Fast Bikes August issue 20 PAGE FREE PREVIEW!

MID-SIZED MASTER GETTING TO GRIPS WITH KTM’S RC 8C

SUPERSPORT 600 BUYER’S GUIDE

THE FAIRY TALE TT

THE STORY BEHIND DUNLOP’S 2017 SENIOR VICTORY

AU G ISS UST UE 20 40 23 6

THE

2005 YAMAHA R66

CASH

OUR GUIDE TO INVESTING IN USED BIKES...

DREAM BIG, BUY SMART, MAKE MONEY.

LONG-TERMER

DUCATI PANIGALE V4 SP2 PROJECT R7:

TACKLING THE TT

10 MINUTES WITH...

KYLE RYDE

ISSUE 406 AUGUST 2023

THE KNOWLEDGE

Used Bike Guide..............................54 We really rate Yamaha’s 2005 R6. So much so, we’ve done a buyer’s guide on it.

TESTS

Splash the cash .............................. 18 Ever wondered how to buy the bike you want and make money simply from owning it? This should give you a few pointers.

Mid-sized Maestro ..........................60 KTM’s track-only RC 8C has been given a good seeing-to for 2023. Here’s what to expect.

COLUMNISTS

Brad Howell ...................................92 Our fitness guru offers more great training wisdom.

Tom Neave ......................................94 Halfway through the season, Tom tells us how he’s getting on.

Christian Iddon ...............................96 Iddon’s one tough cookie, as we’re sure you’ll agree after reading this.

Steve Parrish...................................98

60

He’s back from the TT and has plenty of tales.

FEATURES

The fairytale TT ...............................40

40

Michael Dunlop was the man of the moment at this year’s TT, but you already know that, so we’re taking a trip down memory lane to bring you the magic behind his 2017 TT win on his Hawk Suzuki GSX-R1000R.

Long-termer Ducati V4 SP2 ............XX With 600 miles clocked, Bruce treats his SP2 to a bit of TLC and a service.

R7 project........................................ 78

After all the graft, stress, and pound coins invested in his R7 project, Rutter’s finally had chance to put it to test around the TT – and it didn’t disappoint.

Alternatively, scan the QR code on this page and order your next copy today. We will send it directly to you!

To pre-order your next issue of Fast Bikes, head to classicmagazines.co.uk/ pre-order-fb

18

BUY

GEAR

FASTBIKESMAG.COM

WELCOME

Old bike, new home

B

uying bikes; it’s a big thing for all of us, regardless of whether you’re spending the equivalent of a mortgage, or handing over the kind of cash you might find down the back of the sofa.

I am habitually tight, as regular readers will now know, or at least when it comes to spending money on myself. But things are changing, and it’s mostly down to my sudden craving to own as many motorcycles as I can. The truth is, the type of bikes I’m buying are often the ones that others don’t want, and that’s reflected in the pricing. But I’ve always been the type of person to see past a few battle scars, or the necessary graft to make something decent out of a heap. In the past four months I’ve found myself

owning two new ‘used’ bikes… a Kawasaki ZX-7R (which is absent once again this issue, but there’s good news on the way) and a Suzuki GSX-R 600 SRAD, which I’ve not so much as sat on yet. Why have I bought them? Arguably, nostalgia has a lot to do with it, and that was also a factor when I bought my RSV Mille a few years ago. I’m getting older, and those bikes were cool when I was a whippersnapper, so having come along at the right price, I’ve bagged them. Ultimately, the ZX-7R will be sold, as per the concept of our ‘Shed-find-to-superbike’ feature, but the Suzuki’s likely to stay for a stretch of time... assuming the missus doesn’t find out about it. They’re starting to go up in value, too, which is a bonus, and my

‘get out of jail’ if the better half does find out – it then becomes an investment, for the sake of the family and next year’s holiday. Joking aside, there are plenty of cunning folk that roll those dice and make a good living out of buying the right bikes at the right time. That’s the core basis of this issue, masterfully covered by Johnny, who’s identified the bikes that are already peaking, the models on the rise and the ones worth a punt. I almost wish I hadn’t read what he had to say, because now I can’t stop scanning for new metal, so take that as a warning… you don’t want to end up with my newfound affliction.

