Innehållsförteckning för October 2024 från Fast Bikes

FEATURE How can it already be 20 years since Honda shifted the fundamental philosophy of its ground-breaking Fireblade away from a ‘less is more’ road bike toafull-blooded superbike designed to win races first with little or no concessions for road use? Twenty years! Fireblades between 1992 and 2003 were all sub-litre-sized engines with emphasis on weight and usability on the road rather than being designed with the superbike regulations in mind. Honda had its RC45 to do all its superbike racing for the bulk of that period, but when superbikes were allowed to be up to 1000cc and four cylinders in 2003, the twin-cylinder SP1’s days were numbered – and the obvious starting point for a new superbike was the Fireblade. By this stage, purists will say that there had…

FEATURE YAMAHA MT-09 SP In my opinion, the MT-09 has always been the only Japanese option in the sublitre naked class with any degree of naughtiness and sense of humour since it came out 10 years ago. Today, the Yamaha is still the only representative from the land of the rising sun that can hold a candle to the European options in the same class and price point. Since it first arrived in 2014, the MT-09’s story has been one very much of evolution rather than revolution. It's had two updates up to now, which have both focused on refining the original recipe, and the latest update follows the same pattern. Aside from the cosmetic differences, which are probably as much to do with identification of this as the fourth-generation MT-09,…

STAR LETTER MILE MUNCHING… Just completed a 6400-mile Euro trip including the Cannonball Bike Run on my V4 Pikes Peak, which was in its element (so was I!) on some fantastic roads like the Transfagarasan and Transalpine. But I must admit, Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia did not disappoint – absolutely awesome trip on an awesome WIN You can win a Kovix Brake Lever Lock for simply writing the Fast Bikes Star Letter. The Kovix Brake Lever Lock combines a robust metal body with an ear-splitting alarm to provide extra layers of security when your motorcycle is parked. Heavy-duty zinc/steel alloy construction with a built-in 120dB alarm triggered by shock and movement sensors. Find out more at www.thekeycollection.co.uk bike that handled the trip faultlessly. Regards, Jim Horne Peterhead, Scotland FB: It sounds…

EVOLUTION OF THE SPECIES 2025 DUCATI PANIGALE V4 ‘Convergent evolution’ is a very well-established part of biology. It basically says that totally different species can end up with similar body structures simply because they work best that way. As an example, a dolphin has a similar shape to a fish – long and smooth to let the water flow past as they swim, and big flat fins to control movement. But the cetacean started out 50 million years ago as a land mammal with legs; evolution for a life in water meant that those legs gradually changed into flippers and the body got more streamlined. There are parallels with product design, too. Almost every smartphone on sale now is a large, flat, black rectangle, whether it's made by Apple, Samsung,…

FEATURE BLADE ON BLADE CHASSIS Fundamentally, they are the same, in so much as they both have alloy beam frames and swingarms. But how they are laid out is different and almost certainly driven by the increase in power output. The ’04 bike was really the first to go with a longer wheelbase by adopting a long swingarm in the search for mechanical grip following its own big jump in power from the outgoing 954 Fireblade. The ’24 carries that on by going longer again, with a wheelbase which is 48mm longer than the ’04 bike. Without a set of scales to measure each bike's weight distribution, I'd predict that the ’24 bike will have more weight on its nose, and the ’04 bike feels like it's very close to a…

DUCATI STREETFIGHTER V2 - £16,395 If you like your nakeds big and fast, the Ducati ticks those boxes nicely. It's a really sizeable machine and offers class-leading levels of comfort. The bike's tech is also pretty premium and easy to toggle between, with a small but clear display for you to take in whatever changes you make. The best thing about the bike is the pace of the V-twin motor. It can be a little stuttery at slow speeds in town, but there's no stopping the V2 when you get the power flowing. It is a very quick bike, as you'd expect from a machine justalittle under 1000cc in capacity. The downside to the big engine is the weight; it tops the scales at 200kg, and you really feel that…

FEATURE IN ASSOCIATION WITH Finally, the day had dawned – it was Project 37 day at Cadwell Park. The sun was shining, the bike was sitting pretty, laden with new race part goodies, and my new Shark Aeron GP lid was polished and ready for action. It was crunch time. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, and that would be thanks to the build-up and hype we (or should I say, I) had given it leading up to this day. I desperately wanted to achieve the lap record target, and since the first two parts of the YouTube series had already aired, I was going to make a monumental clown of myself if I couldn't deliver after all of the big talk. The tension was real, and…

LONGTERMERS TIME ON TEST: THREE MONTHS ODOMETER MILES BHP: 124 GAIN: 0 NEXT AIM: GET RID OF THE EURO 5 GUFF (STILL). THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… mile-munching and suspension tweaking. Three fantastic things have happened since my last instalment; well, four if you also include the addition of another three hundred or so miles to my ZX-6R. The first is that I've ticked off one of my big must-do’ things with the bike – taking it on track. The second is the arrival of a full exhaust system from Arrow to rid the Kawasaki of its power-sapping catalytic convertors. The third is that me and Mrs McAvoy had a 10-day holiday – very much deserved, in her case. The only reason for mentioning the holiday is that it does…

Upfront PLANET FAST BIKES – NEW METAL, NEWS&REVIEWS The supersport sector used to be so simple. Four Japanese 599cc inline-four sportsbikes duking it out, plus the Ducati 748 throwing out the occasional conrod at the back while looking utterly gorgeous. Then we got Triumph 675 triples and MV Agusta F3s, and everyone stopped buying CBR600RRs and R6s. The race class is now a wild-eyed smorgasbord of 15-year-old GSX-R750s, 636 Ninjas, new CBRs, Moto2-lite Triumphs and anything else you can squeeze past the tech regs rulebook. Ducati's kept a ‘middleweight’ sportsbike in its range, of course: the 748 became the 749, which was then boosted to an 848, 899, 959, and finally the current V2 Panigale, a 955cc beastie with 155bhp, about 60bhp more than the old 748 ever managed. The…

FEATURE Weighing in at 268 kilos, and with a front wheel so big you could forgive it for being off a Penny Farthing, BMW's R1250 GSA goes against everything I love about sportsbikes… yet it's still one of my favourites on the market. While you might be wondering whether this is some warped crack at humour, or if my keyboard's been hijacked, I can confirm that my adoration for the big Beemer is very much true – and based upon firm foundations. For me, this journey began way back in 2009, at a time when I was racing litre bikes in Superstock 1000 at BSB. Being a bit young, a bit mad, and very much in need of zero encouragement, my editor back then decided the safest long-term test bike…

addiction As we went to press, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu was nearly 100 points ahead of his nearest rival in the 2024 WSBK title race, after seven out of 12 rounds. The superstar from Türkiye is making the rest of the paddock look just a wee bit ‘steady,’ and the best bit is he's doing it for a marque that's never won the WSBK crown before – BMW. The Bavarian firm has been looking for a world production-based title since the original S1000RR appeared back in 2010, but success has been patchy; Marco Melandri's third and fourth spots in 2012 and 2013 are still the best placings for the firm in the WSBK riders’ championship. There's been race success elsewhere, of course; notably at the Isle of Man TT. But WSBK has…

FEATURE TRACKDAY Trackdays are brilliant for motorcycle enthusiasts to experience their own bikes to their full potential, ride the circuits they've watched their heroes race on and, for many, have become a hobby that fills much of the summer months. But can it be made any more affordable? We went to Donington the other week, one of my personal favourites and the home of British motorcycle racing… thankfully, a place that was saved by the UK's largest circuit owner, MSV.Afew years ago, a trackday at Donington Park would have cost about £130 to £150 during the height of the summer months; that same experience is now £220–and that's before you even leave the front door. Now, I'm not saying that MSV is over-charging, because it's just as much of a victim…

ALPINESTARS XT-8 GORE-TEX BOOTS These CE-approved enduro/adventure boots look properly hardcore, with loads of external armour, chunky soles and protective bracing all-round. They're also 100% waterproof thanks to a proper Gore-Tex membrane liner, have a dual buckle and Velcro fastening, and an integrated ‘transverse protection frame’ structure adds stiffness without compromising comfort. Available in black or brown. www.alpinestars.com RRP: £390 RUROC ACE CAFÉ HELMET RANGE British lid maker Ruroc has teamed up with London's legendary Ace Café biker spot to launch a limited-edition range of specially-finished helmets. The Ace Café collection is now available on the AT4.0 STREET, the AT4.0 TRACK and the EOX models – which are the firm's high-end full-face sports and track lids. Each Ace Café edition Ruroc also comes with a limited-edition pin badge, patch and stickers.…

YOUR LIFE ON BIKES FastBikesMag.com/FastBikes-Forum Facebook.comFastBikesMagazine @FastBikesMag WANT TO WIN? To be in with a chance of winning a No Limits trackday, either send us a pic on our Facebook page or email one to letters@fastbikes.co.uk Closing date: September 27 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…