Innehållsförteckning för August 2019 från Fast Bikes

Airbags, they’re everywhere now, aren’t they? Well, they’re about to become even more common, thanks to Dainese’s new Smart Jacket. Available to be worn underneath any type of top, jacket or leathers, the Smart Jacket requires absolutely zero connection to the bike and is actually fully foldable as well. It’s available in different versions for both men and women, and even has a new stationary impact protection for the first time. Pretty smart, aye? This is a pretty big breakthrough in bringing airbag tech to the masses, and will be available from July for £569.95.…

Some bikes look pretty, some bikes sound amazing, and some bikes go like stink... but very rarely do you come across motorcycles that tick each and every one of those boxes. That’s not to say it’s impossible, as Ducati has proven throughout more decades than Boothy can count (three). Following in the footsteps of the brand’s 851 and 888 Desmos, the 916 hit the scenes in 94 and revolutionised our grasp of just how desirable a motorcycle could be, proving as big a hit in the showrooms as it was on the race track. It also signified the start of the Italian marque’s penchant for the exceptional, formally known as ‘homologation special’ versions, being littered with more bling than you’ll find on a royal’s ring and brandished with added initials…

Having blitzed his pride and joy around the Peak District, we asked owner Ian Carson for his take on his Ducati. “I went to the NEC bike show in 2005 and I saw the 999R on Ducati’s stand. I’ve always loved v-twins and it hit me that no twin would be better than this; I had to have it. I never even rode it, I just bought it – it cost £20k back then. It was a purchase based purely on merit, and I’ve never regretted that decision. Me being me, I couldn’t keep it standard. The bike was already pretty high in spec, but there was plenty of tinkering to do. I tried different yokes (but they were too sharp). I kitted it out with a Zard full titanium…

After Jonathan Rea’s recent domination of WSB racing, the rule makers devised a way of leveling the field through rev limit caps to ensure close racing. Each motorcycle has a homologated rev limit, which is based on the road bike’s rev limit. This can then be altered during the season by the rule makers depending on a bike’s success in increments of 250rpm, with successful teams losing revs and therefore, theoretically, performance. After being capped from 14,600rpm to 14,100rpm last year following Jonathan Rea’s dominance, Kawasaki thought they were being clever this year when they gave the 2019 Ninja ZX-10RR titanium conrods to allow the road bike to push its rev limit up 600rpm so the race team could begin the season with a 14,600rpm limit. However, Ducati have been…

Classic bikes – they’re all mad old shitters yeah? Crappy 1960s British stuff that’s the equivalent fo a two wheeled Austin Allegro nutter Italian nonsense with psychotic electrics, or rust-bucke Japanese boa anchors from the 1970s. No power, even less brakes, and probably a worse choice thanjust taking the car We you’re wrong daddio. It’s time to wake up, smell the coffee, and get yourself into twenty-nineteen my friend. Because Classic bikes are now, officially, really good. Tha’s because We’re using our new, convenient, Fast Bikes ‘15-20-year-old’ rule of classics, meaning that anything from around 1999-2004 is definitely in the classic sector. There are some sweeeeet wheels in there, and we’re dubbing them Fast Classics. Even better, some of these could actually qualify as sensible investments. If you’ve been watching…

OLDER GENERATIONS The first generation of Busa was built from 1999 until 2007 and came with a 1298cc motor. From 2000 onwards the engine was restricted to 300kph (186mph) and there was also alteration to its subframe due to a few high-profile failures after the OE exhausts (which act as supports) were swapped for aftermarket items by owners. DERESTRICTION There are a few ways to derestrict a Busa and as well as removing the 186mph limit, it can also increase the bike’s power in lower gears. You can either opt for an ECU re-flash, which is a one-way process and some find concerning, or fit a Timing Retard Eliminator (TRE), which is a simple plug and play unit that costs roughly £100. SERVICING Oddly for such an under-stressed motor, the…

NO LIMITS TRACKDAYS Without these guys, there would be no trackday! No Limits run events throughout the year at some of the best circuits in the U.K., Europe and even further afar, with the addition of Sepang and Phillip Island if you fancy being a bit adventurous. They also do a race series as well if you fancy it, and you can book on to any of their days via www.nolimitstrackdays.co.uk RST These lovely lot kit out the main brunt of the BSB paddock, and for good reason as well. Their suits, boots and everything in between have become a staple for racers and road riders alike, thanks to the high quality and reasonable prices. They’ve got an airbag suit that’s incoming soon, and you can check out their full…

Here at Fast Bikes magazine, we love trackdays. So much so, we wanted to give something back to you, the reader! We've teamed up with the lovely lot over at No Limits Trackdays to offer a free trackday every single month, for simply being chosen from our social media posts. So, if you're the lucky person in the circled picture, you've won a trackday of your choice! Send us a message over on our Facebook page and we'll look after the rest, and if you haven't won this time, there's always next month. The usual T&Cs apply, blah, blah... FastBikesMag.com/ FastBikes-Forum Facebook.com FastBikesMagazine @FastBikesMag IN ASSOCIATION WITH NO LIMITS TRACKDAYS…

Dave Mason Suzuki GSX-R600 Out for a lap on my pride and joy, Isle of Man Edition 001 of the 150 built. Mikaela Graves KTM 250 EXC-F Exploring the Isle of Man and feeling thankful that I didn’t take my road bike. I really should have taken a dingy. but the KTM was like a pig in mud! An Enduro is definitely the best way to see the island. Joe Sheehan Aprilia RSV4 Went and pratted around on a (closed) roundabout on my RSV4 and my friend brought a camera with him. Lee Lane Yamaha R1 TT 2019 at Hillberry. 1999 R1, 20 years old, only 16000 on clock, still like new. Would love a hoodie. Jack Ward Yamaha R6 Jerez in May 19, Great Craic with the lads Gappo…

WHAT IS IT? In a nutshell, it’s a handy little tool kit with all the common spanners and sockets that you might need for simple, everyday maintenance on your bike. The tools are made from ‘Advanced quality’ chrome vanadium steel and it includes 1/4”, 3/8” and 1/2” drive ratchets, metric and imperial size sockets, from 4mm to 23mm, and 5/32” to 7/8”, respectively. There are some deep sockets and some spark plug sockets, combination spanners in sizes 10mm, 12mm, 13mm, 14mm and 17mm, and an assortment of screwdriver bits with a 1/4” bit adaptor. Oh, and a 3/8” breaker bar and universal joint. I think that is everything. And to keep it all tidy, it comes in a hard plastic carry case, which clips together with plastic clips at the…

As I sit down after round eight of the 2019 World Superbike championship, I can’t help but think about what the hell has happened recently. After the Jerez sprint race, Alvaro Bautista looked, let’s be honest, to have the season sewn up with a 61-point lead over Jonathan Rea. Winning nine of the 11 (full length) races up to that point, it really was looking like the main challenge was who would finish second, with WSBK looking to be hitting the doldrums again. Yet Donington came and went, and apart from a bit of rain on the Saturday it was a great weekend. It had the biggest crowd in six years, and they got to see some great racing on Sunday in a glorious-ooking, and newly refurbed Donington Park Circuit.…

Now, as you all know by now the weather has been more than a bit pants of late, so I’ve decided to park the ZX-6R for a few weeks and get some proper work done on the little green machine – just in time for the first few summer trackdays of the year. First up, is something you probably wouldn’t expect. I’ve done a fair few track miles on these things, and one thing I really fancy trying is a slightly different clutch set up. I love the 600cc style of riding, so when I get out on track, I’d love to have that bit more confidence to just blat it down the box before chucking it into a corner. Don’t get me wrong, the standard slipper is good, but…

It’s been a pretty eventful couple of months since you last heard from me. We’ve had a few more rounds of the British Superstock Championship and I’ve been travelling round to spend a bit of time at the other side of the pit wall, too. I feel like I’m in a much better place with the Kawasaki Superstock bike now; I was having some trouble getting used to the throttle connection, but we have got a really good setting now, so I feel like I can start fully getting to grips with riding a thou’. Donington was ok. I scored a few points in the two-part ‘endurance’ race, but I think I paced myself a little bit too much, if I’m honest. Sunday’s race was better though; it was wet…

Here at Fast Bikes, we love a good supernaked. And after being tempted for so long by the spy shots and rumours of Ducati’s naked offering, we’ve finally been treated to the first official information on the prototype Streetfighter V4 – and it’s pretty damn naughty. Just as we’d all hoped, it’s derived directly from the Panigale V4, but has lost the fairings, and has been fitted with high and wide handlebars. Ducati are using the monstrous 1100cm³ Desmosedici Stradale powerplant for good measure, and say it has ‘aerodynamic profiles specifically designed for this model’ – or wings, for us regular folk. Yep, wings, on a naked bike. The V4 Streetfighter made its debut at the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, where it was going to clean up, before…

