Fast Bikes - February 2019 - Preview

BMW MW RR BOSS EXCLUSIVE WORKSHOP ‘W ‘WE WE REFUSED TO COMPROMISE’ ❯ STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO SERVICING BRAKES ❯ KNOW YOUR RACE TYRES ❯ PLUS TOP TOOL TALK

FEBRUARY 2019 ISSUE 349

SUZUKI RGV250 VS HONDA VFR400 VS YAMAHA FZR400 VS KAWASAKI ZXR400

GREY BIKE

GREATS

TOP GREY IMPORTS RIDDEN & RATED

SCOTT REDDING ON...

GP, RIVALS & FORGING DOCS

AND WHY HE’S SMITTEN WITH HIS DUCATI V4R

ALSO INSIDE

❯ THE STATE OF BIKE TUNING IN 2019 ❯ MV TURISMO VELOCE VS MT-10 TOURER EDITION ❯ HOW TO DO A HILL CLIMB ❯ BMW R1250RT TESTED

ISSUE 349 FEBRUARY 2019

DISCLAIMER

Any wheelies shown in this magazine were shot on closed roads or on track under supervision.

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 ......................... 78 Everything you need to know when buying a 2010-2012 BMW S1000RR.

MASTERCLASS

Workshop ........................................88 Our step-by-step guide for servicing your bike’s brakes.

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

…Race tyres. Gary from Bridgestone tells us what you need to think about when you’re in the market for some track based rubber.

What a tool .....................................97 What is a brake caliper piston remover, what is it for and how do you use it?

YOUR LIFE ON BIKES

Addiction.........................................56 If you think the KTM RC8R is a pretty trick superbike, just wait until you see this month’s centrefold.

You & Yours .....................................84 All of your latest adventures!

20 TESTS COVER STORY

Glad to be Grey ............................. 20 Can grey imports still raise a grin? We rode some 25-year-old bikes to find out.

COVER STORY

When touring’s not boring ........... 44 Beej pitched Yamaha’s MT-10 Touring Edition against the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce… but which would come out on top?

BMW R 1250 RT Launch ................ 52

Chatter ............................................86

Boothy went to Spain to sample the delights of the latest boxer engine Beemer.

OUR LIFE ON BIKES

BMW Boss ..................................... 40

Staff Bikes .......................................98 More miles and more mods.

•

Kawasaki Ninja 400

•

Honda CB1000R

RACE SECTION

Pit Pass.......................................... 100

The lowdown on BSB, WSBK and MotoGP.

Scott Redding .............................. 104

Redding opens up about the secrets of MotoGP and how he’s ended up in BSB.

COLUMNISTS

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

Honda’s new Superstock 1000 signing, Tom, has been testing his new Fireblade in Spain.

Gary Johnson ................................ 112 Fresh from a fifth place finish at the Macau GP, Gaz has been enjoying some R&R.

Christian Iddon ............................. 113 Iddon has signed up for another season in the BSB Championship.

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

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FEATURES

We caught up with the bloke in charge of developing the new S1000RR.

My First Road Race ....................... 62 Frodo popped down to Jersey to have a go at hill climbing for the first time.

State of Tune(ing) ......................... 68 We delve into the world of engine tuning to find out how it’s changed over the years.

Bucketlist 2019 ............................. 74 2019 is going to be great, but we’ve got a few ideas about how you can make it even better.

44

SUB

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

52

This is what closed roads were made for.

B I E R C S 8 age p e l Se etai s d for

WELCOME

Way back when...

I

remember it like yesterday, aged just 17 and bagging myself a battered VFR400. I only paid £500 quid for it, and it even came with petrol in the tank. As for the blowing exhaust, that was just character, right? And stripping half the bike to get to the rear cylinder manifold was just an education. I loved that bike; it never ran right, it never quite sounded right, and it looked like it’d been dragged through several hedges on several occasions… backwards. But it was brilliant, cherished and powered me through my first full season of racing. I was gutted when it went and it was only when we were putting this issue’s cover test together I realised the charmer I’d let slip… not to mention the bargain.