Enjoy the mag (and let us know what you buy).

View Fast Bikes video content:

Join us on Facebook:

Facebook.com/ FastBikesMagazine

Download Fast Bikes:

Mortons.co.uk/FB

youtube.com/ fastbikesmag

Join us on Twitter:

@FastBikesMag

BOSSY MAN

BSB SU PER S TA R

bwilson@mortons.co.uk

...and Britain’s best builder

...and pro at pranks

MONEY MAN

TRACK RIDING GURU

YOUNG MAN

coakman@fastbikes.co.uk

...and super nice bloke

FA ST MAN

TT WINNER

SUPERSTOCK WINNER

tneave@mortons.co.uk

...and karaoke king

...and combine king

OLD MAN

MOTOGP SAGE

SUPERBIKE SNAPPER

gramps@fastbikes.co.uk

...and wine connoisseur

...and eBay addict

SUBSCRIBE!

ROAD RACING LEGEND

LEGAL LORE

‘Dangerous’ Bruce Wilson

Charlie ‘The Sheriff’ Oakman

Tim Neave

John McAvoy

See page 8 for the best deals, or visit classicmagazines.co.uk/ subscription/FB/fast-bikes

6 AUGUST 2023 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

Christian Iddon

Dean Ellison

Gary Johnson

Jack Fairman

Peter Hickman ...and BSB winner

RACING PUNDIT

Steve Parrish

Carl Stevens

Tom Neave

Jamie Morris

Gavin Grewal

...and hardcore off-roader

Pay just £3.92 per edition That’s a 18% saving when paying by Direct Debit

Great reasons to subscribe >> Free UK delivery to your door or instant download to your digital device >> Save money on shop prices >> Never miss an issue >> Receive your issue before it goes on sale in the shops

PRINT ONLY

One year FOR £47 Direct Debit

One year FOR £50 Credit/debit card

Two years FOR £95 Credit/debit card

DIGITAL ONLY

6 issues FOR £18.99 Credit/debit card »

13 issues FOR £35.99 Credit/debit card »

classicmagazines.co.uk/FBDPS TERMS & CONDITIONS: Rates are based on UK orders only – for overseas please visit www.classicmagazines.co.uk/fb-overseas. Subscriptions will start with the next available issue. Offer closes 04/08/23. Direct debit payments will continue at the price you paid, on this offer, every 12 months thereafter unless you tell us otherwise.

Full terms and conditions can be found at www.classicmagazines.co.uk/terms. Quoted savings are based on a 12-issue direct debit subscription when compared to the cost of 12 full-price printed issues.

SUBSCRIBE ANDSAVE! 01507 529529 and quote FBDPS Lines are open from 8.30am-5pm (Monday - Friday)

FEATURE

PLA NE T FAST BIKES – NE W ME TAL

, NE WS & REV IEW S

WORDS> SIR ALAN OF DO

WDS

NEW NINJA ON THE WAY

Early release for 2024 ZX-6R supersports machine If I could invent a time machine and go back 20 years, I’m not sure what would be more stunning to the 2003 me – the fact that there’s only one sportsbike magazine on sale in the UK or that there’s only one proper inline-four supersport 600 on sale in the UK… Both would have seemed very unlikely, but there you have it. Fast Bikes is the last sportsbike mag standing and the Kawasaki ZX-6R is the last full-beans road-legal 600 on showroom floors. The reasons why are complex (in both cases), but the 600 market has had a tough time of late. Bike buyers have become more polarised – if you want a sportsbike, you tend to go for straight for a litre superbike nowadays, especially since they got so much more kit and handling prowess. And much of the mainstream has moved from GSX-Rs, CBRs and R6s to Teutonic

GSs, Triumph Tigers, Ténérés and Transalps. Add in the power-sapping requirements of Euro emissions regs and the costs needed to come up with brand-new cleaner

10 AUGUST 2023 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

engines that could make more power, and you can see why they’ve tailed off a bit.

So, fair play to Kawasaki, which has given its ZX-6R a proper

going-over for 2024. The supersport Ninja has, of course, been a belter for more than 20 years, with the 636cc B1 model bringing new stuff like radial brakes and fuel injection

Keep an eye on our online channels – Facebook, Twitter, and the Fast Bikes website (www. fastbikesmag.com) – for news as it happens.

KAW WASAKI ELIMINATOR 450 Kawasaki dropped some teasers on another new 2024 model last month, too t – the Eliminator 450. minator marque is a historic The Elim one for Kawasaki: the first Eliminattor 1000 was a hot-rod style

to the Japanese mainstream. And for 2024 it gets an overhaul to the 636cc motor that takes peak power up to 127bhp@13,000rpm thanks to new camshafts and tweaked exhaust headers, plus different inlet tract design. The biggest obvious change is to the bodywork, which now features subtle aerodynamic winglets and dual-layer front fairing panels, aimed at improving handling at speed. You get a general update of the equipment levels too, bringing the 636 Ninja in line with 2024 tech, including a colour LCD dash, Bluetooth phone link and LED lighting. Rider aids are less trick, but you still get three-level traction control, quickshifter and riding modes. On the chassis front, Kawasaki sticks with premium Showa suspension, so there’s SFF-BPF (separate function big piston) forks and rear monoshock.

The Nissin brake calipers bite onto non-petal discs, and you get high-end road-sport rubber: Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV. The new 2024 ZX-636R will be in the shops in October, just in time for a late Euro trackday in Inters, and comes in green or stealth black/grey paint. It’s priced well too, at £10,599.

muscle machine that used a GPZ900R engine, aimed at the US market. The 450 also has some history in Kawasaki cruiser design: its 450 Limited used half a GPZ900R motor and chugged its way through the 1980s and 1990s in some style.

The new bike doesn’t seem to use ‘half a ZX-10R engine’, which feels like a missed marketing opportunity if nothing else, but it does look like a useful entry-level machine. The styling is similar to Honda’s CMX500 Rebel, and Kawasaki will be hoping to emulate that bike’s success. Final spec is to be confirmed, but it has an 18in front wheel and 16in rear, with steel tube frame and single front brake disc. It’ll be on sale next January, priced at about £6700.

NORTON V4 CR PRODUCTION VERSION RELEASED We all saw the saucy Norton V4 Café Racer at the NEC show last year, and now the Solihull-based premium bike maker has released the final production version with full spec and details. It’s a limited edition deal, with only 200 bikes being made, and features a 185bhp version of the firm’s 1,200cc 72° V-four motor bolted into a hand-made aluminium tube frame, billet

CNC-machined single-sided swingarm, and the very finest in running gear from Öhlins and Brembo. The bike comes in two versions: Carbon, with carbon-fibre bodywork and BST carbon wheels; and Platinum Manx, with silver painted bodywork (still carbon) and OZ Racing forged aluminium rims.

Price is £42k.

Norton is aware that it can’t justify its shiny new Midlands

factory or build a big new brand with a few limitededition bikes, though. And it seems to be busy on a number of fronts, coming up with more prosaic ‘volume’ models that will be accessible to a wider range of riders. Expect new power plants and a range of more mainstream naked and adventure models to start appearing, perhaps as soon as the end of this year.

AUGUST JULY 2023 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 11

PLANE T FAST BIKES – NEW METAL

, NEWS & REVIEW S

2024 M1000 XR

BMW unveils prototype M-Sport version of its excellent super-adventure tourer As we went to press, BMW had just displayed the might of its standard M1000 RR superbike at the Isle of Man TT. Peter Hickman won the Senior and both Superstock races on his FHO Racing M1000 RR – setting a lap record on the stocker of 136.358mph... so it was the perfect time to drop this – the M1000 XR prototype. The mad Munich massive has taken the already mental S1000 XR road-biased ‘adventure tourer’ and given it a mighty M-Sport makeover. That starts with a full-bore 200bhp motor, based on the unit out of the M1000 RR, complete with ShiftCam variablevalve operation. It’s bolted into a tweaked S1000 XR chassis, which gets new bodywork, incorporating

12 AUGUST 2023 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

aerodynamic winglets, of all things.

An M-Sport brake install rounds off the upgrades, with blue-finished calipers and a radial master cylinder set-up. It’s even going to offer an M Competition package, apparently, with god-knows-what other goodies.

Does it make sense, then? BMW reckons it will be the fastest way to go cross-country in comfort and style, and it’s fair to say that existing machines like the Ducati Multistrada V4 and its own S1000 XR already do that very well.

Longer-travel suspension, tall screen, high-end equipment levels and comfy riding position, as well as a hugely-powerful motor, makes a lot of sense when you need to get from Cornwall to Yorkshire in a day. But is 200bhp too much?

BMW’s usual set of rider aids, traction control and wheelie control, plus ride-by-wire throttle and power modes, will all help tame those horses, of course, and the aero-wings will presumably assist stability at speed. BMW knows what it’s doing here as well: the M1000 RR and M1000 R super naked are both properly sorted pieces of kit.

The M1000 XR is a prototype at the moment but BMW is deffo launching it for 2024. Expect more details later in the year, and the bike in showrooms this winter.

Keep an eye on our online channels – Facebook, Twitter, and the Fast Bikes website (www. fastbikesmag.com) – for news as it happens.

2024 KYMCO AK 550 PREMIUM Maxi-scooters are still much less popular in the UK than the rest of the world. But Kymco’s new AK550 Premium aims to change that, with a high-performance 51bhp twin-cylinder motor, high-end equipment levels, and advanced rider aids including cornering ABS and traction control. We went to Porto, in Portugal, last month to test it – and it makes for an impressive piece of kit.

The engine is strong, smooth and grunty, and the chassis has plenty of motorbike-type handling skillz. There’s good ground clearance, the suspension is well-damped, and the Brembo brakes are strong. An electric windscreen, heated grips and cruise control all make long-distance work much easier, and it’s comfy enough for two, with plenty of space under the seat. Dry weight is a decent 223kg thanks to the aluminium frame design and the colour LCD dash, while integrated Bluetooth link and keyless ignition all add to the high-quality feel It’s not cheap at £10,399 – but nothing is nowadays, eh? It’s priced competitively against the similarly-spec’d Yamaha TMAX though, and is well worth a look. More info: www.kymco.co.uk

BIKE SHED SHOW Hate London? Hate The Bike Shed? Well, you’re not alone, but you’re also wrong…

To Tobacco Dock in London’s Wapping town, for the 2023 Bike Shed show, and it’s fair to say that it was bigger and better than ever. We know plenty of folk poo-poo The Bike Shed, but we’ve heard from a lot of converts who went along this year and had their expectations exceeded.

The organisers have expanded their remit, so the bikes on show covered the whole range of custom and special builds, from 500GP machinery to Paris-Dakar racers, turbocharged Z900s, super-trick tweaked two-strokes and much more. Firms like Alpinestars, BMW, Yamaha,

Norton and Michelin were all exhibiting, and there was interesting stuff everywhere you looked. The food and drink on offer was a league above the death burgers at a normal exhibition centre, and there was decent live music too. Do yourself a favour and check it out next year.

There will also be an American Bike Shed show next year, based near the firm’s LA branch, in October.

YAM XSR900 RD500 LC COPY We did a double-take at this special XSR900 at The Bike Shed Show. Customising firm Velocity Moto, headed up by our old mate Hag Hughes, has come up with this special RD500 LC replica body kit for the current XSR900 retro-roadster. It looks ace, and the ‘YPXS 900’ graphics are inspired. More info: http:// velocity-moto.com

AUGUST 2023 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 13

PLANE T FAST BIKES – NEW METAL

MV AGUSTA

Italian exotica-monger MV Agusta, fresh from a new funding deal with KTM owner Pierer Mobility, has announced a big expansion

, NEWS & REVIEW S

and refurbishment of its historic factory at Schiranna, on Lake Varese, near Milan. The firm is adding a museum to the location, alongside new R&D labs, engineering works, and uprated

YAMAHA TÉNÉRÉ 700 RAID Yamaha’s released this new World Raid version of its Ténéré 700 off-roader. It’s similar to last year’s World Rally edition, with the long-travel suspension, 23-litre dual fuel tank and other upgrades, but it also comes with a special retro

14 AUGUST 2023 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

paint scheme to celebrate its old Dakar racers, a special seat, and a titanium Akrapovic end can. Priced £13,000, it’s in shops now.

production facilities. Add in a new deal for distribution in the USA and Europe through Pierer partners and the future looks pretty bright for the firm.

