Innehållsförteckning för February 2018 från Fast Bikes

Whether you love the Italian brand or not, there’s absolutely no denying the safety and quality of Dainese’s products – so much so that they’ve just received the Compasso D’Oro International award for their Pro-Armor Protection System which is excellent news for us lot who like to crash in their kit. The awarding panel praised Dainese’s “little ideas that can save elbows, knees, backs and therefore lives”. The company had paid great attention to the safety of people in general and motorcyclists in particular. “The Pro-Armor protection system features a technical and expressive design inspired by fractal geometry and the perforated structure, with variable pattern, distributes either flexibility or rigidity where it is needed, keeping the inserts light and breathable. “The result is a painstakingly precise design for ‘invisible’ objects…

With the rumour mill going absolutely crazy at the thought of Audi selling Ducati, the chief executive at Audi, Rupert Stadler, has finally confirmed that the iconic brand will be staying put under the German company’s umbrella. This is good news, particularly given that earlier in the year it looked as if they were going to be selling off the Italian marquee due to financial woes in other areas. Stadler said: “I can assure you that Ducati belongs to the Audi family. Ducati is the perfect implementation of our premium philosophy in the world of motorbikes.”…

You could say the supersports segment has mimicked our bohemian society in many ways. It wasn’t that long ago that just male and female species were available in the tick boxes, and now there are enough options to satisfy everyone. And not so long ago, there were 600s and litre bikes; now there’s a whole host of leftfield alternatives available, such as the non-conformist super middleweight class that’s almost superseded the screamer sector. As new 600s struggle to attract public interest, and the Supersport classes flounder as a consequence, there are two Italian firms persisting with halfway house offerings. The F3 800, or the MV Agusta F3 800 EAS ABS EURO IV to give it its full name, has always been an FB favourite and is always tres rapid against…

“IT’S EASIER TO RIDE FAST, ALTHOUGH MOST WILL FALL IN LOVE FASTER WITH THE DUCATI.” For £14k, I’d want a beach house in Lyme Regis as well as one of these Italian beauties – and a blipper. We’re now approaching litre bike pricing territory without litre bike performance or gizmos, although splendour, Italian suave and ownership appeal offer some redemption. That said, the whole point of these super middleweights is a more manageable alternative to the 200bhp and involuntary euthanasia that today’s 1,000cc brigade bring to the party – something both the F3 and 959 pull off with consummate ease. In a world of dreary four-pots that all feel the same, this pairing manage to supply idiosyncrasies and bucketfuls of character that only they can. As manufacturers cease to build…

Computers: they’ve taken over just about everything in our lives nowadays. Music, television, photography, pornography – it’s all now ruled by LCD screens and silicon chips. And generally, it's made things much better all round (especially the pornography, or so they tell me). Cheaper, faster, better, easier. They’ve taken a while to make big inroads into bikes though. Up to about ten-fifteen years ago, you could still buy a new bike with stubbornly-analogue carburettors, but since then emissions rules have meant that almost every bike has come with a fuel injection system, which includes a little computer. That was pretty much it till recently though – a fuel injection ECU, maybe an ABS control box, and a digital clock in the dash. Not exactly Tron, is it? But over the…

All the decent racers here at Fast Bikes were busy so I took the opportunity to pop over to Oulton Park in Cheshire and pretend to be one for the day. Now, not only have I raced a BMW S1000RR, the engine and electronics donor for the BB3, but I have also raced an actual BB3 at Donington Park, so I had an idea of what I was in for when I cocked a leg over the modern TT racer for the kick-off session on track. The first thing you notice on this ’3 is the oversized and slightly square TT tank, the rear of which gently digs into the top of your legs when you’re perched on its high seat. The saddle’s angled quite severely forwards so between rides…

Originally, I was looking for a two-stroke bike to mess about with in the garage over the winter period as up until 2009 I was a very avid GSXR 1000 rider, but a few near misses (with the police!) and a spine operation finally persuaded me to stop riding. Yet, eight years later with no intention of riding again I came across the SV up for sale on an online site. Chris Lane from Wales was the guy who had built the bike and was finally selling it. I really was in two minds about whether I was going to buy the bike, until I saw it and he started it up! It’s Chris’s first build too. He started off building the bike even though he’d never actually ridden in…

