Innehållsförteckning för May 2017 från Fast Bikes

TCX RT-RACE Can anyone remember what name TCX boots used to run under? Tickling the back of that brain box, is it? Oxtar! Their boots were good then, but nowthey’re just superb and right up there with the best of the rest. The new RT-Race is their top-line sports offering, and features a DFC flex control anti-torsion system, a fasten-fit-control and an air-tech breathable lining. It has a replaceable, anatomic and extra light mid-sole, is stuffed with reinforced PP protection and a mono-compound rubber sole. It comes in EU sizes 38-49, and there’s a waterproof version available for £249.99, too. £229.99 www.nevis.uk.com OXFORD DORMEX Made specifically for covering bikes indoors, don’t use the Dormex outdoors! But the price reflects the fact that it’s for use in garages (or…

If you’re familiar with the arm-wrenching, sportsbike embarrassing, race-track-loving mastery of the MT-10, you’re probably wondering how the R1-derived hyper naked could be bettered? Well, Yamaha have had their pimp stick out and given the MT a Sports Production-style makeover. Which means what, exactly? Much akin to the higher spec R1M, the flagship MT’s been covered in glue and sprinkled with lots of new shiny bits. Costing £13,399, its spec includes the R1M’s fancy silver/blue paint scheme, a TFT dash – nabbed straight from said R1 – and some über sexy Ohlins semi-active electronic suspension. Plus, there’s a new assist and slipper clutch to write home about, and a factory fitted quickshifter makes the package even sweeter. As for power, the 158bhp output of the crossplane-inline-four motor is unchanged, despite…

Sportsbikes are dead. Yep, dead, deader than a dead thing, we’re repeatedly told. Well, what a right load of cobblers, say we. New sportsbike sales did indeed dip alarmingly a few years ago when prices finally returned to where they should always have been, from when they were drastically slashed pre-millennium to combat grey-import machines. The recent price increases also coincided with the global economic slowdown, so of course new bike sales were going to suffer, d’uh! This period did, however, also coincide with the ascendency of electronics and, therefore, another small price increase on top of the other one. A double hit then, which understandably put off many potential buyers. The upshot is that manufacturers are now mostly packing their sportsbikes out with as much tech’ as they can…

It’s finally sunk in… It didn’t sink in for a while with all the rushing around doing promo stuff after the race. It’s really nice to come back to England and see the reaction. The race is my sole focus I don’t consider anything else. People and friends at the race, even family back home, you just don’t have any contact with them. It’s definitely pretty full on when you’re there. It was pretty tough This year the riding was really physical, and you’re fighting the bike all day over difficult terrain. Our longest day was over 800 miles (that’s London to Milan – Ed), on something like day nine, which took 18 hours. We’d already done 400-500 miles on every other day. You get five or six hours’ sleep…

Why an MV Agusta F4? I’m often asked that! Basically, I had a BMW S 1000 RR which is a very fast and efficient bike, as we all know, but it wasn’t a work of art. For road use it doesn’t matter if a bike doesn’t have that final nth degree of speed for me. I went to Forza Italia, had a go, liked it and then had to wait four months to get mine, and it came with a free puncture! It was just something different; sure, things like a Suzuki GSX-R1000 and so on have their own quirks, but the MV was like a four-cylinder version of my Ducati 999R, and it felt exclusive. It was the F4 in part, that made me eventually become an MV dealer!…

From BSB weapons to club racing steeds, we’ve been covering just about everything we can to give you guys an idea of what goes into building a race bike – and showing you what sweet bits and pieces you can bolt on to your own machines! But what does the owner of a performance centre spank his money on? Well, Dan at dmpmotorcycles.co.uk has chosen the bulletproof Suzuki GSX-R750 K7 as his track weapon, and says it’s more than enough to not look too silly against all us yobs on track. This is mainly because of the impressive handling – the most important weapon in the GSX-R’s armoury due to that sweet standard chassis. But things get sweeter! In order to maximise that beautiful nimbleness he has gifted the Suzuki…

Just as we go to press, the second round of WSB 2017 has passed in Thailand. So, what have we learned thus far? It may seem a simple answer given that one man has won all four races, but that isn’t the case, oh no… The opening two races in Australia were utterly superb, supremely thrilling and the perfect way to open 2017’s race action – MotoGP will be hoping to high heaven they can match WSB’s action at their own opening race in Qatar, which you’ll have seen by now. In fact, including the Supersport race all three were won by a combined total of less than 0.07s – that’s three separate races added together, which is insane! Yes, Kawasaki’s Jonny Rea won both Superbike races, and also went…

R6 SUPERSPORT SAVIOUR Yamaha bucks the trend and releases a new supersport sensation. TRACTION CONTROL It’s on most bikes these days, but is the techno aid a vice or a virtue? SUPER NAKED SHOOTOUT MT-10SP vs. Tuono1100 vs. S1000R vs. 1290 Super Duke R AND LOTS, LOTS LOTS MORE STUFF: ■ KTM’s new 390 and 125 Dukes ■ Testing Michelin’s Power RS ■ Honda SP-2 Buyer’s Guide ■ Fuelling the future On Sale 2nd May, 2017 Buy it from WHSmith, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and all good newsagents. Failing that, try a bad one. Check out the eye-poppingly good digital edition at www.classicmagazines.co.uk…

