Innehållsförteckning för October 2019 från Fast Bikes

How’s your month been? We’ve had a crazy time here at Fast Bikes, riding more models than Boothy’s had hot women, and clocking sufficient miles to put us on a climate change hit-list (don’t tell them where we live!). It’s been a right laugh. Some stuff you won’t get to see for a few issues, but hopefully you’ll enjoy the good times we’ve got to show you within these very pages, travelling here, there and everywhere in our bid to deliver you the best sportsbike mag on the market. It’s a depressing thought, but autumn is nearly upon us, as the occasional grey skies and downpours of the wet stuff go to validate. The question is, have you made the most of the year? What else would you have chosen…

Being perhaps the worst kept secret (but most exciting proposition) to emanate from our friends over at Hinckley, the rumours of a swansong Daytona 765 have well and truly found form, as we learned first-hand during its official unveiling at Silverstone MotoGP. That’s also where we caught up with the British brand’s chief engineer Stuart Wood, and grilled him like a kipper on the ins and outs of this carbon-clad beauty. How did the Daytona 765 come about? We kicked things off two years ago. That was after we’d got the Moto2 gig confirmed, and a part of the discussion at the time was that at some point in time, in the future, we might want to go down this route. Dorna were massively supportive and now here we are.…

OXFORD DRYPHONE PRO It’s always handy having your phone attached to the ‘bars, whether someone’s pestering you with calls or you need to keep an eye on the old satnav. This is why Oxford’s new Dryphone Pro case is a great shout, being both water-resistant and shockproof, meaning you can mount it on to near enough any motorcycle (or pedal bike for that matter), and take it off easily with the quick-release mechanism. It’s available for a variety of different phones, is simple to install and is also touchscreen compatible. £29.99 www.oxfordproducts.com SUZUKI MOTOGP ARAI CHASER-X If you’ve got yourself a Suzuki and fancy treating yourself to a new, fancy looking matching lid, then this Arai wouldn’t be a bad place to start. Using the high-quality Chaser-X lid as a…

2017 Triumph Daytona 675R slipper clutch Öhlins Triumph Triple Cup rear shock K-Tech SSK Piston Kit with flow control valves and linear springs Genuine Triumph quick shifter Genuine Triumph by arrow rearsets Genuine Triumph by arrow exhaust De-cat Genuine Triumph accessory shorty levers Genuine Triumph accessory aero screen Genuine Triumph accessory solo seat cowl Genuine Triumph accessory billet chain adjuster blocks, dipstick and filler cap Genuine Triumph accessory carbon tank pad Genuine Triumph accessory front and rear brake reservoirs Metzler Racetec RR K2 tyres TuneECU generic remap BMC air filter Brembo SC sintered fast road/ trackday pads…

It’s 35 years – 35! – since the first proper modern water-cooled, 16-valve superbike engine appeared. Yep, folk can go on about Honda’s 1969 CB750 and Kawasaki’s 1972 Z1 all they like, but it was Kawasaki’s 1984 GPZ900R Ninja which really brought high performance biking into the modern era. Many of the features in that 115bhp engine had been around for a while – multi-valve cylinders, water-cooling, double overhead cams. But this was the first time it all came together in one amazing hit. That bike – in essentially stock form – finished first and second at the 1984 Isle of Man TT proddy race, so it was pretty obvious what direction fast bikes would be taking from then on. Competing tech, like big two-strokes, turbos and rotary engines, were…

I’ve had a lot of bikes over the years, but you can never have too many and I picked this up primarily because I fancied it. Oh, and as I work in the business, it was a good excuse to use it as a marketing tool. As for the bike, I like stuff that’s technical, and sticks out, and for those two things, the H2 really is great! Not to mention the fact that I’ve had about 17 Kawasakis over the years, so I do like them anyway. Another reason I picked one of these up is because there aren’t too many of them about, so hopefully in time they won’t drop that much in value – or fingers crossed anyway. I haven’t done as much as I’d like, but…

Good luck to Ben who will be marrying the ride of his life in November, but us bikers all know who his real true love is... and it has two wheels! Kelly Orton FB: Whoop whoop, congratulations to you both, and have a little wedding present on us! Everyone here at Fast Bikes magazine wishes you all the luck in the world, and hope that he loves you as much as he loves his bike… You can win a Weise ASCARI JACKET for simply writing the Fast Bikes Star Letter. We’ve teamed with the lovely lot over at Weise to give you the chance of winning this pretty posh jacket worth £149.99, just for sharing your experiences with us! Find out more at www.thekeycollection.co.uk…

To stop manufacturers over-tuning their bikes, the MotoGP series sets a limit on how many engines each bike can use in one season. Every rider is allowed to use up to seven engines throughout the season. They have to be built and sealed in advance at the start of the season to make sure teams aren’t enhancing their packages as they go. Typically, engines are changed every three rounds, but if riders exceed their allocation and use an additional motor, the penalty is to start that race last, from pitlane.…

This World Superbike Championship has been a bit of a rollercoaster, hasn’t it? I mean, think about it. It started off with the boring incline of Bautista’s dominance, which was then followed up by a big drop in results… thanks to multiple drops of bikes. And then, we get a surprise twist in the form of next season… but what does it all mean? Well for one, it means that next year is going to be bloody exciting. I mean, the fact that Bautista has jumped ship from the utterly incredible Ducati Panigale V4R, to the yet-to-be-confirmed, but almost completely set in stone new Honda squad, shows two things. One, the big H are probably throwing a lot of cash his way, with maybe even the potential for a Suzuka,…

Well, we’re basically at the end of the year already! To be honest I can’t believe it, especially as a lot of the time, on the roads especially, I’ve barely been able to get some good mileage in thanks to the bloody weather… and the classic TT was much of the same. I was riding the big old York Suzuki which is always good, as even though it’s an old thing, the bike is absolutely mint, and the team are mega as well. The Classic is always a lot more chilled out as well, so I was absolutely buzzing to get over and spin some laps, but the weather and the bike had a load of other ideas! I mean, first session out I didn’t even complete a full lap…

I absolutely love this time of the year – it’s always filled with bikes, racing and sunshine, but it’s always so bloody busy. The last time we spoke I was just getting ready to fly out here, there and everywhere between doing my shows, but the gale force winds caused havoc on that! Well, I was okay with flying in it, but the missus wasn’t. Apparently she doesn’t like being upside down. Damn. When I did finally get back from the Channel Islands though, I met Coopes at Donington for a run out on the Manx Norton we’re going to be racing at the Goodwood Revival. It’s always a proper good laugh at that place and with the Superstock championship leader on my side I reckon we can do alright…

Yes, we all knew it was coming, but Triumph have finally uncovered all the details on what they describe as ‘the ultimate edition’ of the legendary Daytona – and it looks like an absolute corker. So we do we start? Well, it’s got to be with that absolute peach of an engine. Powered by the 765cc triple that we’ve all come to love, the Daytona will make 130ps peak power at 12,250rpm, with 80Nm of torque available at 9,750rpm. It’s not just the standard engine from the Street Triple though; oh no. The Daytona engine has been designed by the same team that developed the genuine Moto2 engine, and they’ve made monumental changes: titanium inlet valves, stronger pistons, MotoGPTM-spec DLC coated gudgeon pins, new cam profiles, new intake trumpets, modified…

Don’t be fooled into thinking there’s a cheaper, lesser spec Daytona 765 lurking around the corner – this £15,765 pocket rocket is the last in the line of Triumph’s premier sportsbikes. That’s a sad proposition, but this really is the end game for the model, so if you want a slice of the action, you’d better head down to your local Triumph dealer and order yours today. As you’ll already know, there are two lots of 765 units on the market, with roughly 150 of those earmarked for the UK.…

ENGINE Type: 399cc, liquid-cooled, V4 Bore x Stroke: 55 x 42mm Compression: 11.3:1 Fuelling: Carburettors Claimed power: 58bhp @ 13,000rpm Claimed torque: 36Nm @ 10,000rpm ELECTRONICS RBW/Riding Modes: No Traction Control: No ABS: No Quickshifter: No Wheelie Control: No Launch Control: No Autoblipper: No CHASSIS Frame: Aluminium twin-spar Front suspension: Showa 41mm USD forks with preload and rebound adjustment Rear suspension: Showa Adjustable monoshock with preload and rebound damping Front brakes: Four-pot Nissin calipers, 269mm discs Rear brakes: Two-piston Nissin caliper, 220mm disc DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 1,335mm Seat height: 780mm Wet weight: 181kg Fuel capacity: 18 litres INFO Price: £4-6,000…

ENGINE Type: Liquid-cooled, DOHC, in-line 3-cylinder Bore x Stroke: 76mm x 49.6mm Compression: 12.7:1 Fuelling: Fuel injection Power: 126hp @ 12,600rpm Torque: 73Nm @ 11,750rpm ELECTRONICS RBW/Riding Modes: No/No Traction Control: No ABS: No Quickshifter: Yes (aftermarket) Wheelie Control: No Launch Control: No Autoblipper: No CHASSIS Frame: Aluminium Twin-spar Front suspension: 41mm USD forks with adjustable preload, rebound and compression Rear suspension: Fully adjustable monoshock Front brakes: Two 308mm discs with four piston calipers Rear brakes: 220mm single disc with single piston caliper DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 1395mm Seat height: 820mm Dry weight: 161kg Fuel capacity: 17.5L INFO Price: From £2800 (£4k for a really nice one!) From: eBay……

Imagine a motorcycle festival crossed with a German beer festival, with a ton of live music thrown in for good measure –can you conjure it up? Well, if you can’t, you need to get there to see it for yourself. By day there are hundreds of BMW bikes to drool over, some old, some new; some custom made; some exactly as they rolled off the production line. Whatever type of bike you are into, there’ll be something to float your boat at Garmisch. And if you want to do more than just drool over bikes, there are loads of BMW models available to test ride, on the road and on the off-road enduro course, if you are thinking of making a purchase (or you just fancy having a go on…

To be in with a chance of winning this most tasteful of tops, just 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…

With margins so close and races won or lost by a matter of tenths, it’s no surprise that test riders and teams are now more important than ever. So, when we got the chance to sit down with Sylvain Guintoli, Suzuki Ecstar’s Test Rider, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Being a former World Superbike champ and BSB exile, the first thing we wanted to know was how it all came about to be a test rider? “It all started in 2017 when I signed up to ride the new GSX-R in BSB. This was the first project, with the idea being to build up the new Superbike – I had no idea it would lead to Grand Prix. It was a difficult year being a brand new bike, but…

This is always a really tough gig to write; we’re just on the eve of the Showdown being decided, yet at the time of writing, I don’t have a single Scooby-Doo on what’s going to happen. It would be ideal if I could write a few different outcomes and print the one that works… but I can’t. In fact, I’m not even going to have a shot in the dark. If there’s one thing about BSB that we’ve all come to love, it’s that the unpredictability scale is absolutely off the charts, and I don’t fancy being responsible for jinxing any riders. What I do think though, is that for the guys fighting for spots, things are going to be tough – and it’s going to be experience, as much…

I guess we had better start with some news then! I’ll be riding with Chaz Davies in the factory Aruba.it WorldSBK squad for 2020. It all came together a few weeks ago after Bautista decided he didn’t really want to sort terms to stay with them for next year. It’s not going to change my strategy. This was part of my plan. Whether it was this year or next year, I wanted to get to WorldSBK and prove myself. I still want to win the title here in BSB – that's my main goal – but now I’ve got this sorted, it’s given me a bit of space to get my head down and do what I’ve got to do. I don’t have to keep proving myself to others, I…

Engine type: Liquid-cooled, 12 valve, DOHC, in-line 3-cylinder Capacity 765cc Bore stroke 78 x 53.38 Compression 12.9:1 Max power 130PS at 12,250rpm Max torque 80Nm at 9,750rpm System Multi-point sequential electronic fuel injection with SAI. Electronic throttle control Exhaust Stainless steel 3 into 1 exhaust system. Stainless steel underbody primary silencer. Arrow titanium secondary silencer Final drive Chain Clutch Wet Multiplate Gearbox 6-speed with Triumph Shift Assist Frame Front - Aluminium beam twin spar Rear - 2-piece high pressure die cast Swingarm Twin-sided, cast aluminium alloy Front wheel Cast aluminium alloy 5-spoke 17 x 3.5in Rear wheel Cast aluminium alloy 5-spoke 17 x 5.5in Front tyre 120/70 ZR17 Rear tyre 180/55 ZR17 Front suspension Öhlins 43mm upside down NIX30 forks with adjustable preload, rebound and compression damping Rear suspension Öhlins…

ENGINE Type: 999cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC, Inline four Bore x Stroke: 73.4 x 59.0mm Compression: 12.5:1 Fuelling: Electronic fuel injection Claimed power: 176bhp @ 11,000rpm Claimed torque: 118Nm @ 8,500rpm ELECTRONICS RBW/Riding Modes: No Traction Control: No ABS: No Quickshifter: No Wheelie Control: No Launch Control: No Autoblipper: No CHASSIS Frame: Aluminium twin spar Front suspension: 43mm KYB fully adjustable forks Rear suspension: KYB fully adjustable monoshock Front brakes: 2 x 310mm discs, 4-piston calipers Rear brakes: 220mm disc, 2-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 1,405mm Seat height: 810mm Dry weight: 166kg Fuel capacity: 18 litres INFO Price: £4,000…

