Innehållsförteckning för August 2014 från Fast Bikes

remember Hesketh? If you’ve seen the James Hunt film Rush then the name will be familiar, but there are also those of us of a certain age that will remember the next act of the racing car company – it went on to produce bikes, in the form of the V1000 and Vampire. They never sold well, but one caught the imagination of a bike nut called Paul Sleeman as it was parked up at a pub one day. Paul liked the bike, made enquiries and ended up buying the company – as you do. The idea was to resurrection the brand, produce a new bike and sate the world’s appetite for bespoke bikes with a British twist – and the result is this, the Hesketh 24. This was no…

I bought the bike in 2009. It was standard then, but not for long. The first thing to go on was a Power Commander and a four degree ignition advancer. Then the seat plastics bugged me, so I’d read that a GSX-R1 eat unit could be used. It took a while for me to pluck up the courage to start it, but I got to the point of no return with a hacksaw! Basically I glued the base of the original seat with the rear of a K8 Gixer. I then swapped the RWU forks with a set of USD Hayabusa forks fitted into a stepped billet caliper s – and I didn’t need to change the wheel. I also upgr aded the rear shocks with some new units, but…

“Each of the 14 Ducati dealerships across the country has a riding school like ours attached to it, and we happen to be the one for Coventry. So if someone wants to learn to ride with a look to buying a Ducati, we do the training on their behalf, exactly like we did with Chaz. The dealerships are strategically spread across the UK, and Ducati can put you in touch with the dealerships, or you can go into a dealership, which has a training school attached. They supply the customers and we supply the training – and that’s all levels, from a complete beginner to advanced work after passing. “I try and teach everyone at a level they want to work at, and Chaz can obviously ride a bike! What…

Casey started on a bike at less than one. It was a battery bike around the house. We got him on a balance bike and he was able to balance himself by the time he was two. But his first proper motorbike was when he was three years and three months – a little Honda QR50 that I modified to make it a lot lower. He just took off on it, no stabilisers or anything. We’ve been lucky, just when he reaches the end of something, something else pops up. That was when the Scott Redding Academy started. Scott was the first one who had a word with me about him. He thought there was something a bit different about his riding, and so far Scott’s been proved right. He’s…

SCHOOL DIRECTOR & LEVEL 4 COACH Andy Ibbott started riding motorbikes at 14 years-old, and they’ve been his living since 1992, when he became a courier. In ’94 he decided to become a bike journo, and joined Fast Bikes. To improve his riding skills he started racing a rented 250LC, switching to a 600 for the following season. He became a full time CSS coach at the end of 1999, and now heads the UK, Europe, and the Far East schools. Having suffered a nasty stroke, Andy is back in the thick of things at the School – and loving it!…

• Power Probe – £110 This is a great bit of kit, though pricey. It can tell me how many volts are in a battery if I press it on the positive side. On the negative side it will tell me it’s negative, but if I want to be an absolute clown and try and put live into the negative side of the battery, it just pops the fuse. It has a fail-safe on it, so I put it back in and we’re ready to go again, it’s idiot proof. We use it on most electrical things, like taking an alarm off the bike, or where a fuel pump is not working. We can probe it directly into the powered fuel pump and make sure it’s working fine without any wires…

THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Making Donington Park my second home...” Just hours after world superbikes at Donington Park, I was back up to the circuit for a Ducati UK trackday on BJ’s Panigale. After a weekend on an underpowered 899, the chance to smash the granny out of the big 1199 proved irresistible; we even had a snapper primed and ready to go, for a drifting shot on the exit of Coppice... But, alas, the Great British weather buggered the job, and I spent most of the day drooling over a paddock’s worth of beautiful Italian motorcycles, rather than spanking the Panigale. Everything from classic Desmos to the new Superleggera, and even a WSB-spec 1199 RS were present, and it was good to see so many…

THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Rejoicing in the return of the bike we know and love!” The last time I rode this bike, it really didn’t conform to the normal natural ability of what we’ve come to expect from the Street Triple R. A problem with the steering head bearings reared its ugly head, along with a few other issues, making the bike a of a shadow of what it should be. But after taking it back to the Triumph HQ for a coat of looking at, it’s returned full of beans with its faults remedied. It turns out that the steering head bearings were indeed tight, so they’ve been sorted and now the bike steers as beautifully as intended. The chicken strips that the bike once…