SUBSCRIBE FOR BIKESOCIAL BENEFITS Bennetts is one of the top bike insurers in the UK and its BikeSocial marketing side works hard to provide extra benefits for customers.

We’ve agreed a special deal to let Fast Bikes subscribers join in on its trackdays for this year. Sign up for a year of your favourite magazine and you get access to all the Bennetts Benefits, including its extensive calendar of trackdays.

The next one is Snetterton on July 13 and Bennetts ambassador John McGuinness will be there, fresh from smashing it at the TT, and there’s plenty of BikeSocial editorial stuff happening on the day. Its very own John Milbank is planning to film the VFR800 turning

100k miles on track, Michael Mann is riding the 2023 Hayabusa, and Adam ‘Chad’ Child is riding the Kramer track bike.

For more info and to book on, visit www. bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial If you make it on the day, here’s what you can expect…

Only three groups: seven 20-minute sessions on track – LOTS of track time.

FREE action shots of you, taken by a professional BSB photographer.

An onsite BSB mechanic for essential adjustments.

Chance to meet and ride with John McGuinness and Bennetts BSB riders.

A team of instructors ready to offer riding advice.

Extended safety briefing for the novice group.

Two classroom sessions for the novice group, focusing on circuit tips and body position.

Option to take advantage of one-to-one on-track coaching for a session (first come, first served).

BikeSocial partners in attendance, supporting the event.

Yamaha track hire bikes available to book.

Hire leathers, helmets, gloves and boots available to book.

The Classic Superbike Experience available to book with Renaissance Racing.

Format for the day; 7.30am Sign on 8.30am Safety briefing (novice group)

9am 11am

Track session live Classroom – circuit tips (novice group)

1pm 2pm 2pm

Lunch Track session live Classroom – body position (novice group)

5pm

Thank-you and goodbye

Services on the day include: Mechanic and tyre changing service.

Moto Event group – hire bikes, kit, tyres warmers etc.

BSB photographer – free pics from the day.

TRIUMPH RECORD How many miles have you managed in a day? We’ve done 800 or so riding back from France, and it’s pretty tough. Triumph’s managed a world record though, with its off-road ambassador Ivan Cervantes topping 2493 miles on a Tiger 1200 Explorer GT. He cheated a little by doing it on the Nardo high-speed ring rather than the Autoroute from Nice to Calais, but fair play – 18 fuel stops, one tyre change, and zero sleep got him a Guinness World Record. Top marks.

AUGUST 2023 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 15

ALL THE LATEST, CO OL ES T & TRICK

ES T PERF ORMA NC E PRODUC TS WORDS> SIR ALAN OF DOWDS

ALPINESTARS GP PLUS R V3 JACKET

TCX JUPITER 5 GORE-TEX BOOTS

A smart cowhide jacket that’s optimised for use with or without the firm’s Tech-Air 5 airbag, the GP Plus R v3 uses a new Rideknit material for the stretch comfort panels around the seams. There’s also p plentyy of zippered venting pp g for

Now in its fifth generation, this model of short urban/touring boot has been one of TCX’s biggest hits. They combine solid ankle and foot protection with loads of comfort, both on and off the bike. A Gore-Tex membrane makes them waterproof, secure lace and Velcro fastening is easy to get on and off, and they even look decent enough to wear in the pub of an evening if you’re travelling super-light with no space for your brown brogues…

riding in cooler and hot conditions, CE armour in elbows and shoulder, plus pockets for optional chest and back protectors. It’s got a subtle, sporty design, and zips to suitable Astars trousers.