Four grand… that doesn’t sound like a lot of cash for a new toy, does it? Well, that’s what I thought anyway, until I stumbled across the glorious goldmine of Triumph Daytonas that fill the secondhand marketplace. You see, when we came up with this challenge I was a little worried. Being the youngest of us three means I have the least interest in old buckets. I don’t want a crappy tacho-dash that doesn’t work, I don’t want to bugger around with a choke in the mornings, and I certainly don’t fancy owning something that’s older than me. This proved to be a bit of a challenge, as unlike the other two ancient buggers I work with, I wanted something modern-ish. You know, within the last 10 years or so,…

Contrary to popular misconception, the German Autobahn isn’t just 10 lanes of tarmac full of supercars doing 150mph. Just like a motorway at home, there are stretches with posted speed limits; there are lorries and people-carrier-drawn caravans crawling along the slow lane; there are roadworks and undercover cops – it’s not a playground. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy going for a blast on the ‘bahn, there are just a few things that you ought to remember. Know where you can open her up: As mentioned, there are parts of the autobahn with speed limits in force, and for this you will see a red circle with, for example, an ‘80’ inside it. This means the limit for this section of road is 80kph (50mph). From time to time…

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... THE PRIZE: ONE U.K. TRACKDAY OF YOUR CHOICE, FOR ANY U.K. CIRCUIT WITH NO LIMITS TRACKDAYS. FastBikesMag.com/ FastBikes-Forum Facebook.com FastBikesMagazine @FastBikesMag IN ASSOCIATION WITH NO LIMITS TRACKDAYS…

Spring weights… what are they? Springs weights are crucial to a bike’s feel and performance. They can alter everything from the way a bike turns to how it grips, from how it supports itself under braking to the way it limits using too much stroke when surfaces get bumpy. I often get asked what springs people should fit and the answer is unique to the rider’s model of bike, their weight and their style of riding. You can’t just pluck a figure out of the air, or tell them to run the same as what their mates have. One key factor that’s always overlooked is the kind of linkage your bike runs. A current R1 has a very harsh, upright linkage, so it needs a softer spring or you’d never…

STREETS AHEAD Hi, please find attached a picture from a great day me and my speed triple RS had. Nice wee bimble round a bit of Scotland, early departure from Falkirk, heading to Uig (Skye), Applecross, Laxford Bridge, Lairg, Tain, and back via Loch Ness through Spean Bridge, Glencoe (second time that day) and home via Crianlarich and Callander. Speed Triple was superb, although I certainly knew I’d had a full day on a bike (797 miles). Alex Hunter FB: Wow, that is some stint! Would probably say it’s a bit more than just a bimble… KNEE SKIDS Hello from a reader in Sweden! Not sure if I can be in the competition to win a jacket, but I give it a try because I need to be just a…

2016 LeMans–MaverickVinales– 3rd Silverstone–MaverickVinales– 1st Motegi–MaverickVinales– 3rd PhillipIsland–MaverickVinales– 3rd 2018 TermasderioHondo–AlexRins– 3rd CircuitoftheAmericas-AndreaIannone– 3rd Jerez-AndreaIannone– 3rd Assen–AlexRins– 2nd Aragon-AndreaIannone– 3rd Motegi–AlexRins– 3rd PhillipIsland-AndreaIannone– 2nd Sepang–AlexRins– 2nd Valencia–AlexRins– 2nd 2019 CircuitoftheAmericas–AlexRins– 1st Jerez–AlexRins– 2nd Silverstone–AlexRins– 1st…

I signed off last month by suggesting that the second half of the season was set to be a belter. Well, it seems that for once I might just be proven right. Where Silverstone 2018 was an unmitigated disaster of a GP weekend, 2019 was an instant classic. The duel in the sun between the unflappable mighty Marc Marquez and one of the sport's young pretenders to his crown, Alex Rins, will live long in the memory. In many ways, the finale was like a rerun of the 1979 duel between Barry Sheene and Kenny Roberts – only this time it was the Suzuki in the hands of Rins that claimed the victory where Sheene's Suzuki had missed out at the very same corner. A huge amount of credit has…

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 injury 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 qualified 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 question, there probably isn’t one. Don’t rely on the advice from your insurance appointed solicitor, get proper independent…

I didn’t click with the Kawasaki ZX-10RR straight away, but I didn’t give up. It’s a mega-fast bike, but in all honestly I just haven’t gelled with it and this season has felt like a bit of a battle from day one. We were at Cadwell at the weekend and although I had my best result of the season in the British Superstock Championship, finishing the race in 7th, laptime-wise I was still a couple of tenths off what I did on my first ever go on a 1000, which was on a Suzuki last year. The team wouldn’t let me ride in free practice because it was damp (almost every other rider was out there banging the laps in whilst me and my teammate Chrissy were watching from the…