ALPINESTARS MM93 SUPERTECH GLOVES TESTED BY: Carlos MILES: 2,500+ TIME: 8 months PRICE: £300 WEB: www.alpinestars.com It’s no secret, I’m a sucker for snazzy designs and bright colours. So, when Alpinestars announced that they were releasing a Marc Marquez replica set of gloves (and indeed boots), I couldn’t help but get drawn in like a moth to light. I’ve been wearing Astars gloves for as long as I’ve been able to afford them, and like the previous GP Pros I was wearing before, they literally fit, well, like a glove. I know the sizings aren’t quite suitable to everyone, but for me they’re perfect, and even though they’re a top-of-the-range glove laced with protection, they didn’t take a long time to run in either – one session, and they were…

As WSB is a ‘production bike’ race series, its rules require a company to homologate a road bike for racing. However, in order to encourage smaller manufacturers to compete with the might of Japan, the number of bikes required to be built is relatively low and it is currently just 125 to be allowed to race, 250 by the end of the race year and a total of 500 produced after two years. And this is the key to Ducati’s success. WSB’s rules are fairly strict in certain areas. However, what Ducati realised was that due to their small volume of production, they could quickly modify the road-going homologation special to ensure the race team could reap the benefits of a certain part. This is exactly what happened in 1998…

Many view the Ducati 999 as a failure due to its poor showroom sales, but it was actually one of Ducati’s most successful World Superbike racers ever – demonstrating that sex sells, not results! In fact, it won nearly twice as many races as the closest 916-derived sibling and during its five years in WSB the 999 took 63 race wins while the 998 only managed 34 wins in four years on track. Not only that, the 999 took three WSB titles with Troy Bayliss, James Toseland and Neil Hodgson all claiming championships. And, even better, during the 2003 championship, Ducati won every single race that year (24 races) with factory riders Neil Hodgson (13 wins) and Ruben Xaus (seven wins), decimating the field on their 999s and the only…

The point was never to pitch the 999R against the V4R, but to showcase the realities of 14 years of ‘R-spec’ development. They couldn’t have been any more different if Ducati had of tried, with each bike proving endearing for their own idiosyncrasies. Take the 999R, for example; it won me over hand and mouth. It wasn’t just the pedigree of the product that drew me to it, but the unadulterated, simplistic virtues of the package. It’s beyond annoying hopping on a bike these days and messing around for the best part of 20 mintues while you programme it to do everything short of make your breakfast. The 999R harped back to a time before all that nonsense, with an output that was potent, but devoid of power modes and…

Throw it back 10 years or so and I bloody hated school; I just spent the days dreaming of riding, drinking or both… although not at the same time, of course. Yet flash forward a few years, and I couldn’t be happier for a day at school – as long as the word ‘riding’ is in there somewhere. There’s always something new to learn, bikes to be thrashed and world-class instruction to abuse, so when an invite came through to head over to Italy for one, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands. And the best part is, this isn’t just any old riding school – oh no, this is the Dainese Riding Masters event, where a whole host of top riders teach us mere mortals the proper way around…

We cannot forget the risks involved in thrashing superbikes as fast as we feel possible, going over the same patch of Tarmac lap after lap and pushing the boundaries of grip, lean angle and top speed. Much of the attraction in this sport is that element of danger: your heart is racing before you even sit on the bike and that kind of rush just can’t be found anywhere else, so expect it to bite back now and again, regardless of what lap times you’re capable of. As far as crashing goes, I’m advising from my own experience which has worked for me – presuming you’ve got no major injuries and are just a bit beaten up. (Small print: seek medical advice in the first instance and follow up with…

Idon’t know who was more surprised, me with my chain snapping, or the car driver I then descended on at Hizzy’s chicane pleading to drive me to the pit lane. He was a good egg, and did just that, even though I was pissing wet through (whoever you are, thank you!), meaning we only lost two laps by the time Brod had hopped on his 600 to complete the last 20 minutes of our endurance race. After a pretty tough day’s racing in which I broke my left hand in a highside in race one, got punted off the track at 120mph in my second outing and had to ask Carl to do my zip up on too many occasions (I’m a bad boss), this last little bit of drama…

