Fast Bikes Magazine - October issue, 20 PAGE FREE PREVIEW!

DUCATI 749R

BMW MOTORRAD DAYS BEEMERS, BOOZE AND BURN-OUTS

OC T ISS OBE UE R 2 40 02 8 3

REVISITING THIS ICONIC RED ROCKET

2023 S ECIAL N SP ON LOGATIO HOMOL H

FORCE AND N W O D F O S O IL .

660BHP, 84 K EST TARMAC..

IN F ’S D L R O W HE 7 MILES OF T 37.7 L TEST YET, IA C E P S T S O OUR M TRACK ON ROAD AND

TERMER TIME!

LIFE BEHIND THE BARS OF DUCATI’S PANIGALE SP2, KAWASAKI’S Z H2 SE AND BMW’S S 1000 RR

ISSUE 408 OCTOBER 2023

66

60 THE KNOWLEDGE

COLUMNISTS

Who could forget the first ever version of Yamaha’s brilliant R1? Not us. If you need a refresher of what they’re all about, check out our buyer’s guide.

Tim’s racing retirement didn’t last long, having put in a cracking performance at Thruxton.

Used Bike Guide.............................. 54

TESTS

Ultimate Sports Bike 2023.............. 18 It’s our biggest, most powerful and sauciest test of the year. On track and on the roads with three super-trick homologation specials.

Red rocket....................................... 66 It’s nearly 20 years since Ducati launched the awesome 749R. Here’s Timmy’s take.

BUY

GEAR

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18

Tim Neave ....................................... 94

Christian Iddon ............................... 96 Iddon’s been clocking the points and tasting the podium juice.

Steve Parrish................................... 98 Prepare yourself for more tales from Parrish.

FEATURES

BMW Motorrad days....................... 60 If you’re a fan of BMWs, beer and burn-outs, chances are you’ll love the German brand’s annual extravaganza.

Termers ........................................... 74 Life behind the bars of our Ducati Panigale SP2, Kawasaki Z H2 SE and BMW S 1000 RR.

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WELCOME

Man-oh-man!

I

’ve been to the Isle of Man numerous times, typically for the TT. I love the place, not just because of the bikes and the racing, but because of the change of pace, the people, and stunning scenery that litters every inch of the island. If you’ve never been, make sure to get it on your bucket list. There is no place in the world quite like it, as I’ve just been reminded after a recent visit for this month’s cover test. When we were planning our antics, deciding on how and where we could put some of the world’s most special sportsbikes through their paces, a trip to the home of the TT felt like the natural choice – and I’m so glad we made it happen.

In a few pages’ time, you’ll get a grasp of how this year’s Ultimate Sports Bike

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test panned out, but what I want to hark on about here is the magic of the Mountain. There is no more famous a stretch of road than the slither of tarmac that carves its way from Ramsay Hairpin to Cregg-Ny-Baa. It’s iconic, challenging, relentlessly flowing and… unrestricted.

Even as I write this, I’m still perplexed and appreciative of this unconventional factor.

Seeing 163mph on my bike’s dash, on public roads, knowing I wasn’t set for a stint in prison will live with me forever.

And, truthfully speaking, over our three-day visit, that kind of speed was a regular occurrence for me and Timmy, being towed along by my old mate and TT racer Joe Akroyd. It was beyond special, exhilarating and terrifying – all at the same time. The level of concentration

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required was something else, especially because I didn’t really know which way the roads went, or how the bikes reacted under the cambers, bumps and undulations of the road, which were all ever-changing. How the likes of Hicky and co. make it look so easy is something else, and though I didn’t think my level of respect for those who tackle the TT or Manx could be any higher, it’s somehow been enhanced to a godly degree. And the same goes for my love of the island and its inhabitants, who were beyond accommodating on our visit. We really did hit the jackpot.

As far as special tests go, this one will take some beating.

