Innehållsförteckning för August 2018 från Fast Bikes

Gabrielle sang a song about dreams coming true, and do you know what, she wasn’t fibbing. After way too many hours, days and years of dreaming, I finally got that golden ticket to sample the delights of Italy’s finest race track: Mugello. And not on some battered C90 with spokes missing, I’ll have you know. Parked up in a pristine garage, packed with factory technicians and enough fresh rubber to keep a porn star happy, stood an audacious-looking winged wonder. Yep, this was my chance to try out Aprilia’s 112bhp Factory Works RSV4 on a circuit crafted by the gods. Let’s just say neither the bike nor the track disappointed, as you’ll know after you’ve read this issue’s report. The Aprilia’s the latest in a succession of new and exciting…

When I saw 16,000rp m on the dash, I thought this was going to be a real scream, but the limiter cuts In at about 13k so that was a bit of a letdown. I didn't like the low end fuelling; you needed to give It plenty of revs to stop the motor hunting and surging; It kind of felt Tike It was going to grenade Itself any second, but on the move it was really nice to ride. It's a great looking bike but it's as though It's been rushed to finish, there are loads of bits bolted to the side which could be stashed away to tidy the job up a bit.…

I didn't really Ike It. The seat height was a bit too tall for me and It felt like I was almost standing up. It didn't feel planted at all, coming out of comers it got a little bit wavy and wayward like an old streetfighter Fireblade type of thing. The throttle felt a bit cheap; It was as though you had to turn it fora good half a turn before anything happened. The motor lacked a bit of top end and seemed to crash into the rev limiter sooner than I wanted It too. It would definitely benefit from a bump stop, it feels like you're sliding back for ever.…

I really liked the Triumph. It just seemed so nice to ride; really well refined. It was the bike I felt the most comfortable on as soon as I got on it because everything was in the right place and just where you need it to be. There is no need to adjust yourself to the bike like the other two. I don’t like how in Road mode when you get up to about 10,000rpm it cuts in the traction control when there doesn’t seem to be any real need to, but in track mode you could really give it some hammer. The Triumph was easily my favourite.…

Between you and me, even though I’m not 7 0 years old, I do love a good sports tourer. Y ou can piss about all day, hoon your tits off and still arrive at your destination with your wrists and bum cheeks intact. The problem is though, even the sportiest of sports tourers aren’t really sharp enough, so when the invite came through to test out MV Agusta’s Turismo Veloce 8 00 L usso SC S which is said to accelerate almost as quickly as a World Superbike, I couldn’t wait to get my mits on one… With a price tag of over 1 and a half grand, you’d like to think that the Turismo Veloce 8 00 L usso SC S is packing some serious punch in the tech…

‘Dangerous’ Bruce “ After months of planning, too many emails and a few last minute banner fi ings around the circuit, Fast Bikes’ Cadwell Park trackday was upon us. And what a craic it was. Not j ust because the weather was warm enough to get a mild tan, but because you lot were there. It was great to speak to so many of the mag’s readers, who’d made the trek from all over the U K to take on the nation’s trickiest track. People of all paces, riding a broad slab of bikes, verging from box fresh to future classics. It was great to see, and even better to be a part of. We can’t wait to do it again, only bigger and better. Watch this space.” ‘The Sheriff’…

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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 inj ury 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 q ualified 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 q uestion, there probably isn’t one. Don’t rely on the advice from your insurance appointed solicitor,…

WINNING RIDE Gavin Moore Triumph… I’ve been nowhere... too busy crying after someone knocked my bike over in their Range Rover. FB: Gutted to see this, Gavin. At least no one got hurt in the process. Have a hoodie to cheer you up, chap. And send us a shot when you’re back out and about. Ben Varley Yamaha MT-10SP City night time ride on the beast. Mark Eggbeer Honda VTR1000 SP2 Goodwood Racecourse. Kev Challis Triumph Street Triple RS Bike all ready for a trip to the Peak District, new Yoshi fitted and sounding lush. Tony Gosling Suzuki SV650 Doing the two best things on a Sunday morning: drinking strong coffee and spanking the SV around Derbyshire. Mark Webb Honda Fireblade Fast Bikes track day. 2013 Fireblade. Andy Gordon BMW…

