Fast Bikes January issue 2022

NAKED D AMBITTION

FIRS ST-GENERATION N BMW W S1000RR BUYE YER’S GUIDE E

BALLISTIC ON A BUDGET BU

PA FOURT R

JA N ISS UAR UE Y 2 387 02 2

FLYING HIIGH ON KAWASAK KI’S Z900

BA AVARIAN BU ULLET

THE E R1 R PROJECT’S BA BACK FOR ONE MORE ORE FLING WITH A BIT MORE MO BLING

T H G I F

B U CL VES O L G E H T F...

ARE OF EW ’S N DUCATI ISTY AND FE HTER FIG STREET V2

YAMAHA MT-09SP

DUCATI MONSTER

TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE RS

SUB-LITRE

NAKEDS

SAUCY, STREETWISE AND ALL SUB1000CC. WE GET OUR HEAD AROUND THE V2’S COMPETITION.

KTM 890 DUKE PLUS

2022’S NEW METAL

EURO TRACKDAY WISDOM

TRACK-SPEC BEEMER RR T

ISSUE 387 JANUARY 2022

THE KNOWLEDGE

28

Used Bike Guide .............................62 Remember when BMW rocked up with the S1000RR? We do too… fondly. Here’s what you need to know before buying one.

Track Craft .....................................82 Dean’s back with more Euro trackday wisdom.

YOUR LIFE ON BIKES

You and Yours ................................86 All of your adventures.

Chatter ...........................................90 A page dedicated to the best readers in the world…

TESTS

Ducati Streetfighter V2................... 18 If you like naked twins, chances are you’re going to love Ducati’s new Streetfighter.

Sub-litre nakeds..............................28 If the V2’s whetted your appetite, you’ll probably want to check out the model’s four rivals in the sub-litre naked sector.

18

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COLUMNISTS

Tom Neave ......................................97 The season is over, but Tom’s plans for 2022 are already underway.

Christian Iddon ...............................94 Iddon’s a wedded man.

Steve Parrish...................................98 Steve’s tried his hand at arson this month.

FEATURES

Naked ambition ..............................54 Tim gets stuck into a bit of racing on track with a Z900.

Ballistic on a budget – Part Four ....68 The R1’s back, and so is BSB champ Taz.

Track Spec....................................... 78 We check out a very saucy BMW S1000RR.

62

WELCOME

Go naked

T

rends come and go but sporty naked bikes look set to be around for a long, long time.

Of course, the introduction of several new sub-litre nakeds this year, including Ducati’s Monster and Streetfighter V2, haven’t done the sector any harm, and there are plenty more options coming our way with the likes of the Streetfighter V4SP and KTM Super Duke 1290 R Evo set to join the field for 2022. It’s an exciting time for those that enjoy scantily clad motorcycles… which is most of us, right?

We can’t wait to get our mitts on the latest and greatest additions to that sector, especially considering we’ve now got a comprehensive grasp of what’s on offer at present.

In this issue you’ll not only find Johnny’s Join us on Facebook:

take on the new Streetfighter V2, but also its main rivals, in our naked sub-litre group test. Each are that bit different, uniquely exciting and deserving of a place in your garage... but, of course, we did have our favourite, which will become clear once you’ve read the test.

But who knows what the future will bring, and whether in the next few weeks news will break of even saucier metal headed our way – we can only hope so.

And likewise for some new fully-faired offerings. We’re at that point of the year where new bikes are filling our inboxes on an almost daily basis. While it’s hard to predict exactly what’s headed our way, I’m hopeful that we’ll get a full plethora of fresh machinery, especially considering most manufacturers’ development schedules are back to where they should be. Time will tell, I guess.

On the topic of time, it's mad to think we’re at the end of another year. Whatever you’ve been up to, whatever you’ve been riding, I hope you’ve had a corker of a year and made plenty of cracking memories. I’d also like to wish you all the very best for 2022, and thank you for your support of the mag. Without wishing to sound like a cheesy marketing one-liner, it’s only because of yourselves that we’re here and it’s our aim to deliver the best content for you each and every issue. If you’ve got the time, it’d be great to get some input from you on our Fast Bikes reader survey to help steer us towards the stuff you really want us covering. You’ll find links to it on our social media channels and website, or by simply scanning this QR code… and you’ll also be in with a chance of winning some awesome HELD gloves.