It was my first, but not my last biking regret, swiftly followed by a KR-1S that left an equally indelible imprint on my biking persuasion; a love for Nineties grey bikes. If you’ve ridden one, you’ll know exactly what I mean. If you haven’t, what are you waiting for? The power won’t impress you, the looks will make you question my sanity, but the riding experience, when you’re not in a hurry or gagging to beat the guy on the big Gixer, will warm your cockles. Boothy and I had a right blast testing the four steeds on the cover, screaming motors to silly revs for a disproportionate return in pace – especially the RGV. They were reminiscent of a time, smell and noise long lost, but well worth revisiting and I hope you get a good and proper taste of that scene when reading through our musings.

Keeping with the reflective mood, this month’s State of Tune feature is also a good gauge to how times have changed over the last three decades.

Stock bikes are now so powerful, the methods to extract extra power have changed unrecognisably.

It’s pretty damn interesting. And while I’m at it, let me introduce you to our new Workshop section.

Each month we’re planning to present a step-bystep guide to servicing and maintaining your bike, with help from our friends at Black & White Bikes.

Brake servicing is up first, and there’s a lot to take in, but we hope it helps you in the build up to the new season… because it’ll soon be that time again. Yep, it’s 2019, and we’d like to wish you and yours the most brilliant of New Years. Make sure to check out our bucket list feature for great ways to fill it up, and fire us over updates of the antics you get up to. Here’s to a safe and fun season!

20

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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

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BRONTE STEAM 9

NE W S & RE VIE W S PL ANET FAST BIKES – NE W ME TA L,

ROTOBOX RELEASE (PROBABLY) THE WORLD’S TRICKEST SUPERMOTOS Ever heard of Rotobox? Basically they’re carbon fibre experts from Slovenia who are known for their very posh lightweight wheels. But now they’ve turned their attention to building a full blown supermoto, ready to rock and roll…

You can choose from eight different models of various Yamaha off-road machines as the donor; each of them in either 250cc or 450cc. From here, Rotobox strip the whole thing down and rebuild it into an absolute rocketship. For starters, the standard swingarm is thrown in the bin and swapped out for a stiffer jobby from an R6 (which also allows for a bigger rear tyre), and the standard suspension is chucked in favour of Ohlins FG461 forks and an Ohlins TTX Flow rear shock. The Brakes are just as impressive, as Rotobox equip the Splice with Brembo bling, alongside a sweet set of carbon wheels and a set of sticky Bridgestones for good measure.

It’s not even just the components that are impressive though, as Rotobox actually purpose build a lot of their own kit; the bodywork, seat, instruments, triple clamps and even sprockets are all bespoke, while the mudguard and exhaust has been 3D printed.

All of this means though that you’ll find a wet weight of just 119kg, and with almost 70bhp from a 450cc engine if that doesn’t spell fun we don’t know what will…

But as you can imagine, all this trickery does not come cheap; if you want one, it’s going to set you back a staggering £32,000. For more information check out www.rotobox-wheels.com. Oh, and Good luck explaining that one to the missus…

LONDON BIKE SHOW IN FEBRUARY PROMISES TO BE THE BIGGEST YET

After taking more than 40,000 fans through its doors last year, the London bike show is back, and promises to be bigger than ever.

It returns to the ExCel centre from February 15-17, and will not only include all the 2019 metal you could ever dream of owning, but will also feature live shows, including the Michelin Thunderdrome for some head-to-head bar bashing racing with the likes of Wayne Gardner, Neil Hodgson and Richard Cooper, alongside the pretty insane Michelin Rage Cage.

Oh, and if that wasn’t enough there’s even a John McGuinness pop up pub! Get your tickets at www.mcnmotorcycleshow.com

10 FEBRUARY 2019 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

SUZUKI RAISES OVER £4000 FOR CHARITY AT MOTORCYCLE LIVE

We all like doing something good over winter right? Well Suzuki have outdone themselves at Motorcycle Live…

By relying on donations from you lovely lot to keep it going, the Suzuki stand served more than 8,500 cups of tea and coffee over the nine-day show in the hospitality area. This meant they raised over £3,000 for the automotive industry’s BEN fund, while the Vintage Parts display and race bike build raised over £1,000 for the Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Good effort Suzuki, and for more info, visit www.bikes.suzuki.co.uk.