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PLA NE T FAST BIKES – NE W ME TAL

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WORDS> SIR ALAN OF DOWDS

YAMAHA 25TH ANNIVERSARY GYTR PRO R1 Wild £138k WSBK-spec anniversary edition R1 – but it’s track-only

Is it really 25 years since the Yamaha R1 rocked our world? It shurely is. And while Yamaha as a whole has been a little bit slack on the celebrations front, its GYTR (Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing) factory race tuning arm has been beavering away on this saucy piece of nonsense. The GYTR PRO 25th Anniversary R1 is apparently as close to a WSBK or WEC machine as you can get without running a world championship race team

– and it has a price tag to match.

It’s built by the factory’s own race technicians, with engine and chassis parts filched from the world race programme, and will set you back a stunning £138,000 including VAT. That’s enough to get you five brand new R1M superbikes, with change left over for trackdays and tyres for the year…

The spec is pretty amazing: full WSBK built motor with more than 230bhp, Magneti Marelli race engine

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management, factory swingarm, Öhlins race FGR forks and TTX shock, Brembo GP4 brakes and full Akrapovic race pipe. Of course, it’s a track only bike – though we’d love to see one banging along the A272 on a trade plate. The closest parallel we can think of is the BMW HP4 Race – also a barely disguised WSBK/WEC bike festooned in carbon, and also not road legal.

The GYTR PRO 25th Anniversary R1 is a limited edition run, with just

25 bikes being made. Each one will be built at the customer’s choice of Yamaha factory GYTR race shop, and thrown in with the purchase price is a full day of bike setup on track with a team of dedicated Yamaha race techs. They’re currently all gone – what cost of living crisis? – but you can still stick your name down on the reserve list. More details: https://europe. yamaha-motor.eu/specialunits/ reservation/r1-gytr/en

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

2023 GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED

We were at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last month, dodging the rain and the hurricane winds to tazz up the hill on a couple of sweet sweet rides. Bruce graced the BMW M1000 RR with his presence, while Dowds snatched a spin on the Moto2 Replica Triumph 765 Street Triple.

Yamaha was also there with its DB40 concept bike, which we first saw at the Bike Shed show in London earlier this summer, and looks to be

set for production reality soon. The DB40 stands for ‘Deltabox 40’ since it marks four decades of Yamaha Deltabox beam frames – the first of the then-new chassis design appeared on a YZR500 GP bike in 1982, before making an appearance on the TZR250 and FZR1000R Genesis road bikes.

Genuine 500GP and BSB legend Niall Mackenzie was the man whizzing up the legendary hill climb course on the curiously-styled machine.

The DB40 uses the engine from the MT-09 – so putting two and two together suggests we might soon be seeing two new models from Yamaha: the long-awaited R9 sportsbike powered by the 890cc CP3 engine, and a retro-style faired sportster with the DB40’s lines, to take the XSR900 line into the 1980s with a set of period bodywork in place. Watch this space for more as we get it.

DUCATI 30TH ANNIVERSARY MONSTER Of course, if you’re as old as us, 1993 still feels like about 15 years ago. Reality however insists that it is in fact double that – which is why Ducati has dropped this, the 30th anniversary edition of the Ducati Monster. Back in 1993 Ducati was a niche sportsbike maker and financial basket case, rather than the saucy bike behemoth it is now – but it was about to release a crucial part of its journey out of the abyss. Argentinian design guru Miguel Angel Galluzzi converted a series of spare parts from the Ducati warehouse into a slick, capable naked roadster, the Monster 900, which would sell by the truckload and spawn a whole series of machines, from novice 600 twins to fire-breathing superbike-engined 1200s.

In recent years, the Monster has been usurped at the entry level by the Scrambler 800 models, and at the top end by the Streetfighter V2 and V4 models. But Ducati still owes it a massive debt, and has kept it on as a classy uppermiddleweight naked roadster for the cognoscenti. Now powered by the 110bhp Testastretta 11° 937cc motor also seen on the DesertX, Hypermotard, Supersport 950 and Multistrada V2, there’s a base model and an SP with Öhlins shock. And now we have a limited-edition 30th anniversary special, which adds an Ohlins NIX30 front fork and steering damper to the mix, together with some lightweight forged aluminium wheels and a lithium battery. Add in some Brembo Stylema

calipers and lightweight alloy front brake disc carriers, and you have the lightest Monster around, tipping the scales at 164kg dry, 4kg less than stock. It’s priced as well as you can expect these days: £16,095, and is in shops now.

