Innehållsförteckning för January 2017 från Fast Bikes

23 miles may not seem like a long way, but that’s the mileage I clocked up while walking round the Eicma show in Italy, gawping at everything 2017 has in store – if only I had a bike to ride round there... Not only were my feet sore, but I returned with hardly any voice left, my ears tired from everything I’d heard and my hands sore from all the hand shaking I undertook. It was a real fillip to see how enthusiastically I was greeted by manufacturers of bikes and bits alike – all on behalf of you guys, Fast Bikes readers. I returned from the show invigorated about how respected you all are – and how these manufacturers are desperate to reach you to show off their kick-ass…

Edging ever closer to that bus pass? Does your back protest anytime your eyes spy a sportsbike? Are you always abroad exploring new roads? Or are you simply looking for something that offers more versatility in your dotage? In previous years, you would have had to make serious compromises to obtain a blend of comfort and anything resembling sporting talent – but evolution is a wonderful thing. Nestling somewhere between supernakeds and sports-tourers is this pair of European nut jobs. You’d think cosy mile-munching, frenzied A-road sessions, lethargic commutes and the occasional trackday wouldn't be possible without any detrimental concession, but this pairing proves that 100mph wheelies followed by 200 miles in the saddle is effortlessly feasible. Taking an engine based on the original S 1000 RR lump and housing…

This is something we encounter a lot with customers as a general misconception. It’s almost a buzzword when it comes to braking, as if sintered pads are the absolute daddies. A sintered pad is nothing more than a pad that’s been impregnated with a sintered material, like a metallic type. Be it carbon or metal, a sintered pad is a composite of materials. There are three types of pad now available to the public. One is organic, which is quite soft and you would generally put that on a bike that’s used for commuting and avoiding heavy braking as longevity isn’t too good here. They’re also very cheap. Then you’ve got your sintered material pads. There are loads of companies that make them and offer various materials. Finally, there are…

SEX BOMB Hello team! I love the Facebook page, but Iadmit I’m a little old school so prefer purchasing the magazine. I wanted to share some pictures of my Ducati Panigale 899, she’s pretty special. It’s been years in the making, here’s what I’ve done so far (the very, very abridged version – Ed)… DucaBiketripleclamps Duca Bike Rear Sets Öhlins TTX GP rear shock Öhlins NIX30 fork cartridges Duca Bike flat-rate rear shock linkage kit Yoyodyne slipper clutch Shorai lithium battery Öhlins steering damper Termi slip on exhaust MotoCorsa titanium headers Tuneboy ECU tune with launch control, cruise control and auto down blip Carbon Fiber parts Oversized 25-liter carbon tank RotoBoxCFWheelsNextI’ll be upgrading brakes and rotors, my end game is full carbon fairings with red decals and CNC…

1 Marc Marquez has brains as well as balls There once was a time when piloting a Honda MotoGP bike was half the battle won. Given the array of resources available to an HRC rider, the onus was solely to beat your team-mate – that way you were virtually guaranteed top spot by the end of the year. That mantle has changed, and after a difficult year in 2015, 2016 got harder for any Honda rider thanks to a switch in tyres and, more importantly, the curtailment of electronics. The move to the Magnetti Marelli ECU (the AGO 340 unit) was intended to level the playing field – meaning in Honda’s case they were no longer shooting at the goal at the bottom of the hill… The recalcitrance of the…

I had to chuckle to myself a little, after looking at Fast Bikes’ Facebook page one evening. One of the mag’s no doubt fine readers had decided to vent his frustration at Jonny Rea on the Kawasaki star’s own page, for allowing Tom Sykes to pass him in Qatar, thereby nailing a 1-2 for Kawasaki in the final rider standings. The reader called Jonny ‘a disgrace to the sport’, but what made me spill my beer was Jonny’s response. ‘You are a disgrace to my Facebook page! Now fuck off, you are blocked!’ was Jonny’s retort. Said reader was a little shocked by this, understandably, but at the same time he’d opened himself up for a bit of retaliation by his own choice of words in the first place. And…

HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS! The KTM 1290 Super Duke R is Back - and this time it means business... HOLIDAY 2017 THE AWESOMENESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE BIKER We get all a bit Judith Chalmers and head off to the Bol D’Or, the NW200 and the Swiss Alps! AND STACKS MORE ■ New metal tested – Kawasaki Ninja 650 and Yamaha MT-09 ■ New Year’s Resolutions for the discerning hooligan ■ Marginal Gains – how little things made a lot of difference… On Sale January 10, 2017 – yes 2017! Buy it from WHSmiths, Sainsburys, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and all good newsagents. But none of the bad ones…. Check out the eye-poppingly good digital edition at www.classicmagazines.co.uk…

Ducati’s past form in selling specials has given the Bolognian firm a new impetus to create the almost impossible, knowing that the well-heeled Ducatisti will fall over themselves in an attempt to own one, no matter the price. The original Superleggera (which translates, unsurprisingly, to super light) sold out in seconds, and before the cover had even been pulled from the svelte body of the new machine ata fancy shindig ahead of the Eicma show in Milan, Ducati had done all that it needed to – selling the 500 units to those targeted in a special email campaign. That’s £36m worth of business done in the blink of an eye – what other manufacturer can deliver results like these in the modern age? And there we were thinking that the…

BMW snuck this, the prototype HP4 Race, under the radar at Eicma, teasing us with the promise of a track-only HP4 with a full carbon frame, carbon fibre rims, Öhlins suspension and an Akrapovic exhaust – amid acres of yet more carbon fibre. We’re expecting more info on the definitive spec in the next few months, and we think it’ll take that long to clear up the mess inadvertently created by this most stealthy of weapons. It’s no secret that BMW has wanted to work with carbon fibre for some time now, and using it on the S 1000 RR seems like the most likely recipient of the benefits available. Whether this will go on and be raced in WSB remains to be seen, but what with Ducati and now…

At the top of the list of the Z1000SX’s new bits was the addition of a Bosch Inertia MeasurementUnit (IMU), which we were told took feeds from six axis of input to master the bike’s three-stage traction control system. Then there was the new Cornering ABS technology, along with a taller screen, wider fairings (28mm each side), a sportier and more aerodynamic nose cowl and the introduction of fresh LED headlights. Add to that bundle new clock features (such as gear selection), comfier seating for the rider and pillion, and tweaks to the suspension and you’ll get a fuller picture of how different the new bike actually is to the model it replaces. Oh, and it’s also now Euro 4 compliant, with the best news being some clever green-coated Kawasaki…

Yet again, the last 12 months has offered a blistering array of new bikes for our collective indulgence. We thought the year would be doom-laden, what with the curse of Euro4 legislation inflicting us all with reduced power levels, nanny-state ABS and a curbing of modification ability, but it really was business as usual with manufacturers pumping out ever more elaborate, enthusiastic and ebullient machines in their quest to usurp their rivals. We’re rounding up the top 20 bikes of the year here, 2016’s finest. It’s not been an easy task, and the office disciplinary warnings are testament to the depth of feeling we have over the ranking, but here is our run down of the best new bikes of the year – feel free to disagree! 20…

No-one likes being the new kid at school – especially when you have a few ‘issues’. Debuting the ZX-10R at the power-mad playground of the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, Kawasaki diligently got the school run route spot on and the uniform certainly looked great, two parental wins, but we learned within a few corners that the Ninja in this form might struggle if it got into a fight with one of the other kids in the class. So while the ZX-10R struggled to pull itself out of the uphill fourth turn on track (a second gear corner all day long, but down to first on the Ten) the blame for this lethargy lay 6,000 miles away. You may have noticed that the European Union has copped a lot of flack…

There’s absolutely no doubt that it’s been a brilliant year for Yamaha’s MT-10. We’re crowning it our favourite new bike of 2016 against some stiff opposition, but it’s won by some margin – and has sold out across the globe. And none of that mentions just how much of a cracking bike it is to ride, which is purely the biggest part of why it’s been so successful. We’re not surprised to learn that even a brief test ride has seen wallets spring open in dealers, eagerly disgorging their contents on the bike and a few choice additions. In fact, spending the extra on those official accessories was also made far easier by getting the price point exactly right, and in the UK this meant parting with £9,999 for one…

THE CALIFORNIA SUPERBIKE SCHOOL Founded by the legendary Keith Code in 1980, the California Superbike School offers a step-by-step method of technique oriented rider training in the art of cornering motorcycles. Over the past 30 years hundreds of thousands of students have improved their riding skills and cornering capabilities at CSS and their team of professional coaches are dedicated to your improvement. The first task for any rider to accomplish when entering a corner is to determine its shape. Is it a wide-open sweeper? A hairpin? Or is it one of the countless variations we see between these two extremes? This is a priority because once in the corner the bike is following an arc. The path of that arc is usually different than the curvature of the corner itself;…

UK trackdays are under serious threat. Some circuits are now limited to 102dB and even 98dB on some days. Brands GP, one of the best circuits in the country, is 101dB. Sacrilege! Standard bikes that would normally have gone through noise tests a year ago are no longer passing the same test. The current crop of bikes is the worst in many ways, even with Euro4 compliancy. We seem to be modifying a lot of R1s by fitting longer cans, and the same with ZX-10Rs. The can has to be at least 340mm long to be able to absorb the noise and we’re seeing even the stock stubby cans are failing across the country. After nearly a decade of fashionable shorties, manufacturers seem to be going back to full-length cans,…

A BIT ON THE SIDE... Interesting read about the F1 sidecars the other month. I thought I’d write in and tell you that this is what happened when I got on an F2 last weekend at Cadwell. I’ve done classic front exit sidecar racing before, but not rear exit. And we were a bit rushed to get out in to the race, so I never got a briefing. I tried to work it like a classic; head out on the lefts, swap hands over to the right. Oops. We had ‘the chat’ over lunch and the next race went fine, until we blew a water hose. But I’d had the chance to watch the others and realised it’s ARSE OUT HEAD IN! Duh! I can’t wait to do it again.…

GREAT LAUNCH ROADS: DOLOMITES, ITALY Yamaha’s choice of venue for the Tracer 700 was perfect, given the bike’s purview, even if the altitude did rob the wee machine of a bit of grunt when touching the clouds. Starting off at the hotel in Vigo di Fassa on the SS48, it was an almost immediate climb into the Dolomites, hairpin after hairpin, after turning off on the SS242 towards Plan De Gralba. The 42 then became the SS243, SS244 and then a turn off on the SP37 for an espresso on the mountain top at Costadedoi. Stay on that road which turns into the SP24, and then SR48, towards Cortina d’ Ampezzo, but hang a right on the SP638 before reaching there. Many wonderful curves await as you traverse that stretch,…

1 Factory help, helps… It’s true that the more help you can receive from the factory your bike comes from, specifically the race department, the more you’re going to have ahead start on the opposition. Shane Byrne’s Ducati Panigale R is one such beast, although it needed a bit of fine tuning to match it to UK tracks – and Shane’s early results kind of demonstrated this. The word was that they were last year’s WSB bikes but this, according to those in the factory WSB team, is paddock cobblers. The bike has no frame, and the suspension units used by Shakey and the WSB lot are different. The engine architecture is very different and, of course, WSB doesn’t have things like traction-control – although it does have strategies for…

After becoming the ninth different GP winner in 2016, many think Andrea Dovizioso has done his job well. And on one hand, we admit he has. He’s been solid, played his part in developing the latest machines and hasn’t rocked the boat, despite him having a seemingly lairy team-mate steal his thunder. It’s clearly his demeanour that’s saved his ride, rather than results. While Andrea Iannone flung himself into a myriad of gravel traps and racers, including Dovi in Argentina, he kept his cool and did his job. This gave Ducati an impetus to re-sign him, especially after hiring Jorge Lorenzo. The last thing Borgo Panigale needs is for someone to make garage life difficult for the big money man in 2017. Yet, now is exactly the right time for…

Having unveiled the tricked up SP and SP2 models at the Intermot show in October, November’s Eicma jamboree saw Honda get round to pulling the sheet off the ‘standard’ Fireblade upon which the specials are based. Given the unveiling of the SP machines, we knew the basic principles and engineering architecture of the bike beforehand, but the specifics were scant as to what the base model would wear. The key figures of a15kg weight loss and 11bhp power boost are kept by the base bike, as is the claim by Honda that 90 per cent of the Fireblade’s parts are new. Electronics also factor in the new bike, with the new RC213V-S derived ride-by-wire system offering nine levels of traction control (called Honda Selectable Torque Control with anti-wheelie) and a…

After years of development, five race bikes and the odd 131mph TT lap, Norton has finally pulled the covers off its drop-dead gorgeous V4 superbike. Created, crafted and assembled at its factory in Donington Hall, the new V4 comes in two variations; the £44,000 V4 SS, which has already sold out of its exclusive run of 200 models, and the £28,000 V4 RR which will be released for sale in 2017. But, alluring looks aside, what makes these things so special? Well, perhaps the most exciting part is the 1,200cc V4 power plant hidden underneath that shiny chassis, which is identical on both the SS and RR. The engine has been meticulously designed to be as small as possible, meaning that the 72-degree V-angle of the engine has allowed the…