NEW S & REV IEW S PLA NET FAST BIKES – NEW METAL,

2019 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY INTERNATIONAL ROAD RACES: May 12-18: North West 200 May 25-June 7: Isle of Man TT July 8-11: Southern 100 August 5-10: Ulster Grand Prix August: 17-26: Classic TT November 14-17: Macau GP

BRITISH SUPERBIKES:

April 19-21: Silverstone (National) May 4-6: Oulton Park (International) May 24-26: Donington Park (National) – Triple header June 14-16: Brands Hatch (GP) June 28-30: Knockhill July 19-21: Snetterton (300) August 2-4: Thruxton August 16-18: Cadwell Park September 6-8: Oulton Park (International) – Triple header September 20-22: TT Circuit Assen, Netherlands October 4-6: Donington Park (GP) October 18-20: Brands Hatch (GP) – Triple header

MOTOGP: March 10-12: Losail International Circuit, Qatar March 31-April 2: Termas de Rio Hondo Circuit, Argentina April 14-17: Circuit of the Americas, America May 5-7: Jerez de la Frontera, Spain May 19-21: Le Mans, France June 2-4: Mugello, Italy June 16-18: Circuit De Catalunya, Catalunya June 30-July 2: TT Circuit Assen, Netherlands July 7-9: Sachsenring, Germany August 4-6: Brno, Czech Republic August 11-13: Red Bull Ring, Austria August 25-27: Silverstone, Great Britain September 15-17: Misano, San Marino & Riviera di Rimini September 22-24: MotorLand Aragon, Spain October 6-8: Buriram, Thailand October 20-22: Motegi, Japan October 27-29: Phillip Island, Australia November 3-5: Sepang, Malaysia November 17-19: Circuit Ricardo Tormo-Valencia, Spain

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WORLD SUPERBIKES: February 22-24: Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Australia March 15-17: Chang International Circuit, Thailand April 5-7: MotorLand Aragón, Spain April 12-14: TT Circuit Assen, Netherland May 10-12: Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola, Italy June 7-9: Circuito de Jerez Ángel Nieto, Spain June 21-23: Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, Italy July 5-7: Donington Park, Great Britain July 19-21: To Be Announced September 6-8: Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, Portugal September 27-29: Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, France October 11-13: Circuit San Juan Villicum, Argentina October 24-26: Losail International Circuit, Qatar

FEBRUARY 2019 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 13

14 FEBRUARY 2019 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

ED AND RE VIE W ED THE VERY BEST KI T – US ED, ABUS COOL COVER TESTED BY: Martin MILES: 250 TIME: 3 months PRICE: RRP £45-£75 WEB: www.coolcovers.co.uk

Following on from my quest to be more comfortable riding long distances I have been trying out a new product from the adventure off road market – I personally think it could quite easily find a new home in the massively uncomfortable sports bike sector. Originally designed to keep a continual flow of air between the rider and their seat in hotter climates of South America and Africa I have found the Cool Cover to be more beneficial from a comfort side of things.

Using an extreme version of 3D honeycomb mesh, the seat cover cushions the rider’s backside while always being in contact with the bike, but I can definitely see the benefit of the cooling, as well as the fact that the seat won’t become baking hot in the sun and it dries really fast due to the constant air flow. If you can’t find a cover for your bike, make an appointment and go get one custom made, they are a lovely bunch, you‘ll probably get a cup of tea as well, if you’re nice.

TORNADO ADVANCE NECK WARMER

TESTED BY: Boothy MILES: 1,500 TIME: 6 months PRICE: £16.99 WEB: www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

I haven’t had this neck warmer for long, but I’ll tell you what, I’ll be keeping hold of if for a while. I got it in the summer, ready for the weather to turn and ever since the mercury has plummeted it’s been a godsend – I’ve done loads of miles in cold, wet conditions so far this winter and it has kept my neck toasty and dry.