OCTOBER 2023 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 11

PLANE T FAST BIKES – NEW METAL

, NEWS & REVIEW S

KAWASAKI SUPERTEEN SERIES It’s fair to say that Kawasaki’s forthcoming ZX-4RR inline-four mini-superbike has caught the imagination of UK riders – we’ve not heard such excitement over a small-capacity machine in years. And Team Green is making the most of it, with an all-new Superteen one-make BSB support race series in 2024. The series will be open to riders aged between 15 and 20, running across eight double-header rounds including a WSBK support race. The winner will get a brand new Kawasaki ZX-6R road bike (though they won’t be able to ride it on their licence lolz).

MSS Performance will build the track-prepped bikes, and the race package prices start at a tasty £12,000 plus the vodka and tonic. The bikes were shown off at Brands Hatch and Thruxton BSB rounds, with Lee Jackson thrapping the little buzzbomb around Thurxton. They acually look proper naughty, with a neat Spark.it race pipe, K-Tech suspension, Pirelli Supercorsa tyres and GB Racing crash protection.

Ross Burridge, head of marketing & racing at Kawasaki UK said, “As soon as we saw this model on the production plan, we knew it was destined for the race track. To have the BSB Championship promoter MSVR on board and enabling us to have a class entirely devoted to this bike is fantastic.

We are excited to be able to offer a competitively priced and exciting race package to young riders looking to develop their racing careers. The Team Green ethos has always been about supporting young talent and offering opportunities on track, so we cannot wait to take this one step further with this new class in 2024.”

NORTON DEALER AND TEST RIDES Norton’s signed up another dealer: Williams Automobiles near Bristol is adding the chi-chi luxury bike range to its niche car offerings: Lotus, Morgan and Lotus. Meanwhile, the Birmingham bike maker is ramping up its demo ride programme, with a Commando 961 riding roadshow throughout August and more dates to come. More info: https://nortonmotorcycles. com/test-ride-roadshow/ 12 OCTOBER 2023 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

For more info, get in touch with MSS Performance at orders@mssperformance.com or 01206 913216, or superteen@msvracing.co.uk.

PLANE T FAST BIKES – NEW METAL

, NEWS & REVIEW S

TRIUMPH EXTENDS MOTO2 DEAL We still remember how stunned we were when we heard that Triumph was taking over the Moto2 engine supply contract back in 2017. But it’s worked like a charm since 2019, and now Dorna has announced a five-year extension to the deal, taking the Hinckley contract up to 2029.

Triumph will also develop a new race gearbox design, with improved shifting, for the 2024 season.

Steve Sargent, chief product officer at Triumph, said: “Moto2

TRIUMPH EDINBURGH

continues to be an excellent platform to showcase the performance and capability of our 765 triple engines. Over the last five years, we’ve used the race engine programme to drive enhancements to the 765 engine and gain insights and learnings that we’ve used to further develop and evolve our Street Triple range. Our reputation for bulletproof durability, reliability and class-leading performance has grown, which, in turn, drives our global sales. The new race g gearbox will make a big g difference to the results that d rriders can achieve on track in Moto2, and in advance of this, our engineering team is o already testing and a developing d

The Hinckley massive has extended its remit north of the border with a completely revamped solus dealership in the capital of Scotland. Triumph Edinburgh, on Pfeffermill Road, boasts a new workshop space and the classy black Triumph corporate identity out front, complementing the recently reopened Triumph Glasgow outfit at the other end of the M8. edinburghtriumph.co.uk

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improvements in gear selection, testing parts after use in this year’s Moto2TM rounds.”

Carlos Ezpeleta, Dorna Sports chief sporting officer, added: “Our first five years working with Triumph are proving to be a real success, with great racing, riders achieving new Moto2 records across the board, and impressive reliability from the off.

