Fast Bikes February 2020

YAMAHA’S MT-125 AND MT-03 SPANKED!

KAWASAKI Z900 TESTED

BR UA RY

20

20

ISS UE 362

LETTING RIP ON KAWASAKI’S NEW NAKED

FE

MotoE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

HALFWAY

HEROES! HEROE

■ HONDA’S NDA’S SCANTILY DRESS SED FIRESTORM TAKES S ON APRILIA’S NEARL LY NAKED TUONO O

SKIDS AND SKY! S

S SUPER MOTO LAND PLUS

❯❯ 2020 BUCKET LIST ❯❯ HOW TO START RACING ❯❯ ❯ READER’S RIDE: KAWASAKI ZZR1400 ❯❯ WHAT WE W REALLY THINK OF SUZUKI’S NEW KATANA

OUR GUIDE TO BUYI YING AND OWNING HO HONDA’S ICON NIC 954 FIRE EBLADE

UK off-sale date – 04/02/2020

No.362 February 2020

£4.50

■ HOW IT CAME ABOUT ■ WHAT THE RACERS THINK ■ WHY IT’S SHAPING THE FUTURE

ISSUE 362 FEBRUARY 20 020

IT’S THE NEWS!

Upfront ........................................... 10 We take a look at some of the tastiest new bikes for 2020.

GEARED UP!

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

THE KNOWLEDGE

Used Bike Guide.............................. 68 Everything you need to know when buying a 954 Fireblade.

Track Craft ......................................86

How to make the most of your trackdays, with ex-BSB rider James Ellison.

Master Legal ................................. 104 FB’s Legal Clinic with Andrew Dalton.

YOUR LIFE ON BIKES

Addiction.........................................56

This month, it’s a Fireblade with a difference, ridden by Freddie Spencer.

24

You & Yours.....................................92 All of your latest adventures!

Chatter ............................................94 It’s only fair we give the best readers in the world a page of their own!

WORKSHOP

Know Your.......................................90 Post-winter bike prep.

OUR LIFE ON BIKES

32

Staff Bikes.....................................102 •Yamaha MT-10 SP

RACE SECTION

MotoE: Bright Spark ...........................96

Dowdsy has been to Valencia for the last round of the MotoE Championship, and pestered anyone he could for inside details.

Pit Pass............................................ 106 All the latest from the BSB, WSBK and MotoGP paddocks.

COLUMNISTS

Christian Iddon ...............................111

He’s signed for the biggest team in the BSB paddock; the hard work starts now.

Neave twins....................................112

It’s been a long time coming, but Tim’s got good news about the 2020 season.

Gary Johnson ..................................113

After a traumatic dentist trip, Gaz’s turned vegan.

Steve Parrish...................................114

Parrish’s take on all things bike racing.

TESTS

2020 Kawasaki Z900......................... 20

Bruce has been to put Kawasaki’s new ‘middleweight’ naked through its paces.

Jolly Fast, Green Giant...................... 82 Ian Carson tells us what it’s like to live with a 2012 Kawasaki ZZR 1400.

FEATURES

Bucketlist 2020 ................................. 44 A few things we did in 2019, that you need to do in 2020.

Supermotoland ................................. 48 Boothy’s been back to school and learnt how to slide spectacularly on slicks.

Moto Guzzi Fast Endurance............. 74 Doing an endurance race on a Moto Guzzi V7 III might sound a bit absurd… but we did it anyway.

A bargain, or not?............................ 78 Buying used bikes can be a minefield, so be sure to follow our Top Ten Tips for buying used.

Halfway Heroes ............................... 28 Funsize .............................................. 40

62

Frodo and his little legs have been over to Spain to sample some of Yamaha’s smaller road bikes: the MT-125 and MT-03.

Recycled Retro? ................................ 62

Is Suzuki’s new Katana all that it’s cracked up to be?

SUB

Boothy’s been getting nearly naked on some used bikes of yesteryear.

B I E R C S e8 pag See etails d for

WELCOME

Happy New Year!

I

t only seems a year since the last one. It’s crazy how fast time flies when you’re having fun and for us at Fast Bikes 2019 was a corker.

As for 2020, we’re dead-set on making it even better… and we hope you enjoy the ride with us.

It’s at this point that I should say a huge thank you for your continued support of the magazine, and for keeping Carl, Boothy and I in employment (no one else will have us). It’s never out of mind that we make this mag for you guys, so please keep up the brilliant stream of suggestions for the kind of features you want to see in your magazine. As for what lies ahead, we’ve got some really exciting new models on the cards this year, from every end of the manufacturer spectrum. But we’re also more mindful than ever of the brilliant used bikes from yesteryear – bikes like the Tuono Racing and Honda Firestorm that make up this issue’s cover. I remember them new, back in the day, but dealers refused to offer PCP to a 14-year-old with 97-pence in his piggybank, so it’s taken me a good chunk of years to convince some kind-hearted owners to let me go for a thrash on their pride and joy. Boothy and I had a right blast on them and I hope it convinces you to take a look at such used offerings, or at least to reminisce about the good times you’ve had on bikes of all ages.