Yep, as predicted, the new Moto 2’esque championship to join British Supersport has been announced. Traditional Supersport bikes will remain as is, but these new breeds will be allowed to use any 600cc four-cylinder, or 675cc three-cylinder engine, as the basis for their ‘British GP2’ projects. The engines will have to remain similar to a Superstock 600’s specification, so there’s some parity with the heavier, but slightly more powerful, proper Supersport machines. BSB’s queso grande, Stuart Higgs, is understandably chuffed with his latest decision. “This is a critical point for this racing category,” he said. “We have been concerned for some time that certain manufacturers have ceased producing 600cc sports bikes, which directly affects the sustainability of the Supersport class. The integration of independently constructed bikes with a racing chassis…

DUCATI PANIGALE V4 We ’ve got a golden ticket to test 2018 ’s most significant new sportsbike at Valencia. We’ll let you know if the GP-inspired V4 lives up to the hype. HOW TO SELL YOUR BIKE FOR MORE Want a new bike but not sure how you’ll afford it? We get stuck in and find out what it takes to get as much cash as possible from your used steed. YAMAHA MT-09SP Our bags are packed to head off and swing a leg over this high-class loon in postcard perfect Portugal. We’ll let you know how ASBO-inclined it really is. PLUS LOADS MORE: ■ MICHELIN MOTOGP: THREE YEARS AND COUNTING ■ USED GSX-R1000 K5 BUYER’S GUIDE ■ HOW TO MAKE YOUR BIKE’S BRAKING BETTER On Sale 6th February, 2018…

Hello everyone, well, I finally did it and got married! It was a bit of a secret but I had said I’d never get married ever again, after the last one. With that one, I’d often put the wedding video in the player and watch it in reverse, so I could watch her getting back in the car and sodding off over and over again! Not this time, though. I’ve basically had her on lease for 13 years, and this is now the final balloon payment, so she should be cheaper than the last one! Amazingly she’s still here and agreed to marry me after all this time. I did however pop her on a set of scales when we were doing our vows, part of the deal being she…

Bruce Brown, the legendary motorcycle and surfing film director who brought us On Any Sunday (for those of you who haven’t seen it, we suggest you stop what you’re doing and stick it on) has died in his sleep aged 80. Following the season of National American champ Mert Lawwill and starring the one and only Steve McQueen, On Any Sunday is an absolutely classic that was both ground-breaking for its approach, and how it portrayed us bikers.…

TCX SP MASTER GORE-TEX Joining the TCX racing line-up for 2018, the SP Master Gore-Tex offers a pretty snazzy sporty look while being suitable for whatever the weather throws at you thanks to its Gore-Tex Performance Comfort Footwear lining; designed to keep you warm and dry. Comfort and flexibility comes in abundance thanks to the soft touch microfibre upper section and increased padding within. They’re snug too, thanks to the boot’s upper section being adjustable via an elastic zip. Protection wise, the SP Master Gore-Tex benefits from a Polyurethane Ankle Retention System, heel guard, ergonomic shin plate with iron mesh air intakes and a PU shift pad integrated into the upper section of the boot. They’re available from January 2018 in all black or black/fluro. RRP£229.99 www.tcxboots.com MUC-OFF…

You have to love evolution, especially from Borgo Panigale. Just a decade ago, Ducati was still racing the 999 in SBK as the naughty 1098 was awaiting dispensation to compete. In standard road-going trim, the 999 made 138bhp and was the top-shelf superbike in Ducati’s range – even the R model churned out just 148bhp. Fast-forward 10 years, and the 959 Panigale makes a claimed 150bhp as Bologna’s entry-level superbike. You don’t get that level of progression from Japan. While the 1199 and 1299 Panigale variants offer a ballistic, scaremongering protocol on the roads, the 959 could well be the perfect balance of power and control. There’s enough in the tank to quench the thirst of hearty pilots with an intriguing involvement, yet it also supports less experienced riders making…

We all like to put things in their respective boxes, including motorcycles. But if some adventurous designers hadn’t gone a little off-piste on occasion, we’d have missed out on some corkers of bikes over the many generations man (and woman) has been straddling two-wheeled contraptions. In our view, at least in recent(ish) times, these are the very best misfit motorcycles to have come our way and we’re bloody glad they did… 2003–2006 DUCATI 749 The 749 followed the Italian family tradition started by the 748 of running a larger capacity to allow Ducati’s V-twin to compete with the Japanese inline four supersport bikes. On track it wasn’t hugely successful (the 748 won the 1997 WSS championship, something the 749 failed to replicate), but on the road the 749 is a…