“We wanted this collaboration to help define that step between Moto3 and the MotoGP class, and I think Triumph has achieved just that.

“We are really happy with the way the partnership is evolving as well, with more innovation and development still to come, and we are looking forward to five more exciting years together.”

TRIUMPH TIGER 900 ARAGON EDITIONS Winning a top-class rally event is a big deal... winning on a 200kg road bike is doubly impressive.

Triumph is marking last year’s Baja Aragon Rally win by factory rider Ivan Cervantes with a brace of special edition machines.

The Aragon versions of the Tiger 900 Rally and the Tiger 900 GT models all come with special paint schemes and unique seat designs, and are a nice upgrade on the already

excellent Tiger 900 range.

Available now, priced at £13,695 for the Tiger 900 GT Aragon and £13,995 for the Tiger 900 Rally Aragon. More info: www.triumphmotorcycles. com

OCTOBER 2023 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 15

ALL THE LATEST, CO OL ES T & TRICK

ES T PERF ORMA NC E PRODUC TS

ALPINESTARS CALIBER WOMEN’S TECH RIDING PANTS

LS2 VECTOR II CARBON HELMET Chinese brand LS2 has developed a strong reputation for solid kit at good prices and the new Vector II helmet expands that remit, with a 100% full carbon outer shell.

It’s a premium full-face road and track lid, penned by the firm’s Barcelona design office, with plenty of high-end features. The ECE22.06 lid has quick-release visor with tear-off and Pinlock fittings, seatbelt-style steel buckle fastening, removable washable liner, flip-down sun visor, emergency release system and extensive venting channels.

It’s light, at just 1350g, and comes in six outer shell sizes for optimal fitting, weight and dimensions.

Available in plain carbon or five graphic options, it comes with a premium storage bag, Pinlock insert and an air-cushioned stand for easier maintenance and cleaning.

Natty combat-style riding trousers with cargo-style pockets on the thighs, angled for better access on the bike. They’re made from high-grade single-layer Cordura denim material for outer abrasion protection, with Alpinestars Nucleon Flex Plus CE level one protection on knees and hips. There are also pockets for optional Bioflex hip protectors for even more protection, at the cost of some extra bulk.

They’ve got a slim fit and tapered shape, and come in both these women’s and men’s fitments, in black or beige.

RRP: £259.99 (carbon) £289.99 (graphics) www.ls2helmets.com

SHARK EVO GT N-COM LID More and more bikes now have on-board Bluetooth connections to help with navigation,, media, and phone functions, but they’re not much use without a proper helmet headset.

There are loads of add-on units that work well enough, but this Shark Evo GT N-Com comes with the intercom already installed. It uses a B802 unit, from Shark’s sister firm N-Com, and it’s nicely integrated into the lid rather than being attached via bolted clamps or adhesives. Speakers and microphone are all neatly fitted, and it’s a simple plug-and-play set-up. It charges via USB-C and uses a bespoke smartphone app. The helmet is a version of Shark’s excellent Evo GT flip-front road helmet, which we use as our everyday riding lid. It’s got flip-down internal sun visor, ECE 22.06 approval, QR visor, Pinlock fitment, washable liner, composite shell, and seatbelt strap fastening.

RRP: £520

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shark-helmets.com/en_GB/

RRP £225 www.alpinestars.com

PRODUCTS

SW-MOTECH TRANSALP PROTECTION KIT

VULCANET CLEANING WIPES

German firm SW-Motech specialises in luggage, but it also produces some very decent bolt-on protection parts, including these engine crash bars and sump guard for the new Honda Transalp 750. The bars are made from black powder-coated steel and help protect the engine as well as the fragile top fairing and radiator parts. The lower sump guard is made from 4mm aluminium, and it comes in black or silver finish. Both fit to existing mount points without any mods.