I am a lucky sod and I know it. I'm 56 and semi-retired. My son is a regular top 3 finisher on a ZX10R in a competitive race series. My wife accepts my complete and total passion for everything bikes. I have a good group of like-minded friends who all run fast naked or sportsbikes. I'm off to the Picos on a bike trip soon with friends. Even the dog does as he's told and never shits in the garden (or house). But best of all, these little beauties are in my opinion, THE best bikes with THE best engines on the planet and are owned by this lucky sod. I just don't fit the current R1 and this bike is probably the all-day comfiest race bike out there. It's…

1 Read the instructions and make sure you have everything This is important! If you’re installing your shifter on a machine that comes with one as standard, make sure you have your replacement gear linkage rod, and that it’s the right length. Make sure all the wiring is good and nothing is damaged before installation. 2 Prepare to get into the air box area This is where the real work starts. Of course, getting into the air box is completely dependent on what make or model you have, but usually it won’t be too much of a challenge. Find a nice clean area for your bike, and get a pot ready to collect all of your bolts. 3 Remove the seat and side panels On this particular…

Wow, just wow. BSB never fails to disappoint, does it? I mean, the championship is about as predictable as the weather at Knockhill in mid-summer. And you know what? It’s only going to get hotter. So what am I on about exactly? Well, I’m talking about the race to the Showdown, of course. We’re now into the nitty gritty midpoint of the year, where talks of rides in 2020 start to flourish and bikes, riders and teams are fully up to speed – with the exception of BMW, who are still on the hunt for some upgrades. Mind you, sitting 7th and 8th at the time of writing of this, both Iddon and Hicky are still doing a grand old job on stock engines. Oh, and while we’re on the…

I nearly had a major disaster with the ‘ten. I’d planned on taking it to the Isle of Man to do some laps around the Mountain Course whilst I was over there racing, but when I came to loading it into my van, I discovered my best ramp had totally and utterly disappeared. Gone. Vanished. Nowhere to be seen. What was I to do? Well, there was only one thing for it. I had to dismantle the shelf in my cupboard under the stairs and use it as a make-shift ramp – it was either that or leave the MT at home which, quite frankly, wasn’t an option. Braced underneath with a few bits of timber my little ramp worked a treat – and soon enough the bike was in…

If you’d read my termer column last month, you’d know that I’d fallen for the 790 Duke after a little bit of a rough start. This meant that the little Duke has been everywhere with me this month – most notably to Devil’s Island for a couple of laps during TT fortnight. It was good to get an eye in the KTM as the trip meant a few long motorway runs which was a good test, and even though the KTM isn’t really built for ‘em it wasn’t that bad to be fair – even with my big frame on board. Saying that though, the protection from the elements is non-existent so keep that in mind when the weather is a bit crap. This trip also meant I had excuse…

Enjoy watching people doing insane stunts? Well, look no further than the Nitro World Games… There’s a certain something special about having a load of pros doing ridiculous tricks off massive ramps, isn’t there? We absolutely love it, and now there’s a great opportunity to see one of the biggest competitions on its first time out of the U, S of A… The Nitro World Games will be taking place in Wales next year, where more than 100 of the very best action sports athletes will invade the Principality Stadium on May 23-24. If you head along, you’ll be able to see five different disciplines: Freestyle Motocross, BMX Best Trick, BMX Triple Hit, Skate Vert and Scooter Best Trick. Fancy it? Tickets are on sale now, from https://www.livenation.co.uk/artist/nitro-world-games-tickets…

Do people still glaze pads? Yes, it still happens, but mostly on the road from not having hard enough usage. Brakes are made to be used hard, and they’re designed to be squeezed! A glazed pad will be super shiny, like a cylinder’s bore if you run a bike at low revs for lots of miles – that too will cause glazing. The pad needs to be a little rough to maximise purchase, so if you’ve got a squeak or a squeal, chances are it’s because they’re glazed. Take the pads out and lightly rough them up on a sheet of fine sand paper until the mirrored effect is gone. Why do pads wear unevenly? Some calipers are designed to have a leading edge (you might have a large piston…

In a world where we’ve got characters like President Trump on the right and Diane Abbot on the left, there has perhaps never been a better time to occupy the middle ground. The same could be said of motorcycles. With proper exciting little 2-strokes now a thing of distant memory, and 1000cc superbikes forcing you to cope with nigh on 200bhp (not to mention having to pay handsomely for the privilege), maybe the middle ground isn’t so bad, after all. There are plenty of ‘middleweight’ options these days, which have got the sort of power that you’d only find in a superbike, say 20 years ago – at the time nobody was complaining that the first R1s et al were too slow. In fact, it was quite the contrary. Realistically,…