Need more fingers... 8 for 8 That there Marc Marquez has won all eight races in 2014, and winning eight in a row is something even Rossi never managed. Granted, Marc hasn't got nine titles yet, but he's well on his way. Who’s HOT •TOM SYKES Third double of 2014. •RYUICHI KIYONARI No, really! •ALEX MARQUEZ There's another brother! Who’s NOT •JORGE LORENZO Seriously Jorge, WTF? •DAVIDE GUILIANO Unless he's sparked up... •JOHN HOPKINS C'mon Hopper, let's get the finger out please! RATE-A-SERIES – WHERE THE ACTION’S AT… •MOTOGP – Catalan cracker, damp Assen! 8/10 •WSB – Tom made it a race for second... 6/10 •BSB – Kiyo's back in the game 7/10! QUOTE OF THE MONTH THERE MUST BE A LIMIT BETWEEN TEAM-MATES, UNFORTUNATELY LORIS (BAZ) PROVED A LOT…

KTM: BIKINI • From the factory that brought you the branded toaster comes this – a bikini! The press release says that it has an offroad motif and neon yellow cords as well as lightly padded cups. It’s available in sizes from XS to XL, although the latter might be interesting to look at. Er, we think that’s about all we can say about this here (for the bloke a set of boardshorts are also available). £37.04 www.ktm.com KYOTO: BRAKE DISCS • Though not an area of a machine that you should take any short cuts on, if you’re after a budget solution to braking then Kyoto can supply you a set of discs for decent money. They are laser cut from stainless steel, and in this wave…

If you haven't ridden an 1199 Panigale S, you need to before you croak. It’s a bit of an angry road bike when it comes to pace and stability, it’s not particularly rapid on a circuit (as demonstrated by those who race them) and it’s very expensive. But nothing can match the feeling it gives you when you open the throttle in the first few gears; it’s like putting your balls in a vice and letting someone else wind the handle in. The 1199 is still the only production bike in existence that ingrains a permanent smile on my chubby little face no matter what the environment I find myself in. 2014 was the first year Ducati allowed us fit a control tyre to the Panigale. The result was a…

If you have to absolutely nail lap after lap then there’s only two bikes to do it on – this and the Aprilia. But thanks to the Triumph packing 50bhp less, it’s all so manageable – although it’s hardly lethargic in doing so. While the Fireblade struggles to exploit the natural advantages of its Öhlins extras, the Triumph revels in their fitment. Its poise and slim ergonomics puts a real focus on the front end, meaning you can operate on the circuit with a surgeon’s accuracy. The ABS still feels intrusive on track, so it’s best to switch it off. With the triple on song and you on your game it’s a bike that you can really exploit to its fullest. I’d have the F3 for show, but this for…

Apparently these kinds of bikes are the ones we’re now all buying. Sales figures for the market imply this, but the truth is that only the BMW R 1200 GS is doing big business, leaving the rest of the class fighting over the scraps. The BMW is just too compromised for us, so we’re pitching rival two bikes together with a road adventure slant to go up against one another; Kawasaki’s big Versys 1000 against Ducati’s super impressive Multistrada 1200S. Now, we wanted a bog stock 1200 but none were available, nor was the standard S. Instead we have the new 1200 S D-Air. It’s a lot more expensive than the Kawasaki, so the question is, is it worth the massive overspend? Read on... STYLING AND DESIGN When Ducati first…

There’s a luscious land that, once you’ve crossed over a rolling sea, is only a four hour dash away. Once there, this place offers a huge range of roads, sights and scenery that can easily eat up a weekend (as well as forming the basis of a longer holiday in an area of outstanding natural riding), and food that infamously blends the cuisine of France with the portion size of Germany – what’s not to like! Hardly synonymous with biking, rather the underpinnings of the European Union, the home of legal-but-dodgy tax wheezes and crap football teams, Luxembourg, it turns out, is an amazing destination to visit on a bike – so don’t pass the Duchy on either the left of right hand side! With toothbrush, pants and deodorant packed…

Few bikes claim to have had the kind of impact on biking that the Ducati 916 achieved. Not only did this thoroughbred dominate WSB throughout the 1990s, it put Ducati on the map, sold stacks, starred in films and even appeared in art galleries. No bike before or since has replicated this kind of phenomenal success and now, 20 years later, the Ducati 916 is arguably the most iconic two-wheeled machine of the 20th century. Like so many stand out inventions, the Ducati 916 was the result of a meeting of several great minds. Having taken over Ducati in 1985, Claudio Castiglioni employed Bimota founding partner Massimo Tamburini as head of design. Together with engine builder Massimo Bordi, who invented the water-cooled four-valve desmoquattro motor while at university in Bologna,…

THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Trying to lose weight...” I haven’t clocked-up many miles this month, what with Sportsbike of the Year and other trips abroad. But we ride our longtermers throughout the year regardless of weather. Having use of a bike for this length of time offers a perfect test of machinery and unearths shoddy build quality, furry bolts and plenty of cleaning opportunities. But one thing I did do this month is make the short ride over to Bristol on the Super Duke R to see the guys and gals at Racebolt; manufacturers of quality, er, race bolts, who’ve been supplying components to the race industry for the past 15 years. They’re now selling directly to the public, and it’s nice to see a British…

THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Picking and choosing from a wealth of quality metal….” It’s not been a massive mileage month for the MT-09 this issue. The chaps descending on Portugal to bring you SBOTY 2014 meant leaving all the staff bike keys in the office. This gave me more opportunities for a better ride than Hugh Heffner at the Playboy Mansion. I got through them like a serial adulterer, the weather and circumstances actually meant I covered a good 1,500 miles this month – but only a quarter of these were spent on the MT. But they were good, very good in fact, and the new parts from Yamaha’s catalogue have improved the ride for sure. The Gilles tooled levers add quality to the control, with…

1. EASY TIGER • honda doesn’t often go in for the tawdry business of specials, but after running a fireblade in urban tiger colours at the BSB round at Snetterton, the expected press release hit the inbox the very next monday. yes, you can now buy a new fireblade in colours that ape the 1994 bike’s brilliant scheme. for your £13,299 (£700 more than the standard ABS bike) you also get a Akrapovic exhaust. Decent value, we say, and the results speak for themselves. 2. WORLD CUP OWN GOAL • Just before both the catalunya motogP event and the world cup kicked off, Alpinestars made a song and dance about fitting their riders with specially commissioned football related race boots for the likes of marc marquez, Scott redding and Broc…

We had various visitors to Portimao’s pitlane over the two days, from circuit staff, to holidaymakers and keen locals. And all of them went straight to the MV Agusta for a gratuitous ogle. The F3 is a bike you fall in love with before you’ve even straddled it. Initially, the F3 800 was unrideable, bordering on dangerous, as the sexiest bike on test severely struggled with Portimao’s undulations and bumps, viciously slapping from lock-to-lock. Rootsy returned to the pits to adjust the steering damper. There wasn't a steering damper. According to MV, the damper is an aftermarket accessory and doesn’t come as standard on the 800. It should. The throttle, which still feels like an arcade game's and lacks rear wheel connectivity, was so sensitive a bump would trigger more…

Approaching the Panigale with a degree of trepidation, this blister maker seemed to have a change of heart after swapping to the Bridgestone rubber. It’s still belligerent at times, feeling articulated and kicking off any bump it can find, but steer a smooth course and for the first time a Panigale came too me – rather than being involved in a knife fight. The motor is laughable. There’s so much top end and it runs out of revs so quickly, but it’s geared well for this track – and you find yourself in new ratios everywhere. There’s still lots of movement from the rear under braking, but elsewhere it joins the dots up better. It’s still hard work, but it feels like you’re getting something back. Rootsy’s verdict 8/10…

Bridgestone may be pulling out of MotoGP next year, but the company still wants be involved in the biggest sportsbike test around. It's all about priorities... To maintain parity in the test, we kitted all the bikes with Bridgetone’s track-spec R10. For most, it was a big upgrade in final grip output, especially bikes like the ZX-10R. The R10 was the fastest set of hoops at our mammoth tyre test last year, combining supreme outright grip with stability. We sampled the new, softer compound ‘Type 4’ for the 180-section rear tyres, too. Even after over a hundred laps on each bike, grip was still remarkably consistent and predictable. They may look badgered, but these tyres just keep on giving. Once all the times were set on the R10s, we fitted…

Engine: CBR1000RR4 engine and loom CBR1000RR4 fuel injection K&N air filter Power Commander PC3 Akrapovic GSXR750 exhaust with titanium headers Renthal 520 chain and sprockets. 16 front, 42 rear Chassis: 1996 Fireblade frame, polished OZ forged alloy wheels Aprilia RSV swinging arm Honda 954 yokes, powdercoated lower, aqua blasted upper Harris clip-ons, 50mm risers ASV levers Nobunaka rearsets (RRW) Suspension Honda RR4 forks, stripped and anodized gold with TiN coated stanchions Öhlins RSV rear shock Brakes: Honda RR10 calipers, aqua blasted Honda RR10 master cylinder Galfer discs Hel brake lines Brembo rear caliper (RSV) Bodywork: Honda RRW fairings Carbon/Kevlar RCV1000R front fender (off Marc Marquez’ test bike!) Honda RRW outer tank, CBR1000RR4 inner tank Cabbie Special Custom RS125 subframe and tail unit Carbon dipped fairing infills (Wicked Coatings) Carbon dipped…

