TRIUMPH IUMPH THRUXTON R 2017 STARTS HERE CLASSIC ACTION TION ON THE RETRO RACER
TWO NEW GS SX-R1000S REVEALED
NOVEMBER 2016 ISSUE 320
£100 A MONTH
I’M
WEAPONS
ROSSI’S BOS S!
Meet Yamaha’s
TONS OF FUN FOR A TON A MONTH:
LIN JARVIS
SUZUKI GSX-R600 VS
YAMAHA YZF-R6 PLUS:
USED TEST:
2008 KAWASAKI ZX-10R RATED
ADDICTION:
SCANTILY CLAD APRILIA RSV R-FW
MASTERCLASSES:
RIDING, BIKE AND LEGAL TIPS
FASTER/SAFER/MORE FUN: CALI SUPERBIKE SCHOOL
Kawasaki ER-6f
Don’t.
KTM Duke e 690
Call.
Yamaha MT-07
Suzuki SV650
Us.
LIGHTWEIGHTS!
RIOT SQUAD CALLED TO CALM THIS LOT DOWN
ISSUE 320 NOVEMBER 2016
IT’S THE NEWS
Upfront..............................................8 2017’s bikes have landed. Read all about ‘em
GEARED UP
Products..........................................22
The latest in top kit gets a good going over
GET IT FIRST
Subscribe ...................................... 124
Get that winning feeling by getting Fast Bikes delivered every month – with 20 per cent off!
THE KNOWLEDGE
Used Buyer’s Guide......................... 78
8
2017 NEW MACHINERY REVEALED
SAY HELLO TO A NEW SUZUKI GSX-R1000, HONDA FIREBLADE, NEW BEEMERS AND MUCH MORE NEW METAL!
30
YAM YZF-R6 VS SUZUKI GSX-R600. EURO4? NEVER HEARD OF IT!
The 2008 Kawasaki ZX-10R falls under our microscope, and what a good buy it is too...
MASTERCLASS
Riding ..............................................90
Keith Code takes us to the threshold – whever that might be. Fancy exploring where it is?
Technical .........................................92
Working on your bike? You need the best paddock stands you can afford...
FEATURES
Legal ................................................95
Our first shot on Triumph sexual retro machine. It’s perplexing, we’ll give it that!
YOUR LIFE ON BIKES
Triumph Thruxton R ........................22
Kids in Racing .................................54 How to ensure your child becomes MotoGP world champion. It’s easy. Ish...
California Love ................................60
Rootsy heads to Cadwell as part of Operation Fast – his bid to get quicker on track...
Addiction.........................................64
A droolsome super trick Aprilia RSV-4 R-FW APX Race for your delectation.
Lin Jarvis ......................................... 70 Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo’s boss on what it’s like to run the Yamaha squad.
Andrew Dalton answers yet more woes...
Chatter ............................................96
It’s laugh a minute with you lot!
Travel and Tracks............................98 The world is a big place – go ride it!
OUR LIFE ON BIKES
Staff Bikes..................................... 100 What a busy month it has been for the fleet – what were you expecting for summer? Kawasaki ZX-10R KTM Super Duke R • Ducati Monster R • Suzuki GSX-S1000F
MV Agusta F3 800 Yamaha MT-10 • Triumph Speed Triple R
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•
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RACE SECTION
Pit Pass.......................................... 112 The season starts hotting up from here
Race Feature ................................. 116 How Alvaro Bautista and Maverick Vinales are enjoying their differing seasons...
See page 124 for the best deals
IBE CR
SUBS
COLUMNISTS
James Ellison................................. 127 Seasons don’t get more frustrating than this
Chaz Davies .................................. 129 The ups and downs of racing in Germany
Steve Parrish................................. 130 Pontification at its finest from Stavros
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DON’T CALL US LIGHTWEIGHT: MT-07 TAKES ON KTM’S DUKE 690, A KWAK ER-6F AND SV650
BUY
GEAR
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FIRST RIDE
WORDS: ROOTSY
IMAGES: JONN Y GAW LER
Triumph has been in the retro game for a while, but the Thruxton R ramps up the sexiness to ten for the first time. But does the go match the show? Time to take it to the track...
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TEST
The Mossy gets bossy with the Suzuki en Francais!
