time since its inception. Although Kawasaki won’t give us all the saucy details yet, they have told us that the power has been hiked massively from 197bhp to 228bhp, thanks mainly to a brand new ECU with a snazzy new map – showing just how much potential that powerplant has.
It’s not just bigger power figures that the H2 has been gifted though, as Kawasaki have also actually made the machine more rider-friendly, taking spark plugs, the ECU, air filter and the intake chamber from the sports touring H2 SX – although we’ve been assured it’s definitely not as docile as it’s touring sibling. As well as giving it more go, Kawasaki have given a nod to handling as well, equipping the H2 with the very same class-leading Brembo Stylema brake calipers you’d find on the Panigale V4.
WHAT’S ON IN OCTOBER October 5-7 – Bumtoberfest – Essex October 6 – Ride to the Wall – Staffordshire October 7 – 6 Balls in Hand – Warwickshire October 7 – Auto 66 Final round – Oliver’s Mount October 12-14 – Britsh Superbike final round – Brands Hatch October 13-14 – Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show – Staffordshire October 14-15 – Fire & Forge Festival – Trowbridge October 20 – Kempton Park Motorcycle Jumble – Middlesex October 22 – BBC Radio Derby Children in Need Ride – Derbyshire
10 OCTOBER 2018 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM
It’ll also come on new Bridgestone RS11 tyres to help you look after those 228 horses. For 2019, the H2 will also come with a TFT dash for the first time which will feature a whole host of info, while being finished in a ‘self-healing paint’ which uses a polymer to smooth out imperfections in hot sunlight. How mad is that? There hasn’t been a release date or price set yet, but expect to pay north of £25,000 when they arrive in dealerships. We just can’t Tasty. wait to get our hands on one…
Funny looking traffic...
UPFRONT
H2 SETS WORLD RECORD AT BONNEVILLE SPEED WEEK record at the Bonneville Speed Week event in America. Entered in the P-PB 1000 class, which is for production models with supercharged engines up to 1000cc, the H2 established a world speed record of 209.442mph with Team 38, who are a completely independent racing team comprised of Kawasaki engineers and test riders. The H2 had two runs, with 211.621mph being the first, and 207.263mph being the second, which led to the record breaking average. Not bad for a standard road bike…
Yep, Kawasaki may have just revealed a new H2 but their old one definitely isn’t slow, having clocked up a brand new speed
Full gas.
RACING SET TO END AT ROCKINGHAM THIS YEAR After 17 years of racing action, motorsport activity is finally coming to a close at Rockingham, with a change of ownership planning to build an ‘automotive logistics hub’ – which basically sounds like it’s going to be a big industrial estate. It’s not all bad though, as the new owners Rockingham Automotive LLP (RAL) say it will create about 200 jobs. Peter Hardman, current chief executive at Rockingham, said: “The team at Rockingham have done a tremendous job running the circuit and the facility over the last five years. However, it has been reluctantly concluded that motorsport activities are unlikely to produce an economic return for the new owners when set against the acquisition cost of the land. “All events to the end of 2018 will be run with the professionalism and enthusiasm that are the hallmark of Rockingham, but circuit activities will cease from the beginning of 2019.” Although Rockingham is definitely more of a car circuit than a bike one, it hosted the British Superbike Championship from 2001 to 2003, and since then has been used for club racing with the likes of Thundersport GB using it annually.
Wheelie sad news.
TWO ESTABLISHED BIKE FESTS WILL JOIN FORCES FOR 2019 We all love a good fest, right? Well two of the UK’s most popular bike weekenders are joining forces to create one huge festival next summer. Prescott Bike Festival has teamed up with the Kickback Motorcycle Show to create one giant party, as well as
incorporating the Gloucestershire hill climb as well… now that’s a lot of activities for one weekend! The event will take place on June 15-16, 2019, and will include everything from trade stands, to live entertainment and everything in between.
NEW ACCESSORY PACK FOR SUZUKI GSX-R125 RELEASED
Got yourself a new GSX-R125 and want to make it look that little bit special? Well look no further than this genuine Suzuki accessories kit which has been designed exclusively for the black model. It includes a pillion seat cowl, double bubble screen, red graphics kit and wheel decals, which transforms the stealthy look of the machine – although there is no performance gain. The accessory pack costs £330 including fitment which saves £160 against single item purchase, and is available from all authorised Suzuki dealers now.
Crepe anyone?
OCTOBER 2018 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 11
ES T PERF ORMA NC E PRODUC TS ALL THE LATEST, CO OL ES T & TRICK
4SR BOMBER CAMO JACKET
ACERBIS NO WATER TRIP BAG 2LT The No Water Trip Bag from Acerbis is a handy roll top leg bag with a two-litre capacity useful for storing small items like wallets or smartphones while still allowing quick access on those wet rides. The No Water Trip Bag manages to keep your valuables dry in the fully waterproof inner part thanks to its roll top fastening and external heat-sealed seams, which is then secured with a double adjustable strap around the leg and waist. If you want to feel a bit like a soldier, this one-size-fits-all leg-bag is a practical and flexible solution to for those that are forever losing things within their multiple jacket pockets.
£21.99
Fancy a jacket with hand-coloured camo leather? Well, the 4SR Bomber Camo Jacket will tick all the boxes. Created to look like a classic flying jacket style with the required protection and functionality of modern motorcycle riding gear, the 4SR Camouflage Bomber Jacket comes equipped with level two protection fitted as standard, but simply remove these protectors and the jacket has enough style that you can wear it for everyday use. This carefully-cut jacket is crafted around the market leading level two protection from Safe Tech and, as with all 4SR jackets, can be zipped directly to their range of leather trousers and motorcycle jeans.
£309
www.acerbis.it
www.mcaleicester.co.uk
KTM 790 DUKE SCORPION SERKET SLIP-ON EXHAUST Own a KTM 790 Duke and fancy pimping up that pipe? Well look no further than Scorpion’s range of slip-on exhausts. Reducing weight by over a kilogram and giving a power increase of more than 5bhp, the Serket offers a lot of bang for your buck, thanks to strict dyno development that ensures all Scorpion products work with the bike’s standard engine settings for an easy installation process, which also means no re-mapping is required. The new slip-on kit will include a silencer with the choice of three sleeve finishes, brushed stainless steel, carbon fibre or satin titanium, T304 stainless steel link pipe and full fitting kit.
£349.00
HJC RPHA 11 MIKE WAZOWSKI It seems like with every month w we do products there’s a new HJC colou ur scheme out, and once again theyy haven’t disappointed. This time they’ve gone down the Monsterss Inc avenue, with an incredibly loud, (and pretty impressive looking) Mike Wazowski rep the order of the day. Once again, HJC use their flagship RPHA 11 helmet, with their P.I.M Plus shell construction of carbon fibre, aramid and carbon-glass hybrid fibre, which offers enhanced shocck resistant performance, comfort and ha a light weight. The lid comes with clear and light smoke visor alongside a Pinlock anti-fog lens that’s included in the price as well.
£469.99
www.oxfordproducts.com
12 OCTOBER 2018 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM
www.scorpion-exhausts.com
SPIDI CARBO RIDER JACKET As far as sporty leather jackets go, they don’t get much cooler than the stealthy Spidi Carbo Rider Jacket. Constructed from 1.1mm-1.3mm cowhide with carbon fibre detailing on the shoulders, the Carbo Rider also has CE-certified Force-Tech protection on the elbows, alongside high-tenacity elastic flex Tenax nylon, which has an extreme level of abrasion resistance.
£499.99
www.spidiuk.com
KAWASAKI NINJA 400 K-TECH K TECH 20IDS FRONT FORK CARTRIDGE KIT If you’ve got yourself a brand new Ninja 400 from Kawasaki, you’ll know that those front pogos are pretty soft, but thankfully K-Tech have just the tools for the job. With their 20IDS, or 20mm Independent Damping System, these fork internals offer a huge amount of external adjustment, with 30 clicks of independent compression and rebound, alongside 18mm of preload adjustment. They’re constructed from aircraft-grade aluminium with hard anodised and super finished components, with a wide range of spring rates available for that perfect feel.
