Innehållsförteckning för November 2021 från Fast Bikes

The undisputed king of the supernakeds only in fourth place? As if things couldn’t get any stranger in these strange times we’re living in, the Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory doesn’t win a naked bike test! What’s going on? Well, the evergreen Tuono is a victim of nothing more than being on the wrong end of tiny differences and personal preferences. Agreeing on our top four favourite bikes really did come down to a few very small details. The MV, Triumph and BMW were easy to agree on regarding their place in the table, but the Aprilia, KTM, Kawasaki and Ducati were much less so. Part of the problem whyitwas so difficult to split the top four bikes is that they all deliver the same fundamental experience as each other but…

The KTM is one of only two bikes in the test to be completely unchanged from last year. It’s also one of only two supernakeds to have been designed from the ground up as a naked bike and not derived from anything else, and it’s one of only two bikes to use analogue suspension. What does all this mean? Well, nothing really, other than they are points of interest that speak volumes about how important two of the manufacturers view the sector – so important that they won’t produce high-powered sportsbikes but will produce high-powered naked bikes. The 1290 Super Duke R has been around for a while now, and this latest third generation version may well look the same as the previous one but don’t be fooled. It debuted…

With still no sign of any exhausts for my Hayabusa, I wasn’t too upset, as I was going to swap it for Charlie’s Triumph Speed Triple RS for a couple of weeks anyway I needed his long-termer for the Supernaked bike test elsewhere in this issue, so we arranged to meet halfway between where he lives and my place, which involved a 150(ish)-mile plod on the motorway network to a grubby service station. I have come to dread doing even mildly long trips on the Hayabusa because I just can’t ignore that as brilliant as the bike is at eating miles, its riding position – specifically the distance between footpegs and seat – makes such a trip a test of physical endurance and how much pain I can stand. Granted,…

You don’t see many MVs around these days and I guess that’s no surprise – MV doesn’t seem to be making much noise on the racing scene at the moment, and that always directly affects what’s being ridden at track days. There’s only one MV running in the British Super bike paddock this year,and that’s at the back of its class. I’m not here to write them off though,and it wasn’t that long ago since Jack Kennedy fought hard for the British Super sport Championship on an MV Agusta F3 in 2017. Here we’ve got Lee Booth’s 2015 MV Agusta F3 track weapon. It may look like a zumped-up F3 but the original 675 three-cylinder motor has in fact been swapped for the bigger 800cc triple-cylinder block. From the outside…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH NO LIMITS TRACKDAYS 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@fastbikesmag.co.uk Closing date: 30th October, 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 with us and we’ll look after the…

I used to class myself as a farmer but in recent weeks, with all the back-to-back race weekends, I’ve barely had any time to commit properly to the farm, so I’ve been demoted to groundsman, which is a little less demanding and has suited me perfectly. Don’t get me wrong, after a long race weekend there’s nothing more satisfying than having the afternoon on the sprayer or the combine and having time to reflect on where I’m at and how the weekend has gone… the strimmer isn’t quite the same, but I’m not grumbling. It soon brings you back down to earth which, I think, is equally as important as all the training and everything else I put into my racing. I’ve got to say fair play to my dad,…

RETRO RR-ELISH Triumph’s ready to rumble with a new half-faired Speed Triple 1200RR It’s been coming for a while, but we’ve finally got all the details on the new Triumph Speed Triple RR – and it’s quite an intriguing machine. First up, it’s not the 1200 Daytona we’d all love to see, with Moto2 styling, super-sharp track chassis and an angry, race-tuned 200bhp 1199cc triple. Rather, it’s a half-faired version of the Speed Triple RS supernaked, with some useful chassis upgrades, making it a bit more of a halfway-house. A retro-styled modern cafe racer with solid sporty credentials rather than a proper superbike. The changes from the RS are all excellent stuff: you’ll already know if you like that round headlight and half-fairing obviously, but we reckon it’s a classy,…

It seems really harsh ranking the Speed Triple 1200RS in second to last position, but the truth is we are over the moon that there is a Triumph in the test at all. By designing a brand new Speed Triple from the ground up, with much more power and much less weight than the outgoing 1050 Speed Triple, Triumph has got itself an invitation to the party that it otherwise wouldn’t have got. We’re not talking small numbers, either. To make the jump from naked to supernaked, the already brilliant 1050 Speed Triple had to shed 10kg and gain 29bhp to improve its power-to-weight ratio by a massive 26% – and what a difference it has made to one of Triumph’s longest-serving models. Relative to the previous 1050, the 1200…

I have been so excited about watching the laying out of this issue to see how the Speed Triple did in this year’s Naked Sportsbike of the Year test. As it materialised, I have to admit to being a little wounded at the result, though am totally unqualified to question it – these boys know what they are doing, even when I am faced with such a disappointing result. The fact that I am almost taking the result personally is a true reflection of just how well I have gelled with the Speed Triple… it excites the hell out of me. Maybe my disappointment at the result is more a reflection on my demands of a motorcycle; I don’t want it to ‘intimidate me’ – rather I want a fast,…

Why did you go for this bike? “To be fair, I didn’t really have a benchmark as it’s the first bike I’ve bought in 20 years. I just went all in, balls deep, and got this one… it’s all I’ve ridden recently. Normally people start a bit smaller with a slower bike, but I thought I’d have a crack with this. It’s a lovely smooth bike to ride, it’s proving to be a decent bike to learn on, and I’m loving it. The torquey motor pulls so well off the corners and with the blipper, it makes it easy to ride.” Is there anything else you want to do to it? “There’s not a lot wrong with it; the only thing I’m going to change is the dash. It’s currently…

WIN A FAST BIKES HOODIE! To be in with a chance of winning this most tasteful of tops, just email us (letters@fastbikes.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 Mark Scott Suzuki Hayabusa Went to Inveraray at the weekend. Gary Wheeler Yamaha FJ1100 FJ workout. Danny Wark Aprillia Dorsoduro Beautiful sunny day at Hartside Pass. Amy Armstrong Enjoying the…

The whirlwind of the 2021 season seems to be showing no signs of abating as the condensed BSB season continues to roll on at an incredible pace. We are now into the ‘Showdown’ part of the season. Through one thing and another, I’ve never made it into the Showdown system and instead I’ve twice been the riders’ cup champion. It’s no kind of champion you want to be… basically a wooden spoon accolade awarded for being the best of the rest, but not this year. We are in! With no Showdown at all last year (due to the reduced number of races), the rules have been tweaked slightly and instead of six possible champions, we are up to eight. I sit at third in that list with podium credits taken…

The main man behind the new RC is none other than TT racer and KTM chief engineer Shaun Anderson. We got his take on the new model’s evolution… “Since the Gen1 came to life, quite a bit of time has passed and in that period our rivals have upped their game. It’s one of those things, but we wanted to go back to the drawing board and give the RC390 a worthy update to help it sit at the forefront of the sector. On top of that, we took on board the feedback from the customers, who made mention of issues such as the heat of the bike. Thermally, the bike was a bit of a handful, especially in urban riding environments. Also, we saw this as an opportunity to…

It’s been great to clock to miles on the big Beemer over the last month. I’ve finally had a couple of hours spare to get out and ride it, and every time I jump on it I’m growing fonder. It’s been mega having a little get-around and I’ve really felt the benefits of having a bike on the road, especially nipping to the gym after work in the rush hour – I’ve reduced my commute from 15 minutes to seven, and that’s only from being able to filter through traffic, honest… I definitely don’t give it more than half throttle. It’s been a joy having an alternative to my van, and getting to places is so much easier: it’s light-handling, slim, and just perfect for cracking on. I’ve been all…

IN BRIEF.. Rider: Brod Wilson Track: Cadwell Park Series: No Limits Racing Class: Super Series 600 Fastest Lap: 1.33.895 Positions: 4th, 9th, 4th Championship Position: 5th Excuse: Broke a wrist Well, that’s it folks. Just like that, my season is over and the championship is all wrapped up. It was Cadwell Park for the final round of the year and having not ridden for five weeks since the last round at Donington, I thought I’d best jump on the Friday test day. I was hoping to get out in between the rounds, but I’ve been that busy with work I’ve just not had the chance. We got stuck in on the Friday, and I went with a setting we knew and trusted. I’ve wasted far too much time listening to…

The Fast Bikes Legal Clinic is compiled by Gavin Grewal 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. Gavin can usually be found in a court room or racing his Kawasaki around a racetrack. 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.…

There has been a bit more going on over the last month, I’m pleased to say, starting off with the Salon Prive Concours d’Elegance Classic Car Motor Show, which is held at Blenheim Palace. I was over there with Henry Cole to judge the motorcycles. It’s a brilliant show which goes all over the world; you have the likes of Lamborghini and Ferrari with their classic racing collections, and rich folks bring their lovely cars with the hope of winning a competition as it could just add another million quid to the value… there are some seriously expensive cars on show. Then I was over to the Goodwood Revival. It’s always such a brilliant do, and this year didn’t disappoint. It’s a great throwback to the 1950s and 1960s… and…