It’s always surprising just how many racers don’t have road licences for two wheels. Or maybe not, considering these days most begin so young and get used to run off, rather than HGVs. Those that bother usually take their time about it, just like Chaz Davies, ex world champion, factory Ducati pilot and, of course, Fast Bikes’ columnist. Over the near ten years he’s been writing for us, we have pestered him about joining the rest of us mere mortals on the road. Then he signed with Ducati, who got behind the idea, and between them, 90-One Training, us and Chaz we got the ball rolling. Quite soon after, he and race-aide James were kitted up in the finest fluoro yellow and ready to rock. So, over to Chaz. “I…

Luxembourg isn’t a big place – it’s about the size of Cheshire and stretches 50-odd miles north to south and 35 miles east to west. The north is part of the Ardennes region which it shares with Belgium, which is proper biking bliss. Hilly, rather than mountainous, the landscape climbs to just over 1,800 feet. The rest of the country is hardly Holland – with plenty of rugged areas, valleys and roads traversing the lot of it! Away from Luxembourg City, the rest of the country is rural – hence quiet and relatively traffic free. Fuel is just over a pound a litre and English is widely spoken by the local Luxembourgers. In total, there are just under 2,000 miles of roads to enjoy.…

James Holland runs JHS Racing in Keynsham, and he is our go to guy whenever we need a bike looking at. JHS Racing was set up in the mid 1990s and has since expanded as its reputation has grown. The workshop deals with everything, from scooters to superbikes. Having built and worked on race Suzuki SVs and Triumph 675s James has a wealth of knowledge with these bikes, but elsewhere James’ knowledge is as extensive as it gets. So from tyre fitting to MOTs, from dyno work to suspension, James really does do it all. And here he is, passing on his years in the business to Fast Bikes readers!…

PENAL SERVITUDE PREVENTOR The Fast Bikes Legal Clinic is compiled by Andrew Dalton, and his bike riding barristers and solicitors at White Dalton Motorcycle Solicitors. They deal with personal injury claims and their sister company, Motor Defence Team, deals with all the motoring offences. They know everything about bike law. Andrew is a former London motorbike courier turned barrister and solicitor, and we know he’s good. All the White Dalton lawyers are qualified barristers, or solicitors, or both - and they all have full bike licences, too. They don’t act for insurance companies or the prosecution. They are Britain’s most specialist law practice, and if they don’t know the answer to your question, there probably isn’t one. Don't rely on the advice from your insurance appointed solicitor, get proper independent…

THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Got a shift on...” The ZX-6R has travelled wide and far this month – making it to our SBOTY test (albeit as a contingency plan if our plan A failed). I was relieved in a way that it didn’t get to tread the Portimao boards, although the opportunity to spank it round on a set of Bridgestone R10s would have been brilliant. But the truth is that in standard form the Kawasaki isn’t quite as clinical as the Triumph 675R, so it sat forlornly on its stand for two days waiting for the worst to happen to one of the others. On its return, Charles Charlie Charles of the Charles Brothers commandeered it for sales duties. The first task was to go…

THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “ Doing other things...” It’s been a hard month for most of our long term bikes, seeing as this is our busiest issue of the year. Just getting ready for, and undertaking, SBOTY is a huge task, especially with just three of us manning the ship, and thus the BMW has suffered a tad in the love department. That’s not to say it’s been completely ignored though, in fact it has some brand new shoes, which is more than I can say for my own worn out collection. And it’s something rather different, too. Instead of the usual replacements we normally throw at ’termers, we are trying out for the first time some Nankang hoops, specifically the Nankang WF-2 Sportiac sports touring tyre.…

How can we not start with Marc Marquez this month? I could really just watch him race on his own. We watched the Assen race at Goodwood in Honda’s hospitality. Did you see him lose the front coming into the pitlane during the swap over? He does make it exciting, he’s on the edge whatever he is doing, so close to the limit. He does have the luck, too. And when that goes, well, just look at Jorge Lorenzo. It’s time to start thinking that winning every race is a possibility. I can’t see anyone taking it to him... You think that luck must come to and end soon, and by rights that should have happened at Assen, but it didn’t. A season can do an about turn easily, but…