RRP: £212.51 (crash bars), £249.48 (sump guard)

www.sw-motech.co.uk

RRP: £36.99

VISIN HEATED VISOR INSERT There’s nothing worse than trying to ride with a misted-up visor. It’s generally during the worst weather conditions, with rain, sleet, wind, dirt all blasting at you, and you can’t decide whether to open the visor and get shot-blasted eyes or close the visor and ride blind. Pinlock inserts do a grand job, but there’s nothing to beat a heated demisting system like on a car windscreen. Enter this new VISIN heated visor insert, developed by Midlands firm Diamond Coatings. It uses advanced technology to produce a conductive transparent layer on a stick-on visor insert. A small battery pack supplies enough charge to run for eight hours, keeping the visor clear from misting. It’s a universal fitment, and suits most helmets.

RRP: £180

www.heatedvisor.co.uk

These new waterless cleaning wipes from Vulcanet aim to make a quick bike clean up easier. The textured wipes are impregnated with a special cleaning solution that claims to lift dirt off your bike and add a lubricating sealant that prevents scratching. Once you’ve used the wipe, a quick buff with the supplied M420 microfibre cloth finishes off the job, sealing in the cleaning solution on the surface.

GB RACING STREETFIGHTER V2 ENGINE PROTECTION Ducati’s Streetfighter V2 has one of the firm’s less common motors: the 955cc V-twin also used on the Panigale V2, and it’s quite different from the 937cc midrange engine used on the firm’s other V-twin models. So it needs its own set of engine protectors, and British firm GB Racing has released a new kit. There are two covers for the alternator and clutch cover, and they come separately or as a kit. Ideal for extra drop or crash protection, essential for track use, and they also add some race chic thanks to FIM and BSB approval.

www.nevis.uk.com

OXFORD COURIER HEATED GRIPS If your bike doesn’t come with hot grips, it’s the first thing you should fit for all-year riding. Oxford Products makes some of the best options, and it’s released these new ‘Courier’ grips. They feature an extra-hard-wearing rubber construction for regular high-mileage riders and come complete with separate smart heat controller.

RRP: £119.99 www.oxfordproducts.com

RRP: £99 (alternator), £94 (clutch), £183 (set) www.gbracing.eu

RST BOOTS – TRACTECH EVO III – DAZZLE YELLOW A nicely-priced track and road boot b from British kit firm RST, the TracTech h Evo III boot is CE certified to level 2/2/2/1, one o of the highest levels of protection. The ey feature a moulded TPU heel outer shell and a TPU shin armour as standard, with outerr hinge section, replaceable toe sliders, zip and d Velcro fastening.

The microfibre mi fi e material outer is finished offf with some sharp high-vizz yellow styling and RS RST logos.

They’re vented with a breathable inner membrane for su ummer use – but there’s also a waterproof verrsion available for an extra tenner.

RRP: £139.99 www.rst-moto.com

GPR SONIC END CAN Italian firm GPR has a nice line in unusual end can styles, and this Sonic silencer definitely fits the bill. It’s got a brutalist ribbed square-section body, with dual-outlet rear, machined aluminium end caps, and comes with a removable dB killer, plus suitable link pipe. You can have it in stainless steel or titanium construction, with a natural finish or carbon-look black ‘poppy’ finish, there’s a decent weight saving (nearly 2kg on BMW R1250 fittings), and GPR produces a de-cat pipe option for some models too. Made in Italy and available for more than 50 bike fittings, including the BMW R1250 GS/R/RS K1300, and F850 models, as well as Honda’s Africa Twin and many more.

RRP: £460 (stainless) £512 (titanium) www.gpr-motorcycle-exhausts.co.uk

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2023

HOMOLO WORDS: BRUCE

PICS: CHIPPY WOOD

S

portsbikes… they’re bloody awesome. They always have been, and for us, they always will be.