Hi everyone, Iguess you’ll know by know how I got on with the first two rounds? It’s been a good build up to the season, testing was productive but I also got the chance torelax too. We went snowboarding for my birthday, which I just love. Some say it’s a bit of a risk just prior to the racing kicking off, but so long as you’re smart all is well and it’s important to feel good within yourself before things get all serious. After that we got to do a season preview type thing with TV channel S4C, which you can find if you have a look about the internet. It was nice to do, they came out to see me in Espana, have a bit of a chat and…

Not so long ago, a fellow got into a spot of bother speeding. Or, rather, put himself in a giant cauldron of scorching hot water through his own choice. The gentleman in question was recently jailed for two speeding offences (among some other, er, things…), one of which was 47mph in a 30mph zone, the other was vanishing into the distance from a police vehicle that itself was travelling at over 140mph! The recently jailed chap had also been using false number plates on his machine but, possibly worse, he was seen goading the cops by waving at them before leaving them for dust. The police, who filmed both speeding incidents, eventually backed off because the speeds they were doing to try and catch him were too high, and his…

It seems rarely a week goes by without Ducati announcing more good news, be that awards they’ve won or sales being up. This month saw them reveal that their turnover grew to a far from shabby €731-million (euros) for 2016, a result up 4.1 per cent compared to the previous year. This was presented at the annual Audi HG press conference, and Ducati also contributed an operating result of €51-million with a margin of 7 per cent to the Audi group. “The continuous evolution of our range, both in terms of quality and technology, the constant development of our dealer network and the effectiveness of a strategy based on investments aimed at the products, the quality and the customers, have enabled the company to continue on its growth curve,” said…

If you like to clock big miles but don’t want to compromise on performance for comfort, you need to check out the new MT-10 Touring Edition. It features all the goodness of the base model MT-10, but is made a whole lot more mile-munching friendly with the addition of some soft luggage panniers, a GPS stay, handguards and a piles-friendly comfort seat. But, without any doubt, the single most beneficial bolt-on to the package is the high screen, which proved very effective on test in South Africa. Just like the SP and base model MT, the Touring Edition also benefits from a quickshifter as standard, and sports the latest incarnation assist and slipper clutch. We got to spend four hours in the saddle on our test, which proved a right…

It can be very difficult to obtain that perfect suspension set-up. In racing, with so much adjustability, it can be a challenge to find the compromise between how the bike reacts into a corner, during a corner, and on the exit – and nearly every corner on a track would, ideally, need its own setting so finding the right compromise for all is never easy. In off-road racing and especially motocross, with ever-changing track conditions it’s even trickier. On a stock road motorcycle, built to a specific budget yet designed for a huge range of rider weights (with the option to carry a pillion and luggage) getting it spot-on for everyone is, understandably, a near impossible task. Open range A bike manufacturer has a huge window when designing a standard…

Thirty entire seasons of World Superbikes will have flown by, come the end of 2017. Bonkers, no? With two races per event weekend, that’s one hell of a lot of action (over 700 races) over those three decades, and there have been thrills and spills, as well as plenty of tasty controversy along the way. Photographer extraordinaire Kel Edge has been there since the start when he ditched Grand Prix duties to go cover Steve McLaughlin’s fledgling production based series. We asked him to supply us with some snaps from past to present, for a gallery of historic superbike loveliness for you to savour, and to give us a word or three on each of them. After all, there’s probably not another man alive that knows WSB as well as…

STAR LETTER BOYS ON TOUR... My name is Ben and I am from Portrush, Northern Ireland (NW200 regular!) and a pal and I are currently planning a European bike tour. Specifically, a tour to replicate the Allied advance through Europe (Ooo, good one! – FB). This plan is particularly pertinent to us, as we are both current and serving members of the Royal Marine Commandos (We read about your trip to St Nazaire with the Panigale and H2 and although we’d already begun planning, it definitely added inspiration!). We both have plenty years of biking experience under our belts but neither of us have gone more than a long weekend away on two wheels. We have selected most of our destinations and know a timescale and budget we can realistically…

We won’t be making the grid for the first round of BSB at Donington Park, which is a real kick in the teeth. Yamaha still haven’t finalised exactly when we’ll be getting our R6 so we’re left playing the waiting game. It’s gutting, because I’m gagging to get out there and kick my season off with the rest of the guys. Annoying as it is, the world will keep spinning and I’m trying to focus on all the good times we’ll have once our season gets under way. Bike aside, everything else was pretty much sorted well in advance for the 2017 season, including some testing time at Cartagena. Instead of cancelling the booking, we made the decision to rock up anyway and see if we could borrow a bike.…