The answer is, abso-bloody-lutely not. Last year we were lucky enough to take over our very own trackday, and it was such a success we couldn’t resist doing it again. Cadwell Park, for those of you who don’t know it, is spectacular. It’s got more ups and downs than an American rollercoaster and is thinner than an old country lane, which makes it one of the very best tracks in the U.K. – and even, dare we say, the world, which meant it was an easy choice of location. As we’ve been working closely with the lovely ladies and gents at the helm of No Limits Trackdays, we hopped on to one of their days and with the help of Bridgestone, RST and Arai, we put on what must’ve been…

There’s always a lot of talk about the best way to scrub in tyres, how long you should spend and all this other stuff, but the truth of the matter is, it really depends on what tyres you’ve got. Say you’ve got some OE fitment rubber. You’ll want to look at about 100 miles to properly run the tyre in, as the way they’re produced and released from their mould is different to what you get on, say, a racing slick. It always gives you time to get used to the tyre, especially if you’ve gone down a different route. If you’re spending your hard-earned cash on a set of superbike slicks, however, the chances are they won’t last 100 miles. I’ve seen top-level riders go at new tyres with…

Dan Poxon BMW S1000XR Just come back from Northwest 200 with the wife. I've been with the lads for last two years and she has always wanted to go to Northern Ireland so took the opportunity to do the Northwest and some sightseeing. Other subconscious plan was to show her that everything was all good and no need to worry about me going with the lads in the future. As she normally hates bike racing with a passion I thought I was on to a winner either way. However, she absolutely loved it so much that she has now watched as much of the TT as I have and is now insisting that we go to watch that too, and wanting to know what other road races are happening so…

FB: What is the purpose of a brake caliper? LB: The caliper is the device that makes the magic happen in terms of braking power, as it’s the operation of the pistons within, on a brake pad, which then comes into contact with the brake disc that slows down you and your bike. Back in the day, motorcycles used to come with drum brakes, which were absolutely pants – they can’t cope with heat or dodgy weather and don’t offer the same amount of braking power. Thankfully, they were ditched on most machines many moons ago. FB: How does a brake caliper work? LB: Surprisingly, a regular brake caliper is a pretty simple object. Essentially, a caliper, or two on the front end of most modern sports bikes, will be…

As the MotoGP circus pauses, takes breath and heads off for the traditional, ever-shrinking, mid-season break, one could be forgiven for thinking that the 2019 championship is done and dusted. To put it plainly, Marc Marquez is romping it. His points total leaving Assen was a mighty 160, giving him a commanding 44-point lead in the championship with his rivals falling by the wayside with a combination of bad fortune and unforced errors (at this level are they ever really unforced?). But is Marquez’s apparent one-horse race a symptom of a dominant Honda that is the best bike on the grid? In my opinion it’s far from it. Indeed, the 2019 mid-season break could prove to be something of a Rubicon moment that may shape the next couple of seasons.…

Having received the CBR650R in pristine condition with a mere 22 miles on the clock is a real privilege; you are safe in the knowledge that this bike is unsullied in any way. However, you do have to be mindful of the ‘conditions of use’, with one being not to give the throttle a wallop before the first 600 mile service –- at least. Thus it’s been a steady start before the CBR650R finally rolled out of Honda with a clean bill of health, and with the pin finally pulled from the grenade it was time to let it go off. Now, as an analogy let’s keep things relative, as the CBR650R is not a grenade in the same way that a Fireblade is, and is by no means designed…

Good things come to those who wait… but what a wait it’s been. BMW well and truly whetted my appetite for the new RR way back on its launch in March, giving me a taster of their game-changing superbike. It rocked, and on the few rides I’ve had on one since, my adoration for the Bavarian bruiser has only grown stronger. What’s so good about it? The most hard-hitting attributes are its ease of use, bucket loads of power and super-smart tech. The old Beemer was no luddite, but the spec on tap has been moved on several notches. I’ve only had my bike a couple of weeks now so I’m still a long way off getting the most from its technology, or understanding what it all does. There are…

Well, like any good soap, at the end of the last instalment I had left you all on the edge of your seat with a few cliff-hangers, and it’s been a busy month… so I’ll save the worst till last. First up, I was all excited about some new parts for the race bike that I was going to tell you about this month, but alas, they have yet to materialise so I guess I'll save that for next time. I was also just about set for heading out to Normandy for the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. It was an unbelievable, eye-opening trip for me and to see what the veterans had to go through was just mesmerising. Wheeling Grandad around the memorial sites, seeing where he landed,…