Innehållsförteckning för April 2021 från Fast Bikes

Fairly obviously the Panigale V4 25° Anniversario 916 celebrates the Ducati 916’s 25th anniversary, which unless you have been living under a rock for the last quarter of a century you will know is a pretty special bike to the firm. Launched in 1994, the 916 made its name on the race track and is Ducati’s most successful racer ever, taking 120 WSB race wins, eight constructors’ titles and six riders’ titles (in 916, 996 and 998 guises) before it was replaced by the 999 in 2003. And who was the most successful rider? ‘King’ Carl Fogarty, who took 43 race wins on a916 (to go with his 12 already achieved on a 888) and four WSB titles. So that’s why the Anniversario gets a ‘Foggy eye’ sticker, a big…

DANGEROUS: “I started wearing Alpinestars airbags three years ago. At first I saw the system as a bit of a novelty and wasn’t keen on the bulbous size, or hefty weight of the product being integrated into the chunky back protector. As if my love handles didn‘t already make it hard enough, the zipped-in backprotector/airbag only worsened the process of getting leathers on and off, and I soon lost count of how many times I’ve forced my arm the wrong side of the zip-up waistcoat that holds the frontal airbags in the correct positions. Nowadays, everything needs charging, and the system was no exception, so I just had to get used to plugging it in by its USB charger as and when was needed. I soon learned that an overnight…

WIN A FAST BIKES HOODIE! 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 anda 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!* Send yours to letters@fastbikes.co.uk *Disclaimer: May not actually make you any faster. WINNING RIDE Tom Dewaele A boat?! Commuted to work on the trials bike, chucked it in the workboat in Cornwall. FB: Kudos for this – looks like the best commute we’ve…

BEAUTY OR BRUTALE? MV’s 800 middleweights might share the same engine, but that’s where the similarities between the Super Veloce and Brutale SCS end DIY SUPERBIKE We take in the joys of a properly kitted, homebuilt R1M Superbike. METZELER RACETEC RR COMP K TESTED If you’re looking for long lasting, good gripping rubber, give this test a read. PLUS LOADS MORE: SUZUKI’S DREAM WORKSHOP MILLE PROJECT: PART 5 TRACK SPEC On sale March 30, 2021 Buy it from WHSmith, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and all good newsagents. Failing that, try abad one. Check out the eye-poppingly good digital edition at www.classicmagazines.co.uk…

Well, we’re another month closer to going racing again, and things are still nowhere near normal —the only thing that’s been flat out so far is work on the farm…and to be honest, I’ve actually been enjoying it a lot for the most part. It’s been absolutely Baltic out, but we’ve been doing a load of proper hard, manual graft over the past month or so, mainly chainsawing and clearing fallen trees around the fields, generally just tidying up ready for summer. The cold dark mornings where you can’t be bothered to get out of bed have been putting me in a really good place, both physically and mentally. Usually this time of year is the quietest time for farmers, but it feels the pace hasn’t slowed down this year…

It’s funny, actually. Even though you wouldn’t think it, World Endurance machines are actually some of the rarest and trickest bikes in the world; especially the ones that line up on the grid to compete at the legendary Suzuka 8 Hours race. You see, not only are they as fast as a regular Superbike, but they have to be built to withstand up to 24 hours of abuse at a time on the absolute limit, with just a few fuel stops for breathing – and when you think about it, that’s more riding than a normal race bike would have to endure during a whole season s racing. Madness. But it’s not just that, oh no - they’re absolutely built to perfection by a team who know every nut and…

Who’s the series aimed at? It’s aimed at anyone who wants to come and race in a budget-friendly environment. It was conceived as a championship that would be fun and affordable for riders of all levels and ages. It started back in 2018 and it’s proven a decent formula with more races and rivals at every round we’ve held, and 2021 is set to be our biggest year yet, with six dedicated championship rounds, plus a one-off 24-hour race at Teesside in July. It’s aimed at those who’ve never raced, as much as it is those who’ve raced all their lives, with the hope of bringing people together for a good time on the track, and an equally fun time in the paddock around a barbecue and beers later that…

CARLOS: “Okay, yeah, I’ve had more than one little off, don’t judge me! Well, two actually, just in my Dainese Misano II D-Air suit. Both were fairly low speed lowsides, but even so I remember the airbag popping vividly; it really does hit with a serious amount of ferocity. In fact, I remember thinking about how incredible it was as I went down fairly hard on both occasions, yet both times I got straight back up without even a hint of bruising, and was straight back out on a bike later on. The one annoying thing about the D-Air system is the fact that the suit had to be sent back to Italy to be recharged, but even so, it was worth its weight in gold for protecting my collarbone(s).…

STAR LETTER ESSENTIAL TRAVEL Hello guys, while my ZX-6 and Street Triple RS rest from a summer of trackdays I have got into green laning for some winter fun, with a KTM 250 two-stroke. Boris has banned my winter fun. I guess using it for essential shopping is okay?Tom Middleton FB: Nothing like a bit of outdoor exercise on the way to get your essential shopping, aye? That looks epic though. We had a load of fun with our CRF long-termer in the snow… so snap! WIN Weise You can win a pair of Weise Tundra Denim Jeans for simply writing the Fast Bikes Star Letter. A-rated riding jeans built for day-long comfort, using stretch denim reinforced with an aramid fibre lining and CE approved knee armour. Find out more…