RAINGRIP Optimised tread design for better drainage in wet conditions. TRACTIONSKIN Enhanced feel from the very off thanks to the micro rough texture. MULTIGRIP Temperature controlled curing, with different compounds over the tyre. EASYHANDLING Better feedback, easier handling and confidence inspiring feel from the construction. ZERODEGREE The 0 degree steel belt that is the backbone of the tyre, giving greater stability at all speeds. SIZE RANGE: Fronts: 120/70ZR17 M/C (58W) TL 110/70ZR17 M/C 54W TL 110/80R19 M/C 59V TL 120/60ZR17 M/C (55W) TL 120/70ZR17 M/C (58W)TL GT 120/70ZR19 M/C 60W TL 100/90R18 M/C 56V TL 110/80ZR18 M/C (58W) TL 120/70ZR18 M/C (59W) TL Rears: 150/70R17 M/C 69V TL 160/60ZR17 M/C (69W)TL 180/55ZR17 M/C (73W) TL 180/55ZR17 M/C (73W)TL GT 190/50ZR17 M/C (73W) TL 190/55ZR17 M/C (75W) TL 170/60ZR17 M/C 72W…

Just my luck – every launch I’ve been on this year has been underwater! The launch of three of BMW’s latest and greatest promised much, and though we had a single hour of dry time, the rest was spent under appalling conditions. Dammit... The bikes in question are the updated S 1000 R naked hustler, and the R nineT Pure and Racer. Of course, though, the big interest is the bombastic S Thou’. The engine has been re-jiggered to meet Euro 4 spec’ but via an extra effective catalyser rather than internal wrangling. They claim an extra 5bhp up top, probably via the ECU. The bike also now comes, as standard, with the HP Akrapovic exhaust. Nice! The electronics system has been updated, and now features both an up and…

It’s blisteringly hot. I’m in the middle of a desert. My balls are cooking in their own juices like those boil-in-a-bag potatoes. Every millimetre of my delicate super-white skin is shielded from the Peruvian sun, which shows no sign of relenting. The rugged terrain has acquired another victim, this time a front wheel puncture, so we’re stuck on the side of some gargantuan dunes waiting for the recovery truck. My camel pack is running dangerously low on water and my vision is starting to diminish. It’s like a scene from a movie, where everyone’s looking round for the juiciest flesh to start munching just in case the worst happens. No, I haven’t entered the Dakar rally, or an extreme sandcastle-building contest. We’re on a press launch. Although the Dakar has…

K-Tech was formed by Ken Summerton and Chris Taylor when the pair ran their own suspension businesses and were looking for spring suppliers. They met while already working with road and off-road race teams, and brought decades of experience in the engineering industry. Ken had been an aircraft engineer for 20 years, and also worked as a motorcycle mechanic on , among many other things , the cranks from Barry Sheene’s race bikes. The first K-Tech springs were made in 1994, and by 2001 the company was making front fork piston kits. The following year saw the introduction of complete racing fork cartridges, which took Fabien Foret to the World Supersport Championship. In 2005, K-Tech developed its first complete fork – the KTR-2 – and in 2007 , after listening…

It’s funny how fashions change in the motorcycle world. A few years ago, Pierre Terblanche’s unpopular 749 and 999 models were the absolute bargains of the two-wheeled world. You could pick up a 999S for under £4,000 and the stunning, and £24,000 when new, 999R was in the £10,000 area. Then the fashion tide turned and the 999 shot up in value, causing a ripple effect on the 749’s prices – although thankfully to a far less drastic level. Blowing your budget If the truth be told, the 999 is now over-priced and bordering on not worth what dealers are asking for it. However the 749 is still just about teetering on the line between justifying its price tag and getting your leg lifted. The stock model, whose prices start…

POSTCARD FROM THAILAND: PART DEUX Lisa Bamforth quit her job, flew to Thailand, bought a bike and headed off with a rough destination in mind. Here’s part two – over to Lisa! “One of the biggest adventures I was most looking forward to was the highly acclaimed Hai Van Pass – I since learned this is the road Jeremy Clarkson deemed ‘the best road in the world’. It’s a contender, Jezza, but you clearly didn’t spend enough time inland. The pass climbs from Da Nang along a tarmac’d road and sweeps round the face of the mountain in huge S-bends followed by a series of hairpins the higher you reached. It’s 21km of pure unadulterated views across the ocean, dropping down into the white sandy spit of Lang Co on…

I can't imagine the Japanese enjoyed the 2016 MotoGP season at the back of the engineering class, can you? Even though they were all taken to aerodynamics school by Ducati last year, Yamaha came out (s)winging early on in 2017, but it wasn’t until the recent Phillip Island test that Suzuki and Co. showed their aerodynamic prowess and likewise ability to interpret the MotoGP rulebook. Driving on the ceiling We all know that aerodynamic downforce has long been a critical design feature on race cars. Formula 1 cars are covered in wings, aerofoils, spoilers and air dams. The well-established urban legend insists that if you were to drive an F1 car upside down in a tunnel at 150mph, its wings would keep it firmly stuck to the ceiling. As no…