I K U Z U S
0 0 6 R GSX T
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SUZUKI GSX-R600 £8,699
ENG GINE
n than below your chin), and on motorway runs it offers a deceent enough level of protection. The fun on the Gixer starts with the prod of a button, wh hen the motor roars into life, emanating a surprisingly throaty and loud growl from Yoshi’ zorst and airbox. It sounds like it means businesss all right. Pulling away is a cinch with the light action clutch, and immediately you’rre aware of a huge bonus over th he Yamaha – the extra low-down n and midrange zest is palpablee. This means that general toolin ng around is far easier, especially y during traffic heavy commutin ng duties to and from the ferries. Getting a zing on, the guttu ural roar builds and crescendos as the rev-counter gets a hammering. When pinned wide open the extra bottom end pushed the bike quickly towards the upper reaches, overtaking the Yamaha at this point easily in the lower gears. However, the top-end isn’t as satisfying, falling a teeny tiny bit flat, the inspiring shove now lost. By the time you hit fifth gear the Yamaha is pulling level and going past, but then on the road this is in serious ‘you’re nicked sonny’ territory. So how relevant the R6’s top-end superiority is, is purely be down to how you (and your mates)
Developed (apparently) using MotoGP derived know-how, know how this model had ventilation holes used for reducing mechanical losses in a pentagonal shape, larger than the previous round items, which reduces pumping losses, enhances combustion efficiency and increases low-mid torque. Pistons and their pins were made lighter and the ignition was changed to an advanced transistorised ignition control circuit. The gearbox is close-ratio, while the S-DMS has two modes. Count ‘em – two!
Highlights g g
CHASSIS
ime can be either cruel or kind to a motorcycle, and in the GSX-R’s case, time was in a very good mood indeed. This final iteration of the wee Gixer is the best Suzuki has ever produced, finally eclipsing the rather naughty original SRAD 600 that remains a proper little terror, even now. The 2011 machine revived just enough of the naughty nature, but combined it with modern attributes to make it one wonderfully versatile motorcycle. It also finally pushed the Suzuki ahead of the R6 (and others) in terms of overall performance for a combination of road and track work. For circuit work only, you won’t be surprised to learn that the Yamaha has the Gixer easily licked, but when it comes to value for money in all areas and aspects of riding, the Suzuki is by far the better proposition. And this is even more relevant today, when the cost of bikes rises in line with the advances in electronics and performance. At £8,699 (RRP) the Gixer offers a terrific overall package, and this was evidenced in spades during our thrash, sorry, trip across Southern England and Northern France. It’s a big old girl for a supersport bike, with a substantial girth between your legs giving you ample metal and plastic to grip on to. The riding position is far more comfortable than the Yamaha’s; sports focussed enough, but with a nod towards keeping more riders of different shapes and sizes happy. You sit ‘in’ the Suzuki more than ‘on’ it, a la R6. The fairing is plonked in front of you (rather
The BPF fork was new to the Gixer in 2011, and when combined with the Brembo calipers saved over a kilo all by themselves, increasing the handling improvement with the overall 9kg loss over the previous version. The frame was brand new, and at its thinnest part was just 3mm thick. The wheelbase was made shorter by 15mm while the swingarm went on a diet, getting lighter and stronger – shaving unsprung weight in the process. Lastly, the engine was mounted rearwards in the frame by three-degrees.
Not an R6, but good
Baby Gixer! Two S-DMS modes No ABS! Brembo calipers 187kg (wet) 108bhp TRACK
8
FAST ROAD
9
Now we’re talking!
HOOLIGAN
Wheeiles AND skids!