£470

ww w ww.alpinestars.com

£209.99

www.nevis.uk.com

SSW MOTECH BLAZE PANNIERS

DAINESE HEKLA JACKET Hekla is an Icelandic volcano and also o the e name of ‘a short hooded cloak’, so we h have no idea what that has to do with ng/ this – Dainese’s latest high-end tourin d adventure jacket. The firm has moved ur away from Gore-Tex this year in favou of its own ‘Absoluteshell 20k’ laminated breathable membrane outer shell. Dainese says it has more ultimate control over its final design by using its own material, whereas Gore-Tex has quite strict rules on how its membranes can be used.

New production methods aside, the Hekla looks good and is packed with cunning tricks: magnetic pocket fasteners and a spot to stick Dainese’s own magnetic-tagged gloves, too. There are one-hand operation back vents, removable thermal liner, outer mesh pocket, and it attaches to matching trousers to make a smart suit. Not cheap – but then, what is these days? Available in grey or green in sizes UK 34-54.

£799.95

www.dainese.com

G German firm SW Motech m makes great long-lasting lu uggage, and these Blaze pan p nniers are a stalwart of the ran ng ge. They’re a semi-soft desig gn, with a cunning mounting system that makes them ideal for sporty or naked bikes, like this BMW R1250 R. A pair of aluminium brace arms clip into small mounting brackets on the pillion pegs, holding the bags extrasecure and away from exhausts and bodywork. A simple Velcro linking panel sits on top of the pillion seat, and securing straps hold it all in place. Ideal for light touring and commuting work.

From £345

www.sw-motech.co.uk

OXFORD MINT BIKE WASH You can never have enough bike wash, we find – and it can be pricey stuff. Enter Oxford, with its new Mint bike wash, now available in a five-litre can of

concentrate as well as 5l and 1l ready-to-use pre-mixed bottles.

Makes up to 20l of wash, ready to spray on and cut the muck all through the season.

£49.99 (concentrate) £19.99 (5l premix) £7.99 (1l premix) www.oxfordproducts.com

16 AUGUST 2023 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

PRODUCTS

HJC RPHA 11 MILES MORALES SPIDERMAN HELMET One for the extreme Marvel fans out there – this HJC RPHA 11 helmet looks like a Spiderman design but is actually a Miles Morales replica. If you know, you know, apparently. Under the spidey graphics is HJC’s upper-middle class RPHA 11 lid, with carbon composite outer shell, aerodynamic design, quick-release visor, Pinlock insert and loads of venting. There are three shell sizes for optimum weight and fit, and it comes with a spare tinted visor, plus a five-year warranty.

£549.99

www.oxfordproducts.com

VANUCCI TANKBAGS With many bikes now having plastic covers rather than steel tanks in front of the rider, old-school magnetic tank bags are less useful. These Vanucci bags use the Givi Tanklock ring mount (not supplied), which bolts onto the bike’s fuel cap surround,

and have an easy on-off click system.

Available in small (3-5 litre), medium (5-8 litre) and large (15 litre) sizes, the bags come with water-resistant outer shells and inner bags, outer zip pockets and carry handles.

£104.37 (3-5l), £139.17 (5-8l), £173.97 (15l). www.louis-moto.co.uk

OXFORD ANCHORFORCE GROUND ANCHOR We’re always thinking about security here, and this hardened steel Oxford ground anchor is a solid addition to any rider’s broad spectrum anti-scrote theftdeterrent policy. It bolts into concrete or brick walls/floors, with four tamper-resistant fasteners, and has loads of room for up to 16mm link chains. All the fittings are included; all you need is a 16mm masonry drill bit and a chunky hammer/SDS drill.

£74.99

www.oxfordproducts.com

NANO PLUS TRACKER The best security stops your bike getting stolen in the first place, of course, but once it’s gone, a tracking device gives you a solid chance of getting it back. This new Nano Plus Tracker, distributed by R&G Racing, is a super-compact all-in-one GPS unit with its own battery that lasts three years and links to the firm’s main operations centre. The full monitoring service costs just £3 a month – decent value, we reckon.

£159.60

www.rg-racing.com

RIICCHA ATLANTIC 2 GORE-TEX JACKETT Th his is the second edition of the top-end touring jacket from Richa and comes with the firm’s latest upgrades. The outer ell is laminated Gore-Tex 2L and 3L, with stretch panels sshe or a perfect fit and extra abrasion-proof Gore-Tex fo Armacor panels in high-impact areas. A removable A thermal liner and ample closable vents all round will t help keep you at the perfect temperature. It comes with D3O armour in elbows and shoulders, plus a back protector and pockets for optional chest protection.