Launches, tests and shenanigans galore was the story of 2016. We thought it would be a shocking season, what with Euro4 throwing its oar in, but as it turned out the year morphed into something seriously special. From the January launch of the Kawasaki ZX-10R in Sepang, getting us out of the cold of winter, to the Tracer 700 launch in the summer, to compiling our New Bike of the Year tests, we’ve had nothing but a blast, riding bikes as hard as we dare, abusing hospitality as much as we can and getting away with it for yet another year. This is our album of the year, a little look behind the scenes of Fast Bikes. It may not be pretty, but this is the life we lead… ROOTSY:…

MODEL UPDATE The GSX-R750 and GSX-R600 were updated in 2006 to the ‘stubby’ exhaust model with its under engine exhaust system and small low slung pipe. This model has a completely new engine that features a slipper clutch as standard, as well as more performance. The chassis is also new and has suspension with high and low speed damping as well as uprated brakes. FINISH The level of finish always lets a GSX-R down and the 750 is no exception. Owners report that the paint on the tank is prone to scratches and that the fasteners are extremely poor quality and often round or seize in place. If the bike appears well looked after, it probably has been – as dogs are very hard to return to a showroom shine.…

JHS RACING OWNER/BIG CHEESE James Holland runs JHS Racing in Keynsham, and he is our go to guy whenever we need a bike looking at. JHS Racing was set up in the mid 1990s and has since expanded as its reputation has grown. The workshop deals with everything, from scooters to superbikes. Having built and worked on race Suzuki SVs and Triumph 675s James has a wealth of knowledge with these bikes, but elsewhere James’ knowledge is as extensive as it gets. So from tyre fitting to MOTs, from dyno work to suspension, James really does do it all. And here he is, passing on his years in the business to Fast Bikes readers! It’s all about thermodynamics. The idea of a silicone hose is that you replace the standard…

1 The new format works Well, sort of. It’s certainly interesting from a TV point of view and fantastic to have a full-on WSB race to watch on a Saturday. In fact, that Saturday is quite busy, with qualifying for both WSB and supersport before the superbikes kick off in anger. However, it still feels as though it needs something else, perhaps a second supersport race on the Saturday as well as Sunday’s outing? And for Sunday itself, it’s something we’re still getting used to as the day is over and done with all too quickly quickly in terms of broadcasting. At the track, the rest of the day is filled with local support races at every race, so there’s always plenty to see. 2 But not always for the…

The 2017 WSB season kicked off proceedings with a test around Aragon’s Spanish curves. The test was most notable for the new (and not so new) inclusions to the series. Marco Melandri made his official return to the Superbike fold on the Aruba Ducati, alongside his old BMW team-mate Chaz Davies. Marco was solid from the off, posting reliably fast times, which suggests he’ll only get quicker, and that Chaz may have a harder time of keeping his garage buddy at bay next season. So long as Marco can keep his head straight, of course… Michael van der Mark made his heartily awaited debut on Yamaha’s R1, and sealed his first test with a little off. He and the team were encouraged by his early performance though and, like Chaz…

This year ended where it’d started; stood on the podium at Donington and feeling the love for this sport. But it’s not all been plain sailing. I’m not sure what’s possessed me, but if you’ve followed my column you’ll know I’ve had more crashes than a 30-year-old computer this season. What a crazy time it’s been, but I guess that’s what this racing lark’s all about. Yeah, there have been some pretty dark times along the way, feeling battered, bruised and bankrupt, but the people around me have carried me through those tough times and kept me believing in myself. They know who they are, and they know how grateful I am for the commitment they’ve shown. To anyone who’s just starting out in racing, believe me when I say…

I’ve just got back to Andorra after visiting the Eicma show for Ducati’s big 2017 presentation. Iwasn’t due to go originally, but I’m glad I did as the new Superleggera is properly trick and well worth the trip alone. Ducati is setting a trend, as Inoticed others also released special bikes, as did Honda last year, but you have to go some to beat the new 1299 Superleggera. I may work for Ducati but I was blown away by it! They told me most were already sold before the launch, yet I wouldn’t be surprised to find they’ve now all been snapped up – not bad for £72K! They’re also doing a special trackday for owners of it, but I struggle to imagine five hundred people ripping around a track…