Fast Bikes - April 2019 - Preview

HONDA’S CBR650R WORKSHOP ❯ HOW TO CHECK, CLEAN & CHANGE YOUR AIR FILTER & PLUGS ❯ REVS! WHY THEY ARE ON THE RISE ❯ PROJECT ZXR-8 ❯ TOP TOOLS

AP R

IL

20 19 ISS UE 351

BABY BLADE BRILLIANCE

2004 R1

BLADE

£4K

THRILLS

MOTARD MADNESS!

2019

❯

DUCATI 950 HYPERMOTARD

&

❯

K TM 690 SMC R

❯ TRACK BIKE BUILDER – HANDLING, SUSPENSION & CONTROLS ❯ READER’S RIDE: LIVING WITH A CBR600RR ❯ APRILIA TUONO V4 BUYER’S GUIDE ❯ ELECTRIC RACE BIKE SCENE

ISSUE 351 APRIL 2019

IT’S THE NEWS!

Upfront ........................................... 10 All the tastiest biking titbits.

GEARED UP!

Products.......................................... 15 All the latest, coolest and trickest products.

THE KNOWLEDGE

Used buyer’s guide ......................... 74 Everything you need to know when buying an Aprilia Tuono V4.

Master Legal ...................................83

What happens if you’re daft enough to have a crash when you are stoned.

20

YOUR LIFE ON BIKES

Addiction.........................................56 Classis superbike fans, walk this way.

You & Yours.....................................80

TESTS

Chatter ............................................82

Dangerous Bruce went all hooligan on Ducati’s new ASBO machine.

It’s only fair we give the best readers in the world a page of their own!

WORKSHOP

Project Ninja ...................................84

Rob’s ZX-8 build is on the home stretch.

Our guide to ....................................88 Changing the bike’s air filter and spark plugs.

What a tool .....................................92 What is a torque wrench, what is it for and how do you use it?

Ducati Hypermotard 950 launch.. 20

COVER STORY

£4k Thrills.................................... 38 Are the very latest superbikes the very best? To find out we took a pair of naughty noughties superbikes out for a blast.

Honda CBR650 launch ................ 52

Is the new ‘CBR’ worthy of such a title?

Frodo went to find out.

KTM 690 SMC R launch .............. 62

Know Your.......................................94

Skids and wheelies are Boothy’s thing, so we sent him to the launch of KTM’s new weapon to see what he made of it.

OUR LIFE ON BIKES

FEATURES

More models, more miles and more mods.

We caught up with the first Brit to win the Dakar rally.

Engine refreshing. Nick Morgan from MSS Kawasaki tells us all we need to know.

Staff bikes.......................................98

•

Husqvarna FC 350

•

Honda CB1000R

RACE SECTION

Pit Pass.......................................... 100 The lowdown on BSB, WSBK and MotoGP.

Electric Avenue ............................ 104 Are electric race bikes the future?

COLUMNISTS

Neave twins ...................................111

The season is fast approaching and Tom has been enjoying his testing programme.

Gary Johnson ................................ 112 It’s non-stop for Gaz as he beavers away to get his bikes ready for a season on the road.

Christian Iddon ............................. 113 Iddon can’t wait to get back out on the new BMW S1000RR.

Steve Parrish................................. 114 Parrish’s take on all things bike-racing.

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Sam Sunderland ......................... 12

Readers Ride ............................... 32 Chris West told us why his CBR600RR is the perfect bike for him.

38 REV-olution...................................... 50 With rev limits getting higher and higher, we investigate what engine changes have made this possible.

Track Bike Builder........................... 66 It’s about time Dangerous Bruce took control of his Gixer, so this month he has been concentrating on exactly that.

62 SUB

All of your latest adventures.

RIBE C S e8 pag ls e e S ai det for

WELCOME

Go nuts!

I

s it just me, or has the world become softer than a tub of Mr Whippy ice cream? I had an epic childhood, full of risk, dirt and, typically, some ratty field bike, which bruised me and my brothers to high heaven on any given weekend.

Crashing was all part of the fun, and the more spectacular the tumble, the more respect we got for it. It never did me any harm, despite what my doctor says, and the memories made are the kind that stay with you forever. It’s sad to think that people nowadays frown upon such antics, insisting on safety first and pleasure last… if at all.

