Innehållsförteckning för August 2017 från Fast Bikes

Put simply, the ZX-6R was Japan’s best 600 for what seemed like an age and matured into a class contender during its second spell in 636 form. There’s no replacement for displacement, which is exactly why Kawasaki upped the 6R’s cubes and screwed conformity in the process after an infertile period of class progression. With no involvement in MotoGP – the only major manufacturer absent from the upper echelons of the sport – Kawasaki’s focus on production-based machinery is only advantageous for us punters. The cheaty Kawasaki’s finest trait is its bottom-end power and clear advantage over more compliant rivals, with added punch throughout the rev range and a more liberated delivery in general, spinning more freely – rarely are you left chasing revs above 6,000rpm. By stroking the orthodox…

CUTTING THE CRAP, THE 675R IS A BETTER ALL-ROUND PACKAGE THAN THE 2017 R6. Thankfully, all three of these used examples were completely standard and unmolested. Start creeping back a few years and you can expect an onslaught of aftermarket bolt-ons – some good, some horrendous. Being supersports bikes and perfect trackday weapons, have a closer look at the less obvious aspects like ECUs. While tracking bikes and flashing ECUs isn’t a crime, there’s often a hidden history with bikes that haven’t openly been raced or converted, and it’s good to know exactly what you’re buying. Back to the test itself, and the Honda is left with the wooden spoon but may suffice if you enjoy a more leisurely ride – and its tempting aesthetics. Not only is it slower,…

2003-2014 BENELLI TORNADO NOVECENTRO TRE There are some bikes that everyone has an opinion on – the Benelli Tornado Novecentro Tre is one such machine. Those who have never ridden, or most probably never even sat on a Tre, will confidently tell you that they are unreliable pieces of Italian junk before riding off on their run-of-the-mill Japanese sportsbike. However ask an owner what they think of the bike and you will get a very different side to the story. While it is most certainly true that very few owners will admit they have bought a lemon, the simple fact of the matter is that despite what all the headlines have said over the years, the Benelli Tornado isn’t actually a bad motorcycle. Quite the opposite, it is actually a…

THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Smashing the miles.” I’ve ridden 1,010 miles on the Blade this month and I’ve got the piles to prove it. Okay, so that last bit’s not true, but it feels like the SP1 and I have got truly acquainted this month. Do I like it? I bloody love it! Why? For lots of reasons, but mostly owing to its road-going qualities. Some bikes are just too much for the road. Others are plain disappointing. But the Honda’s proven itself to be an awesome all-rounder on Her Majesty’s highways.We’ve literally been everywhere these past 30 days, with my first major trip being a blast down south to pull some mingers with theWheelie Asylum (read how that went in this issue). The 300-odd-mile day trip saw…

THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Twisting the grip just that little bit harder…” … There’s always a sense of mild relief after a first service, plus an air of added performance in placebo form. Gone are the days of thick running-in oils and special treatment during the process, although it’s always nice to feel guilt-free when battering the throttle post service. I dropped into JHS Racing recently and couldn’t resist a vacant dyno. It’s forever a moment filled with trepidation: have I got a Monday morning minter or a Friday afternoon howler? Or somewhere in the middle? Does it even matter? Of course it does. Despite a very hot, sticky dyno room, 173bhp isn’t a bad base to begin horsepower hunting. I’ll warn you now, my current daily commute…

THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Hanging around!” The GSX-S750 seems to have arrived a little late to the Fast Bikes party and by the looks of it, it’s forgotten to bring a bottle for the host. As I shuffled past Bruce’s ‘Blade SP and BJ’s Gixxer thou’ at FB Towers towards my dust covered naked, I kinda wondered what I’d done to upset the boss… But, Bruce says that impartiality is a cornerstone of good road-testing (or something) so I thought I’d give the little Suzuki a fair crack of the whip. To look at, and this applies to almost all naked bikes, it’s just not my cuppa. I’m a sports bike fan (or so I thought) and the new GSX-S750’s styling doesn’t really appeal to me. What I…

FB: What are piston rings? NC: Piston rings are a type of seal. They are fitted to the outer circumference of an engine’s pistons. They are positively located by machined grooves – invariably near to the piston’s top surface (the piston crown). Piston rings are usually made from either steel or iron, but occasionally more exotic metals such as chromium or titanium alloys are employed. Modern piston rings are coated or plated with a myriad of special materials to increase surface hardness, wear and corrosion resistance and to improve their surface fififinish. Seal rings, almost identical in design to piston rings, are also utilised to seal rotating and sliding shafts in other applications too. FB: So what do rings do? NC: A piston ring’s primary function is to prevent pressure…

Carl Stevens Racing Ducati Tri-Options Cup So, after pretty much a century and a half with absolutely no racing whatsoever (maybe a slight exaggeration) we finally rejoined the British Superbike circus and got under way with round four of the Ducati Performance Tri-Options Cup at a deceptively sunny Snetterton on the old Panigale 899. Firstly, I just want to send my love to Bugsy (the lovely chap who lends me his pride and joy) who found out his mum has passed away and didn’t race. Stay strong big guy. He always helps out and this weekend was no different, as heading out fairly rusty for our free practice I really struggled with any grip or feeling from the Mupo suspension, and at the end of the session it was really…

DUCATI WSB WORLD SUPERBIKE Hi folks, I’m currently in the good old US of A, right now awaiting results so I can be declared fit to race at Laguna Seca. So this is as good a time as any to catch up with you. As you have probably all gathered by now, it’s been an eventful month! Misano feels like a long time ago, and came fresh off the back of a disappointing Donington Park. Over the years I have had a few ‘bogey’ tracks, those which for whatever reason I never seem to do well at, or win at, on the Ducati. Phillip Island was one of those where we struggled to get on the podium, but we’ve upped our game there the last couple of seasons. Magny Cours…

HJC IS-17 DEADPOOL HJC are absolutely lacing the whole Marvel relationship, and if you ask me it’s pretty damn cool if you’re looking for something a tad different. The newest addition comes in the guise of Deadpool, with an Advanced Fibreglass Composite Shell making the IS-17 lightweight; alongside using CAD techno ology in order to make sure it fits perfectly. The IS-17 also comes equipped with a sun shield (if that’s your thing) an d enough ventilation to keep you as cool as Deadpool. £249.99 www.oxrdproducts.com ARMR HARADA WP If you’re looking for a decent sports boot o n a budget, then here would be a pretty good place to start. Equ ipped with a patented TEX membrane to keep your feet breathab le in summer, these boots should fit like…

What have 600cc supersport bikes done to deserve to be embroiled in this torrid situation? Sales have declined as manufacturers have focused time and budgets on areas of growth, meaning class development has become seriously stagnant; it’s a vicious circle of doom that nobody can justify. And, as we rapidly munch away at 2017, Yamaha’s revised YZF-R6 is the only genuine 600cc supersport bike available to buy brandnew – not counting MV Agusta’s F3 675, although the delicate state of the Varese factory sparks an entirely different debate. These middleweight screamers have become a staple part of supersport life, combining manageable power with race-spec handling that intuitively teaches corner speed, not to mention providing a suitable stepping stone to bigger steeds. What’s not to like? Unfortunately, if there was ever…

You can’t beat chilling by the pool with a cold beer in hand after a hard day’s scratching. It’s one of my favourite pastimes… after croquet and crosswords. But it’s often an elusive proposition for a lot of us, because it typically means travelling to faraway lands where that great golden ball in the sky flourishes like syphilis during Freshers Week. And reaching such exotic destinations costs both time and money, which aren’t always there for the spending. So what are your alternates? Stay at home and do nothing? Or how about making the most of what you’ve got on tap? Holiday at home If you’re reading this, chances are you live in the UK. And if you live in the UK, chances are you’ve seen first-hand how brilliant we…

You’ve got to hand it to Aprilia, they certainly turned heads in the 1990s. Not only were their RS125s the hottest learner property about, they also revived 250cc two-strokes with the Suzuki RGV250-engined RS250 and built a cutting edge Italian masterpiece, offering it out to the masses at a mere £9499 – considerably cheaper than the Ducati 916. Yes, Ducati were WSB kings back then, and their 916 range tugged at every biker’s heartstrings. But few bursting with lust for an Italian stallion had the dollar to make dreams a reality. The 916, or 996 (or whatever), was still just too far a stretch for most. Aprilia saw a gap they could fill if they approached it just right. As such, they outsourced the tricky (read expensive) part, which was…

ittle bit of background : I Lfinally get the job at Fast Bikes . F * ck , Ican ’ t wheelie . That ’ slike being an accountant without being able tocount . But fear not fellow floppers , as there ’ s all kinds of ways you can master the art of back-wheel antics . Mainly , you can either try and teach yourself ( there is ahigh risk of doom ), or book yourself into one of the many wheelie schools around the country and learn from someone who knows what they ’ re doing . We decided to go with the latter and headed along to Stuntt Asylum for aday in orderr to try and abolish this Achilles heel for me , which has forever given…