Good luck and best wishes.

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NE W S & RE VIE W S PL ANET FAST BIKES – NE W ME TA L, 2022 DUCATI STREETFIGHTER V4 SP TECH HIGHLIGHTS

2022

Brushed aluminium tank Custom seat with V4 SP logo Carbon fibre wings and front mudguard STM-EVO SBK dry clutch Carbon fibre wheels with five split-spokes Brembo Stylema R calipers Adjustable rider footpegs in machined aluminium with carbon heel guards Single-seat unit Lithium battery

IS GO!

It’s the calm before the storm as we go to press here at FB Towers. The Milan show is just round the corner and there will be a deluge of new machinery next month, but there’s been a few juicy nuggets launched already.

Here’s our pick of this month’s new kit…

STREETFIGHTERS 2.0

Ducati launches super-trick Streetfighter V4 SP and entry-level Streetfighter V2 The Streetfighter V4 has been a big hit for Ducati – the firm had pre-orders for almost 2000 of them just after it was released in late 2019. Any doubts about the wisdom of a £20k 208bhp supernaked have evaporated, and the latest-generation Streetfighter seems set for much more success than the first Streetfighter 1100 and 848 V-twins of a decade ago.

So the Borgo Panigale outfit is doing the sensible thing – and releasing another two of ‘em. The new Streetfighters are at opposite ends of the sector: a new V4 SP flagship supernaked, and an entry-level V2 with the 955cc Superquadro V-twin motor from the Panigale V2.

The SP is a limited edition piece of high-priced nonsense. It uses the V4S as a base, with the same 208bhp 1103cc V-four engine, aluminium monocoque frame,

THREE WILD N EW S

UPERNAKEDS

single-sided swingarm and semi-active Öhlins EC2.0 suspension all round. But the SP gets a sprinkling of exotic fairy dust from the firm’s £86k Superleggera ultrabike. The most obvious change is the carbon fibre split five-spoke rims, which save 1.4kg over the stock V4S wheels, and match the carbon used for the biplane aero-wings and front mudguard. The brakes are upgraded to the latest Brembo Stylema R calipers, with an adjustable Brembo MCS master cylinder, and the clutch is swapped for an STM-EVO SBK dry unit with carbon outer cover. Dry weight is just 177kg, and the SP weighs 196kg ready-to-ride. It’s not cheap – RRP is a beefy £28,495.

If you need your Italian supernaked kicks at a slightly lower price (like half…), then the new Streetfighter V2 might be just the thing.

It’s a mash-up between the Streetfighter V4 chassis package and the Panigale V2 powerplant, meaning you have a super-grunty 153bhp twin pushing 199kg wet. The V2 has cooking-spec chassis kit: Showa forks and a Sachs rear shock, Brembo M4.32 calipers and Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tyres. But the electronics package is full-bore: a six-axis IMU operating the cornering ABS, traction control, wheelie control and engine brake control. You also get a standard up/ down quickshifter and a lush 4.3-inch TFT full-colour dashboard... all for £14,995.

More info: www.ducati.com 10 JANUARY 2022 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

STREETFIGHTER V2 TECH HIGHLIGHTS Superquadro 955 cc Euro 5-compliant engine Single-sided aluminium swingarm Fully adjustable 43mm Showa Big Piston Fork (BPF) Fully adjustable Sachs rear monoshock Full LED lighting with full LED headlight with DRL

Make sure to keep an eye on our online channels – Facebook, Twitter and the Fast Bikes website (www.fastbikesmag.com) – for live updates on what’s launched in Milan…

MORE POWER FOR 2022 YAMAHA MT-10 We LOVE the Yamaha MT-10 round here. Since it was launched back in 2016, it’s been the nutter’s nutter bike thanks to the upright, wheeliefriendly riding position, barely-disguised R1 superbike components, and crazy ‘Transformer’ looks. But it’s got two sides: as well as being a shoe-in for wheelie bike of the decade, it works really well as an easy daily ride, too.