It’s a plague that’s spread the world over, limiting the chance for future generations to know what it feels like to wheelie off the back of a Honda CR125, or wear through the knees of your school trousers on an Aprilia RS50. I’m sure most of you can relate to such larks, and see what I’m getting at. To a certain extent, intervention has even started to castrate the simple pleasures of motorcycles. Take ABS, for instance. That’s now compulsory on everything with two wheels, and means that you won’t be able to endo yourself silly like Boothy and Carl did testing this month’s cover bikes. Back in 2004, when exhaust fumes were potent enough to put hairs of your chest and a calculator had more tech than a sportsbike, good times seemed a lot easier to find, as I was reminded by this issue’s thoroughly spanked, 15-year-old R1 and Blade, that were given a road and track thrashing for good measure.

Bikes might have been a bit steadier back then, a little lardier even, but plenty crazy enough to offer a good time, all the time… which can’t be said of everything hitting the showrooms of today.

One bike that bucks that trend is Ducati’s new Hypermotard 950, which left me beaming for days after testing it earlier this month. It was a pure weapon, as offensive as you like, with little regard for practicality or economy, as you’ll digest if you read my report. Boothy felt very much the same about the likeminded KTM 690s he went banzai on, disturbing the peace in the Algarve (and stacking it in the process – shhh!). Both models proved a breath of fresh air, reminding us exactly why we love motorcycles like we do, and showcasing that in an age of sensibility and heightened snow-flaking, you can still find sanctuary and insanity behind a pair of ‘bars. All we need now is for summer to get here. Enjoy your read, and thanks for your continued support.

Thumbs-up to fun...

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BOSS MAN

‘Dangerous’ Bruce Wilson dangerous@fastbikes.co.uk

AD MAN

Charlie ‘The Sheriff’ Oakman coakman@fastbikes.co.uk

NEW MAN

Carl ‘Pretty Boy’ Stevens teaboy@fastbikes.co.uk

RACE MAN

Mike ‘Boothy’ Booth race@fastbikes.co.uk

TECH MAN

Rob ‘Beano’ Bean

tech@fastbikes.co.uk

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NE W S & REV IEW S PL ANET FAST BIKES – NE W ME TA L,

DUCATI SALES ON THE UP Ducati have just released their 2018 sales figures, and it’s fair to say they didn’t have a bad year, with 53,004 machines being delivered to customers around the globe.

It wasn’t just the overall sales figures that are pretty impressive, because Ducati’s Panigale actually came out as the world’s best-selling machine in the superbike segment, so much so, that one in four of the

machines sold in the sector was, in fact, a Panigale, with 9,700 of the machines flying out of Bologna and into your hands.

"In 2018 we achieved stability, and the year was positive both in terms of business and racing,” said CEO of Ducati Motor Holding, Claudio Domenicali.

“We won numerous MotoGP races and developed an exceptional bike. In short, the solidity of the company remains

undisputed, as does our penchant for driving ahead with innovation and product development so we can, over the coming years, continue offering customers new

icons of style and technology.”

That’s good news when you consider the fact that the brand was on the verge of being sold for the last couple of years.

DUCATI’S ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN BIKE HITS DEALERS

Wait, what? Yeah, Ducati have just released their own electric pedal-assisted mountain bike, dubbed the MIG-RR. Co-developed by Ducati and Thok Ebikes, the E-bike has a load of big bucks components, including a Shimano Steps E8000 motor with 504Wh battery, FOX Factory Kashima suspension, 4-caliper Shimano Saint brakes, Mavic wheels, carbon fibre Renthal handlebars, and a livery specially developed by D-Perf, owned by the legend that is Aldo Drudi.

They’re available now, and will set you back about £5,500.

SUZUKI UNLEASH NEW FINANCE OFFERS

Should Sh ld you fancy f a new Suzuki S ki iin time for summer, you might want to check out their new finance deals to give you an easier time.

If you’re on the hunt for a new litre machine, they’re offering the BSB race-winning GSX-R1000R on a 0% finance job with a magnitude of PCP deals, while the rest of the

10 APRIL 2019 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

range is i available il bl under d th their i ‘2 ‘2, 3, 3 4’ offer. This means that you lovely lot can tailor your finance deals however you like. As an example, a GSX-S1000 can be had for just £105.98 per month, with a deposit or trade-in of £2000. The offers are available until the March 31, 2019, so don’t wait on it.

WHAT’S ON IN MARCH

March 3 – Run What Ya Brung – Santa Pod March 9-10 – Scottish Motorcyle Show – Edinburgh March 9-10 – Women Riders World Relay – Ace Café March 23 – Nifty Fifty Endurance - Winchester March 23-24 – MXGP Great Britain – Winchester March 23-24 – Manchester Bike Show – Manchester

APRIL 2019 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 11

INTERVIEW

WORDS: PRETTY BOY IMAGES: MOTOREX, FB ARCHIVE

TEN MINUTES WITH...

