IT’S MORE THAN RACING.

Game and Software © 2007 THQ Inc. MotoGP™ ‘07 and © 2007 Dorna Sports, S.L. MotoGP and related logos, characters, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof are the exclusive property of Dorna Sports, S.L. and/or their respective owners. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. Developed by Climax Racing. Climax Racing and its logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Climax Racing Ltd. THQ and the THQ logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc. All Rights Reserved. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

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Tour de France riders and their toilet bag contents

Editor

Kenny Pryde

JAQUES ANQUETIL A little more than just mineral water. Amphetamines, mainly.

The

editor

020 8726 8445 kenny_pryde @ipcmedia.com

Features Editor

Simon Roots

[email protected]

IVAN BASSO EPO (Allegedly) with some blood doping

020 8726 8442 simon_roots

Staff Writer

David Bradford

“

FLOYD LANDIS Testosterone washed down with scotch

If you make it to the back of this magazine, you’ll read the sorry tale of me throwing my lovely CBR600RR down the track. I crashed in my first session – not even three laps in – on cold tyres. It was a real novice mistake, a 100 per cent avoidable crash, it involved nobody else and if you could have heard the names I was calling myself as I slid on my arse, you would have blushed. Unless you’re a squaddie, in which case you’d think I was letting myself off lightly. A crash on a track day caused by cold tyres? How much more dumb can you get? The number of times I’ve been on a track day and the red flag has come out less than five minutes into a session and I’ve cursed at the fool who crashed... On cold tyres. Well, yes, this time the eejit was me. Apologies if you were there and I ‘stole’ some of your tracktime as the marshals packed me, my bike and bits of my bike up on the recovery truck. There was plenty of sympathy for me, but none of it changed the fact that I spannered my bike and put a big dent in my confidence. The ‘Never mind mate, we’ve all done it’ comments can’t really help. I’ve been riding on track for long

enough to know – you would have thought – that it takes more than three laps on a cool, humid morning to get tyres up to temperature. Well, apparently my brain wasn’t working that morning – I’ll put it down to excitement. And the moral of this pathetic tale? Well, you’re never going to be in the groove in your first track session of the day and you have nothing – nothing – to gain by asking your tyres to do too much too soon. So, next time you are out and pushing on a bit, make sure you ask yourself – ‘Are my tyres warm enough for the conditions?’ And if there’s a doubt, well you’re always better off looking like Billy Bolt-Upight. Risking a slagging is way better than scraping your knee slider, elbow and then arse on the deck, watching your bike skittle down the Tarmac, causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage with each bounce. And why does a crashing bike seem to slide for an eternity before it stops? Forget String theory and Quantum Physics – that really is one of the mysteries of the universe.

“If you could have heard the names I was calling myself as I slid on my arse, you’d have blushed.”

”

Kenny Pryde Editor

020 8726 8440 david_bradford @ipcmedia.com

Art Editor

Huw Williams

RAIMONDAS RUMSAS Clean as a whistle but mother-in-law a heavy user of EPO 020 8726 8438 huw_williams @ipcmedia.com

Web Content manager

Gemma Bailey

ERIK ZABEL EPO

020 8726 8204 gemma_bailey@ ipcmedia.com

Suits

Publishing Director

Keith Foster

020 8726 8400 [email protected] Marketing manager

Adrian Vaughan

020 8726 8401 [email protected] Keith Fosters PA

Natalie Hicks

020 8726 8402 [email protected]

Sales

Advertising manager

Steve Jones

020 8726 8415 [email protected] Display senior sales executive

Neil Handley

020 8726 8411 [email protected] Ad production

Clare Payne

020 8726 8316 [email protected] Classified sales manager

Sue Bann

020 8726 8412 [email protected]

Deputy Editor

Alan Dowds

RICHARD VIRENQUE EPO, Human growth hormone, cortisone with some Belgian mix. 020 8726 8444 alan_dowds @ipcmedia.com

Real World Editor

Jon Pearson

LANCE ARMSTRONG Just bread and water apparently 020 8726 8443 jon_pearson

Road Tester

Dave Smith

BJARNE RIIS EPO, human growth hormone, cortisone 020 8726 8419

Assistant Art Editor

Jayne Toyne

TYLER HAMILTON Someone else’s red blood cells (allegedly) 020 8726 8439 jayne_toyne @ipcmedia.com

Editorial PA

Nuala Fitzgerald MARCO PANTANI EPO? Probably Cocaine? Definitely 020 8726 8419 nuala_fitzgerald @ipcmedia.com

Small Print A guy walks into the doctor’s surgery and SuperBike is produced at Leon House, 233 High St, Croydon, Surrey CR9 1HZ, part of IPC Country and Leisure Magazines, which is part of the IPC Magazines Group. All enquiries on direct lines above or switchboard on 020 8726 8000. Fax on 020 8726 8499. General e-mail is on: [email protected]

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NEXT ISSUE ON SALE: 29/8/2007 SuperBike is published by Focus Network Magazines and is copyright ISSN no 0262 8456

Classified sales executive

Jay Firmager

020 8726 84127 jay_fi[email protected]

ABC

50,023

Audited sales figure from January - December 2006

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Bikes

THIS MONTH’S

AT A GLANCE ■ FIRST LOOK

10 Suzuki Hayabusa 10 Suzuki B-King 10 Suzuki GSX 650F

■ LAUNCHES/FIRST RIDES

58

16 Kawasaki 1400GTR 20 Triumph Street Triple

82 Yamaha YZF-R6

26

■ USED BIKE 87 Kawasaki ZRX 1200R

■ LONGTERMERS Kawasaki ZX-6R

Suzuki GSX-R1000

BMW K1200R Sport

Honda CBR600RR

Suzuki GSX-R600

Triumph Speed Triple

� ¡ COVER

STORY 200MPH

Place one ZZR1400, a turbocharger the size of Switzerland, a tin of rocket fuel and a long, uninterrupted strip of tarmac in the same room and how could you not do 200mph?

The K-Tech suspension experts invited us to a BSB race to check out how they cope with the demands of some very demanding racers We’ve got a trackday there soon so if you’re coming read this. Leon Haslam points out where bends are and how to go round them faster than your mates

50 BUILDBASE DUCATI 1098

113 115

The naked middleweight sector has long been seen as a bit working-class. But the latest crop of contenders are decidedly upmarket. Al sees if we’re all middle class now

46 OULTON PARK GUIDE

109 111

CLASS MOBILITY

40 SULTAN OF SPRINGS

105 107

STORY

Features

■ NEW VS OLD

103

¡ COVER

Yamaha YZF-R1

The Buildbase Ducati team has the best British superstock Ducati in the paddock. JP went along for the ride

10

FIRST LOOK: Suzuki’s 2008 Hayabusa update

26

TUCKING QUICK: 200mph? Been there, done that

98

WORKSHOP: You could eat your dinner off it. Dave shows you how to achieve workshop nirvana

Real World

0 3 PAGES

THE BEST RIDER’S HELP AND ADVICE SECTION

87

Regulars

116

USED BIKE: Kawasaki’s legendary ZRX 1200R

SUSPENSION: Two experts provide the answers to common set-up dilemmas

10 NEWS Suzuki launches some

2008 models, and why are bikers in Scotland crashing so much?

22 LETTERS You ride your bike, shit happens, you write in and tell us about it. Great stuff

36

78 Q&A If only riding bikes was a

problem free environment eh? Well it ain’t, so read this

82 OLD VERSUS NEW Ah, the old R6, you really can’t beat it. Or can you? We pit it against a new model

Shocks, lids, end cans, clothing, its all here

100 LONGTERM STUFF Gear we’ve

been using for ages. Is it any good?

103 STAFF BIKES Bikes we’ve been

riding for ages. Are they broken now?

116 SET-UP Suspension experts reveal

their solutions to common problems

87 SECOND-HAND TEST

Kawasaki’s ZRX 1200R. A big bike with a lot of pedigree

90 BEST TWO-PIECE SUITS

36 STUFF

Lock up your credit cards because there’s a load of new gear here you won’t be able to live without

73 CENTREFOLD

SuperBike favourite Karina throw a shapely leg over Triumph’s new Street Triple

Leathers which come apart in the middle? Are they serious? Yes and here are some of the best

94 BEST OF EVERYTHING

Some top bits of kit that we would recommend to our mates, like you

96 RIDING TECHNIQUE Throw your weight around and improve your steering. Here’s how

98 WORKSHOP You’ve got the desire,

the toolbox and you’ve got the space. Here’s how to use it properly

90

TWO PIECE SUITS: Eight of the best sets of two-piece leathers

¡ THE BIG PICTURE

CREAM OF THE CROP Pic: Graeme Brown

Those predicting the end of the Valentino Rossi era had to have a re-think after the Yamaha rider won the Assen MotoGP race ahead of championship leader, Ducati’s young gun, Casey Stoner (number 27). This picture from the last lap at Assen sets the scene for the second half of the season. Whatever the long-term implications are, at least the championship should go down to the wire.

1st LOOK

UNLEASH THE BEASTS

Suzuki flew an exuberant European press gang to Rome to unveil a selection of new models, including the updated Hayabusa and its long-awaited naked behemoth, the B-King

¡ 2008

H

SUZUKI HAYABUSA

ayabusa fans have been waiting patiently to see the ol’ bus overhauled, as it’s changed barely a jot since its introduction in 1999. There are plenty of worthwhile tech upgrades, but those hoping for a radical redesign may be

slightly disappointed because the changes are more evolution than revolution. The styling has been smartly modernised but without making a major departure from the existing shape or profile. Only the swooping new tail-unit, which

has a hint of the classic sportscar about it, catches the eye as markedly different. In essence, the Hayabusa is just as bulbous and curvy as it was before, presumably to retain warpspeed-conducive aerodynamics. And, like those women who

describe themselves as ‘curvy’ in dating ads... yes, the ‘Busa is still fat and ugly (in fact, 3kg fatter), albeit with plenty of personality. And around 200bhp. The new Hayabusa will be priced close to £9,000 and will be available from October.

¡ Exhaust

¡ Chassis

¡ Fuel injection

¡ Rear sub-frame

¡ Engine

¡ Brakes

The most important change from a practical point of view is the new exhaust system, which saves the ‘Busa from Brussels’ scrap yard by meeting Euro 3 emissions rules. The penalty is gargantuan dual silencers, similar to those of the GSX-R1000 K7... bring on the titanium Yoshimura.

The old bike’s ally sub-frame didn’t like hard-luggage and exhaust mods, so the new ‘un uses stronger rectangular steel tubing to increase the load-bearing capacity.

10

£9,000 (approx) www.suzuki.co.uk

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

It’s always handled surprisingly nimbly, but the new Hayabusa has a refined chassis that is lighter and more rigid.

Displacement is up to 1,340cc, with new, lighter pistons and titanium valves. Compression is up to 12.5:1, and cylinder skirts have large ‘U’ cutouts to reduce pumping losses.

Updated with Suzuki’s latest dual valve, dual injector setup and the GSX-R1000’s S-DMS (Suzuki Drive Mode Selector) – selectable engine mapping, offering three different types of power delivery.

The brakes, one of the old bike’s few weak points, have been brought up to date with the addition of radialmount, four-piston calipers and smaller (310mm), thicker discs.

FRONT END

NEWS

1st LOOK

THE BIKE THAT WOULD B-KING A concept in 2001, finally it’s arrived in production form

¡ Steering damper

We reckon this is a similar electronic item to that on the GSX-R1000.

¡ Instruments

The new instrument cluster includes a gear indicator and drive mode indicator.

¡ Aerodynamics

Wind protection is improved by a slightly wider fairing and 15mm-higher screen, designed to reduce the drag caused by the rider’s arms and legs.

¡ 2008

SUZUKI B-KING £9,000

(approx)

So without further ado... it’s a subtle-as-a-brick, super-sized musclebike built around a 190bhp Hayabusa motor. In the flesh, it looks like a GSR600 that has chomped its way through the Fray Bentos factory, gone on to Melton Mowbray, and washed it all down with a large dose of steroids. Maybe the ‘B’ stands for ‘Burger’ after all. The width is

simply astounding, and lends a fearsome quota of road-presence. It weighs in at a lardy 235kg, but Suzuki assures us the B-King is designed to handle as well as own the road. Indeed, former BSB champ John Reynolds helped develop the bike, and he assures us that its capability on the track completely defies its mammoth proportions.

¡ Forks

The revised, 43mm forks have a ‘Diamond-Like’ titanium carbide coating to minimise static friction.

¡ Suspension

Fully adjustable front and rear

¡ 2008

¡ Frame

Aluminium-alloy, twin-spar

¡ Fuel-injection Two-way-selectable mapping system

¡ Brakes

Radial-mount, four-piston calipers

SUZUKI GSX650F

Suzuki also wheeled out this thoroughly refreshed version of the tired old GSX600F

¡ Spec Highlights

■ Engine: 4-stroke, inline-four, l/c, DOHC 16v ■ Displacement: 1,340cc ■ Gearbox: six-speed ■ Chassis: Twin-spar aluminium ■ Rake/trail: 24.2°/98mm ■ Wheelbase: 1,485mm ■ Fuel capacity: 21 litres ■ Dry weight: 220kg ■ Peak power: 200bhp

Essentially a 650 Bandit in a party frock. But its GSX-Rinspired appearance should draw legions of fans looking for sportsbike style with greater practicality and low running costs. Cheap to buy too, at around £4,800.

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

11

FRONT END

NEWS

7%

3%

Had a fiddle, then put it back to standard

Took it to a specialist

■ SUPERPOLL

8%

Q

This month’s industry bitching, backstabbing, general idiocy and grateful thanks...

How much fiddling have you actually done with your bike’s suspension?

¡ VEHICLE CONSIDERATION? Al had to take his Triumph Speed Triple wheelie-machine for a service at local Triumph dealer Carl Rosner. Sadly for Al, the Ed went to pick it up. “Was it you who actually fitted the tail tidy sir?” The happy response was no. “Well whoever fitted it fouled up the wiring which is why there were so many electrical faults. Also, the headstock was loose.” Maybe something to do with the wheelies, eh?

SO WHO’S TOUCHED THAT DIAL?

12

2%

My mate set it up SUPERPOLL: NEXT MONTH If you had a spare £500 to blow on bike-related fun, what would you spend it on? Click and vote at

Q

www.superbike.co.uk

You’ve got a bike with suspension that can be adjusted both front and rear. You can tweak spring preload and damper settings. So do you have a go?

A

t a time when manufacturers are producing standard bikes with ever more sophisticated and efficient suspension (high

and low-speed compression damping as standard) it looks like about half of you don’t really care that much and ten per cent of you are happy to do

little more than check the sag. But fair play to you diligent readers of our suspension series (which has been running nearly a year now),

because more than a third of you have tackled the clickers, notepad in hand and tried to improve your bike’s handling. Hats off to you brave citizens!

SAFER WIN THAN THE REAL THING

¡ RIDE OR FAST BIKES?

Dapper Dan Sager for oiling the wheels of industry; Arthur MacDee for Micron zorsts, Nick White at KAIS, Sean Mills of BigCC for helping Dave Smith and Mr Roots to 200mph, god they were chuffed, Ken Summerton of K-Tech and Nick Morgan, Essex man and Isilon Kawasaki mover/shaker. Big cheers to the lads at RJS Superbikes in Mallory for dyno runs, and a ‘well-snapped’ compliment to Russ at www.rawaction.co.uk for capturing Kenny breakdancing through Sear corner at Snetterton. Finally, apologies to John McGuinness for waking him up the day after his TT lap record. That wasn’t a hangover you were nursing was it John?

9%

Set the preload, nothing else

We hear that British biking institution Bike magazine has a new team leader in the shape of Ramblin’ Guy Proctor, erstwhile editor of Trail magazine, a title for those keen on breathable fabrics and telescopic walking poles. Mr Proctor previously did time on RiDE mag so we welcome him back into the big tent of moto journalism and hope he packed a functioning GPS gizmo and sense of humour in his day sack.

¡ THANKS

Tweaked front and rear, it’s now better

None, haven’t touched anything

¡ NEW GUY AT BIKE

What’s going on? One month everyone is playing nicely, showing respect where appropriate to peers, the next DiRE magazine’s editor decides to announce that its road tester Ben Wilkins – thankfully no relation to ‘Jay’ ‘Wilko’ ‘J’ Wilkins – is “arguably the fastest full-time journo in Britain.” Well, we don’t know who is or even why it would matter, but we’re a bit shocked by this revelation. We rather suspect that Ben was too...

26%

45%

¡ ROLLS OF DISHONOUR Yes, throwing themselves down roads this month were the Editor (which you will read about) and PB writing’n’riding machine Dale Lomas, no stranger to this column. It appears Dale was a bit too enthusiastic heading for his beloved Nurburgring. Lomas piled into a bend too quickly and crashed on the other side of the road. The Ed got off with bruised ego and a red face, Dale was a lot less fortunate with a fractured spine. Speedy recovery Dale; we don’t like to see anyone getting hurt.

Fitted aftermarket parts

SBK-07 is the official World Superbike championship game, revamped for 2007. It gives you the chance to jump on a choice of 22 WSB machines and mix it on one of 13 WSB circuits

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

The great thing about this game is the scope to vary its difficulty level. Put it in arcade mode, with all the rider-aids on, and the only real problem you will have is avoiding crashing into the back of the over-cautious CPU riders, who get on the brakes earlier than your granny. However, put it in simulation mode, with all the aids turned off, and it’s a real challenge to complete a lap. Things get squirrelly under heavy braking, and too much throttle

too soon out of the corner will result in a high-side, with damage, injury and a DNF. Just like in the real world, practice makes perfect and perseverance pays off. With good graphics and gameplay, plus the ability to make things as realistic as you want, this game should keep everyone entertained until at least the end of the season. SBK07 is currently available on PS2 and PSP with plans to release on Xbox 360 and PC versions in October.

JAMES TOSELAND’S WSB GEAR As part of the launch of SBK-07, we’re offering a bundle of prizes, including a mini-bike, a framed James Toseland poster and a Toseland replica helmet (both signed by the man himself). There are five copies of the game for five lucky runners-up too. Simply answer the following question to be in with a chance of winning:

Q

The World Superbike series takes riders and their teams all over the globe, but how many circuits in total will be visited this season? SEND YOUR ANSWERS TO: SBK-07 Competition, SuperBike Magazine, Leon House, 233 High Street, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 1HZ.

FRONT END

NEWS

SCOTTISH BIKER DEATHS RISE IN 2006

JOCKS AWAY! The bad news is that according to Department for Transport figures there were 599 ‘motorcycle fatalities’ in 2006. The good news is that that’s only a five percent increase on 2005. The other curious detail to be factored into that equation is that 24 of the extra 30 deaths were in Scotland

UK TWO-WHEELED ACCIDENT STATISTICS

CRUNCH NUMBERS NOT BONES 23,326 599 Powered two wheeler deaths in 2006

5,885 Riders seriously injured in 2006, one per cent less than 2005

Bike users injured in 2006, six percent less than in 2005

...AND BRIEFLY ¡ Lock up your beer/daughters/dope Those original bad boys (we can argue about the chronology later) of US stunting, the Starboyz, are over in the UK ‘touring’ in August and will be ‘working’ with British street stunt mob the Vertical Brits at a number of venues and shops throughout the month. Keep your eyes peeled and check our website or www.verticalbrits.co.uk for details. ¡ Go to BSB and Think! The Think! campaign (trying to get us all to stop crashing and think about our riding) is doing good business at British superbike rounds in 2007. There are always a stack of star riders being interviewed and it’s less hectic than the pitlane walk. Check it out on www.thinkmotorcycleacademy.co.uk ¡ Verdomme! New Belgian track days For those of you with a hankering to ride tracks abroad, you might want to check out www.eybis, a new Belgian company. We spoke to grand frommage/grote kaas Werner and his English is better than ours and he’s got some pukka racers on hand to do a bit of instructing (European superstock champ Didier Vankeymuelen and Arnaud Vincent). If the British summer is a wash out, go continental!

14

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

16,196 Number of cyclists injured in 2006

675

Pedestrians killed on UK roads. Up one percent on 2005

SUPERBIKE TRACKDAYS 22:8:2007 OULTON PARK

HAVE IT OUT WITH HASLAM AT OULTON We’ve got a track guide to Oulton Park by Airwaves Ducati’s Leon Haslam in this issue, but we’ve just managed to convince him to come along and give us all a showing up on our track day on August 22. Leon will be on hand to dispense track tips and do a bit of riding as well, so come along to see us, ride with Leon, pick up the Editor and grab a goodie bag. Call 0870 850 5013 to book you and your mate’s place.

What the hell is going – common sense. on up there in the land In any case, what does the of my fathers? Those extra Department for Transport deaths represent a wildly mean by ‘motorcycle fatalities’? disproportionate increase in Does it mean bikes over 125cc? fatalities north of the border. Do these deaths include In all seriousness, has the scooter riders? The answer Scottish Executive been taking to both of those questions is good enough care of the roads yes. And, furthermore, we up there? Have don’t know whether there been enough “Have there been these deaths were enough TV adverts urban or rural, TV adverts telling drunken Jocks riders really killing telling drunken to look twice at Jocks to look twice themselves on junctions when at junctions when the open road or they’re on their being wiped out by they’re on their way home from way home from a cars ‘not seeing’ at the lock- ins in junctions. lock- in?” pubs along the A9? The main As ever, you can thing is that, for interpret statistics to suit your a government still obsessed argument and we’re saying it’s by targets and statistics, not too bad. Better weather these statistics are going to means more miles ridden and catch someone’s eyes. The more miles ridden by more headline figure in the bullet riders means more death. Sad points on the first page of the but true. Until the statistics executive briefing is that bike relating to traffic volumes fatalities are up. Hold your are released, that’s just a bit breath people, we could be in of idle speculation on our for another wave of crackpot part, but it seems like – ulp! initiatives...

16

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

1st RIDE

Kawasaki 1400GTR

FAMILY

VALUES

Kawasaki is back in the tourer market after a decade away, with a decidedly sporty new Grand Tourer. Al checks it out round France Words: Alan Dowds Pics: James Wright/Double Red

B

ig firms are obsessed with their ‘perceived brand values’ these days. Whether it’s Marks and Spencer banging on about its fancy food, or Sony boring you rigid with how ‘creative’ its new camcorder will make you, it seems like all the big guys are marking their territory out incredibly precisely. It’s that way with bike firms too. Honda’s been the high-quality engineering perfectionist for years now, while Suzuki nailed its colours to the GSX-R race rep mast back in the 1980s. And both Ducati and Harley have grabbed the ‘character’ thing, despite their widely differing product lines. But Kawasaki’s always been about power. From the first Z1 superbike of the 1970s, through its wild two-stroke triple range, the GPZ900R, ZZ-R1100, ZX-12R and the latest ZZR1400, if you wanted

big performance, Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ motorcycle arm was generally best placed to help out. Admittedly, the firm had a bit of a hiccup in the late 1990s, when its ZX range went lardy and soft, but with the latest ZX-10R, ZX-6R, ZZR1400 and Z1000/750, the big K is back on track. All of which goes some way to explain why I’m travelling through Alsace at 155mph, with a long-weekend’s worth of kit, in a bubble of comfort and protection. Because with the new 1400GTR super-tourer, Kawasaki has produced an incredibly high-performance distance machine. Based on the crazy 200bhp-ish ZZR1400, the new GTR is a seriously impressive machine – even before you swing a leg over it. A glance at the spec sheet, followed by a close inspection of the bike in the flesh shows a very serious attempt on the tough, intense,

big tourer market. When you take on the likes of BMW’s K1200S, Yamaha’s FJR1300 and Honda’s Pan European, you better be serious. And Kawasaki hasn’t been swinging the lead. With a pretty clear brief – be the highest-performance tourer available – its designers have adapted the ZZR1400 with a series of high-tech, high-quality engineering modifications, from variable valve timing and shaft drive, to a stiffened frame, touring bodywork and a set of clever tech toys.

Weird French/Germans The result, as I pull out of the weird French/German Alsace village we’re based in, is actually a little imposing at first. The GTR has a fairly tall seat height, and its notinconsiderable mass is held a little higher than you might like, lending a rather ungainly

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

17

FIRST RIDE

Kawasaki 1400GTR

Specifications Price: £11,000 NU ins. group: 14 (tbc)

Accessories

Taller/wider screen, gel comfort seat, top box, satnav bracket and pannier inner bags.

Engine Type: l/c, 16v, DOHC, variable valve timing, inline-four Displacement: 1,352cc Bore x Stroke: 84x61mm Compression: 10.7:1 Carburation: Dual-valve fuel injection, 40mm throttle bodies Gearbox: six-speed, shaft drive Power: 155bhp@8,800rpm Torque: 100.3lbf ft@6,200rpm

Variable valve timing

The inlet camshaft has a special rotor between the shaft and the drive sprocket. The ECU opens a valve that allows pressurised oil through the shaft into chambers in the rotor, thus advancing or retarding the inlet valve timing. Sensors on both camshafts allow the ECU to know where the inlet cam is, and the movement is infinitely variable, rather than operating in set steps.

Cycle Parts Chassis: Pressed aluminium monocoque Suspension: (F) 43mm USD forks, preload/rebound damping adjustable (R) Sachs monoshock, preload/rebound damping adjustable Brakes: (F) dual 310mm petal discs, four-piston radial-mount calipers, ABS (R) 270mm petal disc, twin-piston caliper, ABS Wheels/Tyres: Cast alu/Bridgestone BT021, 120/70 17 F, 190/50 17 R Seat height: 815mm Wheelbase: 1,520mm Capacity: 22 litres (4.8 gal) Dry Weight: 279kg (614lb)

KIPASS

Kawasaki Intelligent Proximity Access Security System is the crappest name in a long list of crap names. It’s basically a keyless ignition system – you have a smart fob with a 128-bit encrypted code inside. When it’s near the bike, you can unlock the steering and start the engine.

Contact Kawasaki UK 01628 851000 www.kawasaki.co.uk

Frame

Claimed to be 20 per cent stiffer than the ZZR’s monocoque design, to cope with the extra mass.

slow-speed nature at first. Once you get used to it, things improve, but it’s not as natural as most other heavyweights at walking pace. Get moving though, and the tables are turned. The GTR is dynamic and communicative on the twisty ‘A’ and ‘B’ type roads we start out on, with easy steering, and plenty of feedback from the special Bridgestone BT021 rubber. Even when the rain comes on for the day and turns the overbanding-

18

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

Tyre pressure system

Inside each tyre is a pressure-monitoring sensor that sends a signal to the ECU. Pressure is shown on the dash, and a warning light flashes below 29psi (stock is 41psi).

rich Tarmac into a lethal skidpan, the GTR just lets you get on with making progress. The brakes are super-powerful, hauling you up from that 150mph motorway pace with ease (although you do feel the mass pushing through the steering head), while the ABS system gives an extra measure of confidence in the damp. At the top end of the speed range, over 135mph, there is a slight weave, but it feels pretty benign, even up to the 160mph indicated top whack.

Shaft drive

Tetra-lever design, named for the four mounting points to the frame. Isolates the shaft drive from the chassis, reducing the effects on suspension movement of acceleration and deceleration.

Lazy delivery The engine is a classic. The variable valves utterly alter its character from the peaky ZZR form, dropping the power down the rev range, and placing the peak output at 8,800rpm. Indeed, at first it feels a little laggardly, but that’s down to the deceptively lazy delivery – and a super-high sixth gear. The flat slab of torque has no discernible bumps or dips, and it’s only when you check out the new dash you realise just

how quick you’re going. Top end was an indicated 160mph on the motorway, and while the new fuel injection is a little jerky around town, this new motor goes to the top of the touring engine class. So the GTR hits the performance mark pretty comprehensively. How does it cope with the distance touring part of the equation? Well, it ticks a few boxes – the new shaft drive is excellent, with no torque reaction discernible, the seat is comfy, and the riding position

relaxing. The stock panniers are big and well tucked-in out of the breeze, and there’s a handy tanktop cubbyhole. The tank itself holds 22 litres, and you’ll have to be a real throttle animal not to get at least 160 miles between fill-ups. Mirrors are good, there’s an onboard tyre pressure monitor, and a natty electric screen. But the GTR misses a few tricks. The screen is too low (my Burgman 650 has more protection), although there’s an optional taller screen on the accessory list. What’s not on the official accessory list is any electric heated grips or seat, nor are there audio options, cruise control, extra wind protection or HID headlights available, unlike the opposition. After two days on the GTR,

I’d definitely developed a soft spot for the big Kawasaki. It’s a superb fast tourer, and offers much more than the ZZR1400 for mileage fans. It makes Yamaha’s FJR1300 feel rather primitive, and while it isn’t as ‘tour-ey’ as a Honda Pan European, it’s got the measure of both those bikes in the excitement stakes. It is pricey at £11k (cheaper than the opposition), but it is a premium product, and feels well made and well designed everywhere. Add the tall screen and topbox, then get some proper heated grips fitted, and you’ll have a comfy continent crusher, with ample bend-slaying abilities for when you get to Spain or whichever other far-flung location you head for. Which isn’t so much ‘M&S food’ or ‘Sony - Go Create’, as ‘Ronseal – does what it says on the tin’. SB

“The engine is a classic. The variable valve system has utterly altered its character from the rather peaky ZZR form, dropping peak power down to 8,800rpm”

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

19

1st RIDE

Kawasaki 1400GTR Triumph Street Triple

HARDCORE

TRIPLEXXX

Words: Alan Dowds Pics: James Wright/Double Red

Born of thoroughbred stock, the new Street Triple offers the heart of the thrilling Daytona 675 and the soul of the lawless Speed Triple Words: Simon Roots Pics: Gold & Goose

S

ome bikes need long, flowery introductions to ease into an amusing, anecdote filled report on its ability. The new Triumph Street Triple is no such machine, for to waste words on setting dramatic scenes or carefully constructed stories would be doing the most exciting bike of 2007 a huge

injustice. I’m sorry to ruin the end of this tale, but after one of the best day’s riding I’ll ever have I can’t keep you in suspense as to the Street Triple’s talents until my final paragraph. Too often we talk about naked middleweight machines as being dumbed down and stripped bare. The recipe is simple enough, but the execution of it is hard to master.

Our man Roots (front) attempts, forlornly, to outwheelie stunt meister Kevin Carmichael

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SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

Some bikes end up being too revvy and unsuitable for their new application, while other bikes finish up as dreary, soulless shadows of their former selves. But once in a generation a bike comes along and blows every preconceived notion about the class into smithereens. And that bike is the Street Triple. With the heritage of

the Speed Triple as one parent and the dynamism of the Daytona 675 as the other, the Street Triple always had the potential to be a wild child. It’s like having a rockstar dad and a swimsuit model mother. And so it came to pass... Launched on the shores of Lake Garda, and using roads that the renowned Trento-Bondone hill climb route scorches up, the test for this naked machine couldn’t have been sterner. Any corner cutting, so obvious in this class, would be cruelly exposed through a route whose corners ranged in speed for 20mph to 120mph. Its unadjustable suspension would feel mushy and imprecise, its cheap two-piston sliding brake clippers would fade and capitulate and its revised engine would wheeze meekly at altitudes that reached 1,700 metres surely? On other machines maybe, but not the Street Triple. The day started brilliantly with Lake

Garda disappearing in the rear-view mirrors. The lake wasn’t replaced by more stunning scenery, but rather with Tarmac as the first of what felt like a hundred wheelies was executed out of the swish Italian resort. My wheelies are normally unspectacular in both height and length, but the bike loaned me talent for the rest of the day. But stunts would have to wait as almost immediately into the 120km ride the route took us up a blissful ribbon of road into the stunning

Behind Roots is Lake Garda, ahead of him, the Italian Dolomites. Nice

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

21

FIRST RIDE

Triumph Street Triple

Exhaust

Chassis

Modifying the lengths of the manifold and silencer has created the Triple’s wonderful sound. The twin pipe high mount cans have been used to ape the Speed Triple’s look.

The Daytona 675’s frame was made with the Street Triple in mind, so its fairing brackets are all tucked away out of sight. The swingarm pivot point is 2mm lower and the geometry has changed slightly with half a degree more rake and 5mm more trail with a reduced yoke offset. Aside from this, it’s the same as the 675.

Engine

The Daytona 675’s motor is very lightly breathed upon with a new cam profile (lift is reduced by 1.25mm on intake and exhaust) and new pistons. The rev ceiling is reduced to 12,650 from the 675’s 13,500rpm but over 44lb feet of torque is available between 3,500rpm to 12,300rpm.

Brakes

Suspension

Two piston sliding calipers sound a million miles away from the 675’s smart radial set-up but the work amazingly well and are an example of Triumph saving money where it was needed and saving dosh where trick bits aren’t required. Pad material is the same as the 675.

Unadjustable, but highly effective. The Street Triple uses Kayaba units front and rear. The forks are the same diameter and the rear shock is slightly shorter so as to keep the rear a little lower than the 675 at the back.

Styling

The Street Triple was originally going to use the same rear end as the 675 but then the Italian’s got involved. Italy is a huge market for the Speed Triple and the importers there urged the factory to recreate the Speed Triple’s rear on the new Street. This added another six months to the bike’s development time – so if you don’t like it, blame them!

Wheels and discs

They are, quite simply, the same as the 675.

Ancillaries

The headlights are straight from the Speed Triple while the dash internals (including gear indicator and lap timer) are from the 675 but housed in a new case. Footrests and handlebars are new.

Accessories

There’s a load of accessories available for the Street Triple, including various fly screens, cowls and carbon bits, but the best extra is the Arrow 3-into-1 system.

Dolomites scenery. The surface was unusually good for an Italian road, but the challenge was anything but easy – and this is where the Street Triple’s Daytona 675 DNA comes into its own. The 675 is an amazingly lithe

and exact bike, classleading in fact, and given that the Street Triple shares almost everything of the 675’s chassis it comes as no surprise that the Triple made light work of this harsh terrain. I had coffee and croissants

for breakfast. The Street Triple had this tortuous strada. Even if Triumph had lavished the Triple with the same adjustable suspension as the 675, I wouldn’t have touched a thing on this bike. And the unadjustable suspension (except for preload on the rear) seemed to offer easy compliance to a wide range of shapes and sizes with the rear Dunlop Qualifier tyre being the first to buckle.

Sublime stoppers Quick to turn, especially with the wider bars, the Triple offers amazing feedback and precision through a huge range of corners. Feeling solid and stable in quick turns, but responsive and easysteering through slower ones, the Street Triple breeds confidence like a contagious infection – and within a few corners you’ll

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SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

be the next victim of this horrendously fun disease. But those cheap, nasty brakes were nagging away at me. But what better way to test them than to charge up to a dozen hairpin bends at anything up to 100mph and then shed 80mph in as shorter time as you dare. That’ll show Triumph up to be the corner cutters that they are, surely? Well, no actually. The brakes are amazing. Yes, the two piston Nissin sliding calipers work as well in this context as the 675’s do on the race track. Friendly, but ultimately forceful, they suit the bike to a tee. OK, so Triumph has got the chassis and suspension spot-on, they’ve sorted the brakes too. Surely they’ve messed up the engine, detuning the soul from the Daytona 675? Not a bit of it. The engine

Specifications Price: £5,350 NU ins. group: 13 (tbc) Engine Type: l/c 12v inline-triple, DOHC timing, inline-triple Displacement: 675cc Bore x Stroke: 74.0 x 52.3mm Compression: 12.65:1 Carburation: Multipoint sequential EFI Gearbox: six-speed, shaft drive Power: 107bhp@11,750rpm (claimed) Torque: 51lb ft@9,100rpm (claimed) Cycle Parts Chassis: Aluminium beam twin spar Suspension: (F) unadjustable Kayaba 41mm USD forks (R) Preload adjustable Kayaba monoshock Brakes: (F) 2x 308mm discs, two-piston Nissin sliding calipers (R) 220mm disc, single-piston caliper Wheels/Tyres: Dunlop Qualifier (F) 120/70 ZR17 (R) 180/55 ZR17 Rake/Trail: 24.3°/95.3mm Wheelbase: 1,395mm Capacity: 17.4 litres (3.8 gal) Dry Weight: 167kg (367lb) Contact Triumph UK 01455 251700 www.triumph.co.uk

FIRST RIDE

Triumph Street Triple

TRIUMPH PEOPLE

Race god: Paul Young Former Superstock champion now races a Daytona 675 in British supersport and is on Triumph’s test team “I got off it after that first ride and just said to Triumph that they’ll sell squillions of these. Why? Well I see people buying 1,000cc sportsbikes and I’ve raced these and sometimes I’ve not come close to getting the best out of them. I see the Street Triple as something that people will get much more enjoyment out of. They’ll get closer to their and the bike’s limit, but it’s safer and more fun. I just love this bike.”

has been worked on, but nothing like to the extent it would take to mess with the 675’s amazing triple configuration delivery. Revisions, small that they are, come in the form of a revised camshaft that reduces cam lift slightly and new pistons that are better suited to the slightly lower revving engine. In fact, the motor is actually stronger to 9,000rpm than the 675 – just where you want a naked bike to excel – and it’s hardly shy above this, pumping out a (claimed) hugely satisfying 107bhp at nearly 12,000rpm and offering crisp, clean delivery on every throttle opening. What this translates to on the road is a flexible motor that offers response in almost every gear in almost every situation – whether it be pulling in third out of a hairpin bend and still keeping in touch with other hell-bent riders or riding the bike on the redline.

Cost effective So far the linage of the Daytona 675 is clear. Borrowing the frame and the engine, this is bound to be the case, but the legacy of the Speed Triple, beyond that of its looks, is never far away. And that legacy is a very naughty one indeed. Yes, as well as doing a great impression

Ignoring the armco in the Dolomites and enjoying the bends on the Street Triple

of a utilitarian machine for the masses, suitable for novices and experts alike, the Street Triple can turn a green stunter into an expert in the space of a day. As Triumph’s product manager, Simon Warburton puts it, “We anticipate it getting abuse.” The Street Triple makes its Speed Triple brother feel like a lardy old bus as it wheelies with ease from the first two

gears, before turning you into a stoppie-meister in the space of a few passes. But even this isn’t the best thing about the Street Triple. No, the fact that it is £5,350 is the best thing about it. I can’t see how Triumph has done it for the money – and even Triumph’s bean counters are wondering how they let this one through the books. Margins on the Street

Triple are low for everyone – the factory, importers and dealers – so Triumph are hoping that volume will make fill the potential black hole where profit once was. And if there’s any justice in the world the Street Triple will sell by the thousands because I can see no better way to commute, scratch or stunt than this. SB

TRIUMPH PEOPLE

Stunt god: Kevin Carmichael

The former European and World stunt champion uses Triumphs in his shows “If someone said to me how to make the Speed Triple a better stunt bike, well, they’ve just done it. It’s an incredible bike. The weight is the main thing but the power delivery is amazing too - I’m doing 180 stoppies straight into

wheelies and I cannot do that on any other road bike. The brakes are good, and I can’t fault it for stoppies. If anyone can’t get to grips with wheelies and stoppies on this bike then they’re wasting their time on any other bike.”

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SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

TEN STEPS TO

200mph is still a magic number, despite bikes getting ever more powerful and aerodynamically sleek. The final push over the top needs exponentially more power – and that’s where Big CC Racing’s turbo Kawasaki ZZR1400 comes in... Words: Simon Roots Pics: John Noble

A QUICK 1BUY BIKE

There are plenty of quick bikes out there, there are even a handful that are restricted to 186mph, but as those crazy yanks say, there’s no replacement for displacement – and that’s where the Kawasaki ZZR1400 comes into its own. Pumping out nearly 190bhp at the crank, the Kawasaki is one bike that has to be electronically restricted to 186mph (300kph) to comply with the gentleman’s speed agreement set by the Japanese manufacturers. But even without the restriction there’s still not enough poke to top the two hundred. This is where motorcycling gets murky and tuners delve into their own little world of anabolic steroids – or rather turbos, superchargers and nitrous oxide.

IT TO A 2 SEND TOP TUNER

Big CC Racing should be the first port of call if you’ve got a big horsepower project planned. With 10

years of experience under the Big CC banner, Sean Mills and his crack team of engine builders are some of the world’s finest. Having built street bikes with over 700bhp barely contained inside them, there’s plenty of scope to build a bike to whatever budget you can afford.

WHACK A 3 DIRTY BIG TURBO ON THERE

“I’m a firm believer of using big turbos,” says Sean from Big CC Racing. “Of course they give bigger power but it’s more controllable, you’re getting more grunt from less boost. All boost is, is a

measurement of backed-up air that is yet to go through the engine and turbo system, so we’re dealing with the volumetric movement of air and this bigger turbo deals with everything really well. Smaller turbos give a smaller powerband and make them unmanageable in comparison. With the turbo we use on the ZZR, power is pretty linear and there are no big surprises.” This Big CC Hybrid stage one kit is flexible too, forming a modular system that can be upgraded depending on how much you want to do to the bike’s internals – and how much money you’ve got. Using a

GT3071R Garrett turbine and a 38mm Tial wastegate the parts are capable for more power than is actually generated in the stage one system. “Originally I designed the kit to run at 6psi where it would generate 275bhp. In this state, it’s running at 10psi and putting out 325bhp, but it will run up to one bar of pressure with a change of spring and engine map where we’ve seen 374bhp but the turbo itself is good for 500bhp.” Wow. But what about turbo lag? Sean reckons there’s no worries here,

“Boot the throttle of a turbo car and you’re not going to get an instant reaction because you’ve got to move maybe two-tonnes of car that isn’t revving particularly hard. Bikes have an advantage in that they weigh a lot less and you’re already on the move, the engine is already doing lots of the work so lag isn’t really a problem.”

DO VERY 4 LITTLE TO THE INTERNALS

Because the ZZR1400 boasts such fine (and robust) engineering as standard, there’s not an awful lot you need to do to the internals for this 325bhp conversion. The head comes off, add a spacer plate with a thicker head gasket to change the compression ratio – and that’s it. The pistons, rods and injection system handle it with ease. The turbo kit comes in at £3,500, adjustable vernier camshaft sprockets are £500 (to allow the timing to be altered) and installation is £500. That makes a ride-in,

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

27

FEATURE 200MPH So that’s what happens to unwanted Tubas

ride-out 200mph price an incredible £4,500. Everything on the stage one kit is built for big power, the only restriction on it is set by fuel and the boost settings. With internal work, the stage two uses a two stage boost controller and uses a clever piggyback system using two Power Commanders that work out additional boost referencing, along with other parts (like 750cc injectors and fuel regulator) to make nearly 500bhp.

THE 5HAVE RIGHT FUEL

MaxNOS is the daddy of

“One trip to a drag car shop, and £94 later we’re ready.”

all race fuel, it’s like EPO for engines. It makes normal race fuel look like Kia-Ora compared to this fire Rocket fuel – there’s breathing a chip shop near absinth. the office that uses For normal this stuff to fry the use, super saveloys unleaded is fine, but the drag racing world. At because it wasn’t our bike 119 RON, it’s for engines and because we were going that are on the limit of their to work the bike hard we development – although the thought it prudent to get ZZR was nowhere near the some uber-flash go-go envelope of its operation. juice. MaxNOS is a fuel for Here’s a quick lesson on

8FIND A STRAIGHT ROAD

Instead of fannying about on the roads, we took the ZZR1400 to the longest piece of straight Tarmac we could find. After all, with a massive air filter poking out of the Kawasaki’s innards there’s not much scope

octane ratings. Tempting as it is to think this, higher octane fuel on its own does not mean more powerful petrol. The octane rating refers to the mixture of iso-octane and n-heptane in the fuel. The higher the octane rating the less likely ‘knocking’ will occur (where the fuel/air mix detonates before its ideal time through compression rather than the spark plug), which is vital on high compression and turbo engines. Fuels can be formulated to provide more energy in conjunction with the higher octane rating, but on its own, octane does not boost performance. So one trip to a drag car shop, and £94 later (for a 25-litre drum of the stuff), and we’re ready.

THE 6GET GEARING RIGHT

It’s all very well having 325bhp available at the rear wheel, but if you don’t get your gearing right, a stock GSX-R1000 could be faster. When you’re dealing with relatively confined spaces gearing becomes crucial. Too short and you reach top speed well before your braking point, too long and

to go scratching round the lanes, although once you calibrate the revised lean angles the bike is still good fun to scurry around on. The road to Bruntingthorpe is a well-trodden path for us at SuperBike. Why? It’s easy, the café there does

you’re only just getting into your stride when you have to slam the anchors on. Standard gearing on the ZZR1400 is a 17-tooth sprocket at the front and a 41-tooth sprocket at the rear. So it’ll potter around town without too much fuss and then rocket you up to over 180mph. Flexibility is great – until such point as you want to be focussed on one remarkable goal. So we stuck an 18 tooth sprocket on the front in the hope that would boost speed to 200mph.

IRON OUT 7 SOME TEETHING PROBLEMS

We picked the bike up from Big CC, after they had changed the front sprocket to the 18-toother, and headed up to Bruntingthorpe, unwittingly with the wrong race fuel. Greeted by perfect conditions, we had to delay our top-speed runs because we thought some BSB-spec Elf race fuel would be OK. A phone call to check revealed that MaxNOS would be better. Suitably chastened, Dave and I went home with our

the best cooked breakfasts in Christendom. It’s also a handy spot for doing speed testing because there’s not an awful lot to stop you. Strong crosswinds can hamper a run, but on a calm day you can max a bike out, easy. And there’s not much to crash into either. Well...

Roots attempting 200mph with ultra-aero body positioning – or is it a personal air-boost?

SB

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SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

FEATURE 200MPH tails between our legs, desperately trying to find someone who would sell us some race fuel or Avgas. The second attempt proved more fruitful, fuel procured, we headed out on another windless day to hit... 195.1mph and not a mile per hour more. We had hit the limit of the bike with half of the two mile runway to spare. Dave said that he’s never been so fast but so pissed off at the same time. Even though we’d fitted one tooth on the front sprocket it was not enough to drag us to 200mph. So we were straight on the phone trying to source some different sprockets, although this is a task that’s more easily said than done because most people shorten a ZZR1400’s gearing rather than try and make it go faster...

GET SOME 9 MEASURING EQUIPMENT

We’ll probably see the big 200 on the ZZR’s dials, but the chances are you’re no-where near because inaccuracies with the speedo magnify the quicker you go, especially if you start messing around with the gearing. So we brought along a Racelogic Performance Box to back-up our boasting. As it’s based on GPS satellites measuring your every move you can guarantee that the final figure it spews out is accurate. It’ll be our proof that we actually did break the double ton.

IN AND BURY 10 BREATH THE THROTTLE After two false dawns, Dave and I were suffering from summit fever – we had to climb this mountain no matter what, so it was time to bring the big balls out. Or so we thought. 200mph has been a mythical figure for so long, but after just 20.7 seconds our goal had been reached. So much for building up to these things. What I’d like to be telling you now is how difficult it was to attain this figure, how manly and brave we were to pin the throttle for so long, but never has going this fast been so easy. The most difficult part of getting to 200mph was launching the ZZR with venom. With 325bhp ready to explode through the standard rear Bridgestone BT-015 tyre, the first few metres of this quest were the hairiest of all. Retaining its standard swingarm, the ZZR1400 just wanted to head skywards down the runway in its first three gears.

100mph went along time ago, after just six seconds. 14 seconds later and we’d crack it - and strangely things were getting easier. A fuelling hiccup as you change gear that had yet to be dynoed out (Sean insists that this was easily cured) hampered the runs under fullpower, but unless the throttle is pinned you don’t notice this, nor just how astonishing easily the turbo makes its power. By fourth gear the bike – and rider – had just about settled into the swing of things, with the front tyre now returning to employment and the bike settling into the run. It only wanted to maim me now where-as before it was intent on murder. This is like no ZZR1400, indeed no bike, I’d ever ridden before because the acceleration it generates is like nothing else on two wheels. I’d try and compare it to something to give you some perspective, but I’ve never been

“This was like finding out that someone had fitted a Stannah stairlift on Mount Everest, but what the hell.”

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SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

strapped to a Tomahawk missile before. By now the speedo arm is well on its way through its second lap, but behind the bike’s big bubble it’s remarkably serene. As stable at this speed as it is 150mph slower, the ZZR charges through barrier – although I’ve got my eyes on the end of the runway rather than the GPS logger telling me I’ve broken 200mph.

“Look, I stopped it from 200 using just these.”

And that’s it. 202.9mph. As easy as that. So easy that Dave and I sucked our way through most of that £94 barrel of fuel hitting 200mph again and again and again. With even better gearing it’s good for at least 210mph, maybe even 215mph. We even contemplated what the bike would do two-up, but thought better of it. This was like finding out that someone had fitted a Stannah stair lift on Mount Everest. But what the hell, we did it. Before we handed the bike back to its owner (who tours round Europe with his wife on it – with panniers too!) It was time for one more magical run. So another thing crossed off my to-do list of life – and who cares that it was a doddle. SB ■ Thanks to: Big CC Racing 0118 977 6755 www.bigccracing.com

¡ CONTACTPATCH READERS’ LETTERS Write: Readers’ Letters, SuperBike Magazine, IPC Media, Leon House, 233 High Street, Croydon, Surrey CR9 1HZ E-mail: [email protected]

Letter

OF THE MONTH

Letter Of The Month wins an HJC solid carbon lid worth £275

Lighting up I am currently serving in southern Afghanistan as part of a team responsible for training the Afghanistan National Army. I thought you and your readers would be interested in the bike I came across the other day. I’ve not seen this make or model before and I was particularly impressed by the aftermarket cigarette lighter! The owner must be a madman because you need a death wish to ride a bike out here, but to smoke and ride, well that’s just fucking barking! Gaz, Helmand Province, Afghanistan

A cigarette lighter on a motorbike? That’s as much use as an ashtray on a mo... Oh forget it.

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SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

¡ Criminal?

Moi?

Am I a criminal, a yob, or just an irresponsible member of society? Picture the scene: it’s a beautiful sunny June morning, out on my R6 – which is insured, MOT’d, wellmaintained and fully legal. I’m riding along a dual-carriageway just outside Milton Keynes. The traffic is light, there are no road junctions for several miles, and I’m wearing quality protective kit. At the next roundabout, a police patrol car pulls out behind me and gives me a tug. Remembering all your good advice from previous issues, I turn the engine off, take off my helmet and I’m as polite and as charming as I can be. Ninety-one mph in a 70, he informs me. Fixed penalty notice issued, 60 quid down and three points. Hands

up, fair cop. Then advice, under the the officer informs circumstances. me that I had been I continued clocked by an on my journey, unmarked patrol somewhat slower car hiding than “I’ve witnessed normal, behind petrol being a hedge and pull issued to illegal into a at the off-road bikes entrance service to riders with to a bridge. station for no helmets, no He says fuel. Yes, number plates they’re you’ve and, no doubt, having a guessed no licence, purge on it – the insurance nor speeding spotty MOT“ bikes. Not faced cars, not attendant vans, not buses, refuses to switch on just bikes – in the the pump before I name of Road take my helmet off. Safety. Bastards. This is the same The nice but service station misguided bobby were I’ve witnessed further informs petrol being issued me that he’s a to illegal off-road biker and also bikes to riders speeds. Great with no helmets, help and excellent no number plates

¡ Roundabout blues Last year, I came off my 1999 GSX-R SRAD on a roundabout, and I had no clue as to the cause. I managed to patch it back together with the little money I had. It looks a bit scruffy, with differently coloured panels, but it works. I just use it for work now, as I’ve lost interest in weekend blasting. Enough about my problems. The reason for my email, I think I’ve discovered what caused my crash – and

to tell others using the A4042 from Pontypool to Abergavenny to be careful. While riding to work this week, in decent Welsh weather – rain – I joined the A4042 at the ‘McDonalds roundabout’, heading towards Abergavenny As I approached the first roundabout, near the Horse & Jockey pub, I had to take the inside lane, as the outside was full of a nice shiny bluey colour all the way round. At the next roundabout, I took the

and, no doubt, no licence, insurance nor MOT. These are hooded juveniles with green cans, who’ve never touched a lawn mower. During the remainder of my ride, I see bikers wearing T-shirts, jeans and, in one case, shorts. Where are the police? They’re in Milton Keynes, making money in the name of road safety. Anyway, I’m not a criminal, nor a yob, and I’m not irresponsible. In fact, I’m 52-yearsold and a retired Police Officer – but I am a very, very naughty boy! Mick, Northants

inside lane again and was right behind the guilty lorry. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing – you could actually see the diesel pouring all over the road. So, if you are out scratching on a Sunday, just remember the potential roundabouts pitfalls. Oh, and thanks to the lad on the 125cc who helped me collect my bike and parts after the crash – cheers. Lee Jones, Pontypool, South Wales

FROM THE

FORUM

¡ Join the best debates from the biking world on our forum at www.superbike.co.uk. Check out this recent thread:

What is your favourite UK circuit? Put me down for Donington (either variant).

rsv_mark

Donington. It’s the ONLY circuit I’ve ridden!!!!!

xxrider

Cadwell Park (full circuit). Superb mixture of fast sections, sweeping bends, hairpin, Mountain etc. Not very wide and not much run off in places but excellent. Also pretty hilly so it’s quite interesting – polar opposite of Snetterton.

¡ Guess who’s back I haven’t stopped grinning like a Cheshire cat since getting back on a bike, after 20 years’ absence from biking. Before you ask, no, I haven’t been locked up for murder. Just the usual story – fell in love, had kids... I got away with keeping a bike for the first five years of marriage, but then the constant nagging set in, so I bought a car, put away the sharp knives, and reached for the Valium. Twenty years passed and I longed to be back living on the edge. And, after 20 years, what’s happened? No longer are there Hell’s Angels chasing you, no scooter boys saying “Hi”, no little old ladies running off screaming rape, no pub landlords shouting “Bikers not welcome”. I just can’t believe it. How things have changed. It’s brilliant – we’re no longer lepers

in today’s society. Then again, perhaps they do still hate us. So it seemed soon after I picked up my bike up – before I’d gone a half a mile, a car pulled out in front of me. Fortunately, the worst that happened on this occasion was finger-wagging. Apart from the fact that bikes are so expensive these days, it’s sadder to think of all the people who are unaware of the pleasure you get from riding a motorcycle... It’d bring a tear to a lesser man’s eye! Time to relive the dream. All I have to do now is convince my wife that your write-up on the CBR600 was so good that there’s no possible argument as to why I shouldn’t run to the dealership and order one. Steve ‘Cheshire Cat’ Davies, email

S Shoot your y missus

The CBR6. Come on Mrs D, imagine yoursef on the back of that

Smarty

Definitely Cadwell full circuit! I like Mallory too, but once you’ve ridden Cadwell there’s no going back.

SHRUBBERY

Cadwell is lovely, and challenging to ride well, but it is a total arse-ache to get to unless you live in Skegness, and the lack of run-off is a bit of an issue. I like Pembrey – but then I would! It’s a pretty decent circuit, and if I hustle I can be there in 20 minutes! Most people reckon Oulton is the absolute business – never been there but I’d like to go. There’s a new contender now as well – Anglesey. First reports from trackdayers and racers are all, ‘Oh wow!’

KwH

OTHER HOT TOPICS:

Comfortable 125s, the Nürburger-Ring, Biking to be murdered

www.superbike.co.uk

¡ School run-in Last year, I passed my CBT and couldn’t wait to get my leg over a bigger bike. I put up with my moped for eight months, accident free. But it had to happen sooner or later, didn’t it? I was on my way to the local petrol station at around 8.30am, during the school run. I was riding past an infants’ school – empty road, no children and only parked cars – at around 30mph when a Saxo suddenly reversed out of a space and flew on to my side of the road, slamming straight into my back end. I was flicked off the bike and woke up about 20 yards down the road. I tried to get up but I couldn’t walk.

The impact had broken my ankle and my collarbone. The next day, I rang the woman who’d hit me and asked for her insurance details, and she just shouted down the phone at me. I said that I wasn’t going to argue with her and she replied,”Yes, you will fucking argue with me!” At this point, I hung up and did the rest through insurance. A week later, the insurance assessor came out to assess my bike. Eight months ago, I paid £2,000, but he valued it at £750! I’ve learnt two things – insurance companies are the only winners from accidents, and never go near a school during the school run. Richard Spruce, email

Dear SuperBike, my missus Helen and I are both avid readers of your magazine, her favourite bits being the jokes and centrefolds(!). I hope the fine pair of ‘halogen headlights’ get into readers’ wives – it’s on her list of things to do before she is 30... This year! Ian, email

WIN

£50 THE TURN E INTO WIF D HAR SH CA

Reckon you’re the next Helmut Newton? Married to the next Kate Moss? Send us your pics of the other half and if we print ‘em, we’ll send you a crisp £50 Send to: SuperWives, SuperBike Magazine, IPC Media, Leon House, 233 High Street, Croydon, Surrey CR9 1HZ E-mail: [email protected] TXT: Attach your pic and text SUPERBIKE followed by a space and your message to 0771 388 8008 (MMS cost 50p plus standard network charge). SP: Eckoh UK (Ltd) Herts HP3 9HN

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

33

¡ CONTACTPATCH READERS’ LETTERS ¡ Great British rip-off? Before any pansies write in complaining about the crap weather, trouble getting in and out of the circuit, or any other bollocks about the British Motorcycle Grand Prix, I thought I’d get in a worthwhile rant. Previously, I’ve bought my tickets by cheque, in advance, to avoid unnecessary surcharges. This year, I stopped in at the ticket office. Unfortunately, the ticket machine was down, so I decided to go back at a later date. I checked on the Donington Park website, in early May, only to find out that buying direct from the ticket office (now the only option) would cost £8 extra. I looked at the website again, later in May, and, to my horror, there were yet more changes – an 8 per cent ‘booking fee’! I was starting to think maybe I wouldn’t go, until I saw the advert for a discount in MCN (which is a pile of shite for anything else). It advertised a £10 discount on the weekend ticket with camping, no surcharges mentioned. Result. But when I came back to place the order, the 8 per cent was added after all – giving yet another different price. I’ve emailed

Donington twice to complain and I’ve still not received a satisfactory reply. Think I’ll be going foreign next year. Robin, email Donington Park replies: “These fees were implemented by Donington Park for processing costs and it was clearly stated on the website. We also asked that all charges were noted in advertising. The lack of the charges being listed in the adverts was an issue brought to light following the first run of advertisements in MCN, and was rectified in further adverts.”

¡ Holy spokes! are all safe, which seems to be After months of seeing people the case. showing off their accident photos, You can imagine my surprise I thought I’d show you when I flew over mine. Well, I wasn’t the handlebars as “You can imagine my planning to have the break discs surprise when I flew one, but it happened, touched the floor. over the handlebars last month. It seems the bike as the break discs Can you tell what wants to live just touched the floor “ the hell happened as much as I do. from the photo? I have I got away with no idea how the wheel bruises. Don’t gave up like that. I was told that, suppose you have a blue K6 because the wheel took all the front wheel lying around? impact, the other components Andrei Michnea

34

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

£26,847 WORTH OF BIKES UP FOR GRABS YOU COULD

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HOW TO ENTER Do you feel lucky? Well do ya? Printed on this page you will find your own personal lucky number. To win all you have to do is call 0905 817 0152 or text SBA to 86611 to see if you’ve won a fabulous prize. Calls cost 75p per minute from BT land lines and should last no longer than 3 Minutes. Texts cost £1.50 per message received. Plus standard network charges. You will receive 2 text messages. Phone lines open midnight 18th July 2007 and close 26th September 2007 all claims to be received by 3rd October 2007. For a free lucky number or a list of winning numbers write in by 12th September 2007

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GUARANTEED PRIZE DRAW: Even if you haven’t won the main prize, stay on the line to enter our guaranteed prize draw to win a SHOEI helmet worth £150.00. One reader will be chosen at random after the closing date to win this great prize. HOW TO CLAIM If your number matches one of the numbers you hear read out, then you may be a winner, you will need to send your name, address and phone number, along with a photocopy of the prize winning number card by RECORDED DELIVERY to Natalie Hicks, ‘Win a Bike’ SuperBike Magazine, IPC Media LTD, Leon House, 233 High Street Croydon, Surrey CR9 1HZ by no later than 3rd October 2007 You must keep your original number card to verify it at a later date.

Lucky Numbers Terms & Conditions 1.The entry instructions form part of the rules. 2. Proof of posting will not be accepted as proof of delivery. 3. All claimants must be in possession of the original number card bearing a winning number. 4. In the event of printing or technical errors, omissions or duplications, IPC Media reserves the right to withhold a particular prize or to declare the competition void. 5. IPC Media retains the right, at its discretion, not to award prizes to claimants or consortiums who have won a lucky numbers competition in the past 12 months, or to claimants who, in the opinion of IPC Media, have not entered into the spirit of the competition. 6. Prizes must be accepted as offered; bikes are subject to availability. 7. No entrant can win more than one prize. 8. The competition is open to all readers aged 18 or over and resident

in the UK, Republic of Ireland and the Channel Islands, other than employees (and their families) of IPC Media, the reproduction house and printer of SuperBike magazine, Eckoh (UK) Ltd and any participating sponsors and their agents. 9. Residents of the Republic of Ireland can only enter by post (see address below). 10. The Editor’s decision is final and no other correspondence will be entered into. 11. All winners will be confirmed in writing and must agree to publicity. 12. No purchase is necessary to enter this competition. 13. For a number card with a unique entry number, and/or a list of winning numbers, send an SAE stating your requirements to: Nathalie Hicks, Lucky Number Cards, SuperBike Magazine, IPC Media ltd, Leon House, 233 High Street, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 1HZ by 12th Sept 2007.

¡ SUPERSTUFF NEW PRODUCTS ¡ SHARK

RSF2 SMOKE HELMET Now that smoking is banned in boozers (weird, isn’t it?) the only chance you have to light up is streaking away from a set of traffic lights. And you can do this all the more appropriately with this new Shark lid. From the RSF2i stable, the lid offers great value without compimising too much on style or safety. The shell is concker-tough thanks to its multi-directional fibre construction and the inner uses differentiated density padding to ensure protection and comfort. Add a smart visor change system, good ventilation and a washable interior and you’ll be smokin’ too.

£169.99 01425 273344 www.nevism.co.uk

¡ TECHNOFLEX

REAR SHOCK

They look more like trousers (rather than pants) to us, but who cares when Karina models them this well. There’s not much to tell about these bonza Sydney pants except that they’re made from a nice, supple leather that hugs this feminine form, there’s CE protection at the knees and plenty of pockets for women’s things. No kneesliders make them slightly more laid back rather than a hardcore set of racer’s trousers, but they’ll look good anywhere else; be it on the front seat, the pillion pad, the pub or on the bedroom floor. Weehay!

Dutch suspension masters, Technoflex, have been at this game for nearly 30 years now and they’ve made great strides in the market against the big boys in the market. Used throughout the racing world - from club racers to the world supersport and superstock paddock, Technoflex’s range is hand built to suit an individual rider and their own unique style. Indeed, the UK importers take your weight and riding style into account before sending the details to Holland for the shock to be built. Top service. This shock, for a GSX-R1000 of the 2006 variety, is fully adjustable, including high/low speed damping, and has the optional ride height adjustment system incorporated. And at under 500 notes, you’re getting a lot of suspension for the money.

£139.99

£499.99 0845 2054646

¡ RICHA

SYDNEY PANTS

01425 273344 www.nevism.co.uk

36

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

www.moto46.co.uk

¡ WEISE

SPS KNOX GLOVES On the face of it, the scaphoid is such a piddly little bone it barely merits mention. But have a big crash and stick your hand out and it’s this bone that absorbs all the energy. If it can’t then it will break, it’s as simple as that. So those clever people at Knox have developed a scaphoid protection system and Weise has incorporated this into their top SPS glove. It’s a win-win situation because the full-grain leather gloves are top-spec and the Knox system’s great too.

£69.99 0117 97119200 www.weise-clothing.co.uk

LITTLE SLIP ONS

Courting silencers

STUFF

A good silencer can add power, smarten up a bike’s looks and sound great What do they do? If the name was correct, a silencer would mean that you’d hear nothing from the pipe of a motorcycle. So a silencer is more like a quietner, reducing what would be a god-awful din into something far more harmonious. All bikes come with silencers, but due to worldwide noise and emmissions laws stock silencers can rob a bike of power and leave it sounding muted.

Why do I need a new one? You need a new one because the stock

exhaust is either too restrictive, too quiet or too damn ugly. Aftermarket manufacturers don’t have to abide by emmissions laws, so mechanically speaking, their products are far more effecient – meaning you get a more powerful machine. Chances are, it’ll sound a lot better too and with the new trend of odd looking end cans, you can tailor you bike to suit your style.

What to look for It’s easy to look at what’s on a race bike and think that what’s good for the

goose is good for the gander too. But some exhaust companies just pay for their logo to be on a bike - rather than supply the exhaust itself. Established brands are usually the best to go for, although big gains can be had elsewhere. Check out bike specific forums for tried and tested reports. You’ll then have to decide if you want an ‘illegal’ race pipe (stamped ‘not for raod use’ or stick to the letter of the law. Some firms offer a removeable baffle for the best of both worlds. But remember - loud pipes save lives...

¡PIPERCROSS AIR FILTER If you’ve gone to the bother of getting a new exhaust and a Power Commander then you may as well spash out a little more cash to get your steed breathing properly. Pipercross have nearly 30 years of R&D behind them, so they know how to get air to a bike’s lungs.

From £32 01604 707750 www.pipercross.net

¡ PETZL TIKKA PLUS TORCH Shedding some light on the situation is this head torch for those occassions when you could do with another pair of hands. Great for in the garage as well as when you’re out and about, this torch enables you to peer into the darkness, whether it be a festival toilet or down a spark plug hole, and use both hands at the same time.

£30 0800 665410

¡ MICRON

www.blacks.co.uk

GSX-R1000 SLIP ON SILENCER British engineering doesn’t get much better than these Micron MotoGP style exhaust cans. Using the firm’s unique hydraforming technology (other companies use this technology but nowhere near to the same levels as Micron) these cans talk the talk as well as walking the walk. The hyrdaforming process uses just one piece of pipe to make the whole unit. The end cap is then cut off to add the baffle wadding (and to make it serviceable in the future) and then rivetted back on. This process saves 1.4 kilos over the stock unit and adds up to 10bhp according to Micron, who has seen big gains above 8,250 revs through to 11,500rpm. There’s no need to add a Power Commander either as Micron’s design doesn’t neccessitate big changes in fuelling. Road legal and available in three finishes they offer great performance at a very keen price. You could do a lot, lot worse.

£449.98 01773 876330 www.micronexhausts.com

¡ ALFANO ASTRO DASH A serious piece of kit for a not too serious price, this Alfano dash offers a massive array of performance, including lap times, temperatures, rpm, speed, gear position, shift lights, G-forces (with a sensor) and track mapping – to name just eight functions. Check out Harris for more.

£198 01992 532501

www.harris-performance.com

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

37

A classic is reborn Cutting edge technology combines with traditional craftsmanship to bring you this outstanding café racer leather Ace Leather Jacket FTL263 • Aniline leather construction • CE-approved armour at shoulders and elbows • Front and rear zip operated ventilation system • Padded leather neck line for greater comfort • Vintage styled YKK zips • Adjustable waist bands for best fit Size: Men: 38-54 Women: 8-18 Price: £179.99

www.frank-thomas.co.uk | Tel: 01933 410272

¡ SUPERSTUFF

¡ AKRAPOVIC

ZX-6R RACE FULL SYSTEM

I’d consider buying this for its sheer beauty – and I’m not even running a ZX-6R this year. This new Akro system is simply stunning. And it’s not all show either, as the pipes promise plenty of go too – up to 7bhp if the figures are to be believed. Factor in weight savings (the stock system is 11.55kg, the system with stainless headers is 6.28kg and the full titanium system is an amazing 4.71kg) and you’ve got every reason to splash out. The headers use smart hydroforming technology while the muffler is titanium topped off with a fancy carbon fibre end cap. As used by the Kawasaki supersport team in the US, it’ll go straight onto Handley’s ZX-6R as soon as it comes back from Kawasaki after Neil sent it back to base for a refill of fuel and a wipe down. This version has steel headers, but go full titanium with the ‘Evo’ system – if you can afford £1444.

£924.99

0870 2402118 www.performanceparts-ltd.com

¡ ALPINESTARS

REPEAT HOODIE If you want to get yourself banned from Bluewater quick smart then best don this smart hoodie from our old chums at Alpinestars. It’s no great suprise that the masters of protection are hot poop at the casual stuff too thanks to their new street/surf pretensions. So pop one on and look as kewl as Roots here. Or something.

£59.95 0039 0423 5286 www.alpinestars.com

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

39

FEATURE

K-TECH

Sultan The

of

SPRINGS The British superbike paddock is inherently a fickle place. Riders, teams and bikes come and go with the fashions, but there’s been one constant that has built success to be the dominant force in their area of specialisation Words: Simon Roots Pics: Phil O’connor

40

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

T

hat constant is Ken Summerton, Chris Taylor and their peerless K-Tech suspension operation. The units they work on may be manufactured by Öhlins or Showa (although the firm are branching out into building their own suspension), but like a piano tuner at the hands of a Steinway, it’s K-tech that get the best from them. To get a feel for this incredible operation, you have to watch Ken and Co up close to see how they come up with ever more sophisticated solutions to answer the age-old questions of how to get a bike to handle. So that’s exactly what we did, in this case heading to Snetterton for the fourth round of the BSB championship. The way K-Tech work is that they have some big contracts with some of the BSB teams. MSS Kawasaki, Virgin Yamaha, Stobart Honda and the HM Plant supersport team all get a dedicated technician who will service the team’s suspension needs, leaving a couple of guys to service the rest of the paddock when everyone else is flat out. Summerton works alongside Michael Rutter in the MSS squad, and he drags me into the green garage for the rest of the day to see life at the K-Tech coalface.

“Yes it’s comfortable, but don’t you think we should go to Land of Leather and look at the other one?” Hard at it in the heart of the good ship K-Tech

Free practice 1 The next 60 minutes are some of the most crucial of the weekend, and all future sessions will be influenced by the work done now. In the K-Tech truck, Ken had been working on the ZX-10R’s rear Showa unit and has just bolted it together before the session starts. The team had suffered from chaffed hoses against the exhaust on the rear unit at the North West, and the parts for it only just turned up on time. Ken describes how a race weekend starts: “Most of the time we’ll get to the track and make a plan for the first session, starting with what settings we think we’ll need. For Kawasaki and Michael this is a brand new adventure, so we’re all learning. We’re running Showa suspension instead use him to test the tyres,” but Rutter still wants changes to of Öhlins, which means we’ve got no data from last year at be made and Ken gets to work. “Michael said that the bike all. So all we can do is run with the same settings as we felt OK but he was losing rear grip on corner entry, that the finished at the pre-season test,” says Ken with half an eye bike was pitching too much to the front.” 1mm of preload on the timing TV in the garage. “But the problem is that it’s was added at the front and 1mm taken off at the rear. “We 15º warmer than then.” then closed the rebound up two clicks on the rear. What we It’s not long before Rutter comes in from the session. want to achieve here is as you get the bike to turn, it settles The first person the multiple BSB runner-up talks to earlier, so we’ll see what difference that makes.” is Summerton. Rutter makes sweeping arm gestures With the clock ticking, Rutter gets some laps in, but the and arcs his hand one way then the other, mimicking times don’t seem to be coming. A further change to the the feeling through a turn. A nod from Ken is enough to front preload is next as Rutter complains that the front understand what’s needed and then it’s on with the glasses is still too high. At least the change made to the rear has and straight to work. These initial changes are made cured Rutter’s backing-in woes, although there’s still without reverting to the datalogger. “After the session, I’ll some chatter at the rear. sit down with Bob Gray (SuperBike’s data and suspension The session ends with a run of just three laps leaving guru when he’s not doing this day job) and look at the data, Rutter in 11th place with a 1:07.195, a second and a half but not at the time.” off the quickest time, after his 26 laps. Around half of the The problem looks serious as the tyre warmers go on hour-long session was spent in the garage. The team and the forks are dropped out. The springs are exposed in decamp into their cavernous green truck for a debrief. I try an instant as Ken sucks some oil out to change the air gap and sneak in, but it’s clear that I’m not invited. within them. Eleven minutes later Rutter heads out again. There’s not much time between sessions, especially if “He felt the front was riding high, so we lowered the air you have a debrief and changes occur as a result of this gap in the forks from 165mm to 175mm,” but this is no meeting, but Ken finds time to talk about the intricacies time to chat as the changes of his work. Some see him made to the number one bike “You get sessions where you end as the paddock magician, but have to be replicated on the Ken’s not so sure. “No, there’s up standing about like a lame number two bike. no such thing. I hear all these duck. Come tomorrow, we’ll have terms about the magic and it The next time Rutter pulls in, he speaks to the Dunlop being a black art. It’s not that to get our heads down because technician, and here lies a at all. What you need is a good Rutter’s got to produce a time so understanding of how the front frustration for Summerton. “With Michael being both a development fork works in a hydraulic sense, it gets more intense” rider and a championship rider, what all the different things do, there are times when Dunlop will like your oil level, your spring

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

41

FEATURE

K-TECH

Rutter struggled at Snetterton, DNF-ing in race two and knackering his wrist in the process

“Well it was funny when Bernard Manning told it” The MSS crew try to spot Simon’s bald patch on the mirrored ceiling

RUTTER CHATTER

Michael Rutter is one of the most experienced riders in the paddock and has worked with Ken Summerton for longer than he cares to remember. “I guess I’ve worked with Ken on and off for years since the old Ducati days so your probably going back nearly ten years. The way it works is that he interprets what I feedback and then we go from there trying to make the bike better. He’s rescued the day on more than one occasion with something he’s come up with. His knowledge is good and his experience is second to none. He’s just the sort of person you need if you’re ever lost because he has a think and will point you in the direction. My relationship with him depends on complete honesty. Some racers make it up when they come back into the garage and then you end up going in the wrong direction. I’d rather hold my hands up and say I don’t have a clue because at least we can start working towards a solution.”

42

and your damping.” But it doesn’t remain simple for long. “Then you have to look at the chassis, and things get very complex when you start looking deeper here – even I don’t understand this 100 per cent. Sometimes you think you’ve got the grasp of it, then something else gets thrown in, like the fuel load so you work out how that affects the bike. Linkages are important too, looking at the geometry of the bike, rake and trail, wheelbase, rear trail and what effect each part has – and they all relate. So you’ll change one thing and then have to make three other changes to compensate.” So it is a science then? “There’s the mathematical side, the machines to test things. But a lot of it comes down to understanding how the motorcycle works, and experience. At the shop we have a shock dyno, and we’re waiting for an electro magnetic actuator that we’ll be able to play a logged lap of the circuit to look at any problems with damping. Also we have linkage programs that we use extensively. If we wanted to install a new linkage, then this would all be done using these programs that draw the curve, the lever ratio, the wheel force to calculate what size spring we need – although this is only a starting point and it needs testing. There’s no chassis program, Kawasaki have one that Bob’s designed so if we want to make one change, we can see how it affects other areas.”

one of Ken’s busier sessions. Rutter hovers around the top twenty, struggling to set times to match his morning session. It’s only halfway through the session that Ken gets to twirl a spanner, playing with the rear high-speed compression settings to cure a slight squat under acceleration. Struggling to get within two seconds of the provisional pole time, Rutter ends the session 14th, with a lot of work to do to climb any higher during qualifying proper. Thirty-one laps were completed, but the end result is barely a tenth shaved from his time. This is going to be an interesting debrief.

Debrief

Amazingly, MSS team boss Nick Morgan, and Michael Rutter agree to me coming into the debrief. With the notebook left outside under orders, I may not remember every last detail, but a full and frank debate flows in the living area of the team truck. As the second practice session suggested, it’s the motor that’s causing Rutter the most problems, with Summerton’s input limited up to this point. “Round Coram’s it’s the best bike I’ve ever ridden,” says Rutter to the team, “but I just can’t get on the gas when I want.” The data traces agree, and the problem is clearly down to the power delivery and the fuel injection maps. Free Practice 2 Though the atmosphere is down, it’s still constructive as the As Michael Rutter goes out for the day’s second hour-long team go through what’s needed to make an improvement. session, Summerton is deep in conversation with MSS Afterwards, Ken explains a little more on the day’s Kawasaki’s supersport rider Stuart Easton. It’s only when problems. “The connection between the engine and the Rutter comes in after three laps that he looks up and rider’s hand is paramount and you can see that’s not readies himself for work. But it’s clear that it’s stand-down happening here. You get sessions like that where you end up time as Rutter motions for standing about like a lame duck. Bob Gray to come over, so the Come tomorrow, we’ll have to get “Shakey Byrne picked up problem he’s having is engine, our heads down because Michael’s and not chassis or suspension, got to produce a time. This is when a podium for K-Tech in the related. Whatever the problem, it gets more intense for me. I have second superbike race, while it’s enough to force Rutter onto to come up with better solutions.” the number two bike, so it’s a only two of the top ten in good job that it’s been set-up The rest of the weekend superstock were not riding on exactly to the specification of I disappear just as K-Tech’s K-Tech supplied equipment” the number one machine. workload gets busy. As the As the hour progresses, day’s action on track ends, it’s clear that this won’t be the K-Tech truck gets back

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

FEATURE

K-TECH

to the morning’s levels of activity. The weekend remained frustrating for Rutter and Summerton, with Michael struggling on Saturday, qualifying in 12th. Race one saw Rutter take 11th, and record his best time of the weekend, while race two saw the MSS man highside out of Russell’s chicane, quietly breaking his scaphoid in the process. But the success for Summerton and K-Tech continues in all areas. Shakey Byrne picked up a podium for K-Tech in the second superbike race, while only two of the top ten in superstock were not riding on K-Tech supplied equipment. Over the years, K-Tech has won every class in BSB racing. But on Monday it’s back to Coalville. The business is growing strongly, with a move to bigger premises mooted as well as the development of their own brand of suspension parts. And that’s the key to K-Tech. The knowledge from their racing operations filters down to us customers. From the information gleaned from Michael Rutter, Ken may well develop a product that benefits all of us. All you need to do is turn up and talk the guys in the shop. SB

SUMMERTON ON RACERS

Ken has worked with some of the best riders in the world, so he knows what makes them tick “Riders are like racehorses, you’ve got to nurture them all the time. They can get out of the right side of the bed one day and be fine, then be totally different the next. At the end of the day we’re trying to improve the bike all the time, but you also have to spend a lot of time caring for the rider and getting the best out of them. If they’re more confident then they can push more, and when they push more they can feed back more – and it’s not until they’re right on the limit that they can come back and say, ‘Yeah, I could feel the difference’. I’ve worked with a lot of riders who won’t admit that they don’t know if something isn’t right for them, then they’ll try and make out that it’s something else and not them – although Michael’s not one of those guys.”

Thanks to: Ken and the boys for a thoroughly interesting day. You don’t have to be Michael Rutter to benefit from Ken’s astonishing experience as K-Tech can work on road and track bikes to. Call them on 01530 810625 (or go to www.k-tech.uk.com) to find out more. Thanks also to: Nick Morgan and his MSS team for letting Simon get in the way all day.

LEON HASLAM’S GUIDE TO

OULTON PARK

One of the best British tracks, Oulton Park is well worth ticking off your personal circuit guide. Leon Haslam gives us his inside line round the Cheshire track

06

Words: Jon Pearson Pics: Graeme Brown

L

ike so many of the UK’s traditional circuits, the north west of England’s Oulton Park naturally undulates its way through the wooded hills and hollows of an old estate. The beauty of it, like Cadwell and Donington is its flowing nature which is tricky to learn but a joy when you work it out. Complex stretches have jumps, are narrow,

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Old Hall Corner

Starts the lap and Leon reckons it takes different lines depending on the weather. Leon Reckons: “You’re banked over left as you pass the start/finish line and you’re trying to get across the track when you need to brake. There’s a real bad bump on the left side at braking area so you have to stay in the middle of the track to brake hard. You have to know it’s there and respect it. Really cut in tight right to the curb in the dry because there’s a bowl at the apex which helps you turn. Get all your turning done on the way in pick it up quickly and fire out. Remember as the bowl ends, the track runs away, people get caught out by that change and lose

have blind crests, blind corner entries and exits which take you alarmingly close to the barriers. Then add to that overhanging trees in places that make the track surface vary depending on the weather and the time of year. But when all is right this is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable circuits in the country.

the back end. In the wet it’s completely the opposite, the water collects in the bowl so you want to stay outside of it and run quite far out from the apex to miss the standing water.”

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Cascades

The track drifts right through Dentons and begins to drop away in the first of many elevation changes into the aptly named Cascades. “The track drops twice. You skim the brakes as it drops away the first time, but the second time there’s like a flat area where you do all your braking in one go while you’re upright. It’s a famous crash point because lots of people brake in the wrong place and lose it. The corner itself is bowled again

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SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

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Island Bend

The Avenue leads up to Island with three rises which have the front wheel in the air on most bikes. Island itself is a brilliant, flat-out, left which is a real ‘man’s’ bend and a terrific place to see the bravest racers reeling in the rider in front. “When the front wheel lands after the third crest

MPH

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so you can run really fast in to the bowl but, again, do all your turning early. Pick up early and use the bowl to drive hard because it’s really important to get good drive down the next straight. Where the bowl ends is another crash point because people don’t respect the change in contour of the track.”

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Shell Oils corner

Cascades

158.2

along the Avenue that’s where you brake and turn in for Island. It’s fast but it’s straight forward on the way in. You

have to only use half the track on the exit, you don’t want to be running out wide because as soon as you’re out the corner you want to be on the left hand side of the track and braking very hard into the hairpin.”

4

Shell Oils Corner

Unique in the UK the hefty positive camber is more like a banked bend allowing the brave to rail around faster than you think possible and with plenty of grip. “It’s one of those corners that you can always go faster around. It doesn’t matter how fast you go in because the banking will carry you. Lay it in and it will go round. You might run a bit wide but it won’t matter. There’s a crack in the tarmac about a foot and a half out from the curb, you want to be inside that. There’s a lot of G-force there

140.6

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MPH

07

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SO WHAT SORT OF TIMES ARE YOU DOING? As ever, to keep your feet on the ground and stop you getting carried away with how damn fast you are, here are the track records for Oulton on a variety of bikes. From pukka superbikes through to the Yamaha Virgin Media Cup R6 bikes with nothing more than an endcan and aftermarket Dunlop Qualifier RR tyres on them.

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¡ SUPERBIKE:

1-35.479 (Ryuichi Kiyonari, HM Plant Honda Fireblade)

especially on the way out where it can be hard work but it will always go round.”

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¡1,000CC SUPERSTOCK: 1-40.051 (Lee Jackson Krystal Yamaha R1)

¡ R6 CUP:

Foulstons

1-45.323 (Leon Morris, Middleton Racing)

It’s the first of the corners to “spoil” the original layout. It’s a chicane aimed at slowing riders down before the spectacular Hill Top. “There’s a very fast entry to this corner and you do all you braking as you turn into the left. You want to aim to get your knee on the floor on the right hand curb. Don’t run in too fast, because you need to pick the bike up quickly and fire almost straight across the second left curb and then across the track again for the straight. Lots of people make the mistake of running in too fast in the middle and have to do too much turning. You don’t want to be still turning after that curb, you want to be picking it up and on the gas.”

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145.2 MPH

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Clay Hill

Hill Top

A good spectator spot because you can see much of the track from up here. Riders accelerate hard out of Foulstons but Leon reckons there’s not much too it, just; “keep the front wheel down and trail the rear brake a little.”

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01

12

Hislop’s/ Knickerbrook

Hislop’s is the chicane, Knickerbrook is the old fast right that it bypasses. Ironically

Hislop’s

probably not a corner the Oulton Park master Steve Hislop would have enjoyed but then few people who crashed at Knickerbrook enjoyed that either. “A favourite place for out-braking people because you can block pass, if you’re on the inside they can’t turn in. Heavy braking area into here and it feels heavier because it’s down hill. Get

your body right over the first (right) curb but try not to be too aggressive on the left because you need to set yourself up for the next right and the drive out. If you mess the left up you’ll never claim it back and you’ll miss the drive. You need low drive out of there, I always shortshift into second. Use all the track on the way out.”

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Clay Hill

One of the more “characterful” parts of the track, a blind uphill left which has fast riders wheelying while turning. “Keep it pinned all the way up Clay Hill. On the superbike the wheel comes up and you need to be on it to keep it turning and get over to the left side. Get

your body over the curb on the left and brake hard for Druids and come back two gears.”

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Druids

You’re right among the trees here as the track feels very narrow all of a sudden. “Druids is a tricky one to get right because it’s really bumpy on the way in.

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

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LEON HASLAM’S GUIDE TO

OULTON PARK Druids

FANCY A GO?

Well, you could do worse than join us for the third SuperBike trackday of 2007 at Oulton Park, on August 22 Airwaves Ducati’s Leon Haslam will be on hand to dispense track tips and do a bit of riding as well. So come along to see us, ride with Leon and grab a goody bag. Call 0870 850 5013 or go to www. superbike.co.uk to book.

You trail the brakes right into the corner here and, again, there’s a crack in the track, which you need to stay inside. It’s a yard or so out from the curb but stay under that and keep it smooth. The corner exit is tricky as well because you have to accelerate hard for the straight but the track rises quickly and you wheely so you have to be up on the bike, with your weight over the front to keep it down.”

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Warwick bridge

Like a motocross track with Tarmac laid over the top, it whoops and wallows up and down as the bridge itself seem dangerously close to your helmet. “There are two rises down this straight. You have to keep to the middle of the track, especially in the wet because cars leave alloy on the track where they bottom out on the second rise and in the wet that is like glass. In the wet you can guarantee you’ll see a crash here where someone has spun up and lost it on the alloy.”

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11

Lodge

In a race you’ll see plenty of last ditch attempts on grabbing places on the last lap. “You brake hard after the front wheel lands off the second bump on the straight but the bike

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

Entry to Lodge

is still moving about a lot. Another spot where plenty of people crash because you arrive quickly and the camber changes and falls away the further round the corner you get. Brake into the corner but you want to hold it tight to the curb and be on top of the hill looking down. Try to keep on the right as you pick the bike up quickly and the track falls away.”

up again as the track veers blindly left, skimming you past the Armco on the left before your increasing speed throws you across the track past the pit wall and finish line. “As you’ve accelerated hard away from the apex of Lodge the track falls away and you want to get across Deer Leap to the left and aim to be The track drops almost skimming the wall. away out of The track keeps turning Lodge sharply down and back after the wall disappears

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Finish line

and you keep accelerating and stay banked over left even though you’re coming right across the track toward the pit wall. You’ll feel the bike twitching as you go over the white lines of the grid places, especially in the wet, but don’t worry. A lot of people back off over these but it doesn’t matter if you’re going at ten mph or 100mph, it twitches the same whatever speed you’re doing.” SB

SUPERBIKE RIDES JHP/BUILDBASE DUCATI 1098

IMMACULATE

CONCEPTION

¡ After a slow start to the season Ducati’s 1098 is finally coming good on the world’s race tracks. In the UK John Laverty’s JHP/Buildbase superstock bike is starting to shine. So what took them so long? Words: Jon Pearson Pics: John Noble

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ou’d be hard pushed to find a more immaculately prepared bike than this Ducati 1098. The John Hackett Performance (JHP) British superstock team keep good company in the

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paddock but, given their appearance, my money would surely be on these red Buildbase-sponsored bikes in the BSB concours event. I’m not usually one for standing and staring at a bike for no apparent

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

reason, I’d rather ride it, but I really couldn’t help just standing and gawping at the beauty of this 1098. Every bike in the BSB paddock is more or less immaculate but JHP bikes always go one step further

to the point where every single nut, bolt and part has been individually removed, cleaned, preserved in a light film of oil and replaced with the precision and care of a surgeon operating on their own child.

Hard to imagine then that the abuse, the anger and the aggression John Laverty has been putting this bike through in the British superstock championship. Bike racing is an aggressive business

Knee deep in Gerrards at Mallory, JP gets accustomed to the good life on the JHP/Buildbase superstock machine

Scoring a podium by the fifth round of the championship, Laverty and the 1098 just get better

¡ Parts trouble

Like many new bikes, parts for the 1098 took an age to arrive. This meant Laverty was using the early season races as development time while R1 and GSX-R mounted rivals were already on the boil. The cost of running a Ducati has taken its toll on a number of racers in Britain this year, more 1098’s started the year than currently sit on the grid. The 1098 is not cheap and it’s fair to say you could buy and kit-out a GSX-R1000 or R1 for the cost of just the bike from Ducati.

but fools certainly aren’t suffered gladly at the sharp end of any British championship. Other than the stiffness of the suspension when you sit on it (the rear ride height is a perceptible 3mm higher too) the race-shift gear pattern are the only

perceptible differences between stock and superstock. It’s strange that the dash board is common to both bikes. It’s usually one of the first defining clues that you’re sitting on a race bike but the stock digital display of the 1098 is beyond ‘race-

replica’, it already is ‘race’. While superstock rules allow few changes to the standard bike (suspension internals, exhaust and mapping are the main differences), it’s clear from the moment I trundle around Gerrards for the first time things are not quite the same. The standard bike, a 1098S, is harder to steer with standard set-up than you expect, certainly tougher to muscle through Mallory’s bus stop chicane than my GSX-R. But there are no such troubles getting through it on the race bike. It slices through left/right/ left and I quickly find myself whisping closer and closer to the green tyres stacked to stop me cutting the corners. The Leicestershire circuit is a long way short of being the best place to explore the 1098’s performance. Opening

the throttle wide on any litre bike around Mallory is a brief experiment at best. With so much V-twin drive out the corners it’s exaggerated but, thankfully, the accuracy of the chassis carries through any corner, no matter how fast. One thing that does ring true on both stock and race bikes is the stability on the brakes. There’s more power stopping the faster moving race bike but both feel solid on the brakes, tackling the notorious bumps into the hairpin with a certainty I can’t remember feeling before.

Precisely The fast peel into Gerrards is a moment of clarity on any bike; you brake hard from the start and finish straight, but not for long, knock it down a gear and turn in across some meaningful bumps

into one of the longest corners on any British circuit. The corner exit is well out of sight over your right shoulder at this point and it’s all you can do to scrub speed off with the front tyre, pushing hard to keep the edge of the track within reach and then, finally, start daring yourself to wind the throttle on aiming blindly at the hidden outside curb on the exit. The whole experience is much harder on the stock S model - it’s moving more, won’t hold the line without effort and then wants to run out over the grass on the exit (yes, I did it one lap – in the interests of conducting a proper test you understand). There’s no doubt the JHP race bike does all of the above with more speed, precision, stability and agility. Finding you’re going faster than you thought on the standard

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

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TECHNICAL JHP/Buildbase Ducati 1098 Specifications Price: £POA Engine Type: l/c, 8v desmodromic V-twin Displacement: 1099cc Bore x Stroke: 104 x 64.7mm Compression: 12.5:1 Carburation: 2 x elliptical throttle bodies, fuel injection Gearbox: Six-speed, chain Power: na Torque: na Cycle Parts

In stock trim, the 1098S excels – unless you ride it back to back against the racebike

bike brings expensive. “Ducati’s feel more a moment of For many this different to makes them the “Whoooaa”, finding it on the anything else best bikes to race bike brings The rewards to ride and race. a moment of seem higher take longer to and you can “Wh..oh, it’s alright actually.” work out how see the pride of You could to make the ownership written argue that all over the faces most of them.” of the assembled Ducati’s are the worst bikes to JHP team at race in the world. Mallory for this Ducati’s feel different to test session. John Hackett anything else to ride and (the JH in JHP, former racer take longer to work out how and renowned Ducati tuner) to make the most of them. seems as proud as anyone The race bikes take longer to else that they’ve managed to prepare and they’re certainly make this bike competitive.

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SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

Chassis: Tubular steel trellis, singlesided aluminium swing arm Suspension: (F) 43mm USD Ohlins forks, fully adjustable (R) fully adjustable Ohlins monoshock Brakes: (F) twin 330mm discs, four piston monoblock Brembo radial calipers (R) 245mm disc, two piston Brembo caliper Wheels/Tyres: Forged Marchesini, Metzeler Racetec (F) 120/70-ZR17 (R)190/55-ZR17 Rake/Trail: 24.5º/na Wheelbase: 1,430mm Capacity: 15.5 litres (3.4gals) Contact JH Performance Racing 0247 633500 (www.ducaticoventry.com)

This Ducati is different than its rivals. It’s faster in different areas of a circuit, different areas of each corner in fact. The sound, the accurate and slender chassis full of feedback and certainty, the

¡ Suspension,

and wheels

brakes

The stock 1098S comes with Ohlins suspension but even this gets an upgrade, via Brit race suspension specialists K-tech, with a re-valved front and rear plus new springs in the forks. Standard SBK-spec Brembo monoblock radial brakes get a pad change to the same ones as Troy Bayliss is using in WSB. The slipper clutch is up-rated as well as the steering damper. ¡ Engine Like the chassis, the JHP 1098 motor feels improved in all the ways you’d expect; it revs more freely and makes more power

through the whole range. The trick for making this 1098 competitive, according to John Hackett, is to know how to, “Put the things together.” The stock Termignoni exhausts system is replaced by the awesome-looking Akrapovic titanium pipes on the race bike for a “surprising difference”. The main effort in tuning the bike, other than, ‘putting it together right’ is working on the dyno to adjust the fuel mapping. Stock bikes always have hefty restrictions on their power due to emissions regulations, tune that out with a bigger better exhaust and, usually on a modern sports bike, you have a very fast and powerful engine.

¡ JH who? Legend has it there aren’t many (or any) Ducatis in British superbike racing over the last 15 years or so that haven’t had the JHP helping hand. Rutter, Reynolds, Bayliss, Hodgson, Hislop to name a few, have all benefited from the Hackett touch. In recent years JHP has been campaigning the out-dated 749R in the British supersport championship but 2007 sees the team move sideways to superstock racing with the aim of developing the all-new Ducati 1098. As joint-team manager Ken Foley would have it, the rationale for moving from highly successful supersport race team to the superstock championship is simple; “Ducati no longer produce the 749R supersport bike and GSE Racing (who run Leon Haslam and Gregorio Lavilla in BSB) is doing a cracking job for Ducati in British Superbikes. It’s anticipated GSE will move back to WSB in 2008, and give the opportunity for JHP Racing to assume the position of factory Ducati British superbike team onboard 1200cc superbikes.”

relentless drive and the solidness on the brakes all make a circuit a complete whole. One thing leads to another like it never seems to on a GSX-R1000. This JHP 1098 displays all those qualities more

than any other Ducati I’ve ridden to the point where little, old Mallory Park felt sadly inadequate. Now then John, what I need to do is take your 1098 to Donington Park and Oulton Park and then maybe... SB

*YAMAHA £4,699 FZ6 S2

*HONDA

THE

CB600F HORNET £5,599

BEISG T

T EWEIGHT MIDDL KEDS NA

MOBILTY The naked middleweight sector has long been seen as a bit working-class. But the latest crop of contenders are decidedly upmarket. Al sees if we’re all middle class now Words: Alan Dowds Pics: John Noble

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t started with Mrs Thatcher and her class-warrior ilk in the 1980s, declaring that the working class was dead. Rising home ownership, Betamax VCRs, microwave ovens and the birth of the yuppie generation meant, so the argument went, that there was no such thing as ‘working class’ any more. And by busting the unions,

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killing off heavy industry and turning us all into individual office-working drones, the middle class would expand downwards. All bollocks of course, and merely a cover for the various upper-class elites to further cement their hold on wealth, while eroding worker’s protections (is this SuperBike or Socialist

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

Worker? - Ed). But in the bike world, you could very well argue that things are finally heading in this direction. Even the very basic, utilitarian classes of bikes are being improved massively every year: entry-level bikes now have fuel-injected sportsbike engines, alloy frames and smart running gear. The

close competition of the Japanese firms, together with better production techniques that cut costs while improving performance, means that even second-division machinery is getting closer than ever to the firms’ flagship models. Which is good for everyone – even if you can’t afford the very latest

hot-poop supersports missile – the five grand you’ve prised out of the bank manager still gets you into a fairly plush seat at the biker’s table. It’s not so long ago that the naked middleweight class was a rather shabby outfit, with only Suzuki’s air-cooled Bandit able to raise much of a fuss. In fact 2007 marks a decade since

*KAWASAKI £5,455 Z750

the first Honda Hornet and Yamaha Fazer – two machines that signalled a step-change in quality for the class that’s been moving forward ever since.

Polished performance Now, as well as some pretty polished Japanese performers in the class, we also have high-class

European contenders, like Aprilia’s Shiver and Triumph’s Street Triple clamouring for your middle-market cash. But before we put the new Triumph and Aprilia into the testing mix, there’s a couple of spunky new Japanese entries in the cool naked middleweight class. Honda has finally given

its long-running Hornet 600 a proper seeing-to with the update stick, and doesn’t it look like a cracker? The essentially unchanged early 1990s styling has been replaced with proper, 21st century looks, by the firm’s Italian subsidiary. The heart of the bike itself is all new too; engineers have ripped out the cheapo steel spine

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

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THE BIG TEST NAKED MIDDLEWEIGHTS

WHERE WE WENT The test coincided with the first SuperBike trackday of the year at Snetterton, so we took the opportunity to dawdle down its vast straight on the bikes for a couple of sessions, before heading out onto the surrounding roads. The US-style straights of Norfolk’s A-road system allowed extensive testing of their wheelie-ability, while an intriguing selection of twistier rural B-roads allowed a surprisingly intense interrogation of cornering prowess. Day two took us further west into Cambridgeshire and Northants for more of the same, rounded off by a visit to the fine chaps at RJS Superbikes at Mallory Park for some dyno runs. A good 400 mixed miles on each bike told us all we needed to know about these fine machines – a proper test and no mistake.

frame in favour of a new, cast aluminium part, while the ancient carburetted CBR600F engine gets skipped to make way for a brand-new 2007-spec CBR600RR motor, tweaked and fettled to suit its new naked format. It looks great in the flesh, and on paper, and impressed on the riding launch earlier this year. Could it regain the crown it once wore as the definitive middleweight naked maestro?

Capacity hike Next up is the bike that snatched the Hornet’s crown back in 2004 when it first appeared – Kawasaki’s Z750. By the simple, cheeky, expedient of adding 150cc to the engine’s capacity, the big K performed the same trick it had done with the ZX-636R. All other things being largely equal, a bigger engine is best – more flexible, faster, gruntier. So with its basicyet-competent chassis, Z1000-based styling and

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keen price, the Z750 went to the top of the class, just besting the Hornet, blackguardly trick or not. It’s had a heavy makeover for 2007, including a new frame with alloy bracing, a comic-book exhaust silencer and extensive updates elsewhere. But it’s heavier and less powerful than last year though (despite having more torque). Either of these things is bad: two together seems like a disaster. In the dim, distant past before the Hornet ruled the class, Yamaha’s Fazer 600 was top dog. Launched in 1997, its combination of a retuned Thundercat engine in a cheap steel cradle frame, with topspec Sumitomo brakes and a rather ugly bikini fairing was an instant success, particularly at its bargain basement price. Enhancements to this first generation bike included bigger fuel tanks, stainless exhausts and a revamped fairing, until by 2003 it was one of the most

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

They may be cheap, but antics like this make naked middleweight machines very cheerful indeed

THE

TEST TEAM

NEIL ‘ CHICKEN BAP’ HANDLEY Ad man Neil excused himself from company shilling duties for the day to show us all his nasty leathers and natty wheelies 280kcal/100g

DAVE ‘CHEESE PLOUGHMAN’S’ SMITH Dave’s been on more tests in the past 18 months than the rest of us put together, just about. Did the Z750 launch and declared himself impressed. 290kcal/100g

sorted bikes in any class, anywhere. But Yamaha dropped a bollock when emissions regs forced the replacement of this parts-bin wonder with the aluminium-framed, R6-engined FZ-6. The motor, though stronger, was peaky and needed revving, while the chassis offered improvements in some areas but lost out in others, notably the brakes.

Last year, Yamaha put those original brakes back onto this S2 version of the FZ6, together with a new aluminium swingarm and revised fuel mapping. And with a class-matching 98bhp and 180kg dry claimed power and mass, it’s still in the ballpark for this test. Especially at a new, low price that puts it well under £5,000 – a lot of bike for that amount

ALAN ‘TUNA SALAD BAGUETTE’ DOWDS Al loved the Hornet on its launch, but has always liked the Z750. Used to own an old Fazer 600, so knows the score here 200kcal/100g

of hard-earned (or easily borrowed) cash. So with two days of proper road riding, and even a few track sessions flung in, these doughty middleweight class warriors got a great chance to show their worth. So who’s sipping champagne up the front of the plane in first, and who’s eating a sandwich in cattle class?

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IOM TT SUPERSTOCK

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THE BIG TEST NAKED MIDDLEWEIGHTS

¡ KAWASAKI

Z750

If we were to score this test simply on audacity of design, then the bright green Zed would run away with it, no question

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ooking not unlike an airbrushed caricature of itself, with that gigantic exhaust silencer, high tail, snubby nose and candy-acid paintjob, the Z750 screams ‘FUN’, even just sat on its sidestand in the Snetterton paddock. In fact, sat next to the much smaller, neat little Honda and the rather anonymous, shadowy black Yamaha, I was a bit worried that the Kawasaki would dominate the test like one of those brash, coke-fuelled city types you run into at parties. The sort that grab all the attention with some loud jokes, drink all the good beer, try and pull your missus, then vomit in

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the landing, ruining it for everyone. But it was nearly me that ruined it in the first half-hour of the test. First out on the cold, damp Snetterton Tarmac, I gave it a big handful coming out of the slow chicane onto the front straight. And promptly found myself heading skyward as the back end came round, gripped, and almost wrenched me out of the seat with a big, scary slide on the cold side of the tyre.

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

Steady now! A more sober approach was quickly adopted, and I trundled round the fast, open Norfolk track, getting comprehensively blown away down the straight, but enjoying myself nevertheless. This is certainly not a track bike, but the little Z proved itself more than up to some reasonably spirited circuit work. The pegs go down early of course, and the brakes are a little down on power, while the suspension has a slightly

“The real highlight remains the engine. It’s really in a different league to the other two”

vague, bouncy edge. But the Dunlop Qualifier rubber is fine (once warm...) and the engine is lusty and strong, pulling you out of corners like a good ‘un. But there’s not too much to learn at a superfast track like Snetterton on these bikes, so by lunchtime we were out on the road. Pulling out of the track access road, there’s an irresistible piece of straight, clear Tarmac that begs to be wheelied down, and the first of the day’s ‘mingers’ were pulled. The Zed is a natural at this stuff, easily pulled up on the power in first or clutched in first or second, and with more than

enough grunt to moderate the wheel up and down at will should you need to. It’s easy enough to get well into third gear on the back wheel, the torquey engine and balanced chassis buffing up even a moderate stunter’s skills. And to watch an accomplished wheelie-ista like Dave Smith on the green meanie was a genuine pleasure. Of course there’s much

¡ Kawasaki Z750 Technical ●

¡ Engine We’re slightly suspicious of the big K’s insistence on sticking with this lump – derived from the Z1000, itself derived from the ZX-9R. It would have to be better to use a more modern ZX-636R-based design, we say. Having said that, it’s a lusty lump, and, for 2007, it boasts updated dual-valve fuel injection with smaller throttle bodies (32mm

from 34mm), finer injector nozzles and new ECU. The result is slightly less peak power, down 4bhp, but more claimed torque: 58lbf ft@8,300rpm instead of 55lbf ft@8,200rpm. ¡ Frame Steel tube backbone type frame now gets a pair of bolt-on aluminium bracing bars which run either side of the engine. This

alters the stiffness of the frame, as well as relocating the engine mounts to cut vibration. ¡ Suspension New USD front fork has 41mm stanchions, with preload and rebound damping adjustment. Rear monoshock is also preload/rebound adjustable. ¡ Brakes Discs are now ‘petal’

types all round. Front calipers are still twinpiston sliding calipers. ABS is an option for an extra £350 ¡ Exhaust Smart short silencer has massive triangular dual-cone shape, and contains an electrically-operated butterfly valve to cut noise and improve torque low-down in the rev range.

Above: The price may fool you into thinking that the Z750 isn’t a scratcher, but nothing could be further from the truth

Right: Kawasaki’s design team has been one of the busiest in the business, and has come up trumps with the smart new look of the Z

more to a bike than wheelies (important though they are). So in terms of handling, the Z does feel a little less agile than the Hornet, partly down to the extra mass it’s carrying, partly down to the less sophisticated chassis. You’re held much higher up on the Z, sitting more upright, and there’s a little bit of vagueness when you turn into a corner. That’s all relative to the much tauter

Honda though – for a naked middleweight streetfighter, the 750 is eminently capable. Having said that, the brakes do feel a little bit limp, lacking in bite and feel. But the real highlight remains the engine. It’s really in a different league to the other two; those extra 149cc giving a totally different feel. You don’t need to stir the gearbox anywhere near

as much, and there’s a beefy, chunky feel to the midrange. A glance at the dyno chart confirms this – it look like a comparison between Ducati’s MotoGP bike and the rest of the field at the start of this season rather than a set of roadbikes in the same price bracket. Peak power isn’t massively up, but everything just happens much sooner, and any

doubts you might have about the elderly roots of the engine design should be dismissed immediately. Living with the Z should be no drama either. The fuel range is excellent – even with a bit of track use and some committed full-bore riding. The riding position sits you braced forward into the wind, and the small instrument binnacle gives

a smidgeon of protection from the blast. Mirrors and those new clocks are all perfectly in order, but I have to say that the seat is a bit of a plank. And an oddly shaped one at that – the angular blobs of firm padding would give you hell if you happened to suffer from the Farmer Giles. Even my grape-free bottom was complaining after two days.

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

63

THE BIG TEST NAKED MIDDLEWEIGHTS

¡ HONDA

CB600F Hornet

If the Z750 is the loudmouthed bragger at our middle class party, then the Hornet is the understated, cool bloke all the ladies are interested in

N

eat, compact, and with a hint of classiness about its deep, vin rouge paint, the little Honda looks to be the connoisseur’s choice.

64

And that’s backed up when you remember what’s in the spec sheet – a brand new engine, developed alongside the 2007 CBR600RR lump, in a neat

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

cast aluminium backbone frame. That engine is good enough in full-bore trim to win our 600 supersports test (along with the tests of most other magazines

in Europe), and its microscopic, featherweight construction has to be partly responsible for the Hornet’s tiny dimensions and light feeling. Jumping onto it at Snetterton straight after the Z750 for a session feels like going from a Hayabusa to a VFR400. The seat is lower, you’re sat much more ‘in’ the bike, and the balance at slow speeds manoeuvring through the pits puts you immediately at ease. If Snett makes the 750 feel limp, the plucky little Hornet was worse, although the higherrevving nature of the

motor at least felt more suited to track work. The chassis is much more sorted though. Hard on the brakes (remembering to tap the pedal to get maximum effect from the linked CBS/ABS calipers) at the end of the straight, and the Honda just digs in, with no wild diving from the front or weaving from the back. ABS can be a bit disconcerting on a track – these systems generally take exception to the severe applications on a track, sometimes switching the brakes off if they sense a momentary lock or a bump, and taking a long time to apply them

¡ Honda CB600F Hornet Technical ●

Like a shiny, metallic lozenge, the Honda’s collector box is exposed when the Hornet is in its most comfortable pose – on its ear

again. But the Hornet’s system didn’t let me down once. Having said that, unless you’re in the early stages of your riding career, or spend lots of time riding in winter, I’d save the cash (and extra mass) and stick with the non-ABS bike.

Making sense On the gas out of corners, you do feel the deficit over the 750, although the Hornet never feels breathless or anything other than willing through the rev range. And since the sorted suspension and agile chassis has let you sail through the corner in a much more settled fashion, you’re probably a little ahead of the Kawasaki in an imagined back-to-back test anyway. Our track sessions are over for the day now, and we’re out on the road. Blasting along the A11 heading for some likely-looking bends marked on the AA atlas,

I’ve settled into the Honda quite nicely. The ludicrouslooking optional flyscreen is diverting a little of the windblast up and over me, and the seating position is actually much more sheltered than the other two bikes. The view of the smart new clocks and eminently serviceable mirrors is perfect, and as we turn off the dual carriageway onto the twisties, the Hornet feels better with every passing mile. Burning along a wicked Fenland road with its big long straights, interrupted by 90-degree flick-flacks that follow the lines of fields, meres and waterways, it’s the Honda that give most assurance to your mind. All the bullshit PR talk about ‘more centralised mass’ suddenly makes sense, and the huge visual handicap imposed by the shit-ugly exhaust chamber on the left suddenly seems like a small price to pay. Riding through a medium-

¡ Engine The complete opposite of convention – Honda’s gone for the most up-to-date 600cc engine it makes, and used it for the Hornet. That means the super-compact, lightweight motor from the 2007 CBR600RR, with a lower compression ratio and smaller inlets. ¡ Fuel

injection

PGM-FI system uses 36mm throttle bodies, and one injector per

cylinder compared with the CBR600RR’s 40mm bores and dual injectors per cylinder. ¡ Brakes Two systems available – base setup has sliding twin-piston calipers up front, CBS/ABS version uses triple-piston front calipers, linked to the back brake, and an ABS system. The rear pedal operates the centre piston of the right hand front caliper as well as the

rear caliper, via a delay valve that prevents small applications of rear brake applying the front. ¡ Frame The old bike’s steel backbone frame is replaced with a similarly-shaped cast aluminium backbone which is lighter and stiffer. ¡ Suspension 41mm USD forks have no adjustment, rear

monoshock is preload adjustable. ¡ Exhaust The most controversial part of the whole design – short stubby silencer and kinked downpipes look great from the right hand side. But emissions regs mean a large chamber tucked under the left hand side that’s pretty ugly. Designed to centralise and lower mass while meeting noise and emissions regs.

“It’s the Honda’s key I’m working out how to keep overnight for the next day’s ride.”

slow photo corner on all three bikes, the Hornet is the best of the bunch by a long chalk, the compact chassis transmitting loads of information from the tyres, the smooth fuelling letting you get on the gas without any drama, and the strong brakes scrubbing off speed in a very civilised, erudite manner.

Talking to Neil and Dave over a typically luxuriant, late, road-test lunch, we’re not sure if the Hornet’s undoubted sophistication and chassis class wins out over the massively torquey balls of the brutal Z750. Dave’s firmly in the 750 camp, Neil’s leaning towards the Hornet, and I’m not sure.

Sure, the bigger engine ‘makes wheelies easy’ – much easier in fact. And the Z feels like a bigger, more serious tool. But I’m being seriously seduced by the Hornet, and as we head west for the night, it’s the Honda’s key I’m working out how to keep overnight for the next day’s ride.

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

65

THE BIG TEST NAKED MIDDLEWEIGHTS

¡ YAMAHA

FZ6 S2

You’ve got to wonder what they’ve been putting in the water at Yamaha for the past few years because they’re getting a lot of things right

T

he R1 and R6 are fantastic, hightech performers, Rossi was a good move, and if they ever get that V-Max concept thingy into production with a proper 200+bhp then we’ll all be happy.

66

On the other hand, they’ve dropped a few clangers since 2004. The confusing, overpriced MT-01 was one, as was the disappointingly-fuelled (and also overpriced) Fazer 1000 replacement. But it’s the Fazer 600 that really

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

pissed me off. I loved the old one – bought one with my own cash, and had one as a long termer for a year. But when the time came to replace the venerable old Thundercat-powered beastie, they kinda made a cod of it. On paper, it all

sounded cool – a retuned R6 engine, aluminium frame, and the choice of a naked or faired design. But there’s many a slip ‘twixt cup and lip, and riding the FZ6 was a bit of a disappointment – the parts didn’t hang together so well, the engine was revvy and peaky, and the brakes were anonymous twinpotters. Ironically it was the engine and brakes which had been the old bike’s strong points. So, sad to say, the FZ entered the test as a bit of an underdog. But it got off to a strong start at

Snetterton. Those newlyresurrected brakes have excellent bite and loads of power, and although they can overwhelm the fork and rubbish Dunlop tyre if you’re not careful, they are still the best stoppers on this test. Similarly, the engine shows its best in a track scenario, where the revs are kept well over 10k the whole time, and its 90-odd bhp matches the Hornet and the Z in terms of outright power. Once we got onto the roads, though, things became less rosy. The engine has a strangely

¡ Yamaha FZ6 S2 Technical ●

¡ Engine Based on the old 2002 R6 engine but with different fuel injection, cams, inlet and exhaust layout. ¡ Faired version FZ6 Fazer has a decent half-fairing that makes it much more of a distance tool. Adds 6kg weight, and costs £600 more.

displeasing power delivery, with various flat spots, hesitancies and fluffiness. A glance a the dyno charts later shows a torque curve with two or three wobbles between 5,000 and 10,000rpm, and while Yamaha claims a remap of the fuelling for 2007, it seems like it still has some work to do. That’s not to say it hasn’t got some stomp though, and if you give it a big handful

with some clutch, you can get some reasonable wheelies out of it. It doesn’t make it easy though, and once you sample the much smoother Honda or the massively grunty Z750, you’re reluctant to go back onto the Yam. It’s the same in corners. Making progress on the road is easy enough, but when we were doing pictures on one classic right-angled Fenland

“Yamaha need to plan something special for the Fazer’s next upgrade.”

¡ Frame High-tech aluminium frame is cast in two parts which are bolted together at the headstock and swingarm pivot. ¡ Suspension Conventional forks have no adjustment, rear monoshock is preload adjustable.

¡ Clocks New dash for 2007 is based on the combined LCD speedo/analogue tacho design from the FZ1. ¡ Brakes The S2 version of the FZ6 returns to the monobloc Sumitomo calipers that made Yamaha’s brakes the best in the late 1990s. No longer the

best brakes in the sportsbike world, but the best in this test. ¡ Exhaust Dual underseat silencer outlets look good, and the 2007 bike has uprated catalysts in the exhaust, plus an oxygen sensor to comply with Euro 3 emissions regs.

Corner comfort on the FZ6 isn’t anywhere near the levels of the Kawasaki and Honda. A combination of cheap, nasty tyres and cheap, nasty suspension put the Yamaha in a clear third place

corner, the FZ6 was much harder work than the others. The front end felt unsettled when you came off the brakes and turned in, it wandered about on an uncertain line, and there was a worrying paucity of feedback from both ends. Part of this is down to the frankly miserable old Dunlop tyres fitted – if you do buy a FZ6, make the dealer dump them before

you pick it up. Fitting a decent set of current road tyres (Dunlop’s own Qualifier, Michelin Pilot Roads or Bridgestone BT021s) will surely improve matters tenfold. The FZ doesn’t make up much ground anywhere else either. The riding position is comfy enough (the 2007 models have a new seat), but you feel a little more exposed to

the elements than on the others. The Yamaha is a decent-enough looker, although this black colour scheme is a little dour, and it has a pretty well-made feel to it. But on this test, it was the tuning-fork key that was reached for least, and I really hope Yamaha has something special planned for the next upgrade of this once-great naked middleweight.

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

67

THE BIG TEST NAKED MIDDLEWEIGHTS

¡ KAWASAKI Z750

¡ HONDA CB600F HORNET

Price: £5,445 (£5,795 ABS) Nu Ins group: 13 Contact: Kawasaki UK 01628 851000 www.kawasaki.co.uk

Price: £5,599 Nu Ins group: 12 Contact: Honda UK 01753 590500 www.honda.co.uk

DYNO PERFORMANCE

DYNO PERFORMANCE

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■ ENGINE

Type: l/c, 16v, DOHC inline-four Displacement: 748cc Bore x Stroke: 68.4x50.9mm Compression: 11.3:1 Carburation: Dual-valve fuel injection, 32mm oval bodies Gearbox: Six-speed, chain Power: 94.3bhp@10,100rpm Torque: 53.6lbf ft@8,300rpm

Type: l/c, 16v, DOHC inline-four Displacement: 599cc Bore x Stroke: 67x42.5mm Compression: 12:1 Carburation: PGM-FI fuel injection, 36mm throttle bodies Gearbox: Six-speed, chain Power: 91.8bhp@11,800rpm Torque: 43.3lbf ft@7,10,200rpm

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■ CYCLE PARTS

Chassis: Steel tube backbone/aluminium engine subframe Suspension: (F) 41mm USD forks, preload/rebound damping adj (R) monoshock, preload/rebound damping adj Brakes: (F) twin 300mm petal discs, dual-piston calipers (R) 250mm petal disc, single-piston caliper Wheels/Tyres: Cast aluminium/Dunlop Qualifier (F) 120/70 17 (R) 180/55 17 Seat Height: 815mm Wheelbase: 1,440mm Capacity: 18.5 litres (4.1 gal) Dry Weight: 203kg (447lb) [+4kg for ABS version)

Chassis: Cast aluminium backbone Suspension: (F) 41mm USD forks, unadjustable (R) monoshock, preload adjust Brakes: (F)Twin 296mm discs, dual-piston calipers/threepiston calipers (CBS) (R) 240mm disc, single-piston caliper Wheels/Tyres: Cast aluminium/Bridgestone BT012 (F)120/70 17 (R)180/55 17 Seat Height: 800mm Wheelbase: 1,435mm Capacity: 19 litres (4.2 gal) (4.1 gal) Dry Weight: 173kg (381lb) [+4kg for ABS version)

¡ Z750 RATINGS* *

¡ HORNET RATINGS* * OVERALL ENGINE: 7/10

Ratings apply to this test only

ENGINE: 8/10 CHASSIS: 6/10 USABILITY: 7/10

+

Engine Mega wheelies

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

OVERALL

7/10

-

Bit on the lardy side Brakes aren’t best

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Strangely, there doesn’t seem to be much between the Honda and the Yamaha on the dyno chart, although it is stronger all through the midrange, with a 4-5bhp advantage around 7,000rpm. The torque curve is much smoother, which helps the feel of the engine, and has none of the dips and troughs which afflict the FZ.

■ CYCLE PARTS

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The power is fine, but it’s the torque curve that tells the story of the Z. It hits 40lbf ft about 3,000rpm, then stays nice and flat until past 10k, with a decent bump about 8,000. It’s a clear 10lbf ft stronger than the 600s at peak, and has an even bigger advantage at several spots in the rev range. No substitute for cubes…

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CHASSIS: 8/10 USABILITY: 8/10

+

Sweet chassis Styling

8/10

-

Skanky exhaust box ABS can catch you out

SECOND OPINIONS Dave and Neil are gay lovers, so agree on most things.

¡ YAMAHA FZ6 S2 Price: £4,699 Nu Ins group: 12 Contact: Yamaha UK 01932 358000 www.yamaha-motor.co.uk

But when it comes to bikes...

DYNO PERFORMANCE

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Purely on the strength of the peak figures, the Yam doesn’t look so bad, only giving away 1.2bhp and half a pound-force foot to the Honda. But it’s the way it gets there which lets it down on the road. From 5,000 to 9,000rpm, there are three dips in the torque curve which translate into less accomplished pulling power. Needs more work on its midrange.

HORNET

By ‘eck this is a corker of a motorcycle. The CBR600RRderived engine is strong with plenty of low- to midrange power for pootling round town. The riding position is the most comfortable out of the three and the Showa suspension complements this soaking up the bumps with ease. Easiest to ride hard and its weight distribution makes it really planted when hooning about. Styling-wise it’s pretty funky and sharper looking than its predecessor. The Honda linked CBS/ABS brake system took some getting used to although you can opt for the conventional brake set up if you prefer (I would).

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Z750

“The Hornet was easiest to ride hard and its weight distribution makes it really planted when hooning about.”

This is the hard ass streetfighter of the bunch. Cheating a bit with a bigger engine but the dyno run surprised us with a measly 94bhp. It made up for it with its 54lbf ft torque for this test but both of these power figures are down on last year’s model. Even the factory figures are four bhp down which is disappointing for a new model. I thought newer was supposed to be better. Feels much bigger than the other two and the riding position is arse up and over the bars sports bike stylee making it less comfortable than the Hornet. Best looking of the bunch and best wheelie bike by a mile. Just misses out for me by being too aggressive in this test.

3

FZ6 S2

The Diversion, sorry Fazer was disappointing. In its tenth year of production it seems that Yamaha has given up on it since it was last changed in 2004. Early Fazers were stonking but this latest incarnation was always the last bike to have a leg thrown over it. Scary in the corners with its budget suspension and top-heavy weight distribution. The almost rueful engine lacked low-down power but did get a move on when you rev it hard – although the lack of screen protection and wobbly handling means you wouldn’t want to do this often. Styling-wise it’s boring and looked dated behind the other two. Buy it if you are old and your name is George.

■ ENGINE Type: l/c, 16v, DOHC inline-four, Displacement: 600cc Bore x Stroke: 65.5x44.5mm Compression: 12.2:1 Carburation: Fuel injection Gearbox: Six-speed, chain Power: 90.6bhp@12,600rpm Torque: 42.7lbf ft@10,000rpm ■ CYCLE PARTS Chassis: Cast Aluminium diamond Suspension: (F) Telescopic forks, unadjustable (R)Monoshock, preload adjust Brakes: (F)Twin 298mm discs, four-piston calipers (R) 245mm disc, single-piston caliper Wheels/Tyres: Cast aluminium/Dunlop D252 (F)120/70 17 (R)180/55 17 Seat Height: 795mm Wheelbase: 1,440mm Capacity: 19.4 litres (4.3 gal) Dry Weight: 180kg (396lb) [+5kg for ABS version)

DAVE RECKONS

1

Z750

The Z is the one I thought would easily be the best on test. On its Spanish launch I developed quite a soft spot for its easy-to-use motor and chassis, and the way its sharp styling neatly masked its budget roots. It wheelies ridiculously well (in first and second off the clutch) and the soft suspension increases comfort, and while not the sportiest setup here, gives good feedback from the well matched Dunlops. I reckon it’s the sharpest looking of the four and couldn’t believe it wasn’t putting out more power on the dyno. Brakes are a bit weak, but it’s a proper motorbike this.

2

HORNET

¡ FZ6 S2 RATINGS* * OVERALL ENGINE: 5/10 Ratings apply to this test only

CHASSIS: 5/10 USABILITY: 6/10

+

It’s cheap It looks good

6/10

-

Uncertain chassis Dull engine until flat out

“The ‘Z’ wheelies ridiculously well (in first and second off the clutch) and the soft suspension increases comfort.”

Honda has (yet again) done what it does best. A great all-round package that holds little in the way of surprises. The low seat height will help confidence with new riders, the strong brakes and typically fairly firm but plush suspension will inspire those with a sportier nature. I can’t say I’m a fan of the low looking tail section or “bombs away” left hand underside of the exhaust, but you don’t see them when you’re riding it anyway. With decent enough power, I can’t figure out why it won’t wheelie in second though. A close second.

3

FZ6 S2

Yamaha has done the rather (un)neat trick here of taking an R6 engine, and detuning the top end power..... and, the midrange too. The result is an engine that you have to rev the guts out of to get the best from. Maybe it’ll feel fine in isolation, or for tootling about, but in this company, it just doesn’t stack up. On the plus side, the brakes are the sharpest of the three and despite getting a bit long in the tooth, it still looks quite hot. Will wheelie in second if you put a bit of mechanical sympathy to one side too. A fairly distant but inexpensive third.

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

69

THE BIG TEST NAKED MIDDLEWEIGHTS

“The light, centralised mass and proper running gear provide sportsbike-matching handling prowess.”

And the winner is...

You’ve probably gathered already that in terms of picking a winner, this test is quite clearly between the Kawasaki and the Honda Yamaha has lost the plot with the FZ6, and needs to do more than belatedly fit some four-piston calipers and an alloy swingarm to get back into this intensely competitive game. The FZ6 is good-looking, cheap and works well enough in its own way, but is comprehensively out-performed by the sophisticated Honda and the mental Z750.

Close call.... That was the easy bit – if only picking the winner was so straightforward. I spent most of the test swithering between the compact, dynamic Hornet’s charms, and the blustering fun of the Z750. Styling-wise, they

70

both have their strong points, and what the Z750 has over the CB600F in the engine room, it loses out to in the chassis department. And if you need a sorted, fun naked middleweight in your life, they’d both fit the bill admirably. Imagine if Honda made a 750 Hornet...

...But the Hornet edges it But in the end, I think the Kawasaki just loses out. Honda has worked hard at the Hornet, and has equipped it with a real cutting edge powerplant, a quality chassis and then dressed it in genuinely smart designer clothes. On a twisty back road,

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

the light, centralised mass and proper running gear provide sportsbike-

matching handling prowess, and the engine is a properly satisfying, well-

carburetted lump. Truly, an upper-middle-class motorbike. SB

Photography: Claire Collins Make-Up: Sara Muhammad Model: Karina

T RIUMPH STREET TRIPLE

Photography: Claire Collins Make-Up: Sara Muhammad Model: Karina

T RIUMPH STREET TRIPLE

REAL WORLD READER’S HELP WRITE TO: SuperBike Help, SuperBike Magazine, Leon House, 233 High Street, Croydon, Surrey CR9 1HZ. E-mail: superbike_ [email protected]

Q& A

YOUR PROBLEMS SORTED

Every month, our team of experts address your biking problems. From riding tips to mechanical maladies, we’re here to help

HOW TO

Keep your nuts under control Q

I’ve had a couple of nuts come loose on my bike and it’s a bit of a worry. Is there any way I can make sure they stay done up in the future? Mike Hobson, Ealing

A

There are lots of different things you can use, depending on what nut you’re trying to keep in place. Here are the main ones.

Nylock nut

The same as regular nuts, but they have a nylon insert (A). When you tighten the nut in place, the thread of the bolt cuts into the nylon, which in turn grips the thread and holds the nut in place. Easy to use, but re-use weakens the grip.

E

B

C A

Thread lock

You can get a variety of different thread-locking solutions, and they all do a similar job (B). Make sure threads are clean and put a few drops on before doing up a nut or other fastener. The thread lock dries and forms a tacky substance that holds a fasterner in place – a bit like a thick glue but you can still remove it.

Split pin

Common on wheel axles, brake torque arms and other critical applications. Requires the pre-drilling of the bolt onto which a nut attaches. Simply slide a split pin into place, bend the ends and trim. This stops the nut coming loose. It’s poor practice to re-use a split pin – splash out a few pence on a new one.

“A racer’s trick is to drill a small hole into any fastener and use wire to attach it to something solid, or another speciallydrilled hole”

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SEPTEMBER 2007

www.superbike.co.uk

D

R-clip

A posh, re-useable split pin (C). Make sure the open end faces away from the direction of travel or it’s possible something like a twig can brush against it and pull it out. For extra security, lockwire the legs together.

Sprung washer

Use between a normal washer and a nut (D). These apply a pressure to the nut that pushes it against the threads of the bolt it’s on. This holds it still and stops vibrations shaking it loose.

Lockwire

A racer’s trick. Drill a small hole in any fastener and use wire (E) to attach it to something solid nearby, or another specially-drilled hole. Best done with proper lockwiring pliers and dedicated wire.

ASK AN

EXPERT

Each month we get a different biking expert to answer your questions. This month it’s Paul Bennett on repairing crashdamaged bikes

¡ THE EXPERT Paul Bennett is general manager of the Just Bikes Clinic – the UK’s biggest motorbike accident repair specialist. Contact: 01142 753585

Structure

The R6 will certainly benefit from a power commander, but will it void your warranty?

PC gone mad?

Q

I am considering fitting a power commander to my brand new Yamaha YZF-R6, but have been put off by a few mates who say that the manufacturers’ warranty will be void if anything goes wrong with the bike. I called my local dealer and asked them, but only got a guarded reply along the lines of, ‘If anything goes wrong, Yamaha will take a very dim view of the situation and might not repair it under warranty’. They would not commit to an answer one way or the other. I see that you guys fit Power Commanders to many of your new bikes, and I would be grateful if you’d possibly shed some light on the situation. Chris Challans, e-mail

A

We spoke to Yamaha and their reply is typical of any manufacturer. If you fit any non-approved aftermarket part

Screen dream

Q

I have a Speed Triple and need real wind protection. I’m 6’5” and Triumph’s fly screen must be a bad joke. Any suggestions would be much appreciated – I really hope you can help, thanks. Jake, e-mail

A

and it causes a problem, then the warranty won’t cover it. But simply fitting it doesn’t completely void the warranty. Yamaha told us they “wouldn’t and couldn’t” do that. This applies to any nonapproved accessory including alarm systems, exhausts and even panniers. One problem you might have with something like panniers is that they take time to remove. So if a bike under warranty needed work doing, the extra time required to remove and refit the panniers would not be covered by the warranty. We happily fit Power Commanders as they’re a proven product that doesn’t cause problems. We know of people who’ve fitted them or had them fitted, then if they do need to take their bike in for service or warranty work, they whip them off again briefly. In short, fit the Power Commander, it’ll be fine.

Screens can be funny things. Bikes with tall ones can subject the rider to buffeting that may be less relaxing than the smooth, uninterrupted air you get with no screen. Bikes with low bars and a small, steeply raked screen like CBR600RRs may

not look ideal, but can be surprisingly relaxing at high speed. If you’re determined to get a big screen, a universal one like Givi’s A601 Airstar (01327 706220, £63) can be fitted with a bit of ingenuity. But it’s big and handlebarmounted. It’ll look

I’m looking at damaged repairable bikes with a view to buying one and doing it up myself as a cheap way of getting a decent bike on the road. Quite a few have frame damage. How serious can it be, and will the bike still be safe and useable? Does repairing make any structural difference, or is it purely cosmetic? Richard Dennis, Lincoln

damaged so the geometry’s off, it’s a bigger job. We can put it on a jig and compare every measurement to the correct ones, and we can pull it back into shape if the damage isn’t too bad. Steel frames are easier, but they’re less common these days.

With frame damage you can’t generalise too much; each bike needs to be judged individually. Most bikes have aluminium frames these days. If one of those gets grazed and all the geometry’s ok, then that’s generally cosmetic. You can’t fill it with filler, but we TiG weld it to replace the missing metal then face it off. If a frame’s been

Back to basics

I’m looking at returning my CBR600F to standard trim. Are there any aftermarket sticker suppliers who can produce decals as good as the original? Terry Blackmore, Cwmbran

The CBR600F in all its original, unadulterated glory

The honest answer is ‘no’ in a lot of cases. We use some decal suppliers who are very, very good. MRS in Ilkeston is among the best. But with some models, such as ZX-6Rs, I’ve never seen an aftermarket dace that matches the original ones – they’re made of tiny little dots. Replicas are fine if you’re doing both sides of a bike, or if you’re happy to spend a little less and don’t expect them to quite match the originals.

¡ NEXT MONTH ASK A SUSPENSION EXPERT

Have you got a question for our next expert, Ken Summerton, director of suspension gurus K-tech? If so, please email or write to us at the above address

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

79

REAL WORLD Q&A FROM THE

FORUM

Got a technical or other biking problem? There’s plenty of clued-up petrolheads online at our forum www.superbike. co.uk you can discuss it with. Check out this recent thread:

nasty, will probably ruin the high-speed handling and may cause turbulence. So it isn’t a particularly good solution. We’d suggest getting lower handlebars. Triumph never did a kit themselves, but LSL do ones that fit (0845 0533040, £182). Go for a set of those, get Triumph’s small official fly screen (Triumph dealers, £149.99) and that’ll reduce the amount of grief you get from the wind as much as possible. If that’s not good enough, then you’re

Sintered pads ADI Hi Guys, just a quick question. Can I whack sintered brake pads on OE discs on a TL 1000S? Xxrider I have! Never had a problem. Chappers Yeah I used EBC HH and when the front wheel was in contact with the ground, they were good. I think the standard ones are sintered. Bigham Of course. I’ve never had any problems. The superstock guys run standard disks on sintered pads, so it’ll be good enough for road use.

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80

SEPTEMBER 2007

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probably best flogging the speed triple and getting something that had a fairing from new.

Dire storm

Q

I currently ride a Honda VTR1000F Firestorm. I know it’s not the fastest bike around, but it’s been a good bike to get back on after a 10-year break. After seven months and 6,000 miles, I’m starting to wish I’d bought a faster machine. Are there any bolt-on performance parts that will give my bike a

boost? I’ve already fitted Staintune exhaust pipes, but these only make it sound better. Should I run it on a Dyno and have it rejetted as a couple of mates have suggested, or save up for a faster bike? Shane Towns, email

A

The exhausts will give your bike a little more oomph, and fitting a freer flowing air filter and tweaking the jetting to suit both will help too. But it’s never going to give more than a handful of extra horsepower. Most tuning

is not that cost effective compared to selling a bike and buying one that’s designed to be faster. It’s worth considering altering the gearing though. A smaller (typically by one tooth) front sprocket and larger rear (stick to one or two more teeth) will make the bike feel a lot livelier, and accelerate faster too. The trade-off is less top end and your speedo will over-read, but it’s still about the best way to extract more performance from your bike. SB

Ticking Gixxer Q

I’m a solder serving in Germany, and thought it would be a good idea to buy a GSX-R1000. It can really chew up the miles quickly. Everything was fine last year, but now there seems to be a kind of rattle as I set off and at slow speeds. The noise is always there, even when the bike’s warm, but goes once you get above around 4,000rpm. The rattle is quite weird, it only happens

“Rattles are hard things to diagnose... Cam chain tensioner problems are not unknown on many bikes, including the GSX-R”

A

Rattles are hard things to diagnose without listening to the bike. But you could be right – it might be the cam chain tensioner as it’s not an unknown problem on many bikes, including your GSX-R. It may just be about to move to the next step of its ratchet, and when it does so the cam chain will quieten down. If so, you can give it a helping

when you are moving but I don’t think it’s the transmission, although I’m no expert. I looked on the net and found quite a few references to the cam chain tensioner. Do you think this is the problem, and would it be worth fitting one with a manual adjuster? If so, how do you know when you’ve reached the correct tension? Mark Scott, BFG Germany hand by removing the bolt at the back of the tensioner and taking the spring out. Then slide a thin screwdriver in and give it a bit of a shove – you may click the tensioner onto its next notch and the problem will be solved. Replace the spring and bolt. A manual cam chain tensioner could be another answer if yours is knackered. It’s very important to set it up right. One method is to remove the cam cover and test the slackness of the camchain by pushing down on it between the

cams before changing the tensioner. Obviously, you need to set it a little tighter than this when you install the new manual tensioner. If you do overtighten it, you’ll hear a whine when the engine’s running. If so, keep backing it off until this whine disappears. If it isn’t the camchain tensioner, it could be several other things such as a loose clutch basket, the tappets needing adjusting, or even be as simple as something bolted to the engine that has come loose. SB

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REAL WORLD OLD VS NEW ¡ 2003

¡ 2006

Yamaha YZF-R6

Yamaha YZF-R6

£4,499

£7,499

YZF-R6

¡ YAMAHA

Technology has been heaped upon the 600cc class of late as the manufacturers desperately try to do outdo each other on the racetrack. But how has this affected the bikes we ride on the road? Words: Rob Hoyles Pics: Jason Critchell

R6 HISTORY

When Yamaha introduced the YZF-R6 in 1999, it was a very big deal. Following hot on the heels of the R1 launched a year earlier, it gave the supersport class an almighty kick up the backside

¡

The R6 redefined the 600 class and, a year later, gave Yamaha its first World Supersport title. Showroom success followed. The bike sold by the lorry load to road riders and racers alike. For the former, that ‘must have’ appeal proved irresistible; for the latter, the expression ‘must have’ couldn’t have been more apt. At both club and national level, the bike was a revelation. Save for a few cosmetic tweaks, the R6 stayed the same up until 2003, when fuel injection replaced the carburettors, a die-cast black chassis replaced pressed aluminium, and a host of other changes made the bike a far more useful tool for the road. To many die-hard R6 fans

82

though, the bike had become too civilised and gone the direction of Honda’s useful-butslightly-dull CBR600F, at a time when Honda was taking a bold step the other way with the super-focused CBR600RR. Yamaha’s success in Supersport racing started to fade along with sales. Then came the 2006 machine. A bike so radically different from the rest of the six-pack that looks alone made it the winner that it so very nearly was in World Supersport racing at its first attempt last year. So, we’ve got the refined version of the original headbanger, and the redefined version of the whole R6 concept. But which one’s best for you?

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

F

rom the moment you first set eyes on the two bikes, it’s instantly apparent that they couldn’t be more different. The soft, almost friendly curves of the ’03 machine contrast against the aggressive angles of the latest model. The weather had hardly been kind to us for this test. So much for global warming, it’s more like global downpour! Not the kind of thing you want for pushing sports 600s to their limits... So you may be wondering why we didn’t bother waiting for a sunnier day. In fact, bearing in mind I’ve tested all and indeed owned most types of R6 over the years, riding them mainly in blistering sunshine on some of the best tracks in the country, was there even any point in riding them again? Yet the real-world weather turned out to be a god-send, showing up one bike as a much better road machine than the other. The flatlands of East Anglia are a bleak place to be when the rain clouds beckon, but offer just

about every type of road imaginable. From wellsurfaced sweeping bends to bumpy hairpins, the Fen roads offer variety, not much traffic and plenty of cow shit. Having spent a lot of time in the saddle of the new R6 on various tests, at first the older bike feels, well, old. The riding position is far less focused than the head-down, arseup posture of the newer bike, although the older bike still feels lithe and agile on the move.

Size isn’t everything The newer machine does feel tiny, but then the ‘03 bike hardly feels big. It has a slender feel to it. It’s fairly narrow between the knees, yet manages not to feel as cramped as its younger brother and offers better wind protection too, making it the bike we both wanted to be on for the run back down the A1. I won. Less than grippy roads can reveal a lot about a motorbike. In the past, racers have criticised the ’03 R6 for being a little lazy steering, a

“

For racers, the expression ‘must have’ couldn’t have been more apt. At both club and national level, the R6 was a revelation www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

83

W RLD NEW VS OLD REAL WO WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

2003 Yamaha YZF-R6 Buying any second-hand bike is a minefield, and a used 600 can prove just as explosive if you don’t choose carefully...

¡

The 2003 R6 we had on test was the antithesis of what we’d usually recommend, but the price reflected the fact that it had been raced. As it turned out, it proved to be a good example. Of course, for every honest seller there are plenty of unscrupulous types out there who will happily try to pass off a wellthrashed track bike for a mint road bike. Look out for the tell-tale signs, such as immaculate plastics mis-matched with scratched wheel rims from numerous tyre

changes. Drilled bolts are easily replaced, but keep an eye out for them anyway and always try to buy from the seller’s home. Look round the garage for clues. Roadrashed leathers hanging up, tyre warmers and other race paraphernalia kicking around should give you a strong urge to walk away. Bear in mind too that since the R6 Cup took off, there have been plenty of R6s sold as practice bikes. Great if you’re after a cheap track bike – just be sure that you know exactly what you’re getting.

¡ Engine

and gearbox A well-maintained R6 is generally a pretty safe bet, and mechanical failures are rare. Like many Yamahas though, high mileage machines tend to burn a bit of oil so be sure to check the bike from cold – a puff of blue smoke on start-up is a telling sign that oil is getting past the piston rings. Gearbox output shaft bearings can wear, causing the seals behind the drive sprocket to leak if the chain tension is too tight. But again this is rare and only ever down to poor maintenance. If you’re after a little

¡ 2003 YAMAHA YZF-R6 Price: £4,499 Nu Ins group: 15 Contact: Webbs Yamaha Centre 01733 223444

¡ Chassis

The R6’s popularity as a track bike means that a fair few will have had a hard life. Luckily, the chassis is as strong as the motor, so unless the bike has been dropped, it’s unlikely to give any trouble. Headstock bearings are a weak point on the R6 though, and need regular checks

and greasing. Junking the standard 65-section front tyre in favour of a 70-section works wonders too. The swinging arm linkages and bushes seldom cause problems, though the bolts will corrode easily in winter making them difficult to remove. The brakes on the ’03-’04 models tend to suffer winter use quite badly too. In every other respect, the R6 is one tough cookie. But if you can find a 2005 bike (essentially the same but with USD forks and radial brake calipers) at a reasonable price, then it is definitely a better buy.

¡ 2006 YAMAHA YZF-R6 Price: £7,599 Nu Ins group: 15 Contact: Yamaha Motors UK 01932 358000 www.yamaha-motor.co.uk

www.webbsyamahacentre.co.uk

■ ENGINE

■ ENGINE

Type: l/c, 16v, 4-cylinder, in-line DOHC Displacement: 599cc Bore x Stroke: 65.5 x 44.5mm Compression: 12.4:1 Carburation: Electronic fuel injection, 38mm throttle bodies Gearbox: Six-speed, chain Power: 119.9bhp @ 9,700rpm (BSD) Torque: 69.4lb ft @ 7,500rpm (BSD)

Type: l/c, 20v, 4-cylinder, in-line DOHC Displacement: 998cc Bore x Stroke: 67 x 42.5mm Compression: 11.5:1 Carburation: Dual valve electronic fuel injection, 45mm throttle bodies Gearbox: Six-speed, chain Power: 110.8bhp @ 14,500rpm Torque: 42.8lb ft @ 12,000rpm

■ CYCLE PARTS

■ CYCLE PARTS

Chassis: Aluminium die cast, Deltabox III Suspension: (F) 43mm fully adjustable RWU fork (R) Fully adjustable monoshock Brakes: (F) Twin 298mm discs, four-piston Sumitomo calipers (R) 220mm disc, single-piston caliper Wheels/Tyres: Cast Aluminium/ Dunlop D207RR (F) 120/70 17 (R) 180/55 17 Rake/Trail: 24°/86mm Wheelbase: 1380mm Capacity: 17 litres Dry Weight: 162kg

Chassis: Aluminium die cast, Deltabox III Suspension: (F) 43mm fully adjustable USD fork (R)Fully adjustable monoshock Brakes: (F) Twin 310mm discs, four-piston radial Sumitomo calipers (R) 220mm disc, single-piston caliper Wheels/Tyres: Cast Aluminium/ Dunlop Qualifier (F) 120/70 17 (R)180/55 17 Rake/Trail: 24°/97mm Wheelbase: 1380mm Capacity: 17.5 litres Dry Weight: 161kg

¡ 2003 R6 RATINGS* * OVERALL ENGINE: 8/10

¡ 2006 R6 RATINGS* * OVERALL ENGINE: 7/10

Ratings Apply to this test only

CHASSIS: 7/10 USABILITY: 9/10

+ 84

more poke, the motor responds very well to a carefully set-up Power Commander, with figures around the 112bhp mark not uncommon with a good-quality exhaust system fitted.

User-friendliness, road manners

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

8/10

-

Dated looks and track performance

Ratings Apply to this test only

CHASSIS: 9/10 USABILITY: 7/10

+

Superb chassis, track focused

7/10

-

Few compromises for the road

Rob makes the most of Global Downpour to test old and new R6s back-to-back – and guess which comes out trumps on the roads?

its ability on the road. The engine seems to rev forever, and the resultant exhaust note is pure audio heaven. Working the slick gearbox to keep it screaming above a fairly flat bottom end makes you feel like a Supersport god. That is until the rider on the ’03 machine comes past on a fatter wave of midrange torque, wondering what all the noise was about. The newer bike may have more top-end power, but on the road, midrange is king.

The final analysis?

bit slow to turn. Having raced a 2005 model, I’d be inclined to agree with them, but then only when you’re riding at a pace that would spell either prison or hospital on the road. What it does create is a bike with superb feel and neutrality on the road, and that inspires calm and confidence mid-turn.

Rapier sharp By contrast, the newer machine’s inclination to turn up its own pointy arse at the merest whiff of a handlebar input makes it a rapier-sharp track

tool for smooth, flowing corners, but something of a liability on a greasy wet hairpin – which during our test only served to make me feel on edge. Suspension has come a long way in the past few years, but again this is another area where the newer machine needs adjustment for the roads. While it works well on the racetrack, it’s way too stiff as standard here. The slightly softer set-up of the ’03 machine suits the road perfectly and to my mind, that’s how it should be. Surely we should

“The latest R6 has all the ingredients to make a superb track or race bike, although much of its focus has compromised its ability on the road” adjust bikes for the track, not the other way round? The cliché ‘racer on the road’ really couldn’t be more fitting for the

latest R6. It has all the ingredients to make a superb track or race bike, although much of its focus has compromised

Make no mistake, the new R6 is a great bike. That’s why I’ve recently parted with a thick wedge of my hard earned for one. The thing is, I’ve bought it to go racing with and given the choice for the road, it would be the earlier model every time – especially with some great deals to be had on new 2005 models. But then, that’s just me. If you’re the kind of rider who lives for trackdays and simply has to have the latest of everything, then the most recent version of the R6 won’t disappoint. Be honest with yourself about where and how you’ll be doing most of your riding, and book test rides on each. As Catherine Zeta Jones once said: “There’s been many a fine tune played on an old fiddle.” SB

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

85

REAL WORLD USED BIKE TEST

¡ KAWASAKI

ZRX1200R

¡ 2006

2,300 milles

£5,100

Kawasaki’s ZRX is one of the original and best naked muscle bikes. Chris Moss finds out what’s keeping it going strong Words: Chris Moss Pics: Graeme Brown

T

he ZRX’s success is no surprise to us. Every time we’ve ridden the Kawasaki we’ve all liked it, getting off with a smile and accompanying the happy look with quotes like, ‘Now that’s a real man’s bike.’ It’s a tool to satisfy rather than stimulate massively. But for those who like a bit of speed without the journey getting too risky, the ZRX fits the bill nicely. In the naked retrostyled streetbike category, the 1200R is the sportiest of the bunch overall, though it is important to understand this is no ZX-10R worrier. Come to think of it, it’s not exactly going to stay in the mirrors of a well-ridden

ZX-6R either. It does have a decent turn of speed though, and its easy, predictable manners mean some riders will be faster on this than on a dedicated race rep. Much of this dependability at speed is down to the relaxed riding position, chassis geometry and plush suspension.

Muscleing it Getting a move on is straightforward. The weight, relatively long wheelbase and raked-out front end mean the ZRX needs a fair old nudge and tug on the bars to get the thing steered to where you want it to go. But before you start booking work-out sessions down

the local gym, be assured that the tall, wide bars are good physical allies to heaving the bike around, and help nicely with the job of machine mastery. Another thing you’ll need to put a bit of effort into is the engine. Despite its capacity, the 1200 is tuned in a way that makes revving it worthwhile. You can be lazy with it if you want, as there’s enough torque to generate spirited pace. If you just want to dawdle around town, or look at the scenery as much as braking markers and peel-in points, then the flexibility of the in-line four is strong enough. But if you want to get serious and be like Eddie,

ZRX1200R HISTORY

You have to go back a long way to trace the roots of Kawasaki’s ZRX1200R muscle bike

Inspired by the racing success of one Mr Eddie Lawson in AMA superbike racing back in the 80s (before he went on to became a 500GP superstar), in 1982 Kawasaki built a replica of his racer to celebrate his winning ways. Prompted by a resurgence in demand for sit-up-and-beg streetbikes, the firm then made another one more than a decade later. The

then you’ll need to move the tacho needle to point at some of the bigger numbers on the dial. And

ZRX first hit the streets as an 1100 in 1996. But it’s the second, much-changed and more powerful 1200 version that we’ve tested here. And though it’s obviously a bike aimed at the set who view life in a rose-tinted hue, there’s plenty to satisfy fans of modern-day equipment too. A fact most dealers are familiar with thanks to it being in high demand, especially in used form.

maintaining the speedier stuff often means dropping down a gear or two of the five on offer now and again

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

87

REAL WORLD USED BIKE TEST

¡ Experts

Pidcocks of Derby 01332 349673 Cradley Kawasaki 01384 633455 Kawasaki Newcastle 0191 272 3335

¡ Servicing costs

Minor @ 4,000miles/12months £130-160 Major (including valves) @ 8,000miles/24months £300-350

¡ Experts

Engine LC DOHC 16v in-line four Power 112bhp @ 8,250rpm Torque: 80ft lb @ 6,750rpm Weight 223kgs Suspension (F) 41mm telescopic forks, fully adjustable (R) twin piggyback shocks, fully adjustable Brakes (F) 2 x 310mm discs, 6-piston calipers (R) 250mm disc, 2-piston caliper Fuel Capacity 19 litres (4.2gals)

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

Kawasaki ZRX1200R The ZRX is well-proven, having been around for more than 10 years in 1100/1200cc forms Its motor is based on the ZZ-R1100 that dates back to 1990. Kawasaki engineers and the thousands who have bought the bikes over that time have proven the engine to be a generally solid and reliable powerplant. Anything that smokes or rattles has not been looked after. Noisy top ends can indicate cam and cam follower pitting, but the problem is rare. Cam chain tensioners are automatic. But occasionally they need help; remove the end inspection cap and apply very light force on the spring to tension it If you fit an aftermarket end can, or full exhaust system, make sure you re-jet the carbs. If you don’t the bike will run poorly at best, and damage stuff like pistons or valves at worst. A DynoJet kit will let you fine tune things Speeding up the steering can be achieved by dropping the forks through the yokes a little, and turning the eccentric chain adjusters to raise the rear end of the bike. But bear in mind that overdoing things may require you to fit a steering damper Keep your eye on the fuel gauge. When the bike goes into reserve, the tap can be very tricky to turn promptly into the right position The finish of the ZRX is generally strong, but some bolts and fasteners corrode readily if the bike’s not cleaned and polished often. And the black engine finish can’t

tolerate too much neglect. Use the overall condition as a good guide to what sort of life it’s led ZRX owners like to modify their bikes. Check the mods are sensible and the work has been carried out properly A test ride will reveal stuff like worn suspension, poor carburation, slipping clutches and notchy headraces The Kawasaki has become a cult bike, and generally attracts older and more sensible Eddie Lawson fans who really look after their bikes and like to hang onto them. Younger hooligans who’ve never heard of Eddie also have ZRXs and don’t care for them as much. Suss out the seller carefully, although these differences shouldn’t be too hard to spot. Lowering the gearing by fitting a one-tooth smaller gearbox sprocket is a cheap and easy way to improve the engine’s flexibility. However, this reduces the chain/swingarm clearance so keep the chain well adjusted. Alternatively, fit a two-tooth larger rear sprocket

to keep things rolling rapidly. In saying that, there’s no point thrashing it as hard as a 600. That’s true of the suspension too. It’s nice and plush and caters well for most speed ranges and road surfaces, whether you’re on your tod or with a pillion. Like the motor though, if you want to get there a bit quicker then some effort is needed, and a fiddle with a screwdriver to firm up the forks and twin shocks gives better feel and control. Getting the brakes to match that level of confidence might need a bit more than a quick meddle, mind you. On paper, the six-potters should be sharp and strong enough. In reality, they’re not as powerful as that and some modding might be needed if you fancy doing some Alex Barros style outbraking moves on your mates. Nine times out of 10, they’ll probably be enough for you. However, most of

those interested in the ZRX will be attracted by its looks more than anything else. It’s a real beauty if you’re a fan of retro style. And stuff such as the bikini fairing (which incidentally, isn’t too good as a wind-breaker), braced swingarm and general ‘just like they were in the 80s’ shapes and lines will warm many a heart. And there’ll be a few who really value the analogue clocks, carbs, fuel tap and those twin shocks that once graced all bikes not long ago.

Lots of clout For a practical, stylish, easy-going big bike with plenty of heritage, clout and all-round appeal, the Kawasaki ZRX1200R is well worth a shot. It might be based on something your dad liked, but it’s still got a hell of a lot going for it. And though it’s not as fast and focused as any of today’s more specialised tools, I bet there aren’t too many of them that’ll be as famous a quarter of a century from now. SB

¡ Typical values YEAR

REG

PRICE

2001

X

£1,725-3,095

2001

Y

£1,775-3,150

2001

51

£1,825-3,250

2002

51

£2,000-3,425

2002

02

£2,050-3,525

2002

52

£2,125-3,650

2003

52

£2,275-3,825

2003

03

£2,350-3,895

2003

53

£2,400-3,975

2004

53

£2,500-4,050

2004

04

£2,600-4,175

2004

54

£2,675-4,275

2005

54

£2,825-4,395

2005

05

£2,925-4,495

2005

55

£3,000-4,595

2006

55

£3,125-4,695

2006

06

£3,225-4,825

2006

56

£3,300-4,925

Thanks to: DK Motorcycles for the 2006, 06-reg, 2,300-mile example we tested, which is on sale for £5,100

Dealer view Gary Mackay

DK Motorcycles can’t get enough ZRXs to satisfy demand

They’re brilliant bikes and everyone loves them, especially in the Eddie Lawson colours. Selling them is dead easy for us, and you’ll need to move fast if you want one. That shouldn’t be a surprise as they’re unbelievably reliable and really look good. If you like naked streetbikes, then this is the one to have.

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

89

REAL WORLD THE BEST OF...

O

ne-piece suits are great. They give you racer cool looks, massive protection and for fast road or track riding, they should be comfortable too. But there are times when these suits are impractical. As soon as you get off a bike, or are confronted with a heatwave, or just don’t want to be scrunched up into a leathery condom, then you should start thinking about a two-piece suit instead. Why? Because two-piece suits offer a near-perfect compromise of comfort and style. Zip them together and you’d be hard pushed to guess which is a two-piece suit and which isn’t – except you never tend to get that just-pooped-in-my-pants saggy bum with a two-piece. A two-piece also provides you with almost the same protection levels as a one-piece, and when the time comes to get off your bike to walk/shop/watch the racing, you can simply whip off the jacket. Just imagine walking round at Brands WSB in comfort rather than sweating in a one-piece or dragging the bottom half through the mud...

TWO-PIECE

SUITS

Every month we select our favourite bits of kit or clothing, based on quality, fit, performance, value for money, and – most importantly – our own experience. This month, it’s two-piece suits

What to look for

F

unction is the key principle when it comes to buying a two-piece suit. It has to work just when you want it to. Which means that while you’re still attached to the bike it must fit well, offer lots of comfort, keep the warmth in when it’s cold and get your heat out when it’s warm. So it’s important to make sure the suit fits. Try a couple of sizes of each garment to make sure you get the sizing spoton and if there is a bike in the showroom, jump on it and make all those racer poses to ensure it fits in situ – but bear in mind that there will be a little give in the material over time. Seeing as you are in the market for practicality then go for a walk too, check how easy they are to zip and unzip and see if you’re getting hot in the shop. Snug is the best fit in the shop, but check that there are nice, elasticated panels around the crotch and armpits . Once you’ve got comfort sorted you need to make sure that it’s going to stand up to the worst possible situation – crashing. So check the quality and thickness of the leather (although if you’re looking at a kangaroo suit the material will be much

90

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

less thick). Check how the suit is constructed – so look at whether stiching is on the outside (bad, as it can be worn through) or on the inside (good, although it can be less comfortable). CE protection on all of the body’s corners is essential – and make sure it doesn’t float about while it’s being worn. Most ziptogether two-piece suits should be OK for trackday use – but best ask when you’re booking.

¡ BERIK

LS2 3212

How much? You get what you pay for in life, and the same is true with leather products. £400 is the starting point really, but between here and £650 the market gets crowded. If you’re buying a bike from the same shop, haggle hard.

This cow leather suit uses perforated leather to make summer more comfortable. Anatomically fitted, there are nylon panels that stretch and make life easier on board. With a race hump and sliders, the 3212’s intentions are clear and the CE approved protection is there should the worse happen. Sizes: Men’s 38 – 58 Colours: Red/white/black, blue/white/black, grey/white/black Price: £549.99

Contact:

www.moto-direct.com

¡ DAINESE

¡ TEKNIC

FLANKER DIV

LIGHTNING The Lightning is a two-piece sports suit that uses 1.2-1.4mm Brazilian hide. The arms and legs are pre-curved for a race fit. Teknic use Know armour in their suits, here at the elbow, shoulder and knee – foam is used at the hips. The YKK zip goes all the way round the waist while the lining is anti-bacterial. Sizes: Men’s 40 – 54 Colours: Black/red/black, black/ blue/black, blue/black/black Price: £399.99

The two-piece Flanker (also available as a one-piece) has composite protectors and a pocket to accommodate a back protector. It is made from full-grain leather, with elasticated inserts for comfort. The shoulder protectors feature a new, articulated design. Sizes: Men’s 44 – 60; ladies’ 40 - 52 Colours: Red/white/black, blue/white/black, carbon/ white/black Price: £599.99

Contact:

Contact:

www.teknicgear.com

FRANK THOMAS TITANIUM ¡

Frank Thomas offer style and value in this Titanium Pro suit. 1.2-1.4mm full grain hide with multiple stitching marries to CE protection and an antibacterial mesh lining. Titanium styling on the knee and elbow give the suit its name. Sizes: Men’s 38 – 54; ladies’ 8 - 18 Colours: Black, black/ blue, black/red, black/ yellow, black/green Price: £399.98

Contact:

www.frank-thomas.com

SPYKE MAG BLUE

¡

www.dainese.com

More Italian style, this time from Spyke. Fullgrain 1.2-1.3mm cow hide graces the Mag with a water repellent treatment applied too. Kevlar and Cordura panels make it comfortable. CE protection on the elbow, knees and shoulder are allied to double stitching in the suits most vulnerable areas. The inner lining is fixed, so may get a bit whiffy. Sizes: Men’s 48 – 58 Colours: Black/silver, black/blue Price: £581.00

Contact:

www.feridax.com

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

91

REAL WORLD THE BEST OF...

¡ ALPINESTARS

SG-1 RACE SUIT

Using 1.2-1.4mm full-grain leather and multiple stitched main seam construction, this is a tough suit. The panels are perforated, so are ideal for summer riding while there is CE protection at the elbow, shoulder, knee and shin for all-round coverage. Stretch panels are used in all the relevant places. Sizes: Men’s 46 – 64; ladies’ 38 - 50 Colours: Black/blue, black/grey, black/red Price: £499.99

Contact:

www.alpinestars.com

¡

NEXT MONTH

LUBRICANTS Join us next month as we get lubed up and reveal what’s hot and what’s not in the world of oils. We uncover what the ratings are and rate them in the quest for a smooth and long-lasting engine.

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SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

Boringly named, but not boringly designed, the 3211 offers great specifications. Full-grain cow leather, Kevlar stretch panels and CE approved armour do the protection thing, perforated leather keeps you cool and the titanium elbow and shoulder sliders look natty too. Sizes: Men’s 38 – 48 Colours: Black/blue/ white, black/white/red, black/white/grey Price: £649.99

Contact:

www.moto-direct.com

JOE ROCKET GPX-TYPE-R ¡

ARLEN NESS LS 3211 SUIT

The GPX Type-R boasts Joe Rocket’s Variable Flow ventilation system, with windproof stretch panels on the sleeves, legs and crotch. It is made from 1.3-1.6mm-thick uncorrected leather and has CE-approved protectors. Sizes: Men’s 38 – 48 Colours: Black, black/gun, black/red, black/blue Price: £499.99

Contact:

www.tranam.co.uk

REAL WORLD NEW KIT

BEST OF EVERYTHING

Our recommendations for some top kit and parts we’ve seen and tested during the recent past Teknic Violator £249.99

Leather Jackets

■ Constructed from 1.2-1.4mm cowhide ■ Waterproof, zip-out fleece liner ■ CE-approved Knox protectors ■ Cordura panels for a snug fit ■ Neoprene stretch panels at back & cuffs ■ ‘Violer’ means ‘to rape’ in French. Bad name, nice jacket

Helmets

XPD XP5 GP £169.99

AGV Ti-Tech £379.99 Contact: 01623 757262

■ Worn by Marco Melandri and Sete Gibernau ■ Aluminium calf and toe sliders ■ Rear air vents for effective cooling

Arai RX-7 Corsair £499.99 Contact: 01782 569800

Arai Viper GT £399.99 Contact: 01782 569800

HJC GR FG-14 £199.99 KBC VR2 £179.99 Contact: 01283 763120

Lazer FiberPro £149.99 Contact: 01425 273344

Contact: 01768 483786

Shark RSR 2 £359.99

Arlen Ness Titanium Kangaroo £429 Contact: 01623 757262

Contact: 01425 273344

BKS SPR £799.99 Contact: 01395 278861

Contact: 01384 413841

Dainese Flanker £319.99 Contact: 0039 0444 224100

Frank Thomas Café Racer £179.99 Contact: 01933 410272 Furygan Houston Amo £250 Contact: 0033 04 66 38 85 85

Spyke Flash GP £289.99 Contact: 01384 413841 Teknic Violator £249.99

Shoei XR-1000 £350 X-Lite X801 Tribal £230

Clover RC100 £365 Contact: 01384 638477

Contact: 01425 620580

■ Protection for home and away ■ 13mm, 1.5m steel chain ■ Chain locked using disc lock and Claw

Blueflame Evo from £199 Contact: 01695 733100

Locks & Chains Abus Granit Extreme Plus 59 from £169.99 Contact: 01782 569800 Abus Extreme 37 from £159.99

Contact: 01933 418414

Contact: 01253 877900

Laser Duo-Tech from £249 Leo Vince SBK from £191.99 Contact: 01425 620580

Contact: 01782 569800

Micron Delta+ from £99

Almax Immobiliser Series IV from £139.95 Contact: 0191 264 2748 Almax Immobiliser Series III from £124.95 Contact: 0191 264 2748 Datatool Python £99.99

Contact: 01773 876333

Doberman DB51 £79.99 Contact: 0117 977 8899

Luma Solido Kit Duo £123.88 Contact: 01697 343240

Oxford Monster £109.99 Contact: 0870 990 9620

Squire SS65CS/MC4 £159.99 Contact: 01256 704909

Xena Chain & Claw £89.99 Contact: 01256 704909

94

Contact: 01522 791369

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

Contact: 01425 620580

Contact: 01536 526460

Dainese Duel £104.99 ■ Rossi inspired design ■ Plastic and carbon fibre protectors ■ Kevlar reinforcement

Dainese HF Special £179.99 ■ Removable ‘microdown’ lining ■ Made from Cordura and leather ■ Big, unmissable logos - phew

Rucksacks Alpinestars Vector £69.95 Contact: 0039 0423 5286

Cargo Lid Lugger £39.99 Contact: 01933 418414

Dainese Zaino Hard £89.99 Contact: 0039 0444 224100

Givi T412 £45.99 Contact: 01327 706220

Contact: 01900 825825

Contact: 01283 820508

Knox Aero £29.99

Contact: 0039 0423 5286

Ogio Metro £59.99

Dainese Duel £104.99

Contact: 01283 537722

Contact: 0039 0444 224100

Onfire T2 £40

Held Phantom £130.40

Contact: 01283 537722

Joe Rocket Speedmaster 5 £109.99

Scorpion from £169.99

Contact: 01425 620580

Contact: 01773 513730

Prexport Pro Race £69.99 Contact: 0800 369537

■ Weight saving of 30-50 per cent ■ Homologated for road use ■ Removable noise-damping baffle

Contact: 0117 977 8899

Alpinestars GP Tech £159.99

Contact: 01922 714700

Arrow Race Tech from £255

Weisse Nimbus £99.95

Held Adventure £45.20

Contact: 01283 820508

Contact: 01782 569800

Teknic Spider £199.99 Contact: 02476 705444

Summer Gloves

Motad Venom from £149.99

Yoshimura Tri-Oval from £409.22

Spidi Netline £199.99 Contact: 01536 526460

Daytona Security Evo £549.99

XPD XP5 GP £169.99

Arrow Race Tech from £255

Richa Air Vent £139.99 Contact: 01425 273344

Contact: 01933 410272

Teknic Violator £149.99 Contact: 02476 705444

Contact: 0870 2402118

Joe Rocket Phoenix 4.0 £169.99 Contact: 01425 620580

Frank Thomas Sabre £129.99

Sidi Vertigo Corsa £230 Contact: 01384 413841

Akrapovic SP £294

Hein Gericke Celtic £99.99 Contact: 0800 165 165

Contact: 0039 0444 224100

RST Forza £89.99 Contact: 01623 757262

Road Legal Silencers

Draggin Jeans Ultra Lite £115 Contact: 0800 0859 020

Contact: 0039 0423 5286

Contact: 01425 273344

Carbon Can Co. from £155

Contact: 0870 1652414

Dainese HF Special £179.99 Contact: 0039 0444 224100

Dainese Axial £209.99

Oxtar TCS Replica RX £189.99

Contact: 02476 705444

Xena Chain & Claw £89.99

Contact: 01773 864420

Alpinestars S-MX Plus £189.95

Contact: 01425 620580

■ Lightweight shell made from carbon-aramid ■ Available in six different replicas ■ ‘Push-one’ quickrelease visor

Contact: 0117 977 8899

Berik 3291 £149.99

Summer Boots

Gaerne G_RW £160

Shark RSR 2 £359.99

Weise Race £169.99

Alpinestars AirFlo £139.99 Contact: 0039 0423 5286

Contact: 0870 9909620

Nitro N1200-VX £199.99

Alpinestars Stunt 2 £279.95 Contact: 0039 0423 5286

Short Textile Jackets

Richa Supersport £59.99 Contact: 01425 273344

RST Race Pro £49.99 Contact: 01623 757262 Spada Ultima III Race £39.99 Contact: 01384 413841 Spidi Carbo Six £124.99 Contact: 01536 526460

Spyke VTS £89.99 Contact: 01384 413841

Oxford Humpback £49.99 Contact: 0870 990 9620

Spinex Manta £39.99 Contact: 01933 418414

Alpinestars Vector £69.95 ■ Three large compartments ■ CD/MP3 pocket with wire holes ■ Padded laptop sleeve with strap

REAL WORLD HOW TO RIDE BETTER Well, more like body steering actually as this month JP runs you through how to tackle corner exits by using you body weight and positioning to steer your bike

BUM STEERING Words: Jon Pearson Pics: Graeme Brown

H

ow we use our bodies during corner Banc de Sabadell corner at Catalunya circuit. exits dramatically affects how much Opening the throttle causes massive drive we get, how easily the bike steers, how forces to fight against each other through the settled the chassis is and chassis and tyres as Hopper how smoothly the process “Opening the throttle fights the eternal battle to stop of picking the bike up and the thing driving straight for causes massive forces the tyre wall. While the forces getting out the corner is. The fierce battle between might be more gentle on our to fight against each rider and the forces of nature road bikes, the principles of other through the are perfectly illustrated here John’s technique are the same chassis and tyres” by John Hopkins as he exits – use your body.

EXITING CORNERS

A key element in quicker, smoother riding is how fast you can get out of corners

1

5

It’s an old one, but if you look where you want to go, chances are you’ll go there. Look two feet in front of your wheel and you won’t see what’s coming, look at the birds in the crowd (or birds in the hedge if you’re not Hopper), and chances are you’ll be running off the track (or road) for a closer inspection.

2

Don’t open the throttle too hard, too quickly. It forces too much power onto the back tyre too suddenly and most likely will have you off. Far better to feed the throttle in gradually but surely.

96

This applies more to the track than road. Not having the weight on the footrests will reduce your steering (or put more emphasis on your arms to do the work), and will ask the rear suspension to do more. Keep the centre of gravity down low and use your leg muscles!

3

The only time you should have any great grip of the bars is during braking, the rest of the time you should have a relaxed hold. Why would you need to cling on that tight? A lighter touch on the bars gives you a softer feel for what the front tyre is doing.

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

4

Be in the right gear. Ideally you want to be somewhere in the middle of your revs, just below peak power. As you wind the throttle on you don’t want to wait half a mile for the power to pick up, and you don’t want to run out of revs six feet after the apex. Aim to be changing up when you’ve straightened up.

¡ COUNTER-STEERING The principle of counter-steering is simple – push the inside handlebar away from you and the bike will fall into the corner. Try it yourself by riding in a straight line, with a constant throttle, and pushing one handlebar away from you. Similarly, pushing the other bar away from you on a corner exit will help pick the bike up. Hopper is pushing harder with his left arm than his right here because the unweighted front wheel is out of line.

¡ HEAD

FIRST

John Hopkins, more than most, hangs his head and top half of his body way off the inside of the bike in corners. By this point though he has shifted his head and shoulders back up, over the middle of the bike to help lift his centre of gravity across. If the next section of track were a straight (it’s not), he’d be on the point of shifting his arse across to the middle of the bike again.

¡ OUTSIDE

FOOTREST

John needs the best possible grip and drive so he uses his left leg muscles to push down hard on the footrest. He is still leaning over to some degree which is causing the bike to ‘steer’. The point of this is to help force the bike up onto the fat part of the rear tyre and help get it digging into the Tarmac, grip and drive.

¡ REAR-WHEEL

GRIP

Spinning the rear tyre helps to keep the bike turning, rather than follow its natural course and head for the air fence – that’s why speedway riders hang the back out so much. For you and me on the road, this matters very little but the act of opening the throttle transfers weight through the chassis and onto the rear wheel.

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

97

REAL WORLD WORKSHOP

BEST PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Last month we covered the basic tools, this month it’s time to brush up on your basic workshop practice Words: Dave Smith Pics: Ellie Dowds

H

ere’s a few things that’ll make your life easier, keep your bike looking better, reduce the risk of an A&E (or worse) visit, and stop you looking like you’ve been in a coal mine for a week. You take pride in having your bike and house up to scratch, so why not carry this over to your tools and work area? Searching a dark greasy floor for 10 minutes for a rusty spanner that’s covered in chain

lube and grit will inspire you as much as cooking with dry cat turds. Have you noticed how clean, tidy and organised a MotoGP garage is? There’s a reason for it, and the principles are the same whether you’ve got a million Euro budget, or a few quid in your pocket and a handful of tools you nicked off your dad. As an old boy once said to me, “Look after your tools, and they’ll look after you.”

¡ Check your nuts Balancing removed nuts and bolts on your seat, then kicking them round the floor after they’ve fallen off, is not good. Some plastic or magnetic metal trays will keep them in one place and make the job quicker.

¡ General good practice ■ Have a run through the job in your head before you do it (have you got all the correct tools?). Double check everything you do, don’t rush, and make sure you have enough time for a faff and a tidy up after. Once you’ve finished and tidied up, give yourself a couple of quiet minutes with a cuppa/fag or whatever, to re-run through the job you’ve done. ■ Do nuts and bolts up as soon as you fit them if possible. Leaving them finger tight could mean you leave them forgotten. If they need to be left loose (i.e. for the purposes of lining up), screw the bolt in just a couple of threads so it’s obviously loose. ■ Clean up any spilt fluid, blobs of grease and so on immediately. It’s like strawberry jam, five minutes and it’s on everything.

¡ Clean up your act Clean your bike before working on it. You’ll feel more inspired to work on a clean, shiny bike and it helps keep grit and muck off anything you’re working on (bolt threads, bodywork etc). Have a look round for loose or worn out bits while you’re doing it too.

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SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

¡ Light is fantastic Make sure you have adequate lighting. Fluorescent strip lights backed up with a lead light will do the trick. Why not go all the way with your clean, bright workshop and paint the floor? It’ll make it easier to sweep up and clean any spilt fluids too.

¡ Drain without pain Get yourself a range of drain trays and bottles for oil, water and brake fluid. A waste oil container with a large funnel to allow filters etc. to drain will stop the contents of over-full drain trays spreading across the floor. Keep waste fluids separate and dispose of them responsibly. A bin is also essential.

¡ Time It marches on, waits for no man and is of the essence. And it’s amazing how much of it dissappears when you’re fiddling with your bike. Divorce proceedings have been instigated against riders who in all innocence have lost track of entire months in their workshops, so have a clock handy. Also useful for knowing when to surface to watch the GP on sunday.

¡ Tools Rounded-off spanners, broken fasteners and so on will only ever get worse. Get yourself down to your local hardware store (we mean one of those old fashioned places run by men in smocks), take those knackered old bolts with you and get them replaced. While you’re there, how about replacing those old spanners and filling any holes in your basic tool kit?

DAVE SMITH’S

WORKSHOP

TIPS

¡ Remember, your

hands are the most important tools talked about on these pages, so look after them. Use disposable gloves and wash your hands before you go for a waz. You’ll hate the gloves at first, but persevere. They’ll never be any good with cable ties or electrical tape, but then neither is bollock cancer (used oil is a carcinogen).

¡ Hold it together

¡ Don’t scratch your face or eyes with dirty fingers (you don’t really need to look like Marlon Brando in ‘The Wild One’). Use the inside of your overalls and a thumb, or get yourself a roll of tissue paper on the wall.

If you’re fitting aftermarket parts, box up the originals with associated nuts, bolts etc. ‘Where‘s that bolt’ isn‘t a question you want to be asking if it goes back to standard (Dep Ed Alan Dowds is the world’s worst at this!).

¡ Clear unpleasant danger Keep your work space clean and have a dedicated tidy work top with a solidly mounted vice. There’s nothing worse than looking for a dropped nut hidden under a sea of crap on the floor. Clean your tools, put them away and have a good sweep up after every job.

¡ Use eye protection when grinding, chiselling and the like. I don’t have to tell you why, do I?

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

99

REAL WORLD TEST OF TIME... JAYNE TOYNE’S

¡ DAINESE ROCHESTER TROUSERS ON TEST FOR: 10 months COSTS: £149 CONTACT: 01438 317038

A

IKE SUPERB G

R ATIN

7/ 10

fter being used in blizzards, hale and freezing temperatures between November and March, Dainese’s Rochester trousers kept my arse both warm and dry. But then spring came, the temperature edged into double figures, the roads became dry and I was tempted to don my leathers. Then summer arrived and the monsoon season started. I was left with no option but to unzip the thermal liner and keep wearing these slightly boob-hugging, unflattering strides. There’s been no better test than the wettest June on record.

The D-dry system has kept me dry. Until yesterday, that is. Riding through a proper deluge where the M25 became an instant river and the water came down in litre-sized droplets, I started to get damp knees. I blame this on the extra stitching in that area, as well as being the area that takes the most abuse

from kneeling to chain up my bike. I’ve never been able to zip up the trouser legs as my boots have too much armour, so I have that hippy flared look. They don’t seem to flap about too much though, and I’ve never caught them on the pegs or had unwanted draughts. They have a full-length zip to attach a jacket to for safety and comfort. The sizing is typical Italian; I’ve got long legs and to be able to position the knee armour on my knees rather than thighs, I often need to go up a size. In the case of Dainese I need to wear next to the biggest size they do. A size 50 equates to a size 18 they say, but in reality they are more like a UK size 12.

IKE SUPERB G

R ATIN

7/ 10

Yes, it’s all manner of kit we’ve used and ridden in. Reviewed and rated, based on value, desirability, quality and performance JON PEARSON’S

¡ BMW BACK PROTECTOR 2

ON TSET FOR: Four weeks COSTS: £95 CONTACT: 0800 777 155

I

t strikes me this back protector has been designed with the typical German efficiency. That’s a terrible cliché I know, but the smart and subdued design and feel has all the hallmarks of the best German products I can think of, namely other BMW stuff with wheels. But the mighty men of Munich have made a minor mistake that has muddied my experience of the ‘2’. It’s been designed to fit (and here comes another giant cliché) a beer drinking, sausage eating, err, person of central European descent. The waist strapping is fully adjustable with many Velcro patches to suit all, so long as you’re about 14 stone and several inches broad round the middle to start with. If you’re not, like me, the minimum setting is far too slack and does nothing to hold the protector tight around your middle. That means it always sits loose under riding

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SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

kit, which isn’t too bad under a textile jacket and jeans. But the rest of the time it isn’t really good enough. It’s impossible to wear it under something tightly fitting like one-piece leathers without considerable effort and an angry turkey impression. Shame because I fancied the idea of extra collarbone protection to add to my spine, pelvis and shoulderblade protection. Protection certification is in accordance with the latest European norm (EN 1621-2, Level 2), but that ain’t no good when my other similarly-specced protector fits perfectly.

KENNY PRYDES’

¡ RS TAICHI

GP-MAX RACE SUIT

ON TEST FOR: Three months COSTS: £1,200 CONTACT: www.rs-taichi.com or www. crescent-suzuki.com

I

t’s not the first time this suit has been in the magazine, and it won’t be the last. It’s not the oldest suit I’ve got, in fact it’s the newest. But it’s been crash-tested on its second time out and you can’t get much more used than that. Other than to crash again. Harder. At higher speed. Forgive me if I’m not in a hurry. The suit is Japanese-made with a re-assuring MFJ sticker sewn in to the front. The leather is 1.2-1.5mm thick and no costs have been cut anywhere. The stretch panels are Keprotec, the protectors are CE approved, the zips are YKK and there’s venting on the plastic nylon shoulder pads. The liner is detachable. Anyway, that all sounds fine and dandy – and it is – but what happens to your fancy suit when you crash at between 50 and 60mph? The answer is that your RS Taichi suit is barely marked and the stitching remains intact –apart from the SuperBike logo on the forearm. And, before you go thinking that it wasn’t much of a crash because I walked away, bear in mind that the CBR was unrideable with a ground-away engine cover and a dent in the petrol tank. The suit survived a hell of a lot better than the bike. Repair bill for the bike? The accountants are still adding zeros and VAT. Repair bill for the suit? Zero.

IKE SUPERB G

R ATIN

9/ 10

SIMON ROOTS’

¡ OXFORD PRODUCTS

SPORTS BACKPACK

ON TEST FOR: Six months COSTS: £59.99 CONTACT: 01993 862300 www.oxprod.com

A

IKE SUPERB G

R ATIN

7/ 10

lright, so it’s not the most attractive item in the world, but this Oxford Products backpack does the business. What do you want from a rucksack? I want space, comfort and waterproofness and this Oxford Products ‘sack ticks all of the boxes. There’s not much more to add, other than it looks a bit bland. The storm flap over the top is insurance against the zip opening up while you’re on the charge, and the zip-out helmet carrier is good for perambulating with your hands free. I’ve worn more comfortable rucksacks, but this is hardly uncomfortable and it’s big enough to fit half of my life in (the other half goes in my massive Saab 95 estate). I’d say it needs to come down by £20 to make it a real bargain.

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

101

FIGHTER

ESSENZIALE

  

















𰁪𰀤𰀖𰀦𰀧𰀧𰀭𰀖𰀯𰀭𰀧𰀯𰀖𰀨𰀦𰀦𰀖𰀖𰁜𰀤
   𰁛𰀤  


  

 


  

REAL WORLD STAFF BIKES

KENNY PRYDE’S HONDA CBR600RR ■ TOTAL MILES DONE: 1,372 ■ MODS: Crashed

You can see here that the front isn’t grippping like Kenny hoped it would.

“I crashed because I didn’t warm up my tyres and low-sided my lovely Honda at Snetterton. And that’s it. Rider error ”

M

y name is Kenny and I have a confession to make. In spite of previous experience, I went on a SuperBike track day and crashed my bike. I crashed because I didn’t warm up my tyres and R&G crash protection saved my lovely Honda ¡ the bike from more serious low-sided at Snetterton. And that’s damage, for instance the clutch case cracking and pouring an oil slick all it. Rider error has seen me end up with a crashover the apex. Nice! damaged bike. As always in such situations, when you first pick up your bike it always looks like a complete mess. Dirt, grass and plastic hanging off it, screen cracked and bars bent – it’s a depressing Plastics may protect the bike ¡ from serious mechanical sight. But once you start damage – but they cost a mint to looking more closely, as replace. The CBR600RR is oviously often as not things are not a bike that takes well to less heartbreaking than crashing, even if it’s an innocuous they seem. 50mph low-side on cold tyres...

●

●

Bad to worse And sometimes, it’s much worse than it looks. I went from despair to hope and back to despair again every time we looked at the bike. Amazingly, all the indicators and headlight had survived without a scratch, for which thanks must be

given to R&G Racing, whose crash bungs did the job in protecting most of the bike from more serious damage. I was cheered by the winking blinkers and functioning headlights, but it was a false hope. Closer inspection revealed that, although the blinkers and headlights were OK, the nose fairing was utterly ruined and, since it’s one piece, the fact that the left side is pristine still means I need a whole new nose fairing. Also amazingly, most of the plastic on the right hand side was only fit for scrap. The plastic tank cover was scratched – not ground away at all – but underneath the tank is dented. Pish. The swingarm bobbin on the right side was ripped out and messed up the threads there too, which is never a good sign when you take it in to a dealer to be assessed. The seat unit was scratched and had ground away a bit. In fact, the annoying thing was that once we jet washed the filth off the

The goat comes across all monkey-like as Kenny ponders the stupidity of his crash

right hand side of the bike, it almost looked like a roll of duct tape would see the bike up and running again. The key word there is ‘almost’. I briefly convinced myself that it was going to be easy to sort (with a bit of help from Dave, obviously). And then we started looking more closely...

salvaged some parts and will try to get them repaired, but I’m waiting with trepidation on a phone call from Honda. A 50mph tip-off and slide on a track looks like it’s going to cost a hell of a lot more than I thought. How come my RS Taichi suit didn’t even ‘lose’ a stitch in the same crash?

SB

Poor crasher In the end, in a fit of depression, I decided to wrap the bike up in bubble-wrap, put it in the van and take it to Honda and see what they reckon. Dave and I have

CONTACTS ■ R&G Racing 0870 2206 380� www.rg-racing.com ■ PP Rearsets 01522 697007 www.ermaxuk.co.uk

REGULAR UPDATES http://www.superbike.co.uk/bikes

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

103

REAL WORLD STAFF BIKES

DAVE SMITH’S YAMAHA YZF-R1 ■ TOTAL MILES DONE: 3,175 ■ MODS: Had a decent rider on it for a bit Tommy Hill. fast rider and agile like a goat, minus the hooves and beard.

“I thought I’d give him a shot on it and see how a reasonably stock road bike compared to a 200bhp WSB and BSB polesetting monster”

I

’ve not been racking up the miles on the R1. The predicted scorching summer has, as I’ve come to expect, turned out to be a crock of shite. That’s not to say that the last few weeks have been a total wash-out though. The month started on a high note with a trek to sunny Snetterton for the first of SuperBike’s track days. If there’s anywhere to show up a bike’s inability to turn into a corner and hold a line, it’s Corams.

After a fast turn-in off the throttle, the bike’s on its side for ages as you start getting on the gas for the run towards Russells chicane. Any lack of confidence in the front tyre at the entry and through the apex, as well as feedback from the rear tyre at the exit is shown up big time. I was expecting to be making adjustments after the first session to get it turning in, and holding a more accurate line. But bugger me, thanks to the recently

TOMMY SAYS...

¡ ●

What with all this hanging out with top BSB racers at SuperBike’s track days, Dave hasn’t had time to fit these rearsets... But it’ll be done for next month

■ Engine: The stock R1 engine felt surprisingly powerful. Unlike some of the other teams, we don’t run traction control, so using our Motec engine management system, we tailor the power characteristics to suit different circuits. We’ve got around 200bhp but we can set it up so it doesn’t come in with a big hit, and we can move the power about which makes it easier to get on the throttle out of specific corners.

■ Suspension: The standard suspension is a lot softer than on my race bike.

Obviously, we don’t have to set our suspension up for bumpy roads, so we can run firmer springs and damping that can cope with the increased cornering and braking loads. The softer suspension is more forgiving though, but there is a lot more weight transfer, which makes the bike back-in to corners a lot more.

■ Chassis: I was shocked at how similar the road bike chassis felt to my race bike. Even though the road bike is quite a lot heavier, you don’t really notice it. Up ‘till now, we’ve been using a standard chassis

fitted (and excellent) Michelin Pilot Race tyres, I didn’t need to. Happy days. After a couple of sessions, I handed over the key to Tommy Hill. Seeing as he’s been consistently the fastest bloke on an R1 in the UK for the past few years, I thought I’d give him a shot on it and see how a reasonably stock road bike compared to a 200bhp WSB and BSB pole-setting monster. In between giving

and standard swinging arm geometry (though the fork yokes have adjustment for offset and rake). The soft suspension and soft seat soak up some of the feedback that my race bike has. The hard seat that I use actually helps a lot with feedback. ■ Tyres: The grooves in the road tyres let the tyre move about more, which makes it heat up quicker. They move about a lot more than my race slicks, which means that although my race tyres have got loads more grip, the road tyres actually give better feedback.

people some tuition, he seemed to be having a good ol’ slide about. Below are his thoughts. There are lots of other lovely bits of go-faster kit on Tommy’s bike, all designed to help make the 200bhp engine easier to use. As Tommy said, if you’ve got a handful of improvements each giving you a tenth more, they’ll make a difference to your lap time. Add them up over a race and it might be the difference between being top 10 or on the podium. SB

■ Slipper clutch: My clutch is set up to slip a fair bit more on downchanges than the standard one. Towards the end of a race, when your tyres are worn, you lose a lot of time with the bike sliding into corners, so we set the clutch up to help carry entry speed, without the bike backingin too much.

CONTACTS ■ Michelin 01782 401853 www.michelin.co.uk ■ Tommy Hill www.virginmediaracing.com

REGULAR UPDATES http://www.superbike.co.uk/bikes

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

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REAL WORLD STAFF BIKES

JON PEARSON’S SUZUKI GSX-R1000 ■ TOTAL MILES DONE: 3,624 ■ MODS: Dunlop tyres, filler cap, brake pads, throttle handle, tail tidy

“I adjusted the lever three times during the 15-minute session at our Snetterton track day, but I still ran out of lever pressure”

R

¡ ●

If you thought Suzuki’s GSXR1000 had a good snarl to it as standard, wait till you hear it wail with a set of LeoVincis. God knows how it passed the noise test. Nothing to do with it being our track day, honest...

ight, enough moaning about the brakes – although I will point out that I adjusted the lever three times during the 15-minute session at our Snetterton track day, and I still found myself running out of lever pressure. But they were fine on the road again until the track sharpness wore off. A bit of a spanner frenzy this month started at the front end, with a pad or two from Vesrah. The difference isn’t massive, but it is crucial as the initial bite from the lever is finally there. When I squeeze the lever

they bite the disc with the strength I’d expect. Squeeze harder with one finger now and it’ll do an endo, whereas before it wouldn’t. It really was a two-minute job which made a big difference to the way the bike feels under braking, and I have no idea what took me so long to get round to it.

Quick action Hairy R’s make a small piece of plastic (they call it a throttle handle) that clips over the throttle twist grip, increasing the radius and reducing the amount it physically needs to turn to open the

throttle. It’s like a milder form of a quick-action throttle that gives me sharper access to the 171 horses (like I need it!). To all those people moaning about how the K7 doesn’t pick up power like the older models, fit a pipe and try one of these, it’s like a different bike.

Nice arse A neat tail tidy care of R&G (they don’t only do crash bungs you know) has, er, tidied-up the rear end of the bike. I’ve replaced the stock filler cap with PP Racing Parts’ quick release one too. I’m not sure

WEIGHT-LESS The crucial thing about fitting the LeoVince titanium exhaust system is having much less weight lurking around the swingarm area. Changing direction quickly through a chicane becomes easier, and it seems to give the rear tyre an easier time of it too, despite the extra

power. But it makes a difference on the road as well, where the bike feels more lively and alert. The shock is still bouncing too much on the smaller bumps but finally, with all the tweaks taking effect, it’s working better and I’m beginning to enjoy it more.

about it to be perfectly truthful – I mean, I’m not normally one for fitting parts that bring nothing to the table apart from looking good. Last job for the month was changing the tyres to some of the new Dunlop Qualifier RRs. It’s early doors yet, but so far during the wettest June in history, things are good. SB

CONTACTS ■ Ermax UK 01522 697007 www.ermax.co.uk ■ R&G 0870 2206380 www.rg-racing.com ■ Bickers 08704 282272 ■ Hairy R’s ltd 0870 240 1165 www.hairy-rs.com ■ Dunlop tyres 0121 306 6000 www.dunloptyres.co.uk

REGULAR UPDATES http://www.superbike.co.uk/bikes

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

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REAL WORLD STAFF BIKES

SIMON ROOTS’ BMW K1200R SPORT ■ TOTAL MILES DONE: 5,626 ■ MODS: Avon Storm ST tyres

“I pray that traffic lights turn red so that I can agilely get to the front of the queue and then show off”

I

¡ ●

A small amount of wear on the back tyre, the sides are still good for a few miles though

t’s great doing things with a bike that other people think it shouldn’t be doing. BMWs have traditionally suffered from this ‘can’t do’ attitude more than most makes because they were some of the least amusing bikes you could buy. Entertainment came in the form of sticking on a Sam Brown belt and pretending that you were a copper. German humour, I guess. But the new brush that has swept through the Bavarian Motor Works has caught many people out. Perceptions no longer match reality as the new engineering within the company has propelled the end product into the 21st century

– and then some. What I’m trying to say is that my K1200R Sport (it’s still being called Arse Port in the office) is a mild mannered sports tourer by day and a secret stunter by night. It’s pretty quick round a track too.

Stunt relief The wheelies relieve the boredom on my route in and out of work each day. I pray that traffic lights turn red so that I can agilely get to the front of the queue and then show off. One problem I find with the shaft-driven Beemer is that power is instantly transferred to the rear wheel. There’s no slack in the chain to factor in, and as such, it’s prone to wheelspin

like a boy racer in his souped-up Saxo at the hint of any naughtiness. So I either get a load of smoke pouring off the BT015 rear tyre (now utterly shagged after 5,000 miles of abuse), or a face full of clocks if it grips from what otherwise looks quite a staid and sober machine. I’m no Chris Pfeiffer, BMW’s pet stunter and European stunt champ, but the R Sport is slowly persuading people BMWs are good fun on a traffic-light-queue to traffic-light-queue basis.

Track tool At the SuperBike track day at Snetterton, I grabbed my first sessions on circuit with the Bavarian behemoth and was impressed with its

range of abilities. After all, the bike had rocketed my 164 miles in the morning to get to the track, leaving me fresh and relaxed to hoon about on track all day. It’s no CBR600RR, granted (they tend to fall over), but thanks to Snetterton favouring big capacity bikes with its uncomplicated layout, the R Sport was fun. Ground clearance is good, feel from the front tyre is nice and there’s enough power to see 150mph at the end of Revett straight. However, hauling the BMW from these speeds did force the brake lever all the way back to the bar. ABS on track isn’t good, either, although the Beemer’s system is better than most. SB

VERY TYRED New tyres are the order of the day as the Bridgestones eventually started delaminating on track. Some new Avon Storm ST’s have been put on ready for a 2,000 mile European adventure I’m heading out on. I hope it to be Chevy Chase-esque

comedy, but I fear it’ll be too many miles in not enough time. We’ll see.

Take protection A box-load of R&G crash prevention goodies came my way and they’re going to act as a second insurance

policy for me. As usual, the R&G gear is very well made and pretty easily installed. A Skidmarx hugger is going on the rear too because there’s not too much out back that protects the shock, so I thought I’d give it a helping hand.

CONTACTS ■ R&G Racing 0870 2206 380 www.rg-racing.com ■ Avon 01225 703101 www.avon-tyres.co.uk ■ Skidmarx 01305 780808 www.skidmarx.co.uk

REGULAR UPDATES http://www.superbike.co.uk/bikes

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

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REAL WORLD STAFF BIKES

ALAN DOWDS’ TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE ■ TOTAL MILES DONE: 500 ■ MODS: R&G crashproofing, first service

“The long windswept straights of Norfolk’s premier circuit don’t bode well for anyone on a naked bike”

¡ ●

Al did poor work of fitting the tail tidy, which the dealers were left to sort out. Next month the rear end will look even tidier thanks to natty Micron end cans, which should unleash a pleasing new bark to match the 1,050cc motor’s bite. Unless Al’s fitting them, in which case who knows what can happen... Hello, Carl Rosner?

L

ike everyone else this month (except Kenny), the best thing I’ve done with my longtermer was the SB trackday at Snetterton. Having said that, I was perhaps the least well-equipped rider there: the long windswept straights of Norfolk’s premier circuit don’t bode well for anyone on a naked bike, and the mighty Triple was no exception. The comparison is obviously laughable in almost every way, but I felt a teeny bit like Valentino Rossi (or any non-Ducati rider) versus Casey Stoner at Qatar this year – every time I hit the long back straight, the rest of the world fucked off at high speed, no matter how cleverly I wobbled through the corners elsewhere. It was fun dicing with a couple of GSX-Rs and

Fireblades, and the Triple is no mug on the twisty bits of track, thanks to the excellent Michelin Pilot Power rubber, lithe chassis and strong bottom-end grunt. But at that circuit, it’s ultimately a rather frustrating experience. Roll on the twistier environs of Cadwell Park, where the cheeky streak of white lightning will be able to dish out a rather more solid dose of threecylinder Brit justice to the Jap hordes.

Crash kit I didn’t fall off at Snetterton, despite my best efforts, and the leadership of KP in this regard. However, had I managed to toss the Trip up the Tarmac, I’d have been amply prepared, having lovingly fitted a

SCOOTER LOVE It’s a little embarassing to have done such a relatively low mileage on the mighty Speed Triple – and it’s no reflection on the Trumpet. But I’ve still got the keys to the Suzuki

Burgman 650 I had over winter, and this has been soaking up the distance miles in my life. There’s nothing to touch it for work airport trips, in-law visits and two-up weekend

crasher’s comfort kit in the shape of a full panoply of R&G impact protection. Those kings of engineering nylon need little introduction from me, except to say that they make natty, tough crash bobbins that do a decent job, and take moments to fit. Their prescription for off-proofing the Triple is not one, but two, sets of main bobbins, one front, one rear, as well as a set of axle sliders front and rear, and some bar-end sliders. It’s all neat enough, and easy to fit. And while it’s a little way off being elegant, your frame, engine and bodywork is less likely to come off worst in a mildto-medium spill. Mine are black, but you can also get these vital items in white. R&G also sent a natty tail tidy, which has, indeed,

tidied up the Triple’s tail no end. It also allowed me to make a cock of the bike.

Wheely damage A poorly-executed fitment trapped the rear offside indicator wires, resulting in a permanently-on trafficator. D’uh… This was only rectified by the professional intervention of the fine chaps at Carl Rosner Triumph in Sanderstead, south Croydon, who sorted my muppetry at the first service. There were a couple of minor niggles with the bike which they attended to also: my inept wheelies had loosened the steering head bearings, and there was a mild mist of oil around the oil cooler area which needed looking at. Otherwise, it’s steady away with the old Triple. SB

CONTACTS trips. Its practicality, luggagecarrying ability and sheer allrounderness leaves me frankly open-mouthed with every passing mile. And it’s done nearly 3,000 of them now...

■ CarbonTek (dyno run): 01737 789878 www.carbontek.com ■ Motohaus (SW Motech tank-bag): 01256 704909 www.motohaus.com

REGULAR UPDATES http://www.superbike.co.uk/bikes

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

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REAL WORLD STAFF BIKES

NEIL HANDLEY’S KAWASAKI ZX6R ■ TOTAL MILES DONE: 775 ■ MODS: First service, GPR stabiliser steering damper, R&G crash protectors

“Handling and braking were confidenceboostingly spot on even on the standard Bridgestone BT015 rubber”

I

¡ ●

A Phat pipe and no mistake. It’s filled with helium to make it lighter and Neil’s been listening to “power ballads” in order to prepare for the extra riding thrill the power gains will bring.

’m not going to mention the weather. It pisses me off too much. My last proper ride was at our Snetterton track day when it was slightly sunny and warm, and that was more than three weeks ago. Since then, it has been raining and raining and fucking raining some more. So I decided it was best for Kawasaki to take it in for its first service and a quick once over while I robbed the car back from the Missus.

Sticky stuff Pre-service, I gave the ZX-6R a run up to Snetterton to get some

miles on it before the track day. Fuel economy is on the poor side with the fuel light coming on after 110 miles. A good 20 or so miles less than Kenny’s CBR600RR and Dave’s R1 who accompanied me there. Unfortunately, the tyre man didn’t show up at Snetterton, so I didn’t get to try out the Pirelli Super Corsa tyres that Jim Worland at Pirelli gave me. They are super-sticky race compound (not recommended for road use) tyres that look like slicks with a couple of score marks down the middle! They will have

GAGGING FOR IT I have one of the first Akrapovic exhaust systems in the country for the ZX, and I’m gagging to fit it. It weighs a full 6kg lighter than the catalytic-riddled standard item, and should boast another 6-10bhp with a Power

Commander and filter on. I’ll get it dyno’d soon as. It is stunning and will aesthetically please the eye from passing admirers. Should be fuck-off loud too. I have banged on about the excellent standard brake set-up

been fitted in time for our Cadwell track day though. The ZX-6R was fantastic around Snet. Handling and braking were confidenceboostingly spot-on even on the standard Bridgestone BT-015 rubber. The slipper clutch helped keep the wheels in line, and the built-in gear shift indicator certainly helped me to remember the gears for each corner. A nifty little tool.

Missing the cubes I’ve been hooning about on Ducati’s Hypermotard and KTM Adventure the past few days, and the stonking 1000cc engines

smacked me back to reality. The ZX-6R’s engine is just poor. It may be newly built from the ground up, but it feels so underpowered compared with last year’s 636cc. That had plenty of midrange, and endless power. I can close my eyes, count to 10 and make a cup of tea while pinning the throttle to the stop waiting for something good to happen on this thing. Now the bike is back from Kawasaki HQ, I will set about fitting the goodies under my desk to see if I can get some proper acceleration out of it. SB

CONTACTS on the ZX-6R but couldn’t help noticing some pimp, white brake lines from HEL which had to go on! They will also help braking performance as the standard rubber hoses bulge and flex, losing consistency.

■ Performance Parts 01788 869100 www.performanceparts-ltd. com ■ HEL Performance 01392 811601 www.helperformance.com ■ Pirelli 0845 6094949 www.pirellimoto.co.uk

REGULAR UPDATES http://www.superbike.co.uk/bikes

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

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REAL WORLD STAFF BIKES

JAYNE TOYNE’S SUZUKI GSX-R600 ■ TOTAL MILES DONE: 2,939 ■ MODS: Scratches, Sprocket and rear protection imminent

I

“I was mightily pissed off about missing Snetterton, but there’s another track day soon at Cadwell so I’m on a mission to try and get to that one instead.”

was really looking forward to our Snetterton track day a few weeks back. It’s been years since I had a bike I’ve felt so excited about taking on track, and this was going to be the start of something special for me and the little Suzuki. I had it all planned. I flew out to France for a hog roast weekend-long birthday party on the beautiful Brittany coast with friends. There was merry making and then there was the dreaded hungover flight back on the Sunday, in perfect time to pick up the bike and head up to Snet for the track day on Monday.

Going nowhere

But as I sat on the French runway pointing in the direction of Southampton, my head humming from the turbo props and alcohol, I realised something was amis when we heard the engines go quiet. The pilot climbed outside, ran around and kicked the aeroplane’s tyres, muttering, “Fuel leak”. I saw my track day plans rapidly vanish up the skirt of the overly happy and smiley air-hostess as she calmly told us, “Ladies and gentlemen, this plane is fucked, you’re going nowhere”, or words to that effect. So I was mightily pissed off about missing Snetterton, but there’s another track day soon at Cadwell so I’m on a mission to try and get to A nice new fender-extender ¡ will keep all the crap off the that one instead. There GSX-R’s rear shock, and engine too. really is nothing like a As well as less cleaning for Jayne, it track day to help you get also means a longer life for the rear shock, whose seals won’t blow with the feel for your bike. all that grating crud. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve

●

ridden nearly 3,000 road miles on this GSX-R600 so far, and the majority have been ear-to-ear grinningly good despite some seriously scary monsoon conditions on the M25 in June, being shunted off outside a petrol station, and narrowly missing being T-boned on a roundabout. I know the bike front to back, but I want more

from the GSX-R and that can only be achieved via a track. I have no aspirations to race or go particularly fast and make like a track goddess. No, that’s not me at all, I just love the unique sensation a bike brings. Especially in a car-free environment. On the road though, commuting has never been so much fun. Over two hours of a variety of

roads every day is keeping me entertained. However, looking at the bike it’s in a bit of a sorry state and is in desperate need of a wash, as well as a paint touch-up after last month’s shunt. Hopefully arriving soon will be a more protective hugger to keep some crap out of the rear shock. I’m still not sure what to do about the paintwork though. SB

GEAR DOWN Just landed on my desk is this 15-tooth sprocket from Talon. It is one down from standard and should give the GSX-R a better take-off in first, as well as better drive out of corners. I might try changing the back

too at a later date to add to the effect, but I will see how it feels first with this minor mod. It will reduce the top speed as a result but since I rarely go past 130mph, I don’t think it’s any great sacrifice.

CONTACTS ■ Talon 01935 471508 www.talon-eng.co.uk ■ Thompson GRP Ltd 023 8020 7778

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115

REAL WORLD SUSPENSION

BACK TO

BASICS

You’ve had a fiddle with your springs and put them back to stock. You’re tempted to go to a specialist but wonder what they’ll say. Well, we asked two suspension professionals the same questions to see if there were any common themes running through their replies. Do you recognise yourself or your bike’s problems here? Pics: Phil OConnor

116

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

¡ Nick White

¡ Mark Hammond

What’s the first thing you do when a customer brings a bike in for a suspension overhaul or set-up?

“I always press down in the middle of the bike to check the balance of the suspension. That gives you an idea of whether the front and rear suspension are balanced or whether one end is out. You can see quite quickly how a bike reacts by pushing down near the centre – generally just behind the petrol cap. Which end of the bike is compressing more? Is the fork sticking?”

What’s the first thing you do when a customer brings a bike in for a suspension overhaul or set-up?

“The first thing I do is have a bit of a bounce on the fork and the rear shock and I normally get a pretty good idea of what the bike is doing in terms of handling. Ninety-nine times out of a 100, after I’ve done that, I can suggest to the rider what the bike is doing and he’ll agree.”

What are the commonest faults you see on bikes being brought in for a set-up?

“Well, I don’t want to have a go at the press but we get guys who’ve read about their bike’s settings in a magazine and just dialled them in and it just doesn’t suit them or the roads they ride on and they get all messed up. A little knowledge is worse than no knowledge at all! There are a lot of pub and paddock experts out there!”

What are the commonest faults you see on bikes being brought in for a set-up?

“If it’s a sportsbike then there’s generally not enough damping on the fork, which means the bike wallows. And overall I’d say that there’s never enough sag on the rear. It’s hard to generalise, but I see a lot of bikes with those sort of problems.”

Where would you spend your money if you were ‘upgrading’ your suspension?

“Well, if I’m going to plug KAIS then I’d say come in and we’ll set your bike up using the stock suspension and you’ll go away with a set-up sheet, a well-balanced bike and some suggestions about what you might think about tweaking. And you can always call us. But the sheet with the base set-up is important because if you are out for a ride and tweak something then decide it’s not working, you’ve got a record of where you started. It’s £40. “To be fair, we sometimes get guys coming in with a brand-new bike they’ve ridden from the showroom and ask for a total overhaul. We always ask them how they know the suspension isn’t perfect for them in stock trim. It might mean we lose business but you’ve got to be honest with people and try and give them the best advice.”

Where would you spend your money if you were ‘upgrading’ your suspension?

“That depends a lot on the rider and the bike again. Heavier or lighter riders have different needs and different bikes have weaker points. I’d say that if you end up spending money on the fork or the shock, you’ll end up getting the other end sorted too, because if you improve the front, you’ll show up the problems in the rear. Having said that, some bikes are ‘worse’ in one area. The older Fazers had terrible shocks whereas the fork wasn’t as bad, although the Blackbird had really bad forks and the rear wasn’t so bad. It varies so much you can’t really say for sure which area is most important to work on. “In general, I’d say the best thing to do is come in and get the base settings sorted out for you, your bike and your riding style. For a lot riders, you don’t need to spend more than forty or fifty quid getting your standard suspension set up – but it depends what the bike gets used for.”

What’s the best thing anyone can do to their suspension without actually spending money on it?

“In my opinion, setting the static sag is probably the best thing. If you set the static sag correctly then you’ve got the basic geometry of the bike sorted and you can go on to fine-tune everything from there. And from there, for most riders I’d be concentrating on the rebound damping, getting that right.”

What’s the best thing anyone can do to their suspension without actually spending money on it?

“Oh, keep a note of your standard settings! You can mess about to your heart’s content with your suspension and if you make it worse then you can always go back to the standard – assuming you’ve kept a note of them.”

KAIS suspension services 01942 896366 www.kais-performance.co.ukA

MH Racing 01225 811583 www.mhracing.com

“If you set the static sag correctly then you’ve got the basic geometry of the bike sorted and you can go on to fine-tune everything from there.” Nick White KAIS Suspension

www.superbike.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2007

117

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RACINGLINES MOTOGP

WORLD SUPERBIKES

BRITISH SUPERBIKES

SUN

REA OF RISING

YOUNG BACK TO OLD WAYS Paul ‘Youngy’ Young, our sometime tester, made the podium in the British supersport race at Knockhill on his privateer Triumph Daytona 675, finishing second after qualifying 13th. What was the secret, Paul? “Just get out and twist it,” said the Youngster. Give that man a hand. Or proper sponsorship. Check out www.paulyoungracing.

OTOENS QU TH THE M OF

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o be fair and in the interests of accuracy, Jonathan Rea didn’t have a bad opening-half of the season. He was on the podium a hell of a lot more than he was in his first season on a Honda superbike (ie, last year), so he’s not been bad, it’s just that the winter testing suggested he’d be flying from the off. We spoke to Rea’s chief tech, Chris Pike, who has been working with Rea for a couple of seasons now to ‘explain’ his rider’s results. “We always knew he had a fast lap in him, but there’s a big difference between going fast and actually winning races. This season he’s improved his race craft and got a little bit more patient, but the plan was always to build and take things step-by-step, so I’m not surprised by the way his results have been going. He’s always been confident about

his own abilities and the move up to “He’s quite the top step of his results haven’t cautious in the podium – it’s surprised me, although I know that some ways not always that others who haven’t straightforward and and never been working with over-rides the Jonathan is quite him as long have cautious in some bike to try to ways, he never over been surprised by some of the insights get a result rides the bike to try he has on the bike to get a result that’s that’s not and tyres.” achievable.” not achievable.” Nevertheless, And, when Rea Rea and his side of the went on his three-onHM Plant Honda garage the-trot winning streak at were always aiming for Mondello and Knockhill, the number one plate at he had just come back the end of the season. from Japan where he won “Well, initially you want to the 300km endurance be consistent and always race, partnered by Ryuichi aim for the podium till the Kiyonari. “He’s one of the confidence comes to make few racers I know who has

gone to Japan and really enjoyed it and took to the culture, working with HRC and working hard. It was probably useful as well to remind himself that he could win and the Japanese team was really pleased with result. That probably had a knock-on effect when he came to Britain and he actually complained about his BSB bike for the first time ever when he came back from Japan! Although he soon got back on with his BSB bike.” And got on with winning...

AGREE TO DISAGREE “I really like the Assen track.” Nicky Hayden, Honda “The new Assen circuit is disappointing. They destroyed it.” Casey Stoner, Ducati “That (Honda Gresini) bike is the worst I’ve ever ridden – and that includes the Yamaha in 2003. I’m not risking my bones to finish tenth.” Marco Melandri “We’re not asking or expecting Marco to win on the bike, but we expect him to put in a bit of effort and ride for as good a place as he can get.” Fausto Gresini *Chances of Marco Melandri still riding in the Gresini team in 2008? Zero.

“

HM Plant Honda’s Jonathan Rea was impressive in preseason testing, but less so in early races. Then he went to Japan and came back to BSB a changed man

I don’t know if Honda is bored listening to me complaining about the bike, but I’m riding it, I know what’s wrong and I’m getting a bit pissed off. Dani Pedrosa, former Honda poster boy

GRID GIR LS WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE?

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RACINGLINES MOTOGP

ALEX CAMIER

A WORDR U IN YO L, L SHE LIKE

First question – how did the first half of your season go? Well it started bad and has got better and better really. Valencia, the first round, was the first time I’d been on a bike for four months, so I was always going to struggle a bit from there. At Assen we didn’t get much time in the dry and then I had all sorts of problems with my leathers because I’d grown since I had them made, so I was getting really bad arm pump. I had to take them to Dr Costa and he ended up cutting things out to help them fit better. Then at Silverstone we had one dry practice and in the race everyone seemed to crash in front of me, so I ended up picking up loads of places up on the brakes to finish second out of the regulars. And then Misano was good. Your first win in the championship, wasn’t it? Yeah. It’s weird though, everyone was suffering from set-up problems and I had the forks bottoming out everywhere. But I broke away at the end of the race and took the win. How’s the series? What about racer Patric Muff? It’s strong, there’s a lot of fast guys out there, especially when the

WORLD SUPERBIKES

BRITISH SUPERBIKES

Alex Camier won a ride in the GSX-R Cup this year after impressing Kenny with his skills on Al’s old long-term GSX-R750. Much more importantly, he impressed ex-BSB champion John Reynolds. With two rounds to go, Camier was in second, and will be riding a Hawk Kawasaki ZX-6R in the British supersport championship wildcards come in. You just have to look at Silverstone where Ian Lowry got pipped to pole. He’s quick and if he can’t get pole then you know that the championship is fast. The same happened at Assen with Pirovano who’s really quick. But I’m out there trying to beat everyone I can, regardless of whether they’re a wildcard or not. My problem is that I’ve not been to any of these tracks before. And yes, Muff isn’t

bad either. So have you been to the venues for the past two rounds, Lausitz and Magny Cours? No, and the guys challenging me for the championship are a Frenchman and a German, so it’s going to be tough! If I had the money

I’d be out there doing track days, but it’s difficult. So you’re not doing this full-time? No, I work for an engine tuning company, doing lots of work on race Minis mainly. Is it a problem then, not getting enough track time? Not anymore because I’ve

“Everyone seemed to crash in front of me, so I ended up picking up loads of places on the brakes.”

just got a ride for Hawk Kawasaki on a supersports bike that they’re going to build for me. All I’ve got to do is provide the tyres. I thought my brother might be able to help (Leon, riding the Dunlop-shod Bike Animal Honda Fireblade), but even he can’t get them as cheap as the team can, so something’s wrong there! How did the ride come about? Hawk approached Mark Hodgson, Neil’s Dad, and he got in contact with me because Mark used to run a bike for Leon in the 125s a few years ago. It’s going to be tough though because they’ll be no testing – I’m straight in to the racing at Oulton Park, so we’ll have to see how it goes. How does the phrase go? Slowly, slowly, catchy monkey. And your big brother is doing pretty well in his rookie BSB season too. Yeah, although he was disappointed after Knockhill. We tend to ring each other at the races as we always seem to have date clashes. We chat about set-up stuff but because we’re never together, we just end up going round in circles, it’s the sort of thing you have to work out for yourself in the end.

THE MOST IMPORTANT BIKE OF 2008 ALREADY? Here’s a glimpse of the bike Ducati hopes will power them to glory in the years ahead

ES QUTHOE T MONTH OF

manufacturers. Ducati is unlikely to forgo any of that 1200cc capacity, so will beef up the 1098’s current displacement

of, er, 1098cc, to 1198cc. If Ducati has to leave con-rods and cranks as standard, you can sure as hell believe

that the stock parts in the homologation machines are going to be Gucci kit. With Ducati at the forefront of electronics and traction control in WSB there’s little doubt that the F08 is going to hit the ground running, especially as on the chassis side of things, the factory superstock team is already doing some development work. What the new rules will do is open up the door for moves into the series by BMW, KTM and Aprilia, all of which are rumoured to have machines up their sleeves. With the FIM wanting to see 1,000 machines before allowing homologation, these are exciting times for customers with money to burn, because if all four machines make the season opener of 2008 there will be 4,000 über-trick bikes in the shop ready to be snapped up. Happy days are here again.

Yamaha Japan is looking at developing pneumatic valves for us. It’s a big job but they only get one week’s holiday a year! Davide Brivio, FIAT Yamaha boss. Lucky it’s not an Italian outfit shuting down for a month then, eh?

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A

nnounced at the 2007 World Ducati Week at Misano, Italy, the new 1098 F08 took to the track for the 50,000 Ducatisti who turned up under the expert guidance of current world superbike champ, Troy Bayliss. Now that the FIM has announced that twin-cylinder machines up to 1200cc can join the WSB party in 2008, it’s full steam ahead for Ducati’s development program – although as Bayliss himself says, “I’ve still got a few things to concentrate on at the moment, like winning this year’s title, but I’m really looking forward to testing the bike at a quieter moment in the future.” The rules state that twin cylinder bikes need to retain their stock con-rods, crankshaft and rocker arms – as well as having weight and air restrictions placed on them – in an effort to appease the Japanese

■ RACING

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE...

BARRY SHEENE? Why has it been 30 years since we Brits won a GP title? How come we’ve got more Brits in GPs this year than ever yet we’re still no closer? Or are we? Words: Simon Roots Pics: Graeme Brown/Manfred Mothes

W

ho’d have thought it? Great Britain has only recently been overhauled as the most winningest country in the premier class of Grand Prix racing. A Brit has won the championship 17 times since 1949, albeit mainly in the first 20 years of the 500cc championship. Barry Sheene won it twice in 1976/77 before Kenny Roberts began the USA’s 15 championships ending most recently with Nicky Hayden’s MotoGP 2006. Thanks to the talents of Valentino Rossi, Italy is now leading the championship haul with 18 titles: eight for Giacomo Agostini in the ‘60s and ‘70s and Rossi with five. So, statistically we’re the second most successful nation in the premier class, but haven’t won for the last 30 years.

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Not even a race in the big class. 2007 marks 30 years since Sheene won the last 500 title for Great Britain, it also marks a barren spell for British riders in the MotoGP paddock, although encouragingly there is promise in the smaller classes.

Brits abroad The start of the season promised much for the British contingent but as the season has progressed results have been mixed. The last British winner of a GP, the 250cc Dutch TT in 2001, 42-year-old Jeremy McWilliams was set to run in the big class, before the fledgling team retreated from the paddock back to Northamptonshire (and not before the Ilmor bike had knocked seven bells out of the Ulsterman). In 250s Eugene Laverty (21), also from Northern

SEPTEMBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

Ireland, has flown a lonely flag (apart from the late coming Dan Linfoot on the Team Sicilia bike) riding for the LCR Honda team that took a certain Casey Stoner to the top. In 125s, 16-year-old Bradley Smith continues with the factory Repsol Honda team after a debut season that saw him scoop ‘Rookie of the Year’ award, and also score a maiden rostrum at Le Mans, the first for a British rider in the class since 1989. He is joined in the class by 15-year-old Dani Webb from Kent who rides for the Dutch-based Arie Molenaar team. So, why haven’t we won in recent years? And what’s it going take to reverse the current trend? We asked racers, exracers and some movers and shakers what they thought.

In the 1970s and 1980s Barry Sheene was every bike-mad Brit teenager’s hero (even with a pair of gardening gloves on). Could Bradley Smith (below, left) be the nexy Brit GP hero?

WHAT THEY RECKON

RACERS VALENTINO “I think there are a ROSSI lot of good young Seven times riders in 125 now, and GP champ I like to watch them as much as I can. I’ve noticed Bradley Smith, in fact to start with he reminded me of Dani Pedrosa because he was quite small and also the Repsol bike is the same! I think he’s a talented rider and I think he will be good in time. But it will take time.”

“

Britain is the second most successful nation in the premier class of racing, but we haven’t won for the last 30 years

JEREMY MCWILLIAMS competed in GPs since 1993. Last Brit winner of a GP

“No British or Irish rider has ever been on competitive machinery. You don’t win a championship on second-rate machines. As long as I’ve been there, there has only been the odd rider who has had maybe a one-off factory outing. Walker was on the Shell Honda but even that wasn’t full factory. British and Irish riders don’t get offered top class machinery and it has been that way since Sheene’s day.”

SHANE BYRNE 2003 British Superbike Champ and ex Honda, Aprilia and Team KR MotoGP rider

“No British riders have been given a decent ride in the last thirty years! British riders need a chance, the same chances that European riders get. I think we do have a lot of fast riders but GP bikes are different to a Supersport 600 or a Superbike. It’s not so much the riders – they are only human with two arms and two legs – so if they were given the opportunity they could do it.”

CHRIS WALKER Rizla Suzuki BSB rider, WSB race winner, ex-500cc rider

“We have had good enough riders lately but for whatever reason it hasn’t happened. It is harder now due to the economics, but that is no excuse for the last 15 to 20 years. Niall Mackenzie got close he was fourth in 1990, but there is only one champ each year and not every country gets to have that chance.”

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■ RACING

WHAT THEY RECKON

ex RACERS

Giacomo Agostini 15-time GP champion and former GP team boss

“I’ll tell you why we’ve not had a champion in the last 30 years, ‘cos no-one gave me a bike! It helps coming from a country like Italy or Spain where motorsport is huge, everything is televised and there are big sponsors. Riders can pull in sponsors and take them to MotoGP. Look at Alex Criville, he won but he wasn’t anything special, I mean, I beat him. Opportunity is the big thing, Hayden was a Superbike rider and he got an excellent opportunity. He hadn’t done too much at the time, in 2002 he took a domestic championship in the US and Hayden got the Repsol Honda ride alongside Rossi ahead of Edwards and Edwards was a world champion. So Hayden has been given three to four years to get there with the number one team. If Toseland was given the same team and bike for four years he would win, its simple.”

“I think one of the reasons for the decline over the years is that there is no longer a British manufacturer who makes racing bikes. In Italy we have always had top riders and I think one of the reasons is that we have always had, and still have, manufacturers who produce bikes for racing. All the bikes in GPs now are either Japanese or Italian and those manufactures have worldwide markets that have opened up opportunities for riders in Australia and America.”

Carl Fogarty Four-time World Superbike

champion, rode in one-off 500cc GPs in 1990, 1992, 1993 and 1994 “It’s alright for the ACU and others to say that we need a scheme like the Italians have to get the young guys to the top but if they are good enough to make it they don’t need any help. For people in this country to say that we haven’t got a champion because we haven’t the infrastructure to develop them is a load of bullshit.”

Mick Grant ex-GP rider, British

champ and team boss:

“

It’s a bit embarrassing sometimes being a British rider in a team sponsored by Repsol, a Spanish company, but I’m very luckBradley Smith

”

Rob McElnea ex-500cc GP rider and Team

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“We aren’t Spanish! And we haven’t got five million dollars behind us. There is no route for our riders to learn their trade, Virgin Yamaha team-boss there’s not the 125s into 250s anymore in the UK, so there’s no route through. Bradley Smith getting picked up early is a good thing as you’ve got to get through the various bikes and get the chance to learn. Our guys need to go to Spain and get with an established team, learn the pace in Europe and then the tracks.”

WHAT THEY RECKON

Future champs

Eugene Laverty 2006 British supersport runner-

“I think it is down to British riders not getting the opportunities that they deserve. Look at Chaz Davies at the end of 2005 when he had a lot of good results, he never got the bike he deserved. There also seems to be a pattern where British riders don’t work on riding, they do train but don’t look at riding technique and pay attention to detail.”

up, LCR Aprilia 250 team

“With the exception of a team like LCR, most foreign teams aren’t willing to give Brits a go without them bringing money. In the smaller classes, to have a good bike you have to pay Aprilia or Honda for it. At the end of 2004 I thought I’d done enough that season to get a good bike, but I still didn’t get one! Dorna supported me for ages, but no replacement sponsor came to take me on. In comparison, Telefonica were pissedoff because they couldn’t throw millions Former British 250 GP at Pedrosa as he went to Repsol Honda so hope, racing in AMA they pulled out in a huff! We need British supersport in 2007 sponsors like that!”

chaz davies

“There’s just not been the route for British youngsters before and no-one looked at what the Italians and Spanish were doing to produce their stars, but now they are. I think we suffer a little for our emphasis on four-strokes. In GPs, the bikes are so adjustable you also need a good team who know what they’re doing with them. It’s a bit embarrassing sometimes being a British 16, Repsol Honda rider in a team sponsored by Repsol, a 125 team Spanish company, but I’m very lucky.”

bradley smith

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Hopefully Bradley’s route via the likes of the Dorna Academy (now the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup), is pointing towards our future GP champ, even if it isn’t him. The good news is that this year, four British youngsters are racing in the Red Bull Rookies Cup, a seven round championship that will be held on grand prix weekends, giving them invaluable experience on two-stroke race bikes and pukka European racetracks. The riders, who are all aged between 13 -16 will compete on 125cc KTM machinery. The selected British riders selected (13-year-old Dean Brown, 15-year-olds Matthew Hoyle and Stuart Mitchell and 14 year-old Jamie Mossey), all having mixed results so far, but at least they are in the right environment to breed that world champion that the whole country is craving for. “Motorcycle racing is a business and like any business it needs re-investment and there hasn’t been enough in the UK. However, things are now happening. There is support coming from companies like Red Bull who sponsor the Rookies team and even from the ACU. I was at the ACU awards presentation and they gave away two RS 125 Hondas and an R1 Yamaha to young riders who had done well in the club championships. This from ex-British champ and GP the governing body of the sport, it has rider and BBC MotoGP never been done before and I was proud to commentator be there when it happened.”

Steve Parrish

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REAL WORLD READERS STUFF... - Maria Costello: Fastest woman round the Isle of Man

After getting on the rostrum at the previous year’s Manx GP, Maria Costello was hoping for a win. But things went wrong from the start

“I had a trick, fuel-injected CBR400 and was going well until it blew up at Hilberry on the very first lap. It was a real disappointment, but we fitted a spare engine and tried again. This time, I got to Barregarrow, on the second lap, before it went pop. “By fluke, a former sponsor called me that night to check how I was going. I told him the story and said I wished I had his bike. Like a gent, he shipped his RVF400 over to the Island on the 2am boat. My mechanic picked it up at 6am and got it ready for the

¡

¡ MY WORST DAY EVER

DOUBLE TROUBLE

next practice session. “On my second lap, I crashed heavily at Keppel Gate and broke my femur and shoulder. Someone else had crashed there just a few minutes earlier and I think they must have dropped some oil as I was absolutely gob-smacked when I fell. I was so angry that I screamed – not in pain, but with rage and frustration at how disastrously things had gone. One of the marshals said he didn’t think women could swear that much!”

YOUR

SPACE

Just a couple of pics of me, on my ZX-10R, doing my first track day at Cadwell. Guy, email

Your Space means exactly that – it’s your space. So get in touch if you want to show off, proclaim stupidity, recommend a road, or get your scars in the mag ■ Write to: Your Space, SuperBike magazine, Leon House, 233 High St, Croydon, Surrey CR9 1HZ ■ E-mail: [email protected]

Get your rout in the mag e

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¡ ROUTED

a T-shirt

A nostalgic grand day out in the South of England with a speed trial and bit of pop history thrown in

This month’s routed is more about having a great day out than the exhilarating bend-fest we usually write about. Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs are a fine excuse to visit East Sussex. The view is exhilarating, however Beachy Head is also famous for being the final resting place of one Jimmy Cooper (aka Phil Daniels) and his Lambretta in Quadrophenia. The road to Beachy Head, which turns off the A259 at East Dean and loops back round on itself, is bumpy, tight, sprinkled with tourists in campervans and coaches and not very long. If it’s a cracking ride you’re after, then getting to the Head from any direction offers plenty of options, the

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Aber

Somewhere around here

A4521

B4293

A272 just north is most notable. But this Routed is as much about stopping and having a cup of tea as it is about riding. So pop into the brilliantly old-fashioned café

at Birling Gap where you can pretend to be a biker in the 50s, shoot some pool, smoke a few tabs (outside of course) and leer at the girl on the till. Not far away you’ll find the delights of Brighton, another

classic biker haunt. Time your trip for the 8th of September and you’ll catch the Brighton National Speed Trials, down on Madeira drive. It’s a throw back to the time when biking created its own rules. JP, West Sussex

READERS’ PICS

MORE RANDOM MADNESS IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA

JT REP BLADE

¡

Here’s a pic of my ‘03 Blade. I could list all the extras, but I think you can see most of them. I’m particularly pleased with the satin black powder-coated swingarm and frame mounting bracket, ‘05 Blade forks and calipers, quick-action throttle, OZ wheels, and all the carbon bits. Richard, email

JURIES READER’S IN

THROUGH

THE

GRINDER

¡WELL-

SLUNG R1 This is my Slingshot Racing ‘03 Yamaha R1 track bike. It has the standard engine with an Arata full race exhaust system, Power Commander, K&N air filter, slipper clutch and – after reading your article in the March mag – now with the air duct funnel removed. Peter Platt, Manchester

On a recent touring holiday in Norway I was presented with two options: Option A was to swerve round my recently very stationary mate on his BMW, option B was to grab a handful of six-pots, lock X the front wheel, tuck under A KNO BACK UR and crash into the Armco. On CONTOTECTOR PRO retrospect I should have gone with option A. Can I have some new boots please? Ones that work maybe. Matt Upward Somerset

WIN!

READERS! MAKE YOUR PAIN PAY OFF!

¡ WEMBLEY

WAY

Send us your crash and injury pics and if we print ‘em, those kind people at Knox will send you a tasty Ricochet Back Protector for the next time you chuck it down the road!

Thought you’d like this... Trev, E-mail

SEND TO: Through the Grinder, SuperBike Magazine, IPC Media Ltd, Leon House, 233 High Street, Croydon, Surrey CR9 1HZ. Email: [email protected]

THROUGH THE GAP

¡

This is my favourite local riding ground – Deals Gap, North Carolina. Les, North Carolina

CAPTION COMPETITION Come on then you wit-meisters, it’s your turn to bombard us with comical captions, and we’ll print the most hilarious. Simple. “If I can only ad just the span on this br ake lever, I’m sure I can save this one.” Brian

CHROMED R6

¡

This is my blinged R6. I should be getting it sprayed soon, but for the time being, I’ve chromed it, East-Coast style. Yes, chrome – feel free to put the pics in the mag and take the piss! Mark Haper, email

Your caption here!

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Send to: Cappy Slapping, SuperBike Magazine, Leon House, 233 High Street, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 1HZ or just email: [email protected]

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WITH THE MONSOON SEASON UPON US, WHAT BETTER WAY TO WILE AWAY THE TIME THAN BY LAUGHING AT A BUNCH OF FUNNIES? COURTESY OF SUPERBIKE’S READERS, OF COURSE... Write to Letters, SuperBike, Leon House, 233 High Street, Croydon, Surrey CR9 1HZ Fax on 020 8726 8499 Email us at [email protected]. Offers do not apply outside the UK

GARDENING SIGN LANGUAGE

I was working in the garden this weekend and my wife was about to take a shower. I realised that I couldn’t find the rake. I yelled up to my wife, “Where is the rake?” She couldn’t hear me and she shouted back, “What?” I pointed to my eye, and then I pointed to my knee and made a raking motion. Then my wife wasn’t sure and said, “What?” I repeated the gestures: “Eye - kneed - the rake.” My wife replied that she understood and signaled back. She first pointed to her eye, next she points to her left breast, then she pointed to her backside, and finally to her crotch. Well, there is no way in hell I could even come close to that one. Exasperated, I went upstairs and asked her, “What the hell was that?” “Eye - left tit - behind - the bush.” David Foster

BIRTHDAY REMINDER

This week, we celebrate a special birthday – Monica Lewinsky turned 31. Can you believe it? It seems like only yesterday she was crawling around the White House on her hands and knees, and putting everything in her mouth. They grow up so fast, don’t they? Edwin Herrenschmidt

WRIST OR WHISK?

What’s the difference between an egg and a wank? You can’t beat a wank! Alex Parpworth

SELF-TREATMENT

Joe goes for a medical at the doctors. The nurse says, “Joe, you’re going to have to stop wanking.” “Oh my God,” says Joe, “but why?” “Because I’m trying to take your blood pressure.” Charlie Williams

MONKEY BUSINESS

A woman gets on a bus with her baby. As she pays for her ticket, the bus driver says: “Jesus H. Christ, that’s the ugliest baby I’ve ever seen!” The woman sits down, still fuming and turns to the man sitting next to her. “The driver just insulted me!” The man looks at her and replies: “You shouldn’t take that, go back up front and tell him off – go ahead, I’ll hold your monkey.” Nicholas Stenner, via email

UTILITY WIFE

What kind of wife can wash up with one hand, cook the dinner with the other, dust with one foot, while giving you a blowjob, opening your bottle of beer with her arse? A Swiss Army wife. Martin, Scotland

TINY WHIFF

A tall blonde stands at a bar having a drink. She feels a tug at her skirt, and looks down to see a dwarf looking up at her. “Can I smell your fanny?” he asks. “Absolutely not!” snaps the blonde. The little guy says thoughtfully, “Must be your feet then.” Andy Riley

TERM OF EN-DEER-MENT?

A hunter shoots a deer and takes it home for the family to eat. As his wife serves the meat at the table, he says to the kids, “Try to guess what it is. I’ll give you a clue, it’s something that Mummy sometimes calls me.” The kids look at each other and suddenly the youngest yells out, “Don’t eat it, it’s a fucking arsehole!” Edward Roskott

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GUESSING GAME

A door-to-door salesman knocks on a house door. It’s opened by a 12-year-old boy, who’s wearing stockings, suspender belt, G-string and a bra, holding a large glass of wine in one hand and a large cigar in the other. The salesman asks, “Is your mum in?” To which the boy replies, “What the fuck do you think.” John Barker

HAND WASH

Fred and Mary use a code for sex - the words ‘washing machine’. That night in bed Fred whispers to Mary, “Washing machine.” She replies, “Not tonight dear, I’m tired.” Five minutes later she feels guilty and says to Fred, “Washing machine” “Too late” says Fred “It was only a small load so I did by hand” Mark Simmons

WRONG ADDRESS

Two Irishmen are making letterbombs. Pat says to Mick, “Do you think I’ve put enough explosives in this envelope?” “Don’t know” says Mick “Open it and see.” “But it will explode,” says Pat “Don’t be fucking stupid,” says Mick “It’s not addressed to you.” Denis O’Rourke

HOT OFF THE PRESS The two Al Qaeda terrorists arrested at Glasgow airport on saturday have just been named. Strathclyde Police have confirmed them as Burnt Majeep and Singed Maheed. GeeBee, via txt msg

-

Paddy and his wife are lying in bed one night when the neighbour’s dog starts barking in their garden. “Fuck dis,” says Paddy and gets out of bed and goes downstairs. Five minutes KBC .co.uk

WIN

An ugly bird in a bar says, “If you can guess my weight, you can shag me.” A chap shouts, “93 stone, you fat bitch.” “Close enough, you lucky bastard.” Anon

NEVER WORK WITH CHILDREN President Bush goes to a primary school to meet the kids. There’s a question session and a boy puts up his hand. Bush asks him his name. “Stanley,” says the boy. “And what’s your question, Stanley?” The boy replies,“I have four questions: First, why did the USA invade Iraq without UN support? Second, why are you President when Al Gore got more votes? Third, whatever happened to Osama Bin Laden? Fourth, why are we so worried about gay marriage when half of all Americans don’t have health insurance?” Before Bush can answer, the bell rings. Bush informs the kiddies that they will continue after break. When they resume, a different boy puts up his hand. George asks him his name. “Johnnie,” he responds. “And what is your question, Johnnie?” “Actually Sir, I have six questions: first, why did the USA invade Iraq without UN support? Second, why are you President when Al Gore got more votes? Third, whatever happened to Osama Bin Laden? Fourth, why are we so worried about gay marriage when half of all Americans don’t have health insurance? Fifth, why did the break bell go off 20 minutes early today? And sixth, what the fuck happened to Stanley?” Valerie Plame, via email

STAR JOKE BARKING MAD

PLENTY MORE FISH...?

Dave and Earl were fishing at their favourite spot. Almost whispering, as to not scare the fish, Dave says, “I think I’m going to divorce my wife. She hasn’t spoken to me in over two months now.” Earl then thoughtfully replies, “You’d better think it over, women like that are hard to find.” Ian Jones

ASK A SILLY QUESTION...

later, he comes back to bed. His wife says, “What did you do about the dog?” Paddy replies, “I put the fucker in our back garden, let’s see how they like it.” Ray Pratt

Send us a star joke and KBC will reward you with a Force RR Blade II helmet worth £109.99 www.kbchelmets.co.uk

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