Innehållsförteckning för February 2020 från Fast Bikes

It only seems a year since the last one. It’s crazy how fast time flies when you’re having fun and for us at Fast Bikes 2019 was a corker. As for 2020, we’re dead-set on making it even better… and we hope you enjoy the ride with us. It’s at this point that I should say a huge thank you for your continued support of the magazine, and for keeping Carl, Boothy and I in employment (no one else will have us). It’s never out of mind that we make this mag for you guys, so please keep up the brilliant stream of suggestions for the kind of features you want to see in your magazine. As for what lies ahead, we’ve got some really exciting new models on the…

SPADA CURVE EVO RACE SUIT TESTED BY: Boothy MILES: 5,000 TIME: 1 year RRP: £499.99 WEB: www.spadaclothing.co.uk The sky’s the limit when it comes to one-piece race suits. You can (and people do) pay thousands and thousands for the latest airbag tech, in the lightest, trendiest kangaroo suit. But you don’t have to. This, the Curve Evo one-piece suit from Spada, is probably what you would call an entry-level race suit. You can pick one up off the shelf for £499.99 in a choice of four different colours. It’s got all the stuff you would expect to find on a top-of-the-range suit a few years ago (ok, quite a few years ago), like a speed hump, back protector, perforated panels, and double or triple stitching where you need it –…

ENGINE Type: 948cc, liquid-cooled, in-line-four Bore x Stroke: 73.4 x 56mm Compression: 11.8:1 Fuelling: EFI Claimed power: 123bhp @ 9,500rpm Claimed torque: 98.6Nm @ 7,700rpm ELECTRONICS RBW/Riding Modes: Yes Traction Control: Yes ABS: Yes Quickshifter: No Wheelie Control: Yes Launch Control: No Autoblipper: No CHASSIS Frame: Tubular, diamond Front suspension: Adjustable USD forks Rear suspension: Adjustable monoshock Front brakes: Four-pot calipers, 266mm discs Rear brakes: Single piston caliper, 216mm disc DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 1,455mm Seat height: 820mm Wet weight: 212kg Fuel capacity: 17 litres INFO Price: £8,899 From: www.kawasaki.co.uk…

It’s hard to imagine that the Firestorm has ever been a striking bike, even when its very first iteration was released way back in 1997. If you ask me, it looks a little bit bland. Actually, very bland. But it’s not ugly, and in fairness to the Firestorm, its blandness and lack of aggression gives it a rather approachable demeanour. If you didn’t know it had a litre engine, I reckon even the newest of motorcyclists would be quite happy to throw a leg over it. And when you do throw a leg over it, as expected there’s plenty of space, and bags of comfort. Once upon a time I had an old CBR600F, of a similar era to the VTR, and I couldn’t help but be reminded of my…

Ever heard of Variable Valve Timing? Well, Variable Valve Actuation is just Yamaha’s take on the set up. What it means is that the valve position is optimised in relation to the rpm, giving better operating characteristics throughout the whole rev range. Essentially, there are two different sets of intake times with a low lift cam working up until 7,400rpm, which is where an additional rocking arm and rod pushes a pin, moving a different rocking arm, meaning the high-lift cams take over. Smart and pretty simple!…

1979 The first ever Katana prototype was born, and shown to the world in Germany. Everyone goes wild for it, so Suzuki decide to put it into production. 1980 The production model of the GSX1100SZ is finally revealed, and goes on sale. 1981 Suzuki release the GSX400F, which had influences from the Katana, alongside a full-fat homologationspecial GSX1000S. 1983 The GSX1100S is released with revised wheels, different colours and a few other bits. 1985 The GSX-R750F is released, and the Katana is dropped from the range in Europe. 2001 The last 1100 Katana is built. 2019 The Katana is reincarnated……

When an email landed in my inbox from Moto Guzzi HQ asking me if I could spare a weekend to fly over to Italy’s Adriatic coast to race a fully prepared Moto Guzzi V7 III in the ‘Trofeo Moto Guzzi Fast Endurance Championship’, I quickly replied with a ‘yes’ and booked some flights, before they had chance to realise that they must have had me confused with someone else; someone who’s actually ridden a Guzzi before, perhaps. Once I’d nailed my knob to the proverbial mast and accepted the invite of a lifetime, I thought I had better read the small print in Simon-from-Moto-Guzzi’s email (Uccio to his friends). We were to be competing on a race-prepped V7 III, in an hour-long endurance race. I’d be competing in a two-man…