The best thing about it is probably the ‘skirt’ that tucks into your leathers/ jacket which stops the whole thing from riding up and flapping around. The top can be slotted into your helmet (although this can be a bit fiddly) to seal you up for full protection from the elements. You need to remember to put it on before you put your top on though, as it’s a nightmare to tuck in afterwards. It got posh ‘Defender’ windproof fabric and Thermolite thermal insulation which works a treat and it really comfy – it’s made from an anti-bacterial too so hopefully when you breathe your winter flu all over it, it’s not going to come back and bite you in the arse. It’s nice and lightweight and soft too. It’ll be a good few months before the weather starts being kind to us so for less than £20, if you are getting the miles in this winter, it’d be money well spent.

SHARK EXPLORE-R HELMET TESTED BY: Pretty Boy MILES: 1,400 TIME: 5 months PRICE: £369.99 WEB: www.nevis.co.uk

Having done a few little off-road bits over summer I went and got myself the swankiest looking on-road lid that would hack some green-laning I could find, and when it arrived I couldn’t believe my luck. Not only does it look even better in person than in the photos, but the finish is absolutely gorgeous – and it even comes with a full-face style visor and a removable peak included in the price, so it’s essentially two helmets in one.

Getting it out the box things just got better, as even though I haven’t had a Shark on my noggin for over five years now, from the instant I had it on I couldn’t believe how comfortable it was, and even using the MotoX style configuration how quiet it is. So much so, that since it arrived I’ve been using it for all my little errands as it looks boss, has loads of ventilation and thanks to the quick and easy application of detaching and reattaching the goggles, is pretty practical as well. The ventilation is impressive, and off-road the aperture helped massively, so for on and off-road trails I couldn’t recommend the Explore R highly enough. I wouldn’t recommend going too quickly with the peak on though, as the wind catches it a fair bit and gives your neck a bit of a workout. Oh, and it has a bloody drop down visor. Other than that? Top marks Shark.

FEBRUARY 2019 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 15

PRODUCTS

AKASO V50 TESTED BY: Martin MILES: 250 TIME: 3 months PRICE: £109.99 WEB: www.akaso.net

In the category of best budget action cam we have the Akaso V50 action camera, and while it looks very similar to another high-end version on the market, rest assured it is not. I couldn’t compare them anyways because I’ve never used the other one; you know the one that starts with Go and ends in Pro. So here we have it, 4K recording at 30 frames per second and the ability to take 20MP photos, the Akaso has been a fantastic camera on and off the bike.

The image stabilisation works well with a Ram Mount stem mount attachment but if you’ve not got one of those the Akaso comes with a plethora of additional mountings and accessories including a remote control to start filming or taking photos – making life easy if you’ve got something like a tripod for example. A neat addition for this camera is its Wi-fi capability.

This allows you to use your phone as a view finder or watch/transfer content to you phone. It’s a nice touch and really handy if you don’t have access to a computer. Being a printed review I can’t show you any footage but I’ve been really pleased with the footage so far and for the price you’d be silly to not consider the V50 as a contender.

FRANDO 19MM MASTER CYLINDER TESTED BY: Farmer Brod MILES: 1,500 TIME: Half a race season PRICE: £188.46 WEB: www.venhill.co.uk

Every now and again something comes along and transforms your world. For me, that was Frando’s 19mm master cylinder. The stock item on a Triumph 675R isn’t bad, but after smashing mine into a million pieces, it actually worked out just as cheap to opt for a higher performing Frando than a second-hand used item when replacing it.

What a good move that turned out to be! It was a doddle to fit, looked pretty trick and proved itself more potent than a night on pints of 9% bitter. The stopping power on my Trumpet went through the roof, and so did my confidence.

If you’ve followed the Race Riot pages, you’ll have grasped I’ve almost exclusively used the 675 for racing, with the odd trackday for good measure. I could hold my own when braking before, but the Frando gave me the edge to make out-braking any rival all too easy. I’ve had several race wins on the Frando, and a few fastest laps while I’ve been at it.

Best still, it’s a universal item so I’ll be bolting it to my R6 for next year’s race season.

16 FEBRUARY 2019 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

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Forty-eight Autumn 2018

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No. 330 October 2018 £4.30 UK Off-sale date 31/10/2018

MOTO MEMORIES // TECH TALK // MONTESA COTA 200 // BULTACO MATADOR

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