If you thought that covering shy of 2,500 miles in j ust four days would be a no-go on a naked, then think again. With my old man on his Street 67 5 in tow, we decided to put a tick firmly on the bucket list by having a lads’ tour to Italy. In all honesty, saying we were going to ‘ Italy’ is a little vague truth be known we were headed for one of – if not one of the most – iconic rounds on the MotoGP calendar. Yes, you guessed it; we were destined for the one and only Mugello. U nfortunately we had a tight schedule to work to, meaning we had two days to ride down, with a couple of days at the track then…

By the time you lot feast your eyes on this column, K nockhill and Brands will be j ust a distant memory in what has been an incredible rollercoaster of a season – and we’re still only half way through which is absolutely bonkers. With ( arguably) the title favourite out of the running as well, it’s paved the way for the nippers to come forward and take the charge, and they’re biting at the heels of the established elite… Which is ex actly why I reckon this year will be the closest to date. These young whippersnappers like Brad Ray and Jake Di on are confidently fast now, and with Shakey on the side-lines it’s only going to encourage them more – and I’ve got a funny feeling that…

WSB has had a reasonably interesting year thus far, with some terrific racing, nine different podium hitters and si different race winners. Yet despite this, serial victor Jonny Rea appears to already have the title reasonably wrapped up with five rounds at the time of writing) left, leading Chaz Davies by something like 7 5 points. So how ex actly has this happened Mostly some wild inconsistency on the part of Ducati and Chaz Davies, with a heavy dash of newfound competitiveness from others thrown into the mi . Where an off-form Davies/Ducati combo may have still beaten the Yamahas into submission in the past, allowing him to keep close to or to beat Rea, now that’s not a given. Last year it was a couple of silly things like…

“WE BUGGERED ABOUT WITH A FEW BITS AND MANAGED TO SALVAGE A FEW MORE THIRD PLACES.” Well, what can I say? After a pretty darn good start to the year at Snett and the beginning of C adwell, before I threw the Triumph into a barrier, things have gone to pants a fair bit, with Anglesey being a proper mixed bag. I’ve only been there once before but the track is bloody awesome, and the problem was I had a bit too much fun on the test day, enjoying riding round rather than sorting out the setup on the bike – and it really came to bite me in the ass. Although me and the R are getting on a bit better now (I’ve got to third base! ) it…

I’m writing this on my way home from K nockhill, where we have just had an absolutely incredible weekend. If you’d have told me I could’ve finished on the podium in my third race in the British Superstock C hampionship, I’m not sure I would have believed you, but we have only gone and done it, with a second place finish. I can’t describe how it feels to surpass everyone’s expectations (including my own), but it’s the best feeling in the world. Our little team is like a family so when there is something to celebrate, it’s so good to celebrate it with them. The first race, which I finished seventh in, was actually the harder race; I was in a bit of clear track and I really had to…

August 2-5 – Bridge Rats MCC Rat Pack Rally – West Yorkshire August 3 – Bike Night, Jacks Hill Café – Northants August 3 -5 – Withernsea Music & Bike Fest – East Yorkshire August 4 -5 – Llangollen Motorcycle Festival – North Wales August 4 -5 – Festival of Wheels – Suffolk August 5 – Associated Sheppey Bikers Big B’ charity fund raiser – Isle of Sheppey August 5-6 – Cadwell Park Count of Cadwell Championship – Lincolnshire August 9-11 – Yorkshire Rock n’ Bike Show – Yorkshire August 12 – Plymouth Motorcycle Club MegaRide – Plymouth August 12 – Brackley Festival of Motorcycling – Northants August 17 -19 – Renegade MC 12th Redskin Rally – K ent August 18 – The Bristol Bike Show – Bristol August 25…

ENGINE. Type: V4 DOHC Bore x Stroke: 78 x 52.3 mm Compression: 13 .6: 1 Fuelling: Fuel injection Claimed Power: 212bhp @ 13,000rpm Claimed Torque: 119Nm @ 10,500rpm ELECTRONICS. Riding Modes: YesTraction Control: YesABS: YesQuickshifter YesWheelie Control: YesLaunch Control: YesAutoblipper: Yes CHASSIS. Frame: Aluminum dual beam chassis Front Suspension: Ohlins NIX 0 forks, fully adjustable Rear Suspension: Ohlins TTX 6 shock, fully adjustable Front Brakes: Brembo Monobloc four-piston calipers, 3 20mm discs Rear Brake: Twin-piston Brembo caliper, 220mm disc DIMENSIONS. Wheelbase: 1,4 20mm Seat Height: 5mm Dry Weight: 17 0kg Fuel Capacity: 18 .5 litres INFO Price: £ ( Priced to spec) From: www.aprillia.com/en…

Jon Heppell: Huge mistake. Ducati left a huge hole in their range when they discontinued the SF. I’ve heard all the reasons/ arguments why, but however hard they try the friggen Monster will never be a suitable replacement ( more so with that ragingly awful round headlamp no matter how many bloody LEDs are in it… it’s truly an archaic style The Monster is NO T a naked bike given that when we mention nakeds... Aprilia Tuono, Yamaha MTs, etc. it j ust doesn’t meet the cut. We need a new model Ducati Streetfighter... Micael Henning: Husq varna Nuda with 13 9bhp with same tor ue character. Sam Lucas: The RSV 4 has been getting minor updates for nine solid years now. Surely it’s time to refresh the line-up Richard…

Imay be 29 now, but since a young age I have absolutely loved bikes and having ridden motocross I couldn’t wait to get on a road bike. Once I was old enough to do my test I got a Suzuki GSX-R750 but had to sell it due to family commitments, before picking up another one in 2016. Problem was, after riding my friend’s Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade I just had to get a 1,000cc! I tried as many different models as I could, but finally I decided on the BMW S1000RR as it just felt like the perfect all-rounder. I started off with a completely bog standard bike,but it doesn’t take long to get a bit addicted to buying bits and making mods! Over the next six months I started replacing…

RST This lovely lot kit out the main brunt of the BSB paddock, and for good reason. Their suits, boots and everything in between has become a staple for racers and road riders alike, thanks to the high q uality and reasonable prices. Check out the range at www.rst-moto.com! BRIDGESTONE TYRES O ffering up some of the best race tyres in the business, Bridgestone are always a shout when looking for some new rubber, which is why so many of our long term bikes find themselves on the big B, for a q uality price. Check ‘ em out at www.bridgestone.co.uk! MSV TRACKDAYS Without these guys, there would be no trackday! They run events throughout the year at Brands Hatch, O ulton Park, Donington Park, Snetterton, Bedford Autodrome and of…

ANTHONY MASHFORD Yamaha R6 I used to have an R1M, but after a few changes I decided to head down the 600 route and it’s a load of fun. It’s had a bit of work thanks to the guys down at Crescent to make a bit q uicker, and as I’ve been to Cadwell before, it was absolutely spot on. It’s hard to choose between that or Donington for my favourite track! The weather has been stunning; we couldn’t have wished for better. It’s worth the trek and it’s been an utterly superb day. It was a great laugh, and the support from the Fast Bikes guys was incredible. Cheers for helping to cure my cornering problem as well lads, I’ll see you on the nex t one! ANDY WILLIAMSON…

Not everything can be super-siz ed, occasionally items are better off left as a small parcel of loveliness rather than boosted in scale. Obviously in the case of a Big Mac bigger is most definitely better as any connoisseur of the new G rand Big Mac will testify. H owever in 2 003 Suz uki decided to take their fantastic mini-V-twin, the SV6 5 0, and treat it to a dose of steroids. Surely a bigger capacity version of their hugely popular middleweight would replicate its phenomenal success. Sadly for Suz uki, the SV1000S didn’t. In fact, it bombed When you look at the ingredients list, the SV1000 should have been a recipe for success. Take the legendary TL 1000 V-twin, give it a rework and then stick it in…

STAR LETTER RABBITING ON We’ve got another bike racing fan in our household. Here’s our rabbit Henri cheering on Bradley Ray to the double at Donington. Darren M FB: We see a lot of things here at Fast Bikes towers, but a bunny watching BSB is a first for us. And that doesn’t happen often, so have some gloves as a reward! NAKED ATTRACTION Hello Fast Bikes, I love reading your maga ine and it would be amaz ing if you could do something on the great old naked bikes with the same engine as sports bikes like my Honda CB600f 1999. It goes like absolute stink for a 19-year-old and Honda did well taking the CBR600 engine and dropping it in this! It is my first real big bike…

To be in with a chance of winning this most tasteful of tops, j ust email us letters fastbikesmag.co.uk or post on our Facebook page with a pic of you, your bike and a few words about it, where you’ve been on it and why you rate it so highly. We’ll then pick our favourite post each month and that lucky person will be the proud owner of their very own Fast Bikes hoodie – which is proven to make you at least 60% faster!* * Disclaimer May not actually make you any faster. Send yours to letters@fastbikes.co.uk…

FB: What is a sprocket? MF: Technically, a sprocket or chain wheel is a profiled wheel with teeth that mesh with a chain to turn the rear wheel. The name ' sprocket' applies generally to any wheel upon which radial projections engage a chain passing over it, driving the machine. FB: What are they made of? MF: Renthal rear sprockets are made from 7 07 5 T aluminium alloy which is then surface coated with a hard anodising for increased wear resistance, whereas Renthal front sprockets are made from 6 5 5 M13 nickel chromium steel that is then case hardened for maximum durability. G iven what they do, they need to be strong! FB: How long do they last? MF: This is a very open ended question as sprocket…

Sure, at Catalunya, Jorge Lorenz o’s soon-to-be former bosses at Ducati must have been crying into their cappuccinos after their Honda bound human metronome, gave the field a second consecutive masterclass. En route to victory, Lorenz o put in, a frankly ludicrous, 22 consecutive 1’4 0 laps. In any normal weekend, Loren o’s demolition j ob would be the lasting impression and the main talking point. MotoGP 2018 weekends, however, are anything but normal. For some reason, the lasting impression burned into most retinas, mine included, was the sight of Marc Marq uez , in FP4 , ‘ crashing’ in turn 1 at 150km/h with 61 of lean angle. O f course the ‘ crash’ was j ust the standard battle of nerves between Marc and machine, eventually his RC21…

Hi folks, how are we all doing? First of all I’d just like to say how sad it’s been to hear the news of William D unlop passing away after crashing at a road race in Ireland. It’s a massive loss to the sport, he was a great guy who I think everybody in the racing family got on well with, myself included. After coming home from the TT things have gone pretty damn quiet, really. After spending so long at the NW2 00 and the TT with L ee H ardy’s RAF Regular and Reserves K awasaki team, and living in each other’s pockets, it seems strange to be away from them but they are all back on BSB duty. And it looks like they have been having a…

Hi everyone, how good was MotoG P at Assen? At last we’ve had a freight-train cracker from there. We’ve often had a couple of guys going at it in the premier class, but not almost the entire top ten riders at one point or another! Assen is one of those places where each rider usually has one spot where he can make up some time again, so you have this great see-saw effect which promotes overtaking, too. P lus some of them chose tyres they never usually would, which tossed things up in the air further with nobody quite knowing what would happen towards the end. I loved seeing J orge L orenz o sticking it back to anyone who overtook him, H onda must be well pleased seeing this,…

ALPINESTARS SP-X LEATHER JACKET Ever fancied a j acket with a ‘ multiple-material chassis’ Well Alpinestars have you covered with their new SP-X leather j acket. Constructed from 1. mm high grade bovine leather and high abrasion stretch fabric, the SP-X comes with chest and back PE Padding alongside Internal CE-certified Bio-Armour shoulder and elbow protectors – although there is space for added internal protection if that isn’t enough for you. The e tensive stretch panels on the stretch will make the SP- incredibly comfortable from the get-go, and with z ippered air intakes for optimised airflow you shouldn’t find yourself getting too sweaty. £299.99 www.alpinestars.com SUZUKI OGIO 9800 SLED TROLLEY BAG With a reputation as one of the most durable kit bags on the market, the O…

Yamaha’s MT range, since its incarnation, has exemplified value-for-money motorcycling and the MT-09 is no exception (which is probably why Y amaha have sold more than 5 0,000 of them). The factory-tricked-up SP version that we had on test comes in at £9,199 which is £8 00 dearer than the base model but comes with a sexy Silver Blu C arbon colour scheme, K Y B forks and an Ö hlins shocker; which we think has gotta be worth the extra pennies. D espite its SP (Sport P erformance) suffix, the Y am offered the least sporty riding position of all the bikes on test. The seat felt long and spacious and the low pegs provided plenty of much-needed legroom after being scrunched up on the sportier feeling MV. Although…