SAM SUNDERLAND We caught up with the first Brit to win Dakar to get the lowdown on the hardest race in the world, life in the hot seat and getting his knee down for the first time...

How did you become a factory rider?

It wasn’t easy. I ditched my job and moved to Dubai at 19. I had a lot of advice from people around me to not make that leap of faith. I’d just done a lift engineer apprenticeship and had a stable job, and sacked it off to work in a showroom selling motorbikes and race at the weekend. It was balls-ey. I had no plan, as I was racing MX in the UK and just wanted to try and make a career. The training and riding worked.

How do you train?

At first I was training a lot for motocross. with a lot of fitness, cardio and long hours on a bicycle, just anything I could. After a while I got a coach, and now after ten years I train a bit differently. A bit more specific, so rather than high heart rate, I work on the best base fitness – a really high output for the least amount of effort. It means that I can go harder for longer, essentially. It’s not just living the dream and partying, but about hard work. I finished the Dakar, and was straight back in the gym!

What’s the hardest part of the Dakar?

For me, it’s if I ever drop out of the mental zone, and it happened a lot this year. I’m so focused on the job in hand that there’s no time to feel the fatigue. If there’s dust, or difficult navigation, you get to the point where you fall out of that focussed state, and all manner of thoughts come into my head – like, ‘How long have I got left?’. That’s when an accident happens. Then there’s other issues. For example, I had to ride another 300km with no rear brake, which was a recipe for disaster when you’re going blind over dunes. This year was tough when I received an hour penalty. It was a proper drama and made me think about giving up.

Imagine being on day eight, after risking your life on every stage, to be given an hour penalty because a fuse had blown. The last three days I had my head in the clouds before the hour was taken off.

What’s the relationship with other riders?

Amongst our team, we’re all very close. It’s better that we get on well and have a bit of

12 APRIL 2019 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

banter. With all the riders there’s a lot of respect. If you give someone the eyes before a race, in 30 minutes’s time they might be saving your life, so everyone has to look after each other in a way. You can’t just ride past others on the floor. As a human it isn’t right.

How much of a battering do the bikes take?

A lot. It’s only a 450cc! It will probably take you three or four months to put 12 hours on a motocross bike. We do that every single day. We’re only allowed one engine, so it’s basically flat out on the stopper for up to 15 hours a day for 10 days.

Have you tried other disciplines?

I did enjoy some Supermoto stuff, as I could transfer what I know a bit easier. I had a go on an R6, and that was a different ball game.

The reverse gearbox was a nightmare to try and learn, and the riding position felt so cramped. It wasn’t too scary power wise

compared to what a 1000cc would be, but the cornering was hard. I wanted to lay the bike down with my leg out, but by the second session I had my knee on the deck and felt like Rossi! I have to say, the first time I touched it down I terrified myself. I picked the bike up and went off the track. It’s just so different. It feels mad how much the road boys push the front at their speed, so fair play. I’m still trying to grease Red Bull & KTM up to give me a go on the GP bike, or build me a superbike.

What’s it like having brands like Red Bull & KTM backing you?

It’s incredible. It’s not just like, have a cap and promote our drink. When I’ve been injured they’ve taken me out to Austria for rehabilitation. They do training and stuff, and they bend over backwards. It doesn’t get much better, and KTM do an absolutely mint job. It’s hard work, but it’s definitely living the dream.

Send it.

APRIL 2019 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 13

D REV IEW ED ND BUS ED AN THE VERY BEST KI T – US ED, AB ARMR HARADA S TESTED BY: Martin MILES: 250 TIME: 3 Months PRICE: RRP £349.99 WEB: www.tri-motive.com

I’m not sure about you lot, but when anyone starts talking about budget or cheap leathers, I come out in a cold sweat as I’m taken back to my early biking days, where the only thing I could afford was a horrendous Frank Thomas 2pc suit in Kawasaki green. Thankfully though, nowadays the budget and cheap options available are not only a lot sexier, but also are of a much higher quality than before, which gives the first-time rider a lot more confidence and protection. This Armr suit is one of two from the Swansea-based distributor Tri-Motive alongside the Harada R, which has a slightly higher spec leather along with elbow and shoulder sliders, but for those new to trackdays this suit offers great protection at a great price.

