GET UP TO SPEED
THE WORLD’S
BIGGEST BIKING MONTHLY!
August 2018
#146
KR-1 it up!
1989’s Kawasaki screamer in detail
He’s BACK!
T ★ SP Y SHO
Y SHOT ★ S SP
PY
★ SPY SH OT O SH
V85! What’s REALLY happening with 2019’s hottest roadster! T
McGuinness is ready to race
PY SHOT ★S ★
HOW NEW ROAD SIGNS WILL WILL: ‘Save riders’ lives’
KTM’s 790R!
2019 Adventure revealed EARLY
It’s taken a while, but safety boffins have finally come up with a range of road signs that are specially made of a type of plastic which breaks easily and safely if crashed-into at speed. Tests are currently being carried out in Germany where European vehicle safety experts are giving the new signs’ design a thorough motorcycle-related workout. More on Page 6
6 NEWS
NEW plastic road signs ‘will save bikers lives’
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Roadside notices redesigned to dissipate energy during a crash, reducing the likelihood of a rider being hurt. Words: Ross Mowbray
European vehicle safety experts DEKRA are trialling a new range of plastic road signs in Germany to minimise the risk of injury for motorcyclists involved in accidents. The majority of road signs are currently manufactured from steel – and as a result, they can be a real hazard for motorcyclists. And that’s
why DEKRA is currently testing a range of plastic solutions. To show the difference, DEKRA has released a video (see stills below), showing the incredible difference between steel and plastic in an accident. As you can see – the full video is available to watch on www. MoreBikes.co.uk – the crash tests performed by DEKRA on the new
plastic road signs have yielded some pretty impressive results. The impact of a motorcyclist against a steel pole will most likely have fatal consequences, but a collision with the new plastic poles would likely only cause minor injuries – because the poles simply break. Some of the new signs have already been installed in the region of
Baden-Württemberg in Germany – and will gradually replace the old metal installations. Plus, approval from the Federal Ministry of Transport for use of the new plastic road signs throughout Germany is pending. No news yet from the UK Government – but looking at the video, they’d be hard pressed to ignore the advantages.
ABOVE: You can see how the metal road sign doesn’t give way and causes major injuries for the sliding biker.
ABOVE: With the plastic signage the support gives way easily, taking the brunt of the impact force and causing much less injury to the rider.
Cool custom Bol MV The latest MV Agusta Bol d’Or Series bike from custom bike builders WSM was finished by legendary builder Walter Siegl himself. It shares plenty with WSM’s previous Bol d’Or incarnations, but comes with a few notable differences – and unlike the others, it’s been made for use out on the road. A new lighter aluminium subframe was added, on top of which a new Kevlar fairing made by John Harvey of FuelCel is introduced. That’s not all though, WSM added magnesium wheels, machined aluminium foot pegs – and even reconfigured the electronics and engine mapping. The MV Agusta Bol d’Or Series tips the scales at 150kg (almost 36kg lighter than the standard machine) and kicks out power of around 140bhp.
8 NEWS
REVEALED
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Suzuki extends its low rate finance offer
Here’s the patents for Yamaha’s NEXT Niken And it’s an MT-03-powered leaning three-wheeler! Here’s what we’ve been sent on the next Niken from the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer. It’s a series of official designs from the factory that are being filed as part of a patent for the next Yamaha three-wheeler. Two things are clear from the drawings; the funky two-wheeled front end is virtually identical to the MT-09-powered Niken three-wheeler that had it’s world launch a few weeks ago and the new bike’s powerhouse and chassis, seat and petrol tank come directly from the current MT-03. In the designs, the small Niken has extra frame parts that can be seen around the bulk of the engine, these are to cope with the extra side-turn forces generated by the bike’s quirky front end. Other than that, the 321cc, liquid-cooled, four-stroke, DOHC,
four-valve motor, swingarm, wheels, seat and tank are all identical to the current learner-legal, 42bhp A2 friendly MT-03. We’ve brought you many reports of rumours in Japan that Yamaha has been looking at smaller capacity Nikens as part of a future line-up but up until now, those rumours have fluctuated between a very small capacity 125cc MT-based version and a larger MT-07 derived option. With Yamaha already serving the small-capacity three-wheeler market with the Tricity scooter, the small option Niken looks to have been wishful thinking and with these exclusive images of the MT-03powered Niken the 07-version doesn’t appear to be in the pipeline anytime soon either.