10
NEW RIDER
7
DESIRABILITY
6
It’ll be yer buddy
Ain’t got the looks…
RICHARD FORREST’S
APRILIA RSV4 R-FW ‘STOCK 2’ APX RACE
WORDS: BEEJ
PICS: RICHARD FORREST
When Richard Forrest wanted a new track and club race bike, he didn’t want to muck around building one from scratch, so bought one of the very best in world instead…
and kept an eye ’ve wanted a track bike for years, “ which was best. see to s Bike Fast on the press and ed like the seem it so es FB sang the Aprilia’s prais it on the pipe, so of os vide hed watc I Then ce. logical choi sion to an emotional it quickly went from a logical deci in Hong Kong), was live (I one. The barrier for me here so buying a race bike d, taxe y sivel mas get s bike that road these R-FW trackd unce anno lia Apri made sense! Then get a race bike can I ’ ‘wow only versions, and I thought . Just seeing one hine mac road a as ey mon e sam for the t the bikes came with, in the ‘Misano’ colours, and wha order in. an k stuc I sealed the deal for me so because the SBK I went for the Superstock version the one that makes even ilds, rebu 00 £8,0 versions need
I
set originally to go for just 8bhp more than this. I was all found that out! But I l unti ion the top 230bhp SBK vers able to add more SBK with this Stock 2 iteration I was dy spent the base parts to make it special, as I’d alrea ay. anyw d min my in spec’ SBK version cost ‘sublime’ doesn’t I’ve now ridden it a few times and en an original RSV4 even cover it, I haven’t even ridd r around our local ange in rode I either! The last time and haven’t ridden K6, 00 -R10 track was on a Suzuki GSX e. Within a few laps sinc s year e thre over for bike le a sing nds faster – without on the Aprilia I was nearly five seco a bike like that, and een betw e even trying! The differenc paring vinyl to MP3 com like It’s nal. ome phen is this, and I love it!” players, the thing is absolutely nuts
FEATURE
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE? WORDS: ROOTSY
IM AGES: YA M A H A
Trying to manage two warring team-mates is an unenviable task – so how do you go about handling Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo? We ask Yamaha’s MotoGP boss Lin Jarvis…
Why can’t it always be like this?
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78
USED BIKE GUIDE: 2008 KAWASAKI ZX-10R
RI DI NG , M OD IF YI NG , FI XI NG AN D BU YI NG
90
KEITH CODE CONSIDERS WHERE THE THRESHOLDS OF RIDING ARE
MASTERCLASS
102
KTM SUPER DUKE 1290 R LONGTERMER
USED BIKE GUIDE
Riding ................................................. 90
2008 Kawasaki ZX-10R .................... 78
Technical ............................................ 92
RACE SPEC
The thing with thresholds is you don’t want to cross them...
Putting bikes on paddock stands is crucial – but which ones?
Legal ................................................... 95 More legal questions answered properly by our Mr Dalton...
YOUR LIFE ON BIKES Chatter............................................... 96
A month’s worth of capers from you lot. You’re worse than us!
Tracks & Travel ................................. 98 Tips for trips and facts for tracks. Get your peepers round this.
The ins and outs of living with this Kawasaki creation
Kawasaki ZX-6R ................................ 87 How to turn your not-so-humble road runner into a weapon
OUR LIFE ON BIKES
Staff Bikes ....................................... 100 Lots of things to see and do this month on the fleet KAWASAKI ZX-10R KTM SUPER DUKE 1290 R • DUCATI MONSTER 1200 R • SUZUKI GSX-S1000F • •
YAMAHA MT-10 MV AGUSTA F3 800 • TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE R • •
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KAWASAKI ZX-6R
RACE SPEC
RACE SPEC WORDS: CARL ‘PRETTY BOY’ STEVENS
PICS: RACELINE IMAGES, PRETTY BOY
Carrying on our Race-Spec superstock traditions of late, we decided to delve under the fairings of one of the most popular bikes you’ll find on any trackday or race weekend. But what’s the best way to get the edge when everyone is so evenly matched?
S
o, before we start it's worth mentioning that you don't actually need a new bike to set the world alight. This one comes all the way from 2014, and it's not doing too badly either. Not only have I snuck in a few laps on the old girl, it scored a sixth place at Thruxton in the British superstock championship underneath Milo Ward, who has a build more suitable for a boxer rather than a bike racer... Once you have your pride ready to convert, enjoy stripping every single last bit of stuff from its bones. That means chucking all the
road fairings, lights, footpegs and general plastics. In fact, literally anything that is not completely necessary goes in the bin, or on eBay to help pay for what’s to come! From here, we move onto the engine. Now these bikes may only be producing about 120bhp but they are still rapid as a bat out of hell despite the powerplant being bogstandard internally. Yup, the exact same lump that came out of Japan two years ago! Last year you could have had some fun and games on the old girl with bits like a kit-gasket, but with things closer to stock in
the rule book everything is now a lot more even meaning the pace is more dependent on the chunk of meat sitting on top. But it also means bikes are about 8bhp down on last year, so you have to dig deep in order to find that pace. For example, if you need four pistons, buy eight and use the four lightest. It sounds crazy, but every little helps. It’s simple - if it makes you go faster, do it. Because once you combine this with new air and oil filters, a quick action throttle and a full Arrow titanium exhaust system she's almost ready to rock and roll, so you need NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 87
LONGTERMERS
ABS... off!
ROOTSY KTM SUPER DUKE 1290 R SPECIAL EDITION TIME ON TEST: 7 MONTHS
0 4 7 9 9
ODOMETER MILES
BHP: 150 GAIN:
NEXT AIM: SWISS TRIP
THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… Getting to grips with (nearly) the Beast!
I
t may have ‘only’ had a new system and clever dongle fitted, but the KTM Super Duke 1290 R SE (phew) has come alive with these new accoutrements attached. Inspired by being serenaded every night on holiday by an assortment of different French motorcycles screaming past our place, I took out ten days worth of frustrations out on my first week back to work. And it was absolutely magic. The traction control and ABS are now on permanent retirement, the bulb illuminating the two warning lights now in danger of blowing. With a set of new Continental SportAttack3s fitted, and us enjoying decent temperatures during summer’s arse end, there really is no need for any form of electronic interference. That means that the addition of the dongle, preventing me having to disengage the trickery via a convoluted series of button presses each time the bike’s started is something approaching a godsend. My left thumb and whole soul has rejoiced. The exhaust really delivers a cracking thump in the midrange now. I now relish winding the throttle back in top and letting the torque destroy anything in its path – there’s even a little crest where a whiff of clutch will now get the front rising in the top cog. Happy days. The bike’s new bark isn’t as loud as I first feared, and while fruity it’s certainly not obnoxious. With a trip to Switzerland in the pipeline I was planning on taking something else, but I’m hoping it’ll just about fly under the
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radar and not attract the ire of the local constabulary. I noticed the seat cover on my departure from KTM HQ last month, also the rearsets, but when I got off the bike at a level crossing to wait for three bloody trains to go past, I then finally realised that a new tail tidy had been fitted! It looks proper good, too, and what with all the other little changes the bike is big pimping now. I’ve grown used to the anodizing and can’t imagine anything else now, so even if it seems garish to the uninitiated, I’m sold on the styling. The clever dash was noting that a rear indicator was out – a handy little warning – and where the toolkit had been stuffed in under the passenger seat a connector had dislodged. It’s the sort of thing that would have been easily overlooked were it not for the notification, so I’m all for this cleverness – although it keeps telling me every day that the exhaust is illegal. There’s no option for the system to ponder whether that’s a judgement for the courts or not. You have to clear this warning before you can view any of the more pertinent info displayed on the dash, so my left thumb still has some work to do. Switzerland should be awesome, and the KTM has the potential to be a riot. What with the pannier system and me packing light, I’m hoping not to take anything on my personage, which is another big boon. We’re taking the BikeShuttle out there and then riding back, and while the 500-plus miles
Price from new:
£14,999
Insurance group: 17
Modifications
Price
Akrapovic Evolution Kit £2,027.94 KTM dongle £96.60 KTM rearsets £445.00 KTM seat cover £129.06 KTM panniers £405.00 KTM carrier kit £64.20 KTM plate holder £129.42 Conti SportAttack3s £240.00 RUNNING TOTAL £3,537.22
home from Geneva isn’t going to too much fun perched up high on Sir Duke, I can’t see it being that much of a problem. Although if you find me writing next month’s column in a neck brace then that will be that theory thoroughly debunked. The Contis should get a proper work out here, and from what I’ve seen so far I’m impressed with what they can offer. They’re a similar set to the Dunlops that came off, but so far I found them to be a bit quicker steering and haven’t suffered one jot from big handfuls of throttle. But their true test will be in the land of the Toblerone, so more next month on tyres and machinery…
RACE FEATURE
I love MotoGP, I love Suzuki, I love Silverstone!
Cava has never tasted sweeter for Maverick Vinales...
ONE UP, ONE DOWN… WORDS: BENJAMIN J KUBAS-CRONIN PIC S: SUZ UK I, A P RILI A, SN A P P Y R AV EN, I A N P ERRY W INK L E
Much like life in general, motorcycle sport can be cruel. When one guy is hitting the highs, there’s another nose-diving toward the lows. We meet two MotoGP stars on opposing trajectories, Señors Maverick Vinales of Suzuki and Aprilia’s Alvaro Bautista… 116 NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM