Innehållsförteckning för June 2020 från Fast Bikes

FB: Firstly, with everything going on in the world, how are you getting on, what are you doing from day to day and how's it affecting your mental state and training, not knowing when you'll be racing? TM: After all our testing, the plan was to stay at home until the press day at Silverstone anyway, so it hasn't affected me too much just yet, but the press day should have actually been today, which obviously hasn't happened, so that feels a bit bizarre. Myself and the team have all gone through winter trying to improve things and to be ready for the start of the season, so for us not to be at Silverstone is a massive shame, and it looks like it's going to be the same for…

Kawasaki's supersport contender has lived something of a rollercoaster life. Flipflopping from being 599cc to 636cc as the generations evolve, the only real constant factor in the mini-Ninja's existence has been Kawasaki's continual targeting at track success - often at the expense of its road manners. A point in case is the 2005 Ninja which, if you like your supersports bikes to be a touch on the wild side, will certainly appeal. However, if you desire a more chilled-out option it's probably best avoided. Taking over from the 2003 /04 BlH generation, which was the first of the new breed of stylish and modern ZX-6R models, the 2005/06 bike marked a thorough re-design. Boasting not only a completely overhauled 636cc engine, this generation also gained a new chassis with its…

A catalytic converter, or 'cat', is that big ugly thing in the middle of your exhaust pipe, and it's there to clean up your bike's emissions. It does this by breaking down toxins such as hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide using precious metals like platinum, palladium and rhodium to 'catalyse' (speed up) a chemical reaction - turning as much of the harmful gas into water vapour and carbon dioxide as possible. They are great for emissions, but not great for power figures, as the precious metals are coated in a dense honeycomb inside the cat, which the exhaust gasses have to be pushed through. You don't have to run a cat on your bike, but without one, there is every chance that your bike might fail the emissions test,…

FB: What does a dyno run tell us? B&W: The three main things that a dyno can tell us are brake horsepower, torque and air/fuel ratio. Put simply, a dyno is just another tool, like any other in the workshop - it is just bigger and more expensive than most. FB: How can you use the information from a dY.no to improve your bike? B&W: By making a change to the bike, and running the test again, you can see whether or not the change has been of any benefit. Tf you decided to change your exhaust, not only would a dyno run tell you whether or not your bike is making more power, but it would also tell you what the air/fuel ratio was like - and an experienced…

Q My son, who has not long passed his A2 licence, was pulled over for speeding at 38mph in a 30mph zone. The police officer also wrote him up for a bald rear tyre, and yes, it was bald. The police officer also gave him a vehicle rectification notice for two small faults: a defective number plate light and no reflector. My son, who needs his bike for work (he works as a nightshift warehouse operative), is terrified that he might lose his licence because he has held it for less than 12 months. He was offered a driver awareness course for the speeding, but he is struggling to afford it, as he has had to replace his tyre and has had to pay £7 s for the defects to…

Twas on the way down to Cartagena in Spain for some pre-season testing with Steady and Fred when T wrote my last column and it went really well. Tt's the first time T've been over to Spain to test since 2015, and we took the GSX-RlO00 we built for testing. Tt was really chilled out the whole time we were over there and it was so good to ride a bike in a stress-free, pressure-free environment. We had three days of riding, T went faster every day and by the end of it felt completely at one with the Suzuki. T got another day on my actual race bike at Mallory Park with the Hawk Racing lads that T'll be with when we finally get to go racing, so that…

In Light of the current situation around the globe, we thought we'd do something different for this month. So here's couple of uplifting news stories from the two-wheeled world... MV AGOSTA DONATES PCR MACHINE FOR IIUICK COVID-19 TESTING TD VARESE HOSPITALS Now we've all seen the news about Formula One teams and such sending out bits or helping to develop vital kit, but bike manufacturers have also joined the fray, with MV Agusta stepping up to help in Ttaly. The company, who've stopped production of actual bikes at the moment, donated a sophisticated testing piece of machinery, called the QuantStudio TM 5 Real-Time PCR System, which they say is able to process up to 96 swabs in just 30 minutes. The system can also be used remotely and has been…

Twas like a dog with two erm ... bones, when my name got put down to go on the launch of the new Ducati Streetfighter V4S. It was going to be in Spain and T simply couldn't wait. But after months of waiting excitedly, we were given the inevitable news that, thanks to the current global coronavirus crisis, the launch wouldn't take place. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but it was, of course, totally understandable and necessary. Tn our anticipation of things going south, though, we pulled a bit of a blinder as far as the Ductati's new naked weapon goes - a few weeks before the country went into complete lockdown, we managed to get our hands on one to take for a spin on the UK…

N ere at Fast Bikes magazine, we've got a lot of love for a good Trumpet. Tt's not just because their HQ is based just down the road in Hinckley though, oh no, but because they make some incredibly saucy machinery. Tf you skim over their monumentally large range of hipster-spec cafe racers and chunky looking adventure wagons they've got some serious kit, from the monstrous Rocket 3, to their limited edition Daytona 765. But then again, smack bang in the middle of the range are two of the best bikes in the biz: there's the 1050cc powered Speed Triple range and the middleweight 765cc Street Triple series, which have both been seriously competitive when it comes to taking on their respective rivals in each naked class. Tn fact, both…

2005 YAMAHA YZF-R6 Private: £2,999 Dealer: £3.499 The last generation of the 'old-style' R6s only lasted for a single year and is bit of a classic. You get inverted forks, radial brakes and a surprisingly strong motor. Engine: 599cc, I/c, 16v, inline four Power: 105.9bhp@ 13,000rpm Torque: 61Nm@12,500rpm 2005 SUZUKI GSX-R600 Updated in 2005, the KS/6 GSX-R600 has a 'big bike' feel about it with a balanced chassis and excellent fuelling. It is, however, slightly lacking in power. Engine: 599cc, 1/c, 16v, inline four Power: 105bhp@ 13,250rpm Torque: 63Nm @ 11,2oorpm 2005 HONDA CBR600RR Private: £3,200 Dealer: £3,600 The first update of the RR saw it gain radial brakes and inverted forks as well as a bit more mid-range. Still rev-happy, still brilliant on the track, still gutless…

FB: What are tyre pressures, and why are they important? Michelin: Essentially, in a pneumatic tyre the air pressure carries the load, so you, your bike and any luggage or pillions. The load and the force applied through the tyre in conjunction with the tyre pressure define how much the tyre will deflect, and the deflection is the amount the tyre flattens out in contact with the ground when you're on the bike. Tf you increase the load or decrease the tyre pressure the contact patch size will increase, but while a contact patch should be nice and large to offer maximum tread rubber contact with the road surface, it's critical that the pressure across it is as even as possible to give the best grip and even wear. So,…

Ben Arnold KTM 390 Duke Mate and I went for a Sunday play on the KTM Dukes. we left in glorious sunshine. Cracking blast along the coast road from west Bay, along down into Weymouth. When ... 30 seconds after this photo the heavens opened and we go p*** wet. Most miserable journey home this season, but a story most will be able to relate to. Paul Burningham Yamaha MT-10 Last day's rideout before lockdown. I had to spend on a set of Gillies rearsets as my OEM's were held up at the powder coaters due to coronavirus. A spirited ride and lunch at Krazy Horse whilst practising social distancing. Ryan Blackburn Husqvarna FS450 supermotoland in Spain learning to back it in, not quite as spectacular as Boothy! Husqvarna FS450.…

DAINESE AXIAL 01 BOOTS TESTED BY: Frodo MILES: 7,000+ TIME: 1 year RRP: £429.95 WEB: www.dainese.co.uk Dainese boots, now they're a bit special, aren't they? I mean, they're the only proper boot on the market (I've found so far) that actually go inside the leathers rather than the outside. This means that they're a bit like Marmite as some people love 'em and some people loathe 'em, but if you can get your head around it, they're a good boot. From the get go I was incredibly impressed; thanks to a long zip and easy Velcro system, they're incredibly easy to get on, and due to the fact that they sit tight around the leg, it's a doddle to wear riding jeans over the top, without being too bolshie. They…

If there's an excuse to get dirty, I'm all over it, any day of the week; especially if it involves twins. Unfortunately, getting dirty with my favourite type of twins wasn't on the cards this time (it never actually is), but blasting round a forest on an all-new adventure motorbike definitely comes in at a close second. So when the chance to have a go on the new Africa Twin, down at the Honda Adventure Centre in Somerset, came along T grabbed it with both hands! And when T say the 'new' Africa Twin, T really do mean new. Pretty much everything about the CRFll00L is either brand new or heavily updated. The new '1100' engine is actually only 1,084cc, but that's still 86cc more than the 998cc CRFlO00L that…

There aren't many things better than the feeling you get when you've just bought a new bike. You might have spent years saving up for it, months trying to decide what to go for, and the last half-a-dozen Saturday mornings trawling round the dealers, taking various models out for test rides. But you've finally done it; you've bitten the bullet and spent your hard-earned cash on two wheels and an engine. So what now? Well, normal procedure, once you've spent thousands of pounds on some tasty metal, is to enjoy a day or two in the saddle, before once again saving up; this time for your new bike's first mod. And in more cases than not, that first performance-enhancing bolt on is an aftermarket exhaust - and we can think…

ACE! Thanks so much for the ace hoodie and printing my letter (April issue). As you can see, zara is managing without the pram and couldn't wait to check out the letter and pie. The shiny front being very dribble-resistant too, so I am glad you're catering for all ages! Stay healthy guys Best wishes. Robin and Zara FB: we're glad she's learning early! ISOLATION Hi, Fast Bikes, just a few photos of myself and my mate Dermot getting out for a blast on the bikes. Photos were take at Ennischrone, Co. Sligo and Loch Cullen, Co. Mayo. Dermot is on the R1 and I'm on the Mt. Great mag, keep up the good work. Garry Keaveney FB: That looks ace, and glad you managed to get some miles in…

Firstly, T hope all you readers are okay during all of this, and T really don't want to talk about it, but what else is there? This frikking virus has literally gone and turned the entire world upside down. Now please, for the purpose of this column, let's omit the fact that this can have serious health implications because the last thing T want to do is 'sweat the small stuff' when there are clearly some massive issues occurring. But hopefully T can give you an insight into a racer's mind, so gimme some slack on this one please, peeps. This month has been a real strange one - when T was heading home from my big trip away there were a few rumblings of this thing starting to have…