Innehållsförteckning för August 2021 från Fast Bikes

Do you remember when CB500s and SV650s dominated the naked middleweight scene? If you didn’t own one, chances are your neighbour did, or their neighbour was about to buy one. Neither bikes were high tech, high power or anything special, but way back when, at a time when getting your knee down and learning how to wheelie were at the top of your riding agenda, these were the machines that delivered…and quite often on a budget. Times have moved on and bikes have too, of course. You could argue that motorcycling has never been more rife, with great options of mid-capacity nakeds, the likes of which tower down on the credentials of old-school CBs and their kin of the late 1990s and early 2000s. With the exception of chocolate bars…

The Lavertys are like the best possible throwback: a no-nonsense, properly old-school bike racing dynasty. With self-confessed road racing nut Mickey Laverty for a father, it was almost inevitable that at least one of his kids would follow in his footsteps. It’s natural for any dad to want their kids to surpass their own achievements, and with brothers Michael, John and Eugene having been an ever-present fixture in pretty much every major paddock around the world for the last 20 years or so, Mickey can be justifiably proud of himself and his boys. We last caught up Michael in 2017 when he was racing in the British Superbike Championship for McAMS Yamaha. It’s safe to say that a hell of a lot has happened since then. He’s had had an…

IN BRIEF... Rider: Farmer Brod Track: Croft Series: No Limits Class: Pirelli Super Series 600 Bike: 2018 Yamaha R6 Fastest Lap: 1.25.6 Position(s): 11th, 9th, 7th Championship Position: 11th Excuse: Hungover Following the previous disappointment at Cadwell Park and a weekend full of struggles, things definitely turned around for me at round four of the No Limits championship at Croft. It always amazes me how taking a little break away from the sport can make all the difference to your riding and mindset. We headed up north with the goal set firmly on improving and moving further up the field. The first few rounds have been difficult, with many of British Championship riders entering the race-it was looking no different for Croft; I think with the BSB calendar being pushed…

LEARN FROM THE BEST For the ultimate one-to-one instruction, which includes everything from initial bike checks on/off track tuition tailored to suit all abilities from a former WSBK racer, check out Dean Ellison Rider Coaching at www.Ellison42.co.uk Finding or building the perfect track bike is an impossible task. Even with an unlimited budget you would still have to choose the right bolt-on parts suitable for you and your pace, and with that likely excursion to the gravel trap, you need to accept that you may need to buy some of those aftermarket parts again... and again. Trackday riding isn’t cheap but you can be smart with where your money goes. This issue I want to give some tips for buying a track-ready bike, which could be an absolute bargain or…

STAR LETTER KNEE DOWN... OR NOT? I’ve been riding for many years on the road and never had my knee down, and to be honest I’ve never felt that I’ve needed to. I’ve recently started doing some track day riding and still haven’t touched down with the knee. Do I need to get my knee down and how important is it? Darren R Hi Darren, I couldn’t agree with you more. I’ve never felt the need to get my knee down on the road either and, to be quite frank, it feels much safer riding within the bike and not hanging off too far while on the road. I think this is a personal preference; you’ve only got to look at the three of us on the magazine (Bruce, John…

I guess I should start with ‘I survived Covid’. This last month has been a real challenge for me both mentally and physically, but I’m pleased to say we’re through it — and it didn’t end up so bad after all. I was at the final BSB test at Donington Park but I might as well have not bothered. I was rough from the minute I woke up, so I completed two lateral flow tests that both came back negative, so I thought I’d try and ride. I was good for about five laps and that was me done. The only way to describe how I felt was like I’d had a night on the lash, rolled in at 7am, and then gone bull riding — it was a recipe…

It only dawned on me just how long it had been since our last venture out at a British Superbike race when my team-mate, Josh Brookes, kindly pointed it out on his social media that it’d been 260-odd days since our last race. I didn’t quite believe it so I had to check, but it turns out his maths is spot-on. I guess it’s no wonder then that I was feeling a little bit of apprehension at the first round. My bowels were doing somersaults and although I probably hid it well, I was feeling skittish and just not particularly relaxed. I always like to get the first few rounds under my belt before I start feeling like I have some grasp of the season and the situation. It wouldn’t…

SHOCK TREATMENT! British firm launches 200mph-plus electric record bike – with a hole in the middle... It’s not often you see a really new idea in motorcycling but this wild electric land-speed record bike has a touch of mad genius about it. Built by British firm White Motorcycle Concepts using F1 racing technology, the WMC250EV has a radical ‘V-Air’ through-duct to channel high-speed air right through the centre of the bike. That cuts drag by a massive 70%, and, the firm hopes, will help it break UK and world land-speed records. Electric motors drive the front and rear wheels, with the battery pack integrated below the air duct and the rider mounted up high, streamlined into the upper fairing half. The duct is a structural part of the billet aluminium…

Any doubt as to what the Tesi H2’s purpose is in life is written right there in front of you on one of the huge carbon fibre wings. “Tesi” is the Italian word for “Thesis”, which, to give its full meaning according to the dictionary, means “a theory that is put forward as a premise to be proven”. In other words, the Tesi H2 is Bimota’s attempt to prove a theory – specifically that hub-centred steering is a viable alternative to the traditional telescopic fork as a form of steering and suspension for the motorcycle. The origins of the whole Tesi concept go back to when Massimo Tamburini (the TA of Bimota) developed a project based on a thesis he had when studying engineering at university. The fact that the…

I have to say, I wasn’t exactly slathering with excitement when I first clapped eyes on the Kawasaki Z650. They aren’t the sexiest of beasts, definitely not the biggest nor the fastest, but don’t be so quick to dismiss this bike. You’ve only got to look at the timesheets at the Isle of Man TT to see that these Kwak twins sit at the top of the pecking order in the lightweight category, and while we’re on that topic, if it wasn’t for minitwins, I probably wouldn’t have got the opportunity to go road racing. Late braking and high corner speed is the answer with these bikes, and it was a great starting place in learning the craft of going fast. Away from the track and on the road, the…

“WHEN YAMAHA CAME UP WITH THE MT-07’S OVERALL LAYOUT AND ARCHITECTURE, IT ABSOLUTELY NAILED IT.” “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” might as well be a saying invented for the Yamaha MT-07. To say it has been updated for 2021 really is asking a lot of the imagination. Yes, there’s a new kitten-friendly exhaust, some bigger brake discs, wider handlebars, LED lights and a digital dashboard, but the “new” MT-07 still has the same chassis, same engine, same hilariously low price tag and — crucially — the same fun factor. On paper the MT-07 really shouldn’t get a look-in. There are no rider aids apart from ABS, no rider modes, no bling suspension, no fancy brakes... it makes a modest 70bhp, and it’s not even that nice to look…

You know that sinking feeling in your stomach when you’re talking to someone who’s name you forgot, and you then have to somehow navigate your way through the conversation without needing to refer to said name? That was me the evening before the press launch for the “new” Suzuki GSX-S1000. During the technical presentation and subsequent socially distant drinks, I believe I managed to bluff my way through the entire evening without letting on that for the life of me I couldn’t remember what the outgoing GSX-S1000 looked like. No matter how hard I tried, there was nothing in my memory bank but emptiness where there should have been a visual of the old GSX-S. Nothing. So, it is with a certain sense of smugness that after spending a day…

What is it? Dunlop’s D212 GP Racer offers its users the best of both worlds – it’s a fast and long-lasting road-legal tyre that also possesses all the features and spec you’d expect from a grippy trackday tyre. It was designed to be that faster halfway house in among Dunlop’s impressive range of sports tyres, and boasts key track technologies such as the brand’s NTEC carcass at the rear, that allows for pressures to be run lower for a broader footprint and higher levels of adhesion. Derived from the legendary D212 GP Pro – Dunlop’s Isle of Man TT race specification bloodline – the road-legal GP Racer D212 delivers the kind of performance, handling and endurance that until just a few years ago was only available to factory-backed teams. Who’s…

Walking through the Cadwell Park paddock on a cold spring morning, I couldn’t help but notice the fluorescent orange 1199 Panigale R gleaming in the sun. These bikes are quite a rare sight in the trackday paddock, and this one certainly stood out from the rest. As you’ll get to find out, there is a lot more to this bike than first meets the eye. Darren Mayne, from Grimsby, is the owner of this beautiful bike and, as it turns out, he’s probably the biggest trackday addict I’ve ever met. I thought I had a busy riding schedule, but Darren has 25 track days planned this year, covering most of the tracks across the UK. Although he’s been riding bikes since the age of 15, trackdays have only been a…

WANT TO WIN? To be in with a chance of winning a No Limits trackday, send us a pic on our Facebook page or email one to letters@fastbikes.co.uk Closing date: July 29, 2021 WINNER 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 month. All you have to do is send us a picture of yourself at your last trackday for a chance to win. If you’re the lucky person highlighted on these pages, you’ve won a trackday of your choice. If it’s you, get in touch and we’ll look after the rest... and if you haven’t won this time,…

THE BIKES THEY SHOULD STILL BUILD… There are a lot of bikes that should have never been pied off from the production line, such as KTM’s RC8R, Suzuki’s GSX-R750 and Ducati’s Streetfighter. We revisit these used legends to remind ourselves of what we’ve been missing out on. BLURRING THE LINES Ducati’s new SuperSport proves to be a one-stopshop for going long distance and scratching on the race track. RACING TO TRIUMPH The British firm has an unbelievable history of racing achievements, as we were reminded on a visit to the factory. PLUS LOADS MORE: BALLISTIC ON A BUDGET – PART 3. WE’VE LOST THE WEIGHT, WE’VE GOT IT HANDLING, AND NOW IT’S TIME TO GIVE OUR PROJECT R1 SOME SERIOUS POWER. 2015 YAMAHA R1 BUYER’S GUIDE. ALL YOU NEED TO…

Do you know how long it takes to make a Tesi H2? I imagine the swingarms alone take hours to machine. Bimota is producing 20 TESI H2 units per month-five each week, one per day. Every Monday, five engines are positioned on the assembly islands (the name Bimota gives each work station). Every Friday, five TESI H2 units are ready to be delivered. To make this happen, Bimota has a CNC machine working 24 hours a day to machine the billet parts. All parts are pre-assembled and then fitted onto the motorcycle. Does Kawasaki’s 49% ownership of Bimota mean only Kawasaki engines will be used in future models? Not necessarily – Bimota is independent on this decision. With Kawasaki engines, Bimota can take many advantages; for example, the possibility to…

You know that expression about bringing a gun to a knife fight? Well, it seems like with Aprilia’s new Tuono 660 in this group test, I bowled up with a bazooka while the other lads where faffing about with blunt spoons. Oops. You see, the capacity of Aprilia’s (fairly) naked Tuono is just about the one redeeming factor that brings it close to the MT-07, Trident or Z650. Aside from that, it’s got more gadgets, more goodies, and more go than all of those combined – but it also comes in at the most dosh as well, sitting pretty at a hefty £9700. If you’re reading this wondering why on earth you’d part ways with a fair few extra notes than the other three, then strap yourself in because Aprilia…

So what have we learned? Mostly, how different all four of these bikes are. Yeah, the thinking might be the same and the capacities quite similar, but aside from the wide bars and lack of wind protection, they each had their own characters, strengths and weaknesses. The Aprilia was undoubtedly the most sophisticated, mature in its stance and capable on the track... but it also cost a fair chunk more than all of its rivals. If money wasn’t an issue and we were being true to ourselves, it was the bike that floated our boat in ways the others simply couldn’t. The Tuono has moved the game on in a way that would have been inconceivable even five years ago, packing much more performance, sophistication and appeal than you expect…

MODIFICATIONS: A lot of R1 owners modify their bike; stubby levers, loud end-cans, rearsets, taller screens, tail tidies and even aftermarket bodywork are quite common. Extras are a personal taste thing, so don’t pay over the top for them and always be wary of non-standard paint or fairings as that hints at crash damage being covered up. VALVE CLEARANCES: Despite its new head, this generation has the same 24,000-mile valve clearance intervals as previous (and future) R1 models. If the bike is reaching this mileage, factor in a bill of around £500 to your offer to get them checked, which is worth doing as a few owners report that they can close up, and that could harm the motor if left unchanged. TPS: A fairly common fault on older sportsbikes…

Since my last (first) instalment of my time with the Hayabusa, it’s been pretty full-on for me, with, among other things, the small matter of Ultimate Sportsbike that basically means two to three weeks of doing nothing else. I also organise a charity motorbike ride called The Longest Day Challenge that gets people to ride £300 motorbikes from Lands’ End to John O’Groats without using motorways on the longest day of the year to raise money for Cancer Research UK. It’s a fair undertaking, organising everything for this year’s 34 riders, and takes a good chunk of my time -all of which is a way of getting my excuses in for not actually having done anything to my Hayabusa in the last month. However, I have been riding it…a lot.…

Bonjour, comrades. As we finished off last month we were going to Croft for the next stop-off of the No Limits endurance championship, and it was a really good round for us all. When I got there, Dave Carnell from BMW had a quick look over my BM and made some adjustments. I’d also put on a new set of yokes I bought from proMac and had a play with the offset. All I can say is a massive thank-you to Dave, as the bike felt really good and was so easy to ride electronically, because I had struggled a little after the ecu updates I did over the winter. We went out in qualifying and I pushed out first and put us temporally quickest, only to be pipped by…

Finally we have some proper racing to talk about and round one of BSB is in the bag, but before we get into all of that, June started with round four of the Motul Oil Ohvale UK Cup at Ellough Park in Norwich. We had 26 entries in the 110 Cup and we’re now up to 13 entries in the 160 class, which is growing nicely. It’s been really interesting to see the classes growing, but even more so watching the kids develop, learn and get faster as they go from race to race; it’s all a big learning curve. I raced my 190 too, and it went pretty well. I won a couple or races, finished on the podium in a couple of others, and even crashed out of…