If you’ve been a naughty biker, you need some decent legal advice, get it from mail@whitedalton.co.uk Q Things have got really nasty in what I thought was a straightforward claim. I was taking my son’s 50cc scooter for its MoT. On the ride down, a local woman whom I know by not very good reputation, pulled out on top of me. I hit her car and sustained modest injuries. My insurers arranged for the bike to be taken away and for my son to get a replacement hire scooter, which he needs to get to both college and work, and I was advised to commence a claim for my luckily not very serious injuries. However, the case has now gone mental. The driver of the car has said I was…

2021, it’s already been a tough one for most people it seems! It goes without saying that this lockdown is dragging, but hang in there people, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel with all the vaccines happening, so let’s all keep our fingers crossed eh?! I’m hoping that by the time you’re reading this we’ll be gearing up for our first test on the FHO Racing BMW M 1000 RRs. It’s been a very busy start to the year for me so far, getting ready for the opening round of the British Superbike Championship. Although the season starts later this year, it doesn’t mean my training does and in actual fact I’ve been doing more training than normal and even focusing a little more on…

This time last year, I stood in front of the nation’s press with my chest fully puffed out as I was proudly presented alongside Josh Brookes in the PBM Visiontrack Ducati squad. We were on the very top floor of the Shard with champagne flowing freely (which I actually didn’t sample) and my beautiful new Ducati under the spotlights. I gazed out across the seemingly never-ending vast expanse of lights and noise that was London below and it was one of those moments that I knew would stick with me for the rest of my life. Landing the best seat in the business doesn’t mean you’ve ‘made it’ but it was a moment to appreciate I was well on my way along that journey. As the 2020 season rolled on…

ARAI QUANTIC HELMET On the hunt for an Arai, but fancied waiting for something new? Because if so, you’re going to like this. Arai’s Quantic is a new model for 2021 aimed at sporty touring riders, meaning it gives race-derived performance, but with added comfort. It’s the first full-face lid from Arai that has gone through the new, rigorous ECE R22-06 helmet testing standards, and is manufactured by hand from Peripherally Belted e-Complex Laminate Construction – which basically gives the shell a load of strength, while a softer, multi-density EPS inner liner works to absorb impact energy. There’s a new 3D Arai logo duct, F1-based dual tear-ducts and even a one-piece rear spoiler, while the VAS MAX vision visor comes with a pinlock as standard. Oh, and the insides have…

If you are talking about the end of an era, the 1299 Panigale R Final Edition really does mark the curtain being drawn on a remarkable run of not only race success but also showroom sales. So what exactly does it celebrate? Although they enjoyed a fair chunk of race success before, it was in the World Superbike Championship that Ducati really made their name and that was down to the Desmoquattro motor, which first arrived in the Ducati 851 after a bit of development as a 748cc motor in a bike that raced at the Bold’Or in September 1987. Designed by Massimo Bordi (while he was at university in Bologna), the Desmoquattro was Ducati’s first four-valve head (hence the name) using the desmo system that also incorporated water-cooling. With…

TIME ON TEST: THREE MONTHS ODOMETER MILES BHP: 40 GAIN: 0 NEXT AIM: SOME SERIOUS GREEN LANING! THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN... enjoying being legal Well ladies and gents, we’re another month down! Sure, things with the whole pandemic didn’t change drastically, but it means that we’re another month closer to summer, and hopefully edging towards a bit more normality; I’m counting down the seconds until I can sling the CRF in the back of my van and go and get ridiculously filthy at a proper Enduro event, or a properly kept MX track. Those will be the days. But it’s not just been sitting in the garage gathering dust and waiting for the world, oh no. Thankfully, Honda managed to get the horn and plate ready, so I…

FB: Last year must’ve been pretty tough. But just how difficult was it staying motivated to come out on top? JB: “There were a lot of layers to 2020 forus; early on we came over to England and Spain for testing, but we made the call to come back to Australia after it was announced that both the MotoGP and the second round of WSBK was cancelled. It seemed like a good idea as it would be better to be stuck there if things did go crazy; there’s far more things I can do, including earning money-myvisa in England only allows me to draw an income from racing. Sure, it was a gamble, but no one had any idea what was going to happen. We were pretty lucky at the…

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 advice. For road traffic…

First off, I hope all of you lot are doing all right at the moment! These are still some seriously weird times, and I did think we’d be back to a little bit of a normal life by now…especially as I had a load of testing booked for this month. Even though it hasn’t happened (cheers Covid), things are pretty sweet at the moment, and I’m still absolutely flat out. To be honest, if last year would’ve been a normal year I would’ve packed my bags and gone to live in Spain for a month or two when everything was lifted a bit a few months back; I’m not at all jealous seeing all the rock stars on social media living it up motocrossing in the sun every day…much. But…

Well, we’re now knee deep into 2021, and I’ve got to say, it’s been a bit disappointing so far — by now, I should’ve had a quick visit to Spain, and had my annual venture to South Africa…but just like the rest of the world, everything has been grounded! I just hope the whole Brexit thing doesn’t make things worse for travelling, as back in the day when we were racing, it used to be a right pain in the neck going from country to country. You’d get stamped between every single one of them — then you had to have a handling agent to get to Spain. I remember having a big old book, and if you missed a stamp on the way out of a country, then there…