Dangerous cherry picked the Blade SP for his termer this season, which comes equipped with Öhlins electronic suspension. Here’s what he makes of it… So what’s it like living day to day with an electronically suspended sportsbike? Well, if my Blade SP’s anything to go by, pretty fantastic. For me its USP is the ease of adjustment. On the roads, where surface conditions change constantly, having the luxury of tweaking your setup on the fly is nothing short of genius. Bumpy roads can be smoothed out and likewise, blisteringly fast bends can be optimized with a few presses on the switchgear, gifting you with a much more versatile and appropriate weapon at any given time. It’s also takes all the thinking out of the equation, negating any need to know…

If MotoGP had you glued to your screens this season, like it did all of us here at Fast Bikes, then this man needs no introduction. But for those less familiar with the blue ribbon class of motorcycle racing, this here is Frenchman Johann Zarco who, after bagging back-to-back Moto2 championship wins in 2015 and 2016, signed for the independent Tech3 Yamaha Team and moved up to MotoGP for the 2017 season. But he didn’t just move up, he stepped up. He lead the first handful of laps in his first ever MotoGP race and despite crashing out of the lead in Qatar, went on to fight for the win on numerous occasions, bagging fantastic results including a 2nd at Le Mans and a repeat spectacle at 2017’s Valencia round…

ERGONOMICS The first thing you notice on the YB4 is the low seat. It’s a bike you feel as though you’re sitting in rather than on. The fuel tank is long and the bars seem a good arms stretch away. It doesn’t have the sharp racing feel that a modern bike gives you but the low handlebars help pull your body forwards into a sportsbike-like crouch. CHASSIS The YB4 sports a more recognisable twin spar aluminium frame. I say recognisable, but 30 years ago when nearly everyone else was using big steel cradles to house heavy Jap engines, the lightweight ally frame was about as trick as they came. Pioneering at its best, we say. SUSPENSION The YB4’s forks have Maxton GP20 cartridges and the same Maxton GP10 shock that’s…

MODS A lot of MVs come with accessories such as aftermarket levers, rear sets, exhaust cans etc. While these can improve the bike’s looks, it is best to go for a machine that’s as original as possible since the 750 was the first Brutale (aside from the catastrophically expensive Oro) and therefore may be a future collector’s item. SERVICING The Brutale may be a naked bike, but that doesn’t make it cheap to run. Service intervals are every 3,800 miles with valve clearances at the 7,500-mile mark. Rather dramatically, MV experts reckon that getting to the valves is easier when the whole front end of the bike is removed! Always check a bike’s service history as the early F4 motors can be fragile if not properly looked after. FUEL-INJECTION…

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the very newest arrival in the Fast Bikes project pages – a brand spanking new 2017 Suzuki GSX-R1000R. If you’re wondering why I opted to buy such a bike, then you’re probably reading the wrong mag, but hey, I’ll still tell you anyway. Being 22 years of age I’m getting a little old in the racing scene, and after three and a half years of racing Ducati’s Panigale 899 it didn’t seem right to step back onto a 600. Besides, a thou’ stocker seemed like the most cost effective class possible for me, as it meant there was no real tuning involved or regular refreshers (as is the case in Supersport 600). For that reason I chose to jump into the litre bike world, and…

If you’re eyeing up a new Suzuki for summer, you’ll be pleased to know the brand are keeping their three-year extended warranty across the whole on-road range. Being the only major motorcycle manufacturer to offer such a long warranty across the range, Suzuki GB sales manager Jonathan Martin said: “This industry-leading warranty period gives customers added peace of mind, and means they can buy with even more confidence, knowing that we are, in turn, confident in the quality and reliability of our product.” Have you ever needed more of an excuse to go buy a new bike? Go on, treat yourself.…

It’s not particularly rare, powerful or even all that pretty, but there’s something about the Honda VTR1000SP-1 that makes it alluring. It’s an icon; a stand out motorcycle that was built with a purpose and delivered on that pledge to take Ducati down to China Town, by beating them at their own game in the V-twin ruled World Superbike paddock. But that meant nothing to me when this bike first came into my life, way back when I was a spotty 14-year-old working at a bike dealership, with the simple task of riding one from the car park to the service bay. It was a journey that lasted only slightly longer than my first ever snog with Becky Big Boobs, but I cherished every moment of that 37-metre joyride, unlike…