If you could own any used bike, what would it be? I asked myself that question the other day, and it now means I’m a little bit poorer. I’ve just bought an Aprilia RSV Mille (2000)… in bits, but the plan is to start building it up as a project starting next issue, so drop me a line if you’ve any suggestions of how to make it a corker. Speaking of corkers, Kawasaki’s 2020 Z900 showed itself to be a right weapon on its launch, so take a look at that report if you’re in the market for a new naked.

Frodo also had a belter of a time on Yamaha’s MT-125 and MT-03 duo. He struggled with the power a bit, but we know he’ll be able to handle them in time. As for who had the most fun this month, I reckon Boothy’s Supermotoland antics are going to take some beating… just like his body did after all the crashes he had on the school’s Husqvarnas. Anyway, that’s enough jabbering for one column. Enjoy the mag and keep us up to date with your antics.

28

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BOSS MAN

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

AD MAN

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

YOUNG MAN

Carl ‘Frodo’ Stevens teaboy@fastbikes.co.uk

RACE MAN

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

TECH MAN

Rob ‘Beano’ Bean

tech@fastbikes.co.uk

page 8 for the best deals, SUBSCRIBE! See or visit classicmagazines.co.uk/fb

FEBRUARY 2020 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 7

FEATURE

KA A 20 FEBRUARY 2020 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

KAWASAKI Z900

TECH DATA

Kawasaki Z900 ENGINE

Type: Bore x Stroke: Compression: Fuelling: Claimed power: Claimed torque:

948cc, liquid-cooled, in-line-four 73.4 x 56mm 11.8:1 EFI 123bhp @ 9,500rpm 98.6Nm @ 7,700rpm

ELECTRONICS

RBW/Riding Modes: Traction Control: ABS: Quickshifter: Wheelie Control: Launch Control: Autoblipper:

Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No

CHASSIS

Frame: Front suspension: Rear suspension: Front brakes: Rear brakes:

Tubular, diamond Adjustable USD forks Adjustable monoshock Four-pot calipers, 266mm discs Single piston caliper, 216mm disc

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: Seat height: Wet weight: Fuel capacity:

1,455mm 820mm 212kg 17 litres

INFO

Price: From:

£8,899 www.kawasaki.co.uk

Kawasaki has dubbed it the Z900-plus; we call it brilliant.

AWASAKI AKI Z900 WORDS: DANGEROUS IMAGES: DOUBLE RED / JAMES WRIGHT

FEBRUARY 2020 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 21

HONDA EUROPE’S

HONDA CBR1000RR FIREBLADE SP

WORDS: CARLOS

IMAGES: CHAPSTICK

With the new ’Blade within touching distance, we couldn’t help getting stuck into something a bit different…

H

onda do love getting a bit adventurous sometimes, which is seriously evident when we look annual back at their Glemseck offerings. An a load sees seck Glem , show and sprint race over the of modded bikes show up from all built world, which included this peach, unt of amo fair a got It’s pe.

Euro

by Honda -style WSB a ding inclu it, factory spec bits on

fibre aluminium rear sub frame, carbon inium fairings, a longer swingarm, alum final endurance-spec fuel tank, a shoter drive, bespoke crank cases and a full a bit titanium Akrapovic exhaust system… at the And aye? , iness craz of tail cock a like than GP event, it was ridden by none other he loved legend Freddie Spencer, who said it… it. Now that’s not a bad pedigree, is

FEATURE

MotoE: BRIGHT SPARK! WORDS: WEE DOWDS IMAGES: MOTOE/DOWDS/DORNA

96 FEBRUARY 2020 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

ENJOYED THIS PREVIEW? THE BEST ACTION IN TRIALS AND MOTOCROSS

DIRTb bike ke

VELO MAC MA S SPECIAL PECIAL NORTON RT RTON INTER AJS SCEPTRE SCEP E SPORTS! SCEPTR SPORTS POR !

PORTS

CLASSIC

#48

ISSUE

Forty-eight Autumn 2018

OCTOBER 2018

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

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

3.60

Running, Riding & Rebuilding Running, Rebuilding Real RealClassi RealC Classic C lassi Motorcycles

BOXER CKS TRIC

HOW THE LEGEEND BEGAN

SUPERMAC’S TRIUMPH DRAYTON

PRINTED IN THE UK

PLUS MOTO MEMORIES TECH TALK MONTESA COTA 200 BULTACO MATADOR AN HOUR WITH: GERRIT WOLSINK

£3.60 US$9.99 C$10.99 Aus$8.50 NZ$9.99 PRINTED IN THE UK

HOME, JAMES!

UNIVERSITY GRADUATE

#48

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AT THE CASTLE

DRUMLANRIG 2018 D 20

WINNER

SUPER PROFILE: ARIEL’S HT3

GREEVES ESSEX TWIN BUYING GUIDE // STRIP YOUR TWOSTROKE // BSA B31 RESTORATION // MALLE MILE // CAFE RACER CUP // SHETLAND CLASSIC // THE CLASSIC TT // MIKE HAILWOOD REPLICA

CLASSICS

65 PRE65 PRE

PRINTED IN THE UK

R 2018 ISSUE 174 OCTOBER

N48 2018 US$15.99 Aus$14.99 NZ$18.99 UK£5.50 UK Off-sale date 15/11/18

BUY  SELL  RIDE  RESTORE

13/09/2018 10:34:50

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