Engine: If you’re not one for doing much maintenance, then now is the best time to change your oil and filter, making sure everything is shipshape for the upcoming year. It’s worth remembering though, that it’s not all just about the engine oil, as you’ll want to top up and make sure all your other fluids are ready for action: think brake fluid, fork oil, coolant, transmission oil, hydraulic clutch fluid, etcetera – the list goes on, and it obviously depends on what kind of machine you have. If you can get in a bit deeper, it’s a good time to check your spark plugs as well, but this can be a real pain in the bum on some modern machines. Hopefully you’d have laced your machine in some sort…

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, deal 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…

Around this time last year, after the announcement of Alvaro Bautista (among others) joining World SBK for 2019, myself and a fair few others got a bit excited… a new challenger to spice up the series. We all know the story. It started with absolute dominance, winning 11 out of the first 11, and looking to be a change of the guard. But the year turned on its head at the mid-point and the rest is history. So, I’m going to try and give some pointers of what not to miss in 2020, but we can’t forget the riders who are looking to make it an exciting season. For his second year in the championship, Bautista moves to the brand new HRC effort. Partnered by Leon Haslam and reported to…

You might have read about some of our escapades over in Thailand after the Macau GP in my column last month. Well, that trip finished up a lot less exciting than it began. I decided to get some dental work done whilst I was over there as I’ve had a problem with one of my teeth since the TT, and it’s dirt cheap over there compared to the UK. Anyway, I thought it would be a quick in and out jobby, but as it turned out I needed a root canal doing so I spent four hours with my gob wide open whilst a little old lady was drilling and hacksawing my tooth – anyone who’s ever had one done will know what it’s like, it was a horrific experience.…

NITRON HONDA SHOCK ABSORBERS If you’ve got yourself a Honda sitting in the garage, or just about anything really, NITRON offer a load of different shocks to fit your machine. All of the NITRON shocks are monotube shim type with a high pressure gas charge, combined with their large piston area and all-aluminium alloy CNC machined (and rebuild-able) construction, which gives an ultra-low friction damper (this basically dissipates heat incredibly effectively). It might sound like a mouthful, but it essentially means you can get a great fade resistance, whether you’re using the kit on the road, for trackdays, or even racing. RRP(from)£462 www.bikehps.com KAWASAKI NINJA 400 RACE FAIRINGS SET Have you got yourself, or your little nipper a Ninja 400? No? Well it’s a great, affordable way to go racing,…

How hard was it to make the Z900 Euro5 ready? It was a challenge to meet stricter emission requirements while delivering good engine performance. A redesign of the catalyst (increase of emission abatement performance) was necessary. We also optimised the layout of the exhaust system and catalyst in order to use the catalyst in the most efficient way. Why did you decide to add traction control and rider modes to the bike? The concept of this product is based on ‘Eye-catching styling’, plus ‘Exciting and Easy Riding’. KTRC and Rider modes are added to realise the ‘Easy’ concept. The team decided to introduce these features in addition to an already good package to aim for higher satisfaction for riders of a wide range of riding skills and under various road…

Growing up, a few of my mates had VTRs. They were always on the back wheel, planting the notion in my (t hen) young mind that Honda's renegade wiwin was something of a headcase. Arguably, back then, with 99bhp and more torque (89Nm) than most, that's exactly what it was... But on this test I didn't find the VTR either flay or stormy; It was quite mellow, relaxed and easy to ride. Within a few feet of my joyride, the bad boy image was long gone, replaced with the notion that I was riding an archetypical Honda that seemed to tick the boxes with zero risk to the raising of my heart rate. Ok, I'm probably been a tad harsh, but If anarchy and wheelies are all that concern you,…

If the RSV Mille was anything to go off, I had a feeling I’d really like this bike. Every ounce of its make-up screamed performance and when I learned the motor pumped out a claimed 101Nm, I couldn’t wait to sample the goods. Needless to say, the engine didn’t disappoint, casually tugging my arms out of their sockets as I cracked open the fuel-injected V-twin. It was a monster, and a beautiful one at that, littered with loads of carbon styling and enough fancy trick bits to draw my eyes to every corner of its make-up. It was big, pokey and race-track firm, meaning it felt a bit of a pig on the bumpier roads, but when the surface conditions suited, the bike’s cornering abilities were simply awesome. It held…

Honda VTR1000R Firestorm ENGINE Type: 996cc liquid-cooled, 8v, V-twin Bore x stroke: 98mm x 66mm Compression: 9.4:1 Fuelling: 48mm Keihin carbs Tested Power: 99bhp @ 8,500rpm Tested Torque: 89Nm @ 6,500rpm ELECTRONICS RBW/Riding Modes: No Traction Control: No ABS: No Quickshifter: No Wheelie Control: No Launch Control: No Autoblipper: No CHASSIS Frame: Aluminium Beam Front suspension: 41mm adjustable conventional forks Rear suspension: Adjustable gas monoshock Front brakes: 2 x 296mm discs, 6-piston calipers Rear brakes: 220mm disc, 1-piston Brembo caliper DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 1,430mm Seat height: 810mm Wet weight: 192kg Fuel capacity: 15.8 litres INFO Price: £ 2,000 From: the internet 2003 Aprilia Tuono 1000R Racing ENGINE Type: 998cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC, V twin Bore x stroke: 97 x 67.5mm Compression: 11.4:1 Fuelling: Electronic fuel injection Tested Power: 126bhp @ 9,500rpm Tested…

It might still be cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey, but this is no time for wittering or complacency; it’s time to get plotting. With every New Year comes new opportunity and we’re hoping you’ve got plenty of ‘must do’ rides and activities littering the 2020 diary Aunt Ethel got you for Christmas. But just in case you need a bit of a helping hand in the imagination department, we’ve banged our heads together to shine a light on some of our favourite tracks, roads and experiences that you should add to this year’s bucket list… MUST RIDE ROAD… Frodo: Snake Pass (and surrounding areas) Speed cameras, they ruin everything, eh? Well thankfully, there’s a few routes that are still unspoilt. The Snake Pass is a…

Honda do love getting a bit adventurous sometimes, which is seriously evident when we look back at their Glemseck offerings. An annual sprint race and show, Glemseck sees a load of modded bikes show up from all over the world, which included this peach, built by Honda Europe. It’s got a fair amount of factory spec bits on it, including a WSB-style aluminium rear sub frame, carbon fibre fairings, a longer swingarm, aluminium endurance-spec fuel tank, a shoter final drive, bespoke crank cases and a full titanium Akrapovic exhaust system… a bit like a cocktail of craziness, aye? And at the event, it was ridden by none other than GP legend Freddie Spencer, who said he loved it. Now that’s not a bad pedigree, is it… SPECIFICATIONS HONDA CBR1000RR FIREBLADE…

Suzuki GSXR1000R Saturday morning blast on the Burnham bends in Essex. Paul Bernard Ducati Panigale V4 Pic of my V4 on a cold autumn ride. I like the irony... over-powered uneconomical toy pictured next to a wind turbine blade. Shaun Layton Suzuki GSXS1000F In September, three of us rode the D902 Route des Grandes Alpes in France. We bagged all the high passes, including this one, the Col de l’Iseran. Mine’s the GSX-S in the middle. David Harrold Aprilia RSV4 Riding about on Sunday down to the sea through some twisties – Bradwell in Essex. Dry, sunnyish winter day, starting to get cold, but don’t feel it on this thing. Had it for a year now. It’s been a mega time, growing with confidence every time I take it out.…

Had a heart attack and after the operation the other half gave me something to make me smile about... this month’s Fast Bikes mag. Tommy Buchan FB: Glad we made you smile, and hope you’re on the mend! Maybe a little prize will help… You can win a pair of Weise Outlast Sirius gloves for simply writing the Fast Bikes Star Letter. Win a pair of Weise OUTLAST® Sirius gloves worth £74.99. Leather and textile outer with a waterproof liner. and featuring a temperature regulating thermal lining. Find out more at www.thekeycollection. co.uk…

It finally arrived; the dreaded email from Yamaha UK asking me to return the MT-10 SP to them. If I had enough pennies in my bank account to make them a sensible offer, I would have absolutely done so. I think it might just be the best road bike I’ve ever ridden, and I’ve fallen a little bit in love with it. I’ve done 4,651 miles on it this year and even during the cold, wet, slimy, winter months, riding it had been a pleasure. Ok, the odometer has slowed quite considerably down over the past few months, but it didn’t stop completely. So why do I think the SP is the best road bike I’ve ever ridden? Well, for road riding it ticks nearly every box (especially once I’d…

It feels like only yesterday I was trying to make my predictions for 2019, and yet here we are, a year later, on the doorstep of the 2020 season taking off. And you know what? Rather than boring you with some dodgy predictions, or getting all nostalgic in the racing of yesteryear, I thought I’d put together a handy little guide of what not to miss this year. I mean, we’re lucky to have what has to be the best domestic championship series in the world on our doorstep, so we should all make good use of it… ■ VISIT A TEST I remember Scott Redding and Xavi Forés being taken back at the first test. In their respective times in MotoGP and World Superbike, neither had experienced the vibe…

