Innehållsförteckning för November 2022 från Fast Bikes

Some teenage boys dream of girls, booze, and getting behind the wheel of a car… I did. But I also lusted after something most of my mates didn’t – in the form of some saucy Italian twins. To be more precise, I wanted an Aprilia RSV Mille or a Ducati 999. They were the pin-ups of my adolescence, with all the right curves in all the right places, emitting the kind of seductive sounds that made me go weak at the knees. Unfortunately, at 16 years old, an RS50 was as close I could get to these dream machines, but my passion for the aforementioned particulars never faded. Life’s a funny old game, don’t you think? As I write this – older, fatter, and with a meaty mortgage floating above…

6TH – 1.12.7 LAP TIME It’s been a few years since we last had an MT-10 in our NSBOTY shootout, but following this year’s rework of the big naked icon we thought it only right to welcome it back. Besides, there’s a lot of things to like about an MT-10 on track, as our day at Blyton with the Yamaha reminded us. As with pretty much all the bikes in this test, the engine is the main talking point and while its characterful CP4 powerplant might not make the most power in its class, it sure as hell sounds special and it delivers its potency in a truly pleasurable way. If you’re not familiar with the bike, you should know it features a special crank that produces an uneven firing…

3RD – 1.10.5 LAP TIME It’s easy to write off a bike… metaphorically speaking. What I mean is that Johnny nor I had massive expectations for the BMW coming into this part of the test. On the roads, it hadn’t exactly shone, being a pleasant machine to ride but without any real stand-out characteristics, akin to the quiet bloke at work you say hello to every day but know naff all else about. In this field of bold, brash headliners, the Beemer was unfortunately a little easy to overlook… but everything changed when we got on track. Gripping its bars, prone flat on top of the tank, the BMW was delivering the most exciting and animated ride of the day. It wasn’t clinical, it wasn’t stable, but it was absolutely…

As with any visit to a racetrack, there has to be a result. After all it’s why the racetrack was invented – to establish a pecking order. By using the same rider and same tyres on each bike, the result is all down to how well each machine performed on track. It really shouldn’t come as a surprise that the fastest three bikes are the three based on accomplished sportsbikes, while the bottom half of the results table is occupied by the bespoke naked bikes with zero sportsbike DNA. Given that last month we broke down and rated each bike’s elements in the context of the road, their natural habitat, we’ve made the scoring very simple for the track part of this test and awarded bonus points to each bike…

Thirty years ago in 1992, BMW unveiled its born-again Boxer R1100, the descendants of which are still with us today in R1250 guise. This fuel-injected eight-valve twin with Telelever front suspension underpinned the German manufacturer’s resurgence in the following decade, when BMW Motorrad’s sales volume tripled from a mere 30,000 bikes a year at the start of the 1990s to close on 90,000 units annually by the turn of the millennium. BMW sold 194,261 motorcycles to customers in 2021 compared to 136,963 in 2015 – and that spiralling growth began exactly 30 years ago this year. But back then, at the same time as creating an all-new high-cam five-speed engine, code-numbered R259, to power a resurgent Boxer family, BMW Motorrad’s technical director, Dr Burkhard Göschel, gave his 200-strong team of…

Since we spoke last month, I’ve had another two race meetings and it honestly feels like the year has just been flicked onto fast-forward. After my accident back in early June I remember thinking there was plenty of time and that I’d be back to full force in no time, but sitting here and writing this now has given me the major realisation that we only have three race meetings left. In a month’s time, the championship will be done and dusted. But that’s still three races remaining and I suppose it’s not worth getting too far ahead of myself, as I’ve got five races in the next three rounds. I’m currently sitting sixth in the championship, only 60 points down from the top and there are still 125 points…

It feels like I say it every time I write a column, but damn has it been busy lately. If mid-season life wasn’t hectic enough, young Toby Iddon (my new son, for those who didn’t read the last one) is now just over a month old and he is filling every last free moment I have at home. I am absolutely loving dad life and I’ve found that it brings a whole new perspective – and by that I mean to racing – which I’ve never had before. The wife brought Toby to the Saturday at Cadwell Park. At just over two weeks old it was his first race meeting and they hadn’t been there more than 30 minutes when it was time for me to go do my thing…