While we can appreciate all kinds of bikes on this mag, there’s a special allure to machines that are built first and foremost to go really fast, to handle like nothing else, and stir your emotions in a way that simply can’t be mirrored by any other sector. The other thing we like about these types of machines are their rich seams of innovation, technology, and thinking outside of the box. If you’ve

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ever been up close to a MotoGP machine, you’ll know exactly what I’m on about – every inch is heaven-sent, purposeful, and often built of materials so precious that they can make the Crown Jewels look duller than dishwater. Impressive doesn’t cut it, and the great thing is that in the same vein as your parents handing down your sibling’s finest knitwear, all the tech, spec and mind-blowing performance has a habit of trickling its way onto the street bikes you and I can scoop up down the local dealership. Of course, some models are more loved than others, meaning

they get the very best of the bits… the carbon fibre, aero and precious metals that allow engines to reach unholy amounts of revs.

There’s nothing new about this format, and in days of old, these kind of models would have likely been stamped with the ‘homologation special’ mantle, hammering home to the world that behind their fancy paint jobs and hiked up prices, you’d find something rather relishable. The kind of bikes that were produced in limited runs, with the sole intention of giving manufacturers that edge on track against the

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

OGATION ON best of the competition. Of course, then there’s the kudos attached to building something truly unique, which never seems to do any harm in motorcycle showrooms.

Over the years, and even more so recently, we have become accustomed to the announcements of super-trick sportsbikes that seem to sell out online in minutes, months before anyone gets to see the machine in the flesh.

While there are those who argue that sportsbikes have had their day, that their levels of performance are way too much, and

that such motorcycles are simply not ‘practical’, we completely disagree… and so to do those aforementioned ‘flash sales’. Too much is never enough, as someone once said, and especially so in this world of two wheels. We want our bikes faster, smarter, lither, and sexier, dripping from head to toe in the most audacious of features, imitating the bikes we see on the telebox and making us feel even an ounce as special as the brilliance we are sitting on. And to celebrate

some of the best in the biz, we thought there was no better time than now to bring together three of the most sophisticated and exotic models of 2023... live with them on the road and track to get a semblance of what they’re all about, what makes them tick, and why we should want them in our lives. Let’s meet the contestants…

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2023

THE PLAN...

WORDS: BRUCE

A

t this point, it’s probably prudent to introduce this test’s protagonists and explain a bit about them. In alphabetical order, we’ve got BMW’s M 1000 RR, a new face and new standard in aero.

BMW claims to have made this M-spec missile 5mph faster through aerodynamics alone, while integrating improved downforce and cooler braking through other carbon additions. It is a feat of engineering and perhaps even a sign of things to come, as manufacturers look to areas outside of the engine to make their bikes faster.

Next up is the Ducati V4R. In complete contrast, the focus of this bike is its engine.

The V4 motor was ceremoniously handed down from the brand’s MotoGP efforts back in 2017 and ever since the design has been bettered and bolstered to the extent that the Italian firm claims, with the right oil and exhaust system on it, it’ll produce a mindblowing 204bhp.

Lastly, there’s the Honda Fireblade RR-R SP. This bike’s been on the scene since 2020 and we’re still looking to find a better-handling litre bike. The secret to its loveable litheness is its frame and geometry, both of which started life on Honda’s RCV, before being passed down to the street machine.

Special it most certainly is, as are all these bikes. But how exactly do you go about testing three super-special, super-fast specimens in a way that’ll do them justice and showcase their deepest sensations? We asked ourselves that question several times over many a pint, naturally coming to realise that a track test was very much in order, and that the utter awesomeness of Donington’s flowing disposition, backed up by its fast straights and hard braking zones, would be the best place. Job done? Well, no. Far from it. The track would surely show us a great deal about these machines, but a trip to the Isle of Man seemed about as befitting as a fry-up is after a big night out… it had to be done. Where else on earth can you pull the pin on the road and discover how they handle the odd pothole, drain cover and speed-limitless mountain course? Yep, the TT was a natural magnet for our trio and we needed no encouragement. It would be the perfect playpen to assess these three mechanical masterpieces, giving us a solid idea of what some of the fanciest production fiends on the market are like to live with, scratching deep below their surfaces to upturn the good, the bad, and the quizzical idiosyncrasies of our offerings. Or, to put it another way, to see just how epic they truly are. So, that was the agenda – and this is how it panned out…

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