These two bikes would look more than at home under spotlights on a rotating plinth at any bike show in the world, but don’t let looks deceive you. Both machines were hand-crafted to go fast with very little thought given to any secondary concerns. That’s the whole essence of the Bimota ethos; take what’s already there and make it better, faster and sharper handling. Neither the YB4 nor the BB3 has been left wanting in that regard, with the pair arguably being among the very best motorcycles of their respective eras. But exactly how much has changed in the 30 years that came between these two exotic rockets? To find out, Bimota importer and international road racer Ben Wylie stepped in and generously allowed us to cane the living daylights…

“TWO BRILLIANT MOTORCYCLES SEPARATED BY 30 YEARS WORTH OF TECHNOLOGY” Eventually it had to stop and when it did I found myself really thinking about what I had just experienced. Two brilliant motorcycles separated by 30 years worth of technology. And it felt to me as though that’s all that separates them. Having ridden both the bikes, I can see in both instances what Bimota have done. And it is exactly what they intended to. They have taken the best engine available to them and invested everything into designing and building a chassis for the perfect race oriented production bike. They did it way back when with the YB4 and they have done it now with the BB3. Of course they’re very different motorcycles, but they both made me feel…

If you are like me, every bend in the road is reason enough for a joyful celebration. Cornering on a motorcycle has yet to be acknowledged as an art form, but those of us who are enamoured with it unashamedly know where our hearts lie: increasing, decreasing, and constant-radius turns. Throw in a camber change or two then add some elevation, a few esses, just enough straight bits between them, and you have the makings of pure, unadulterated ecstasy of motion. Those who know realize I’ve just described any one of dozens of road-course racing facilities that are commonly available to riders across America through a wide variety of trackday providers and riding schools. Back in the 70s there was no such thing as a trackday, and that became a…

Like anything, you sometimes regret getting involved in something, be it a relationship, job, or Moto3 project. But sometimes all you need is a glimmer of hope to make you remember why it is you got cracking on that road in the first place, which is how I feel right now having spent a bit of time on the project. We’re still a hell of a way off the finish line, but we have made some really good progress. One thing I’m really excited about is the fuel cell. The plan is to utilise the original Suzuki tank with a box welded to the top to increase the capacity which Chaddy has been cracking on with nicely. We were going to cut the top off the original tank and weld…

Just prior to us going to print, it was announced that American Jake Gagne would be joining Leon Camier in the Ten Kate Red Bull Honda squad for WSB in 2018. Now, did this take us by surprise? A little bit of yes, and a little bit no, if we’re completely honest. Stefan Bradl looked lost at sea during 2017, and the woes of the new Honda Fireblade can’t have helped at all either. Most GP refugees take a while to acclimatise to WSB (it took Biaggi and Checa five seasons to win their first WSB titles), the bikes, tyres, and the fact that the riders there are pretty good, but Bradl was woeful, only showing the briefest of glimpses and even then, usually outside of the top ten. He…

Okay, there may be one or two factors that sets him apart, one in particular is that not many have a father who is a double world champion. Then again, it could be argued that dad Darren’s prowess was on three wheels, although he was very capable two, including winning the British Championship in 1988 on a Suzuki RG500. The second is Dixon’s substantial racing pedigree which is without doubt. It has seen him come through the support ranks as a raw teenager and become a regular winner; it looked as though 2016 was going in the same direction when he suddenly parted company with Dave Tyson’s MV Agusta squad in the British Supersport series and was left without a ride. “Dave’s a great guy but it just wasn’t working…

Hello there, have you FB’ers had a good month? Up, down, then up again here for me, but at least it’s not been boring! If I remember right I checked in with you after Qatar, where we sealed second place in the championship. Almost immediately afterwards we were zoomed off back to Italy though, because the EICMA show was on and Ducati had a bunch of special kit to show off. I was a part of their live show presentation, my own bit helping to introduce the new 959 Panigale Corse. Gotta say, and you may just expect this given I work for Ducati, but I love the paintjob on it. The matt red/white looks awesome. I don’t think the actual bike has changed a great deal bar the Öhlins…