2023 DUCATI MONSTER SP Posh version of Monster roadster gets Öhlins, Stylemas and Termignoni pipe Ducati’s sort of removed the need for a high-end Monster with the launch of the Streetfighter V4 and V2 supernaked machines – hence the end of the 1200 S and R models. But the Bologna firm clearly feels there’s scope for a premium version of its legendary roadster, and here it is: the Monster SP. Based on the current Monster, it uses the same basic engine and chassis – the 937cc Testastretta engine from the Multistrada and Hypermotard 950s, in an aluminium frame. The 111bhp motor is unchanged in the SP, apart from a smart Termignoni silencer. It’s the chassis that boasts the real upgrades though, with Öhlins 43mm USD front forks and rear monoshock,…

The track might not be the natural habitat for a naked bike, ‘super’ or otherwise. However, given that at least a couple of them do claim some sort of track credentials and all of them are properly quick bikes, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that one day, if you owned of one of them, you might be tempted to go for a blast on track. With this in mind, we’ve set out to establish a few points of interest in the name of journalism and dig deeper into each bike’s performance envelope… a lot deeper than you can on the road, which is more about how a bike feels and how it makes you feel than cold hard data. Of course, how it communicates details and nuances to…

5TH – 1.11.6 LAP TIME It’s easy to forget just how new Triumph is to the supernaked sector. While the Speed Triple is a household name with a wealth of roadster heritage, the latest iteration of the model, which only came to fruition last year, is the first to exceed the 160bhp threshold we’ve set for the class. Let me start by saying how great it is to have them in the mix and also commend the brand on producing something totally different to everything else out there. As Johnny reiterated in the last issue during the road test, the Triumph is one of only two models in this line-up to be crafted from the ground up without leaning on a sportsbike sibling for hand-me-down tech or direction. On the…

2ND – 1.10.2 LAP TIME There’s nothing like a bit of pressure to get you focused. Armed with the knowledge that the track was set to close in 12 minutes’ time, I flagged Johnny down and nabbed the Aprilia off him. This was it… the bike’s one shot to show what it could do against the clock. The tyres were hot, my adrenaline was pumping, and all the electronics were set in exactly the places I wanted them to be. I shot off down pitlane onto the barren circuit, adapting as I went to the firm saddle and sturdy bars on the Aprilia, pondering on just how capable it would prove. That first lap was a fruity one, and the one that followed wasn’t too shabby either. Maybe, just maybe,…

We are only halfway through the season, but already it feels like the BMW World Superbike squad has been on something of a journey. As shiny and exciting as BMW’s M 1000 RR is, it’s taken a bit of polishing and a hell of a lot of development. The man leading the charge this year is our very own Scott Redding. At the start of the season he wasn’t even scoring points, but his fortunes have changed more recently with a few podiums to his credit, aided by the team’s decision to switch to a Kalex swinging arm that’s offered more edge grip and has improved tyre longevity, and has been more absorbing of bumps. But there’s a lot more to this bike than a fancy swinger. It is powered…

At the risk of sounding clichéd and a bit mushy in my old age, I’ll always consider one of the greatest privileges of living the charmed life of an occasional motorcycle journalist as when someone approaches me for advice. It’s true that recalling stories of the places visited, bikes ridden and persons met to groups of people is great fun and I shall never get tired of it. However, someone reaching out and asking for help has a different meaning, as there is a genuine sense of purpose to whatever I say next. It could be remembered by that person for years or even forever, so what I say and do next matters because it only affects them and not me, which is to say that my words and actions…

For the most of us, brand loyalty plays a key part in the bikes we buy nowadays, whether it’s fond memories of riding a certain bike from a young age or just because you simply love the bike… that is the case for Conrad. Since passing his bike test 22 years ago he jumped straight onto an R6, doing his first trackday just two weeks later, and completely fell in love with the bike and the brand. Ever since he’s continued to buy Yamahas, with this R1M being his fifth. After riding an R1 previously, Conrad was curious to see whether the electronic suspension made a difference, and he couldn’t resist the look of the carbon fibre panels, proving to be quite the head-turner. I managed to catch Conrad on…

Hey Bruce, Just a note to say I thought your ‘finale’ article was the best, straight from the heart piece of writing that I’ve read in more than 40 years of reading bike-related journalism. I hope the bike will always give you a special connection when you think of Clive and you can imagine him smiling down whenever you’re out on it. Phil FB: Thanks Phil, that means a lot. It was because of bikes that Clive and I became friends, and Mille will forever keep our friendship going, even though he’s no longer with us. I only wish he’d had chance to see it finished, let alone ride it. It’s a cracking tribute to a cracking bloke. All the best, Bruce. WIN You can win a WEISE Fjord gloves for…

7TH – 1.14.6 LAP TIME It was never going to set the fastest lap on track, but it proved to be one of the most fun machines out there. Bonkers it most certainly is, powered along by a motor so audacious that nothing could touch it on the character front or for the sensation of speed it emitted. Kawasaki’s Z H2 is an enigma that’s hard to place but equally hard to put down or discredit. There’s something about the supercharged motor that makes you forgive the fact this bike weighs in roughly 40kg heavier than all of its rivals, a figure that hampers the handling as a result, being too big and bulky to blitz around in the way you’d want a bike to perform on track. For me,…

4TH – 1.11.1 LAP TIME This bike makes you feel like you’ve won the lottery, pumping you full of endorphins as you giggle hysterically at its ludicrousness. It’s big, powerful, and exciting, mostly owing to that extremely loveable V-twin lump that nestles among its brazen tubular steel frame. For pure pleasure on track, it’s hard to criticise the KTM’s offerings… it’s quite simply brilliant. My first few laps on this bike were largely spent with the front wheel in the air, enjoying myself so much that chasing a lap time was just a secondary thought. But then the time came to get serious, and with a few touches of the tech, the KTM took on a firmer and more focused demeanour. Sure enough, the motor is the star of the…

1ST – 1.09.2 LAP TIME I knew this bike was going to be fast but, thanks to the Speedangle lap timer slipping around on the SP’s wide bars, I couldn’t see just how fast it was performing. I was riding blind, if you like, pushing myself against myself and loving every second of the experience. The Ducati was proving an absolute beast, with numerous strings to its impressive bow. Let’s start with the engine. On paper, it was the most powerful of the pack, but on the road it never really felt more potent than any of the other bikes. Keen, yes, but ballistic? Not really. That picture changed massively in this context… flat-out on track. Its V4 engine is a piece of art, producing consistent, grip-inducing potency from super…

You can’t stop the march of time and sadly, the bell has well and truly tolled for supersport bikes. Which is an odd thing to say as they are still very much raced on the world and domestic scene – it’s just that in 2022 you can’t buy a new one for use on the road! What’s going on there? To be honest, looking at the Yamaha YZF-R6, it is pretty obvious to see the issues. When the new (we use this term quite loosely) R6 was launched in 2017 it cost £10,999, a terrifying amount of cash. Did it justify this kind of investment? That was the problem… if you were a budding racer, the R6 was and still is the bike to have (the last five WSS titles…

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 rest, and if you haven’t won this time, there’s always next month. There are no cash alternatives available. The winning image is drawn at random. Terms and conditions apply. To view the privacy policy of MMG Ltd (publisher of…

If you’ve been a naughty biker, you need some decent legal advice. Get it from mail@whitedalton.co.uk Q I was out on my 2004 Honda Fireblade with some friends. We did our usual route and I was the group leader. We got to a long straight and I opened it up. The next thing I know I was tumbling down the road on my head. I hit some loose gravel, which spun my rear wheel up; when it re-gripped, it threw me into a wobble and I clattered off. Thankfully my bike slid and my crash bungs took most of the impact. I damaged my leathers and helmet but escaped without any real injury. I think I was sore for two days. I called my insurance company, who put me onto…

One step back and two steps forward. This is the mentality I’ve tried to apply since the last round during the weekend just gone at Snetterton, round eight, and it was somewhat accurate. After a really deflating couple of rounds at Thruxton and Cadwell (if you’d asked me at the beginning of the season where would I perform best at, I’d probably have said those two tracks), it was disappointing to say the least. No one likes excuses, but you can have one anyway. It didn’t help the cause when I spannered my AC joint a few days before Thruxton, which straight away put me on the back foot by not being able to manhandle the bike through the chicanes around the fast Hampshire circuit. Moving onto Cadwell, I’d done…