Comes in black, white or black/yellow in men’s sizes and in black only for women’s sizes.

£849.99

www.nevis.uk.c com

AUGUST 2023 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 17

FEATURE

18 AUGUST 2023 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

SPLASH THE CASH

WORDS> BIG MAC PICS> MORTONS ARCHIVE / CHAPPO

SPLASH THE CASH

If you play your cards right, you can buy that bike you’ve always wanted and actually make money from it. Here’s why…

I

t is possible to ride the bike of your dreams completely free of charge, and if you’re clever enough, you can even make a few quid while you’re at it. The idea for this examination of how this is possible came about one evening browsing the internet with an imaginary budget (yes, I still do that). I stumbled across a bike so cheap that I just couldn’t believe it. Certain it was a mistake, I went off looking for other examples of the same bike – only to find that they were all

indeed roughly the same price. I messaged Bruce a link to the bike.

“Have you seen how cheap this is?” I texted. “You could buy that, run it for years, and never lose a penny.” And so the idea for this feature was born. In case you’re wondering, the bike in question was a 2004 Honda Fireblade.

The first thing to put out there is that this isn’t a guide on how to invest in the right bikes to make money. It isn’t about how to

build a collection of bikes that just sit there and appreciate in value over time.

This is hopefully a collection of musings based on some level of experience gained over a period of 35 years of fascination for all things two-wheeled – a fascination that’s still as strong today as when I was a teenager... musings that might change how you approach buying your next bike… or not... but the following pages should at least make you stop and think.

AUGUST 2023 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 19

FEATURE

G N I G D E H UR O . . .

Y TS E B The original Blade is still a big crowd-pleaser.

20 AUGUST 2023 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

W

e all have that list – bikes we wish we still had and can’t believe we sold for what we did, because since then they’ve gone on to become icons that everyone wants... but when we owned them, they were just what we got our kicks with. In my case, I’m talking about, among others, my Kawasaki KR1-Ss, Suzuki RGV250, Yamaha TDR250, Suzuki TL1000S, Ducati 916, 1998 Yamaha R1, Suzuki GSX-R750Y and Kawasaki ZXR750-RR, all of which I virtually gave away. At the time, I got fair prices for my 916 at £4500, my TDR for £750 and my RGV for £1500, and the ZXR-RR sold for a couple of grand. I could be depressed about the sheer amount of money I’ve lost in depreciation over the years OR I could actually act my age and apply some of the accumulated wisdom I’ve gathered and try to buy my next imaginary bike smarter, so I never lose another penny to depreciation.

There are some downsides to this approach, though – specifically, every single new bike is off the menu purely on the basis of them depreciating massively in the first few years. So, you’ll be in the wilderness of the used bike market, without any warranties or dealer support that come with a new bike, unless, of course, you buy your used bike form a dealer. You also might therefore not be able to treat yourself to the bike you really

want above all others, and by definition you’ll not have the latest and greatest tech at your fingertips.

That’s not to say there aren’t bikes out there at rock-bottom prices which can’t blow your mind. Remember, we are living in a golden age of total excess and opulence when it comes to spec and performance that can outdate bikes just a few years old and therefore make them somehow ‘less’. We are talking about bikes that, while not dripping in tech and bursting with power, were often rewriting the rulebook their day and making us weak at the knees…or not, which leads me neatly to the first and most important thing to have in mind if you’re tempted by the idea of free or even profitable motorcycling: what does make one bike appreciate in value and another not?

There isn’t a straightforward answer to which bike you should hedge your bets on.

However, time is probably the only factor to consider. Sign up to a longer term of ownership and your chances of riding FOC are significantly better than if you’re the sort who can’t stay with one bike for more than a year or two. If that’s you, there’s another option, which is to buy more than one bike, and add to the collection in the garage.

Spotting a bike with the potential to be a future icon is, of course, the key to making this work, but just how do you do that?