Suzuki has announced an extension to its low rate finance offers across its 2018 model lineup. As part of the extension the GSXR1000R, GSX-S750, GSX-S1000, SV650 and new SV650X will continue to be available under the 2,3,4% finance offer, which allows customers to choose either a PCP or hire purchase deal, and select the term of their agreement.
The new bike’s style is mainly taken from this MT-03.
Honda’s fitting FREE tracking systems
Honda is offering Datatool’s innovative Thatcham-approved tracking solution (TrakKING Adventure system) supplied and fitted at no extra cost to all new road bikes. And if you’ve got an older Honda, then you can get the system fitted at a discount. The only cost involved is the ongoing 24/7/365 monitoring subscription.
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12 NEWS
Harley-Davidson set to move some of its production out of the USA And it’s all because of President Donald Trump
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Words: Ross Mowbray In an attempt to mitigate the impact of a widening trade dispute between the US and Europe (well, actually, the US and everywhere else), HarleyDavidson has confirmed it plans to move some of its manufacturing outside of the United States. Harley-Davidson confirmed that it was shifting some of the production of its motorcycles outside the United States, in an attempt to avoid European Union tariffs imposed as part of a widening trade dispute. In fact, Harley-Davidson confirmed that European Union tariffs on its motorcycles had increased to 31%, from 6% – and estimated that the higher tariffs would add about $2200 on average to every motorcycle exported from the United States. As a result, the Milwaukee-based brand has said it would move the production of bikes bound for Europe
outside of the United States. The company sold about 40,000 new motorcycles last year in Europe, which is equivalent to a sixth of its worldwide sales, making the region its most important market after its home country. A spokesman for the company said: “Harley-Davidson believes that the tremendous cost increase, if it is passed on to its dealers and retail customers, would have an immediate and lasting detrimental impact to its business in the region, reducing customer access to Harley-Davidson products and negatively impacting the sustainability of its dealers’ businesses.”
Watch this video: knee down crazy!
Trump threatens ‘big tax’ on Harleys imported into the US US President Trump has turned on Harley-Davidson after the American company announced it’s moving of production out of the United States.
Trump claimed that the price increase on ‘foreign’ metal imports was put in place to protect similar products produced on American soil rather than letting non-USA products undercut homemade options and threaten American workers’ jobs. But now, with his usual Twitter-led outrage, Trump has publicly attacked HarleyDavidson directly, saying that the company is using the tax issues as a cover to move
some of its production abroad. Trump has threatened Harley with a “big tax” on bikes imported to the US. Trump said: “A Harley-Davidson should never be built in another country – never! Their employees and customers are already very angry at them. “If they move, watch, it will be the beginning of the end. They surrendered! They quit! The aura will be gone and they will be taxed like never before!”
Log onto: www.MoreBike.co.uk and search ‘kneedown’ to watch an amazing video of a seven-year-old girl with incredible motorcycle skill getting her knee down in torrential rain. Posted by the Track Day Riders group, the girl’s father shot the footage of her draggin’ her knee on a go-kart track in the wet. It’s an amazing display of ability from the rider who’s legs aren’t quite long enough to be able to reach the ground! Learners Commuters Buying On Two Wheels
Riding
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28 BEHIND THE SCENES
Words: Bob Pickett
BEST OF BRITISH:
DAVIDA
The idea of this series is to celebrate British companies involved in the world of motorcycling. And can there be a more British company than Davida? From humble beginnings in 1974 to the present day, the company’s production process has remained in-house at its headquarters in Birkenhead, Wirral. On top of this, the helmets are still hand-made by the Davida team, most of whom have been with the company for over a decade and some more than 30 years, going back to its formation. Davida (the name comes from a clever marketing strategy, making premium of the European Endurance biking scene prevalent at the time) started out manufacturing specialised components (their vacuum gauges were re-branded by Honda as their official kit and are still being made), but the life-changing move came in the early 1980s when founder David ‘Fid The Lid’ Fiddaman (‘Fiddy’ for short), decided he could make a better open-face helmet than what was
available at the time. As a result, a design classic was born. Since then, perhaps the greatest compliment is Davida helmets have gone from being retro-styled to being the one other people copy.
THE PROCESS
So how is it done? Every Davida helmet is literally hand-crafted, a highly labour intensive process requiring it to be passed through many hands all the way through its production. The starting point is the size and head profile. Years of practice and thorough research has led to the development of a range of shell profiles (Davida will work to halfsizes) designed to closely fit different head shapes. The initial model has been finely sculpted by hand using time honoured modelling techniques. The Davida shell tooling is for Davida helmets only – no other brand uses their tooling. Overall helmet size is proportional to head size, with six helmet sizes created from three shell
BEHIND THE SCENES 29
sizes and three EPS liners – each size then created with different leather lining sizes. It is always best to visit Davida at a show or one of their registered stockists (see www. davida-helmets.com for a full list) to get an exact match. The shell is made from fibreglass, which is pressed into a heavy steel mould and coated in resin, then a head-shaped bladder is inflated to create the head shape. Once cooled, The shell is hand-sanded using an orbital sander to create a smooth finish. Each helmet is then primed and given an inspection to ensure no imperfections; once past this quality control, each helmet gets it’s own unique barcode, Davida can trace the manufacture of every helmet that leaves the factory. The glassfibre shells and polystyrene liners are made in Europe to stringently monitored specifications, with the leather liners, painting, assembly and finish happening in Merseyside. Painting is still done by hand
(I know I’ve said this before, but the attention to detail and refusal to move to mass-production type machinery is a vital part of the Davida process). Single colours are straightforward, but multiple colours are masked by hand. Top coats of paint and lacquer are applied in a dust-free specialist paint room, then eye-checked in a lightbox to ensure not even the smallest speck of dust will be missed. Complex designs can see the shell being hand masked and sprayed up to five times. Once past this approval stage, the shell is baked to harden the paint before moving to the assembly room. Now, the outer rubber trim is glued to the shell straps made from the same grade leather as the lining shortly to be added – attached by studs to the shell to ensure they won’t come away. Studs (for attaching peaks and/or visors) cannot be retro-fitted, so if you are approaching Davida for a bespoke helmet it is important to specify at this stage if they are required.
Next, the leather linings (natural leather is used as it softens and ages well, making the helmet even more comfortable as the years go by), are cut and sewn. More than 1 square metre of the finest grade aniline dyed leather is used to create the luxurious quilted leather lined interior, finished with a pure satin crown for a superb level of comfort. A goggle retainer is fitted to the rear of the helmet using the same quality leather.
The quilted liner fits inside an EPS multi-density shock absorbing layer pressed into shape within the shell. The leather linings can be replaced on Ninety 2 and Speedster V3, so you can order a different colour if you want to personalise your helmet further. So you’ve got your helmet, you can now order visors, goggles (if, like me, you wear glasses, you can order goggles with prescription lenses fitted) to match. Davida also makes
gloves, leather jackets and jeans (not made at the factory, but to Davida’s own designs), and face masks. The firm doesn’t sit still – its range is constantly being refined, and 2018 saw the launch of its first full-face helmet, the Koura. Fiddy popped one on my head: instantly comfortable, light, well balanced, utterly quiet (a welcome Davida trait). We hope to test one for a future issue, once initial orders are satisfied.
36 TRIED & TESTED
TESTED
Each month MCM features a range of gear that we’ve tested extensively out on the road, to try and find the best-value products on the market – so you can spend your hard earned cash with confidence.
Furygan Vittorio Gloves RRP: £64.99 // Sizes: S-3XL I’ve been wearing a pair of Vittorio gloves from Furygan over the past few months, and I’ve got nothing but nice things to say about the French brand’s latest addition to its extensive range. Manufactured predominantly from goat leather for protection and comfort, the gloves blend Furygan’s Skin Protect lining (which has been approved by Furygan’s R&D department for reinforcing leather in terms of tearing and abrasion resistance) – and in short, they’re a wellequipped pair of gloves that ought to be up the job should your hands need protecting in the event of a tumble. Plus, there’s a D3O protection shell for your metacarpals – in addition to multiple reinforcements in the form of doubled layers and additional foam on areas exposed to abrasion in a crash situation. Thankfully, I haven’t had to put the protection to the test just yet though. For comfort there are reinforcements on top of the palm and inside the thumb,
and between each finger there’s even padded textile inserts. It all works well, and out on the road, I found them extremely comfortable – and because they’re fairly thin, you’ll still get all the feedback you need through the bars. They’re also perforated leather for air flow – to help keep your hands cool in the warmest of weathers. And there’s a wrist adjuster too, to help you get the perfect fit. All in all, they’re a stylish and comfortable set of gloves, that’ll keep your hands cool in warmer weather. Well worth a look. For more information, visit: www.nevis.uk.com
Crave Denim Kevlar Shirt RRP: £259.00 // Sizes: XS-XL The Crave Bear Kevlar shirt is a clever bit of kit that looks good both on and off the motorcycle – and comes with a full Kevlar lining which should help keep your skin intact should the worst happen and you take a tumble. With the scorching weather we’ve been having – it’s been my go-to jacket since I got my hands on it a few months ago. It’s a simple but well equipped jacket, and comes with a full para aramid anti-abrasion layer (Kevlar) and microfibre lining layer for breathability – like I said, perfect for the summer. Additionally, there are pockets for CE protection on the shoulders and back, and room
for D30 protectors on the elbows. Admittedly, I’ve been wearing the jacket with an armoured base layer underneath – but if you’re going to do that, you might need to go one size up to ensure there’s room. There’s also a phone/wallet pocket on sleeve, one zipped inner pocket and two small breast pockets. In short, this handmade jacket from Crave is a fantastic piece of kit. It’s not cheap, I know – but it’s stylish, lightweight, comfortable, and doesn’t look out of place on or off the bike. I love it. For more information, visit: www.dot4distribution.com
Bell Moto-3 Ace Cafe GP 66 Helmet RRP: £249.99 // Sizes: XS-2XL There’s no denying the Bell Moto-3 Ace Cafe GP 66 is a cool-looking lid. It looks almost identical to the iconic helmets worn by 1970s scrambling stars – but don’t worry, it’s equipped with the latest and greatest modern materials and technology, to meet European and American safety standards and help keep your noggin safe out on the tarmac (or dirt).
It’s not packed with an abundance of features though – after all, it’s a fairly simple and straightforward design, that’s been tried and tested over the years. So why change a winning formula? The lid is made using a modern lightweight fibreglass composite shell – which comes in three different sizes, allowing you to get the perfect fit. Regarding the fit, I did find it quite tight initially, but after around 1000 miles the padding seems to have given a little – and it’s now spot on. It also comes equipped with a full internal EPS liner, and a removable/washable anti-microbial terrycloth liner. And that’s about it. Like I said; it’s simple, but purposeful. I love it. The one we’ve been testing is the Ace Cafe GP 66 special – which celebrates 80 years since the iconic London-based biker haunts inception. The lid was designed in
THIS MONTH’S BEST BUY
collaboration with the team at the iconic Ace Cafe in London – the original home of the now worldfamous cafe racer motorcycle. As a result, the helmet features a Union Jack inspired red, white, and blue livery with a red stripe on the right, and a blue stripe on the left. It also comes with a detachable sun visor, and there’s an Ace Cafe logo on the back. For more information, visit: www.bellhelmets.co.uk
Forcefield Freelite Back Protector RRP: £99.99 // Sizes: S-L
Back protectors are important pieces of kit – right up there with a decent helmet and pair of gloves. Up until February this year, I’d not been wearing one – but since then, when my Forcefield Freelite arrived, I’ve made sure to always stick it underneath my jacket to keep me just a bit safer should the worst happen. I’m really glad to say that I’ve not needed to thoroughly test it quite yet – but knowing I’m as well protected as possible inspires riding confidence.
The overall design of the Freelite is one of simplicity. No fancy clips or buckles, just a wide Velcro strap and elasticated shoulder straps to hold the CE2 layered armour in place. And in place is where it stayed. Even when I was riding a machine that needed a bit of playful man-handling, it neither moved nor came undone. It’s a clever bit of kit, and with its breathable, flexible construction you’re getting good bang for your buck. The armour itself is soft enough to shape to your body when it warms up under your jacket making the fit snug. As with all new pieces of clothing it took a few rides to really bed in fully and for me to get used to the feeling and forget it was even there. In no time at all I found myself in the routine of putting the back protector on before the jacket. If I had one negative about the product – it is that after wearing it daily for five months (on and off at least three times a day) the Velcro began to lose its grab. This is an extreme amount of use in a short
period of time so may not be fully representative of the product’s longevity . Aside from that, the back protector is very well-made and surprisingly comfortable – and if you’re looking for a back protector, you could do a lot worse than Forcefield’s Freelite. For information, visit: www.forcefieldbodyarmour.com
40 UNDER THE SKIN
Ducati’s V4
PANIGALE The amazing V4 is bristling with design brilliance, pioneering engineering and class-defining electronics. This is the state of our art. BOUNCY BITS
While the standard V4 is equipped with fully adjustable 43mm Showa Big Piston Forks and a fully adjustable Sachs shock and steering damper, the V4 ‘S’ and V4 ‘Speciale’ get the full Öhlins electronically adjustment treatment, featuring the suspension guru’s second generation Smart EC 2.0 and corresponding NIX-30 forks and a TTX36 rear shock – which allow for compression and rebound adjustments at the touch of a button; the preload needs adjusting manually. The two higher spec models also come with an Öhlins steering damper.
HIGH TECH
Sporting an updated six-axis Bosch inertial platform, the new V4 includes a host of tantalising new rider aids and features such as controlled drift during braking, ABS cornering for just the front wheel (which is track focused) and a new up and down quickshift system that takes lean angle into account. These join a long list of already-proven Ducati technologies such as Ducati Traction Control, Ducati Slide Control, Ducati Wheelie Control, Ducati Power Launch and the Ducati Engine Brake Control. The models each feature three new Riding Modes (Race, Sport and Street), which are all adjustable via the stock fitment second generation 5in TFT display that also facilitates full data-logging.
UNDER THE SKIN 41 MOTORING ON
Leaning heavily on the V4 masterpiece Ducati races at MotoGP, the all-new Stradale motor is something of an animal with a claimed 210bhp and 91.1lb-ft on tap. Its capacity has been set at 1103cc, with cylinders banked at an aggressive 90º angle to enable its compact size. For strong mid-range performance, Ducati has opted for a long stroke with its road going versions, and it also benefits from a counter-rotating crankshaft and a twin pulse ignition in order to produce greater inertia. Variable intakes and the latest generation Desmodromic cam timing are among other goodies in the build, which combine together to make the motor a performer all the way up to its 13,000rpm limiter. For the race track, Ducati’s also set to release a legislation-friendly 999cc V4 which is said to produce a similar output to its larger capacity brethren later this year.
HOT WHEELS
Looking great and helping exponentially in the handling department are all new wheels. The standard Panigale V4 is fitted with three-spoke cast aluminium rims, while the fancier ‘S’ and ‘Stradale’ versions are kitted with three-spoke forged aluminium options. All of the models are equipped with Pirelli’s latest generation Supercorsa SPs, sporting a 120/70/17 profile front and a 200/60/17 sized rear.
FOCUSED FRAME
Moving away from the monocoque design of old, Ducati has switched to a minimalist and featherweight (4kg) beauty called a ‘Front Frame’. The advantages of this include being able to separate torsional and lateral rigidity, allowing for more stability and improved rider feedback, plus sharper rigidity and improved ease of use. As with the 1299, the V4 uses its Stradale motor as a stressed member. This means the Panigale V4 is both incredibly slender and lightweight, with the V4 ‘Speciale’ and ‘S’ models boasting a featherweight 195kg wet weight, while the standard bike weighs in at 198kg. The use of magnesium for the front subframe has also helped to keep the pounds off, while the rear subframe has been produced using shell-cast aluminium. The Panigale V4’s long 600mm singlesided swingarm is produced from aluminium and is intended to aid stability and grip levels.
ANCHORAGE
Brembo’s new Stylema Monobloc calipers are the choice of brake for the V4. Compared to their predecessors, they’re more compact and are incredibly lightweight thanks to being machined from a single piece of alloy (saving 70g per caliper without compromising on performance). Ventilation has also been improved alongside a greater hydraulic performance, with four 30mm pistons gripping twin 330mm discs for the greatest braking performance possible.