SuperBike Magazine-07-10-OCT

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9 7 7 0 2 6 2 8 4 5 2 6 8

1 0BRITAIN’SGREATESTRIDING

DO IT ALL BIKES?DUCATI S4RS VS KTM SUPER DUKE R

¡HEAD-TO-HEAD TEST

October 2007 UK £4.00

THE BEST BIKE TESTS ■ THE BEST EXPERT ADVICE ■ THE BEST NEW KIT

REAL WORLDSECTION

30 PAGES OF EXPERT

INFO AND TIPSUSED TEST ■ NEW VS OLD ■ WORKSHOP ■ RIDING TECHNIQUE ■ Q&A ■ SUSPENSION SET-UP

YOUR GUIDE TO THE BEST CORNERS

Secrets of air-cooled power

KNOW YOUR ENGINE?

Exciting new BMW shock!

OCTOBER 2007 ■ WWW.SUPERBIKE.CO.UK ■ UK £4.00 ■ USA $8.75 ■ CANADA $10.25

BETTER

THAN IT W

AS!

At last! There’s a new engine

NEW NEWBUELL

PRINTED IN THE UK

¡GO OUT AND RIDE

SB.oct uk Cover.fin.indd 1 6/8/07 16:27:56

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FREESuperBikeFLEECE TURN TO PAGE 46

Dead FunnyFormer funnymen now pushing up the daisies

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

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SuperBike is published by

Focus Network Magazines

and is copyright ISSN

no 0262 8456

An amnesiac walks into a bar...

...says to the bar man...

‘Do I come here often?”

Boom boom!

Deputy EditorAlan DowdsBENNY HILLFastest milkman in the west? Well not any more

020 8726 8444 [email protected]

EditorKenny Pryde

TOMMY COOPERWhite rabbit...yellow rab-

bit...white rabbit...urgghhh...thud

020 8726 8445 kenny_pryde

@ipcmedia.com

SuitsPublishing DirectorKeith Foster 020 8726 8400 [email protected]

Marketing manager Adrian Vaughan 020 8726 8401 [email protected]

Keith Fosters PANatalie Hicks 020 8726 8402 [email protected]

Advertising managerSteve Jones 020 8726 8415 [email protected]

Display senior sales executiveNeil Handley 020 8726 8411 [email protected]

Ad productionClare Payne 020 8726 8316 [email protected]

Classifi ed sales managerSue Bann 020 8726 8412 [email protected]

Classifi ed sales executiveJay Firmager 020 8726 84127jay_fi [email protected]

Sales

Audited sales fi gure from January - December 2006

Real World EditorJon PearsonBOB MONKHOUSEShit on Family Fortunes.Funny in cancer ads.


Features EditorSimon Roots

PETER SELLERSYou can’t fi ght in

here!This is the war room

020 8726 8442 simon_roots

@ipcmedia.com

Staff WriterDavid Bradford

RICHARD PRYORBest known for

‘Live in Concert’.Now dead in a box.


Art EditorHuw Williams

SPIKE MILLIGANHe told us he was ill.

020 8726 8438 huw_williams

@ipcmedia.com

Assistant Art EditorJayne ToyneMIKE REIDThe big man won’t run, run,run, run, runaroundanymore.020 8726 8439 [email protected]

Editorial PA

Nuala FitzgeraldJOHN BELUSHIToga! No, shroud.020 8726 8419 nuala_fi [email protected]

Road TesterDave SmithRONNIE BARKEROpen All Hours?He’s closed now.

020 8726 8419

Web Content manager

Gemma BaileyERIC MORECAMBE

Played the right notes, in the wrong order.

020 8726 8204 gemma_bailey@

ipcmedia.com

“ I sat in on research on

this magazine recently. We got groups of bike mag readers – not just SuperBike – and asked them what they thought of the revamped magazine. I was ‘hiding’ behind a screen in an adjoining room, eavesdropping, feeling a bit like a criminal and a bit like a pervert (no change there then...).

In truth, the one thing that really pissed me off was the repeated assertion that we were in the pockets of manufacturers. Basically, the argument was that we had to say nice things about new bikes otherwise the manufacturers would pull their advertising out of the magazine.

I’m sure there are a few marketing men at bike manufacturers having a chortle over this one. As is often the case with conspiracy theories, the facts don’t support the ‘magazine tests are corrupt’ story.

In the past year Honda – whose CBR600RR and Hornet came top in recent group tests – has had two pages of advertising in the magazine. Suzuki, whose GSX-R1000 K7 was our pick of the 1000cc crop, has advertised the same amount.

When a bike is no good – Triumph’s fl awed Daytona TT600 or 955i – then we’ll say it. When Triumph started making great bikes like the Daytona 675 and Rocket III, then we’ve said what we thought.

The amount of advertising Triumph spends with us hasn’t changed over time. The other idea that we always write that the newest bikes are always better doesn’t hold water either? Our regular ‘Old versus new’ hasn’t always come down in support of new models and recent launch test rides on the Z1000, the ZX-10R, Fazer and Yamaha FJR haven’t been thrilled by the ‘improvements’ in

newer models either.I could go

on, but I’m sure you’ve grasped the essential point. We have to make a ‘good’ magazine, a magazine you can rely on to tell you the truth and if we started to lie, you’d smell it a mile off. At which point – reasonably enough

– you’d probably stop buying us. We tell you the truth because it’s the only serious and credible option we have. Our independence is also your ‘guarantee’ that you can trust what you read inside because, unlike web ‘experts’ and websites, you’ve got everyone’s direct phone number and email address if you think we’re out of order. Plus, you know where we live and what we look like...

”

editorThe

[email protected]

I was ‘hiding’ behind a screen in an adjoining room,

eavesdropping, feeling a bit like a criminal and a bit

like a pervert

Kenny Pryde Editor

Small Print

NEXT ISSUE ON SALE: 26/9/2007

sb.october.editorKP.ad.indd 5 9/8/07 18:12:20

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■ NEW VS OLD 82 Kawasaki ZX-6R

■ LONGTERMERS

BikesTHIS MONTH’S

AT A GLANCE

105

106

KawasakiZX-6R

100

107

111

104

108

SuzukiGSX-R1000

HondaCBR600RR

YamahaYZF-R1

BMWK1200R Sport

SuzukiGSX-R600

TriumphSpeed Triple

■ USED BIKE 87 Honda CG125

If the naked revolution has passed you by then the trick Ducati S4Rs and exotic KTM Super Duke R should stir your soul. They did ours

TWINS TOWER

26

42

48

50

64

132

�¡COVER STORY KNEE DOWN BRITAIN Scuffi ng the deck with your knee is about as satisfying as motorcycling gets, but where can you do it? Our guide starts in the Midlands

AIR-FORCEAir-cooled engine may not be winning MotoGP, but there’s a time and place for them, as Al explains

BRANDS INDY GUIDELeon Haslam has done more laps here than a cat at its milk bowl. Learn from the master

PIRELLI SUPERSPORT‘Win on Sunday, sell on Monday’ doesn’t just work for bikes, it rings true for tyres too, as JP fi nds out

CYPRUS THRILLSuper-trick bikes belching out huge horsepower on a Mediterranean island? Has Al found heaven?

DUTCH MASTERSThere’s nowt fl at about Holland’s Ten Kate supersport team. Kenny fi nds out how they’ve won six WSS crowns

Features

KNEE DOWN BRITAIN: Love cornering? We show you the best places in Britain26

¡COVER STORY

58

132 TENKATE: Secrets of the fl ying Dutchmen

■ FIRST LOOK10 Buell 1125R

■ LAUNCHES/FIRST RIDES16 BMW HP2 Megamoto20 Harley-Davidosn 2008 range

sb.oct.p6 conts.HR 2 9/8/07 17:19:26

NEWS A Buell with water cooling? Lamentable security products? Good times in Germany? Whatever next

LETTERS Where would we be without our dear readers? Two great pages short in the mag, that’s where

STUFF The relentless spewing of fi ne products from Planet Manufacturing continues. Enjoy

CENTREFOLD SuperBike favourite Mackenzie falls

over at the prospect of a massive German - the HP2 Megamoto

Regulars10

30

36

69

USED TEST: The CG125 – an awesomely powerful machine (when you were 15)

74

78

83

86

90

92

94

LONGTERM STUFF How has our kit fared during the sodden summer?

WORKSHOP Kenny kindly crashed his bike to help you sort yours

STAFF BIKES The busiest month yet for the fl eet. Trackdays, trips abroad and plenty of fettling

RIDING TECHNIQUE Fancy a break? Go on, you deserve a holiday. Follow these top touring tips YOUR SPACE If we think we’ve had a busy month, then you soon put us to shame

FUNNY STUFFJokes, gags, funnies. Call ‘em what you want, but they’re all good

96

98

100

110

136

139

Q&A Stop banging your head against a brick wall and write to us with your woes. We’ll help. Promise

OLD VERSUS NEW Kawasaki’s ZX-6R has long been the nutter’s favourite weapon. But which one?

SECOND-HAND TEST The Honda CG125 may not fl ood your cock with blood, but it’s a handy little tool

BEST OF OILS Liquid engineering, so went the old Castrol ad. And given its importance, it’s an apt description

I AM YOUR Crank. You wouldn’t get very far without one, so Al explains the whys, whats and hows

BEST OF EVERYTHING We don’t want you to wear shit, that’s why we’re happy to recommend this kit

SET-UP If you could press the pause button, what would your suspension be doing? Bob reveals all

OIL: What it is, what it does and what to look for

USED BIKE: Kawasaki’s supersport ZX-6R

83

86

78

WORKSHOP: Crashed your bike? So did our editor. Dave shows you where to begin to pick up the pieces

98

Real WorldTHE BEST RIDER’S HELP AND ADVICE SECTION

30 PAGES

sb.oct.p6 conts.HR 3 9/8/07 17:19:56

¡THE BIG PICTUREKING KENAN’S FIRST

Christmas came early for Turkey, when Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Kenan Sofuoglu won the world supersport title with three races to spare. Sofuoglu, the first Turkish rider to win a motorsport world title, is pictured at Monza where he yet again stuffed the grid to win.

Pic: Graeme Brown - 2Snap

sb.oct.p8.FIN.indd 2 9/8/07 16:46:08

sb.oct.p8.FIN.indd 3 9/8/07 16:46:11

www.superbike.co.uk10 www.superbike.co.ukOCTOBER 2007

¡SwingarmCast swingarm thankfully doesn’t hold the oil reservoir as on previous Buell designs. Belt fi nal drive remains though and will take even more of a beating.

Type: Liquid cooled, 72° V-twin,

Displacement: 1,125 cc

Bore x Stroke: 103 mm x 67.5 mm

Compression: 12.3:1

Carburation: Fuel injection, 61mm

throttle bodies

Gearbox: Six-speed, belt

Chassis: Aluminium twin spar, fuel

in frame

Suspension: (F) 47 mm Showa USD fork,

fully adjustable (R) Showa monoshock,

fully adjustable

Brakes: (F) 375mm rim-mount disc,

eight-piston caliper (R) 240mm disc, dual

piston caliper

Wheels/Tyres: cast aluminium/ Pirelli

Corsa III 120/70 180/55 ZR-17

Seat Height: 775mm

Wheelbase: 1,384 mm

Capacity: 21.2 litres (5.5gal)

Dry Weight: 170 kg (374.8lb)

0870 9049984 www.buell.com

Engine

Cycle Parts

Contact

The power of a proper sportsbike with that trademark dash of Buell character could make this a winning formula

W henever Buell motorcycles have been mentioned in the past,

the metaphorical 500lb gorilla sat on the pillion seat has always been the engine. For reasons best known to himself, Erik Buell, the fi rm’s founder, stuck with the antiquated and underpowered, air-cooled pushrod V-twins that have made

Harley-Davidson such mediocre performers over the decades. Sure, dressed in chrome, and potato-ing down Sunset Boulevard, or Daytona’s main strip, they make perfect sense. But crammed into a ‘sportsbike’ with the steering geometry of a 250GP racer and pretensions to performance greatness, they were hamstrung to

the point of irrelevance.That’s all set to change with

this new Rotax-built water-cooled, high-performance engine crammed into another of Buell’s trademark, slightly-weird sportsbike chassis’. Dubbed the 1125R, the new bike has class-matching claimed dry weight fi gures too and promises plenty

of track performance with all that power.

JP is riding the mighty machine at Laguna Seca, of all places, just about the time you’re reading this so check on www.superbike.co.uk for his fi rst thoughts. Buy the mag next month for more insight but in the meantime, here’s what makes it tick.

LOOK1st

¡BUELL 1125R

Erik Buell fi nally kicks Harley Davidson motors into touch with a real motor for his radical new 1,125cc powered sportsbike

WATERSPORTS

¡WheelsCast aluminium rims have lightweight six-spoke design, check out the front. OE Tyres are Pirelli Diablo Corsa III

sb.oct.p8.FIN.indd 10 9/8/07 16:46:23

FRONT END NEWS

11www.superbike.co.uk OCTOBER 2007

Specced by Buell and built by Rotax, it’s a 72°, 1,125cc V-twin that puts out 146bhp@10,000rpm, and makes a healthy 82lbf ft of torque (a Ducati 1098 claims 160bhp and 90.4lbf ft). The top-end has four-valves per cylinder, and the cam-drive is by a chain to the inlet cam, then by gear to the exhaust cam. Finger cam followers operate the valves, and are adjusted with shims. Bore and stroke is 103x67.5mm.

The 72° angle means the engine uses balancer shafts to reduce vibration. It has no less than three – two to reduce

the primary rotating imbalance, and one to absorb the rocking couple vibration across the crankshaft. Lubrication is dry-sump, and the clutch has a pneumatic,

slipper design akin to that on the Aprilia RSV engine. The gearbox is stacked to reduce overall length, and the output sprocket has a damper built-in, saving unsprung weight by moving it from

the rear wheel.It’s all pretty clever

stuff, and looks like it could really combine the power of something like an Aprilia RSV with a dash of Buell character. Watch this space to fi nd out more.

SO WHAT MAKES IT TICK?

THE HELICON

BRIEFDubbed the ‘Helicon’, this trademark-riddled motor looks like a good ‘un

¡FrameCast frame uses a new ‘ablation’ casting process making it tougher and lighter than conventional casting. The design is hollow, and holds 21 litres of fuel, while internal channels help direct hot air away from the engine and out the back of the bike

¡ShockShowa unit has a piggyback reservoir and is again adjustable for spring preload, rebound and compression damping. No separate high/low speed adjustment though

MR BUELL

ERIK THE BIKE KING

¡BrakesFront brake has a massive 375mm disc attached to the wheel rim in trademark Buell fashion, allowing lighter wheels since brake forces are transmitted through the rim, not the spokes. Eight-piston brake caliper looks mental but should work well but aren’t radial mounted though. Smart rear caliper is ‘hidden’ behind the swingarm and bites on a 240mm disc

¡Water coolingRadiators are vertically mounted and have large split scoops to direct air in. Hot air is vented out underneath and behind the rider

¡Fuel injectionDual 61mm throttle bodies have six-hole

injectors. The dual-outlet

exhaust is mounted under the engine and the clever design has no exhaust butterfl y valve

¡Forks47mm USD Showa units, with full adjustment for spring preload, rebound and compression damping

¡AirboxLarge 12 litre box has a

central ram-air intake between the fork

legs, under the lights

There aren’t many motorcycling pioneers left, but Erik Buell is one such man. As a full time Harley-Davidson employee, Buell took a British-made Barton engine and made a chassis for it to take himself racing. That was way back in 1981, and by 1984 the Buell Motor Company was formed. The connection with Harley was made with the purchase of a job lot of old XR1000 race engines and the rest, as they say, is history. Harley bought Buell outright in 2003, but Erik Buell still heads up the engineering and design aspects of the fi rm as ‘chairman and chief technical offi cer’ of Buell Motorcycles.

“Specced by Buell and

built by Rotax, the engine is a 72°, 1,125cc

V-twin that puts out 146bhp.”

sb.oct.p8.FIN.indd 11 9/8/07 16:47:07

GERMANS, FAWLTY?Simon (above) attended the BMW Motorrad Days shindig in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in undercover mode to check it out. In true ‘From Dawn Till Dusk’ style, the day’s events pale into comparison to the evening’s. When the lights go out, the party really starts with those crazy Germans showing the rest of Europe how to par-tay, Euro dudes. If you thought BMW’s were boring, then think again. Well, OK, maybe they are, but the piss-up makes up for it. It’s worth a visit if you happen to be passing.

Book early! Fancy a bike trip abroad? Check these out. Some are next year, but others are yet to happen. Check the web.

BMW Motorrad Days Where? Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GermanyWhen? July

Triumph TridaysWhere? Neukirchen, AustriaWhen? June/July

World Ducati WeekWhere? Misano, ItalyWhen? June/July

Harley-Davidson European Bike WeekWhere? Faaker See, AustriaWhen? September

KTM FestivalWhere? Hungaroring, HungaryWhen? September

12 www.superbike.co.ukOCTOBER 2007

¡WRONG. WRONG. WRONG.Were we deliberately fed a bit of disinformation last month? We ‘reported’ that Bike had a new editor. Turns out it’s not Guy Proctor, it’s...laughing boy Steve Rose, currently helming RiDE. A nation of freelances, magazine readers and jaundiced journos waits for earth-shattering changes. And starts taking bets on the fi rst fi ve-page story on the Honda RC30.

¡I’LL BLOODY SHOW THEM SLAGSSimon Warburton, Triumph’s product development manager, decided to ‘keep it real’ on the launch of the new Street Triple. Inspired by Triumph’s tame stunter Kevin Carmichael and a host of ham-fi sted journos popping shit wheelies on the Street Triple, Warburton decided to show everyone how to...fl ip one. With Carmichael’s words echoing in his ears, Simon clutched the bike up in fi rst and quickly got it into second. This worked for a few passes before the inevitable happened after six passes and he fl ipped it. Now that’s what we call product management.

¡CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUEWe admit that Simon’s a busy boy, but not that busy to have written the ‘Testing a new bike’ feature in August and the ‘Who do you think you are’ feature in the September issue. Mossy did the fi rst one and Bertie Simmonds did the second. And didn’t they do well?

¡THANKSThanks this month to the man some call ‘Too Tall Tonge’ but we call Simon; he knows his spanners. And also to top man (but shit stuntman) Simon Warburton for some tech info. Word to our dawg Paul Stroud from H-D for looking after Simon in der Big Apple, and chiz to Jerry at Alpinestars and Miles of Aprilia for being lunch dates and enduring the editor’s rantings. Two beers and he’s anyone’s...

This month’s

industry bitching, back-

stabbing, general idiocy and grateful thanks...

FRONT END NEWS

Actually that’s unfair. Most of you wanted to

ride your bikes more and look good while you were doing it. Or maybe when you voted for ‘Riding kit’ you meant new lids, a new back-protector and some new boots and gloves. Safe and good-looking

at the same time. Actually, if you look at

the results they could be interpreted as meaning that you want to ride your more powerful bikes around tracks and look good while you did it.

And, although we don’t know what bikes you were

riding, it seems you fancy more power more than a better handling bike. If it was a toss-up between spending money on engine or chassis modifi cations you lot want more power please!

And, of course we could have guessed, you don’t

care much for gambling, because only eight per cent of you reckoned on doubling your free money by betting on Casey Stoner to win the MotoGP title. In short, it appears that you’d rather ride than do anything else – which is as it should be, is it not?

YOU SPENT IT ON WHAT?Imagine, £500 in free money. We asked you to indulge your fantasy on our web poll this month and you revealed yourselves to be a bling-oriented bunch

Q If you had £500 (or

local equivalent) spare to spend on bike-related fun, what would you do with it?

SUPERPOLL: NEXT MONTH

QDo you think that new bikes are getting too powerful? Click and vote at www.superbike.co.uk

■ SUPERPOLL

26%Track time

21%New riding kit

6%Paint job

17%Engine tuning

8%Chassis work

15%Riding holiday

8%Bet it on Casey Stoner

MotoGP in Camera£30 Haynes PublishingThe cliché is often true. A picture is often worth a thousand words and there are plenty in here that will leave you speechless. The good thing about this book is that it uses images from several agencies rather than just the one, so the picture editor has had a lot more photographs to chose from. It makes for a book that does what it says on the spine – MotoGP in camera. 240 pages, lots of pictures. £30. Published by Haynes with words and captions by everyone’s favourite, King Anorak Julian Ryder. Book early for Christmas, so to speak.

Barry£18.99 SphereYes, it’s another book about Barry Sheene, this time by paddock joker Steve Parrish and paddock commentator Nick Harris. The pair tell a well told tale, but if you’re a Sheene nut I’m sure you’ll fi nd a couple of nuggets within the text. Best line? When asked by a nurse if he was allergic to anything during his terminal illness, Sheene replied, “Yeah. Fucking cancer.”

...THE CULTURE SHOW“...and here’s one I fl ipped earlier.”

p12 news2.FIN.indd 12 10/8/07 16:21:04

The documentary, which focused on the problem of bicycle

theft in London, tested a range of locks and found most of them woefully vulnerable in the face of criminal attack. After defeating some cheap cable locks with shocking ease, the programme more worryingly undermined the resilience of some heavyweight chains.

Each of these locks

costs £100 or more, and is Sold Secure-approved. The Abus lock is graded at Pedal Cycle Gold standard, while the Kryptonite and Squire products are rated to the highest Gold level. Compliance with this latter standard supposedly denotes that the locks have been tested to withstand a fi ve-minute attack using

1.07m bolt-croppers (the same type used in the programme). So how

can you trust the approval standards, and how can you choose a lock that will protect your bike? SuperBike sought reassurance from

Sold Secure.“[Sold Secure] test

specifi cations have been

prepared using information from the police forces and insurers on the methods of theft and tools utilised by criminals. These specifi cations are constantly monitored and the services of a technical consultant are used to assist with, amongst others, this area specifi cally. Subsequent to the ITV programme, a more detailed and in depth investigation

into chain testing is being performed.”

Our advice is still to buy the biggest, heaviest and most expensive chain you can afford, make sure the padlock matches its quality, and keep the Doberman hungry just in case. Some kind of chain is always going to be better than nothing at all, even if all it does is dissuade the opportunists. You can watch the full documentary at www.itvlocal.co.uk/london/documentaries

Some big names in biking have been bought and sold recently. Good news for us? Or not?

The fi rst buy over to make headlines was MV

Agusta fl ogging Husqvarna to BMW for an undisclosed sum. As usual, Agusta claims that the money raised will be channelled into developing new products for both MV - Cagiva. As usual, nothing will happen. BMW plan to run Husqvarna along the same lines as its Mini car brand – leaving it alone basically. Clearly BMW likes the idea of Husqvarna’s sales network

as well as its younger customers switching to BMW in the future. In 2006 BMW sold 100,000 bikes compared to Husky’s 12,000.

Also in the news was Dainese buying Italian helmet producer AGV from its current Belgian owners. Strategically, it makes sense for Dainese, who now own every piece of kit worn by Valentino Rossi, from the toes of his boots to fl ies on his visor tear-offs.


CHAIN REACTIONA recent episode of the ITV London’s ‘Gone in 60 Seconds’ uncovered lamentable levels of security offered by some bike locks. So are the products you trust really keeping it safe?

BIKING BUSINESS

FRONT END NEWS

FINANCIAL TIMES

Under attack from heavy-duty bolt-croppers, selected chains were defeated within a matter of seconds. The programme claimed that the Abus ‘City X-Plus’ was cut through in eight seconds; Kryptonite’s ‘New York Fahgettaboutit’ held out for a forgettable 11 seconds; while the Squire ‘MC4’ lasted a mere three seconds.

BEAT THE CLOCK

IT TOOK HOW LONG?

SECURITY ALERT

“A range of locks tested was found

to be woefully vulnerable in the face of criminal

attack..”

p12 news2.FIN.indd 14 10/8/07 16:21:28

BMW HP2 MEGAMOTO

1st

Words: Jon Pearson Pics: Jason Critchell

A degenerate form of art or BMW’s “High Performance” answer to a supermoto bike? Brave rebel or corrupt imposter? JP went to fi nd out

RIDE

16 OCTOBER 2007 www.superbike.co.uk

sb.oct.p16.bmw mega.fin.indd 16 24/7/07 16:40:38

Entartete Kunst was the name adopted by the

Nazis to describe modern art. Modern art as we know it, that is: all bold shapes, abstractions and selfi sh. The Nazi version of ‘modern’ art was a puritanical, traditional type of thing, perfect Aryan males standing proud in a harvest fi eld, pitch fork in hand and a woman with babe in arms sitting on the edge of the hay cart – you get the picture.

The BMW HP2 Megamoto is degenerate art. Degenerate art from

the point of view of most other BMW motorcycles, ever. BMW is not averse to making a visually exciting motorcycle but what it rarely achieves is an exciting performing one. The HP2 is different from every BMW I’ve ridden before because it behaves ‘normally’ and has decent performance. It’s degenerating everything I think BMW motorcycles have come to stand for.

I was expecting something like the BMW R1200GS as I rolled away from Brighton and away

down the coast road: a competent and massively versatile bike but a bloody heavy thing with over-complicated suspension and braking systems and not enough power. That’s how it looked at fi rst glance.

But if you thought that, like me, you’d be wrong and the reasons why are very simple. The Megamoto has powerful brakes which aren’t ABS, linked or servo-assisted. It has none of the duo-lever shenanigans you’ll fi nd on most other BM

suspension set-ups, just high quality Marzocchi forks and an Ohlins shock. Standard road tyre sizes, a lightweight steel frame and the biggest shock of all, a version of the famous fl at twin motor which feels powerful. Wow. Conventional Beemer-types will be shaking their bearded heads at this bike.

Second waveOn the face of it this apparently heavily out-dated fl at-twin engine should behave more like a diesel van motor

– torquey, fl at power that will pull a house and wind itself up to a decent speed in an uninspiring way before tailing-off earlier than you want. BMW has re-worked the standard fl at twin motor to the point where it’s quite exciting to open the throttle. The tickover seems familiar but the exhaust note has changed thanks to an Akrapovic pipe and it quickly feels like something else has been hidden inside that large lump of aluminium, magnesium and steel.

Engine: 8v, single

high cam, fl at twin

Displacement: 1,170cc

Power: 113bhpTorque: 85lbf ftWeight: 167kg

BMW’s take on the large capac-ity supermoto which looks like a pared-down R1200GS without the comfortable seat, protec-tive fairing and heated grips (amongst other gadgetry). Rides like a 1200GS which has been on a crash diet, ditched the wife and kids and gone on a bender to Ibiza.

BMW HP2 MEGAMOTO

AT A GLANCE

www.superbike.co.uk OCTOBER 2007 17


SB

Know HP?Basically the High Performance range was the result of BMW designers being given a free-reign to build what they wanted (presumably within some reason). The brief for the Megamoto was to make a specifi c bike for the large capacity supermoto market. The HP brand of bikes are deliberately exclusive (less than 30 ‘motos will hit the UK dealers and most are already sold). The emphasis being on quality not quantity and the price tag refl ects this. Plenty of the HP2 Enduro version have sold in the UK with the same price tag. The HP brand is growing too: HP4 musclebike anyone?

CosmeticsTank, cockpit and fairing are made partly from carbon and fi nished with a high-quality paint pointing to the overall class of the BMW fi nish and helping refl ect some value for your twelve and a half grand.

EngineExternally the fl at-twin motor looks like any other but with 10bhp more than the HP2 Enduro. The main focus of development was a more responsive throttle and plenty of torque in the low and mid-range. It’s new life in the old twin.

ChassisIt might look similar but the HP2 Megamoto is 21kgs lighter (claimed dry weight) than the 1200GS. It is based on the HP2 Enduro’s steel trellis-type design. Ohlins shock and Marzocchi forks are re-vamped from the Enduro, but with less travel.

Power is strong and responsive and it keeps revving and pulling, almost coming on in a second wave like a power-band, around 6,500rpm. We’re not talking about GSX-R1000 (or even BMW in-line four) engine performance, but you feel something lively is lurking.

The drawbacks are few but £12,595 for very limited availability are two. A lack of ‘gadgetry’ doesn’t apparently show much reward for your money either and those beardy BM types will be disappointed by that. But

quality components as standard don’t come cheap and the suspension for example does seem to be quality rather than making an appearance in name alone.

BMW makes competent motorcycles, there’s no doubt about that. You want and expect that at the very least. It should have top class build-quality and fi nish, plus you should be treated to fi rst-rate dealer service. Those facts remain fact. But there’s always been a disappointing gap in

BMW’s line-up, a gap where all the engineering skill and expertise should surely have been able to produce something with more performance. The HP2 Megamoto is one giant dollop of fi ller in that gap.

The verdict?Degenerate Art? Why not? This bike represents degeneration of the BMW norm, it’s something bold and new, despite appearances, and it brought a smile to my face. I can’t help think that when BMW says the

Megamoto is “exclusive” they mean premium. That “less than 30” are being imported makes it very exclusive indeed. But, I quickly felt at home on the Megamoto, and surprised at fi nding it had power, suspension and brakes which worked and that made an instant impression. A couple of hours later and I was convinced it’s a bike I could happily live with. It’s the type of bike BMW should be making for people who aren’t quite ready for a pot-belly and slippers (just yet).

WHATMAKES IT TICK?

BMW HP2 MEGAMOTO

Wheels and tyresRoad-spec is the order of the day with common or garden Michelin Pilot Power tyres on regular 120/70, 180/55 wheels with regular, non-servo-assisted, BMW brakes.

Price: £12,595

NU ins. group: 14 (tbc)

Type: Type a/c, 8v, single high cam,

fl at twin

Displacement: 101x73

Bore x Stroke: 101x73

Compression: 12:1

Carburation: BMS-K electronic fuel

injection, 47mm throttle bodies

Gearbox: Six-speed, shaft drive

Power: 113bhp@7,500rpm (claimed)

Torque: 85lbf ft@6,000rpm (claimed)

Chassis: Steel tubular, trellis type

Suspension: (F) 45mm USD Marzocchi

fork, fully adjustable (R) Ohlins shock

fully adjustable

Brakes: (F) Twin 320mm disc (R) Single

265mm disc

Wheels/Tyres: Cast aluminium, Michelin

Pilot Power (F)120/70-17 (R) 180/55-17

Seat Height: 890-910mm

Wheelbase: 1,615mm

Capacity: 13litres (2.86gals)

Wet Weight: 199kg (438lb)

BMW Motorrad UK 0870 5050 160 www.bmw.co.uk

Specifi cations

Engine

Cycle Parts

Contact

FIRST RIDE BMW HP2 MEGAMOTO



MOTORRAD CENTRAL WEST288, Kirkintilloch Rd,

Bishopbriggs, Glasgow, Scotland, G64 2PT

0141 762 3443 www.motorradcentral.com

CANNON MOTORCYCLES LTDThe Power Station,

5d, Enterprise Court, Lakes Rd, Braintree,

Essex, CM7 3QS 01376 324600

www.cannon-bmw.co.uk

C.W MOTORCYCLESUnit 11,

Great Western Industrial Centre, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1RD

01305 269370 www.cwmotorcycles.co.uk

COOPER TUNBRIDGE WELLS BMW501-516,

Longfi eld Rd, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 3UE 0845 1243155

www.cooperbmwbikes.co.uk

BAHNSTORMERGosport Rd,

Lower Farringdon, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 3DJ

01420 587007 www.bahnstormer.co.uk

NORTH OXFORD GARAGE Wolvercote Roundabout,

Oxford,Oxfordshire, OX2 8JP

01865 319000www.oxfordbmwbikes.co.uk

WILLIAMS MOTORCYCLES326 Chester Road,

Old Trafford,Manchester, M16 9EZ

0161 907 0340www.williamsbikes.co.uk

SOUTHPORT SUPERBIKES 86-92 Eastbank Street,

Southport, Merseyside, PR8 1EF

01704 536 192www.southportsuperbikes.co.uk

JOHN CLARKE TAYSIDERutherford Rd,

Dryburgh Ind Est, Dundee

Angus, DD2 3XH 01382 815993

www.john-clark.co.uk

CHARLES HURST BMW MOTORRAD547 Antrim Road, Newtownabbey,

County Antrim, BT36 4RF02890 848466

www.charleshurstgroup.co.uk

SOUTH LONDON BMW1, Coulsdon Rd,

Caterham, Surrey, CR3 5NE

01883 349433 www.southlondonbmw.co.uk

WOLLASTON MOTORRADBedford Road,Northampton,

Northants, NN1 5SZ01604 625404

www.wbikes.com

CLARKS MOTORCYCLES472, Lickey Rd,

Rednal, Birmingham, West Midlands, B45 8UU

0121 453 3117 www.clarksbmwbikes.co.uk

OCEAN PLYMOUTHSt. Modwen House,Longbridge Road,

Marsh Mills, Plymouth,Devon, PL6 8LD

Tel: 01752 202 828www.oceanbmwbikes.co.uk

CALTERDON LTDHarbour Rd, Inverness,

Scotland, IV1 1UA 01463 236566

www.calterdonbmw.co.uk

This is an advertisment and does not feature the full offi cial UK BMW dealer list

For more information call your local dealer

HP2 Megamoto

bmw advert.indd 3 10/8/07 11:57:35


The translation of these experiences into English loses some of the ingrained emotion, as these machines become pale pastiches of the real deal in a British environment, but there’s an undeniable aura, around Harley-Davidson especially, that keeps their manufacturing plants busy churning out nearly 350,000 machines a year.

Now 105 years old, Harley-Davidson is in rude health, growing year-on-year for the last two decades. To celebrate, the Milwaukee fi rm launched three new 2008 models in New York and invited SuperBike to ride them to its Softail

WITH

In a dynamic sense, Americans are truly crap at building vehicles. Their outmoded trains are weary and unprofi table, their cars unnecessarily bloated and cumbersome while their motorcycles are crudely unsophisticated and

lacklustre in performance terms. But in an emotional sense there are few fi ner machines than

the ones proudly stamped with ‘Made in the USA’ on them. Train rides through the Rockies, Mustangs motoring down Route 66 and Harleys thundering from gas station to gas station are all clichéd experiences, but clichés exist for a reason.

APPLEBIG SAUCEIt’s easy to dismiss Harley-Davidson motorcycles as an American irrelevance, but as Simon fi nds out in the States, they do offer a different type of thrillWords: Simon Roots Pics: Double Red

2008 HARLEY-DAVIDSONS 1st RIDE

sb.oct.p20.Harleys.fin 20 31/7/07 16:38:08


WITH

production facility in York, Pennsylvania. Ever the cynic, I left Heathrow with my dynamic head on,

ready to eschew the romantic notion that Harleys in the Big Apple would seduce the soft-hearted. After all, what could an ancient V-twin motor housed in a rickety old frame offer me in a world of high-tech and über-powerful sportsbikes other than undisputable evidence of a premature midlife crisis?

A presentation the night before had enthusiastically introduced the three bikes, helping to differentiate the three lumps of metal in my mind. The bare, but brutal, Nightster is

part of the fi rm’s 50-year-old Sportster range and occupies the more affordable end of Harley’s range at £6,695. The Fat Bob, one of H-D’s Dyna machines, tops the ten grand mark and looks far more substantial to refl ect European tastes better while the new Softail Rocker series (the Rocker Classic incorporates an ingenious pillion seat that is neatly hidden when not in use) looks like a slice of pure Americana that looks as if it’s come straight off the set of a modern remake of Easy Rider. The next morning, idyllic Central Park awoke to the sound

APPLESAUCE

Where better to launch a trio of Harleys than Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn, for it was here that the Americans launched an attack on British ships in 1776. Whether these bikes would do the same to Simon was another question


Harley-Davidson Fat Bob


of thunder. Barking into life, the Fat Bob’s exhaust tone added to the melting pot of sights, smells and sounds,

announcing itself proudly to the city of 8 million souls. Using the stock motor of the Dyna range, the 1,584cc (96 cubes in Americanese) block snarls menace from its ‘Tommy Gun’ exhausts, and as soon as you slump into the sofa-like seat and lift your feet forward onto the pegs you can tell that the ride ahead will be special.

And so it was. I could have ridden from Central Park, down Broadway and across the Brooklyn Bridge on a C90 and still enjoyed it, but on the Fat Bob it became a classic journey. With effortless grunt available from barely idle, the Fat Bob could charge back and forth within the confi nes of New York’s early morning traffi c. With no fi ltering allowed in the city (and most of the country), the Fat Bob couldn’t display its easy handling, but this was defi nitely a machine that I could do business with.

Away from the city, and heading to the Amish heartland of Pennsylvania, the Fat Bob again impressed, being

the most pleasurable of the three new machines to cover the miles. With six gears, a recent innovation for Harley, the Fat Bob roars between 20mph and over 100mph with ease, and takes corners in a relaxed style, totally in keeping with its posturing. The brakes, even aided by braided hoses (but

ENGINEThose 96 cubes splat out a whole heap of torque, from way down in the rev range too (although there’s no rev counter). The Fat Bob uses the 96B motor that includes an internal balancer shaft to make the ride as smooth as (rough-ish) silk

CHASSISForget any notion of aluminium twin-spar technology reaching H-D just yet. A simple steel chassis is good enough for cruisin’ and rubber engine mounts help soothe the ‘Parkinsons’ motor

SUSPENSIONChunky 49mm Showa forks look

strong enough to use as scaffolding. The rear suspension is enclosed in

chrome covers, just like on the GSX-R1000. Hang about...

ENGINE: Air-cooled, twin-cam 1,584cc 45° V-twin POWER: n/a TORQUE: 91lbf ft@3,125rpm PRICE: £10,525

EXHAUSTMassively long, chrome 2-1-2 ‘Tommy Gun’ exhausts belch out that Harley tune all day. There’s nothing quite like it

WHEELS/TYRESThe weedy 160 rear tyre gives

the Fat Bob a slim feel and makes it an agile machine

through town

EQUIPMENTYou get self-

cancelling indicators which

are good in some situations, bad

in others. Cruise control is a crude

thumb screw

FIRST RIDE 2008 Harley-Davidsons

One Fat Bob and one fat knacker in beautiful, fatty harmony. Or something

Roots doing his best CHiPs impression on a 2008 H-D CVO (Custom Vehicle Operations) Screamin’ Eagle Road King

“The Fat Bob roars between

20mph and over 100mph

with ease.”



hindered by the long fork angle), are the shiest element of the machine. They slow the Fat Bob gracefully, but there are times when you’d want the reassurance of more braking power.

Jumping between each machine over the two days of the launch soon found favourites, the Fat Bob being mine, but professionalism ensured that the Nightster got its fair share of attention. Damned professionalism...

From certain angles, the Nightster looks great, a tidy, retro image of a pared-down Harley with neat little touches, like the turn signals that incorporate brake lights, the sparkling spokes and the uncluttered 1,200cc motor looking every inch the traditional Harley lump. But this look is not all-pervading, and from the front and rear, the width of your wallet represents the width of the bike.

While the Fat Bob encases you in pure Harley heritage,

ENGINEUsing the 1,200cc XL Evolution engine, blessed with fuel-injection from the 2007 range onwards, the Nightster is underpowered compared to the bigger bore bikes. It only has fi ve gears too

CHASSISHarley took us to its York factory and showed us state-of-the-art technology making antique-design frames. It would be irony, except the Americans don’t do this

ERGONOMICSMore sit-up-and-beg than lay back and relax, the Nightster is a traditional machine that should appeal widely. A low seat is good for shorties, but there’s only a solo seat

SUSPENSIONH-D gave the Nightster more rear travel from the twin-shocks for the European market. Retro gaitered forks complement the bike’s looks, and, I guess, its performance

BRAKESSomeone forgot to put on the other disc and caliper. As such, the braking power from the dual-caliper system is more shite-ster than Nightster. This is not a machine to practice stoppies on

SIGNALSIndicators to me and you, Harley-Davidson uses a new turn-signal/rear light LED system to eliminate the rear light from messing up the bike’s clear lines. The reg plate will do that now

Harley-Davidson NightsterENGINE: Air-cooled 1,200cc 45° V-twin POWER: n/a TORQUE: 72lbf ft@3,200rpm PRICE: £6,695 (two tone £6,995)

Laughing like a loon may not be the right image, but sometimes you can’t help but smile



Harley-Davidson Rocker and Rocker C

CHASSISIs there a fi ner feeling

than riding feet fi rst down Broadway? The simple chassis offers

massive chunks of style but performance hasn’t

been sacrifi ced as you might think

you sit on the Nightster and everything feels just a little inconsequential. The riding position feels not dissimilar to sitting on the throne; feet fl at on the fl oor, arse perched rearwards, squinting ahead. It’s a hard seat too, meaning miles are more punishing to the body than the machine.

The 1,200cc Evolution motor feels weedy, and with only fi ve gears you sense that there’s too little going on. But heading out of our night’s stop in hallowed college town Princeton, you realise that there’s enough poke in this pig to make wearing an open face helmet an uncomfortable

experience. With eyes streaming, it heads towards 100mph, unnecessarily given the context of the machine, but at least it proves its point – although not for long as its 12.5 litre fuel tank drains far too easily.

The Nightster’s ability through the turns is as limited as the Fat Boy’s. There’s more ground clearance, but with only one front disc, stopping power is curtailed even further to the point where you’ll have to reclassify what an emergency is when stopping.

Consequently I was relieved to swap from the Nightster

EQUIPMENTThe Rocker C offers a neat pillion seat that stores under the seat when not in use

ENGINEIt’s that huge slice of rumbling torque again, this time with just about everything chromed on it (in Rocker C guise). It purrs away until you wind the throttle open when it starts to bark

SUSPENSIONHarley’s Softail series ape the original hardtail choppers, but in a neat trick of design they hide the rear suspension under the seat ensuring comfort Easy Riders never had

WHEELS/TYRESThe 19-inch front

tyre is waif-like compared to the massive 240-section

rear rubber that looks

great under the tyre hugging

rear fender

ENGINE: Air-cooled, twin-cam 1,584cc 45° V-twin POWER: n/a TORQUE: 86lbf ft@3,200rpm PRICE: £12,755 (£14,255 for the Rocker C)

FIRST RIDE 2008 Harley-Davidsons

CLOCKSWhat time is it? Midlife crisis time, that’s what. Should be

a good laugh though



to its brethren, and while in performance and comfort terms the Fat Bob was fi rst choice, the Rocker was the bike I wanted to be seen on. Custom bikes have been so off my radar that I thought that West Coast Choppers was a knife shop in Aberystwyth, but boy has that changed with the advent of the Rocker. From its massive 240-section rear tyre to its 32.5° rake angled Showa forks, the Rocker, especially in the chromed and jet blue guise of the Classic, is beautiful.

The innovation of the Rocker is the rear fender that is mounted to the swingarm and moves with it just an inch above the fat rear tyre. Clean lines sandwich in the smooth running 1,584cc motor meaning that style and substance go hand in hand and to see the rear of the Rocker is a lesson in jealousy, especially if you’re stuck on the Nightster.

In a straight line, the Rocker is remarkably stable given its extreme geometry, massive wheelbase and skinny front tyre, although it’s not the most comfortable machine you’ll ever ride. The hidden rear shock does a decent enough job, but New York’s roads aren’t the greatest and hidden potholes had jarring repercussions.

So long as you measure your speed carefully, cornering is compliant too. Braking is the Rocker’s weak point, but you’ll be too busy gazing at yourself in either the mirrors or the chrome to worry about that too much.

So you can probably tell by now that I was seduced, certainly by the Rocker and the Fat Bob. One unique city, an iconic two days riding and three rumbling giants was enough for me believe that there is a time and a place for these mighty machines. As ever, whether that time and place includes a wet Wednesday in West Wittering is a different question. The bike best equipped to make the leap across the pond is the Fat Bob with its burly looks and bristling torque. The Rocker and the Nightster fall at opposite ends of the price spectrum and perform accordingly. Buy a Nightster and you’ll be forever dreaming of bikes further up the range. Buy a Rocker and you’ll need an ASBO to be kept off the King’s Road.

Barry Gibb loved the CVO Screamin’ Eagle Softail Springer

“Buy a Rocker

and you’ll need an ASBO to

be kept off the King’s

Road.”

SB



1 A BIKEAlmost any bike will

do. Yes, you can get your knee down on a scooter if you try hard enough. So we don’t want to hear any excuses in this department. Sporty bikes are dynamically the best for this pastime due to their devoted chassis and compliant suspension, but from an ergonomic sense, sit up and beg bikes can be better because the knee is physically closer to the ground. Tyres, likewise, are key. Make sure they are in good nick and properly infl ated and get them warm before any attempts.

2A KNEEObviously, but

body positioning is vital to touch terra fi rma. Positioning your body like you’re doing your CBT is going to require

massive angles of lean before you deck out, so sling a cheek and half of a buttock into the corner, look where you want to go and angle your knee just like they do on the telly.

3 A CORNERAlmost any corner

can turn into kneedown nirvana if you’re prepared to attack it with enough speed and

you hang your body off far enough. But slower, constant radius turns are the easiest to learn the not-so gentle art. For this, read roundabouts. They’re great to learn on as you can control your body position, throttle and steering inputs relatively easily. As you develop the skill other corners open themselves up to you, but don’t bite off more than your slider can chew.

THREE THINGS YOU NEEDTHE GREAT BRITISH KNEE-DOWN EXPERIENCE

THE BEST OF BRITISHROADS

KNEE-DOWN BRITAIN

In a new series, SuperBike guides you to the best riding locations in the land

THE MIDLANDS

THE SOUTH

EASTTHE

SOUTH WEST

WALES

NORTHERNIRELAND

SCOTLAND

THE NORTH

sb.oct.p26.kneedown.ad.indd 26 7/8/07 16:33:50


Thank god the Romans got bored of Britain when they did. Their straight-as-a-die

road building regime was great for the expansion of the empire, facilitating trade and moving legions about quickly, but when it comes to 21st century thrill-seeking they’re a million miles away from motorcycling fun.

Bikes are born to turn, and with the growth of the British road

system, factoring into account such trifl ing matters as land rights and natural obstacles, the humble corner was invented by Henry VIII in 1532.

Since the birth of the bike, we’ve been taking advantage of this wonderful civil engineering innovation ever since. The next big step was made by another king, this time King Kenny Roberts. Roberts developed a

riding technique he’d seen Jaarno Saarinen employ and, duct-taping pieces of old visor and crushed beer cans to his knees, Roberts used his ‘dragging knee’ to support himself through a corner. As bikes’ chassis and tyres have got better, this godly act was taken up by us mere mortal masses as kneedown mania swept the country.

So in honour of 30 years of kneedowns, SuperBike catalogues

the best roads in the land for this wonderful experience. We kick off our knee scraping tour of the country in the heart of Britain, the Midlands. It’s a really busy part of the world traffi c-wise, and with no major hills, roads don’t have big elevation changes following extreme contours as they do in other parts of the land. But don’t dismiss the region: there’s still a hoot to be had.

Britain, Britain, Britain. There’s some good stuff in it you know. Including some of the best riding roads in the world – if you know where to look. This month we’re in the MidlandsWords: Simon Roots Pics: Jason Critchell/John Noble/Jeremy Clifton Gould

PART 1: THE MIDLANDS

The roads around Banbury near Oxford offer spectacular riding when they’re not underwater. Or blocked by burning pyres

of foot-and-mouth infested cows



KNEE-DOWN BRITAIN THE MIDLANDS

10

8

3

4

6

52

1

7

11

1213

14

15

9

Best roads1 A44

Fish Hill, BroadwayIt may be a 30mph zone, but it’s not in a built up area so you work out the implications. Two lanes on the way up mean some great arcing angles are available across both lanes, while if you head downhill you get some cracking views of Broadway and the Malverns behind.

2 A423 Banbury

In the heart of the UK’s motorsports land (Team KR are based at Banbury), the A423 could be a proving ground for the regions efforts. It’s fast, really fast at points and there’s plenty to catch you out. Kneedown opportunities are few and far between, so keep your head tucked under the screen and pick your lines carefully.

3 B6047 Market Harborough to

Melton MowbrayOne of the roads we use regularly for road tests and photoshoots, this road is dubbed ‘the Midlands TT’, and it does indeed bear some resemblance to the Manx course. An amazing mix of corners,

6Orton roundabout Peterborough

Where our EMAP friends do pics if they can’t be arsed going far from their local offi ce. It’s a big, sweeping, quiet-ish roundabout with a decent surface, a junction-free end, and an easy 60-70mph cornering pace. But beware, the coppers know this too and won’t hesitate in throwing the book at you. Come off the A1 at the A605 junction, and it’s the fi rst roundabout above the dual carriageway heading into Peterborough. While here, head back the other way towards Oundle (watching for cameras), then take the A427 to Corby for a short seven miles of awesome bends.

7 Milton KeynesMythical metropolis of myriad

round junctions, Milton Keynes is a bit more quantity than quality in terms

of roundabouts. But the roads boast a great blend of wide

dual carriageways, and fast roundabouts. Drop the missus off at Ikea, then go play.

Roundabouts



This pic and below. The B6047 near Market Harborough offers challenging and exciting roads

Track action from Donington - where you might just see some proper quick guys

Triumphs are born in Hinkley and it’s well worth a visit

with some fast straights and elevation changes thrown in, it’s a challenging road, so take your time fi rst time down it. The local cops use it for training runs too, so you’ve been warned. While you’re in the area, also check the B664 from Harborough to Uppingham, saving a big wheelie for the super-posh girls’ school at the end...

4B660 Bedford to the Fens

A great stretch of road that starts off well towards Kimbolton and then gets better as you head into Cambridgeshire, crossing the A14

and A1(M) in the process. You’re lucky if you live near this road. But this is a road that has claimed many a journo scalp, so take heed. Do as we say, not as we do!

5 B4204 Clifton upon Teme

There are loads of good roads to the west of Birmingham, heading towards Wales, so you’re not short of great circular routes. We’ve picked these bends that would make a great climax on a triangular route between Worcester and Kidderminster. Look out for the farmers, mind.

Sliproad heaven

8M69/M6 junctionIt may join two motorways,

but the slip road between the M69 (south) to the M6 (east) is a belter. It’s got a long, wide radius, so if you catch it right you can get you knee on the deck for a good few seconds.

9A14/A1(M) junctionNotable for the incredible

stretch of super-wide A1(M) it leads onto as much as anything. Incredibly fast.

Stop here10Triumph Factory

Pop in for a tour – although you’ll need to arrange this in advance with either the factory or a Triumph dealer. It’s well worth it, mind. Call 01455 251700.

11The National Motorcycle Museum

From classic bikes to the Norton Nemesis and more, the museum is a great way relive the kneedown past. Call 01675 443311

Race tracks12Mallory Park

Every Wednesday racers pitch up at Mallory Park and have a shake down session before they do it for real at the weekend.

Cars practice in the morning, bikes in the afternoon. Entrance is free, the roads around Mallory are pretty good, and the café’s open too. Call 01455 842931

13RockinghamNewly-built US Speedway-

style venue with massive banked bowl and a slightly uninspiring layout. Flat and car-biased, but well worth a cheap evening trackday. Call 01536 500500

14DoningtonHome of the British

MotoGP, and one of the best UK circuits to ride. Facilities have been improved, but are still a bit old-school. Call 01332 810 048

15SilverstoneBig, fast and a little

featureless, the UK F1 track has very good facilities. Defi nitely one to tick off. Call: 08704 588 200

Roundabouts

NEXT MONTH

HIT THE NORTHTell us your favourite knee-down roads. Email suggestions to [email protected]. Or click on www.superbike.co.uk/forums and go to the ‘Rides and Roads’ section.

Yup, it’s the A5004 from Buxton to Whaley Bridge. Technically, a tad north of the Midlands, but it is a good pic...

SB



¡CONTACTPATCH

¡Watch your backsWhat a great summer I’m having. On my way home from work, I stopped at a red light and, just as my foot hit the fl oor, I heard the sound of tyres screaming. Next thing I know, I’m in the air, watching my poor little TL1000S bouncing down the road. Next, I have a doctor telling me I have a broken back – never good news, but what you going to do? Keep smiling, that’s just me – I’ll get over it. I took my fi rst steps today,

which involved lots of pain, but it’s a step closer to being back on the bike. As for the car driver who

smashed into the back of me, let’s just say we’ll be having words!

Kris, email

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

LetterOF THE MONTH

Broken tail (unit and bone)Check out the damage to my ‘07 Hornet caused by my fi rst attempt at a wheelie. I followed all the usual procedures – except landing on the front wheel. Instead, I decided to land on my ass, chipping my tailbone and uglifying my beautiful machine.

Now, insurance in Ireland is ridiculous, my third-party premium is €1,850 (£1,237) and I’m 28 – so this is all coming out of my own pocket. Yours painfully,

Patrick O’Shea (non-sitting Irish biker)

¡Great train (parking) robbery I have chosen to remain anonymous, as this could affect my job. I commute to Birmingham New Street station every day and have been doing so for years now. I always park my bike on the carpark’s central reservation, along with all the other bikes, as there is not a dedicated motorcycle bay. This area does not interfere with road users and is not used by pedestrians.

I came back to my bike the other

day to fi nd a parking ticket on the seat. To my amazement, every bike had a parking ticket on the seat. Of course, I joined the queue of bikers asking the attendant what the tickets were all about. He said that it was nothing to do with him as he was only doing as the management had instructed.

He then directed us to a shiny new sign that had been

erected at the station entrance, which states that all motorcycles must

pay the usual tariff. Of course, we argued that there’s nowhere on a bike to display a ticket.

What on earth is going on? We hear news about global

warming and how people must start to use public transport. So what shall we do to encourage this? I know, let’s

discriminate against everyone who rides a motorcycle and wants to catch a train from Birmingham.

To add insult to injury, New Street station has recently been in the news as being the most expensive place to park – at £55 a day. So I’ll buy my £55 ticket and display it in a prominent position, maybe right in the middle of my seat. It will be safe there. When it gets stolen, I’ll pay again – £110 per day. Nice incentive!

Anon

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

“I’ll buy my £55 ticket and display it in a prominent position, maybe

right in the middle of my

seat. It will be safe there. When it gets stolen, I’ll pay again – £110

per day. Nice incentive!”

Ouch. Remember the title of Rossi’s book? “What if I had never tried?” Well in your case you’d still have a bike if you’d never tried so what the fuck does he know?

Careful, you could be preventing a car mounting the island and parking next to the pillar there

¡Two of a kind?Is it me, or does Dani Pedrosa look remarkably like Butthead, from Beavis and Butthead? I bet you’ve never seen them in the same room.

Ian Conspicuous

SB_oct.P30.letters.HR.indd 30 7/8/07 16:46:02


Oh dear, another good British rider about to crash and burn their career in Moto ‘for foreign riders only’ GP I fear.FastBikerBoy

As already posted, BIG mistake, to the point of foolishness.mrbiggles

It could be a smart move. Nobody is denying that Toseland is a smart cookie.makka

I’d like to think he’d not make a massive career move like this based on what MIGHT happen at Tech3. Would he?xxrider

I reckon JT knows something else is on the table as he would not have signed for Tech3/Dunlop on the strength of their recent performance.stuboy99

If James Toseland is the best we have, I think we need to look long and hard as a nation to see what we can do to bring on the younger talent. I think we need to start with a proper 125 and 250 national championship rather than rely so much on novelty classes to bring the youngsters on.chappers

OTHER HOT TOPICS:Dodgy drivers on mobile phones, track day dates

FROM THE

FORUM

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

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

Shoot Shoot Syourmissusymissusy

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

¡Up the creek without a... front endMy son and I are from Triumph and we both ride Triumphs – an ‘01 TT600 and an ‘02 Daytona 955i – which turn plenty of heads. A year ago, my son (17 at the time) hit some loose gravel in an S-curve and lost his TT into a creek. Fortunately, the creek had no water running and the soft sand bed made a good landing spot.

The boy was not hurt, even though he got his bell rung, and the TT survived with bent forks and some body damage. I researched the usual sources for parts (eBay, salvage yards, dealers) but couldn’t fi nd a source that fi t my budget.

So I dreamed up a neat idea – I found a Daytona

955i front fork assembly cheap on eBay and decided to give it a try (the whole front end cost the price of one fork tube from a dealer). I employed a local machine shop to remove the triple-tree shaft from the TT and machined it into the 955 triple-tree. Everything else fi tted OK. I’m still repairing body parts with fi breglass and glue, but the bike is rideable.

The TT has always been a good rider; its handling and suspension are great, but with the 955 front-end it seems even more nimble! It’s lost some of the upright posture that was so comfortable for long rides, but the new front doesn’t feel too aggressive.

Tim Hart, Kentucky

¡You know it makes senseRecently, a man died in a bike accident on the outskirts of our village. Today, while on the bike, I came across a long line of stationary traffi c. Nothing unusual, I thought, but unfortunately at the front was a police car picking the remains of a bike from a hedge. I don’t know if the rider was OK, but his bike was totalled – I couldn’t even tell what it was, and I can usually tell what a bike is from a mile off. His riding buddy didn’t look too happy, either.

Yeah, so what, you ask? Well, I’ve recently passed a

lot of bikers wearing kit that would have the protective

qualities of a pair of tights:

the man on a Pan

wearing no gloves, thin slacks and loafers (no

socks); the young lad on the GSX-R wearing jeans and

trainers, and another bloke

on a GSX-R wearing jeans and Doc Martens.Do us a favour, lads,

don some proper gear to avoid having your sorry arse scraped off the road. For the sake of an extra 30 seconds getting changed, it may save you years of rehab, or even your life.

Gaz, Kent

The original email that came with these got accidently deleted (well it’s not the words we were interested in quite frankly). We think they’re from someone called John in Hull who is now going to have to supply a load more to prove it’s his missus and bag the nifty

Was James Toseland

right to sign for Tech3 Yamaha in MotoGP?

TURN THE

WIFE INTO

HARD

CASH

WIN

£50

www.superbike.co.uk



¡Porsche schporscheAs a car driver and enthusiast for the past 13 years, I’ve always been involved in the odd heated debate about bikes versus cars – without ever having any experience riding a motorbike. I was about to buy a (used) Porsche 911 Turbo for about £50k, as I always wanted one before my 30th birthday.

Then a mate persuaded me to have a go on the back of his Fireblade. Although I was hanging on for dear life, the experience totally blew me away. The result? I phoned to cancel the 911 order the following day.

Having already passed my CBT, since that hair-raising Fireblade experience, I’m looking to pass my Direct Access and get myself onto a Bandit 650 before the end of this summer. As for the £50k I saved – with a bit of experience under my belt next year, that GSX-R750 is going to be mightily tempting.

Keith Chan, Livingston

Well, there you go, Keith. And if you stuff all that cash down your pants, it may even look as though you didn’t need a surrogate penis extension like a Porsche anyway.

¡CONTACTPATCH

I just thought I’d share these pics I took in the Barcelona GP paddock – and the damage to my lid and my little Trumpet done on the way home. Ouch. Not to mention the six fractured ribs and perforated lung – now that’s the real ouch.

What can I say about a day at the MotoGP paddock? It’s like nothing else you can imagine. I spent a whole month anticipating that elusive paddock pass. Then it arrives and it’s real, a plain white envelope from Dorna, which is like winning the fucking lottery.

Who did I get to see? Everybody. Will you truly get to meet Valentino Rossi? Yes. Is Colin Edwards really cool? Most defi nitely. Can you actually talk to the mechanics about tyres? Yes. Does Dani Pedrosa know what a pen is? No.

Is he a little prick? Yes. Is there a chance of pulling off your own MotoGP highside on the way home? That’s a ‘Roger, Houston we have a problem’. But let’s be clear on this, if you ever get the chance to go to the MotoGP paddock, it’s a must... Even if it means doing hospital time.

Shaun Beevor

Didn’t they tell you about the necessity of traction control? Bastards! And as for Dani, well, we rather suspect he was a bit hyper, what with Catalunya being his home GP and his bike not working the way he wanted, and him resembling Butthead out of Beavis and Butthead and all.

From schmooze to smash

¡Spirit of ‘66Thought you might like this

Trevor Bedwell, email

Well let’s see, you’ve turned up at the new Wemb-er-ley on a 3 Lions adorned bike, in matching kit, and sullied the good name of Bobby Moore by doing a fat burn out in front of his statue. Like it? WE LOVE IT, get in there my son, back of the net!

READERS’ LETTERS


out braking.

the law.

Protect yourself. Most rubber hoses are permeable - they allow your brake fluid to absorb water vapour from the

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P033_SBIKE_OCT07.indt 1 2/8/07 13:37:30


These are Richa’s top-of-the-range racing gloves, restyled for this year.

At only £80 a pair, they’re good value – they look as though they should cost more. There is plenty

of tough PU protection, covering the knuckles and cuffs. The knuckles are also

vented to prevent sweaty mitts, and there are elastic panels in all the right areas to allow

plenty of brake- and clutch-grabbing fi nger movement. Kevlar

reinforcements bolster the leather’s abrasion-resistance at the critical areas.

RICHAGP TOP RACE GLOVES

A leather suit is only as comfortable as what you wear underneath it. And it doesn’t get much comfi er than this, Dainese’s brand-new Seamless Undersuit. It’s designed to fi t closely to the skin, as demonstrated here,

positively clinging to Liz’s fi ne fi gure (oh, to be that

suit). It’s breathable, quick-drying and

available in one- and two-piece versions. Wearing an undersuit also means you don’t have to wrestle with your leathers to get

‘em off.

£39.99 (shirt)

£29.99 (pants)

01438 317038www.dainese.com

DAINESESEAMLESS UNDERSUIT

NEW PRODUCTS¡SUPERSTUFF

You wouldn’t really want to be in Rossi’s shoes this year

– chasing a fl awlessly ridden, faster bike on

superior tyres – but you might still

want to wear his boots. And here they are. The Axial Race has internal protection, made from carbon and Kevlar,

that wraps around the entire foot and is designed

to prevent the ankle from twisting. The upper part

of the boot is made from textile material, making it

easier to wear leathers over the top, Rossi-style. A single rear zip makes them easy to put on and remove.

£219.99 01438 317038www.dainese.com

DAINESEAXIAL RACE BOOTS

PAZZOBRAKE & CLUTCH LEVERS

Pazzo sounds similar to Neil’s school nickname, so he ordered these levers for his ZX-6R long-termer. They are used by several superbike teams, whose riders no doubt appreciate the handy adjusters with which you can alter span while on the move. So if your brakes begin to fade on a hot track session, you can easily make amends and keep up the pace. Pazzo levers are available in standard or ‘shorty’ (1.25ins shorter) lengths. The shorter option is less likely to snap off in a crash.

£129 0870 803 1863 www.speedycom.co.uk

£79.99 01425 273344www.nevism.co.uk

sb.oct.p36.stuff.fin.indd 36 31/7/07 16:53:47


Brembo’s sintered pads are made from a mixture of metallic materials, lubricants and abrasives. They are formulated to perform in all conditions on road and track. The compound offers a compromise between all-out friction and decent wear rate. Available for almost all sportsbikes, including ‘07 models.

Czech company PP Tuning makes trick racing components and sponsors the Stiggy Motorsport Honda World Supersport team. This quick-release fi ller cap is fi tted to JP’s GSX-R1000 long-termer, as he’s a very impatient man, particularly at fuel stations. It’s light, smartly made and exudes racing kudos.

BREMBOSINTERED PADS

If you’re going to throw your bike down the road, you might as well fi t some crash bungs. All going to plan, they’ll bear the brunt and save the pricey bits of your bike. R&G makes protectors for almost all sportsbikes. They are mounted on high-tensile steel bolts.

PP TUNINGQUICK-RELEASE FILLER CAP

R&G CRASH BUNGS

LITTLE STUFF

BAR’S THE STARCLIP- ONS

What do they do?Clip-on handlebars are the point of contact between your hands and the front wheel of your bike. They give you steering leverage, accommodate your levers and throttle, and affect the position of your arms while riding. Hence, there are performance and comfort implications to consider.

Why do I need them?The truth is, you don’t. As with many bolt-on parts, this isn’t strictly a question of necessity. Standard handlebars are usually set up in a pretty satisfactory position for decent steering leverage and comfort. Nonetheless, clip-ons offer some practical advantages for fast track riding and racing. They allow a fuller range of adjustment, so you can set up the width and height of your bars to suit your own preferences and physical dimensions. They are usually lighter and cheaper to replace than standard bars. Most importantly, they make your bike look more racy.

What to look forClip-ons are, relatively speaking, quite straightforward pieces of kit. They consist of alloy tubes, stoppered with nylon caps, with clamps to bolt them onto the forks. The overall weight will depend on the type of metal used. Make sure they are well engineered and that force is spread evenly across the clamps when tightened up. You’ll want a high-quality fi nish that looks good, too.

Get a handle on better steering by replacing standard bars with clip-ons

PP TUNINGCLIP-ONS

These clip-ons from PP Tuning are destined for JP’s GSX-R1000. Once fi tted, he’ll have 28mm-higher bars, which should subtly improve his control – rather than turn the Gixxer into a custom chopper. The 50mm-diameter tubes are CNC-machined from solid billet aluminium, and set up at a 10º angle. Just a few more parts and we reckon Max Biaggi will be phoning JP to beg to have a go.

£120 01522 697007 www.ermaxuk.co.uk

£70 01522 697007www.ermaxuk.co.uk

£26.52 (pair) 01373 464252www.biketorqueracing.co.uk

From £55 0870 2206 380www.rg-racing.com


Four seasons in oneTitanium Xtreme Sport Jacket FTW244

The Titanium Xtreme Sport is a revolution in all-season riding, containing

two separate removable linings – one waterproof, the other windproof.

With the durable outer jacket they can be worn together or mixed and

matched in four ways to suit the riding conditions. Whatever the

weather, the Titanium Xtreme Sport has the right combination for you!

Sizes: Men S-XXXL Women XS-M

Jacket: £139.99

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

P038_SBIKE_OCT07.indt 1 1/8/07 08:03:10


This stealthy matt-black design is a limited-edition version of KBC’s top-order VR2 helmet. We reckon it’d go great with a dark visor and some plain black leathers for that fast-fugitive look. The VR2 is designed for slippery aerodynamics at high speed. Its ‘Tri-Comp’ composite shell is a mix of carbon, Kevlar and fi breglass. All the features you’d rightly expect are present: full ventilation, removable lining and quick-release visor. If you want something more colourful, there are plenty of louder designs. Undercover lunacy has just got a little more affordable, too, as the VR2 Stealth costs a mere...

£179.99 08702 416955www.kbchelmets.co.uk

This is Renthal’s R4 SRS chain, which it claims offers important advantages over other chains. ‘SRS’ stands for ‘Self Regulating Seal’ - a new technology developed to extend chain life. They claim the SRS ring is pre-loaded to hold a tighter seal against the side plates and thus retain lubricant more effectively. The R4 SRS is made for high-output road bikes and features alloy plates and pins, solid bushings and rollers and shot-peened plates, with gold side plates. The sprockets are made from toughened alloy that Renthal says is a third lighter than steel.

From £80 01522 791369www.bandcexpress.co.uk

RENTHALCHAIN & SPROCKETS

NEW

PRO

DU

CTS

KBCVR2 HELMET

¡SUPERSTUFF


CLEANPAIR OF WHEELS

SPECIALIST CLEANERS¡SUPERSTUFF

This is a new bike cleaner that contains active degreasers reportedly powerful enough to remove baked-on insects and chain lube. It’s non-corrosive and helps protect sensitive surfaces. Instructions for use are spray on, leave for five minutes, then rinse off. Viola. Uses: All purposePrice: £12.99 Contact: 01256 704909www.motohaus.com

S DOC 100 POWER GEL

There’s no point whatsoever spraying fresh chain lube on a grimey chain, as the good stuff won’t be able to get where it needs to. Paraffin makes an effective chain cleaner, but an aerosol like this one is easier to apply. Spray on and wipe off, then re-lube. Uses: All chainsPrice: £5.49Contact: 01202 307790www.muc-off.com

MUC-OFF CHAIN CLEANER

If you’re cleaning your brakes, you can’t be too careful, in that you don’t want to use anything that leaves a slippery residue. Motorex’s ‘Brake Clean’ breaks down grease and removes brake grime without leaving anything behind. It won’t harm finished surfaces.Uses: Brakes & clutchPrice: £6.49Contact: 08704 282272www.bickersplc.com

MOTOREX BRAKE CLEAN

You can’t fault the wheel as an invention, but it is bloody hard to keep them clean. Using this potion, helps, though. It’s a non-toxic formula that professes to remove brake dust, road grime and grease. Spray it on, let it foam-up, agitate with a brush and then rinse off. Uses: WheelsPrice: £4.99Contact: 01925 636191www.rockoil.co.uk

ROCK OILWHEEL KLEEN

If there’s one piece of biking kit that needs regular cleaning, it’s the inside of your lid. The lining gets manky from your sweaty head and oily hair, and begins to pong – especially when wet. So keep it fresh with a foam cleaner like this. It cleans, deodorises and removes grime. Uses: HelmetsPrice: £4.99Contact: 08704 282272www.bickersplc.com

MOTOREXHELMET CARE

This all-purpose, non-toxic cleaner from Doktor Power comes in the form of a paste. You simply smear it on with the supplied sponge and then wipe off with more water. According to the label, it’ll clean anything, from your bike to the kitchen sink... better inform the missus, eh? Uses: All-purposePrice: £4.99Contact: 020 7691 3800www.jmldirect.com

JML DOKTOR POWER

If you keep your chain clean and lubed, it’ll move freely and won’t sap power. So, not only will your bike look smarter, but you’ll go faster too. Silkolene’s chain cleaner makes light work of removing old lube - spray it on, let it soak in, then use a brush and/or cloth to remove all the crud. Uses: All chainsPrice: £6.99Contact: 08701 200400www.silkolene.com

SILKOLENECHAIN CLEANER

There are bikers who like riding and those who like cleaning. For the latter, many hours are absorbed buffing bare metal using products like this. This is a creamy paste that removes rust and restores aluminium to its original sheen. Best of all, it comes in a nostalgic syrup tin.Uses: Aluminium partsPrice: £5.49Contact: 08705 987841www.wurth.co.uk

WURTHALUMINIUM POLISH

OK, your bike’s clean but what about you? Look at the state of those hands! Manista dissolves ground-in dirt and oil, and leaves your hands smelling pleasantly lemony. It contains gritty particles to help loosen grime, and contains lanolin to prevent chapping.Uses: Human handsPrice: £4.49Contact: 01474 564311www.commaoil.com

COMMAMANISTA


With the number of specialist cleaning products on the market these days, you’ve got no excuse to go out with either your bike or your kit looking less than immaculate. We abhor menial chores, but our overworked valets say these products make their lives less miserable


P041_SBIKE_OCT07.indt 1 1/8/07 08:13:52


AIR FORCE

Heat. It’s both the friend and the enemy of every engine designer. It’s a friend, because it’s the actual thing that makes an internal

combustion engine work. Burning fuel heats up the gasses in the combustion chamber, which then expand and push the piston down the bore. That motion is then turned into rotary movement, then into wheelies, and sub minute laps of Brands Indy.

But it’s also an enemy, in that uncontrolled heat can quickly turn high-quality engine components into warped slag. Even super-strong steel parts can be wrecked by excess heat. All parts expand as they get hot, making accurate clearances between moving parts harder to achieve. Friction increases, pistons seize in bores, and valves crack and snap.

Engines are inherently ineffi cient – not all of the thermal energy released by the burning fuel is transformed into kinetic energy. As

well as pushing the piston down the bore, the hot, expanding gasses also heat up every part of the engine they touch – the combustion chamber, exhaust port, valves, piston, cylinder wall and inner thigh. And if those parts are to stay within a temperature range at which they retain their strength and shape enough to allow the engine to run, that excess heat has to be removed.

Fin-tasticAll engines need a way of jettisoning heat then. And the fi rst method widely used was air-cooling. In fact, every engine (apart from those in ships) is air cooled, in the sense that air fl owing over the engine’s cooling system is used to carry heat away. On liquid-cooled engines, most of the heat is fi rst transported from the engine to a fi nned radiator by water, then the

It’s the most basic form of engine cooling – but loads of bikes still use it, from BMW’s new Megamoto HP2 to Harley’s custom cruisers

and Triumph’s classic range. Al checks out air-cooled motorsWords: Alan Dowds

The fi rm’s earliest designs used this confi guration, dating back to the R32 of 1923. The Boxer twin has its two cylinders arranged opposing each other, sticking out from either side of the crankcase. This design is perfect for air-cooling: the hottest parts of the motor, the cylinders and cylinder heads, are stuck way out in the breeze, and get a full, uninterrupted blast of cooling air.

Even the latest, high-tech, high-output Boxer engines are still air-cooled. The unit on the HP2 Megamoto puts out around 113bhp – not amazing for a 1,170cc twin, but enough for sparky performance.

BMW BOXER TWINLike other fi rms – Triumph’s triples, Ducati’s V-twins – BMW’s fl at-twin Boxer layout is as much about heritage as practicality

SB.OCT.P42.ENGINES.FIN.indd 42 31/7/07 17:06:21


RORCE

airfl ow past the radiator removes most of the heat (some is still carried away directly by airfl ow over the outside of the engine). Water is good at this job because it has a very high specifi c heat capacity – it can absorb and hold a lot of heat energy.

But generally, an air-cooled engine has a design where the only method of cooling is by air passing over the outside surfaces of the engine. Engines are usually made of aluminium and steel, and these are good materials in that they can quickly conduct heat away from a hot area, and transfer it to passing air. The cooling effect is improved by increasing the amount of surface area on a component. It’s the same effect as pouring your hot tea into the saucer to cool it down quickly. The easiest

“Generally, an air-cooled engine has a design where the only method of cooling is by air passing over the outside surfaces of the engine.”


SB


way of increasing the surface area on an engine is to incorporate lots of fi nning on the outside of the cylinder block and head. Properly engineered, these fi ns carry heat away from the combustion chamber area, passing it to the airfl ow over the engine.

There’s a problem with using air to cool a high-power engine though, as Simon Warburton, Triumph’s product development manager says. “The more power you make the more heat you have to get away from the engine, and air is not as good at getting heat away from an engine as water is. Water has a specifi c heat capacity about four times as high as air, so it’s much better at cooling. Water cooling also helps keep the distribution of heat in the engine more even, since the coolant circulates all around the combustion chamber.”

Staying within a narrower range of operating temperature in turn allows fi ner tolerances on parts like the pistons and cylinders,

reducing friction and increasing power. On the other hand, it can add weight, complexity, and a source of unreliability. Anyone who’s been stuck at the side of the road with a holed radiator or burst hose can testify to this.

Air-cooled engines also suffer in terms of practicalities like emissions and noise compliance. Warburton explains, “An air-cooled engine doesn’t warm up as quickly, which makes emissions tests harder...an engine that’s not fully warmed up doesn’t run as clean. Water cooling will usually control the running temperature of an engine between about 80°C and 110°C due to the thermostat and the fan. On an air-cooled engine, running temperature varies much more, making the job of making sure it runs correctly over a wide range of climatic conditions more diffi cult. Air-cooled engines also tend to be noisier simply because you haven’t got the jacket of water around the cylinder head and block”

No-one does ‘heritage’ better than H-D, and that means air-cooled engines. Indeed, when the fi rm released the

water-cooled V-Rod back in 2001, the fans’ reaction was like punks hearing about the Sex Pistols signing to EMI. But to be honest, when your engines are making as little outright power as Harley’s, you may as well save cash on rubber hoses and radiator caps. Under 100bhp from a 1,584cc engine is pretty lame, and even with clean, lean-burn engines and catalysts raising the temperatures, simple air-cooling fi ns are still up to keeping the big twins cool. Even on a gentle tootle through Death Valley.

STATE OF THE ART AIR COOLED ENGINES

Harley-DavidsonHarley’s only ever really made one water-cooled engine. So it has to be all fi ns and no rads for the Milwaukee massive


P045_SBIKE_Oct07.indt 1 7/8/07 10:26:25

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LEON HASLAM’S GUIDE TO

Leon Haslam has mixed views about the Kent circuit. As a WSB rider, he won a British superbike race here as a wildcard in 2004, but saw his title bid snuffed

when the fi nal race of last year was red-fl agged. As usual, bear in mind Leon’s on a factory Airwaves Ducati F07 and the best Dunlop slicks money can buy. And Öhlins, and...

BRANDSHATCH

Autumn is coming but you can still rely on Kent to supply decent weather for a trackday. Here are Leon’s tips for speedy progress around Brands IndyWords: Kenny Pryde Pics: Graeme Brown

1 PADDOCK HILL BENDIf there’s a more

stomach churning corner in the UK, we’d like to hear about it. Fast, downhill, slightly off-camber at the apex all wrapped up in a fast, blind entry. It’s a thrill, whether you get it right or wrong.

Leon Reckons: This is one corner where you can use the guide line coming out of pit lane. There’s a yellow line to look out for – you’re fl at out in fi fth on the superbike – and when you see the pitlane line, that’s your braking marker. As soon as you see the top of the rumble strip, tip it in, get your knee over the kerb

and try to hold it under a big bump. Try to use a lot of rolling speed around the rumble rather than the gas. You’ve got to be quite gentle on the throttle on the way out because the track falls away. Also, at the bottom of the hill be careful of the alloy that the cars leave when their suspension compresses and coats the track in metal – it can be really slippy.

2 DRUIDS BENDAnother overtaking-on-the-brakes hot

spot on the way in with lots of high-side potential on the way out. It seems straightforward enough...

Leon Reckons: Use the bridge as a braking marker

here. It’s kind of tricky because there are various lines into the bend. The fast one is from the outside line of the track, missing out the fi rst part of the bend, apexing late and pulling the bike round the second half of the corner. But this means you get people coming up the inside of you on the way in though.

Once you are on the kerb, hold it as tight as you can, especially on the second half, because you need to be pointing down the hill and on the right hand side of the track, not drifting out to the left on the exit. So, again, rail around the kerb on as much throttle as you can without it pushing the bike out to the

left. Get on the throttle a bit, but fi ght to keep the bike over to the right for the drive down the hill.

3GRAHAM HILL BENDA fast downhill left

– and your tyre doesn’t get a lot of left-hand warmth in it, so watch it. You need to get good drive to take you along the short straight of Surtees.

Leon Reckons: You can use the join in the tarmac on the way down the hill as a braking marker. But be careful, if you are hard on the gas on the way down, the front end is light and if you brake

140.6MPH

02

01

INDYCIRCUIT

The pack charge into Paddock Hill bend

Keeping it tight on the exit of Druids

Getting ready to stand it up and gassing hard out of Graham Hill

sb.Oct.p48.brands.FIN.indd 48 9/8/07 16:32:20


LEON HASLAM’S GUIDE TO

BRANDSHATCH

really hard you can wash out the front.

The apex of the corner is banked – it’s like a Wall of Death. But it can be slippy, so use the camber to get the bike turned, but try to short-shift and pick it up before you get really hard on the gas.

4 SURTEESA bit bumpy and an easy place to get

wrong, either in terms of where you tip on or where you apex. Needless to say you can go a lot quicker than you think.

Leon Reckons: This isn’t really a heavy braking corner entry zone. As you come along the short straight, just try to skim the brakes and straight line the fi rst part of

this ‘chicane’, and use the white line to drive straight. It’s uphill too, so you scrub off a lot of speed anyway.

But then it fl attens out and you can pick up speed again, so watch out for that. To be honest, it’s a really tricky corner with a lot of lines into it. If you look though, one part of the kerbing sticks out a little bit more than the rest – that’s the apex I use. Once you are there, get back on the gas as much as you can, but you have to be careful because the track falls away and you can spin the rear.

03

0405

SO WHAT SORT OF TIMES ARE YOU DOING?

As usual, to help you keep things in perspective and shoot down the bullshitters, here’s a selection of recent lap times to compare with what you and your mates are doing. The one with the highest embarrassment factor is the Virgin Media R6 lap time. That’s the one set on a stock Yamaha R6 with a Micron pipe and Dunlop Qualifi er tyres. The lap times were from a cool weekend in March 2006 as well...

¡ R6 CUP: Matthew Whitman (Yamaha R6) 50.670 ¡1,000CC SUPERSTOCK: Craig Fitzpatrick (Yamaha R1) 48.311¡SUPERBIKE: Gregorio Lavilla (Airwaves Ducati) 45.533¡SUPERSPORT: Stuart Easton (Ducati 749R) 47.168

You’ve survived Surtess, only Clearways to get through...

...and if you get the exit of Clearways right you should have Brands Hatch cracked

5CLEARWAYSOK, so we’re cheating a little

here, since this corner fl ows from Clearways, but it needs, and deserves, special

attention. As you will no doubt guess, it is extremely important to get this right because you need to get good exit drive for the start-fi nish straight.

Leon Reckons: Once you are at the apex, start getting on the gas again but try to get the bike turned as much as possible so that you’re pointing down the track

rather than at the crowd on the outside.

On the way out of the corner there’s a dip in the track which unsettles the bike, so watch the throttle till you’re passed

that – then full gas. It’s really important to get good drive out of there because braking into Paddock is the best overtaking area on the Indy.

FANCY A GO?It’s our fi nal track day of the year at our local track. We’ll have Tommy Hill of the Virgin Media team along to show us all the way around, so if you want to ask the fast lad a few questions and get on track with him, you know where to go. Call MSV on 0870 850 5013 and tell them you need a place for you and a mate on 18 September. Check

our website www.superbike.co.uk for more information

nearer the date too.

sb.Oct.p48.brands.FIN.indd 49 9/8/07 16:33:09

sb.oct.p50.PIRELLI.fin.indd 50 31/7/07 15:49:09

STIGGY MOTORSPORT Honda CBR600RRRobin Harms (left) has been knocking on the door of the front runners this season on a Honda Europe supported CBR600RR. He was heading for a good second place at Brno until Yamaha Germany rider Broc Parkes T-boned him on the penultimate corner...



Faster, easier and more consistent”. That’s a good start for a tyre if you ask me. On the

track that’s even better, no? I want to be faster, I want to ride faster more easily and I want to do it every lap. On paper then, the next generation of Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa is the kind of tyre everyone needs – not just these world supersport racer types.

It took me about three corners of the Vallelunga track to come to that conclusion. The aim of this glorious day under the Roman sun was to try the next generation of Diablo Supercorsa on a handful of the bikes which have been developing them – world supersport machines no less. These are the tyres supersport (and superstock) racers are gunning around on right now. That means, in a few short month’s time, they’ll have fi ltered through to the production line and be on the shelf for us to buy and ride next.

Singled out for treatmentSingle make tyre rule still a bad thing you say? Not from where I’m sitting (currently on a GSX-R road bike as it goes). The involvement of Pirelli in the world supersport paddock is clearly paying off in terms of development.

Race tyres are constantly evolving and with so much data and feedback returning to the R&D department in Milan since Pirelli’s involvement began, we are now seeing signifi cant results in the tyres we can buy and fi t to our bikes. The world of racing is a long way removed from you and I on a trackday, and these magnifi cent bikes are a long way removed from standard 600cc sports bikes. But the needs of the people who sit in the seat are pretty much the same. We want more grip, more longevity and we want to feel happier riding faster just like the racers in the WSS paddock.

The requirements of the whole race paddock are worth bearing in mind too because it’s not as single-minded as you might imagine. Supersport and superstock grids around the world (domestic championship teams contribute as well as the world championship ones) feature every major sports bike. Add in the variety of tracks, from the fl at-as-you-like Qatar at world level to Knockhill here in the UK, plus the mixture of riders (next time you see a race have a look how different some of their physiques and riding styles are) and you have a range of information rather closer to that of your average track day than you might fi rst imagine.

Change - the only constantThe new Diablo Supercorsa then has a host of changes aimed at satisfying all of us. The drawing board for the new Supercorsa listed improving corner entry, mid-corner and corner exit. To achieve that, one of the main tricks in the new tyre’s book is increasing the size of the contact patch. Not by making it fatter, as you’d expect, but by stretching it so you have a longer area of rubber on the track, particularly at full lean. Try to imagine a longer ellipse rather than a fatter, more rounded patch. The improved contact area works with what is still a pretty neutral profi le to keep things stable and make steering from upright to full-lean, smoother and more progressive.

DIABLO GENERATION

Fancy a test of the next generation Pirelli SuperCorsa tyres on the current generation world supersport race bikes? Our man JP stuck his hand up quickestWords: Jon Pearson Pics: Pirelli & Graeme Brown (racing pics)

The soon to be World Superbike circuit is near a small place called Campagnano di Roma, just north of Rome. September 30 sees the superbike circus hit town for the fi rst time and with it a shedload of Max Biaggi fans. Autodromo di Vallelunga is the diminutive Suzuki rider’s home circuit and, legend has it, the site of his fi rst race.

From a rider’s point of view the 2.6 mile (4.1km) circuit is a real mixture with virtually every type of bend thrown in there. Plus a couple you won’t have tried before like the two banked, yes banked, corners which punctuate the fi rst half of the lap. The second half gets much more complex. It should produce some great racing.

VALLELUNGA

WHERE THE HELL IS THAT?

PIONEER HOEGEE Suzuki GSX-R600Vesa Kallio is of the fl ying Finns currently racing at world level, his brother Mika is a front-runner in the MotoGP 250cc championship with KTM. Alas, the Hoegee Suzuki is a less competitive package in world supersport than it is in British supersport, so the Finn isn’t fl ying that high this season

PIRELLI & WORLD SUPERSPORT

Rome

Vallelunga



FEATURE PIRELLI SUPERSPORT

LORENZO BY LORENZINIYamaha YZF-R6Regular rider Massimo Roccioli (above) is just off the pace of the front group and, after Yamaha Germany’s bikes, this is the best Yamaha R6 on the grid

The important part of that contact patch at full lean is the very edge of the tyre. It’s the part doing most of the work. Imagine slicing through the middle of a cup cake – the thin layer of icing on top of that slice is like the important part of the tyre contact patch. Pirelli has worked on increasing that thin area – by adding more icing on the cake you might say.

The increased contact patch also allows a softer compound which helps give you more confi dence in all the right areas – braking, turning-in, mid-corner and on the gas getting out again. Both front and rear tyre profi les are narrower

as well (by just short of 2mm each side) making steering, even on these super-nimble WSS bikes, swift but still not too quick. This list of requirements is a simple one, but it’s what racers and trackday goers always need more of.

So what’s the verdict?The actual testing of the race bikes was short lived, just four laps of four bikes, but I did get to spend the rest of the day blatting round Vallelunga on stock supersport 600s. In truth that was more useful because it meant there was more time for me to fi nd out how the tyres will work on a road bike. It also gave

a very good impression of how good the tyre translated from these fi rmly-sprung race bikes. It showed quite clearly that what seems to work on a Ten Kate CBR600RR race bike works just as well on a stock CBR.

I’ve been riding around on a range of sticky track rubber form other manufacturers so far this year. Even taking into account the different weather conditions (track temperature at Vallelunga touched 60 degrees during this test), the Pirellis felt like a distinct improvement over the rubber I’ve been pushing around UK tracks. Bring ‘em over here I say.

ALTHEAHondaCBR600RRKatsuaki Fujiwara (right) is one of the most experienced supersport riders in the paddock and has won and been on the podium on Suzukis and Hondas at world level, with six wins in seven years. The Italian-based Althea team is supported by Honda Europe

SB



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TWINSTOWER

Naked sports bikes are generally softer, more user-friendly, right? Wrong. Not if you’re Ducati or KTM and you bolt your best engine inside a great chassis. SuperBike checks out the cream of the twin cylinder crop

There’s something about European bike manufacturers and

their naked sports bikes. They really are different to their Japanese counter-parts. It’s something to do with selling fewer and seeing them on the roads less often. They have soul, character and they are bolder in the way they look, sound and ride. How many times do you think a perfect stranger goes over and starts talking to

your average Suzuki Bandit owner? I bet it’s nowhere near the amount of times random strangers come over to your S4RS or Super Duke R riders.

It takes a certain amount of bravery for Ducati and KTM to produce bikes like this because there’s a chance the majority of people would rather play it safe and go for a less inter-esting but apparently safer option. That bikes like the S4RS and Super Duke R

exist is inspired and more importantly puts two fi ngers up to the car driv-ing, ‘Oooh aren’t motorbikes dangerous?’ brigade. Yes, bikes are more dangerous but we all know that. They are also an infi nitely more enjoyable, more fulfi lling mode of transport because you’re in touch with the road, the weather and your environment. True, they do rather encourage hooligan behaviour, hell, you can’t not wheelie them, and they

DUCATI S4RS VS KTM SUPER DUKE R

Words: Jonathan Pearson Pics: John Noble

THE

BIGTESTDO-IT-A

LL

TWINS

It’s not all straight roads around snetterton you know, there are corners to enjoy too


SB.oct.Big test.FIN.indd 54 6/8/07 17:39:54

look just like a ‘proper motorbike’ should, engine on show, strik-ing angles, shiny bits, aggression and then there’s the noise...

I’m getting carried away but you get my point. The Ducati S4RS and KTM Super Duke R are both bikes which make you behave like an idiot and let you get away with it. They look good wherever you are, with engine performance developed for the track, they have the muscle to deliver a heavy punch.

The Ducati S4 Mon-ster has been around most of this millennium with the S4RS popping up last year. In the grand tradition of RS models (think Ford Es-cort) it’s the pimped-up version with a box fresh paint job, souped-up suspension, brakes and couple of engine tweaks. The engine tweaks are more like a complete transplant as it happens, with the 999 Testastretta motor pumping strongly at its heart. In a nutshell that means more revs and more power,

which is exactly how it should be, thanks very much. None of this old air-cooled donor engine nonsense you get with other Ducati models. No, if this bike is going to look like it does then it needs the power plant to back the looks up.

KTM’s Super Duke has been around for a couple of years now and represents the Austrian fi rm’s fi rst proper road bike. What a fi ne way to start. The Super Duke was an instant hit with all those who rode it including us at SuperBike. The new R model is fresh out the box and almost slipped under the new bikes for 2007 radar. At £500 more than the standard model you can have it in any colour you like so long as it’s black and for that extra dosh you get, like the Ducati, more power allied to better brakes and suspension. You can forget about carrying pillions because the R’s tail unit is strictly rider room only. Want to know what they’re like? Read on.




A Stealth Bomber, that’s what this bike reminds me of,

only in reality you’ll fi nd it slightly less stealthy in it’s approach – you’ll hear it coming a mile away with those extraordinarily-shaped pipes barking 990 cubes at the world. That tell-tale orangeness is curiously lacking on the Super Duke R with only the powder-coated frame and shock spring concessions to the usual KTM corporate hues.

The angular styling tells you a lot about

how this bike handles too. It’s sharp, hard and purposeful. For many the high-ish seat will hit you hard, too hard at fi rst, certainly it’s not a very practical bike. What you lose out with comfort you make up for with accuracy and speed through corners which is a happy trade off with this kind of bike. You’ve got more ground clearance than the Ducati for a start, which gives you more options for speed and line in corners. At fi rst glance that might not seem much but, with

grippy rubber and supple suspension under you, imagine being able to grab any line you want and feel confi dent about it. This style of bike has higher bars and a confi dence-inspiring riding position which helps you more feel for the tyre grip than you’ll fi nd on most bikes. With more options and more confi dence under you the Duke R plays into your hands, literally.

If you haven’t logged on to the KTM SuperDuke website and witnessed the mpeg of some loon

More aggressively styled than the already aggressive-looking stock bike, the Duke R is the Stealth Bomber of the bike market

hooning around Tokyo then get on the web and have a look. The clip tells you everything you need to know about the Super Duke and plenty about KTM as a manufacturer. That the Austrian fi rm is encouraging us to behave like this on its bike is, well, encouraging. KTM recently had complaints about the irresponsible attitude of its advertising campaigns. That, in my opinion, is exactly why you should buy a bike like this.

The engine is a stonker with the character, torque

KTM

Super Duke R

THE BIG TEST DO IT ALL TWINS

“The angular styling refl ects

the bike’s handling. It’s sharp, hard and

purposeful.”

What you’ve paid for is all out on show on the KTM. And very tidy it looks too

¡



¡FrameThe chromium molybdenum tubular trellis frame follows suit with the more established Ducati steel trellis set-up. This design weighs 9kg yet ensures stability, strength and control from different direction (than a conventional aluminium perimeter frame).

¡EngineThe 990 LC8 motor is a reliable lump with plenty of extreme development history (like Dakar rallies). The R gets different cams and, along with the 2007 stock motor, an evolved head to improve combustion. New fuel mapping adds more power and less emissions. A slipper clutch is standard and does a good job.

¡BrakesBrembo radial caliper with a radial master cylinder on 320mm front discs means you have superbike-spec stoppers but with a touch more feel than the Ducati’s similarly-specced ones. Floating rear disc is a regulatory 240mm.

¡Suspension48mm upside down WP forks are titanium nitride coated and,

like the WP shock are fully adjustable. Shock has high and low speed compression damping adjustment. WP adjustable steering damper is standard.

¡Wheels/tyresPirelli Diablo 3 tyres were fi tted here but OE-spec is Dunlop Qualifi er RR. Both suit the bike’s sportier intentions but maintain neutral road manners. Carbon wheels are optional.

of fuel forwards in the KTM’s tank which can leave nothing but air being pumped through to the injectors. You don’t need me to tell you that ain’t no good when you get on the gas mid-corner. Whether it’s the positioning of the fuel pump or the shape of the tank I don’t know, but no response from the throttle in a slow corner like a hairpin can have you falling in on yourself until the fuel sloshes back and the engine picks up.

Keep it brimmed and you’ll never notice it but I can’t remember having to worry about this on any other bike.

Other than that there’s no getting away from the fact you’re not going touring in the Alps on this bike. You’ll have a brilliant time while you’re there if you do brave it, but the near cosmetic function of the seat pad is next to useless as any sort of cushion for your arse on a long journey. On the road

this accentuates the harsh suspension and can have you bouncing off bumps. After a while that can go either way: you’ll enjoy it and start to revel in the extra liveliness it brings to a ride, or you’ll get annoyed by it and start to wish you’d spent £500 less on the standard model with its fatter seat pad. Personally I’d happily put up with it for the cool looks and minimalist, purposeful design you get with the R model.

and speed of the S4RS but it’s just possible you might fi nd it a little disappointing outside of this context. 1,000cc sportsbikes leave it for dead down a straight and those dyno fi gures are sadly below the 120-odd bhp we were expecting from this R model. In truth side by side it is hard to notice the difference between them both, certainly you wouldn’t know it was giving away nearly 15bhp to the S4RS. Torque fi gures are very evenly matched though which helps keep

them level pegging out the turns and slightly better standard gearing never really lets the Ducati pull away.

I’m starving hereOf the few things which let the Duke R down, a fuel starvation problem is perhaps the most annoying and is occasionally risky. Unless you set out on a long track session with a full tank you run the risk of running low. So far, so normal. What’s not normal is that heavy braking causes a surge

KTM Super Duke R Technical● ¡

A high seat means it’s a long way to knee-down, but the chassis and tyres are up to the task


¡


Where the KTM’s angular styling reveals a hard and

aggressive bike, the S4RS’s stylish, more sensuous bodywork seems more feminine. I’ll come right out and say it – in the same way as I’m not sure a ‘real’ man can sit comfortably inside a yellow, convertible Renault Megane – the S4RS is far from a symbol of masculinity, especially alongside this KTM.

Study it more closely (and objectively) and few

bikes look as complex as the Monster. As Simon points out, it looks about as tidy as a scarecrow convention. It displays its function fi rmly on its sleeve like the Lloyds building in London or the Pompidou centre in Paris. Those buildings are rightly held as works of modern art and it’s possible you could plonk this bike on a plinth in the V&A Museum for the same reasons. To the mechanically-minded eye the S4RS’s function is

clear, it shouts motorcycle from every corner and curve – there’s the oil-cooler, there’s the cam belt cover, there’s the longest wiring loom on two wheels.

Revvin’ lazyBut enough of the pontifi cating. Get on it and the differences between the KTM and the Ducati are strong. It’s softer, smaller and longer. You stretch out your arms further, sit lower and, until we’d adjusted the shocking suspension

settings it arrived with, the ride was far too soft. The combined effect of that, and a lazier-sounding motor, can quickly and easily fool you into thinking you’re not actually travelling very fast. Do not let that deceive you. It’s just as well this bike does have radial-mounted, superbike-spec Brembo brakes because you need them – the 999 Testastretta engine ensures this bike is fast.

That 999 motor is widely considered to be

a quieter and less revvy twin cylinder lump than its rivals. However, allied to its taller gearing, you can be lulled into a ‘slower’ sense of reality than with the KTM. Trust me, the reality is that the S4RS can shift plenty fast enough. The speed comes at you in suddenly, as in when you catch up with a caravan, or whisk into your favourite bends. Suddenly your actual velocity hits you between the eyes like the biggest, fattest, juiciest

A sportsbike engine in a naked chassis with all the quality components you can eat. A wedding cake of a bike, dressed in the bridal gown but with the wicked intent of a best man on the pull

DUCATI

S4RS

THE BIG TEST DO-IT-ALL-TWINS


● ¡


bee exploding on your visor. On the road the lower and fl atter chassis can help. Fast and smooth A-roads are a breeze and you have to try hard not to ride quickly. It loves waltzing along and with the lazy speed of the torquey Testastretta motor you can happily enjoy life inside your own little bubble of easy speed, probably more than you would on a faired sports bike. That’s not to say it doesn’t remain responsive and sharper than other Monster models if you

knock down a gear and wind the throttle open.

At the other end of the speed equation the super-strong Brembo brakes can feel too fi erce at times, especially if you’re feeling nervous on a damp road

in town. Like all things powerful on a bike you get used to it, but jumping off one bike to the other on this test showed the Ducati’s front brake lever was far more sensitive for no increase in stopping power.

¡EngineEssentially stolen from the stock 999, this is the Testastretta motor. It’s not the tidiest designed collection of casings, pipes and covers but you will not care about that when you’re aboard. Some say this adds character. 50mm throttle bodies, 12-hole injectors, revised airbox and cam timing are concessions from the 999 and to the environment.

¡BrakesBrembo radial caliper with a radial master cylinder on a 320mm disc means you have superbike-spec stoppers and no mistake. These beauties work. Almost too well for the road tyre and soft standard suspension set-up. Not lacking performance.

¡FrameStronger tubing gives the S4RS more rigidity

than other Monster models (with less powerful engines). The red, steel tubular trellis frame is trademark Ducati though and if MotoGP’s Casey Stoner is anything to go by, possibly the best chassis type.

¡SuspensionTitanium nitride coated fork stanchions sit upside down in these gold forks. Ohlins supply specially-tailored front and rear, fully

adjustable suspension with bags of adjustment. Rear ride height can be adjusted too – and it needs to be for better track performance.

¡Wheels/tyresMichelin Pilot Power tyres are road biased but suit the Monster’s handling perfectly well, even on the track. The lighter (than standard Monster) matching white cast aluminium wheels carry classy Marchesini labels.

Ducati S4RS Technical

The lower seat height, spread-eagle wide bars and fl atter stance of the chassis makes it harder to feel for grip at the front, certainly in comparison to the KTM, and this points to a general problem with its standard set-up. Coram curve at Snetterton is a good corner to think about handling on. It’s fast and long so you have plenty of time to consider what’s happening. Around

Coram the Ducati feels like it’s pushing the front tyre and struggling to keep a tight line. Unless you’re having a minor panic on the brakes, the Michelin Pilot Power tyres are well up to the job of holding onto the tarmac, either on track or more importantly on the road, but the truth is the KTM copes with Coram’s demands far easier.

The chief criticism of

the Ducati S4RS though is a sudden feeling of old age. After sipping our way through yet another cup of tea, Simon and I decided a complete re-design might be the answer. My fi rst instinct is to say Ducati needs to stop bolting shit on and revamping the existing Monster. But the truth of the matter is an all-new Monster might be better, one powered by the new 1098 engine ideally.

“The super-strong

Brembo brakes can

feel too fi erce at times.”

The wide bars and lowish seat height on the Ducati make it a joy to muscle into bends. You can’t not have fun

Plenty torque and power allied to world-class brakes make this sort of behavior...inevitable!


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100

120

140

20

40

02 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

RPM x 1000

DYNO PERFORMANCE

Dyn

o: R

JS S

uper

bike

s 01

455

8411

56

ENGINE: 8/10CHASSIS: 9/10USABILITY: 7/10

OVERALL 8/10

+ Engine, agility, looks - Harsh for everyday riding,

fuel starvation problem

Price: £8,995 Nu Ins group: 15 Contact: KTM UK 01280 709500

¡KTM 990 SUPER DUKE R

DYNOStrangely lacking in the horses department, which was a little disappointing to fi nd when the bike rolled off the dyno at RJS. The thing is you don’t really notice it for most of the time alongside the Ducati, particularly on the road where the very evenly matched torque fi gures keep them level pegging. Still, 108bhp is a long way short of the 120-odd we were expecting.

Type: l/c, 8v, DOHC 75° V-twin Displacement: 999cc Bore x

Stroke: 101 x 62.4mm Compression: 11.5:1 Carburation:

Electronic fuel injection, 50mm throttle bodies

Gearbox: Six-speed Power: 108.7bhp@9,600rpm

Torque: 67.7lbf ft@7,450rpm

Chassis: Chromium-molybdenum trellis Suspension: (F)

48mm USD WP forks, fully adj. (R) WP mono shock fully adj.

Brakes: (F) twin 320mm discs, four-piston Brembo calipers

(R) single 240mm disc, twin-piston Brembo caliper

Wheels/tyres: Cast aluminium / Pirelli Diablo Corsa (F)

120/70-17 (R) 180/55-17 Seat height: 865mm

Wheelbase: 1,450mm Capacity: 18.5 litres (4.89gals)

Dry weight: 186kg (410lbs)

■ ENGINE

■ CYCLE PARTS

Max Power: 108.7bhp@9,600rpm

Max Torque: 67.7lbf ft@7,450rpm

THE BIG TEST DO-IT-ALL-TWINSD

yno:

RJS

Sup

erbi

kes

0145

5 84

1156

¡990 RATINGS*


OVERALL 7/10

+ Engine, character, looks -

Price: £9,495 Nu Ins group: 15Contact: Ducati UK 0845 1222996

¡DUCATI S4RS

DYNOThis is more like it. You can see the Testastretta 998cc motor is barking up a bigger tree. It’s more lumpy, with dips around seven and eight thou, but ultimately if you can afford this bike, you can afford the Power Commander installation to sort that out. The initial torque fl attens out earlier than the KTM but remains characteristically strong.

Type: l/c, 8v DOHC Desmo 90° V-twin Displacement: 998cc

Bore x Stroke: 100.0 x 63.5mm Compression: 11.4:1

Carburation: Electronic fuel injection, 50mm throttle bodies

Gearbox: Six-speed Power: 123.1bhp@10,250rpm Torque:

68.8lbf ft@7,750rpm

Chassis: steel tube trellis Suspension: (F) 43mm USD Ohlins

forks, fully adj. (R) Ohlins mono shock fully adj. Brakes: (F)

twin 320mm discs, four-piston Brembo calipers (R) single

245mm disc, twin-piston Brembo caliper Wheels/tyres: Cast

aluminium / Michelin Pilot Power (F) 120/70-17 (R) 180/55-17

Seat height: 800mm Wheelbase: 1,440mm Capacity: 14 litres

(3.1 gals) Dry weight: 177kg (390lbs)

■ ENGINE

■ CYCLE PARTS

Track handling, slightly ‘distant’ riding position

*Ratings apply to this test only *Ratings apply to this test only¡S4RS RATINGS*

Max Power: 123.1bhp@10,250rpm

Max Torque: 68.8lbf ft@7,750rpm



SB

SECOND OPINION SIMON ROOTS

1KTM SUPER DUKE RI’m not really a

material person, but on my desert island I would now add a KTM Super Duke R to a list that also contains the entire back catalogue of the Super Furry Animals, the complete works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and a Kelly Brook blow-up doll. I suppose now I’ll need a Tarmac-making machine and a petrol station too.

It may not be the most powerful machine in the world, almost underwhelming on the dyno, but this is one middleweight that isn’t afraid to step up and punch above its

weight. Thanks to its utterly uncompromising chassis, the Super Duke R is Friday-night-aggressive but pinpoint accurate, composed fi ring out of a turn and capable of riding round the outside of almost anything on track. It’s stupidly good fun on the right roads too, but the rewards dry up as soon as any route straightens. Downsides are the fuel starvation when the tank starts to dry and a speed wobble that gives a good impression of what Parkinson’s would be like. A softer seat would be nice to stop the old Farmer Giles setting in too.

The £500 premium over the standard model is a price worth paying, especially for the mean black look set against the citrus frame and shock. And as a piece of design work it looks nearly two decades ahead of the Ducati. The future’s bright...

2DUCATI MONSTER S4RS

The Ducati S4Rs is everything the KTM isn’t. But this isn’t the kicking that you’d expect

from a statement such as that. The evolution of the Monster range has reached its zenith, and as such the S4Rs is everything you’d expect it to be. Pretty, powerful and full of panache.

Using the 999’s Testastretta motor, the meaty Monster is both fl exible and powerful. In a straight line it is more than a match for the KTM and has the edge thrusting out of a turn too. This difference is heightened on the road too, although I’d still prefer to keep the KTM on the boil over the

relaxed lazier

stroke of the Ducati.Ohlins equipment

is fl aunted on the Ducati like it’s some sort of catwalk model, but, it seems, more for show than go as the stock settings are too soft. Chewed preload adjusters on this 6,000 mile model are evidence the entire motorcycle magazine industry has been busy trying to stiffen it up. The radial Brembo brakes are some of the most powerful I’ve ever experienced, with the soft forks forcing the front Michelin Pilot Power to squeal with disapproval with the power of a fi nger.

But it’s the looks and the ergonomics that let the Ducati down. The

Monster’s history dates back to the Jurassic period and the motor is one of the messiest things you’ll see this side of a scarecrow convention. The riding position is all wrong too. The seat is too low, the pegs too high and too short (but still low enough to drag), the bars too wide and too far away to generate the front-end feel the KTM has. At least the seat is soft.

If I wanted a Monster, I’d settle for one of the air-cooled versions and wait while Ducati develops a tasty new generation of naked machines using the 1098 motor – the Bolognese have always been good with their sauces.

“This middleweight isn’t afraid to step up and punch above its weight.”

“In a straight line it’s more than a match for the KTM and has the edge out of a turn too.”



Like last month’s middle-weight naked bike test we bolted this rather

more racy test on the back of the SuperBike trackday at Snetterton and then promptly set about blowing them slow old mid-

dle weight lardy lumps into the weeds. Snetterton was a must for this R-spec pair which have bags of track potential with sports bike engines, brakes and suspension. And they didn’t let us down proving them-

selves the nimblest of tools on the mixed Norfolk track’s corners and only really letting up to the litre sportsbikes down the longest straight in the UK.

From there we packed up and shipped out

Where we went


THE BIG TEST DO-IT-ALL-TWINS


Ultimately a 1,000cc, in-line four sportsbike should leave you for dead down the long straight at Snetterton but you do feel like that these twins can boss them in the corners

And the winner is...

Y our riding position stands in your favour

and the narrowness of the engines’ build and the slender chassis’ proportions gives you much greater agility than a stock litre sports bike ever can. It’s true that other bikes offer agility and they might be far cheaper. But if you can afford to spend more you’d be hard pushed to fi nd more characterful sports bike than these two.

It’s diffi cult to pin-point too many ways in which one of these two bikes is better than the other. The Ducati plonks along with slightly better comfort, a smoother throttle and engine response but it feels heavier and less eager to crack on with it. The KTM on the other hand edges away with more purposeful front end-biased set up. That helps the

S4RS to a degree on the right road where it is a tad more stable on high speed bumpy A- and B-roads. But overall I’m happy to put up with slightly less stability for the sake of hitting every and any apex I want to.

A girl’s bike?If this test taught me anything it is that sometimes your opinion about a bike can change or be swayed by circumstances. The Ducati S4RS had always struck me as something a bit special before now. Sleek, smart, pretty, stylish and purposeful. By the end of the fi rst morning of this test I’d completely switched to thinking it was a girl’s bike, a tart’s handbag of a thing for poncy Italians (or fake Italian wannabes). I’m sorry to say that put me off it. This

bike had also suffered badly at the hands of another magazine whose irrelevant test regime extends to thoroughly ‘ringing-out every press bike. Even so back here in the Real World (TM) the Monster model line could do with a redesign or it’s going to be left behind.

Better all roundMaybe the KTM should be more expensive than it is. Near identical performance, equal chassis and components on both bikes make it just as exclusive as the apparently more exotic Ducati but you wonder how KTM did it for a mere £500 more than standard. (Maybe the standard bike is overpriced? –Ed) KTM has built a bike which is just as exclusive, handles better on the track and is more exciting on the road.

to Cambridgeshire and specifi cally the B660. It’s a favourite haunt for us, for John the photographer and JP’s old stomping ground (even if his old DT125R isn’t quite in the same league as this pair).

SB



THRILL


CYPRUS

Cyprus is the third-largest island in the Mediterannean, but it’s got the best custom sportbike scene this side of DaytonaWords & pics: Alan Dowds

You never know what you’re go-ing to get when you pick up the phone in this offi ce. A complaining

mother who bought her eight-year-old SuperBike in Asda, without realising its ‘adult’ aspects. Someone wanting the ideal tyres/suspension/endcan for their CBR. A PR man complaining about some story from last month. A PR man inviting you to ride the world champion’s MotoGP bike...

So I was only mildly surprised to answer the phone one day and end up invited to judge a custom bike show in Limassol, Cyprus. The organiser reck-oned the locals were so competitive, they’d never settle for anyone from the island deciding whose chrome was best and whose turbo install the neatest.

A couple of months later, and I’m sweltering in the 45-degree-C heat of

an eastern-Med June weekend, and I’m frankly amazed by the bikes on show. This wasn’t the provincial bolt-on, anodised tat-show I’d feared – these guys are all deadly serious about modding their bikes. And they’ve got the imagination, the vision, and – most importantly – the cash, to produce some awesome machinery. From an utterly immaculate chromed Suzuki Hayabusa direct from the USA, to a neat classic Honda CBX1000 with Hayabusa run-ning gear and nitrous jets feeding each of its six cylinders, the cream of the Cyprus custom crop belied the island’s 700,000 population. Indeed, if you had a custom bike show in Birmingham (pop. 970,000), I’d be amazed if you found the breadth and depth of modifying work on show here. Here’s the best of the bunch...

sb.oct.p64.CYPRUS.fin.indd 64 31/7/07 16:11:27

THRILL


Words & pics: Alan Dowds

It’s easy to see how the Cyprus guys are competing with the US customised bike scene – they’re buying the bikes and bits from there

This Suzuki Hayabusa was originally built by Lee’s Performance Center in North Carolina, and its fi refi ghter owner spent a heap of cash – around $40,000. The most striking thing is the chromed bodywork

– yep, that’s proper lustrous chrome plate, which is no easy task to carry out on plastic. First, the panels

are copper-plated to give a sound surface for the chrome to take, then the chrome is electro-deposited in a huge, deep-vacuum chamber.

It’s a tricky process, and takes a massive infrastructure investment, so it can only be done in the US. The resulting panels are shiny, very heavy, and don’t bend anymore,

making re-assembly a pain. It’s well worth it though, and the painted fl ames over the top set the fi nish off nicely.

The owner – 28-year-old IT engineer Yiannis Ioannou – has kept it in mint condition, and the fl awless fi nish made it top of the custom tree in Limassol.

YIANNIS IOANNOU’S

SUZUKI HAYABUSA

The motor has a 1,397cc big-bore package, with serious head and cam work, big valves, and a 225bhp rear tyre

output. That’s before the nitrous system adds a 100bhp dollop of crazy bhp. A Muzzy race pipe and Dynojet Power Commander round off the fi ne tuning on a neat, powerful set-up.

The incredible Rimmax Dynasty

wheels have real, Pimp-My-Ride-style spinning centre sections. And there’s only one front brake disc to show off the spinners to the max...

Every shiny part,

including the frame and swingarm is chromed, not polished

The rear swingarm is an adjustable Adams part that allows between three and nine inches of extra wheelbase,

connected to a remote control air-adjustable strut that lets you slam the bike down for low-riding duties, then lift it back up to ride on the bumpy back roads of Limassol



And as a result, old bikes stay in decent nick for much longer. Which goes some way to explaining this neat Honda CBX1000. Older viewers will need no introduction to Honda’s inline-six superbike of the 1970s, but for children of the 1990s, it was a straight-six litre lump, hung off a steel backbone frame with 1970s-spec running gear. This one belonged to an elderly Cypriot gentleman until it fell into the hands of the island’s tuning community, whereupon it received a healthy, tastefully-executed makeover. The frame has been modifi ed with a custom subframe, while a Hayabusa fork and modded Hayabusa swingarm adorn either end. They also hold a set of gorgeous Performance Machine wheels all the way from the US.

At fi rst, you’re not too sure what you’re looking at here – from a distance it looks like a weird, stretched Suzuki GSX1100 Katana with a dull black paint job. Then you get a little closer and notice the water-cooled motor, USD front

forks and fat back tyre. Closer still, and

you see the nitrous bottle. Finally, the enormous MC Express turbo poking out under the front of the engine... This bike belongs to a big bloke called Connaris ‘Tony’ Andonis, who has a mild air of menace about him, He also owns the neat CBX1000 seen here, and while he’s a little reticent about his day job, it’s

safe to say he’s not a man to be messed with. Neither is his bike. The Katana look is pure classic, but it’s fair to say that little more than the nosecone has remained standard. The end product is a fantastic blend of modern high-performance engineering with a dash of retro style that’s as cool as it is unique.

If the chromed Hayabusa is a pure US import, then this bike is totally home-grown.

CONNARIS ANDONIS’

SUZUKI GSX100 KATANA

One of the (many) benefi ts of the Cyprus climate is that the sort of rust, corrosion and general decay associated with Blighty’s rain and salt-soaked roads just doesn’t occur

CONNARIS ANDONIS’

HONDA CBX1000

The frame is essentially a handmade steel tube

item, built on the island by Pantelis Ioannou of Limassol fi rm Motormania Racing. It looks like stock, but a closer glance reveals specially-shaped front cradle downtubes that bend around the turbo install. There are pics of the frame being made on the Motormania website – it’s well worth a look

Inside sits a Hayabusa motor, with the aforementioned turbo kit forcing air and fuel in, and kicking 500bhp out the back.

You don’t get that sort of power without some serious engineering though, and the motor is crammed with drag race parts, from 84mm low-compression JE pistons to the APE 6.25mm stroker crank, Kent cams, APE cam sprockets, cylinder studs, and a multi-stage lockup clutch

The front forks and yokes are

from a Hayabusa, as is the audacious stretched swingarm, again, welded up to look surprisingly ‘factory’ by Motormania

A water-cooled charge-cooler sits under the ‘fuel tank’ to chill the hot, pressurised air coming from the turbo, and

the tail unit is actually from a Honda NSR250. Brake discs are by Moto Master, and a Hyperpro steering damper fi nishes off the chassis spec

The engine is fi lled with high-compression Wiseco big-bore pistons that bring capacity up to 1,147cc. A Dyna ignition kit lights

the fi res, and a Kerker 6-2 race pipe lets the smoke out. There’s also a natty NOS six-jet nitrous oxide kit to add a little extra zest

FEATURE EUROPEAN CUSTOMS

The electrics feature a Turbosmart six-stage boost controller, a Power

Commander, and an external ECU controlling an additional set of 65bhp Bosch injectors



How else to explain the presence of this rather lewd, airbrushed Hayabusa. Despite the gauche, ‘Aliens-meets-bad-tattoo-artist’

subject matter, the paint has been very well executed, and has a suitably lustrous fi nish. Lurking underneath the paint lives a fairly conventional customised Suzuki Hayabusa with an enormous, JMC six-inch-over stretched swingarm, Performance Machine forged wheels and 240-section rear tyre modifi cation.

PANTELIS IOANNOU’S

SUZUKI HAYABUSABut at fi rst it looks a little bit straightforward – almost ‘ordinary’, compared with some more garish offerings. With its modifi ed GSX-R1000 fairing, plain yellow paint and

simple chrome decals, it slips under your custom radar a little. But then you spot the stretched swingarm, the Ohlins forks, and a whacking great turbo exit pipe sticking out of the

fairing, and you realise you’re looking at another top-notch Cyprus custom.Under the plain-but immaculate, no-nonsense bodywork is a serious piece of drag race engineering.

Even in the rarifi ed world of the modifi ed sportbike scene, this yellow Hayabusa is a standout machine

MARIOS MAVROMATIS

SUZUKI HAYABUSA

This bike is owned by Pantelis Ioannou, the owner of Motormania Racing, and he’s the man behind the Honda CBX1000 and the Suzuki Katana/Hayabusa hybrid also featured here. His shop is small, but crammed with turbo kits, bespoke frames and swingarms and modded bodywork. Well worth a visit should you fi nd yourself on a Cyprus package holiday this year...

Thanks to George Christoforou of Motomarket for trans-lating and great coffee. Cheers also to Men Panteli and Aristos Sokradous for showing Al round the Limassol custom scene.

The Hayabusa engine is a similar spec to the Katana opposite, with a MCXpress 550 turbo kit, the 84mm JE pistons and the APE

internals. But the APE crank retains the stock stroke, so capacity is 1,397cc rather than the 1,535cc of the other engine. Power is slightly less as a consequence, but at these levels, the skill of the rider and the rideability of the chassis makes outright power almost secondary in terms of drag racing performance. Having said that, the 22k-gold-plated engine cases are probably worth a few tenths at any strip...

A set of Braking Wave discs

and an AP master cylinder sharpen up the stock brake setup.

The chassis ticks all the right boxes

too. The lengthened swingarm is another of Motormania’s creations Ohlins supplies

the superbike front fork and rear shock, as well as a steering damper

Cyprus may be one of antiquity’s cradles of civilisation, but it’s fair to say that modern Cyprus has its share of mild, unreconstructed male chauvinism


HP2 MEGAMOTOBMW

sb.oct.p69.cfold.hw 91 3/8/07 10:52:56

HP2 MEGAMOTOBMW

Photography: Anthony Butler Make-Up: Rachel Spence Model: Mackenzie

sb.oct.p69.cfold.hw 93 3/8/07 10:53:18

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www.superbike.co.uk OCTOBER 2007

Q I’ve got a Suzuki TL1000S. It’s a

brilliant bike with loads of torque and doesn’t deserve the bad reputation it’s got. Mine uses a little oil so I check it and top it up regularly. I read on the internet if you can see the oil in the sight glass, it’s too

full. Surely that’s wrong? I fi ll mine to the upper mark.

Joe Fox, email

AOn the earliest TLs, the sight

glass is in the wrong place. If yours is a 1997 or 1998 bike, fi ll the oil until it’s just visible in the bottom of

the window (with the bike level and upright). Overfi lling a little shouldn’t do any great harm but the engine won’t run at its best and some excess oil may get blown out of breathers or into the airbox.

AlarmingI need to get an alarm fi tted to my new 2007 R1. My insurance company won’t cover me without one. There are loads to choose from, which would you recommend?

Joe Green, Downham Market

Your bike already has a built in immobilizer which is a good starting point. It’s approved by the industry recognized body, Thatcham, and being an immobilizer gets their category 2 (Cat 2) seal of approval. You can get a cat 2 to 1 upgrade. This

adds an alarm and would take your bike

to Thatcham category 1 – their highest level for bikes with approved alarms and immobilizers.

There’s two system’s I’d recommend, both of which plug into your Yamaha’s existing wiring which means they’ll be more reliable than those where you have to cut and splice. There’s the Meta 375T V2-1 (£269 installed) and Datatool’s S4 Green (£289 installed). Of the two, I’d go for the Meta. It’s well proven and reliable and easy to use with a single button remote. The

Datatool’s also good but it has extra features like different sirens and fl ash rates you can choose from – some people like them but in my opinion they’re unnecessary.

StructureI bought a Abus chain to lock my GSX-R600 up with. The problem is I can’t thread it around the frame – there’s just not enough space. What’s the best place to lock it through? The obvious one is the front wheel but a thief

could unbolt it and nick the rest of the bike.Jack Tandy, Ipswich

It’s the same with loads of modern sports bikes – they’re so compact you can’t loop a chain around the frame. I fi nd the next best place is often through the rear wheel

but also the swing arm. Some swing arms

have bracing you

can go through or on some you can go

down next to the shock. Try and get it through the suspension linkages too. If there’s any slack chain wrap it round itself before putting the padlock on – if you let the padlock sit on the ground it’s much easier to bust open.

¡NEXT MONTHASK AN OIL EXPERTHave you got a question for our next expert, John Rowland, of Fuchs Lubricants? He’s their automotive development chemist and what he doesn’t know about oil, brake fl uid and the other liquids you put in your bike isn’t worth knowing. If so, please email us at the above address

ASK EXPERT

Each month we get a different biking expert to answer your questions. This month it’s Ben Sharpe, boss of Peak Motorcycle Security

¡THE EXPERT Peak is an independent mobile security fi rm that specializes in the supply and installation of products that can keep your bike safe.Contact: 0116 2718384

AN

Oil’s well that ends well

“Don’t let the padlock

sit on the ground, it’s

much easier to bust open.”

QI need some advice regarding tyres. I have a 99

Triumph Sprint ST which I am using to commute 150 miles a day on. I am currently using Bridgestone BT020s front and rear. I am getting good mileage out of the front but only around 6-8000 out of the rear due to major squaring off. Is this the right sort of mileage to expect when commuting or is there likely to be something in my riding style which is causing the problem? My local bike shop is a Triumph main dealer and exponent of the Bridgestone tyre but is there another tyre which would be better for the amount of mileage I am doing (a friend has suggested the Metzeler Z4)?Greg Crittall, email

ATo be honest, that’s not a

bad mileage for a sports touring. The Sprint ST’s a torquey bike and not exactly featherweight so it won’t give the tyre an easy ride.

The Bridgestone BT 020 is an old tyre and has been recently superceded by the BT021 which would probably give slightly better mileage. We’ve found the Metzeler Z6 Roadtec to be one of the more long lived sports touring tyres and much better than the outdated Z4 so you could try that or the BT021 next. Hopefully either would last for few more miles and both will grip as well or better than the 020s too. The only other option is being more gentle with the throttle – but there’s not much fun in that.

Wears the tyres?

Longevity - the mark of the Metzeler Z6

SBIKE.oct.P74.Q&A.fin 75 31/7/07 17:26:17

SB


QI have a buddy who has replaced his speedo drive

magnet fi ve times in the 45,000 kilometres he has on the Triumph

he bought new. Is this normal or is there something he can do to prevent it breaking? The bike’s a 2002 Triumph Daytona 955i. The

nearest Triumph dealership is 900 kms from where we live so he does almost all his maintenance himself. Roy Sweet, British Columbia

Speedo mate

“In the UK you can’t just buy the magnet you have to buy the

whole drive unit. ”

ShrubberyHi all. I’ve been offered a Busa but keep on hearing that the front brakes are a bit weak, so apart from braided hose and HH sintered pads, what other mods are recommended?

ChappersLop off 30 kilos, shorten the wheelbase, sharpen the steering and suspension, you should be good to go. On a serious note those mods should sort most brakes and at the end of the day you are hauling up a hell of a lump of metal.

XxriderDon’t forget to check the subframe! Seriously, ANY weight loss on a ‘Busa is a good thing. If you’ve got the budget, lightweight wheels (OZ, Marchesini, etc) seem to be a popular mod with the owners I’ve come across. I’ve also seen a couple with radial master cylinders. They handle OK for such a big lump, but they ain’t no lightweight, fl ickable race-rep!

Tim1300RI have an 03 ‘busa Goodridge lines and Brembo disc’s with Brembo pads does the trick. Your standard rotors will warp with HH pads. If you want to go really mad get Crescent to fi t the GP race master cylinder as well (£260) the internal bore size is larger.

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:

AWe don’t know of any problem like

this with your bike (and neither do our friendly Triumph dealers). We do know installing the speedo drive is tricky and everything needs

to be lined up perfectly before tightening up. Also is he just replacing the magnet? In the UK you can’t just buy the magnet you have to buy the whole drive unit. If he is just replacing the

magnet, we’d suggest replacing the whole unit – it might be bent or there could be bits of old fractured magnet in there which could cause a new one to disintegrate.

REAL WORLD Q&A

www.superbike.co.uk

SB

Weak Busa brakes

Hi fi nance

Q I’ve seen a bike I want to buy and want to get it on fi nance.

The shop selling it has offered me a loan at 9.3%. Is this good value and is there anywhere I can go to get a cheaper one?Mason Langford, Thetford

AThe chances are you can beat a dealer’s fi nance rate.

Currently the best unsecured personal loan we know of is Moneyback (0845 300 4166) offering 6.8% if you borrow £3000 or more. For the best, latest rates check out www.moneysavingexpert.com. It’s worth fi nding the best loan you can and going back to your bike

dealer and asking if they can match it. They get commission from selling fi nance and they have a degree of fl exibility. Chances are they’ll try it on at fi rst and offer

you a pretty uncompetitive rate in the hope you’re so keen to get the bike you simply accept it so check you can’t do better elsewhere before you sign.

Dealers – they’ve got the bikes, but can they do the fi nance

Bit of a classic, the 2002 Daytona 955i

SBIKE.oct.P74.Q&A.fin 76 31/7/07 17:26:29

For your nearest retailer call 01933 350410 or log on to www.lintekparts.com

P077_SBIKE_OCT07.indt 1 1/8/07 08:32:52

¡


KAWASAKI

At fi rst glance there’s little to separate the two bikes

aesthetically. There are some nice touches on the new bike though – many of the plastic fascias and trims have been tidied up and it looks like plenty of thought has gone into subtle changes that make the whole thing a little easier on the eye. But the basic layout is the same: underseat pipe; central ram air intake; neatly built-in front indicators; but there’s something missing from the new machine – that little 636 sticker.

While some capacity has been taken away from the new bike, something else has been added. Unfortunately that something is an extra 3kg of mass, perhaps thanks to the increasingly stringent emissions laws forcing the bike to wear a massive catalytic converter.

If standing around looking at the two bikes and reading spec sheets decided the test, then the older bike would have

already won. On paper the new model simply doesn’t stack up but as is so often the case, on the road things can turn around pretty quickly.

Midrange PokeSwapping from bike to bike, the lack of midrange poke from the new bike is instantly apparent, as is what seems a ludicrously long fi rst gear. The ’07 machine feels like a race bike in so many ways; it turns in faster than the old bike; the new Nissin brakes feel more responsive and ultimately sharper hauling down from high speeds while the focussed character of the motor begs for a thrashing as that inimitable howl

that can only come from a Kawasaki airbox lets you know exactly what make of bike you’re riding. It’s a machine all about commitment, about getting those gear changes perfect and keeping that motor singing from the nine grand mark up.

As you fl ick through the box, staring back at you like a giant eye is an easy-to-read, white-faced dial that replaces the irritating LCD tachometer of the old bike. The needle swings round the higher numbers with quite some ferocity as the bike surges forward in a burst of revs and noise.

But it’s all just a bit too much like hard work compared to the 636. Yes, the rev-counter

2002 saw the fi rst 636cc model, swiftly followed

the next year by a far more aggressive model, leaning more towards the race track as Kawasaki moved back towards the original hardcore image that was always intended for it’s Ninja range of machines.

The 2003 model was a sharp handling but fl ighty, almost angry machine and, while it attracted the attention of track day riders and had racers hankering after the limited edition, homologated for race use 599cc ZX-6RR, those looking for an everyday machine started to look elsewhere. Kawasaki

needed a middle ground that came in the more rounded shape of the 2005 model. With its Honda-esque underseat pipe, improved slipper clutch and revised handling, the new machine worked brilliantly on the track, while making life easier for those seeking a real world middleweight road bike.

The extra capacity made it more than a match for the competition, with decent midrange performance as well as that trademark searing Kawasaki top end. For 2007, Kawasaki has ditched its

capacity advantage in a bid to woo back the racers.

But how does that affect us on the

road?

ZX-6R HISTORYIntroduced to wide acclaim in 1995, the ZX-6R was ahead of its time. The fi rst Japanese 600 to use an aluminium frame, the ZX-6R was both light and fast. The competition soon caught up though, and in the late nineties, the Kawasaki was pretty much demoted to sports tourer

Kawasaki’s 36cc trump card in the middleweight class is missing from the pack for 2007. So is the new 599cc version the ace up Kawasaki’s sleeve? Or have we been dealt a dud hand?Words: Rob Hoyles Pics: John Noble

ZX-6R

REALWORLDOLD VS NEW¡2006 Kawasaki ZX-6R

£4,499¡2007

Kawasaki ZX-6R

£7,190

The surprisingly useful 2002 model

was the last of the do-it-all

supersport bikes

¡

SB.oct.P78 new v old.fin 78 31/7/07 17:36:30

ZX-6R

While these two bikes look and

feel very similar at a standstill, the riding experience is very different. “ ” www.superbike.co.uk OCTOBER 2007 79


¡


We phoned ten dealers to get their

views on the bike and the answers were pretty conclusive: that the ZX-6R suffers few if any faults and is a seriously robust piece of kit.But that’s not to say that there aren’t any nails around. While Kawasaki’s build quality is improving, the fi nish won’t stand up to a hard winter as well as say a Honda, so you’ll still need to look deep beneath the skin for any corrosion issues.

Something that the 636cc version has got going for it is that it

doesn’t fi t into any of the race classes so it’s highly unlikely that you’ll stumble across a well-thrashed race bike dressed up in immaculate road clothes. Nevertheless, the 636 makes for an awesome track bike, so be suspicious of things like carbon frame covers, stickers and suchlike that might be hiding any track damage.

Engine and gearboxKawasaki motors give little trouble in standard trim. The 636cc motor is a well-developed unit

that has evolved so you’re unlikely to suffer any problems, so long as the bike has been looked after and comes with a service history. Valve clearances can be an issue and in most cases will need completely re-shimming at 12,000 miles though many Kawasaki specialists and tuning shops recommend that the fi rst check is carried out at 8,000 miles as the initial bedding in of the valves can cause the clearance to close up leading to poor performance. If the bike has an aftermarket

exhaust, make sure that the fuelling has been adjusted to suit with a Power Commander. Without this the motor can run lean causing top end failure.

ChassisAgain, there’s little to worry about with the excellent chassis. Be on the lookout for bikes badly set-up by track day heroes though – the geometry of the bike is near perfect in stock trim with only the minimal of adjustment needed. If in any doubt, put the bike back to stock settings as

a starting point for your own set-up. Changing the rear spring to suit your weight reaps massive rewards on the ZX-6R and needn’t cost the earth.

ZX-6R owners tend to enjoy modding their bikes, but beware of tat. The most worthy mod for the ZX-6R is a good quality steering damper and while you’re at the front of the bike, check the steering head for any signs of play or wear. In the right hands the 636 is a great wheelie bike, in the wrong hands a licence to sell headrace bearings.

Type: l/c, 16v, 4-cylinder, in-line DOHC Displacement:

636cc Bore x Stroke: 68 x 43.8mm Compression:

12.9:1 Carburation: Keihin electronic fuel injection,

38mm throttle bodies Gearbox: Six-speed, chain

Power: 110bhp @ 13,800rpm (tested) Torque: 43.5lb ft

@ 11,700rpm (tested)

Chassis: Pressed aluminium beam perimeter

Suspension: (F) 41mm fully adjustable USD fork (R)

Fully adjustable monoshock Brakes: (F) Twin 300mm

petal discs, four-piston radial Nissin calipers (R)

220mm disc, single-piston Tokico caliper Wheels/

Tyres: Cast Aluminium/ Bridgestone BT-014, (F) 120/70

17, (R) 180/55 17 Rake/Trail: 25°/106mm Wheelbase:

1,390mm Fuel Capacity: 17 litres (3.7gal) Dry Weight:

164kg (362lb)

■ ENGINE

■ CYCLE PARTS

Kawasaki has a well-earned reputation for bulletproof motors and the ZX-6R is no different


OVERALL 8/10

+ Great on the road, strong engine -

¡2006 ZX-6R RATINGS*

Slightly awkward riding position

Type: l/c, 16v, 4-cylinder, in-line DOHC Displacement:

599cc Bore x Stroke: 67 x 42.5mm Compression:

13.3:1 Carburation: Keihin electronic fuel injection,

38mm throttle bodies Gearbox: Six-speed, chain

Power: 123bhp @ 14,000rpm (claimed) Torque: 48.4lb

ft @ 11,700rpm (claimed)

Chassis: Pressed aluminium beam perimeter

Suspension: (F) 41mm fully adjustable USD fork (R)

Fully adjustable monoshock Brakes: (F) Twin 300mm

petal discs, four-piston radial Nissin calipers (R)

210mm disc, single-piston Tokico caliper Wheels/

Tyres: Cast Aluminium/ Bridgestone BT-015, (F) 120/70

17, (R) 180/55 17 Rake/Trail: 25°/110mm

Wheelbase: 1,405mm Fuel Capacity: 17 litres (3.7gal)

Dry Weight: 167kg (367lb)

■ ENGINE

■ CYCLE PARTS


OVERALL 8/10

+ Sleeker looks and more track focus -

¡2007 ZX-6R RATINGS*

Misses the 636 motor and gearing

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

2006 Kawasaki ZX-6R

Price: £4,499 Nu Ins group: 15 Contact: DK Motorcycles: 01782 861100 www.dkmotorcycles.co.uk Kawasaki Motors UK: 01628 856600 www.kawasaki.co.uk

¡2006 KAWASAKI ZX-6RPrice: £7,190 Nu Ins group: 15 Contact: DK Motorcycles: 01782 861100 www.dkmotorcycles.co.uk Kawasaki Motors UK: 01628 856600 www.kawasaki.co.uk

¡2007 KAWASAKI ZX-6R

*Ratings Apply to this test only *Ratings Apply to this test only

REAL WOWOW RLD OLD VS NEW

Look hard enough and you’ll see the subtle changes like less room (despite the aftermarket screen)

...and the centrally-located ignition lock. White rev-counter is easier to spot but speedo can get hidden behind brake fl uid reservoir


SB


is a bit crap and diffi cult to read, but it matters not as it’s nowhere near as crucial to be spot on with the revs on this bike.

The commitment needed to make rapid progress on the new bike is replaced with just enough torque to forgive those with a slightly lazy left foot. The handling is good for the road too. Kawasaki’s compromise with the suspension set-up between track prowess and road neutrality isn’t

too far off the mark, though lighter riders might want to back off the preload and compression a touch as it can get a bit lively on bumpier B-roads. The brakes work well if not quite with the same feel, fi nesse or overall stopping power of the newer machine’s superb Nissin set-up but to be honest, at anything other than full tilt, there’s really not very much in it and let’s face it – if the difference is only notable at race pace you

wouldn’t be buying a 636 anyway.

Real world riders don’t just use their bikes on racetracks and empty roads though. Day to day commuting has to be factored in, as does the occasional pillion ride. The excessively tall fi rst gear of the new bike may make life easier for the racer to get the gearing spot-on for the hairpin he’s been trying to nail, but the knock on effect is a fi rst gear that’s a complete pain in the arse

in town, particularly with a lack of bottom end torque that means you have to slip the clutch and make a lot of noise to go anywhere. Which is not only annoying, it makes you feel a bit of a tit, too.

The Final AnalysisWhile these two bikes look and feel very similar at a standstill, the riding experience is very different. The new machine is no doubt an improvement for

the racetrack. The only problem is that where Kawasaki has gained in terms of race potential, they’ve most defi nitely lost out in real world usability. As seems to be becoming the norm with modern 600s, earlier models are fast becoming the best option for the road. That’s why I’d save myself a cool two grand and buy the mint 636 – it’s still very much the ace in an increasingly peaky six-pack.

This view shows you how the fairings have

changed between models (and that Rob is better at

wheelies than Dave)



¡ HONDA

Make no mistake, this very basic,

single-cylinder commuter is rather short when it comes to visceral excitement. But the Honda CG125’s bullet-proof reliability has made it a hit with new riders and anyone who simply wants to get where they’re going without spending too much, or having to use too much effort. And it’s a great bike to consider buying used thanks to its very low cost – which allows you to spend your money on something more substantial once you’ve got rid of your L plates.

The bike we tested was the latest version, and was in superb condition thanks to its low mileage and age. It was an excellent example of the breed to show just what the Honda is capable of. And that’s a lot. Well, as long as you don’t get too adventurous or ambitious with it.

With only 11bhp on tap, the CG unsurprisingly will only provide modest performance. But it will beat most average cars away from the lights and, in town at least, compete with their general performance. Acceleration is reasonable with good

torque and fl exibility from the single cylinder motor. You have to cane it hard to get any sort of decent pace from it, but as long as you stick to the right sort of roads then you’ll be satisfi ed enough. It’s only when you venture out of town, onto faster roads and motorways that you’ll seriously want for more. I tried it, and got very frustrated by having to slipstream anything in front to stay in touch.

On those sorts of routes the little Honda is out of its depth and it’s not unusual for it to start holding up the traffi c. Having what seems like

The GC125 has been around since

the 1975 and hasn’t changed much at all during that time. Apart from very minor tweaks over the years, to components like brakes and the number of gears, it’s remained the dependable old faithful

that it’s become world famous for from the start. Over ten million of them have been made. The CG only received its fi rst and only update in 2004 with ‘sharper’ styling, a hydraulic front brake, larger fuel tank and tweaks to cope with new emissions regulations.

the whole world up your pipe can be an unpleasant experience, particularly for

anyone new to the game. You can of course give it a go, and thanks to its

CG125 HISTORYIt’s not going to win many prizes for power orlooks – but it has a bomb-proof reputation

Words: Chris Moss Pics: Jeremy Clifton-Gould

¡20061,103 miles

£1,550

REALWORLD USED BIKE TEST

CG125Everyone’s biking life has to start somewhere, and if you’re after an easy and economical beginning, then Honda’s CG125 is as good a start point as any

Mossy, worried about the back end stepping out as the chassis struggles to cope with the power

SB USED Honda KP.indd 83 6/8/07 17:04:06

SB


One of the oldest models in the book, CG125 is still going strong and still popular

general comfort and less than windy

top speed (about 65mph fl at out) you can hope to cover a fair bit of ground in one hit - especially if you’re young and adventurous.

The way the Honda rides will suit all-comers too. It’s a very easy bike to handle, and only seeming to weigh as much as a heavy pushbike, it needs very little persuasion to deal with any direction changing. Whizzing through congested and slow moving traffi c is a real forte of the CG, and not much can stall its progress. Out on more open roads it still handles things well, though it’s only on some of the tighter and twister roads that you’ll feel like the Honda is actually cornering. On faster, open routes, the roads always feel straight due to the bike’s low speed.

But push it hard along a narrow and twisting back road and you can still have a bit of a laugh. Though when you do that you’ll discover that the suspension seems devoid of any damping oil, and the brakes feel as though they might have some of it on their friction surfaces. To be fair, that’s a bit harsh, and for what the CG

has been designed for, both the brakes and suspension are more than adequate. If you’re only riding around town or a city you’ll notice, and care about, this even less.

Most of the 125’s real strong points will take a bit longer to make themselves apparent and come in the form of economy and reliability. Most journeys will return between 60-80mpg, with even more on offer if you’re steadier with the throttle and revs. Tyre and brake pad/shoe life will almost be as long as your own. And the history of the bike (it’s over 30 years-old now) shows that joining the AA is a waste of money.

It’s a perfect choice if you want to get onto the biking ladder, and though its low-rung status won’t please all it will provide a great start to the climb upwards. And it’ll give you some good experience that’ll cost bugger all and be as straightforward and fuss-free as it gets. On top of that, you’ll only lose a little in depreciation when the time comes to move on. If you’ve got a short winter commute and can’t face a scooter, well, this might be the answer.

OK, so it’s not everyone’s cup of tea and there can’t be many people who would actually lust after one, but they do have their uses, as learner bikes for the kids and as winter hacks So, with that in mind, you should check out the following.

Russell of Pidcocks in Nottingham is keen to sing the praises of the Honda CG125. “They are absolutely brilliant little bikes that never seem to go wrong. New bikers and commuters love them and they’re very popular with training schools too. They are tough cookies and are very cheap to run. We’ve never really had any trouble with them at all. They seem to be able to deal with any sort of abuse and still survive. Maintain them properly, which is dead easy, and they’ll last forever. They’re mint little things.”

Dealer viewRussell Pidcocks knows the value of the CG125

¡ExpertsPidcocks, Nottingham 01159 692200Fowlers of Bristol0117 977 0466Kent Motorcycles01227 832601

¡Servicing costs Every 2500miles/6months = £65-70

¡SpecsEngine AC OHV 2v single-cylinder Claimed Power 11bhp @ 9,000rpm Torque 7.2lb/ft @ 7,000rpm Weight 114kgs Suspension (F) 31mm unadjustable forks (R) twin shocks, adjustable preload Brakes (F) 1 x 240mm disc, single-piston caliper (R) 130mm drum Fuel Capacity 13.5 litres (3 gals)

YEAR REG PRICE

2004 53 £590-1325

2004 04 £610-1350

2004 54 £630-1395

2005 54 £680-1475

2005 05 £700-1495

2005 55 £720-1525

2006 55 £760-1625

2006 06 £760-1650

** The CG has been around for over 30 years now and earlier models can be had for as littleas £100

Thanks to: Gabi Somerville for the loan of the 2006, 1000-mile, CG125-4 we tested.

¡Typical values

REAL WORLD USED BIKE TEST

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

Honda GC125

CG125s are one of the most robust and

economical bikes on the market. They’ll take some pretty serious abuse and still survive well. Examples with over 60,000 miles on the clock are not uncommon.

The CG has been bought by all sorts.

Learners, commuters and training schools buy the majority of them, and their idea of maintenance and care can vary massively. The Honda is a very tough bike, but look carefully for signs of general abuse. There’s enough on the market to be fussy.

Look for evidence of good general care.

Checking to see if the chain is well lubed or the engine oil’s at the right level are good places to start.

Many CGs have hit the deck due to their

owners’ inexperience. Just make sure the damage is light and restricted to levers and bar ends rather than more serious stuff like frame and forks.

The fi nish is generally strong and the general

condition of the bike serves as an indicator of the life it’s led. You could expect the Brazilian-built versions to be less durable.

Check the service history of the bike. It’s very

easy to work on but home servicing still needs a bit of skill and experience to be done well. Valves should be checked at every single service. Make sure this has been done.

Flat spots from a closed throttle indicate a dirty

carburator.

The battery is very small and can easily fl atten

with additional equipment like extra lights and alarms.

Fitting a screen will improve comfort at

prolonged higher speeds.

The little Honda is a favourite with women

thanks to its very light weight and compact dimensions.

It’s the cheapest to insure of all Honda 125s

Most journeys will return between 60-80mpg, with

models can be had for as littleas £100

Thanks to: Gabi Somerville for

schools too. They are tough cookies and are very cheap

at all. They seem to be able to deal with any sort of abuse

them properly, which is dead easy, and they’ll last forever.

Throttle on the stop: “I was fl at-out everywhere” said Moss, honestly

SB USED Honda KP.indd 85 6/8/07 17:04:31


Few people know more about oil than chemist John ‘JR’ Rowland. SuperBike spoke to the oracle of the oils for a lesson in lubrication

THE BEST LUBESREAL WORLD

SB.OCT.P86.oil.fin.indd 86 7/8/07 11:44:06


How is it processed?Contrary to popular belief, crude oil is very thin. It is distilled (by heating) into light, intermediate and heavy fractions. The lighter fractions (usually about 90 per cent) are converted into petrol and diesel. The heavier oils are refi ned to form clear, bright amber oils, some of which are used to blend engine oils.

ViscosityIn layman’s terms, viscosity refers to a liquid’s resistance to fl ow – its thickness or stickiness. In terms of function, viscosity determines an oil’s fi lm-forming ability – its capacity to create a protective fi lm between moving metal surfaces. The critical complication is that viscosity is affected by temperature – oil thickens when cooled and thins when heated.

SAE ratingNothing at all to do with self-addressed envelopes, ‘SAE’ refers to the Society of Automotive Engineers, which established a numerical code to rate the viscosity of multi-grade motor oils. These are oils designed to cope with seasonal ranges of temperature. Manufacturers recommend the appropriate viscosity to suit the climate of the area in which the vehicle is going to be used.

For example, 10W40 is generally considered the optimum grade to perform at all British temperatures.

The fi rst number, suffi xed by a ‘W’ (winter), indicates that the oil can be pumped from cold within specifi ed limits, e.g. a 10W oil must pass a cold viscosity test at -25ºC. The lower this number, the colder the temperatures at which the oil can be used.

The second number refers to the oil’s viscosity at 100ºC (approximated to the viscosity of a mono-grade oil at the same temperature). The higher this number, the higher the viscosity.

JR says, “There’s no point using power and fuel-wasting thick oils in cool climates. A 10W40 or thinner is perfectly OK unless you’re riding an air-cooled classic with wide clearances and a slow oil pump. In modern engines, thicker oils are only necessary when running at very high temperatures.”

How does oil do its job?We all know that oil keeps metal parts moving by making them slippery, but how? The fi rst way is by preventing metal components from making contact with each other. A plain bearing spinning at high speed, for instance, ‘fl oats’ on a relatively thick fi lm of oil, so there is no metal-to-metal contact. The high velocity drives a wedge of oil between the

WHAT’S THAT THEN?

These early mineral oils deteriorated rapidly, leading

to black sludge, corrosion and, before long, a knackered motor. In the Fifties, oil companies began to add detergents and antioxidant chemicals to increase cleanliness and slow down oil degradation.

Later, manufacturers discovered how to tackle the problem of cold starting by creating multi-grade oils (more about these below). This involved adding polymers, which unwind and reduce the rate at which oil loses viscosity (gets thinner) when heated.

There is no chalk-and-cheese difference between mineral and synthetic oils. Synthetic oils are usually mineral oils that have been enhanced by means of chemical processes. Nowadays, there’s a wide array of synthetic compounds, used in various quantities to give oil the desired performance and wear characteristics.

Semi- or fully synthetic?There are many different types of synthetic oil – it isn’t a singular generic substance. The most basic type is really a special form of mineral oil, only ‘synthetic’ inasmuch as it’s subject to a relatively inexpensive chemical process called hydrocracking. Semi-synthetic oils contain

a proportion of synthetic (processed) mineral oil, from a few per cent to 30 per cent.

Using fairly simple chemical compounds, mineral oil can be used to make molecules with desirable characteristics such as temperature and evaporation resistance. These are true synthetics. The two key synthetics in engine oils are PAOs (poly alpha olefi ns), which act as compound-carriers, and esters, which are like PAOs but with the added functions of lubrication and metal-protection. Most oils sold as ‘fully synthetic’ are not, in fact, made entirely from synthesised compounds. 100 per cent (‘fully’ in the true sense) synthetic oils are actually quite rare because they are very expensive to make.

Very few motorcycles require fully synthetic oil. A high-quality semi-synthetic easily meets the demands of a sportsbike engine under normal operating conditions. So what’s the best oil for your bike?

JR says, “I’d go for a shear-stable ester semi-synthetic, SAE 10W40 or 10W30. The ‘shear-stable’ part means it contains a decent-quality multi-grade polymer, which is more important than an unspecifi ed ‘synthetic’ claim. In fact, a shear-stable mineral oil is a better choice than a ‘synthetic’ of dubious stability.”

What is oil?Simply put, oil is a chemical compound that is in a liquid state at ambient temperatures and will not mix with water. It is derived from

crude oil, also called petroleum, which is the product of ancient organic material that has been subjected to heat and pressure within the Earth’s crust. In short then, oil is melted dinosaurs

¡MOTULMotul’s Factory line includes the fully synthetic 300V oil, grades 5W30, 5W40, 10W40 and 15W50. The 4T range includes the fully synthetic 7100, grades 10W40 and 20W50; the Technosythese 5100, grades 10W30, 10W40, 10W50 and 15W50; HC-Tech 5000 10W40; and the 3000 20W50 mineral. Contact: 01773 864420www.motul.fr

Silkolene’s vast range comprises the fully synthetic Pro 4 Plus, grades 5W40 and 10W50; the Pro 4, grades 10W40 and 15W50; the Comp 4, grades 10W40, 15W50 and 20W50; and the semi-synthetic Super 4, grades 10W40 and 20W50.Contact: 08701 200400 www.silkolene.com

¡ELF

¡SILKOLENE

The Q8 Oils line-up consists of the fully synthetic Moto SBK Racing 10W50, the semi-synthetic Moto SBK 10W40, and the mineral Moto GT 10W40. Contact: 0113 235 0555

¡Q8 OILS

FROM MINERAL TO SYNTHETIC

The four-stroke options from Elf include the fully synthetic Sport 4 Compione 10W60, Moto 4 XT Tech 10W50, the semi-synthetic Moto 4 HP Eco, and the mineral Moto 4 DX Ratio 20W50. Contact: 01933 350410www.lintekparts.com

THE BEST LUBES

In years long since passed, engines were fi lled with refi ned mineral oils ‘straight’, i.e. with nothing added. But times have changed


SB


two surfaces, and the oil fi lm supports the load. At lower engine

speeds, however, there is inevitably some contact between the bearing shells and crankpins. This is where oil must do its more sophisticated lubricating work. Special compounds in the oil react with metal at high pressure and temperature to provide a very thin protective fi lm which prevents micro-welds where metal surfaces come into contact. Detergents and antioxidant chemicals added to oil often double as anti-wear agents. Finally, some synthetic oils contain esters, which are attracted to metal by electrostatic forces and cling on even when surfaces are forced into contact.

Quality controlsHow do you choose a high-quality oil? There are two main quality-control standards – API (American Petroleum Institute) and JASO (Japan Automobile Standards Organisation). Both standards use letter suffi xes to indicate quality, e.g. API SL or API SH. With API, the ‘S’ simply stands for ‘spark-ignited’ (petrol engines) while the second letter designates quality – from the long-obsolete A, B, and C (lowest quality) to H, J, and M (the highest, latest standards). These are car-based standards but nonetheless provide a good basic guide.

JASO is a motorcycle-specifi c

standard set up by the ‘big four’ manufacturers. You should look for the MA or MA2 suffi xes, which indicate the oil has undergone clutch-slip and shear-stability tests. Beware of oils whose labels bear slippery (arf!) language such as “meets the requirements of...” or “recommended”, which may be meaningless. Generally speaking, you get what you pay for, and you won’t go far wrong choosing one of the big, well-known brands.

Time for a change?It is sensible to change your bike’s oil according to the frequency prescribed by the user’s manual, not least to uphold the warranty. The condition of your bike’s oil is affected by how you ride. The worst riding pattern as far as your oil is concerned is to do slow, short runs. Under these conditions, engine oil gets contaminated by fuel and water, which causes corrosion – ring and bore wear and gear-tooth pitting. It’s crucial to change the oil at least annually. The best riding pattern for your oil is long, fairly fast runs, which burn off any contaminates.

The type of oil that will last longest is shear-stable, genuine 100 per cent synthetic. Even so, this premium-quality oil is probably only worth the extra cash for those riding very long distances and wanting extended drain periods.

Topping upIf you have to top up your bike’s oil, it’s sensible to use the same type of oil for the sake of consistency. However, it’s very unlikely to cause any harm if you use a different brand or grade – provided you don’t use oil of lesser quality.

Performance-enhancersThere are many oil additives on the market which claim to offer improved performance. But do they work? The simple answer is no. Oil manufacturers put vast amounts of money and research into divining optimum lubrication; if magical additives existed, they’d be using them already. Some additives actually contain substances, such as chlorine-based chemicals, that corrode engine internals. Similarly, additives containing PTFE do very little except clog the oil fi lter.

More power?The power output of a high-performance engine may be increased by using special low-viscosity oil. This is because up to six per cent of output is lost due to oil drag – stickiness between moving components. The thinner the oil, the less drag. That said, thinner oils must have the requisite properties to ensure wear and friction are kept low, and must be ‘tough’ enough to retain these properties over time.

¡ROCK OIL ¡CASTROL

¡PUTOLINEWhatever your engine’s tipple, Shell has it. The range is headed by the fully synthetic Ultra 4 (pictured), grades 10W40 and 15W50; backed up by the semi-synthetic VSX4, grades 10W40, 15W50 and 20W40; the premium mineral SX4, grades 10W40, 15W40, 15W50 and 20W50; and the standard mineral S4, grades 10W40, 15W40, 20W40 and 20W50.Contact: 0161 428 5449www.shell.com

All bases are covered by Rock, with its fully synthetic Synthesis

XRP 5W30; Synthesis 4 Racing 15W50; the semi-synthetic

Sigma 15W50; and all-purpose Guardian 10W40.

Contact: 01925 636191www.rockoil.co.uk

The Putoline range includes the fully synthetic Syntec 4+, grades 10W40, 15W50 and 5W50; the Syntec 4, grades 10W40, 15W50 and 20W50; the semi-synthetic Sport 4, grades 10W40, 15W50 and 20W50; the Formula V-Twin 20W50; the Force 4, grades 10W40 and 15W50; and the DX4, grades 10W40 and 20W50. Contact: +31 040 2622725www.putoline.com

¡SHELL ADVANCE

Whether you’re racing an RC211V or continent-crossing on a R1200GS, Castrol has a nectar to keep your motor spinning freely. The range includes the fully synthetic

Power 1 Racing, grades 10W40 and 10W30; the semi-synthetic Power 1 GPS, grades 10W40 and 10W30; the Act-evo X-tra 10W40; Act-evo GP, grades

10W40 and 20W50.Contact: 01793 512712

www.castrol.com

TOP TIP

Winter Wisdom

If you leave old oil in your bike over winter, the fuel and water that it inevitably contains will corrode the motor from the inside. So, drain out the old stuff, fi ll it with fresh (a cheap mineral type will suffi ce) and run the bike to circulate. Then, when spring comes, drain it again and re-fi ll with your chosen semi-synthetic or synthetic. Your bike will thank you.

Warming upOil has to be warm, and preferably hot, to do its job properly. So it’s well worth taking it easy for a couple of miles before letting rip, particularly in cold weather. This is because cold gets thinner as it warms up. Oil that’s too thick is basically too ‘fat’ to fi t between the metal surfaces that its meant to be keeping apart, plus it can’t be pumped quickly enough.

REAL WORLD OILS


CRANKSHAFT


It’s a crank call this month as we go to the heart of a bike’s engine and discover what a crankshaft is and what it does in your machine

If there’s one part of your engine that could be described as the heart of the

matter, then I am surely it. I’m the big-gest, strongest, toughest part, and I take the linear motion of the pistons, sent flying down their bores by exploding fuel, and turn that into smooth, usable, rotating force.

Bearing up?I’m normally to be found clamped securely between the two crankcase halves, held in a set of main bearings. Offset from my centreline, I have other

Some, mostly older, designs use a built-up crankshaft. This

simply means the bearing pins and counterweights are made from separate pieces of metal, then joined together to form one component. They’re generally pressed together under high pressure

from a hydraulic press. They’re cheap, simple, and they also allow single-piece conrods to be used. They generally use roller and ball bearings instead of plain bearings, and can operate without perfect lubrication – so are ideal for two-stroke engines.

bearing surfaces, and the pistons are attached to these by connecting rods. These are called ‘big-end’ bearings, since, easily enough, they have the big end of the connecting rod attached to them. On an inline-four like this ZX-10R crank, the big end bearings are set in two pairs, 180° apart, so when the two centre pistons are at the top of their stroke, the two outer pistons are at the bottom. The distance between the big-end and the main bearings is equal to the stroke of the engine, as this is how far the piston travels up and down

the bore. As the fuel mixture burns in the combustion chamber, it pushes the piston down, the con-rod pushes onto the big end like a cyclist’s leg pushing on a pedal, and I get spun around.

Silk and steelI’ve got a tough job to do, so I’m made of tough material. Almost always steel nowadays, although there have been iron and titanium cranks. A one-piece crank, like most modern four-stroke designs, is usually a steel forging. A hot lump of tough steel alloy is formed under pressure into the rough outline of the shaft. Then the bearing surfaces, and any gear teeth are machined in, as well as drillings to carry oil, and any threaded holes for bolt-on components. Then I’m hardened by heat and chemi-cals, and finally my bearing surfaces are polished shiny-smooth. Bearing shells are carefully selected to give the proper clearance (this is needed to hold a liquid bed of oil correctly) on the main bearing and crankpin bearing surfaces, these shells are inserted into the con-rods and the crankcases, and the heart of the engine is assembled. All the other players in the engine can then be bolted on around us...

Bearing surfaceHard, polished surface that runs on a bed of high-pressure oil. Matched to a properly-chosen (normally white metal) bearing shell, at the correct clearance, it gives a strong bearing that lasts well and is fairly low-friction.

Drive gearsPrimary drive gears take the power from the crank and transfer it to the clutch outer basket, sometimes via an intermediate shaft. There’s also generally a camchain drive, or cam gear drive.

Accessory drivesOn the ends of the crank, you’ll generally find a generator rotor to make electricity, and a cam position sensor for the engine ECU or ignition unit. Older bikes had points mounted here.

Oil drillingsThe crank has holes drilled in it, to allow the high pressure oil from the engine’s oil pump to travel to all the bearing surfaces.

BUILT-UP CRANKS

REALWORLD I AM YOUR...

Words: Alan Dowds

sb.oct.p91.crank.fin 90 31/7/07 17:14:55

REAL WORLD BEST ON TEST

¡Leather suits


USED STUFF: BEST BUYSWe’re continually testing all kinds of kit, all year round, in all weathers. So, naturally, we fi nd out what works and what doesn’t. These are some of our favourite pieces of gear from the past couple of years’ Used Stuff reports – kit that’s kept us warm, dry and, most importantly, safe.

■ Three large compartments■ CD/MP3 pocket with wire holes ■ Padded laptop sleeve with strap

Dainese HF Special £179.99

RS Taichi GP-Max race suitCost: £1,200Contact: 01202 820170Kenny says: “What happens when you crash at 60mph? Your RS Taichi suit is barely marked. The

suit survived a hell of a lot better than the bike. Repair bill for the suit? Zero.” (September 2007)

Rating: 9/10

Texport Mugello

Cost: £679.99Contact: 01782 569800Al says: “I was wearing this suit when I came off at Brands, and it gave its life that I might live. The crash was pretty fast – I bounced down the hill for a fair old while. All the abrasion and minor impacts were absorbed and dealt with by the suit.”

(January 2006)

Rating: 94%

¡HelmetsArai RX7 CorsairCost: £450Contact: 01782 569800Harriet says: “I crashed and landed on my head, and I suffered zero concussion – honest. My head’s defi nitely an Arai shape, and I trust it to the most expensive of the bunch. And I like the Arai’s top spec.” July 2007)

Rating: 97%

HJC HQ-1 CarbonCost: £249.99Contact: 01993 862300Kenny says: “Overall, the shape and feel work well for my Shoei-shaped skull. The removable padding hasn’t compressed too much either.

So far, all I can fi nd to moan about is the chin curtain, which got in the way. It’s also absurdly light.” (July 2007)

Rating: 96%

Shark RSR 2Cost: £359.99Contact: 01425 273344JP says: “I still fi nd the Shark lid has the best overall quality and fi t for my head. It has excellent aerodynamics, good sound insulation and it’s also among the lightest on the market.” (December 2005)

Rating: 95%

AGV Ti-TechCost: £379.99

Contact: 01773 864420Simon says: “Throughout the winter, it’s rarely misted up, and when it gets warmer the ventilation system works well too. It’s quiet and pretty comfortable, though not quite as cosseting as my Arai.” (July 2005)

Rating: 91%

¡Boots

Daytona Security Evo IICost: £599Contact: 01425 620580Dave The Goat says: “Four days after they arrived, I was practising some over-the-handlebars gymnastics at Silverstone. Without their carbon/aramid inners, I’d hate to think how much worse things could have turned out.” (October 2006) Rating: 99%

Alpinestars GPS 3Cost: £119.95Contact: 0039 0423 5286 Dave says: “They have stood up superbly to

thousands of miles of abuse. They’ve performed fl awlessly… warm,

and have never let in a drop of water.” (June 2006)

Rating: 95%

Puma Hypersport 1000Cost: £249.99Contact: 01773 864420

Simon says: “They’re comfortable, I’ll give them that.

You really can spend all day in them. There’s enough protection to

make them pretty crash-proof. I escaped an 80-odd-mph crash and can still do the tango. But do they wear well? Not particularly.” (May 2007)

Rating: 88%

¡Textile jacketsWeise VoyagerCost: £129.99Contact: 0800 369537JP says: “It’s certainly waterproof. I’ve worn it in winter and summer, all to reasonable effect… the pockets are a problem because they’re too far around, near by kidneys.” (August 2007)

Rating: 97%

Wolf ¾Cost: £169.99Contact: 01773 864420Simon says: “It’s comfortable, snug and steadfastly waterproof. It’s stopped the shivering thanks in part to a thermal lining and Cordura outer shell. Stonking value.” (July 2007)

Rating: 97%

Frank Thomas Full Force AquaCost: £99.99Contact: 01933 410272Dave says:“Still keeps out every drop of

water, fi ts perfectly and has kept me warm on the coldest days. I have two minor complaints: the cuffs aren’t waterproof, and there’s only a short

connecting zip.” (February 2007)

Rating: 88%

Spidi H2Out S5Cost: £309.99Contact: 01536 526460

Al says: “It’s very warm – the inner liner is thick

and toasty. It’s not leaked anywhere. Take the lining out

and it’s cool enough for warm days. Not cheap but recommended nonetheless.”

(October 2005)

Rating: 87%

Alpinestars Air FloCost: £139.95Contact: 0039 0423 5286Kenny says: “I feel safer in the heat wearing this than some protection-free casual wear. In short, a good fi t, well cut, with the added security of armour – as cool as you’re going to get.” (July 2006)

Rating: 85%

¡Leather jacketsAlpinestars 7-2 Cost: £279.99Contact: 0039 0423 5286Al says: “It ticks several boxes – it looks good, is made from 1.2-1.4mm leather, and has CE armour. Slip it on with some designer jeans for a gastro-pub-friendly ensemble.” (June 2007)

Rating: 92%

Richa ThorCost: £229.99Contact: 01425 273344Dave says: “A casual jacket designed to look the part. The style is bang-on and, even better, it looks expensive. I’ve never owned a

fi ner piece of ale-supping vesture.” (June 2007)

Rating: 92%

Alpinestars Stunt Cost: £279.99Contact: 0039 04235286Simon says: “I took one look at it and had to have it. It did the business when I had a high-speed get-off in Spain. A slight graze to the leather was all the jacket suffered.” (March 2006)

Rating: 87%

¡Gloves Held Phantom Cost: £130.40Contact: 01283 820508JP says: “They hit the deck and went down the road, with me inside, at roughly 100mph. I got away with the crash scot-free – no marks or bruising on my hands at all. Quality kit.” (January 2007)

Rating: 95%

Berik KangarooCost: £126Contact: 01773 864420JP says: “They look great and they feel safe as houses. The hard armour and Keprotec padding across the knuckles fi ts comfortably without any pressure points.” (March 2006)

Rating: 91%

Spidi 3 CompositeCost: £99.99Contact: 01536 526460Kenny says: “They’ve got great feel. I can type with these on! Marco Melandri races with the same design because he likes the feel too.” (November 2005)

Rating: 91%

Arlen Ness TitaniumCost: £899.99Contact: 01773 864420

JP says: “A proper, riding-kit-testing

‘big one’ at well over 100mph. That’s what I’ve conveniently

done for you. I walked away literally scott-free, without a blemish on me. The titanium patches did their job of helping me slide rather than grip and fl ip.” (December 2006)

Rating: 97%

XPD XP5RCost: £179.99Contact: 01536 526460Kenny says: “These are an out-and-out track boot with a stuff sole and a snug fi t. For my money, these are the best compromise between a clodhopping heavy boot and something that’s too light and fl exy.” (October 2005)

Rating: 90%

Dainese TraxCost: £229.99Contact: 01438 317038Dave says:“Teamed up with jeans, the Trax has been my number-one choice for short summer trips. It may look like a fashion garment but this jacket is properly protective too.”(August 2006)

Rating: 92%

Wolf Kangaroo SportCost: £99Contact: 01773 864420Simon says: “These waif-like gloves offer tremendous feel and decent protection. At £99, they’re great value, too, wearing well after six months.” (June 2007)

Rating: 93%Suomy Extreme PowerCost: £399Contact: 01933 410272Jayne says: “I think it’s the most comfortable helmet I currently use, although it’s also the loudest. The virtually perfect fi t, washable liner and fl ashy paint-job get full marks, but the fi ddly visor change gets sent to the back of the class.”Rating: 90%

sb.oct.96.db.indd 92 6/8/07 17:10:03

TheWeise Sophie jacket.For womenwho want toride their own ride andmake their own choices.

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P093_SBIKE_OCT07.indt 1 2/8/07 12:54:52


Two months ago you may remember we talked about what the bike

does under extreme braking conditions, and we promised to look at the rear suspension, so here it is.

To do this we need to turn our attention to our favourite things, corners. But what is a corner? If you’re anything like me you’ve probably pictured a 90° bend, which isn’t a bad place to start. It’s important to pin down what the bike is doing at different stages of a corner so we can make meaningful changes to our suspension set-up.

One way is to redefi ne your idea of apexes. If we drew

some corners you can easily mark the apex with an ‘X’.

But what if I took a different line through a corner? Where would the apex be

then? Who’s apex is the real one? From that, we can say corners don’t have apexes, lines do. 20 different lines around the same corner will generate 20 different apexes. In short, the apex of a corner is intrinsically linked to you and the bike - not a certain point on the

inside of the corner.

Throttle pointPerhaps even more useful than that, the apex of a line tends to be linked to throttle position. More specifi cally, the point around the fi rst

one per cent throttle opening. When looking at data, this means you can identify apexes extremely easily, and with good consistency.

The reason this moment in time is useful in defi ning ‘our’ corner is that it’s fairly free from other forces like braking and acceleration. If you’re just getting on the throttle you’re very unlikely to still be braking, so there should be no extra load on the forks. Equally, that fi rst one per cent throttle opening

isn’t enough to accelerate the bike meaningfully—so there’s no extra load on the rear either. The only forces we fi nd acting on the suspension, other than bumps, are those generated through lean—and that tells us a lot about how the bike is balanced and what it feels like.

So, imagine your favourite corner and picture yourself right at the apex (just about to open the throttle). Now freeze everything and get off the bike. How was it handling? Did the weight distribution feel

even? Was it stable? Was there enough grip? There are loads of questions we could ask here, but let’s assume for a minute that you felt the front was a bit ‘tucky’—what might cause that?

Rule of thumbBecause we’re off the bike and everything is frozen, we can actually have a look at the suspension travel. And we might measure the forks to fi nd they’re compressed 80mm. Now let’s measure the rear travel (at the shock, not the wheel), which

AThe answer to the fi rst part of your question

is – adjustability. With a stepped preload adjuster, found on many OE shocks, you have around 7-10 different positions to set the preload. This is normally done with a C-spanner in the bike’s toolkit. However, they are tricky to use you will end up skinning your knuckles!

Depending on which way you turn the collar you increase or decrease the preload by the height of the step.

Threaded collars (there are normally two that lock together to stop them moving), have the advantage of being highly adjustable. They’re normally on a 1.5mm pitch thread, so one full rotation of the collar changes the preload by 1.5mm. Half a turn makes 0.75mm difference and so on.

The problem with both methods is access. There aren’t many bikes where you can easily and accurately adjust the preload and this is where hydraulic adjusters come in. You’ll see either a remote unit or one on the shock body with an adjuster knob. When you turn the adjuster you change the preload. Normally, one full turn of the adjuster changes the preload by 0.5mm and can add around 10-12mm.

If the spring is fi tted when the hydraulic adjuster is at the half-way point, you can add or remove 5-6mm of preload quickly and accurately. It doesn’t matter which method you use, and simply comes down to preference. Once you’ve accurately set the preload and are happy with it, you shouldn’t need to adjust it much unless you make major changes to the bike.

QI’m thinking about buying a replacement rear shock for my bike

in the next few months. Is there actually any difference between a stepped preload adjuster and threaded collars; and do I need a hydraulic preload adjuster?

Adam Courtney, email.

REAL WORLD SUSPENSION SET-UP

Every month suspension guru Bob Gray sorts out your set-up woes

CORNERINGSUSPENSION

FOCUS ON

In previous months we’ve been reminding ourselves that no matter how in-depth we get, it’s vital to go back and check the basics every now and then. This month Bob returns to more in-depth scenariosWords: Bob Gray Pics: Graeme Brown

SBIKE.oct.P94.set-up.indd 94 10/8/07 15:39:35


turns out to be 14mm. It won’t be immediately obvious – but that’s not enough.

When measuring balance, there’s a rule of thumb that seems to work for most bikes, which is a ratio of around 2:1. To use this, you double the rear suspension travel and divide the front travel by the result. So, fork travel ÷ (2 x rear travel) = ratio. At the moment when you’re tapping on the throttle the ratio between front and rear should be around 2:1 (actually it varies with riding style and

bike between 1.8:1 and 2:1). In our example above this means 80mm ÷ 28mm = 2.86.

While the ratio tells us the bike is pitched forwards too much (bigger numbers mean more pitching forwards), it doesn’t tell us why. After all, it could be the front travel is too great or the rear travel is too little, so we also need to look at the physical values. In this case the rear is too little. Broadly, values around 60-90mm (depending on the corner) are correct for the front, which give

a target rear value of 15-23mm at the rear (target value = front travel ÷ ratio ÷ 2).

As we’ve run out of space, I’ll look at what this means to you and how it affects your bike next month. But you should be starting to think about suspension differently, especially what it is doing and how it feels at the apex of every corner on your regular ride.

Next MonthContinuing; how to calculate spring rate changes

THE APEX: WHAT’S GOING ON?Take 20 different riders and you’ll get 20 different lines (and apexes) through any corner. To defi ne your corner apex note the point at which you are opening the throttle by one per cent. Your bike should be free from braking forces and any meaningful acceleration at this point so suspension has no extra load other than that generated through lean (and bumps). You can therefore learn a lot about how well your bike suspension is balanced at the apex of a corner.

USPENSION SET-UP

CORNERINGSUSPENSION

COMPRESSION DAMPING (eg 11 clicks out)

A circuit used to control damping force during low-velocity compression movement. Basically, oil is displaced through a hole as the unit compresses. The adjuster looks like a tapered needle that is screwed in and out of the hole. The further into the hole (ie 0 clicks out), the harder it is for oil to pass, and the greater the damping force for a given velocity. Note: it is of vital importance to understand the difference between travel and velocity when talking about damping.

PRELOAD (eg 10mm)

The difference between a spring’s free length, and its fi tted length when the control unit is fully extended. If you were to pack a spring into a box that wasn’t quite long enough, you would be preloading the spring. Preload is used to adjust how much travel is used when a control unit is placed under a certain load. Preload does not alter the stiffness of a spring – although it will give you the impression that the spring is stiffer.

REBOUND DAMPING (eg 14 clicks out)

Same as compression damping, but applies when the control unit is extending. As a rule of thumb, you should normally have less rebound damping than compression.

SPRING RATE (eg 10kg/mm -10kg per millimetre)

Indicates how stiff the spring is. Spring rates are normally described in a way that indicates how much force is required to compress them by a given amount. The same additional force will compress the spring by that amount regardless of how much it is already compressed.

HIGH/LOW-SPEED DAMPING[1] A secondary adjuster available on some shocks

and forks. Allows the user to adjust the damping force of the main stack.[2] The main damping inside the control unit. This controls the damping once the low-speed circuit has choked. It is normally adjusted with shims that defl ect as oil pushes past them. It can be adjusted, but requires the control unit to be disassembled.

SAG/STATIC SAG (eg 15mm)

Dictates how much wheel travel is used when the bike is sat under its own weight. It’s affected by weight, spring rate and preload, but preload is used to set it at the correct point. If a bike had no sag, the suspension would be fully topped-out when the bike was on the fl oor.

STROKE (eg 120mm)

Almost the same as travel. Stroke is normally used to indicate the full range of a control unit (ie the fork has a stroke of 0-120mm), where travel is normally used to indicate a point in the stroke (ie the fork has used 40mm of its travel).

TRAVEL (eg 100mm, see Stroke)

When a control unit is fully extended it has used zero travel.

IT’S ONLY WORDS

JARGONBUSTER!

Don’t know your preload from your rising rate? Us neither. These extracts from the A-Z of suspension should help

SBIKE.oct.P94.set-up.indd 95 10/8/07 15:39:46

ALAN DOWDS’


TEST OF TIME...REAL WORLD

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

I’ve been using Spidi kit for years, and I reckon it’s got one of the best blends of

design and performance on the market. And this First jacket certainly ticks the ‘design’ box. As a top-line all-round textile jacket, it has a waterproof breathable lining, full CE armour in elbows, shoulders and back, and removable thermal liner that doubles as a nice wee black neoprene-y cardigan. The outer shell feels slightly stretchy, adding comfort, and there are plenty of pockets, with waterproof zips. There’s also a document pocket on a cord that’s totally waterproof. It looks great

in this yellow, although it does get dirty easily, and you can also choose from orange or black. It’s practical, comfy and feels like a high-quality piece of kit.

It’s not perfect though. On one really long, really rainy day’s riding recently, I had a couple of damp patches on my t-shirt which looked like they’d come in through the front pocket zips. It’s been fi ne on other less wet days, but I did feel a little let down. I’m asking Spidi if there’s a problem with my jacket, and will report on what

ON TEST FOR: Six months COSTS: £369.99 CONTACT: 01536 526460 www.spidi.com

¡SPIDI FIRST JACKET

ON TEST FOR: Three months COSTS: £49.99 CONTACT: 01933 410272 www.frank-thomas.co.uk¡FRANK THOMAS SPRINT SPORT GLOVES

SUPERBIKE

RATING

8/ 10

SUPERBIKE

RATING

6/ 10

When I fi rst put these on more than three months ago I was really impressed with the fi t and the feel.

They have kangaroo skin covering the palm area and this gives excellent feel on the bike, even for doing up zips on clothes and fastening my helmet too. However there’s some strange rubber wrap around on the little fi nger which is annoying as it restricts the amount my little fi nger can curl around the bar. The stretch panels on the fi ngers and palm are good as they are placed in areas that receive more friction/vibration from the bars, so they add to the padding without reducing feel. The cuff closure is pretty strong, but the wrist strap as usual on smaller sized gloves hasn’t been scaled down accordingly and when adjusted to fi t my wrists, the velcro is only just clinging on to the edge and the excess strap sticks out and attaches itself to anything fl uffy. The cuff is tiny and while it may fi t over a very

snug fi tting jacket, I’ve never managed it yet so they always have to be tucked inside. The main problem I have had with them has been the construction. The stitching came apart between the fi ngers on the right glove after six weeks so I sent them back, they were repaired and returned to me with assurances that this is a rarety. I have since inspected the stitching around all of the gloves seams and they really don’t look as neat as some of the other gloves I wear. It may be they are a one-off in this respect so I would still recommend the gloves, but make sure you really examine the stitching closely before you buy.

JAYNE TOYNE’S

used stuff oct.HR.indd 96 9/8/07 16:16:54


ON TEST FOR: Seven months COSTS: £74.99 CONTACT: 01264 369922 www.acumen-electronics.co.uk

¡ACUMEN PLATINUM DUAL BATTERY CHARGER

ON TEST FOR: Eight months COSTS: £482 CONTACT: www.feridax.com

¡SHOEI X-SPIRIT KIYONARI REPLICA

KENNY PRYDE’S

¡FRANK THOMAS SPRINT SPORT GLOVES

If you’re like me, you’ll have various elderly car and bike batteries lying about your lock-up, waiting to be dragged into action for jump-starts, powering tyre compressors,

or running the house off a massive inverter during a power cut. But how to keep these batteries all charged? You quickly

end up with loads of chargers, all daisy-chained together like some sort of Frankenstein’s experiment. So this Acumen

dual-output charger slotted perfectly into my shed set-up. It has a pair of smart charger outputs, so you can keep two batteries on independent monitored trickle charge, as well as recovering nearly-dead ones. More normal garages might use it to keep a track bike and a second car juiced up. It’s tough and well made, comes with plenty of connector options for permanent or temporary charging, and a neat wall bracket. Recommended.

SUPERBIKE

RATING

9/ 10

The X-Spirit is one of the lightest lids on the market (this Medium with visor ‘tips’ the digital scales at 1,313g – go and weigh

yours now). It’s stable in the wind blast and it’s got deep, lustrous paint with a nice bit of silver fl ake in the black paint. It’s got the easiest visor removal system on planet bike helmet, it’s got removable cheek pads and it fi ts my skull like a fur-lined latex glove. OK, like a breathable, less clammy, fur-lined latex

glove. It fi ts me really well everywhere across

the temple, at the nose and at the cheeks. Actually,

you can get this lid custom fi tted by getting more

or less chunky cheek pads

which press-stud in. It is quite a narrow lid at the

front, which suits me fi ne and the padding hasn’t compressed in any signifi cant way over the test period, so the fi t hasn’t changed. I reckon it’s not as prone to fogging as the Shoei XR-1000 I wear and the pinlock takes care of that anyway on cold, wet days. It’s hard to fault – there aren’t even any stone chips in the paint, the strap hasn’t frayed, the plastic tabs are all still intact on the double-D strap, the rubber visor trim is still totally unperished and fi rmly fi xed. See? I’m trying to fi nd fault. Actually, since it’s a Ryuichi Kiyonari replica I have to say that I feel let down because I have felt no Kiyonari-skills leaching into my brain since I’ve been wearing it. Worra swizz!

ALAN DOWDS’

SUPERBIKE

RATING

9/ 10

used stuff oct.HR.indd 97 9/8/07 16:17:15


First things fi rst; unless you’ve been really stupid, don’t be too hard on yourself when you crash. Once the

dust has settled, hopefully you’ll fi nd the only things broken are made of metal or plastic and you can learn from your mistake.

If you’ve managed to fall off without involving a third party, at a trackday like editor Kenny did with his CBR600RR here, it might be worth looking at repairing it yourself. That way your no claims bonus remains intact and you don’t incur the hefty cost of workshop labour rates. Using a reputable breakers will save money, especially when replacing brackets, wiring looms and fasteners, the

prices of which can mount up alarmingly. Fitting them yourself (with the aid of a Haynes manual) will save no end of cash, while helping you get over the crash.

But you need to start at the beginning by looking at exactly what is broken and what can be repaired. Can the bodywork be patched-up? Maybe it’s time to get the race-rep custom paint job you’ve been hankering after? What about replacing the damaged parts with some aftermarket parts such as a double-bubble screen, adjustable rearsets and some fancy clip-ons? You

never know, it might turn a negative into a positive and give you a better bike than you started with.

WORKSHOPREAL WORLD

Crashed your bike? We hope you’re fi ne but what about the bike? How much damage is done? Where do you start with that broken and dripping wreck you’ve just created? Workshop Dave guides you through it

1 The fi rst thing to do is

remove any broken and

leaking parts. Front brake

master cylinder reservoirs are

favourite. Seal the open ends of

any pipe work, in preparation

to stop water ingress in step 2.

2 Your bike will look at its

worse with sods of grass

and mud hanging off it. Before

you start tearing in with the

spanners, give the bike a clean,

preferably starting with a jet

wash to blast the compacted

mud out of all the nooks

and crannies.

3It’s now time to start

a parts list. List all the

visibly damaged parts using

two columns: one for parts

that need replacing, the

second for the stuff that

can be repaired.

4 It’s surprising how far

dirt and stones get

WHAT’S THE DAMAGE?

into a bike when crashed.

Remove the bodywork and

give the bike a second, more

thorough, jet wash. Have a

sponge, brushes and some

soapy water on hand to get

rid of any mud, shite and

grass stains that may hide

further damage.

5Once clean and dry,

carry on with your list,

removing any bent or broken

parts as you go. Check the

wiring where it may have

been crushed or stretched,

check hoses for leaks and

brackets that may have been

bent. Check your wheels

and discs are straight. Use

a straight edge or pointer

mounted off a fork leg or

swinging arm. Any grass,

mud or stones trapped

between the wheel rim and

tyre bead require the tyre(s)

to be removed and checked

for damage.

*Foot pegsVulnerable, and generally take a pasting. New OE can be pricey, so posh aftermarket ones may be a better choice

*Pricey New swingarms cost a fortune, but used arms are cheap. This damaged bobbin mount looks almost cosmetic, but you’d best replace the arm

“You need to start at the beginning

by looking at exactly what is

broken and what can be repaired”

The original damage occurred when Kenny’s tyre went off at Snetterton

*Crash bungsThe chaos of a crash means they’re not always 100 per cent effective, but generally help. This R&G one is now fi t for the skip. Clutch cover’s ok though!

SB.oCT,p98.wshop.FIN 98 9/8/07 17:40:29


¡Use a fi nger from a rubber glove and an elastic band or cable tie to seal the open ends of hoses when cleaning.

¡Stretch a rubber glove or plastic freezer bag over damaged/leaking casings and seal with tape to save the engine getting fi lled with water, especially when using a jet wash.

¡A cheap jet wash can be had for less than £50 from your local DIY store. Come the winter, a quick rinse will help remove road salt too. Avoid blasting the grease out of wheel, head and swing arm bearings though.

¡Don’t consign broken parts to the bin too soon. You may need them for part numbers, bodywork for paint codes and to help check you have the right replacement parts for your bike.

¡You don’t want stones trapped between the swingarm pivot and engine casings, so remove them with a screwdriver. Similarly, check engine mounts for the same.

¡Store all nuts and bolts in a compartmented tray or box. Take pictures of anything that may be a bit fi ddley to put back together.

¡Give your brakes a good bleed through. Air can be introduced to the system even if the bike’s just been on its side.

6 Remove the airbox lid and

check for dirt, stones and

dust. Some tape over the inlet

trumpets will be a good idea if

you have to remove the fi lter

and clean the box.

7Use a straight edge

across the yoke faces to

see if they‘re bent. If you have

any doubts, remove them and

lay them on a fl at surface (a

mirror will do fi ne). If there’s

any rocking movement,

they’re bent. The same applies

to handlebars. Remove the

chrome tubes and roll on a

fl at surface. Bent ones will

wobble and need fi xed.

8 Check for head bearing

play. With a severe

enough impact to the forks, the

head tube can be distorted, or

stretched by the bearing cups.

Try adjusting them fi rst though.

If you’re not sure, remove the

yokes and do a visual check.

9 Loosen your front

engine mounts. If the

bolts are tight or bent, or if

the frame is under tension,

there’s a fair chance that

your frame is bent. Remove

the bolts and check the

hole alignment and frame

to engine mount clearance

by eye. A few choice

measurements from the

front wheel spindle to engine

mounts (using a straight

bike as comparison) should

give you a clue. Get it on

a frame jig if you have

any doubts.

10 Get on the phone

and order your

parts. Have a think about

how the spares guy (or

girl) will see them on

their screen. Having them

jumping from engine to

chassis then bodywork

pages won’t help making

you best friends.

*Controls Levers, bars and throttles can all be twisted, bent, cracked or fi lled with mud. A slightly bent lever isn’t the end of the world, although if the ball end breaks it’s an MOT fail. Check and clean carefully

*Bodywork The most fragile and easiest damage to spot. Cosmetic stuff can be patched up with duct tape and cable ties if you need your bike to get to work tomorrow. Then it’s plastic welding, race bodywork and ringing the paint shop

DAVE SMITH’SWORKSHOP

TIPS

*Brakes Two potential nasties with bust brakes – getting mud, water or air into the system, and getting spilt brake fl uid onto undamaged plastic bits, ruining them. Pay particular attention when sorting out

SB.oCT,p98.wshop.FIN 99 9/8/07 17:40:39


■ Avon tyres01225 703101

STAFF BIKESREAL WORLD

In days of olde, a Grand Tour was rite of

passage for young British aristocrats. Crossing the channel at Dover, the young fop would travel around Europe taking in the cultures and pastimes for months, eventually returning to dear old Blighty a sophisticated and learned being.For a modern biker, a Grand Tour of Europe can still be a rite of passage, although it’s doubtful that you’ll become any more urbane. So when I received an invitation to go to Lake Garda on the Triumph Street Triple launch, I decided to leave the queues at Stansted to the plebs. I was going to ride down on the BMW Arse Port. Then to top it all off, I got another invitation, this time to the BMW Motorrad Days sausage and stein shindig in Garmisch-Partenkirchen for the day after the Triumph do.

TuesdayPick the bike up from Vines of Guildford after having a service and a set of BMW’s panniers fi tted. They look the business and are incredibly practical, well thought out with a Tardis-like capacity.

WednesdayThe Eurotunnel is the easiest way to travel abroad, with trains running frequently and smoothly. I then fl y down the A26, heading for my night’s stop in Dijon – the same destination as a dirty big rain cloud that parks itself over the pretty French town. I get soaked, but the Prexport waterproofs, Oxtar Gore-Tex boots and Beemer panniers work perfectly. ThursdayI reckon on being in Lake Garda by mid-afternoon, so I plan a route avoiding motorways, factoring in a lot of fun. The weather isn’t great, but the recently fi tted Avon Storm ST’s are up to

the job. After spending far too long skirting around Lake Geneva in the towns of Lausanne and Montreux, I head for the hills quick smart, aiming for the amazing Grimselpass and Furkapass – what a top Furka it was too.After that, I spend 18km in the St Gottard tunnel before winding my way down to Italy. It’s gone 3pm so any notion of further exploration is banished in favour of getting to the Triumph gig this side of midnight. I ride as hard as I dare to Lake Garda, just catching dinner at the hotel. Thirteen hours in the saddle.

FridayAfter larking around all day on the crazy Street Triple, I zoom up the E45 motorway into Austria to Garmisch. A couple of accidents mean I have to wind my way to the

German resort in the dark, eventually fi nding the hotel at 11pm.

SaturdayThe BMW Motorrad Days event is much like a BMF show with added dignity. It’s good, the highlight of the day being the Chris Pfeiffer stunt show. But it’s when dusk falls that it really starts to get interesting. It’s one massive piss-up involving huge steins of beer and lots of foxy women. Four or fi ve of these (steins? – Ed.) and I fi nd myself up on a table jumping up and down to a cracking covers band. It doesn’t sound like my sort of thing, but it’s a rocking night.

SundayAfter shaking off the hangover by two, I start to make my way home, in the company of Scott

from BMW and a few other journos. A rubbish ride in the wet takes us to Hockenheim. About 250 miles are covered in six hours – crap, but given our mental state, this was as good as it was going to get.

MondayThe remaining 400 miles to Calais are uneventful, apart from me unwittingly setting fi re to one of the bikes at a fuel stop. No biggy, though, so on with the riding, dispatching Germany, Belgium and France with ease, eventually getting home at 8pm after more than 2,200-miles of hard riding.

The Beemer was magnifi cent throughout, not missing a beat and offering good performance, decent fuel economy and caring, cosseting comfort. Hail the Arse Port!

SIMON ROOTS’ BMW K1200R SPORT

“I decided to ride down to

Lake Garda on the Arse Port,

then to the BMW shindig in

Garmisch”

■ TOTAL MILES DONE: 9,054 ■ MODS: New luggage system, new smells

SB

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

CONTACTS

● Pictured above is the winding Furkapass in Switzerland.

Don’t miss it if you’re in the area!“In the middle picture I’m eating a Giant Pretzel-thing that the Germans love. They’re really salty and I think that’s why they can drink so much,” explains Simon.

¡

longtermers2.HR_oct07.indd 100 8/8/07 16:50:38

The New ContiRace Attack and ContiRace Attack Comp are the latest cutting-edge performance design statements to come

from Conti motorcycle. Building on the design success of the ContiRoad and Sport Attacks, the new ContiRace Attack utilises

Continuous Compound-Technology, which makes it possible to use an homogeneous single compound thanks to a temperature

controlled curing of the tyre, which in turn allows for specific grip functions in the specific places that the grip is needed.

The Shoulder area uses flexible Grip for extreme cornering, the Zenith area has high wear resistance to increase mileage and

durability and the most important characteristic is smooth continuous transition over the complete contact area. The ContiRace

Attack uses the sensational “Black Chilli” compound and 0 degree, steel belt construction on the front and rear for higher

stability when braking and accelerating out of corners and uniformity of feedback. Innovative Attack-family tread pattern with a

progressive growing slick area in the shoulder for more control and grip. The ContiRace Attack Comp is a high performance

race tyre available in various compounds for the perfect adaptation to different track and racing conditions.

ContiRace Attack, Track Taming Technology.

Fe

ar n

o T

ra

ck

The Uber Sport radial from Continental featuring the special unique compound “Black Chilli” which gives the tyre the highest grip capability in its class without sacrificing durability. The ContiSport Attack uses an activated silica agent to give Uber fast warm up and ensure sure footed wet weather handling response. The profile allows the highest angle of lean available in its class at 50.8 degrees combined with 300kmph autobahn tested arrow straight stability. Road Taming Technology from Continental

What the press say about theThese tyres are going to surprise everyone and maybe even put a few noses out of joint. More realistically, I doubt if you could fault them for road use in any conditions”. Simon Bowen, TWO Magazine

“The fact is I did hundreds of miles on these tyres, on different types of roads, a dry test track, a wet test track and even a 45 degree banked oval and they stood up to it all better than a road tyre has any right to do. If a Suzuki GSX-R1000 can’t beat a rear tyre into oblivion or a Yamaha R6 can’t demolish a front after all that then we all need to re-think our views on this German brand”. Jon Pearson, Superbike

Magazine

Fear no Road

The Conti Road Attack has been winning new fans since its launch and has proved to be a truly impressive sports-touring tyre, impressive enough to convince BMW to put their flagship tourer on Conti Road Attacks. The all season, all weather ContiRoad Attack is the perfect compliment to any contemporary bike The ContiRoad Attack delivers on every level, from its formidable grip and sure footed braking capabilities, to its balance and durability.

Conti Trail Attack

The ContiTrail Attack is a direct development from the ContiRoad Attack radial. Using all the formidable technology that has made the Attack radial family unrivalled in modernmotorcycle tyres The ContiTrail Attack compliments the urban style of modern adventure bikes without any compromiseon road durability or performance

ContiRoad Attackbest for big trailies!

“Bike” magazine 07

www.conti-tyres.co.uk

New for 07

New for 07

P101_SBIKE_OCT07.indt 1 1/8/07 14:02:21


■ Performance Parts 01788 869100www.performanceparts-ltd.com■ B&C Express01522 791369www.bandcexpress.co.uk■ Skidmarx01305 780808www.skidmarx.co.uk■ Pirelli0845 6094949www.pirellimoto.co.uk


I have a real psychological barrier at

times when I am riding. In my mind, the tyres aren’t gripping and the suspension is too hard or soft for me to push it. Sometimes the brakes feel wooden or spongy. It’s all the excuses under the sun when your mates are stuffi ng you on a trackday, but it really does have an effect on how I and some of you will ride. The ZX-6R is the fi rst bike in ages that has

changed that for me. It’s not perfect by all means, especially in the engine department. But the suspension and chassis work so well together, and coupled with some stonkingly grippy tyres from Pirelli, I am riding a bike that I feel totally at ease with.

One for the roadOn the road where I ride most of the time, I have been chucking it about like I want to crash it.

But it won’t. In my head. I can gas it hard on a roundabout or fast sweepy corners and it simply drives in the most svelte, unsettling way only a well-prepped race bike should. I have total confi dence in the bike, and this is a good thing for me.

I even look for drain covers and gravel in the road (as it’s been raining, in case you haven’t noticed), to push the bike further and get it moving around in some sick-in-

the-head, I-want-to-die kinda way. But it’s fun and it’s making my time with the ZX all the more rewarding.

Rubber delightThe Pirelli Supercorsas have contributed in a big way. They grip like shit on a blanket from the off and this is contributing to the confi dence factor.

All I need now is a hot sunny trackday to put all this to the test. Rossi you loser, I’ll ‘ave ya!

So the Akrapovic has at last been fi tted. It was a bugger and no mistake taking the stock one off. You have to strip down most of the bike to get at it, but follow the instructions and it’s not that bad. I mean I did it meself fercrissakes! It’s a two-man job to fi t the Akky tho and the ever helpful, although slightly stagnant, Dave Smith was on hand. It looks good and weighs six kilos less than the stocker. And it’s loud. 109db to be exact. Too much for our trackday so a quick fi x with the supplied baffl e had it down to a totally respectable 103db. Time has been against me so the Power Commander

is still waiting to be fi tted, which means the ZX is running slightly rich. Next month some power fi gures to see the benefi ts of fi tting a full race system.The Renthal chain and sprocket kit has helped the acceleration although not to what I was hoping for. It goes like it should out of the crate now, but maybe one tooth less on the front would have been better than two on the rear.Coupled with the Akky going on at the same time, the ZX-6R is a more exciting ride with better low and midrange power. And the extra noise makes you ride faster for some reason…

FITTED UP

NEIL HANDLEY’S KAWASAKI ZX6R

“The suspension and chassis

work so well together, and coupled with

grippy tyres, I am riding a bike

I feel at ease with”

■ TOTAL MILES DONE: 1,205 ■ MODS: Akrapovic full system, skidmarx screen, Pirelli Supercorsa tyres, Renthal sprockets and Tsubaki chain


CONTACTS

● The best way to unleash a bit of acceleration from the traffi c

lights and out of corners? By playing around with the gearing of course! It’s cheap as chips and easy to do too.

¡

● Swapping the stock silencer with an Akrapovic end can means less

weight, more power, much more noise and improved looks. Way to go!

¡

SB


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Good things continue in the form of some trick stubby levers from Pazzo. Available in loads of colours and fi ttings, they have a neat click-adjusting system, and feel much better than the large, ungainly stock levers. Weird, but true… The Pazzo levers come from the US, and are another

premium product, with a suitably steep price: £129 for the pair from www.speedycom.co.uk.

Finally, I decided on some more dramatic mods. Someone was talking about nitrous systems the other week, so I called my old mate Sean at Big CC Racing to see if he fancied fi tting the Triple

out with some laughing gas. Easy, declared Berkshire’s Baron of BHP, and the Triple was packed off to the Big CC workshop in Wokingham, with a pair of Micron Beta silencers (£549.98 titanium, £399.98) to be bolted on at the same time. I’m not sure exactly what to expect, but I’ll tell all next issue…

While the Speed Triple is off being Big CC’d at Wokingham, the mighty Burgman is easily taking the strain. At 3,600 miles, the rear tyre is well-squared off, and I have a new pair of Bridgestone Battlax TH01 hoops ready to go on. The next service isn’t until 7,500 miles, but I’ve had to top up the engine oil since the 600-mile service. From what I’ve read on the Burgman forum – www.burgmanusa.com – the big scoot does like a a drink of oil, so it’s one to to keep an eye on.

ALAN DOWDS’ TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE

“There’s a long list of tweaks,

major and minor, that can

make your bike even more

‘yours’”

■ TOTAL MILES DONE: 700 ■ MODS: Pazzo stubby brake and clutch levers, micron pipes, Triumph tail grab

SB


The real fun of owning a bike comes from

several things. The pleasure of ownership, building a relationship with the machine, fi nding its strengths and weaknesses. And personalising it to suit your needs. Sure, most modern bikes come damn-near perfect out of the box, but there’s a long list of tweaks – both major and minor – that can make your bike even more ‘yours’.

The Speed Triple isn’t mine, of course. But as the long term keeper of it, it feels like it is. The mods this month are mostly minor in nature, but there are now some big plans in the pipeline.

First up were some Triumph offi cial parts (they’re all on the excellent Triumph website). The Hinckley fi rm is struggling to keep up with demand for some parts, like the gorgeous Arrow three-into-one race pipe. But I managed to source a carbon rear mini-hugger (£159.99) and a neat grab rail (£79.99). They’re not cheap, the hugger especially, but are suitably offi cial and well made. The grab rail gives the poor passenger something to hold onto, and supplements the meagre luggage-strapping facilities a treat too. The high-quality hugger is hidden behind the pipes, but will help keep some grime off the rear monoshock, which is a good thing.

BURG-MAD

● The expensive mini-hugger will shield the even more expensive

rear shock from crud, so it’ll last longer and the extra dosh you’ve just spent will be worth it. Plus a splattering of carbon on the bike looks smart.

¡

CONTACTS

I was hoping for some SB trackday revenge at Cadwell on the Triple – the Lincs track would suit the natty naked Trumpet more than Snetterton, and should have given a few GSX-Rs more of

a run. But my plans were scuppered by our sadly defunct Sprinter van. The motor blew big style en route to the track, so no Cadwell for me. Will Oulton Park work out? Find out next month…

VAN BLOW-UP

■ Pazzo levers: www.speedycom.co.uk■ Micron www.micronexhausts.com■ Big CC www.bigccracing.co.uk



■ Talon01935 471508www.talon-eng.co.uk■ Thompson GRP Ltd023 8020 7778■ Bikers discount store01256 703593www.bikersdiscountstore.comwww.speedohealer.com


Finally, my fi rst trackday of the year arrived. I

endured four hours in the van with Neil and Dave to get there, I spooned myself into my one-piece leathers for the fi rst time in months and ventured out to do some sighting laps around Cadwell. It all came fl ooding back like it was only a few weeks rather than a few years ago since I last went there. I really do love Cadwell,

with its corner after corner of complexity, but the rekindled love affair was cut short by rain after just two sessions. It came down in bucketfuls and the track turned into a sporty duck pond. I sat in the van and watched. And waited. Five hours later, the sun came out with its hat on, and I decided to redeem the day by riding home instead of taking the van. It turned out to be one of

the most enjoyable rides of the year so far. The Suzuki provided the in-fl ight entertainment, courtesy of the one-tooth-smaller front-sprocket change, making it accelerate better through and out of corners. Changing sprockets has got to be one of the most noticeable improvements you can do to a bike for the least amount of money. Of course, the speedo is a bit out of whack now, and

it’s annoying not knowing exactly how fast (or slow) I’m going.

With all the commuting miles I’ve racked up – especially with so many being in seriously wet conditions – the bike is in need of a little servicing TLC, particularly the chain. It’s started to become snatchy and not the smooth, tight, well-oiled chain of just two months ago.

The holes on the new hugger had to be trimmed with a round fi le to make them match the corresponding lugs on the bike. It took a few minutes to get a good fi t, and we had to remove the wheel to get one of the nuts in. A bit of a faff really. Fitting the chain-guard, on the other hand, was a doddle. The hugger is longer than the standard

one, and both parts look good and seem to be doing a better job than the originals.

HUGGER

JAYNE TOYNE’S SUZUKI GSX-R600 ■ TOTAL MILES DONE: 4,727 ■ MODS: Hugger, chainguard, smaller front sprocket, Speedo Healer

SB


● Jayne chose to downgear the GSX-R600 by taking a tooth off

the front sprocket, which is more or less equivalent to adding two teeth to the rear. Changing the gearing can transform a bike’s performance, although it’ll put the speedo out.

¡

CONTACTS

I’ve been sent a speedo-healer to plug in to the bike to make the speedo accurate after the sprocket change. After reading the instructions, I had to call someone for reassurance I hadn’t woken up in an alternative dimension, such was the complexity of the mathematical bollocks I was confronted with. In fact, all I needed to do is borrow a GPS to get an accurate speed reading, go to the Speedo Healer website, enter the numbers, and it’s all worked out for me. Simple.

“Changing sprockets has got to be one

of the most noticeable

improvements you can do to a bike for the

least amount of money”

SPEED THERAPY


■ Specialized www.specialized.com■ Rema Tip Topwww.tip-top.co.uk■ Peugeot Speedfi ght 201202 810200www.3xmotorcycles.net



While the damage to the ‘old’ CBR600RR

is being assessed, Honda has kindly supplied me with another bike. And this one is back for good. Unless I crash.

While bike-less, I rode Jon’s GSX-R1000 which was as staggering and mirth-inducing as only a pukka 170bhp-at-the-wheel sportsbike could be. A 600cc bike is a revvy bundle of joy, but a slightly tuned litre-bike takes the giggle factor to another level. Frankly, you feel like the king of the road, gazing around at, no, in fact, gazing down upon car users from your Olympian, power-crazed heights.

In fact, I’d say that

it’s easier to get on with a litre-bike on the road than it is on track, where it goes from funny to frightening in a very short space of track. I suppose that might boil down to me being lazy on the road and just rolling around on that tidal wave of torque, whereas on track you rev the beast as well. At which point it’s not just the tacho needle that’s heading for the outer limits…

Back on the scootAt the other end of the power band, I did a lot of riding on the Peugeot Speedfi ght 2 scooter, which was a big bundle of a different kind of laughs. Now, I appreciate that

KENNY PRYDE’S HONDA CBR600RR ■ TOTAL MILES DONE: 120 ■ MODS: Petrol refi ll

SB


CONTACTS

it takes a special kind of short commute for these machines to shine, but my shortest route is tailor-made for a 100cc two-stroke scoot. All you miss is a wee bit of grunt to get past cars cruising at 35mph. And there has to be a fi x for that: maybe a 125cc top end and a slightly more free-breathing exhaust? I’ll worry about that later.

Front-end issuesBack on the Honda, though, I’ve been knocked out all over again by the feeling that you can put the CBR600RR exactly where you want it. You can bend it to your will, so to speak; you know it can

take all manner of idiotic rider inputs from you, put up with your outrageous stopping and turning demands and still not moan… as long as you’ve warmed the tyres up fi rst, obviously.

And speaking of tyres, I managed to pick up a ‘serious’ front wheel puncture. It went from solidly infl ated to pan-fl at inside two miles. I realised something was up quickly enough. I sensed there was something ‘not right’ with the front end (it was my fi rst ride out on the ‘new’ CBR600RR) but I didn’t believe it was a puncture, since I have only had two in my riding career. But punctured it was…

TIP TOP SIR!A puncture is a pain but I suppose I was lucky since I was able to make it back home. What I didn’t have in my garage was a repair kit. So I pedalled off to get one – a Rema Tip Top kit, which cost £20. I’ve made no secret of my uselessness with spanners, but this was a piece of cake. I plugged the hole but was thankfully spared the use of the compressed air canister. Yes, there’s a lot to be said for the Specialized Air Tool Comp fl oor pump. Whaddya mean you don’t have one?

“Back on the Honda, though,

I’ve been knocked out

all over again by the feeling

that you can put the CBR600RR exactly where

you want it”

longtermers1.jt oct.db.indd 106 7/8/07 17:39:36

■ Metzeler tyreswww.metzelermoto.co.uk■ Micron www.micronexhausts.com■ Roby Moto: Race By Design01737 822412www.racebydesign.co.uk■ Skidmarx01305 780808www.skidmarx.co.uk



I’ve done a paltry few hundred miles on

the R1 this month. I can honestly say, I’ve never felt so much like emigrating. I clearly made a mistake with the Racetecs – for 90 per cent of the time, I would have been better off with a set of wets.

That’s not to say it’s been all bad. There were a few dry sessions to be had at our SuperBike track-day at Cadwell, which reminded me why the Lincolnshire circuit used to be one of my favourites. There are a few

places on the track where the penalties for getting it wrong are high, but the rewards for using all the track and being precise going from kerb to kerb are hard to beat.

Grip vs. feedback As ever, the excellent Metzeler Racetecs (the control tyres used by the national superstock championship) were just the ticket. Thanks again go to Simon and Scott at SnS Motorcycles for last-minute fi tment. What Tommy Hill said last month about his grippier

slicks giving less feedback makes real sense to me. I’ve not exactly done a stack of track riding this year, which doesn’t help, but I defi nitely feel a fair bit more confi dent on a part-worn tyre with a bit less grip than on a new ’un. It’s that old grip-feel chestnut that I’ve been banging on about again and again. I’d have to do a fair bit of track riding before it would be worth me having a set of slicks fi tted, I reckon.

The postie’s been reasonably busy for me this month. First up was a

DAVE SMITH’S YAMAHA YZF-R1 ■ TOTAL MILES DONE: 3,464 ■ MODS: Roby Moto rearsets, Micron end-cans, Skidmarx double-bubble screen, Metzeler Racetec tyres

CONTACTS

SB


● A pair of end-cans on the Goat’s bike can mean only

one thing – the full system was out of stock

¡

More Italian engineering this month comes in the form of these beauties. You can’t beat a solidly mounted set of footrests in my book (unless you’re going to be dropping it every fi ve minutes). Gear changes are now more positive, with proper bearings on the gear (and brake) lever pivots, and position-adjustment is a synch, using just one securing bolt, with a second plain-ended one as a locator. Strangely, there’s no facility for brake-lever adjustment. Having said that, I’d set it where it is anyway so it’s not exactly been a problem.

Since its fi rst incarnation way back in ‘98, the R1 has never been endowed with the largest of screens. The ‘07 bike has got the tallest screen thus far, but there’s still room for improvement.

On track, it’s now got something that’s actually worth tucking in behind. It has very little distortion, so it doesn’t feel like you’re on a 150mph acid trip. And it only took about fi ve minutes to fi t.

REARSETS

set of Micron end-cans. In an ideal world, I would have bolted on a full system, but, being one of the best systems available, it was temporarily out of stock. Bugger. As you’d expect with Micron, fi t and fi nish are spot on. I’m glad to say the mighty Yam now sounds like it should, and the arse dyno says it’s given a small power hike throughout the revs. I really do want to bin that cat, though. It’s like sitting on a bloody oven in traffi c. There’s a reason why the word cracksweat-tastic isn’t in the Oxford dictionary.

SCREEN

“I defi nitely feel a fair bit more confi dent on a part-worn tyre

with a bit less grip than on a

new ’un”


■ MAL01525 220151www.mal.biz■ Ermax UK 01522 697007 www.ermax.co.uk■ R&G 0870 2206380 www.rg-racing.com■ Hairy R’s ltd0870 240 1165 www.hairy-rs.com



JON PEARSON’S SUZUKI GSX-R1000■ TOTAL MILES DONE: 4,630 ■ MODS: Dunlop Qualifi er RR tyres, numberplate

CONTACTSSB


The rear-end of the bike was already looking smarter with the R&G tail tidy fi tted last month but now a new MAL number plate has completed the job. It’s 7.5 x 5.5, so not strictly legal but close

enough for me to feel happy the plod won’t notice. The difference it makes to the look of the bike is massive, though. I’m chuffed with the little ‘JP’ at the top of the plate and the SuperBike logo on the bottom, too.

K7 versus K6

I’ve been wanting to do this test for most

of 2007. The start of the year brought plenty of complaints from former K5/6 owners, disgruntled by their new K7’s performance. “I can’t wheelie it... It feels sluggish on the road... I have to change down to overtake”. Some questions needed answering. The trouble is, K5/6 models have been like gold dust in the dealers all year, so fi nding one has been a nightmare. Finally, our used-bike afi cionado Chris Moss wrestled one out of dealer D&K for long enough to do a test.

I got to do the best bit,

the track part of the test, and the differences are clear but not as big as you might imagine.

Fat but fi tYes, the K6 fi res out the corners better. It’s noticeably faster out of Charlies and onto the Park straight at Cadwell. But not long after you’ve shouted, “Get out the way, fatso” to the K7, it pisses all over you for the rest of the straight. And for the rest of the lap, in fact, because it has advantages other than just power. Despite my suspicions to the contrary, the new bike handles better too. Not by much, but – just like the power difference

– it’s noticeable over a whole lap that the K7 makes you faster with less effort. The short-term gains of the used bike are swallowed up over a full lap (or 20-minute track session), when the K7 proves itself. Check out Mossy’s new-versus-old test in the next issue.

Soft-edged successBack to my bike, then. The Dunlop Qualifi er RR tyres are really proving themselves through this mixed summer weather. I’m beginning to think dual-compound tyres like the Dunlops (also the Pirelli Diablo D3 and Michelin 2CT) offer, as

the term suggests, the best combination, for me at least. The centre compound of the Qualifi er RR is harder, so my many road miles to and from work are not wearing a fl at spot down the middle. The softer-compound edges, on the other hand, mean that track-days are not compromised through lack of grip. The Qualifi ers RRs feel good on the GSX-R, too – not overly soft like the stickier Avon track tyres they replaced, which accentuated the sluggish handling of the stock suspension.

NUMBER PLATE

“Not long after you’ve

shouted, “Get out the way, fatso” to the

K7, it pisses all over you for

the rest of the straight”


PIBC_SBIKE_OCT07.indt 1 1/8/07 14:01:29

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


The bike was fi ne, recently serviced, new tyres, all the paperwork

in order, but I had no grasp of distances. I was only persuaded to tackle Berkshire to Verona – a 1,000-mile trip – at the

last minute. I then made the mistake of thinking that 300 miles through Switzerland would take the same time as 300 miles on French motorways. With a bit more planning I could have enjoyed

more time in the mountains and less time in Milan’s rush hour. I’d defi nitely do it differently. My other top tip is to get a comfy set of headphones and bang the tunes on for the boring bits.

WHAT WAS I THINKING?On a recent 2,200-mile trip round Europe, Simon was really ill-prepared in some ways and belt-and-braces in

others

THE MENTAL APPROACH

¡BODYYou may be in your riding gear all day, so fi nding out that your lid’s uncomfortable after two hours is not something you want to discover for the fi rst time. You need to keep warm if it’s cold and cool if it’s warm. Similarly, you need to keep dry if it’s wet but not end up sweating litres of water away in a heatwave. Drink lots and eat enough, and you’ll stay happy in the saddle.

¡SEATYour arse is going to take more punishment than the prison rent boy after a failed parole meeting, so if it’s like a board, then get it changed to a gel seat or an air-cushioned saddle if you’re going to do more than a weekend’s worth.

¡LOCAL ENVIRONMENTWe’re still talking about public roads, not private racetracks, so every action can have a reaction – from the local law authorities. Increasingly prevalent and with ever-stronger powers, foreign plod really can ruin your day. Ride as you would in the UK is the best catch-all statement.

¡PACKINGAre you really going to need everything? Pack once and then ask yourself this question again. Think small whenever you can, so use travel-sized toiletries, compact sleeping bags, etc. Don’t just pack for yourself, pack for the bike, too. A puncture-repair kit, chain lube, a selection of useful tools, gaffa tape, cable ties, paperwork and emergency numbers should all be included.

¡LUGGAGEA big rucksack may be enough for a weekend’s worth of kit, but if you’re away for any longer you’ll need some more storage. Hard luggage is typically more secure than soft, but comes at a price – a money price. The key is to keep weight off your body, so strap stuff to the bike rather than to yourself – the exception being a bumbag, which is useful to store a little camera and a credit card for tolls.

sb.oct.p110.technique.FIN.indd 110 6/8/07 17:11:25

www.superbike.co.uk OCTOBER 2007

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

LONG DISTANCE RIDING Munching miles serves two purposes.

The fi rst is simply to get you to where you want to be, which may be your

summer holiday destination, a fancy foreign race or even a business meeting abroad. Whatever the reason, it must be better than queuing up at Stansted, surely? The second reason is to take in that expanse of land between your home and your destination. The sights, sounds and smells of a far-off land are all exciting and

enticing. They are the things that should be etched on your motorcycling memory.

If you’re a resilient being, you could just hop on your bike and ride. But this dream could soon turn into a nightmare for those who like their creature comforts. Breakdowns, rotten weather, skirmishes with foreign cops, uncomfortable clothing and getting lost at midnight are all

to be avoided – and with careful planning, they can be.

Riding several hundred miles in one trip places severe demands on man and machine. Simon, the sultan of service station sandwiches, offers a few insights to chew onWords: Simon Roots Pics: Jeremy Clifton-Gould

1 Preparation is the key to happy times. Prepare

your bike, prepare your kit, prepare your route, prepare your head, and you’ll be fi ne. If your bike breaks down, your kit springs a leak, you get lost or you blow your lid, you won’t be happy. Take your time in the days leading up to your trip to organise with military precision and devise contingency plans.

2 Be realistic when making

quick calculations in your head.

For example imagining you’ll be able to ride 1,000 miles in 12 hours,

but can you really match the

imagined pace? Once you factor-in

petrol, photography and piss stops, you’ll be lucky to average 65mph – no matter how fast you charge down the motorways.

3Chances are, you’re on holiday – so relax. You know

best what stresses you out, so

abide by your own rules. If that means booking night stops ahead of your arrival, then do so. If you’re fi ne with going with the fl ow, then do that instead. The same goes with routes. If you hate getting lost, then plan your route meticulously, but if you’re happy to explore, take a map and see where the road takes you.

4Choose some good mates that you’re

happy riding with. It’s a pain to fi nd out that someone has to stop every 10 minutes for a smoke when

everyone else wants to make haste. You may think another rider is dangerous or too slow, so choose your companions wisely.

5Motorways aren’t always a bad thing – they get you

to where you want to be in a trice. So work out what you want to do – get there fast and

then do your scratching, or discover what’s on either

side of the Tarmac ribbon winding its way to your destination.

REAL WORLD HOW TO RIDE BETTER

“The sights, sounds and smells of a far-off

land are all exciting and enticing.”

111

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GRID GIRLSWHAT’S NOT TO LIKE?

RACINGLINESMOTOGP WORLD SUPERBIKES BRITISH SUPERBIKES

STILL ON A

ROLLthese were rounds where Michelin couldn’t phone home on Friday night and get some race tyres delivered for Sunday. In Europe, Michelin was untouchable.

Until now. This season has seen a far more level tyre playing fi eld with rules stating that teams must choose their weekend’s tyres by Thursday night – and it seems to be working ‘against’ the Michelin runners.

Valentino Rossi – the main benefi ciary of Michelin’s skills in recent years – has been the loudest when it comes to complaining about the new tyre regulations. Which seems a tad disingenuous.

And Ducati’s Casey Stoner has had the nerve (!) to point this out. “At the start of the

season Valentino and the rest of the riders were all

for the new tyre rule (limiting the maximum number of tyres to 31). Now they’ve started losing, all of a sudden the new rule is all wrong. I’ve had some tough races this season when the tyres didn’t work or we got the choice wrong on

the day – look at my ride at the Sachsenring – but I didn’t start moaning about the tyre rule. As far as I can see this shows that Michelin had a huge advantage in past seasons and this year they’ve struggled to make a great race tyre. In the end, the tyre rule is the same for all of the riders and that has to be a good thing.”

MotoGP Champion elect? Probably. Heir to Rossi’s throne? Possibly. Sick of whinging Italians? Defi nitely. Casey Stoner hits back

Everyone has been banging on about how good

Bridgestone tyres have become this season. Well, maybe it’s not the Bridgestones that have improved, but the Michelins were never any good unless they cooked some up the night before the race.

If you think about the tracks where Bridgestone did well – Rio, Malaysia, Motegi, Phillip Island –

MOTOGP

“This shows that Michelin had a

huge advantage in past seasons

and this year they’ve struggled to make a great

race tyre”

“

Is there a danger that taking on Melandri will cost us more money than keeping Stoner? Ha, no, there is absolutely no danger of that!Ducati MotoGP boss Livio Suppo’s confi rmation that Stoner is the hottest property in MotoGP town

QUOTES OF THE MONTH

PRESS PROSESuzuki press release from Donington. “It’s great to be coming ‘home’. I feel that’s what Donington is for me.” John Hopkins

Suzuki press release from Laguna Seca.

“I can’t wait to get to Laguna; it is great to be coming home to race.” John Hopkins Try harder you slackers!

sb.oct.RACING.fin 129 9/8/07 17:50:19


When I came up behind Dani Pedrosa I smiled because fi nally there was someone having as much trouble with tyres as I was. I was lucky I started in the front row, otherwise the Kawasakis would have passed me too.Valentino Rossi after Laguna Seca

WORLD SUPERBIKES

RACINGLINESMOTOGP WORLD SUPERBIKES BRITISH SUPERBIKES

“QUOTES OF THE MONTH

“THE WSB

ROUNDABOUTIt would appear that James Toseland’s jump

from Honda to Yamaha and from world superbikes to MotoGP has upset a number of applecarts in the WSB paddock

Apparently Toseland was part of a four-bike Hannspree superbike assault for 2008 (with Ryuichi Kiyonari, Kenan Sofuoglu and Roby Rolfo) but that plan has been thrown out. And we hear that Johnny Rea, HM Plant Honda’s golden boy at

the moment, has been offered a couple of contracts in WSB for 2008. And Leon Haslam isn’t too keen to stay in the UK for 2008 either...

Spotted at Brands Hatch, several names who ‘didn’t belong’ there. The injured D’Antin Ducati MotoGP rider Alex Hoffman, dressed from head

to toe in Fox kit and the recently married Chris Walker. And there’s Leon Haslam and Neil Hodgson. Far be it from us to suggest that

these riders were at Brands to enjoy anything other than the weather and racing...

Regardless of personnel and human resource

issues, Ducati has a major problem with its new 1,200cc bikes for 2008. Basically, the 1,200cc prototype racebike that Ducati has been working on isn’t performing as hoped. One team insider admitted that there had been a lot

of engine blow-ups, to the extent that the sought-after extra power is coming at the cost of reliability – clearly a big problem. “It’s turned out not to be as easy as we had hoped.” Quite.

Well, if you think about it, an engine capacity of 1,200cc will require a piston larger than 100mm – maybe

104mm? And at that point, Ducati really is reaching beyond the outer limits of what has been done in cars revving at 6,000rpm – far less than racing V-twins, which have rev limits that are nearly twice that. Ducati might have gotten the raised V-twin capacity it wanted in WSB, but that looks like it’s

just the start of its problems.

Add to that the fact that WSB rule changes mean fewer engine tuning work is allowed and that the superbikes will have to run with more stock engine parts, and the homologation bike is going to have to be bullet-proof and very expensive.

Rumours abound that Max Biaggi is soon to tie the knot. Well you would, wouldn’t you?

After his win at Brno WSB, Max Biaggi dedicated his triumph to his girlfriend (“fi ancée”) Eleonora Pedron. “We spend a lot of time together and she’s supported me a lot this year.” OK, so, you want to know what she looks like?

Ms Pedron, presumably after spannering Max’s WSB Suzuki all afternoon

DUCATI’S ROUGH RIDE

Millions of dollars have made John Hopkins see the

grass is greener at Kawasaki

Race winner Chris Vermeulen stays

at Suzuki

Valentino Rossi stays. Jorge Lorenzo and

James Toseland come in – but on

what tyres?

World chump Nicky Hayden

and Dani Pedrosa stay in the

factory squad

Stoner’s white hot, and safe at Ducati.

Marco Melandri is in after

dissing Honda

Nothing offi cial has been

announced

Loris Capirossi is looking for a ride, but Ant West and Randy de Puniet will be pissed off if either (or both) get the boot

Loris may surface at Suzuki, and there are vague rumours about a satellite Suzuki squad too. Ben Spies anyone?

Colin Edwards – a man joined at the hip with Michelin – will probably be offered the last Yamaha ride. Who’d have Tamada over the Texan?

Gresini has lost Melandri which means Elias’s seat is safer. Other Honda riders haven’t performed well – Checa and Nakano – and must be going through their end of season sweat

A third bike is looking less likely, Louis D’Antin likes Chaz Davies. Hoffman’s been looking at WSB for a ride. Another season for old man Barros

But the team is likely to move to WSB with MV

MOTOGP 2008THE STORY SO FAR

SUZU

KI

YAM

AH

AK

AW

ASA

KI

HO

ND

AD

UC

ATI

TEA

M K

R

SHE’S FILTHY!

CAST IRON PIG IRON

Bayliss may be staying, but a raft of changes will be nescessary to get the team back to winning ways

sb.oct.RACING.fin 130 9/8/07 17:50:22

■ This summer, we’ve teamed up with MotorSport Vision to bring you trackday events on Britain’s best circuits. ■ Enjoy the thrill of riding on track with three groups at all events, you’re guaranteed to be on circuit with riders of a similar ability and the same pace.

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■ You don’t need a superbike and if you’re a novice, then there will be plenty of instructors to help you. These events are an ideal way to take your fi rst steps on track, so get booked in and come and meet the team!

YOUR DAY WILL ALSO INCLUDE:

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BRANDS HATCH18TH SEPTEMBER 2007 ■ DAY £159.00■ EVENING ONLY £69.00

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TRACKDAYS

Trackday advert OCTOBER.indd 1 7/8/07 16:11:23

MASTERS


Ten Kate is world supersport racing. The Honda CBR600s may change, riders come and go, but the Dutch tuning firm stands resolute in their quest for global dominationWords: Kenny Pryde Pics: Graeme Brown

■ RACING

DUTCH

sb.oct.p132.tenkate.FIN.indd 132 9/8/07 16:25:39

MASTERS


pivot point was new, the engine was new. Really, we had to start from scratch and we had less than four weeks to get four bikes to race spec for a test in Almeria.” Which, obviously, they did.

You don’t have to talk to race team technicians for very long to realise that near enough is never good enough. So with the new CBR600RR in race trim under the weight limit for the class there would be no problems?

“We add more than three kilos to make the 158kg limit. With race fairings and a race shock you are already close to the limit and when you put all our ‘smart bits’ in there, we need to add mass. Where we place weight just gives us another instrument, another element to play around with,” says Ronald Ten Kate, adding another variable into the mix.

This, like every other question, is met with knowing smiles and rolls of the eyes that say, ‘Ah, if only you knew the half of it.’ Thus, the question, ‘Is the Honda a simple engine in comparison to say the Yamaha with its ride-by-wire technology?’ is laughed at. “No,” says Ronald. “The engine isn’t that simple anymore either. Even in standard trim, the Honda engine is already one of the strongest with the best stock power. We were worried that the new bike would have lost some of its good, linear power and the direct response from throttle to back tyre – you know, if you move the throttle a few millimetres, you will get exactly the same amount of power at the back wheel. But the smooth power delivery is still there, which is a relief.”

You won’t be surprised to learn

If you own a Honda CBR600RR and you have some fettling aspirations, you’re probably curious to know what Dutch tuning fi rm Ten Kate do to their race bikes.

Honda CBR600s prepped by the Dutch company have won the past six world supersport championships – including the 2007 title with the young Turk (yes, really), Kenan Sofuoglu.

Being spoiled, and with access to lots of people and a lot of different places, I took full advantage of my position to talk to Sofuoglu’s technicians (and the man himself, read the interview in next month’s issue) to see what I could learn about tuning a 599cc inline-four Japanese supersport engine to screaming perfection.

The team: Kerkdyk, Litjens, Ten Kate When Sofuoglu is in a pit garage, he is surrounded by technicians of one kind or another. On his right there’s his chassis man Gert Kerkdyk. Crouched down on the other side is his suspension engineer from WP, Arnold Litjens. And there’s someone in a Pirelli shirt lurking about as well, not to mention the constantly roving Ronald Ten Kate, who oversees the team.

Special deliveryIn late November 2006, four crates were delivered to the Ten Kate team’s Nieuwleusen workshop. Inside were four new 2007 Honda CBR600RR bikes. From our punter point of view, they were ‘new’, but how different were they from the previous model to a race team? “Completely different, 100 per cent, engine- and chassis-wise, totally new. There was nothing we could use from the 2006 model bike that could fi t on the new bike,” explains Kerkdyk. “The rear shock

“You don’t have to talk to race team technicians for very long to realise that near enough is never good enough.”

2007 World Supersport champion, Kenan Sofuoglu dominated the season on hisHANNspree Ten Kate Honda

Ronald Ten Kate (left) with his dad, Gerrit Ten Kate. The pair head up Ten Kate, probably the most success-ful tuning fi rm in the history of WSS


Honda HANNspree Ten Kate rider, Sébastien Charpentier won the WSS championship for the team in 2005 and 2006


that Ten Kate hasn’t won world championships by being anything other than methodical. Thus, the fi rst year they race a new bike, they proceed with engine tuning at a modest pace, as Ronald explains: “When you know that you have decent midrange with decent torque in the standard bike, then you can relax a little, you know that the bike isn’t a screamer with power all concentrated at

the top end. But it’s still very diffi cult, in the fi rst year, to get something like the porting changes right or getting new cams made – modifi cations like that take a long time to get right. So it’s important that the stock bike is strong and you start from as high a base as possible.”

And, even though winter testing and early races went well, the team never stopped looking for improvements. “There have been three versions of the engine on track since the fi rst one,” says Ronald, “and we have had eight engine confi gurations on the dyno in the workshop. So far.”

But how mainstream does the tuning go, is there a familiar Power Commander tucked away somewhere or are the electronic bits more trick? “No, we use the HRC race kit ECU.” Which sounds expensive. “I think this year it’s 360 Euros, cheaper than usual for some reason!” But you need a clued-up technician to sort it for you, so not unlike a Power Commander then.

At which point, enter Arnold Litjens from WP. The (Dutch) Ten Kate team has been working with the (Dutch) WP

suspension fi rm since 1994 – with one ill-advised year on a blue and gold logo’d Swedish brand in between. Did the new bike cause any specifi c suspension problems? “We’ve got high- and low-speed compression and rebound cartridges in the different fork legs and it’s a sealed cartridge, so the oil is pressurised. This means the damping action is more consistent and the oil doesn’t foam.” Sounds like there weren’t many problems to be overcome on the suspension front? Eyes roll collectively and wry smiles appear. “No, I wouldn’t say that,” says Arnold, “we’re still developing the suspension with every race and there’s more to come. We learn things every time we race, sometimes big things, sometimes just a little tweak.”

There must have been something that they have simply bolted on, surely? “No, it was all new work. WP suspension was more or less the same internally, but we played around with geometry and we are already moved on from the 2006 geometry. From 2003 the bike was more or less the same chassis-wise, but with the new bike we had to gather all new data because it was so different,” says Litjens, a former 250cc GP racer.

“It’s important that the stock bike is

strong and you start from as high a

base as possible”

■ RACING TEN KATE

Kenan Sofuoglu with WP engineer Arnold

Litjens (right) and Ronald Ten Kate (left)


SB

Number CrunchingSix supersport world titles in a row since 2002

Between them, Fabien Foret, Chris Vermeulen, Karl Muggeridge, Sébastien Charpentier and Kenan Sofuoglu have racked up these impressive statistics on the Ten Kate Honda

33 Number of race wins (out of 77)

48Podiums (with four races in 2007 to go)

39 Pole positions

24 Fastest laps

Broc Parkes and Iain Macpherson have also scored podiums for the team. In 2004 Parkes brought the team one pole position, fi ve podiums and fi ve fastest laps as well as runner-up spot in the championship. In 2003, while Vermeulen won the title, his fellow Aussie Karl Muggeridge won three races himself and fi nished fourth overall. In 2003, Ten Kate won seven out of 12 races and en route to his 2005 title, Charpentier took 10 poles, six wins, nine podiums and eight fastest laps! You could say that Ten Kate ‘owns’ the world supersport title.

**


The front end was, is, great in the standard bike – world champions Sebastien Charpentier and Sofuoglu said so at the bike launch. Not that it was always like this in supersport racing. Those who might doubt the astonishing strides that have been made in the class don’t have to go back too far in time to see clear evidence. “When we started racing with the CBR600FS it was a standard bike with which you could go on holiday with the wife and a tent on the back. Then with the fi rst RR, you could still fi t the wife on the back but not the tent! That’s all changed with the 2007 model suspension,” laughs Ronald. But how does that change on the racebike, with different weight distribution, less weight, raised ride height and different suspension internals? Ten Kate pauses. “I think what is interesting is that the change between standard suspension and race suspension isn’t the huge gap it used to be. The difference between the suspension in the 2007 bike and the 2006 bike is better too, the suspension performance on the standard bike allows you to ride very hard on the track, without any changes to the internals.”

WP man Litjens explains further:

“The principle behind the damping is the same, the fork leg cartridges are 23mm – the left side is low speed rebound and compression damping, the right fork leg has the high speed rebound and compression damping.” Beyond that, the external suspension parts must stay the same ¬- but that doesn’t mean you can’t coat the internals of the shock and fork to reduce ‘stiction’ and make the action smoother.

Seasonal adjustmentIn the space of four weeks they had bikes ready to test in Almeria, and the race for the 2007 championship was on. “Everything that might give us an improvement we try. We don’t go for power at all costs, we want a package that the rider feels happy with and that will be reliable. We adjust the power characteristic of the engine for different tracks if that is important, and Arrow always makes us a special exhaust for Monza. But we don’t play with the power very much during the season,” says Ronald. “We know what a bike needs at various tracks and we might make a small adjustment on the ECU, but nothing major that would upset the rider or risk the

reliability of the bike.”In fact, listening to the Ten Kate men,

it seemed that the suspension was the area that they had worked on more – or at least, just as much as the engine. “If you arrive at a corner fi rst but the bike is unstable and wallowing around, there’s no point in having more power, is there?” explains Ronald.

Turning away from the racetrack, onto the road, what would Mr Ten Kate suggest for more modestly-walleted CBR owners? “I’d say the suspension. The bike already makes enough power to have a lot of fun on and even if you can get the bike to its limits on track, then I’d say suspension will help the most. You can change the sprockets and get a (lighter) 520 pitch chain, and then suspension. Really. Maybe an adjustable brake lever or braided brake hoses.” Bearing in mind that Mr Ten Kate’s business is more about engine tuning than boosting sales of WP suspension, you have to give him credit for passing up on the chance to plug his own product. “Yeah, well I truly believe that the standard bike is already producing enough power to have serious fun.”

Whether you own a Honda CBR600RR or not, no matter what you ride or where you ride it, if you’re anything like me, you’re already wondering which suspension guru to go and talk to.

The details and the devilTalking to the team behind Sofuoglu, it becomes clear that there is no ‘one big thing’ that separates Ten Kate from the rest, enabling the Dutch team to win six supersport titles on the bounce. “The philosophy of the team is that we win with a package: the rider, the engine, the chassis, the suspension and everyone adds a little bit to the package. And the feel of the team is important too, I want a rider to come to the team and feel at home right away,” says Ronald. And when you add it all up, you get a team capable of winning world championships.

“Even if you can get the bike to its limits on track, then I’d say suspension (upgrades) will help the most”

Ten Kate’s three riders, Kenan Sofuoglu, Andrew Pitt and Sébastien Charpentier dominated this year’s WSS round at Assen

Former WSS champion Andrew Pitt joined the team at round four replacing an injured Sébastien Charpentier



As I was strapping my tank bag on my Hayabusa, about to embark on a weekend trip to the mountains of western North Carolina, a friend walks up to me and, in his best cockney accent, says: “Kevin, you are a tall, wise and some would say mysterious old man. (Almost as old as Kenny Pryde!) I suspect you’ve had your share of pipe weed in your day; you ride a fantastically fast white steed reminiscent of Shadowfax. You are off to slay the dragon, and you are Gandalf.” Well, I don’t know that we slayed the dragon so much as lulled him into a comfortable sleep. The Dragon’s Tail, however, is a fantastic stretch of road – 318 turns in 11 miles.

Amy, er, Arwen, tried counting on a few passes but never got past 50 or so before the demands of concentrating on the road meant she lost count. There

are miles and miles of brilliant roads all around the area – worth the trip alone. I could go on but the website I’ve listed covers everything in much better detail than I could attempt here. It’s www.tailofthedragon.

com (how many roads have a dedicated website?) Yeah, I know it’d be a big effort for your European readers to get over here with their bikes it’d be well worth it.

READERS STUFF...REAL WORLD

YOUR

SPACEYour 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

I’d been in a tyre-testing job for Avon for a number of years, with an exemplary safety record, so my bosses cut my budget – as there seemed no need to cover for any crash damage costs. Feeling chuffed with myself for my crash-free record, I quietly went about my job with an air of satisfaction. That lasted for the grand total of two days...

At a track test of the fi rm’s new sports tyre, at Castle Combe, I made a rare, and for me, very untypical mistake, high-siding an R1, completely destroying it. In the process, I completely blew my re-adjusted budget and was bollocked by all the big bosses. Going from hero to zero doesn’t take long a bike sometimes.

■ Write to: Your Space, SuperBike magazine, Leon House, 233 High St, Croydon, Surrey CR9 1HZ ■ E-mail: [email protected]

¡MY WORST DAY EVER - Pete Wilson – Avon tyre tester

RECOMMENDED ROADS

ROUTED America? Fuck yeah. Especially if it’s full of roads like these. Kevin chases the dragon

Having kept it upright for so long, Pete was saving Avon a fortune. Then he decided it was time to rack up some expenses

I just wanted to write and send a

pic of my fi rst ever trackday, at

Cadwell Park, and say thanks to

the SuperBike team, who gave me

some really good riding tips and

free goodies. I had a great day and

got to go out four times, despite

the weather. I was running Metzeler

Racetec K2s, which didn’t really

want to go out in the wet, but with

a few tips from the SuperBike team

and John Reynolds, I actually did

all right. I got both knee sliders

on the fl oor (during a dry run), and

I’m now in the process of booking my

next trackday. Lee Wedge, Wolverhampton

TRACKDAY FUN

To ride or to hide?I’ve been reading your magazine for seven years. I started buying it in Kuwait (yes, there is a biking community there). I’m now in Abu Dhabi where there are many more avid SuperBike readers. I thought I’d share a dream come true with you. After years of owning pre-owned beauties, I saved enough money to buy a new bike. My purchase coincided with Yamaha’s 50th birthday and I managed to get my grubby hands on one of two Yamaha R1 SPs. Yep, number 669 of 1,300 bikes built worldwide with Ohlins suspension, Marchesini wheels, slipper clutch, special colour... My predicament now is this: Do I keep it pristine in the hope that it will become a collector’s item, or do I just simply enjoy it and ride the ears off it?

We couldn’t resist stopping here

on a recent Euro blast. It’s

northern Spain, and it’s Jeff

(in green) and I. And let’s not

forget Mark, who took the picture.

We did 2,000 miles in six days,

and we found biking Nirvana.

Graham Bell

FINDING NIRVANA

Somewhere around here

Get your route in the mag

WIN a T-shirt

your space oct FIN.indd 136 9/8/07 09:10:38


READERS! MAKE YOUR PAIN PAY OFF!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!

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

CAPTION COMPETITION

This picture is of my foot after an accident on my way back from the NW200 on the 15th May 2006.

When a car came on to my side of the road I tried to get out of its

way but collided with the off side font wing breaking my leg in the process. And after two weeks of having my toe amputated, this is what my foot

looked like after having maggots to eat the dead fl esh. Sorry if

you’re having your dinner at the mo.H. Lunney, Northshields

Come on then you wit-meisters, it’s your turn to bombard us with comical captions, and we’ll print the most hilarious. Simple.

A KNOX

CONTOUR BACK

PROTECTOR

WIN!

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

THROUGH THE

GRINDER

“My victory today at Sachsenring

makes my life complete. I simply could

not be any happier.”

Ian, email

It’s winter 1980, Saturday morning

overtime at the printing factory. I’m an

apprentice, needing the money to pay the

HP on my RD250.Into the Belstaff waxed cotton jacket

and leggings for the rain-sodden ride

home. Wipe the raindrops off the seat in

the car-park and (eventually) kick the

RD into life. Take the shortcut down the

gravel walkway to the dual carriageway.

As I reach the bottom of the lane, I

commit to stopping with my right foot

down.As the bike comes to a halt, I reach the

critical stationary lean angle. I go to

move my boot off the footpeg onto the

road, and I realise that the kickstart

lever is up the inside of my leggings.

I have no option but to let myself and

the RD crash unceremoniously on the side

of the road as the stream of Saturday

morning shopping families drive by in

their Vauxhall Vivas and Ford Escorts,

children pointing at the funny man

lying at the side of the road in the

rain. Luckily, the damage is limited to

my pride and a few bruises. The £6, minus

tax, I have earned for my morning’s work

is still in the bank. Make a mental note

- when you save enough money, get a

GS850G with an electric starter and no

kick-start!

READER’S INJURIES

I currently own a GSX-R400, which

unfortunately I can’t ride on the road, as I’m

only 17 and haven’t got a licence. Instead,

I hill-climb and sprint with the Auto 66 club.

Basically, it’s time trials – one man on the track

at a time – and it’s great fun. I started two

years ago on a KX 125, then progressed to a

KX500, which I blew up on the fi rst race. So I

bought a GSX-R and, hey, that’s what I’m

riding now. I’ve included some photos of me on

(or, in this case, off) my KX last year, and on

the GSX-R at bike week.

Memory Drain

This is our ‘89 ZXR750 H1, which we’ve been rebuilding over the last 12 months. It all started when a cylinder liner decided to crack, and, well, I got carried away. The engine was rebuilt. All the original alloy was polished. Everything that could be overhauled was. The bike also features a full custom exhaust system and a Hagon rear shock unit. The carbs are from a 2000 ZX-9R. The original paint-scheme and decals were reproduced by some very talented mates, and they fi nish the bike of perfectly.

We couldn’t resist stopping here

on a recent Euro blast. It’s

northern Spain, and it’s Jeff

(in green) and I. And let’s not

forget Mark, who took the picture.

We did 2,000 miles in six days,

and we found biking Nirvana.

Graham Bell

Here’s a couple of pics of the 1984 Yamma Gamma I’ve just re-built. I’m racing it with the CRMC, Dave Elsdon, Sheffi eld.Davmo, email

Your caption here!

your space oct FIN.indd 137 9/8/07 09:12:17

meal tonight, and when I’m fi nished eating my meal, you will serve me a sumptuous dessert.”“After dinner, you are going to come upstairs with me and we will have the kind of sex that I want. Afterwards, you are going to run me a bath so I can relax. You will wash my back and towel me dry and bring me my robe. Then, you will massage my feet and hands. Then, tomorrow, guess who’s going to dress me and comb my hair?”The wife replied, “The fucking funeral director would be my fi rst guess.”Stephen Snell

AUSSIE LOGICTwo Aussies, Davo and

Johnno, were adrift in a lifeboat. While rummaging through the boat’s provisions, Davo stumbled across an old lamp. He rubbed the lamp vigorously and a genie came forth. This genie, however, stated that he could only deliver one wish, not the standard three. Without giving much thought to the matter, Davo blurted out, “Turn the entire ocean into beer. Make that Victoria Bitter!” The genie clapped his hands with a deafening crash, and immediately the sea turned into the hard-earned thirst quencher. The genie vanished. Only the gentle lapping of beer on the hull broke the stillness as the two men considered their circumstances. Johnno looked disgustedly at Davo whose wish had been granted. After a long, tension-fi lled moment Johnno said: “Nice going, Davo! Now we’re going to have to piss in the boat.” Stephen Snell

-TACTICALLY CONFESSEDDicky went to church to confess

his sins.“Bless me Father, for I have sinned. I have been with a loose girl.”The priest asks, “Is that you, Dicky?”“Yes, Father, it is.”“And who was the girl you were with?”“I can’t tell you, Father, I don’t want to ruin her reputation.”“Well, Dicky, I’m sure to fi nd out her name sooner or later, so you may as well tell me now. Was it Mary Walsh?”“I cannot say.”

-


“Was it Teresa Brown?”“I’ll never tell.”“Was it Margaret Doyle?”“I’m sorry, but I cannot name her.”“Was it Anne O’ Neil?”“My lips are sealed.”“Was it Catherine O’Tool, then?”“Please, Father, I cannot tell you.”The priest sighs in frustration. “You’re very tight lipped, Dicky, and I admire that. But you’ve sinned and

have to atone. You cannot be an altar boy now for four months. Now you go and behave yourself.”Dicky walks back to his pew, and his friend Tommy slides over and whispers, “What’d you get?” “Four months holiday and fi ve good leads!”Douglas Bailey

LAUGHING RELEASES ENDORPHINS, RELIEVES STRESS, INCREASES BLOOD FLOW, BOOSTS IMMUNITY, AND BURNS ENERGY. READ THIS PAGE AND LIVE FOREVER...

Write to Letters, SuperBike, Leon House, 233 High Street, Croydon, Surrey CR9 1HZ Fax on 020 8726 8499Email us at [email protected]. Offers do not apply outside the UK

STAR JOKE

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

He cooly returns to his place at the bar and resumes his drink. The barman races over and asks, “Jesus! What the hell did he say to deserve that?” “Dunno exactly,” says the big man, “Somethin’ about a job.”David Alexander

WEDDING SUITE A just-married Amish couple

went to a hotel for their wedding night. The man went to the front desk and asked for a room. He told the clerk that it was their honeymoon and that they wanted a very nice room. The clerk winked and asked, “Do you want the Bridal?” The Amish fellow thought about it a minute, then replied, “No, I guess not. I’ll just hold onto her ears until she gets used to it.”Mike Ketley

NEW SIGNINGSLiverpool FC has made two new signings, a Japanese lad

and an Italian. They should fi t in well on Merseyside; their names are Nikamotor and Robatelli.Paul Gregson

NO EASY OPTIONJamie says to his wife Yvonne,

“Get ready, you, me and the dog are going fi shing.”Yvonne says, “I don’t want to go fi shing.” Jamie offers her three options – fi shing, blow-job or take it up the arse. Yvonne picks blow-job. After sucking for a while, she says, “This tastes like shit!”“I know,” says Jamie, “the dog didn’t want to go fi shing either.”John Carracher, East Kilbride

DOUBLE BLUFFA biker is suddenly aware that

the police are chasing him, so he decides to pull in to the roadside. The police offi cer goes through the usual line of questioning, and then asks the biker why he was doing 120mph in a 60mph road. The biker is not pleased. The police offi cer asks what the biker has in his backpack and the biker replies, “Body parts, a saw, and a pistol”.The police offi cer tells him to stay where he is, and calls for back-up. Before long, half of the county’s force is in attendance, including the armed response, helicopter and squad cars. The Chief Inspector walks over and says to the biker, “My offi cer tells me that you have body parts, a saw and a pistol in your backpack. Is this true?”The biker replies, “Oh really, I bet the lying bastard told you I was also doing 120mph in a 60mph zone as well?”Mike Bailey

ITCH OF EMPATHYQ: Why did God create yeast

infections?A: So that women get to feel what it’s like to live with an irritating cunt once in a while. John Cummings

HOUSE RULESThe man of the house

fi nished reading a new book entitled, “You can be the man of your house”. He stormed to his wife in the kitchen and announced, “From now on, you need to know that I am the man of this house and my word is Law. You will prepare me a gourmet

QUESTION OF INTERPRETATION

A man in hospital, wearing an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose, tries to attract the attention of a nurse. “Nurse,” he mumbles, “Are my testicles black?” The nurse raises his gown, holds his manhood in one hand and testicles in the other, takes a closer look and says, “There’s nothing wrong with them, sir”. The man pulls off the oxygen mask, smiles at her, and says very slowly, “Thanks for that, it was wonderful, but – are – my – test – results - back?” Dennis O’Rouke

EGG QUESTION CRACKED

A chicken and an egg are lying in bed. The chicken is leaning against the headboard smoking a cigarette with a satisfi ed smile on its face. The egg, looking a bit pissed off, grabs the sheet, rolls over and says, “Well, I guess we fi nally answered THAT question!” Paul Gregson

CRUISING FOR A BRUISING

A small, well-dressed man minces into a bar in Liverpool and seats himself beside a hulking local, covered in tattoos and nursing a pint. After a couple of drinks, he leans over to the big guy and whispers, “How would you like it if I gave you a blow-job?” At this, the man-mountain jumps off his stool, grabs the unfortunate bloke by the throat and proceeds to punch and kick him half to death before throwing him into the carpark like a bag of wet washing.

OCT JOKES.db.indd 138 9/8/07 09:14:20

Documents

SuperBike Magazine-07-10-OCT