It’s not every day you share your pit garage with a motorcycling legend, but GP racer Scott Redding struck lucky on this occasion. Dangerous asked him for his take on the FW… “ What a difference that made. I know I’m used to GP bikes, but the standard bike ( which he tested first) felt like I’d hit the wrong rider mode or something in that first session. The FW felt much more like it; much more like a racer. There was a decent amount of power on tap and I could tell straight away how much better it was in the corners. The weight difference made the bike much easier to put where I wanted it to be. It was hard to tell ex actly what difference the wings…

“THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS MY KAWASAKI ZX-10R WAS ALREADY VERY ‘USED’” My first experience at the Isle of Man TT was as a spectator and, I suppose, it was similar to that of most – frequented by sharp intakes of breath, elongated swearwords and disbelief. It was incredible, and I knew the second I saw the first bike fly past that I needed to have a go. So I did. Okay, it was five years later but that’s because in the early 2 010s I was writing more bikes off than C arole Nash in the British Superstock C hampionship (which was taking its toll on my body and my wallet). C ome 2 016 , I’d learnt to stop crashing (you just go a bit slower) so I entered…

We all love trackdays right? I mean what’s not to love, thrashing round one of the best circuits on the planet, under the glorious sunshine with your mates without the worry of some old granny pulling out on you, or a dodgy-placed drainpipe making a mess of your pride and joy… it’s basically what dreams are made off. So with this in mind, we put our heads together at Fast Bikes H Q and thought well, how can we take a trackday to the next level and give you lovely lot that little extra for coming along? And then it hit us we needed to go and get involved ourselves. So, enlisting the help of Bridgestone, RST Motodirect and Arai, we hijacked an MSV Trackday at the infamous C adwell…

You can win a pair of Weise Renegade gloves for simply writing the Fast Bikes Star Letter. Setting the standard for q uality & value in motorcycle clothing for 3 0 years, all Weise products have a two-year no-q uibble warranty. These sporty gloves are made from full grain leather with a polyester lining. Reinforced with integrated TP to knuckles and fingers and twin layered leather to palm, stretch panels to fingers and above knuckles aid fit and fle ibility. Find out more at www.thekeycollection.co.uk…

As background, I have had my road licence for about 15 years. My last bike was a ’06 Honda V TR1000F Firestorm which I had for eight years. Prior to that, I had two Suz uki SV 650S. I loved the Firestorm. It was analogue everything, not even fuel inj ected. I upgraded because I wanted something a bit more refined something I could ride further on; and of course, a bit more power. Things I like about the GT... I commute 4 0km round trip each day through moderate traffic so I like the low speed stability. I regularly do 4 00- 00km day trips. I visit my elderly father each fortnight and that’s a 4 00km round trip. Cruise control is the best thing ever! I do a…

I wouldn’t have given it credit to have achieved this when the class was announced last year, but Supersport 300 is fast becoming a ‘must-watch’ part of a WSB weekend. My initial concerns with it were quite simply down to the base machines themselves, if I’m being brutally honest. Today’s A2 machines, while finally starting to show some promise on the production front, I’ve never thought of as a true replacement for what came before – back when I was of (then) A age. I’m talking about two-strokes of course, mainly, like Suz uki’s RG V, K awasaki’s K R-1 line or Aprilia’s RS 5 0. And then let’s not forget exquisite little runners like H onda’s V4 N 30, or K awasaki’s iconic Z X R400, never mind the…

2003 14th British 125GP championship 2004 British Supersport championship 2005 16th British Superbike championship 2006 4th British Superbike championship 2007 Runner-up British Superbike championship / Winner 300km Suzuka 2008 Runner-up World Supersport championship 2009 5th World Superbike championship – two wins 2010 4th World Superbike championship – four wins 2011 9th World Superbike championship – two wins 2012 5th World Superbike championship – two wins / Winner Suzuka 8-Hour 2013 9th World Superbike championship – one win 2014 3rd World Superbike championship – four wins 2015 FIM Superbike World Champion – fourteen wins 2016 FIM Superbike World Champion – nine wins 2017 FIM Superbike World Champion – sixteen wins…