HOOD K7 INFINITY JEANS
£594
Lined with a third generation K-Tech Para-aramid lining and formed from a high-tech double layer construction, the Hood K7 Infinity riding jeans offer a tonne of safety features while still keeping comfort in mind. You’ll find D30 hip and knee impact armour at the main impact points, and the main seams have been strengthened, making the K7 Infinity the most protective jeans that Hood have ever made. In fact, the The K7 ‘Infinity’ were the first in the UK to be certified to the new PPE Regulation 2016/425 prEN 17092-3 for AA rated protective clothing for motorcyclists (new regulation tosh!) and have been created to look like authentic five-pocket western jeans.
From £152.99 www.hoodjeans.co.uk
www.ktechsuspension.com
DAINESE CORSE D1 OUT BOOTS Derived from the top-of-the-range Torque boots, the Corse D1 Out boots have CE protection and a light weight for a cheaper price tag, while going outside of your leathers if that’s what you’re into. They come with a bi-colour replaceable plastic slider and thermoplastic version of Dainese’s D-Axial hinge system, that should help prevent your foot from going the wrong way in the event of an off.
£239.95
www.dainese.co.uk
ARMR SHL840 GLOVES If goat’s skin is your thing, then these new budget, summer gloves from Armr boast an impressive armoury for a bargain price. Using non-bovine leather for a lighter weight and better abrasion & tear resistance, the layers are thinner than cowhide, while still being protective thanks to hard knuckle protection and tough reinforced aramid palm sliders. The full length Velcro wrist/cuff closure gives a secure fit, while the neoprene inner adds comfort on the wrists.
£39.99
www.tri-motive.com
ALPINESTARS JAM AIR RIDING SHOES If you’re on the hunt for a new casual riding boot for a summer adventure, then these Jam Air Riding Shoes might be just what you’re looking for. Certified to CE standards, the Jam Air Shoe has dual density ankle protectors applied between the upper and padded lining, while the internal toe box and heel counter have been reinforced. You won’t just be safe though, as Alpinestars have given the Jam Air Riding Shoes a padded leather tongue, perforated leather for ventilation and a rubber sole with removable anatomic EVA foam footbed for arch support and comfort.
£129.99
www.alpinestars.com
OCTOBER 2018 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 13
ED AND RE VIE W ED THE VERY BEST KI T – US ED, ABUS
What’s the best way to test out products? Abuse them of course! And our man Boothy is pretty damn good at that. He managed two weeks at the Isle of Man TT on his trusty old 2012 ZX10-R without one crash, but as soon as he got to Cadwell Park, he couldn’t handle the pressure and threw himself over the ‘bars over The Mountain within just a couple of laps. Here’s what our crash test dummy made of some of the kit he was using at the time…
HELD CUSTOM FULL SPEED RACE SUIT
HELD PHANTOM III CUSTOM RACE GLOVES
TESTED BY: Boothy MILES: 7,000 TIME: 2 years PRICE: £2,100 WEB: www.held-uk.co.uk
TESTED BY: Boothy MILES: 5,000 TIME: 2 years PRICE: £260 WEB: www.held-uk.co.uk
Never in my life had I ever done so many miles in a set of leathers without crashing. Normal procedure for me is to use leathers up, rather than wear them out. I’ve crashed many a time in a Held Slade suit which is their less expensive one-piece jobby, and that always performed admirably in a crash, so once I’d finished crying about lobbing my pride and joy down the road I had a good look around the more expensive Full Speed suit, to see how that fared. And it didn’t fare badly at all, really. As expected, it’s pretty scuffed in the areas that made contact with the floor, but none of the kangaroo leather has worn through. Some of the decorative stuff on the arms and legs didn’t make it, but I don’t think any of that would compromise the integrity of the suit. The only place desperate for a repair is the stretch panel at the back of the left knee, which has torn to expose the inner lining. And I didn’t get any bruises or grazes on my arms and legs, so all the padding and hard protection did what it was designed to do.
As with my leathers, this was the first crash I’d had in these gloves, after doing thousands of miles in them. And I’d like to say my hands came off completely unscathed... but they didn’t. Well one of them did, the other one didn’t. I whacked it on the tarmac full pelt, hard enough to dent the titanium knuckle protectors and hard enough for me to think that I’d broken my hand. As it happens, a trip to A&E and a quick X-ray confirmed that I hadn’t broken my hand and it was just me being a drama queen. But it did hurt. In fact it still hurts now but I can’t really attribute the pain to a shortcoming in the gloves, as nothing can offer 100% protection 100% of the time. My only complaint would be that the stitching on the palm padding has started to fail; the crash didn’t help the situation but it had started to come away even before I bitch-slapped Cadwell Park’s hard tarmac.