And for 2022, it looks like Yamaha’s big-boy MT could be better than ever. It gets a new Euro5 engine upgrade, which adds 6bhp peak power, but is also redesigned for even more monster mid-range grunt. Offset steel con-rods add a bit of extra inertia to the bottom end, while new forged pistons and directly-plated cylinder

technology reduces friction. That should make for a torquier motor that holds its revs better, for less on/off power round town and a stronger mid-range. The rest of the top end – intake, exhaust and fuel injection mapping – has been tweaked for even more grunt, as well as a gruffer intake roar, directed straight to the rider’s ears via new intake ducts and grilles.

Electronics wise, there’s a new standard up/ down ‘shifter and sweet 4.2-inch full colour dash to complement the six-axis IMU, new slide control, wheelie control, cornering ABS, engine brake and traction control functions. The chassis is pretty much as you were, with the R1-style Deltabox frame and aluminium swingarm, KYB adjustable suspension and Yamaha’s in-house Monobloc four-piston brakes up front. There is a new Brembo master cylinder, though, as well as new Bridgestone Battlax S22 Hypersport tyres, and you get a pick of three colours – the 1990s-style Cyan Storm, a factory race blue scheme, and simple Tech Black. No word on price as yet for the new MT-10, but expect a hike over the current tag when it hits the shops in February.

More info: www.yamaha-motor.eu JANUARY 2022 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 11

Make sure to keep an eye on our online channels – Facebook, Twitter and the Fast Bikes website (www.fastbikesmag.com) – for live updates on what’s launched in Milan…

SAUCY ADVEN SPORT-TOURETRURE S

DUCATI MULTISTRADA PIKES PEAK V4 Not one but two high-performance adventure bikes dropped this month. At the top end is the new Ducati Multistrada Pikes Peak V4, the sportiest Multistrada that Ducati’s ever made. It takes the 170bhp Granturismo Multistrada 1158cc non-desmo V4 engine and aluminium frame, then adds a load of superbike running gear to make a bike that looks like a Multistrada but promises genuine race track abilities.

The most obvious swap is at the back end, where the standard dual-sided swingarm is swapped for a single-sider. Next up are the wheels: lightweight forged Marchesini rims, clad in sticky Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV rubber, and

with the standard 19-inch front wheel replaced by a sportier 17-inch fitment. Suspension is the same Öhlins semi-active electronic kit front and rear, controlled via an enormous 6.5-inch colour LCD dashboard.

The rest of the electronics are straight from the Panigale playbook, including the first ever race mode on a Multistrada. Add in re-shaped, sportier bodywork, Akrapovic end can, carbon fibre mudguard and ‘beak’, Brembo Stylema brakes, and you have a genuine weapon of a bike. It’s expensive, starting from £24,595, but should be one of the quickest ways of crossing the country, short of an Apache helicopter…

HUSQVARNA NORDEN 901

Next up is the Husqvarna Norden 901, a reinterpretation of parent firm KTM’s Adventure 890. As with all of the current Husqvarna road bikes, the Norden takes the engine, frame, suspension and running gear from the KTM, gives it a bit of an upcycle, and adds a dash of ‘Nordic Noir’ styling. The most striking feature is the bodywork, which looks like a hardcore rally beast from the side but has a quirky Minions-esque face up front, thanks to a huge round LED headlamp. You get tasty LED auxiliary lights, high screen and a 19-litre fuel tank, too.

The motor is the same 889cc parallel twin as used on the KTM, making 105bhp and 100Nm of torque, bolted into a steel tube frame with aluminium swingarm, WP APEX suspension, and brakes by the Spanish J.Juan firm (recently taken over by Brembo). There’s proper dirt-ready wire-spoked wheels, with a 21-inch front and Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tubeless tyres – though the mudguard is a standard close-fitting unit rather than a giant beak. All-up weight is a little porky at 204kg wet, but that’s only 5kg more than the excellent 890 ADV. UK price is TBC as we went to press, but it should be in the shops as you read this.

12 JANUARY 2022 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM