Innehållsförteckning för December 2018 från Fast Bikes

The fabulously fun Hypermotard 950 and 950 SP are both getting a full overhaul and you are going to love what the Italians have done with their little lunatic of a bike. The ergonomics have been completely reworked in an attempt to maximise the bike’s fun, with new wider handlebars for greater control and leverage when cornering, a new saddle to help the vertically challenged touch the floor, and narrower sides to facilitate easier knee tuckage. And as well as looking smaller and more compact than the outgoing model, the new 950 is also 4kg lighter (now 200kg wet), 1.5kg of which comes from weight savings in the engine alone. The massive weight saving is achieved by a whole host of new design features including a new frame which uses…

Yamaha have shown of their new Supersport 300 contender, which has finally been updated for 2019. Although the 321cc parallel twin engine, chassis, swingarm and wheels all remain the same, Yamaha have gifted the new R3 with a set of 37mm Kayaba inverted forks and a new triple clamp, although the shock remains the same. The aesthetics have been altered quite substantially and in turn so have the aerodynamics; the new fairings are claimed to reduce drag by 7% while the slightly altered tank and 22mm lower bars allow for the rider to tuck in better, meaning the claimed top speed is up 5mph on the previous model. There’s also a new set of LCD clocks to replace the analogue display. Price and availability is yet to be announced but…

I could’ve done with a step ladder to clamber on the mahoosive KTM, but once on board I felt surprisingly at home on it from the get-go. It was tall, broad and, physically speaking, the most intimidating of all the bikes on test, but its booming, thumping V-twin motor somehow won me over the minute I launched it into action. I’m not quite sure what I’d been expecting but the engine was much more usable than I’d hoped, being higher revving and less intense than imagined low down. The 1290 might have looked like a Rottweiler, but the ride was much more sophisticated – it didn’t bark once. But it did bite… on quite a few occasions. With the traction control switched off, it didn’t take much to get the…

For some years now the Tuono has been king of the castle in the super naked sector. It really is a hell of a bike, with its abundance of power, sporty handling and plethora of electronic aids. Not to mention its devilish good looks. I can remember my last jaunt on a Tuono being filled with laughs and happy memories, so I was slightly disappointed when I threw a leg over the V4 this time round; I hadn’t remembered it being so uncomfortable. Okay it isn’t like laying on a bed of nails but it didn’t seem to fit around my body as nicely as the other bikes; the rear of the fuel tank has unpleasant square edges that dig into your inner thighs and the angle of the handlebars…

Payday lenders They’ve been brought to heel by government regulations, and aren’t as wild as they used to be. But short-term, high-interest loans from so-called ‘payday lenders’ are a bad plan. You can end up owing much more than you borrow, and can find yourself paying the sums back for an indefinite time. Buy at normal credit card terms Credit cards have much higher interest rates than personal loans or finance deals. Avoid unless there’s a very good reason to do so – like a zero per cent deal, or a cashback scheme. Even then, make sure you pay the balance off in time to avoid any charges! Trade in your current bike Okay, it’s quick and easy to just do a trade-in with the dealer who’s selling you the…

Do you remember the time Kenny Roberts Junior nailed his GP bike around Cadwell? Me neither. That’s because it never happened, and having recently sampled the mind-warping reality of hustling a one-of-a-kind 130kg, 185bhp Grand Prix-winning Suzuki RGV500r around Lincolnshire’s finest set of squiggles, I can hardly blame him. He’s obviously got more sense than me, but when you’re gifted the most tantalising opportunity of your riding career it sometimes pays to leave your sense at home. It was a chance to ride a bike so rare, so exciting and so unique that I might have forgotten to admit our insurance didn’t cover its £250,000 price tag. Still, what was the worst I could do on the priceless Suzuki in just five laps? I didn’t have time to mull over…

Woulda, shoulda, coulda! Hindsight’s a lovely thing, don’t you think? To have that chance to think back, alter and better a situation or product is a luxury most of us just don’t get. But in the case of the Suter MMX, that pretty much sums up the whole project. Swiss GP racer turned engineering mastermind Eskil Suter needed little encouragement to revisit the era of 90s strokers and revolutionise the scene with the latest frame, engine and electronic technologies. Admittedly, he might not have approached the project with the big bucks of a factory backed race team, but you’ll be amazed how far passion and commitment will get you. In essence, the MMX follows the profile of a last generation 500cc Grand Prix machine, picking up where the scene left…

Some bikes hit the nail on the head and when you ride them they instantly feel, well, they just feel right. And one such bike is the Suzuki GSX-R750 K4/5, a machine that once ridden is almost impossible not to fall head over heels in love with thanks to its beautiful balance of power and handling. Not to mention its rock-bottom price tag! Launched in 2004, the K4/5 shouldn’t have been anything that special. A mid-term update rather than a full redesign of a capacity of bike many thought Suzuki should have retired gracefully, this generation of GSX-R built upon the solid foundation already set by the K2/3 model. However rather than just lazily tweak it, Suzuki actually pushed the boat out much further than anyone initially expected as the…

WINNING RIDE Neil Batho Ducati Monster In October 2016 my wife had a stroke, and since then has needed almost 24 hour care, so my riding has been somewhat curtailed. Imagine my delight when my daughter-in-law visited and offered to look after her for a couple of hours while I took my Monster for a spin. The photo is taken on the Chirivel to Saliente mountain road in southern Spain. FB: So sorry to hear that dude, but so glad you got back out. Sending good vibes (and a hoodie) your way! Charles Shuttleworth Triumph Street Triple Use her every day for work. Also recently did the North Coast 500. Amazing places! John Kirkham Triumph Street Triple RS A pic from my trip to the Picos de Europa with my…

1 Start/finish It may look like a straight, but it’s incredibly up and down. As you come over the crest where the start line is you’ll want to be the middle of the track coming over to the left – don’t be completely on the right as the bump is bigger. Try and aim your eye-line to be at pit exit, and get over as close as you can – ideally, if you want a fast time and there’s no traffic aim to be on the pit exit line as you hit the brakes at about at the end of pit wall, or just after. 2 Duffus Dip On the entry to Duffus Dip BSB actually banned riders from using pitlane exit, but on a trackday use as much of…

TIME ON TEST: 7 MONTHS ODOMETER MILES BHP: 173 GAIN: 0 NEXT AIM: ACF50 WINTERISE THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Carrying a pillion.” I hope you guys and gals have been enjoying your steeds during our extended summer, and shame on you if not; it’s been a corker up to now. I know it’s easy to wheel the bikes in the shed for hibernation given the traditional weather we normally endure, but if the weather’s still on our side when you read this, grab your keys at every opportunity and make the most of your pride and joy. I’ve certainly been doing just that this month as I don’t need much of a nudge to throw a leg over the KTM. Versatility, practicality and a stonking engine makes hooning…

Never place a plug and play kettle on a flaming gas hob. I arrived at Donington just in time to catch the aftermath of mechanic Brian’s fiery faux pas, which had me pissing myself and left the whole lorry littered with soot. Who does that? Well, apart from Brian. Donington was always destined for excitement, being the final round of the year, and it was set to deliver from the outset. Following a night of torrential rainfall the track was wetter than a fish as I made my way out for a mediocre qualifying stint in the Pirelli Super Series 600 class. The grid was packed for my first outing and I had a job dodging most of my rivals after lobbing my R6 down the road at the Old…

We have just had the last round of the British Superstock Championship on the GP circuit at Brands Hatch – I was back on my GSX-R1000 and hoping for a good solid ride to end the season on a high. Instead, I ended up finishing the season the same way I started it, injured and watching from the side lines. Well I say side lines, what I actually mean is a hospital bed. It happened in free practice; the bike felt absolutely mint and straight away I had a really good feeling but when I touched a white line on the exit of Westfield (a super-fast right hander) it snapped sideways and I had a massive high-side. There isn’t really much run-off there so I smashed into the fence full…