The suit fits really well on and off the bike e, thanks to the stretch panels, and I think itt looks good, too. The neoprene cuffs and neck don’t d chafe, so moving about on the bike is a breeze. b The only thing that could have made it be etter was some nicer knee sliders. A quick visitt to Wiz Racing and that was sorted. It fits niccely, looks smart and even houses some addittional features that you would normally find on higher spec suits, such as the shoulder protectio on and aerodynamic hump. For the amount of money m it costs, they’ve done a cracking job. I havven’t crashed in them yet, but I’d be confident they’d hold up pretty well, should that ever happ pen.

All in all, the Harada S one piece feels like ea premium suit at a budget suit price.

AIRHAWK CUSHION TESTED BY: Martin MILES: 750 TIME: 3 Months PRICE: RRP £120 WEB: Google it!

If any of you had a chance to read my long-termer report before I handed the keys over to Charlie, you’d have known that I had a pretty big issue with the seat on the Honda CB1000R I’d been running. If you’ve not been keeping up-to-date with things, then here is a recap. I found the seat excruciatingly hard and uncomfortable and, after an hour or so, made my bottom fall asleep… which is exactly when the Airhawk seat cushion comes into play. The claims of the Airhawk are that you can double your riding time before feeling uncomfortable. I always take claims of products with a pinch of salt, preferring to try something for myself.

Usually with products, it depends on several variables that can be hit and miss, but not this

time. I can confirm that on this occasion the statement has been the very outcome of my experience. Using an air cushion that you adjust by the twist of a release valve until your cheeks just touch the seat, the Airhawk cradles your bottom without taking the full weight of the rider, or creating a disconnect between the bike itself. Thanks to the air

pocket design, there is also an increased amount of airflow between the rider and the seat, which adds to the comfort factor, although when going super-quick, you’d best have a double bubble windscreen if you don’t want your noggin to be blown off. This model was for a sporty-style bike, but there are also options for tourers and custom bikes.

APRIL 2019 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 15

PRODUCTS

YOSHIMURA R11 EXHAUST SYSTEM TESTED BY: Carlos MILES: 1600 TIME: 1 Year PRICE: RRP £1461 WEB: www.performanceparts-ltd.com

Let’s get straight down to facts.

Exhaust pipes and, indeed, exhaust systems, are bloody awesome. Whether on a road bike, track bike or a mobility scooter, in this current day and age of strangling emissions laws, it almost seems silly not to splash out on one. For my race-spec GSX-R1000R L7 I really did want the very best. Yoshimura has always been cosy with the Suzuki brand and the two have worked together for over 40 years, which is exactly why I went down this route. Even the MotoAmerica and BSB factory teams use Yoshimura, so it can’t be bad. When I received the package and took t it out of the box, it looked so good that I hardly wanted to use it, as it had such a stunning finish and polished coat, made all the more sweeter by how grim the original pipe on a new Gixer looks. The system itself fitted on far easier than I ever thought was possible for an aftermarket part, and in all honesty it was an incredibly easy

job, with all the bits included in the package that instantly boosts the power and torque figures. Yep, it does need a remap to run at its optimum when the system is stuck on, but as far as power per pound coin goes, you’d be far stretched at finding an improvement as big as this. Oh, and it looks as sexy as hell, too.

ANR PERFORMANCE RACE/ TRACK BODYWORK TESTED BY: Boothy MILES: Loads TIME: 5 Seasons PRICE: £300 + £70 PHONE: 07702 277357

Nine times out of ten when you buy trackday fairings, the manufacturer tells you that they’ll fit straight on, with no cutting or dremeling needed. We all know that they are usually telling porkie pies. This stuff, from ANR Performace, though, tends to fit first time. And fit well at that. It comes with all the fixing holes, which hold the panels to each other, drilled and with Dzus fasteners in ready to rock. There’s still some drilling to do to fix the panels to the actual bike, but realistically that’s all going to depend on the bracketry you are using to fit the stuff. Being fibreglass, it’s not the lightest bodywork out there, but

16 APRIL 2019 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

expect to pay a whole lot more if you want to go for carbon fibre.

It’s pretty hard-wearing stuff, too. I’ve got a few seasons’s worth of racing out of one kit, even with a few crashes (I’ve been through quite a few fibreglass repair kits, though).

This set for a Kawasaki ZX-10R was £300, which includes the seat unit, and for an extra £70 you get the piece that wraps around the front of the tank. The costs of buying a fresh set of original plastics after a little spill doesn’t bear thinking about, so if you are going to be taking your road bike on track regularly, it’s a no-brainer, so get yourself some fibreglass bodywork.

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