My TZR build has not progressed massively this month as my on-off loan of Phoenix Yamaha’s spanner man Wayne Philips suffered a setback when he managed to spanner himself on a patch of gravel coming out of the winding wilderness of Cheddar Gorge. I am delighted to say that his injuries have healed to the point that he is back to work but wish him a very public get well soon all the same. This delay in the actual build has not meant that the project has stopped, actually far from it as I have managed to move the project forward quite substantially since Wayne’s off. There were a number of things that I needed to source to complete the project and it’s all on its way. Hopefully a day…

THIS BIKE’S WELL SORTED WITH TRICK BITS. THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “A scrubber.” Threemonths of happy matrimony with the Beamer have mademe question why I’ve overlooked super nakeds in the past. Having owned just about every conceivable style imaginable, they just never seemed my kind of bike. But the S1000R’s makingme rethink my ways and I’m making up for it now having just clocked 4000 miles on the Bavarian beauty. From hooligan antics to more sedate duties, I’m truly blown away by its all-round capabilities. It’s proving comfortable enough for long journeys, slim enough to slice through traffic and absolutely unquestionable in the power and handling quarters. Oh and it seems to look more awesome by the day. I say that because I’ve spent a good chunk of…

THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Missing the ol’ girl.” After a stonking timemile munching last month I’ve been left pining for my black beauty like a teenage lad who’s recently lost his v-plates – and been left desperately wanting more of the night before! So while I’ve spent the last couple of weeks being given the run around by my two little’ns – and the wife (just don’t tell her I said that) – my poor ol’ Super D has been left tucked away in the garage, feeling a little cheated. When I say the ‘run around’, it’s not just a figure of speech, I actually got owned by my four-year-old on a Pooh Bear (and yes, you did just read that right – there’s a photo here too…

THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Measuring the power...” It has already been well documented that the Triumph Street Triple RS is peaky, but it wasn’t until Will rolled the bike onto the Dyno at JHS Racing, and we ran the figures, that the performance really came home. Will Holland is no stranger to Triumphs, growing up around them as Dad James built many a racer. His initial observations matched mine in regard to the clutch being extremely light and smooth displaying the characteristics of a hydraulic system, as opposed to what you expect from cable. The ride-by-wire throttle response was among the best that he had experienced, and the rapid response of the OE quick-shifter. A further observation, while hooking it up to the dyno, was the fact the…

DIXON DOES IT! In a season predicable only in two particular ways – one, that unpredictability usually reigns and, two, that inconsistency in teams, riders and bikes also still reigns – you get a little beauty such as this. Jake Dixon not only took his first ever BSB podium at Knockhill, the lad also did the double win! The best part? The look of absolute disbelief on his face, the emotion at winning a BSB race in his second season, and the joy of the team and all associated with him. It was marvellous. It’s true, he was magnificent in Scotland, well done dear boy, that was superb. And, this could finally be the sign that we have the next generation ready to step up to the plate. We’ve had…

We all know how patriotic the old Yanks are, but maybe MV’s draping of the stars and stripes over the Brutale 800 is a tad too much? All jokes aside, I’m almost a bit ashamed to say I like it. In keeping with MV’s slightly strange tradition of immortalising American specials since 1975, they’ve just released the fourth model to be draped in the famous stars and stripes replica paint job – but the very first to be on a three cylinder model. The first 50 bikes available will be purely for the US market (one for each state in the Union), with the unveiling happening at, you guessed it, the Laguna Seca World Superbike round. Classic. The Brutale 800 America comes with the obvious snazzy looks, a specially redesigned…

LSL STANDARD REARSETS Available in either anodised silver or black, these fully adjustable rearsets come in at an incredibly reasonable price. Even so they are constructed from high strength aluminium meaning they weigh next to nothing, while being designed for a more aggressive riding position. You can even get folding foot peg joints for an extra £45! Available on a range of bikes, from £199 www.performanceparts-ltd.com R&G ADJUSTABLE REARSETS Milled from lightweight aluminium for strength and durability, R&G’s offering gives 11 different position options meaning you can find comfort no matter how picky you are. Specially textured for grip they are available in either a road or race shift for loads of models and come powder coated in black for that trick look! Available on a range of bikes, from £375…

It may have been the least developed 600 of its era, but the CBR still topped the sales charts for many years in typical Honda fashion. Dressing the RR in Showa BPFs and snazzy multi-spoke wheels, and offering the fabled Repsol replica, aesthetics were obviously a key means of attracting customers. And rightly so – I think the last incarnation was one of the best looking 600s out there. Jumping aboard, it’s a slender arrangement with narrow ’bars to keep things cosy, sharing the most diminutive stature with the Triumph. Showa fork tops are the only genuine concession to contemporary performance in the cockpit – the Honda is analogue thrashing at its finest. No quickshifter, no ride-by-wire idiosyncrasies to tolerate and no pointless mode buttons to faff around with pre-ride.…

Launched to a fanfare with angels and halos and a whirlwind of hysteria, Yamaha’s 2017 R6 was the bike we supersports fans had all been waiting for. Well, it should have been. I’m not going to lie. I think we all expected a bit more substance from the lightly revised model, although it’s still a refreshing prospect and the only new 600 you can wheel out of a showroom. If you’ve been living in a seedy pillage den for the past six months, let’s get one thing clear. The 2017 R6 isn’t ground-breaking, not that Yamaha claimed such status. Much of the previous incarnation remains but subtle tweaks have made for an effective outcome. The Yamaha is the only new bike here and it looks like it. Fresh lines and…

Look through the classifieds, and there are stacks of cool, sexy bikes from the past 20-odd years around. There are downsides of course: parts can be tricky for unusual models, performance of engines and chassis are sometimes a level below even everyday bikes of 2017. But choose wisely, and you can have something with unique levels of class, heritage, style and performance, for about the same cash as a boring modern roadster. Here’s our pick of the crop. IN THE JAPANESE CORNER… When it comes to exotica from pretty much looking at homol superbikes from the 1990s an early 2000s. There are a few bikes which have gone stratospheric in terms of mon and while a Honda RC30 or RC45 will be a lot cheaper tha a Ducati Superleggera, a…

Have you ever watched one of those Grand Designs housing programmes and wondered why the hell they’re bothering? Surely, the easier thing to do is just rock up at an estate agents and take your pick of homes. The only reason I make that reference is because it’s very relatable to my own little project. For £14k(ish) you can buy a base model Moto3 bike from Padgetts that looks the tits and is ready to rock. And for even less than that you can buy an abundance of track bikes that would smoke my bike’s prospects without a modicum of hesitation. And yet here I am, balls deep in bills, stress and excuses, not a lot further to completing a bike that is little more than a pipe dream. So…

THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Stupid and saying goodbye.” By the time you guys are reading this, my first ‘proper’ road bike will be just a distant memory, as my Honda CB500F will be making the way for a brand spanking new KTM Duke 390. This is all thanks to being capped at A2 insurance-wise, which as a mammoth pain in the ass. It’s not the end of the world though, and although I’m excited beyond all belief to get the little orange weapon and pimp it up; it’s going to bring a tear to my eye when I see the Honda go! It may not look like the sort of bike you can have a tonne of fun on, but it has been a surprisingly awesome machine. This…

THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Living la vie Gixer…” With the Suzuki spending much of her time back from SBOTY stuck on slicks, and me being busy doing other stuff, it was a wee while before I was able to get her re-shod for some red hot road action. I did eventually get around to ordering some of my very favourite tyres though, namely a fresh set of Pirelli Supercorsas. I really do love these tyres, they sit as joint favourite in my own personal tyre preference chart with Bridgestone’s R10, another track based hoop. While the marginally stiffer R10 will outlast (and every so slightly outgrip) the S’corsa on track, the Pirelli is in turn slightly better suited to road work, more proficient in the rain and warms…

Ilove my bike. It’s awesome. And now it’s even more awesome because I’ve got an Austin Racing slip-on can on it. It looks an absolute weapon, as though it’s something straight out of MotoGP. I’ve got a mate who bought one for his RSV4 and I figured I had to have one. What’s the point in owning a bike like this if it’s going to sound like a sewing machine? Admittedly, I’ve now gone to the other end of that spectrum, because this thing’s deafeningly loud, to the extent the people living three villages away know when I strike it up. I was a little worried about being too greedy with the decibels, because I’ve got quite a bit of track action lined up for the Aprilia, but the guys…

But upon leaving the domestic scene at the end of 2015, following Josh Brookes’ season of dominance in BSB on the Milwaukee Yamaha R1, it’s not been plain sailing for Muir nor his Guisborough-based Shaun Muir Racing (SMR) team. In fact, it’s been anything but as a year and a half into their three-year World Superbike tenure, they’ve yet to have a sniff of a podium, let alone a race victory. But as normal, there’s more to it than meets the eye and it’s a thorny subject which Shaun is all too happy to give his version of with his typical no-punchespulled demeanour. But just for a minute, let’s go back to the start of this road and their successes in British Superbikes at the turn of the decade as…