Who said the Supersport class was dead? Well whoever did, Kawasaki weren’t listening as 2019 brings the echo of another screaming 600… or 636 as the case may be. The 2019 middleweight Ninja will come with the same 636cc engine we’ve seen on the previous model, but will have shorter gearing and a revised final ratio for a stronger, better low end drive. It will come equipped with an ‘Assist & Slipper Clutch’ as standard alongside being Euro 4 compliant, without losing any of the power against the 2013-onwards models. Electronically, the ZX-6R will also come armed with a choice of two power modes, a three mode adjustable traction control system, Kawasaki Quick shifter (but no blipper) and Kawasaki’s Intelligent ABS as standard. Alongside this there’s now a higher-grade dash…

More middleweight Hondas? It might not be a CBR600RR, but it’s certainly getting closer. Honda haven’t held back, giving the 650 engine 5% more power above 10,000rpm with a 1,000rpm higher redline. It’s not all just up at the top end though, as it has also had power delivery smoothed and boosted, while a new intake and exhaust design is said to enhance the engine note. The new CBR650R comes equipped as standard with Honda’s Selectable Torque Control system and an assist/slipper clutch, while a lighter frame (among other bits) boasts a 6kg weight saving from the ‘F’ which it replaces. They’ve also gifted the CBR650R with 51mm Showa Separate Function forks, radial-mount brake callipers with floating discs and full LED lighting. Honda have also released a Neo Sports Café…

What started as a whisper has finally come to fruition, and not a day too soon. We all knew BMW was set to surprise us with a revolutionary RR, but exactly what the package would consist of has had us guessing harder than a game of Cluedo. But the results are in and we’re very much in favour of the package that’s set to take 2019 by storm. The power’s up, the weight’s down and the sophistication of the Beemer is set to be the envy of the sector. Are we excited about this third generation Bahnstormer? You better believe it. Here’s a breakdown of what we know so far… Packing a punch Its engine’s a wholly new design, weighing some 4kg less than its predecessor and armed with an…

Put your hand up if you love getting naked. I know I do – you can have all sorts of fun when you’ve got your kit off, and the same can be said for riding naked motorcycles. And if you like big, fast, naked motorcycles you are well and truly spoilt for choice these days with more than a strong handful of 140bhp+ options to choose from. And as we don’t like doing stuff by half here at Fast Bikes, for our latest monster-bike mega-test we’ve rounded up eight of the best super naked bikes available and well and truly put them through their paces. We know that when you’re thinking of parting with your hard earned for whatever latest and greatest steed you so wish, you’re going to want…

From a pure power point of view the Trumpet was the consummate underdog here, but ponies aren’t always everything, right? Well, they sure do help, and as much as I liked the Speed Triple’s three-cylinder motor there was no denying how comparatively lacklustre it felt when pinned down the back straight, registering 8mph down against the Tuono I’d tested before it. That’s a huge difference on a half mile straight, and the ramifications of it being underpowered were being felt all the way around the track. In essence, the Triumph had its work cut out. But rather than getting too hung up over its lack of power, I found myself more drawn to its handling prowess. It just seemed to eat up corners with an insatiable appetite for speed, showing…

In theory this track test never even needed to take place. The Tuono Factory is a beast of a bike, pimped up with top-level tech and Öhlins pogos that it would look unequivocally at home on any out-and-out sportsbike. But it’s the motor that’s the bike’s trump card, sporting a testosterone inducing 1,100cc, 65º V4 that puts hairs on your chest. I had high hopes for the Tuono and it became clear from the get-go that it wasn’t going to settle for the runner up spot around the fast and flowing Bruntingthorpe handling track. Within a lap it’d mullered the previous fastest straight-line speed, and the way the thing was romping out of corners, free of any electronic intervention, had me convinced I’d found a winner. It was fun to…

The four European bikes, all having very different dimensions and very different engine configurations, were all… well, very different. With its run-of-the-mill 1,000cc inline four, the BMW S1000R’s 114Nm torque figure was understandably the most modest of the bunch, but it made for an easy, calm and collected bike to ride slowly while still being able to pack a punch when made to really sing. At £12,965 it’s the most reasonably priced steed from this side of the world – for the money, I can’t imagine anyone would be disappointed if they bought one, but as Bruce found out, if you want to take one on track, you’ll need to be prepared to put your big boy pants on and hold on tight – he found it a bit too…

I got this bike four years ago now, after wanting one for ages. In fact I’d wanted one as soon as this model first came out – I remember reading about them being a bit of a hooligan bike. The stats were great; light, powerful, and straight away they got the bad boy reputation that I really liked. I’ve always like the look of this one too, so when the opportunity came to swap my old Aprilia RSV Mille R for this 2004 ZX-10R I jumped at the chance. I usually change my bikes fairly frequently, in fact I can’t remember the last time I kept a bike for more than one season, but I have had this one a while now and I’m still not bored of it. It’s…

It doesn’t take much persuasion to get me up to Cadwell Park for a play, so when I heard through the grapevine that Classic Bike Trackdays had teamed up with Team Classic Suzuki and Suzuki Vintage parts to put on an event aimed at any Suzuki machine manufactured before 2000 I was straight on the phone to book a place. These are my kind of events, and to make things even better there was the promise of pukka classic race bikes being ridden as well as on display, alongside famous faces galore and a load of trade stands. As it happened, Dangerous himself would also be in attendance to ride the Team Classic Suzuki XR69 race bike (which I wasn’t jealous of at all) so I agreed to pick him…

FB: Can you tell us what a fuelling module is, and what it consists off? CP: In terms of the Rapid Bike products, there’s three different modules you can play around with. The first is the ‘Easy’, which is a basic fuel injection control module that alters the signal to the ECU to allow it to increase fuelling beyond normal limits that you’d have on a Euro 3 or Euro 4 machine. The ‘Evolution’ is next up, which is our best seller and is the middle of the road job which has a more complex design, modifying the ECU signals according to what’s needed for the bike and conditions. It also has a self-learning mode that constantly monitors the fuelling, which then changes the map for every little intricacy; from…

TIME ON TEST: 6 MONTHS ODOMETER MILES BHP: 150 GAIN: 0 NEXT AIM: KEEP SMASHIN’ MILES THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Topping up the blaspheme box.” I’ve had quite a hoot on the GSX-S thou this month, which has been made all the sweeter by the fine autumnal weather which we’ve been blessed with of late. Although the majority of the 400-odd miles that I’ve racked up these past few weeks have mainly been clocked on my commute while hounding a fine 15-mile stretch of B-roads to and from work, it’s just been fudgin’ good fun being back on a bike after a few weeks of resting up with busted ribs. Slinging a leg over the ol’ girl for the first time since a track day at Donny, and…

TIME ON TEST: 7 MONTHS ODOMETER MILES BHP: 198 GAIN: 0 NEXT AIM: EAT MORE CARROTS THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Wrapping up warm.” Now that the nights are drawing in and the roads are getting ever slimier, those after work evening blasts have been confined to mere fantasy. Warm weekends are becoming rarer to the point of non-existent, making any opportunity to get out on dry roads pretty valuable. The sun might have lost its potency but my love for the R1M hasn’t faded. It’s at this time of year that riding your bike to work can sometimes feel like a bit of a chore – it’s taking me twice as long to get ready now with all the layers I insist on wrapping myself up in, the…

At Motegi a few short weeks ago, Marquez’s ‘how hard can it be’ attitude took him to his seventh World Championship crown. A quite frankly ludicrous achievement wrapped up with three races to go and all before he hits the tender age of 26. On reflection, I’ve decided it’s a mostly futile and more than a little depressing exercise to compare my life achievements at 25 with those of ‘Mighty Marc’. I would recommend you avoid making the same comparison. That is of course unless your name happens to be Valentino Rossi. I am definitely not going to decry the achievements of Marquez – they are every bit as incredible as they appear, and the fashion in which they have been achieved is simply phenomenal. Indeed, Marquez is certainly on…

Having built and raced a Yamaha TZR 250 last year I was full of it… desperate to get a full season under my belt within the Yamaha Past Masters series. Alas it was not to be, the TZR had to go back to its rightful owner and replacing it with something half decent was all of £3,000. Not happening. Enter my good friend and industry man Gary Hartshorne. I had taken him with me on the TZR gig where he earned himself a pot at Snetterton for his efforts on the Renta-Racer TZR. We both had our first race experience, were both hooked on racing from the off but also both financially embarrassed in the racing fund department. But then Gary turned up with this CB500 to the Fast Bikes…

If you are a fan of having your arms pulled from their sockets you should be gagging to find out more about the second generation Diavel, which boasts a whopping 129Nm of torque. Oh, and 156bhp for good measure. Those figures come courtesy of a new 1262cc Testastretta engine, featuring variable valve timing. It’s a pretty smart package, as it means the inlet and exhaust cams are constantly altered to maximise performance throughout the engine’s rev range. Not that you’ll have time to think about how it works while you’re being catapulted up to pace like a rocket into space… or something like that. The point is that we have high hopes for this new muscle maestro. We loved the inaugural offering for its brutish brilliance, and that bar’s just…

WOW. Just look at it. This is a limited edition, celebratory version of the legendary MV Agusta F4, named for the firm’s saviour, Claudio Castiglioni. Claudio died in 2011, after a lifetime in the Italian bike business, running Cagiva, Ducati, Husqvarna and, famously, MV Agusta. The Castigioni name is inextricably linked with the marque, after Claudio brought the Ducati 916 designer, Massimo Tamburini, in to design the MV Agusta F4 750. That superbike, launched in 1998, revived the firm’s fortunes, and with Claudio’s son, Giovanni, now running the company, that link is stronger than ever. This will be final edition of the F4’s current incarnation – emissions rules mean the firm needs to give its full-bore superbike a proper makeover, and there’ll be an all-new bike coming soon from the…

BIKE IT EASY-UP CANOPY Perfect for those Cadwell Park trackdays when you haven’t got a garage, this Easy-Up Canopy from Bike It will give you and your bike all the shelter you need. Covering a 3m x 3m footprint, the canopy is constructed from a steel frame with multiple height ring-pulls, with a durable waterproof nylon canopy that is laced with Bike It branding. It all comes in a handy storage bag and with the option to stick walls on as well. £249.99 – Canopy and frame £59.99 – Optional side walls (pack of 4) LS2 XTRA HELMET LS2’s new urban style lid may look pretty hipster, but comes laced with tech thanks to a 100% high-grade wide weave carbon fibre construction, which offers high penetration resistance and energy dispersion…

The new-for-2018 Speed Trip’ got a bunch of updates, including 105 new engine components resulting in 7% more power and 4% more torque… and it’s still a cracking looking bike. Its single-sided swingarm shows off a glossy five-spoke wheel nicely and various bits of carbon fibre are always appreciated as far as aesthetics are concerned. Its bum might look a bit big with two Arrow cans hanging out the back but its stocky stance gives it a real ‘muscle-bike’ kind of look. And when you jump on this muscular form permits a real spacious feel on-board – it’s lovely and comfortable. One thing I wasn’t sure about was the handlebar-end mounted mirrors; it wasn’t uncomfortable but I felt like my hands were a little restricted at first. I soon got…

Have you heard of the 40 Year Old Virgin? Well as far as naked bikes are concerned, Rob Boston is just that. Well actually he is 41 and he has been riding bikes since he was six years old, but up until last week he had never ever ridden a naked (apart from that fat bird behind the bus shelter, but don’t tell anyone about that). We didn’t think this would do at all, so we invited him along to sample some of the best super-naked bikes money can buy to see if they have got what it takes to tempt him away from fairings and clip-ons. To get an idea of what sort of rider Rob is, we asked him about the kind of bikes he has ridden during…

For most of us, a bike is one of the biggest things we buy. After a house and a car, a proper motorcycle will be the thing that soaks up most cash. Times are hard for lots of people, but we still need our bikes don’t we? If we’re smart, we can get the bike we want without scrimping on school shoes for the kids. Bless them. Picking the right way to get the cash together is essential though. No matter what you’re buying, or how – superbike or scooter, new or used, dealer or private sale – there are loads of ways of getting the finances right. Now, Fast Bikes isn’t any sort of financial advisor, obviously – we can barely run a kitty at the pub on a…

QI was pulled up for alleged speeding by a very annoying and patronising fifty-something copper, who kept calling me “sir” in a really slimy way. He was an ordinary copper, still a constable, driving around showing off to his rather prettier younger sidekick. He told me that his speedo showed me travelling at “well over 60mph in a 40 zone” and he was struggling keeping up with me in his diesel Astra. I didn’t tell him he needed a proper police car, not a glorified taxi. Anyway, I do my homework and I know my rights, so when I asked the copper if his speedo was calibrated he said it was not, and I asked him to show me his camera evidence of me speeding, and he said the vehicle…

TIME ON TEST: 3 MONTHS ODOMETER MILES BHP: 189 GAIN: 0 NEXT AIM: MORE CHALLENGING MILES THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Spanking it!” With the mighty H2SX passing the city riding tests with some ease it was time to hit the open road for some proper touring. The day’s appointment wasn’t until after lunch so I decided to set the sat nav to avoid motorways and tolls and added in the ‘adventurous routes’ setting. The south of Ireland has some stunning roads which pass through some totally unspoiled sleepy villages; many of them seem to have about ten houses with double the number of drinking establishments, usually starting with an O. What better place to nail the big Kawasaki? Once out of Dublin I settled in to back roads…

GARY HARTSHORNE MOTORCYCLE PRODUCT MANAGER BRIDGESTONE UK If you’ve never ridden a pig, a motorcycle pig that is, then you have no idea how utterly brilliant they are to ride. If you’re a half decent pilot you really can embarrass some very expensive sports bikes. After seeing this and me raving on endlessly like a broken record to Charlie how good they are, he too caved in and bought one. After a few track days on the CB500 the urge to race was getting stronger and stronger and I finally give in and booked in to race with EMRA at Mallory Park. I’d also booked in to do a track day there two days earlier to get some practice in and this would also be Charlie’s first time riding a…

USED LEGENDS Used bikes don’t get much sexier than a ZX-7R or Mille Factory. And when it comes to costs, you really won’t get better value for money. Trust us. ALL ABROAD! We head to the Continent to sample the warm delights of a No Limits European winter trackday. JAP NAKEDS Part two of our most comprehensive ever naked bike shootout sees the best of the Japanese offerings given a hammering on road and track. PLUS LOADS MORE: ❯ Our guide to buying a used Panigale 1199 ❮ ❯ Bucket list 2019 – your must do gigs for the New Year ❮ ❯ Zero SXF supermoto ❮ On Sale 11 December, 2018 Buy it from WHSmith, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and all good newsagents. Failing that, try a bad one.…

Well, that’s the 2018 season over. The least successful season in my career ever! I’ve never gone an entire year without a trophy, but this year I have. Okay, I did get one at the Le Mans 24 hour but I did that as a team effort of course so I’m not going to count that, and I’m hoping to muster up the speed to win the local lads’ Christmas outing to the go-kart track, but aside from that? Zilch. The last couple of rounds at Assen and Brands Hatch were both a struggle with my ongoing shoulder issues but we got through, and in all honesty I ended up being pretty damn competitive in both. I even think there was a possible race win on the cards in one…