I'm still not sure it's sunk in yet that in 2020 I'll be on board the bike and with the team that went 1-2 in BSB. It still all feels a bit of a dream to be honest. Even just before I sat down to start writing this for you guys, I was packing my bags ready for my first leg throw over the Panigale and it all just feels a bit surreal. In BSB we have a testing ban imposed from the beginning of Jan to the end of Feb, so PBM have packed up the bike and we are off to Cartagena for a couple of days of what I would say are familiarisation laps. There are loads of new parts coming for the bike in the New…

So, how was everyone’s Christmas? I don’t know about you lot, but mine was bloody awesome, even if I was on Santa’s naughty list. Mind you, now it’s all over, I’ve been incredibly busy sorting out everything for this year – and it’s looking to be a corker. For starters, I’m back working with Avon, and they’ve got some pretty trick stuff going on for 2020 – especially for you lot, as they’re developing some track-focused stuff, which looks decent. Oh, and by the time you’re reading this I’ll be gearing up to head back out to South Africa for the South African TT festival… I can’t wait, but it’s going to be busy. Mind you, not as busy as that Valentino Rossi fella, aye? I mean, how cool was…

Unlike the Tuono, Honda’s Firestorm wasn’t born out of a desire to succeed on track, and aside from Japanese tuning house Moriwaki releasing a few hop-up parts, it lived its life as a commuter rather than a racer. And there is nothing wrong about that. Launched in 1997, the FireStorm was Japan’s take on a Ducati, but done on a budget and with far better reliability and the daily rider market in mind. It is probably no coincidence that the ’Storm’s motor has a 996cc capacity and exactly the same 98 x 66mm bore and stroke as the Italian firm’s 996 superbike because this was a proven package. However, where the Bologna bullet had its own set of technological idiosyncrasies such as a cam belt and desmo head, Honda also…

The urban myth is that an Aprilia test rider crashed an RSV on the way home and out of the resulting wreckage the naked Tuono was born. However, while this may have been the spark of inspiration, it isn’t actually the full story… In 1999 Aprilia launched the Falco, a semi-faired do-it-all that was powered by a re-tuned RSV lump housed in a more basic chassis. While not exactly rip-roaring, the Falco was popular and in 2002 after a prototype called the Tuono Fighter did the rounds of the European bike shows in late 2001, Aprilia released an aftermarket body kit to create the Falco Fighter. Consisting of high bars and a top yoke clamp, nose fairing, radiator intakes, hugger and belly pan (which were all painted a tacky silver),…

If we had the exact answer to this common predicament, we’d open a bike shop and get rich off it. In truth, there’s no hard and fast rule for finding a bargain. Quite often low prices and rare finds are often down to individual circumstances, like people needing to free up space or cash. The trick is to keep your finger on the pulse when looking for a bike. Nowadays, motorcycle sales are mostly hosted online and one good piece of advice is to enter the word ‘project’ before the model that you’re searching for. You’d be amazed at how many of us kick off a build and only get so far before circumstance gets in the way. You might find a bike that’s complete, but in bits, for a…

YOUR FIRST TIME RACING? If it’s your first time racing, then we know there’s a lot going through your head – without even chatting about the intricacies of tyres, tech, compounds and so on. This is why at No Limits Racing, we’re on site at your disposal to make the process as smooth as possible… but what should you keep in mind when turning up for your first race? What are you looking for? This can be a big one, but we will walk you through it easy enough! It’s your first weekend, so make sure to have a word with your tyre professional, maybe on the phone beforehand, or approach them at the event before you head out on track. At NLR, we offer racers a discount on tyres…

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…

FB: Lorenzo to retire at the end of this year... what are your thoughts? Good choice or bad move? Ben Wiskin: Take a year out, then replace Petrux in 2021. I can dream. Chris Codling: Just watched the Press conference. He seemed relieved. No point bumbling around at the back, he’s better than that.To many injuries and he’s lost his Mo Jo. Right decision for me he will be missed. Scott Chisholm: Not my favourite, but a fighter through injury and great champion. Wish him good health in the future. David Renz: Amazing rider in all three classes, but when the buzz has gone, it’s gone. Hope he has a great retirement. Barry Jarvis: Good decision. He has said he can’t push at 100% due to fear of breaking his…

After last month’s bombshell that Repsol Honda rider, five-time World Champion and all-round giant of the paddock, Jorge Lorenzo was hanging up his leathers and heading to Bali, a monumentally large power vacuum opened up on the grid. It was swiftly filled by newly crowned Moto2 Champion Alex Marquez, younger brother of Marc. A veritable dream for any marketing man. With that signing, we pretty much thought that the annual game of musical chairs was done for the year. Not quite. There remained one large unresolved question. What next for the mercurial, and at times, fragile Frenchman, Johann Zarco? With all the MotoGP seats looking more or less locked up, it was looking increasingly likely that his next role would be either in Moto2 or in a testing capacity for…