OCTOBER 2018 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 15
PRODUCTS
SHOEI X-SPIRIT III
DAYTONA SECURITY EVO RACING BOOTS
TESTED BY: Boothy MILES: 10,000 TIME: 3 years PRICE: £599.99 WEB: www.shoeiassured.co.uk
Someone once told me that every time you bang your head, you lose a couple of brain cells; if that’s the case I don’t suppose I’ve got many left. I don’t think I had a lot in the first place. In all seriousness though, we all know that a decent helmet is a must when you throw your leg over a motorbike. At £599.99, the X-Spirit III isn’t cheap, but during my little off at Cadwell Park, my head took a proper blow to the tarmac. I wasn’t KO’ed, but I reckon that’s about as hard as you can bang your head without spending a little bit of time unconscious – it didn’t half hurt and I had an evening of spewing up followed by a couple of days’ worth of headaches. But I can handle that, and I’d rather not think about how I’d have been had I not been wearing such a well-fitting, premium quality helmet. The lid’s had it now. It can be pretty heart-breaking chucking away a helmet that might only be a few years old, but when you take away the
TESTED BY: Boothy MILES: 5,000+ TIME: 8 years PRICE: £990 WEB: www.daytona.de/en/
My feet didn’t really take much of an impact in the crash, but the boots must have spent at least a little bit of time scraping along the tarmac, as is evident by the scuff marks on the top of my right boot. It’s no great shakes, but the chrome looks a bit second-hand now. There is also a little rip on the inside of the right-hand ankle – I’m not sure if this was
R&G CRASH PROTECTION inner lining, you can see how much the impact has damaged the EPS shell. I’m sure it can be upcycled into a fruit bowl or a hanging basket or something.
R&G ADJUSTABLE REARSETS TESTED BY: Boothy MILES: 1,000 TIME: 6 months PRICE: £379.99 WEB: www.rg-racing.com
Like the crash protection, the R&G Adjustable Rearsets were fitted to tidy the ZX10 up ready for the 2018 TT and they definitely did tidy the old girl up. They were a bit fiddly to fit and we struggled to incorporate the Dynojet quickshifter into the shift system on the left-hand side but once it was all on, everything seemed fine. The problems started when I tried to manhandle the thing round the Isle of Man TT Course. It’s probably not a reflection of the quality of the parts, but only made it seven miles round my first lap before the foot pegs started rattling loose. It’s commonplace at the TT for stuff that you wouldn’t expect to fall off your race bike. I had to stop a few times, on my first lap, to tighten the pegs by hand but
caused by something rubbing before the crash, and has just gone unnoticed, or happened in the crash itself. Either way it could do with a bit of a look-at, at some stage. But my feet, legs or ankles aren’t broken, so I can’t fault the Daytona boots’ crash performance.
once we had drowned every thread with Loctite and swung a spanner on it all, nothing rattled loose. The Cadwell crash didn’t do the rearsets any favours – it wore the peg to almost nothing and bent the back plate a little bit. But I can’t really complain about that, I mean I shouldn’t have crashed, should I.
16 OCTOBER 2018 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM
TESTED BY: Boothy MILES: One crash TIME: 6 months PRICE: Crash bobbins £69.99
Engine covers £160.99 WEB: www.rg-racing.com
We fitted R&G stuff to the ZX10 when we built it for the 2018 TT, because we needed a whole load of parts and it made sense to get as much as we could from one place, which is what’s so great about R&G. The crash bungs were dead easy to fit and looked quite smart, the engine cover protectors were a little bit of a pain though and they came with bolts with different head types to standard, so we ended up with mismatching bolts holding the covers on. I can’t
complain about how the stuff performed when the ZX10 was sliding along the tarmac though; the right-hand crash bung wore itself down to almost nothing but kept the bodywork off the tarmac for long enough that the fairings came off pretty lightly. And the engine covers worked marvellously too, with no damage to any of the standard engine covers.
LAUNCH Open (your wallet) wide and say RRrrrrrrrrr.
18 OCTOBER 2018 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM