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SUPERBIKE COMPARISON TEST YAMAHA XSR900

DUCATI PANIGALE 959

APRILIA RSV4 RR

YAMAHA YZF-R1

KAWASAKI ZX-10R

LITER-CLASS TRACK STARS BATTLE

HIGH PERFORMANCE! DUCATI SCRAMBLER ROADRACER FORBIDDEN FRUIT: YAMAHA MT-10 NAKED R1 RICKEY GADSON’S 302-HP KAWASAKI H2 STREETBIKE

AUGUST 2016 CYCLEWORLD.COM

BMW Motorrad USA

2016 S 1000 XR

CATCH THEM. MAKE LIFE A RIDE.

&WFSZ SJEF IPMET JO OJUF QPTTJCJMJUJFT BOE UIF BMM OFX 4 93 JT EFTJHOFE UP MFU ZPV FOKPZ UIFN BMM )FSF B QPXFSGVM IQ FOHJOF BOE MJHIU XFJHIU CMFOE XJUI B DPNNBOEJOH TFBUJOH QPTJUJPO BOE BNB[JOH MPOH EJTUBODF DPNGPSU 5XP SJEJOH NPEFT 3BJO BOE 3PBE "#4 BOE "4$ BSF BMM TUBOEBSE XIJMF OVNFSPVT FYUSBT MFU ZPV NBLF JU ѭ BOE FWFSZ SPBE ѭ ZPVS WFSZ PXO 'JOE PVU NPSF BU bmwmotorcycles.com. ©2016 BMW Motorrad USA, a division of BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name and logo are registered trademarks.

The Ultimate Riding Machineâ„¢

36.

SUPERBIKE SHOWDOWN The latest crop of literbikes go up against Ducati’s 959 Panigale.

By Bradley Adams

AUGUST 2016

46.

48.

50.

52.

56.

A REAL NAKED R1 Europe may have laid claim to Yamaha’s R1-based MT-10 first, but the bike is on the way to the US as the FZ-10 this summer. Here’s a look at how the bike performs.

By Michael Neeves

FULL-RETRO EXPERIENCE Putting Triumph’s Thruxton R to the ultimate test in a street-based soirée, followed by a full day at the racetrack. Is Triumph’s new R equal parts show and go?

By Mark Hoyer

DUC OF ALL TRADES Ducati Scrambler owner Heath Cofran takes his very own Scrambler from commuter to trailbike, track bike, racebike, and then back again.

By Blake Conner

NOT SO MELLOW YELLOW Rickey Gadson builds up his 302-hp Yellow Corn Kawasaki Ninja H2 in search of an East Coast Timing Association land speed record.

By Peter Jones

SUBSTANCE AND STYLE A look at the 2016 Quail Motorcycle Gathering, which saw record attendance, the most bikes ever, and a hugely competitive show field.

By John L. Stein

COLUMNS 6. UP FRONT

By Mark Hoyer 30. BIKE LIFE

By Peter Jones 32. TDC

By Kevin Cameron

DEPARTMENTS 8. INTAKE 68. SERVICE 78. SHOWCASE 82. SLIPSTREAM

IGNITION 10. FIRST RIDE: 2016 YAMAHA XSR900 14. FIRST RIDE: 2016 HONDA VFR1200X 18. FIRST LOOK: MASSIMO TAMBURINI’S T12 MASSIMO 22. MOTO HAULERS: Mercedes 2500 Sprinter 4x4 vs. Ford Transit 350 HR DRW 24. GEAR: Five items for sport enthusiasts 26. EVALUATION: Rok Straps tie-down straps ON THE COVER: Sultry superbikes take it to the track. Photo by Jeff Allen

28. RIDE SAFE: Advice for new riders

R A C E WAT C H 74. CZ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Reasons to go racing

By Brian Catterson

CUSTOMS 54. CUSTOM CBX 64. FULLER BMW

Online: CycleWorld.com | Twitter: @CycleWorldMag | Facebook: facebook.com/cycleworld | Instagram: @CycleWorld PHOTO BY JEFF ALLEN

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CYCLEWORLD.COM EDITOR–IN–CHIEF MARK HOYER VICE PRESIDENT, GROUP PUBLISHER ANDREW LEISNER CONTENT STRATEGY DIRECTOR KURT HOY DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL STRATEGY BRIAN SCHRADER

EDITORIAL

SENIOR EDITOR BLAKE CONNER TECHNICAL EDITOR KEVIN CAMERON ROAD TEST EDITOR DON CANET ASSOCIATE EDITOR BRADLEY ADAMS ASSISTANT EDITOR WILL STEENROD EDITOR-AT-LARGE PETER EGAN CUSTOM & STYLE EDITOR PAUL D’ORLEANS CONTRIBUTING EDITORS MATTHEW MILES, BRIAN CATTERSON, PAUL DEAN, ALLAN GIRDLER, NICK IENATSCH, GARY INMAN, PETER JONES, THOMAS MONTANO, RAY NIERLICH, JOHN L. STEIN, STEVEN L. THOMPSON EUROPEAN EDITOR BRUNO DEPRATO WEB PRODUCER ALAN TAKUSHI MANAGING EDITOR TERRY MASAOKA COPY EDITOR JESSICA MATTESON EDITORIAL ASSISTANT/RECEPTIONIST SERENA BLEEKER

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UP FRONT EDITOR’S LET TER

SHARING WHO GETS TO SHARE YOUR RIDE?

6 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

After this experience, it occurred to me that most modern bikes offer the opposite of explaining how a Velocette might or might not behave to an unsuspecting borrower. Yes, electronic rider aids, power modes, electronic suspension all (usually) require quite a bit of familiarity on the rider’s part to use to good effect. If the most perfect bikes are the ones that require the least amount of explaining when you lend them out, an ’88 Africa Twin is looking pretty good!

And a final thought on sharing: Our fundamental job at Cycle World is to share our experience and experiences of riding motorcycles and meeting the amazing personalities we meet on two wheels. To that end, we have hired Sean MacDonald as a new addition to the staff. MacDonald spent the last several years working on a variety of motorcycle websites building a fan base and community around solid storytelling, deep motorcycle enthusiasm, and sharing his exploits in social media to give readers a real insight into the machines and adventures we love. He joins the best testers and editors the business has ever seen: Bradley Adams, Blake Conner, Don Canet, and writer/ photographer Jeff Allen. And there’s no doubt he’ll learn something from Kevin Cameron, since we all do that almost every day! This makes up the most wellrounded full-time staff of any motorcycle publication, and I’m proud that Cycle World can add staff members at a time when other magazines and websites are being cut back or shut down. And so we expand on our strong foundation of great empirical testing with real numbers and meaningful data conveyed with art, style, and enthusiasm. Thanks for riding with us.

MARK HOYER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

THIS MONTH̕S STATS

JEFF ALLEN

E

very day at CW is borrowed-bike day. Riding other people’s motorcycles is fundamental to our business, but it’s actually pretty uncommon to just hand your personal bike to others.

Particularly a vintage bike. I had this unusual occasion at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering, in a double sense. First, for our pre-Quail early morning Cycle World Tour, I was offered a ride on Jack Massarello’s rare 1988 Honda Africa Twin (a machine never sold new in the US) as a contrast to the 2016 Africa Twin I’d ridden up Highway 1 two days previously. Massarello had imported his vintage Africa Twin after time living in Germany and brought home an additional four other (!) similar ones with him. It was an interesting sample of late ’80s adventure-bike tech, and all he had to say before I got on was, “There’s a new rattle, but I’m not sure what it is.” On the road, it had all the high function and polish you’d expect from a Honda of that era, and having just gotten off a 100-mile ride on my 1954 Velocette MSS I could detect no rattle!

The second instance was on the very same CW Tour breakfast ride that I rode Massarello’s bike, when I handed over my Velocette to Kim Young, a longtime friend I first met at our Rolling Concours events at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, circa 2000. The strangeness here was giving her my ’54 Velo with all its quirks and hardly needing to explain a thing. Young is also in the Velo club and typically rides a ’30 KSS overhead-cam 350. So when I’d normally tell somebody to watch out for the ineffective brakes, mind the flexible chassis, etc., all I had to say was, “Have fun,” because she was stepping forward in time from a prewar rigid bike with girder fork, smaller brakes, exposed valve springs, and manual ignition timing! She thought it was amazing and fast, and I knew I had nothing to worry about because her résumé was impeccable.

185 LAPS BURNED AT OUR LITER-CLASS SHOOTOUT

2,500 ESTIMATED # OF SHIFTS THAT DAY AT THE TRACK

zero REQUIRED TIRE CHANGES AFTER A FULL DAY OF TESTING

CHEAP THRILLS CAR VS. TRAIN VS. BIKE TACOS

KICKSTART THE CONVERSATION

After reading your “Cheap Thrills” comparison (June), I looked over the photos and found the Triumph to be the better-looking machine. The Ducati is nice, but, being “older,” I am really drawn to the classic machines. I see the Royal Enfields, Nortons, and Triumphs as much better looking no matter how fast and technical the new bikes are. I suppose it is an age thing. Continue the fine work. I have been reading Cycle World from issue one…with the test of a Triumph Bonneville in it!

LARRY SMITH MERCED, CA

BLOODY FROGS I couldn’t let this month’s column by Peter Jones (“Frogger with Blood,” June) go by without commenting on his superb ability to integrate the significance and value of story and game’s “life-at-a-distance” abstractions as they stand beside the vulnerable, sensual, and intimate reality one experiences on the seat of a motorcycle. Good job, Peter!

PHIL BALL TULSA, OK Wow, Peter Jones, I didn’t know you were such a philosopher. Awesome piece! Yet another nail hit on the head for “Why We Ride.” Thank you for that!

BRAD PEETERS CYCLEWORLD.COM

FIT TO BE TIED Just finished reading “Bikes, Trains, and Automobiles” (June) and feel obligated to make a point. You omitted one of the single biggest expenses of vehicle ownership: depreciation. The Honda Fit tends to hold its value well, but if 8 CYCLE WORLD JULY 2016

the car loses 40 percent of its value in three years, that’s $47.49 in one week.

The bike would only lose $12.79. The bike is also more fun. Easy solution for Costco run: multiple trips on the bike!

SWEN NEUFELDT CYCLEWORLD.COM I really enjoyed your comparison of bikes, trains, and autos in the June issue.

There is, however, a simple factor that would make the comparison even better: Extend the term to a year. Unless one does destinations every weekend, I imagine the train number will be much lower. I also suspect the typical millennial may not appreciate what saving a Lincoln note a week looks like over time.

BOB BIRD CYCLEWORLD.COM Sorry, we are not driving a car every day for a year.

CHEAP TRILLS I am writing in regard to your comparison of the Ducati Scrambler, Triumph

Street Twin, and Yamaha FZ-07 (“Cheap Thrills,” June). As a current FZ-07 owner I am somewhat biased, but I have to respectfully disagree with some of your points, the first being that the FZ-07 does not have as many options as the other two. The Yamaha is around $2,000 cheaper, and most buyers are aware that more expensive bikes will have more bells and whistles. That should not be held against the Yamaha. As these bikes cost less than $10,000, a $2,000 difference is pretty significant.

My other gripe is that the FZ-07’s looks were questioned. Is it weird?

Yes. Is it “new” style? Yes. It may look Transformers-ish, but at least it is unique.

The Triumph looks like every Bonneville since the beginning of time, and the Ducati looks like a Harley dirt-tracker with an enormously thick seat.

I love the FZ-09, but the taillight killed it for me. I wish the FZ8 was still being produced, as I would buy one!

ROCCO LUBISCHER BOYNTON BEACH, FL

TACOED KILLERS Loved the “Killer Tacos” article by Bradley Adams (June), which struck my adventure gene right between the eyes. Having had the good fortune to ride motorcycles in several countries, including Mexico, I know exactly what Mr. Adams means by “being out of my comfort zone.” But that same defective gene, some might argue, is the very reason we love and ride motorcycles. My kid sister once gave me a coffee cup with these poetic words of wisdom: “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” Indeed it does. Tacos are just the icing on the cake.

ZEKE COVARRUBIAS TURLOCK, CA Comments? Suggestions? Criticisms?

Write us at intake@cycleworld.com.

PHOTO BY JEFF ALLEN

It’s the ride ;,!; 1!ħ '89W When the sun meets the horizon and there’s nothing in front of you except the open road. That’s the only way to live. '; 3;38$@$£' -29<8!2$' ;3&!@W

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HYPER HIPPER YAMAHA VFR ADV TAMBURINIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LAST STAND MOTO HAULERS BIKE LIFE

THE RIDE STARTS HERE

10 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

BY THE NUMBERS

THE MULTI-TOOL: The new Yamaha XSR900 fits in anywhere: urban runabout, commuter, or canyon carver.

3

CYLINDERS: Who knew an inline triple could deliver such broad torque and wheelie-inducing snap?

Yamaha, of course.

SIX

SPECIAL EDITION MODELS: To mark its 60th Anniversary Yamaha Motorsports offers select street- and dirt bikes in its yellow race team livery.

20 PERCENT LIGHTER: Clutch lever effort reduction due to the use of lighter springs allowed by the assist-style clutch basket.

C W FIRST RIDE

2016 YAMAHA XSR900 More hyper and hip version of Yamaha’s FZ-09 triple

By Don Canet

Y

amaha had an instant hit on its hands with the FZ-09 sport-naked introduced in 2014. The level of performance offered by its then-new, 847cc, crossplane-concept, inline-three engine blew us away. That, along with the inspired looks and handling prowess of the FZ’s controlled-fill die-cast-alloy chassis, easily exceeded all expectations from a bike selling for $8,000. While notably more expensive, the sport-touring-oriented FJ-09 that followed introduced premium features including traction control and ABS, now also found on the latest iteration of the versatile FZ platform.

Yamaha hopes the neo-retro styled, newfor-2016 XSR900 captures the imagination of a fast-growing segment it identifies as “riders who want authentic values (style/ materials), balanced with modern technology and exciting performance.” Rounding out what Yamaha has termed its Sport

PHOTOS COURTESY OF

Brian J. Nelson

Heritage line consisting of the venerable VMax, café-styled Bolt C-Spec, and retro SR400 single, the XSR900 makes perfect sense for riders looking for a daily commuter that is also very capable of spirited weekend romps.

A key design element pointed out at the XSR900 press launch is the use of “genuine authentic” materials such as metal and leather. To that end, the XSR has handbuffed aluminum tank covers, lending a sense of quality over the FZ’s plastic fuel tank shrouds. The restyled rear fender is also made of aluminum, as are the Swiss cheese subframe side plates, matching headlight mounts, aluminum radiator side covers, and front fender supports tying the look together. A retro-inspired round headlight and LED taillight stylistically complement the new round TFT digital dash that conveniently provides all the features expected of a modern sport motorcycle, though you must take a hand off the bar to

CYCLE WORLD 11

IGNITION FIRST RIDE

DOUBLE DUTY:

The TFT dash display has a retro appearance but all the functionality of a modern machine.

toggle its functions. Even the FZ’s origami muffler tip has come full circle on the XSR. Don’t be fooled by the less edgy outer appearance, however, as the XSR’s talents extend well beyond the boulevard or corner café. After spending a day aboard the XSR900 riding back roads, freeways, and city streets in and around San Diego, I found a much-improved sport machine hidden beneath its hipster guise.

For starters, the abrupt onthrottle response characteristic noted by many FZ-09 riders has been fully resolved. Like its chip-controlled ride-by-wire siblings, the XSR offers a trio of D-Mode engine-response maps but delivers an improved sense of control when initially applying the throttle. After briefly sampling STD and the peak-power tempered B mode, I was content riding in the refined A mode, as it still offers wheelie-inducing snap without feeling overly sensitive.

There are two levels of selectable traction-control sensitivity and the ability to toggle the system off while the bike is stationary.

I found TC Level 1 allows a fair degree of front-wheel-floating fun out of slower corners.

A firmer fork spring and revised valving offer much greater damping control at both ends and have blessed the XSR with increased ride quality and chassis composure that’s particularly noticeable when the road gets interesting. Meanwhile, a new-for-2016 assist/slipper clutch has lighter lever action and effectively eliminates the enginebraking-induced rear-wheel skitter I’ve experienced when charging into tight or bumpy corners aboard the less-equipped FZ-09. This and the strong and consistent feel of the XSR’s ABS brakes have made the bike notably easier to ride and more capable in every aspect relative to its more basic FZ sibling.

If you’re still not quite sold on the XSR900, let your seat of the pants be the judge. I found the deep padding and rounded contour of its retro-inspired one-piece seat authentically captures one of the best aspects of a forgone era.

The XSR900 is a bike that remains enter taining and comfortably inviting after a long day in the saddle. At $9,490 ($9,990 in 60th Anniversary Yellow) you get a host of improvements that help justify the $1,300 premium over the FZ-09.

2016 YAMAHA XSR900 E N GIN E T Y P E Liquid-cooled, DOHC inline-three 12 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

DISPL ACE M E NT 847cc

SE AT HEIGHT 32.7 in.

FU EL C APACIT Y 3.7 gal.

CL AIMED WET WEIGHT 430 lb.

BAS E P RIC E $9490

EXPERIENCE THE HISTORY

OF TWO-WHEELED TRANSPORTATION

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IGNITION FIRST RIDE

C W FIRST RIDE

2016 HONDA VFR1200X Loves pavement, will travel

By Bradley Adams

T

he area in and around Moab, Utah, is filled with red rock and dirt roads that are begging to be explored, but within a few miles I realize that’s not how I’ll be spending my day aboard Honda’s new-for-theStates VFR1200X. And that’s okay.

That’s okay because the area in and around Moab is also filled with paved roads crisscrossing some of the most scenic landscape this side of the Mississippi. And it’s here where Honda’s VFR1200X excels.

Introduced in Europe all the way back in 2012, the US-bound X

14 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

is essentially the same as its European counterpart. The only differences are 2016 model-year updates that include a new lever for the height-adjustable windscreen, a 12-volt socket at the dash, and, on the Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT) model, a three-level adjustable Sport mode that in its more aggressive settings holds onto each gear a while longer, for more spirited riding at higher revs.

The X’s engine remains a 76-degree V-4 similar to what was used in the sportier, yet no-longeravailable-in-the-States VFR1200F, with tweaks that enable it to produce more torque at lower revs

and through the midrange. The bike rolls on wire-spoke wheels wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion Trail II tires (110/80-R19 front and 150/70-R17 rear), and comes standard with nonadjustable ABS and three-level (plus off) traction control.

Knowing that the X will spend the majority of its life on pavement has allowed Honda to focus on long-range comfort and onroad rideability, and that shows in the first few miles. The seat height, at 33.5 inches, is tall, but the riding triangle is extremely natural and the seating position is very comfortable, with the only PHOTOS BY

EASY ADJUST: The 2016 VFR1200X features a lever for the adjustable windscreen that enables you to easily adjust the screen to multiple heights with one hand.

At its highest setting, the screen provides great wind protection too.

Kevin Wing & Ray Gauger

T H E A L L - N E W C O R S A I R®- X

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THE ARAI STORY:

P A R T

Ultimate Comfort

3

Extreme Ventilation

Corsair-X ventilation flows more air than ever before. “The Corsair-X vents really well,” says past AMA Superbike and MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden, “and makes breathing a lot easier when things get hectic out there.”

Corsair-X handmade shell further enhances ‘glancing off’ performance, which means a shell shape that helps to keep the helmet moving in a crash to minimize impact energy – thanks to our revolutionary Variable Axis System (VAS) shield mechanism. “We’re going faster than ever these days,” says veteran Superbike racer Chris Ulrich, “so it’s good to know Arai has done their homework.”

Low Center of Gravity

Corsair-X performance is simply amazing, incorporating everything we’ve learned in 66-plus years of building helmets. The Corsair-X features an optimized shell shape, a removable Eco-Pure liner, and Arai’s adjustable fit interior padding and stunning graphics. “I’m 40 years old,” says veteran champion Josh Hayes, “and have crashed a lot in 20-plus years of racing. I know I’ll finish my career wearing Arai. It’s the best helmet out there.”

The choice is yours. And when you choose Arai, as these guys do, you’re getting the same 66+ years of expertise and quality: You’re getting the commitment of our entire team to relentlessly pursue the very best in helmet design and protection year after year.

Learn more at araiamericas.com

Quick & Easy

Glancing Off Design

NO HELMET CAN PROTECT THE WEARER AGAINST ALL FORESEEABLE IMPACTS. NOTHING IS A SUBSTITUTE FOR SAFE RIDING PRACTICES.

IGNITION FIRST RIDE

OPTIONS? What are those? The VFR1200X is available in any color you want, so long as it’s black.

downside being a wide tank/seat junction that’s made larger by the 5.7-gallon tank.

The V-4 engine pulls well from low rpm, with zero peaks or valleys in the power curve and a steady stream of power through to the soft rev limiter. This is one of those engines where it almost doesn’t matter what gear you’re in, and one that requires very little

work at the shift lever. It’s smooth too, with almost zero vibration felt through the controls.

DCT makes the riding experience even more straightforward, Honda’s latest iteration feeling far more versatile. In Drive, the electronics take you to top gear almost right away, while in the most aggressive Sport setting, the transmission will willingly drop down two gears and run at much higher revs. Between either end of the spectrum, a rider can find a happy place while still using the paddles to shift manually, if so desired.

The X, in either version, uses Honda’s unique ride-by-wire setup with cables running to a sensor that then manipulates the throttle, and while this provides a more natural throttle feeling, I did feel like the on/off transition was

still a bit abrupt. Otherwise, the electronics are well integrated, easy to adjust, and work seamlessly—with the traction-control system being easily manipulated via a button on the left fairing while riding.

Standard-mount front calipers biting 310mm discs provide admirable stopping power, and the bike feels very stable leaned over, though that’s not to say it's perfect. At a claimed 608 pounds with the standard transmission, it’s noticeably heavier than the competition. Meanwhile, the adjustable suspension seems to sacrifice composure for plush comfort.

Gripes aside, the VFR1200X is a great option for riders looking to take longer trips, in comfort, and without much time spent in the dirt.

2016 HONDA VFR1200X E N GIN E T Y P E Liquid-cooled,SOHC V-4 16 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

DISPL ACE M E NT 1237cc

SE AT HE IG HT 33.5 in.

FU EL C APACIT Y 5.7 gal.

CL AIMED DRY WEIGHT 608 lb./631 lb. (DCT)

BAS E P RICE $15,599/$15,999 (DCT)

IGNITION FIRST LOOK WHAT’S IN A NAME? In the T12 Massimo, T stands for Tamburini, 12 was his lucky number, and Massimo in Italian also means “maximum.”

C W FIRST LOOK

MASSIMO TAMBURINI’S T12 MASSIMO The world’s ultimate Italian trackday bike? By Bruno dePrato

M

assimo Tamburini died on April 6, 2014, but like any real genius, the Italian motorcycle designer left a legacy that today materializes in his most refined and precious superbike ever: the BMW S1000RR-powered T12 Massimo.

With this bike, Tamburini’s goal was to make the best-handling, safest, lightest, and most compact motorcycle in the superbike class, ever. No compromises anywhere, no concerns about price or homologation for street use—it would be a pure, race-ready bike, completely free from all limitations.

Now complete thanks to the hard work of his son, Andrea, the T12 Massimo is about the size of the final generation of 500cc twostroke GP racers and incredibly light at 340 pounds dry. All body components, from the fairing to

18 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

the self-supporting tank and seat, are made from aerospace-grade carbon fiber that’s been treated with a very exclusive lacquer that adds a touch of dark green and golden sparkles to its texture.

Carbon fiber is also used in the construction of the airbox and its dynamic air intake and runners.

The frame structure integrates the chrome-moly steel tubing with the steering head. Meanwhile, the rear plates clamping the engine, the single-sided swingarm, rearwheel hub, and sprocket carrier are all made from magnesium castings. Wheels are Marchesini forged magnesium units, but Andrea is also considering carbonfiber wheels that would bring the bike’s weight down to 330 pounds.

Fork and shock are Öhlins GP units, while Brembo supplies its top-of-the-line radial-mount calipers, rotors, and master cylinders,

with Staubli quickrelease brake-line connections used.

The bikes will be built on demand only and sold at 300,000 euros ($336,645 at current conversion rates), with an adequate down payment required.

PHOTOS BY

Bruno dePrato

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IGNITION MOTO HAULER C W MOTO H AU L E R S

MERCEDES 2500 SPRINTER 4X4 VS. FORD TRANSIT 350

What is the best new van for hauling motorcycles? By Blake Conner

T

he last of the traditional American full-size vans are being phased out, but thanks to European-market influence, we have some awesome new options to choose from. We’ve had the chance to spend some serious time behind the wheel of Mercedes’ latest 4x4 Sprinter 2500 Crew and Ford’s Transit 350 HR DRW. Here's what we found out.

2015 MERCEDES SPRINTER 4X4 Okay, the most obvious bonus with the new-for-2015 Sprinter is the availability of the factory 4x4 drivetrain, which can only be ordered with the larger 3.0-liter BlueTEC turbo diesel. Our van also came equipped with the Low-and-High-Range package, which when added to the 4x4/sixcylinder package adds up to a whopping $7,785 option. A base model with the same 144-inch length wheelbase and low roof package starts at $38,270, but as optioned our test vehicle lists for $57,440 (!).

After spending a full week with the Sprinter, we were impressed. The engine is smooth, quiet, and provides excellent torque, but what really stood out was the wonderful automatic five-speed transmission—this is one of the nicest transmissions we’ve experienced in a “truck.”

Off highway we were impressed with the additional ground clearance afforded by the upgraded suspension and found 22 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

the 4x4 system quite effective despite not having locking differentials. Our only complaint is that the same suspension that makes this Sprinter so capable off road makes it terribly stiff on road.

But if you live somewhere where 4x4 is a necessary feature, this Sprinter is clearly the choice for you. Seating comfort was great and interior sound levels were acceptable.

As a tool for hauling motorcycles and people, the Crew is our van of choice.

There is ample room in the back for motorcycles, gear, and even the family (seating for five). Plenty of cargo tiedown points, a reasonable deck height, and the 270-degree opening rear doors make loading and unloading a snap. The 4x4 Sprinter has a max payload capacity of 3,237 pounds, with a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds.

2015 FORD TRANSIT 350 HR DRW The Ford Transit has been around Europe for ages and replaces the Econoline. Our 2015 High Roof, Dual-Rear Wheel, 1-ton Transit equipped with the optional 3.2-liter, inline-five diesel and a six-speed transmission had a base price is $40,885; the diesel adds $4,130.

Options increased our as-tested price to $50,295. As equipped, load capacity is 4,300 pounds, with a tow rating of 6,900 pounds with the 10,360-pound GVWR

package and 3.73 limited-slip rear axle.

Editor-in-Chief Hoyer spent the most time in the Ford, so he’ll take it from here: “The biggest shock about this van was how easy it was to drive. It's not just a good-handling van; it's a good-handling vehicle. And with 350 pound-feet of torque it's probably faster in a straight line and through the slalom than an ’82 Mustang. It really drives well. But most of the time when bike people are loading a van to go riding, it means hours on the highway. We loaded a pair of sportbikes, tools, and lots of stuff you’d need for a trackday and the van was quick to 80 miles per hour, where it cruised nicely and delivered about 17 mpg. The Transit was impressive in gusty winds, tracking straight and requiring little steering correction. We arrived relaxed and comfy.

“Our high-roofer had lots of headroom for our tallest tester [6-foot-2], and there were loads of tie-down rings to secure bikes and gear,” Hoyer continued. “Throw in a couple of roll-in wheel chocks and there is all kinds of load-arrangement flexibility. Being a giant metal box, the Transit will never be as quiet as Dad’s ’79 Lincoln Town Car Cartier Edition, but noise suppression in the cab was better than most vans we’ve tried. Overall, impressive performance and utility from this very large van make it a great choice for serious hauling.”

PHOTOS BY

Jeff Allen and Blake Conner

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IGNITION GEAR NEW IDE AS

CW APPRO

VED

GET SPORTY 5

1 4 3

2

1

2

3

4

5

SAG MADE EASY

FEATHER FOOT

FINISH THE WORKS

RAISE THE BAR

WIND SPEED

Setting sag becomes a one-man task using the Slacker digital sag scale ($149.99) and optional Street Kit ($24.99). The latest version of the tool includes an Auto-Zero function that registers the suspension’s fully unloaded state, which allows precise measurement of overall front and rear sag—the foundation of proper chassis setup.

(800) 741-7702 motool.co

Do your sport boots feel like ankle weights? The new Dainese Torque D1 ($389.95) is a CE-certified race-level boot that’s claimed to be “extremely light” compared to the competition. Available in standard and ventilated versions, the boot has a rear-entry inner-bootie and features a D-axial hinge along with magnesium heel protectors and removable toe sliders.

(949) 645-9500 dainese.com

Ever lust over the raw, artful appearance of a works header? The Yoshimura Works Finish Race Series full exhausts for the Yamaha FZ-07 ($699) and FZ-09 ($895) are given a beadblast treatment that produces a satin/matte finish that takes on uniform coloration delivering that exotic factory racer hue following a couple of heat cycles.

(909) 628-4722 yoshimura-rd.com

Sporting performance need not dictate a semicrouched riding position.

The HeliBars Tour Performance Handlebar Risers ($129) give BMW R1200RS owners a more relaxed, upright posture for extendedrange comfort. The CNC-machined 6061 aluminum risers elevate the bars 1-1/4 inches and bring the hand grips an inch closer to the rider.

(800) 859-4642 helibars.com

Stay protected, comfortable, and cool in the Spidi Tronik Wind Pro ($1,299.90) one-piece race suit. Constructed of perforated full-grain cowhide, EN-certified protectors in chest, back, hip, knee, shoulder areas, and a mesh lining, the suit also features arrangement for adding replaceable elbow sliders and a Hydroback drinking system.

(310) 948-7798 spidi.com

24 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

IGNITION EVALUATION C W E VA LUAT I O N

ROK STRAPS MOTORCYCLE STRETCH STRAP

Pleasing pack rats with a simple cinch By Jeff Allen

ROK STRAPS TIE-DOWN STRAPS rokstraps.com PRICE: $14.99–$26.99 UPS + No signs of wear after continued use + Priced right + Easy to cinch and use DOWNS Will allow heavy items to shift – Still need good anchor points

–

T

hinking about loading up your bike and hitting the open road to freedom? Or perhaps just taking a long weekend ride to independence? Either way, you’ll most likely need to bring a few things with you. And whatever you cannot fit in the motorcycle will need to be attached to it.

Over the years, we’ve seen a number of methods for securing one’s wares to a motorcycle, with mostly limited success. Long ago,

26 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

the best (or maybe only) option available was the traditional “bungee cord” or narrow nylon rope. This meant riding with the constant fear of finding just a dangling end of cordage after scattering the road with your precious cargo.

To make matters worse, lashing extra luggage or camping equipment to your motorcycle meant the strap was usually either much too long or just a tad too short.

Not so with the infinitely adjustable tie-down straps from Rok Straps, which combine a stretchable natu-

ral rubber-core strap and non-scratch polypropylene cinch strap with loop end.

All of this is then connected with a plastic, shatterresistant buckle.

The stretchable rubber end is protected from nicks and UV light via a colorful polyester braiding. With strap sizes ranging from half-inch to 1-inch wide and 12 to 60 inches long, you will find a strap for every job too.

With Rok Straps' stretch straps we’ve been able to attach everything from camping gear to a camera tripod

and even a surfboard to various testbikes (not all at once, mind you). In all cases, mounting the goods was as simple as cinching the strap and forgetting about it.

After numerous uses and countless miles, the durable little buggers show zero evidence of wear or fatigue on either the buckle or the strap itself.

The good and the bad of it, of course, is that you might never figure out when you’re hauling too much because the Rok Straps make it so you can almost always bring more.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

Jeff Allen

IGNITION RIDE SMART

I

n some states, at age 15-1/2 kids can legally ride anything from a Hayabusa to an apehanger’d Street Bob wearing nothing but surf trunks and flip-flops—and they might skip the flip-flops on a nice day. Whereas in Britain, the license structure restricts younger riders to smaller bikes: mopeds at age 16, 125cc at age 17 to 18, 35kW (47 hp) output at age 19 to 23, and unlimited at age 24-plus. Ride Smart is all for the land of the free and the home of the brave, but there is something to be said for the Brits’ method of layering on size and horsepower as riders gain maturity and experience.

For proof of why this works, look elsewhere in our culture for parallel examples. Motocross kids race Loretta Lynn’s on 50–150cc machines before they’ll matriculate into AMA 250cc Motocross. High schoolers 28 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

will program robots and create apps in computer science labs long before they’ll ever code Martian landers for JPL. And even med-school grads with MD degrees must become licensed and serve long residencies.

This layering on of personal skills to achieve true competency is how house building or 3-D printing works: Without first creating a solid foundation, nothing built above ground level will be any good. Here are four rocksolid arguments for not making your dream bike your first bike.

• HOLD YOUR HORSES. Having little power on tap requires rider smoothness to gain and maintain momentum. Embedding these skills over hundreds or thousands of miles pays real dividends when you move up to larger machines. Think Honda Grom or Kawasaki Z125 Pro.

• LIGHTER IS BETTER. If you’re a newbie, choosing a lighter machine first and then working up the size ladder as you gain experience is smart. That’s because when you make the inevitable bobble, less mass is way easier to control.

• START OFF SLOW. Those who bluster, “There are two types of riders: those who have crashed and those who are going to crash,” are dim-witted windbags. But if you do hit the deck while learning, slower is way preferable to faster.

• BE NORMAL FOR ONCE. Crotch rockets are radical and choppers look cool. But the hot tip for top rider control is neither. Instead, a standard or naked-bike seating position delivers the best combination of comfort, control, and safety.

ILLUSTRATION BY

Ryan Inzana

IGNITION BIKE LIFE

GOLD IN ELDORADO, COAL IN NEWCASTLE HAVING THE RIGHT DOLLAR IN THE WRONG TOWN

BY PETER JONES

I

recently traded a perfectly good 2006 Suzuki GSX-R1000 swingarm for a tire change. To sweeten the deal I tossed in the rear caliper assembly (including the caliper) and the rear axle assembly (including the axle, all spacers, axle blocks, and chain adjusters). It was a straight-up, evenSteven trade—these parts for that service. I supplied the tires. The shop that mounted the tires tossed in balancing for no extra charge.

The retail cost for these above traded items, if purchased new today, is $2,705.86, tax not included. But they were used parts, with a few thousand miles on them. So, going by the universal rule of half price for used parts, I traded a “value” of $1,352 (keep the change) for the mounting of two tires.

Am I a fool?

Actually, never mind that question because I was required to take one economics course to earn a college degree in the arts, so I’m fully qualified to explain why this was actually a fair trade. The explanation is: supply and demand, baby.

I had one too many 2006 GSX-R1000 swingarms, and nobody in the entire world had a single less 2006 GSX-R1000 swingarm than they needed.

In the practical world of applied economics, something is only worth what someone else will pay for it. And, after it sells, it is only worth that amount in a quickly fading memory of the sale, until another one of equivalent description is sold. This is why the real estate industry strictly uses recent comparables for establishing value; comparables provide a temporal measure of the value of location, which means far more than the market price of lumber, shingles, and toilets.

For motorcycles, the NADA Guide is the bible of temporally fluctuating value. But don’t overrate it for doing anything more than providing “book value” because, you know, it’s just a book that provides values.

30 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

And the values it provides are, unfortunately, only for complete motorcycles, not pieces thereof.

My everyday motorcycle is a highly modified 2006 Suzuki GSX-R1000, known also as the K5, since that was its first year of a two-year run. I did the modifying mostly myself, which left me with a number of OEM parts to sell. Six years ago I sold the bodywork for around $1,500, and I sold a number of minor items for reasonable dollars. Having installed a Gregg’s Customs single-sided swingarm, I happened to have a slightly used and totally unwanted OEM swingarm. I tried selling it also at that time. I quickly found out that no one wanted it.

Back then, checking comparables on eBay to see what the going price was for a 2006 GSX-R1000 swingarm left me dumbfounded. The “Buy It Now” price was $40. Some enterprising sellers offered them for $38.75. Worst yet, there was a swarm of GSX-R1000 swingarms at these prices. I was an owner of a rare, expensive, functional, like-new piece of high-quality engineering…that nobody wanted. And so my swingarm acquired another six years of dust.

What I’d learned here was that wheels and bodywork are hot items because of how sportbikes are used, but no one ever needs a swingarm. If a rider does need a new swingarm, that rider needs a new motorcycle because something very bad has happened. And that’s that.

Finally, I lucked out by recently discovering that Fast Frank, who specializes in making quick-change kits for motorcycles, uses swingarms to develop and display his products. He didn’t have a K5 version of a swingarm. He did, however, have a tire-changing machine.

Supply and demand, baby.

And that, Virginia, is why this story has a happy ending.

But does anyone need a 2006 GSXR1000 OEM shock absorber? Hello?

BY THE NUMBERS

62 MY BARELY ADEQUATE PASSING GRADE IN ECONOMICS 101

650

THE NUMBER OF WORDS I’M SUPPOSED TO WRITE FOR THIS COLUMN BUT ALWAYS EXCEED

40 THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS I WANT FOR THE GSX-R SHOCK. OBO.

IGNITION TDC

DIRT TRACK ARISES? HOPE FOR THE LAST TWO-WHEELED SPORT THAT IS WIDELY ACCESSIBLE BY KEVIN CAMERON

R

ight now there is excitement at the prospect that dirt-track racing might be on the verge of expanding in both popularity and media interest. Why? It is the last two-wheeled sport remaining that is widely accessible.

Roadracing, formerly supported by extensive manufacturer contingency programs (former Superbike champion Doug Polen made his living from them on his way up), still provides possibilities, but costs are substantial and the technologies to be learned are complex.

While it used to be assumed that this year’s hot privateer would be next year’s factory star, pursued everywhere he went by 45-foot transporters and vans full of suspension, chassis, engine, and data techs, the hard pinch of 2008 to ’09 put an end to that dream.

Motocross, too, has become “industrialized,” for you have your choice of videos portraying the hard lives of professional riders, with training, controlled diet, personal managers, and complex medical responses to injury. In a way, it resembles the changes in higher education. In the 1960s, prestigious universities prided themselves on discovering top students at all economic levels—and providing scholarships to those who needed them.

This was good, not only for the no-bucks students “discovered” in this way but also for the nation because it drew on the largest possible pool of candidates.

But today, with less money available at every level, a year at a top university costs $40,000 instead of the $2,400 of 50 years ago. This means that students now come from a much-shrunken pool of candidates—those whose families can afford such fees or those willing to undertake a heavy load of debt as they (hope to) begin their careers. That means many promising students are passed over entirely by “higher” education (higher in what respect, exactly?).

32 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

Up to the early ’90s, the normal entry point into roadracing was the Yamaha TZ250 series of production roadracers.

Its air-cooled ancestor, the TD1-B, was $1,147 in 1965, but by 1972 that had risen modestly to $1,800 for the air-cooled TA250. When these low-tech devices took on the role of privateer GP bikes, their technology quickly rose, taking price with it. The Power Valve-equipped HModel of 1981 was close to $8,000, and the ’90s pushed the price over $20,000.

Scratch one affordable entry-point into motorbike racing. By the time 250GP was dropped from the European program, two top bikes and parts for a year had risen to a million. (“Uh, is that dollars? Or euros?” If you have to ask, you can’t afford it anyway.)

Meanwhile we watch a couple of years of Spain’s “Superprestigio” indoor short-track (in which the big names from all branches of motorcycle sport, like Brad Baker and Marc Marquez, have competed) and learn that some riders have flown in without equipment, borrowed bikes, and done okay. What? No 45-footers needed? No software experts?

What kind of racing is this?

It is a kind of racing many more people can afford, a kind in which it is mainly rider qualities, not titanium and lines of control code, that make the difference. As I like to put it, in dirt track the throttle cable is steel, not copper.

At present, people are expecting Indian/Polaris to go head to head with Harley-Davidson and all comers in AMA flat-track twins racing. As engineerturned-aftermarketeer Tom Seymour put it at Sacramento just now, “Indian is coming in here big, and the others will have to follow.”

The usual result of heightened factory participation is greater use of levels of technology that only factories can afford.

If team A is getting left by team B in early acceleration, creative minds at A will

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IGNITION TDC lightly turn to thoughts of traction control or even of adaptive throttle scheduling. All these control concepts are out there, originated by government contractors developing them for combat aircraft and space vehicles. Then they filtered down to the much smaller budgets of Formula 1 ($300 million) and to MotoGP ($50 million). In MotoGP, management has sought to deny the top teams unlimited electronic controls by rules that set such controls back to a level nearly a decade in the past.

It is my view that dirt-track racing, in order to preserve its greatest strength—that it can cultivate the largest possible number of riders—must not adopt electronic controls. To do otherwise would be equivalent to sitting on a tree branch, sawing through it between yourself and the trunk. Racing’s creative source is the number of people who wish to participate, for it is from among such eager begin-

ners that future stars, builders, and tuners must come. Making dirt-track racing more expensive than it already is would nibble or chomp away at that essential population, just as the high cost of university education eliminates many promising students.

In more prosperous times there have been a few racers’ families that have pulled up stakes and moved from the US to England or Spain to give a favored son or daughter a chance to develop skill in perhaps more vigorous or visible overseas racing series. We can admire such devotion to sport, but we cannot imagine it will put the next top Americans into MotoGP or World Superbike paddocks.

Effective non-electronic measures already exist by which to tailor the power of engines to the grip available on the varieties of dirt track. One such is to absorb excess power in the acceleration of flywheel mass. The venerable

RACING’S CREATIVE SOURCE IS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WISH TO PARTICIPATE, FOR IT IS FROM AMONG SUCH EAGER BEGINNERS THAT FUTURE STARS, BUILDERS, AND TUNERS MUST COME.

Harley XR750 has its two large crankshaft flywheels for this, and that company’s “Street”-based prototype, the XG750R, has provision for externally variable flywheel mass. In the past, racers have also sought to enhance traction by filling rear tires with water or otherwise turning their rear wheels into flywheels. As a result, AMA Pro Racing has set a maximum wheel weight!

Although the power-tailoring effect of changes to cam timings is being forgotten in roadrace (where people now expect to address every problem on the laptop), it is still understood and used in dirt track. Initial acceleration may be softened by ignition retard.

People in dirt track love the life. Will the coming of increased factory money and jobs change it for the better or for worse? What might be the effect of television?

No one knows, but we all may be about to find out.

CW COMPARISON TEST

YA M A H A YZF-R1

K AWASAKI Z X- 1 0 R

36 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

SPLIT-

SUPER

APRILIA RSV4 RR

D U C AT I 9 5 9 PA N I G A L E

-DECISION

TESTING THE LATEST CROP OF LITERBIKES ALONGSIDE DUCATIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW 959 PANIGALE

By B ra d l e y A d am s Photography by Je ff Al l en

RBIKES

CYCLEWORLD.COM 37

CW COMPARISON TEST

B

odies start to ache at around 4:30 in the afternoon, our early-morning enthusiasm replaced by muscle spasms in extremities we’ve neglected for far too long now. We should be relieved the track goes cold at 5 p.m. Excited even by the thought of rest. And yet we aren’t. Fuel still sloshes about their containers, tires have life left in them, and we collectively want more— more laps around the track, more time on each bike, and more of everything that comes with riding a sportbike full tilt around a fast, flowing racetrack like

38 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

Buttonwillow Raceway. Good motorcycles make you feel as if no trackday is long enough or no destination far enough away. With us are four truly exceptional motorcycles.

There’s a semblance of similarity between the bikes we’ve brought with us to Buttonwillow, with only Ducati’s 2016 959 Panigale suggesting something is at odds. The rest—Aprilia’s RSV4 RR, Kawasaki’s all-new ZX-10R, and Yamaha’s YZF-R1—are all built with the intention of winning races, shattering lap records, filling podiums the world over, and pulling on the heartstrings of the power-hungry enthusiast.

Consider this test then an opportunity

to see which pulls the hardest, how the latest literbikes from Aprilia and Kawasaki stack up to a derivative of last year’s superbike shootout winner, the R1M, and how Ducati’s largest-ever “middleweight” compares to the (notall-that-much) bigger competition.

Consider it also something no amount of muscle spasms could convince us to cut short. Body aches and sunsets be damned; we have throttles to twist.

2016 DUCATI 959 PANIGALE Of all the bikes, Ducati’s 959 Panigale plays the nicest with our battered bodies.

At 420 pounds, it’s not the lightest bike here and actually weighs 4 pounds

more than the lightest bike of the lot, Yamaha’s R1. It flicks from side to side with the prepotency of a middleweight though, its lightweight handling and lower power output making longer stints at the track feel like less a burden. Unlike its bigger brother, you ride it. It doesn’t ride you. A lot of people will appreciate that. After a full day spent in the saddle of bikes that find joy in plucking your arms from their sockets, we certainly do.

The “chassis” is still unique in regard to feel and feedback, but with the suspension set up as desired you can push the bike harder, playing up its strengths by flicking it from one side to the next in rapid succession. More than once, a 959-mounted test rider would roll up on the Kawasaki ZX-10R or Yamaha R1 in Buttonwillow’s tight esses section and win back every inch he’d lost on the long back straight.

Conversely, getting chased by a literbike reminds you that the 959 is more middleweight than literbike. You tuck in as tightly as possible to limit drag, brake later, and make the most of every available rev, subsequently working the shifter more in an attempt to keep the engine in its happy place. Maybe it’s through probability that we ended

up with the most false neutrals on the Ducati—and if not, then a transmission that’s just a touch less seamless.

As a package, the 959 would benefit from brakes with more initial bite, an on/off throttle transition that doesn’t almost immediately relegate you to the medium engine power delivery setting, and something that better shields you from engine heat. Those negatives aside, the bike delivers on its promise to be something more exciting than a middleweight and at the same time something more user-friendly than a literbike. For the canyon rider or trackday enthusiast who’s happy keeping his arms in their sockets, it’s a truly legitimate option.

2016 KAWASAKI ZX-10R Jumping from Ducati’s 959 Panigale to Kawasaki’s ZX-10R requires a mental recalibration of sorts. The throttle is still on the right, the clutch on your left, and footpegs up to just about your derrière.

But this isn’t the same motorcycle. It’s wider at its hips, longer, and you sit in it versus on it. In a category now dominated by narrow waistlines, crossplane cranks, V-4s, and V-twins, the Kawasaki is now, in a way, the misfit.

Compared to its predecessor, it’s also

CYCLEWORLD.COM 39

CW COMPARISON TEST THE NUMBERS BIKE

APRILIA RSV4 RR

KAWASAKI ZX-10R

DUCATI 959 PANIGALE

YAMAHA YZF-R1

Price

$16,499

$14,995

$15,299

Dry weight

435 lb.

420 lb.

424 lb.

416 lb.

Wheelbase

56.6 in.

56.4 in.

56.7 in.

55.6 in.

32.8 in.

$16,990

Seat height

32.7 in.

32.7 in.

32.3 in.

Fuel mileage

34 mpg

37 mpg

33 mpg

35 mpg

1/4 mile

10.00 sec. @ 148.51 mph

10.34 sec. @ 138.41 mph

10.07 sec. @ 147.10 mph

10.11 sec. @ 146.62 mph

0–60 mph

2.7 sec.

2.8 sec.

2.8 sec.

2.9 sec.

Top gear 40–60 mph

3.1 sec.

3.6 sec.

3.4 sec.

3.0 sec.

60–80 mph

2.9 sec.

3.3 sec.

2.9 sec.

3.0 sec.

Horsepower

17 1.9 @ 13,550 rpm

136.3 @ 11,040 rpm

167.0 @ 11,020 rpm

162.4 @ 12,720 rpm 73.2 lb.-ft. @ 8790 rpm

Torque

75.4 lb.-ft. @ 10,360 rpm

69.3 lb.-ft. @ 9020 rpm

76.0 lb.-ft. @ 11,200 rpm

Braking 30–0 mph

30 ft.

31 ft.

31 ft.

32 ft.

60–0 mph

125 ft.

126 ft.

124 ft.

126 ft.

better. More refined. As if Kawasaki perfectly isolated each and every wrinkle in that bike’s previously imperfect canvas and ironed it out. Guest tester Sean MacDonald says, “I couldn’t get the previous ZX-10R to steer, but this one I can.”

Credit the updated crank and suspension here, the former being a change we didn’t expect anyone but Tom Sykes or Jonathan Rea to feel but did.

The Showa Balance Free Fork is one of the best production forks we’ve yet

40 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

tested and likely adds to the confidence, with great support at corner entry but no midcorner harshness. Together with a rock-solid chassis and Brembo M50 Monoblock brake calipers, it allows you to run deep into a corner and yet always get slowed, turned, and back on the gas.

Unfortunately the bike is still a bit of a workout, each of the test riders commenting that, of the four bikes here, it was the one that took the biggest toll on their body.

A lack of midrange power doesn’t help matters, the Kawasaki lacking grunt and feeling the least aggressive of the literbikes off a corner. In the 10R’s defense, power builds evenly from 6,500 rpm, and power delivery is smooth. Suspiciously smooth even, especially when compared to the bikes we first rode in Malaysia.

That smoothness runs deep in the Kawasaki’s makeup, and for the rider who wants the, errr, uniqueness of a Japanese-made inline-four screamer

Riverside Corner Speed Riverside

Pacific

Sector 1

Sunset Corner Speed Sunset

STA RT

PEAK SPEED 2

Phil Hill

BUTTONWILLOW RACEWAY PARK WEST LOOP

Sector 3

Sector 2 Esses PEAK SPEED 1

Star Mazda Turn

LAP ANALYSIS Buttonwillow West Loop

GOOD MOTORCYCLES MAKE YOU FEEL AS IF NO TRACKDAY IS LONG ENOUGH OR NO DESTINATION FAR ENOUGH AWAY.

Back in the day, a handheld stopwatch was used to gather comparative lap times and help determine the measured performance when evaluating sport motorcycles on a road course. We now benefit in the use of a VBox Sport GPS datalogger that has not only eliminated the reaction error of the human thumb but allows a more in-depth analysis of each bike’s quickest lap. Splitting the lap into three sectors: The first involves trail braking into Pacific, followed by a TC-tripping exit on the drive leading into the Riverside sweeper and fast dogleg that follows. Cresting Phil Hill through the middle section puts a premium on stability and grip to maximize drive onto the fastest part of the lap. The final sector begins in a second-gear hairpin and threads the Esses, a section that rewards a balance of agility and confidence-inspiring stability. Hard braking into Sunset sets up the slower of two corners we have selected for comparative point-to-point average corner speed. —Don Canet

LAP TIME DATA • BUTTONWILLOW RACEWAY PARK, WEST LOOP • 1.83 MILES Bike

Lap Time Split 1 Split 2

Split 3 Peak Speed 1

Peak Speed 2

Riverside Average Speed

Sunset Average Speed

Aprilia RSV4 RR Ducati 959 Panigale Kawasaki ZX-10R Yamaha YZF-R1

1:09.57 1:11.33 1:10.11 1:08.82

28.08 28.92 28.24 27.77

134.4 130.5 134.3 136.2

88.5 88.1 89.1 92.1

60.9 58.3 62.3 61.5

22.11 22.53 22.31 21.56

19.37 19.88 19.56 19.40

141.8 133.8 139.5 143.9

CYCLEWORLD.COM 41

CW COMPARISON TEST

PIRELLI DIABLO SUPERCORSA SC A last-minute attempt to get each of the four bikes in this comparison test on comparable race rubber led us to Pirelli and the experienced staff at its West Coast distributor, CT Racing, who was able to outfit each bike with Diablo Supercorsa SC1 rubber, in a 200/55-17 rear for each of the 1,000cc bikes and stock 180/60-17 size for the 959 Panigale. Completely accommodating, CT Racing even helped with install, only balking at the Yamaha R1, which would benefit greatly from 90-degree valve stems.

Developed for the World Supersport and Superstock Championships, the tires feature a profile designed to maximize the width and length of the contact area, as well as an optimized carcass for improved stability on the brakes.

Over the course of the day, the tires provided exceptional grip and feel. Lateafternoon slides were smooth and predictable but also few and far between, with the tires still having plenty of usable rubber after a full day of riding and providing great drive grip. They truly are nothing short of spectacular and well worth a try.

If you’re on the West Coast, be sure to contact CT Racing (ctracetires.com, 831/419-9680) for more information on how to get a set of your own, or search pirelli.com for Eastern US and Canada distributor information.

YOU COULD FALL IN LOVE WITH ANY; WE’VE JUST FALLEN IN LOVE HARDER WITH THE R1—AN EXCEPTIONAL MOTORCYCLE THAT TRULY MAKES YOU WISH YOUR RIDE WOULD NEVER COME TO AN END. engine with the electronic rider aids not available on the Honda or Suzuki, it’ll be a tough motorcycle to overlook. A quick glance at the price tag of the non-ABS model tested here only makes ignoring its presence all the more challenging too.

2016 APRILIA RSV4 RR Opposite the smooth and almost seamless Kawasaki is Aprilia’s RSV4 RR, which has always been, and continues to be, a motorcycle that you connect with 42 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

on more of an emotional level—one that, with every tap of the starter and every blip of the throttle, you fall a little more in love with. It evokes happiness, as a motorcycle should. Smitten by the Panigale’s looks, Sean MacDonald argues that it isn’t special enough, but every other tester argues he’s crazy.

The RSV4 is not one of those bikes you fall out of love with the second a road tightens up either, or the instant a commute turns longer than expected. It’s

comfortable for taller and shorter riders alike, the repositioned-for-2016 clip-ons set up in a way that makes them easy to reach, and the rock-hard seat shaped so that it enables you to rack miles up in relative comfort, especially when compared to the saddle on the R1.

That well-rounded design is put to the test most by the suspension, which feels imbalanced front to rear and is a little more of a challenge to set up. There’s also (and maybe even as a result) a lack

of ground clearance, with Road Test Editor Don Canet noting that, “The chassis movement is what I call seesaw. I was surprised that cornering clearance is limited on the right too, with the fairing lower and muffler shroud touching down. Worse yet, the butterfly valve pivot of the exhaust also touched down.”

The electronics package is admirable but falls slightly behind, the traction control system not providing the same level of confidence as the R1’s system,

even if the quickshifter is on par and much better than the Kawasaki’s, which has the most aggressive cut of the units here. We’re thankful traction control is there, mind you. Because 171.9 hp…

Of the bunch, the Aprilia pulls the hardest, building the biggest head of steam off a corner and into Buttonwillow’s esses. Fortunately, it also sports Brembo’s truly phenomenal M50 calipers and sheds speed with ease. That, along with the RSV4’s chassis, which

provides more front-end feel than anything in the category and allows for latecorner trail-braking, makes for a bike that does an impressive job of running nose to tail with the competition.

2016 YAMAHA YZF-R1 The Aprilia’s biggest competition comes in the form of Yamaha’s R1, a bike that, in this test, instilled the most confidence in everyone from self-proclaimed trackriding rookies to seasoned experts. It CYCLEWORLD.COM 43

CW COMPARISON TEST

makes good power but not in an alarming manner. It steers quickly but isn’t twitchy. And its electronics step in but are careful not to neuter the experience.

A long list of attributes conspire to make the bike so confidence inspiring, starting with the chassis, which is balanced and offers exceptional feedback at full lean. Brakes are strong as well, and while the system offers slightly less feel when compared to the M50 setup on the Kawasaki and Aprilia, there’s little lost as you slip past trackside brake markers.

Meanwhile, the suspension is easy to dial in, with the stock settings being so

good that few to no setting adjustments are required before going out and turning quick laps at the track.

The same settings make the bike feel stiff and a little less friendly in streetriding situations, and the aggressive throttle response in Power Mode 1 doesn’t help. Whatever the bike loses in terms of around-town rideability, it makes up for when you get into the canyons though. And here, it was the only bike that truly made us smile. You hit the lines you want, with less midcorner corrections, because you’re confident.

You’ve got this. The bike’s got this.

UPS

DOWNS

2016 DUCATI 959 PANIGALE

• Lightweight handling • Great looks • User-friendly power

• Aggressive on/off throttle • Lackluster brakes • Engine heat

2016

• Exceptional fork • Improved electronics • Great top-end power

• Lack of midrange power • A workout • Cramped ergonomics

2016 APRILIA RSV4 RR

• Brutish engine • Confidence-inspiring chassis • The sound x2

• Weight • Outdated dash/switches difficult to use • Suspension needs tuning

2016 YAMAHA YZF-R1

• Capable chassis • Best electronic rider aids • Fit and finish

• Rock-hard seat • Tall gearing • Aggressive throttle in Power 1

ZX-10R

44 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

Back on the track, its electronics prove the best of the bunch, if not because of how smooth the intervention is then because of how predictable the systems are. Every lap, at the same exact section of track, the rear of the bike steps out the exact same amount. It’s predictable; you feed the throttle on already knowing what the bike is going to do. It’s riding nirvana. Riding a Yamaha R1 is nirvana.

FINAL THOUGHTS At the end of the test, conversation turns back to “special,” and testers agree that the R1 is special enough. Some base that on looks, others on bark, and the rest on sheer performance. They’ve all agreed it has its own faults, but it is the best bike of the lot and all for different reasons.

The rest of the bikes have advantages of their own. The Kawasaki, for example, has that screamer of an engine that’s fun in its own way and would likely make for a great racebike. The Ducati, meanwhile, would be perfect for that guy who wants something more than a 600 but less than a 1000, and the Aprilia for those who want their ride to be slightly more of an emotional experience.

You could fall in love with any; we’ve just fallen in love harder with the R1—an exceptional motorcycle that truly makes you wish your ride would never come to an end.

Which is why it’s now 4:55 p.m. and we’re heading out for one last session!

2017 YAMAHA MT-10 46 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

NOT A NAKED R1â&#x20AC;&#x201D;BUT SOMETHING SO MUCH BE T T ER T H A N T H AT

By Michael Neeves/MCN

When Yamaha Motor Europe first released information on its 2016 MT-10, the hope was that the next email in our inbox would be from Yamaha Motor Corporation USA, announcing the bike’s arrival in the States, as the FZ-10. It took a while, but that email finally has arrived; the 2017 Yamaha FZ-10 will be in dealers by the time you read this.

Here, in anticipation, is an early first riding impression from our buddies at MCN.

I

t might have an R1 engine, frame, suspension, and the superbike’s beady twin LED headlights, but here at its world launch, Yamaha tells us the new MT-10 isn’t a naked R1.

And you know what? They’re right. It’s not a naked R1—but something so much better than that.

That’s because the R1 is all about the racetrack and so capable that it gives you little sense of speed, or indeed fun, when it’s not being ridden flat out—which of course you can’t do on the road. Take it on a long trip, and after a couple of hours enduring the superbike’s hard race seat and low clip-ons, your body will have cried, “Enough!”

Enter the new MT-10, with its upright riding position, business-class levels of legroom, and surprisingly decent wind protection on the highway that let you enjoy that gem of a crossplane-crank engine at saner speeds for the first time.

The powerplant is a bit different, mind you. Yamaha decided you don’t need a peaky, 200-hp race engine for the road and moved the power lower down the revs. In total, it’s altered 40 percent of the bike’s engine internals, stripping away a lot of its titanium and magnesium components to suit its lower-revving, more torque-laden character and to keep costs down. Yamaha has also shortened the gearing by two teeth on the rear.

The crossplane unit still howls, growls, and wails like a Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP racebike at full whack, has the punch of a V-4 exiting corners, and has a power delivery so elastic that an electric motor would seem clunky by comparison. With 158 claimed horsepower at your right wrist, the throttle cable is more like a pulley for the front wheel in the first three gears—the farther you twist, the higher it goes.

THE FIRST Even still, unlike a Triumph Speed JAPANESE Triple, Ducati Monster 1200 R, Aprilia NAKED Tuono V4 1100, BMW S1000R, or KTM TO PROPERLY 1290 Super Duke, which all have FIT THE BILL explosive power deliveries, the MT-10 AS A SUPERdoesn’t have much in the way of shove NAKED, WITH at very low revs. Instead, you have to POWER, wait for the engine to catch up with your HANDLING, wrist or slip the clutch for fast getaways TECHNOLOGY, from a standstill. That tiny hole at low COMFORT, rpm is the motor’s only flaw though.

PRACTICALLightly modified R1 brakes (new brake ITY, AND FUN ALL BUILT IN. pads) are not class leading but actually

PHOTOS COURTESY OF

Yamaha

have more feel than the R1’s on the road. And although the MT-10 doesn’t have the latest six-axis inertial measurement unit managing its traction control (only wheel-speed sensors), the system works brilliantly. Unlike the KTM 1290 Super Duke, for example, the system lets you pull wheelies with the TC left on.

The fully adjustable KYB suspension, lifted from the R1, is valved on the soft side, and the Bridgestone S20 tires aren’t as sharp and quick-steering as what comes on the R1. That said, it is still hugely competent. We rode in the dry and wet on all types of roads and the MT-10 never put a wheel wrong. Sure, it doesn’t pinball from corner to corner, changing direction like a disco laser beam, but the steering is predictable, the handling is forgiving, and there’s lots of feel for what’s going on beneath you. Fit some sport tires, firm up the suspension, add a quickshifter, and it would be a true weapon.

Even without those things, the MT-10 has got attitude and oozes character. This is the first Japanese naked to properly fit the bill as a super-naked, with power, handling, technology, comfort, practicality, and fun all built in.

And I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this, but the MT-10 pulls great wheelies…

SPECS

2017 YAMAHA MT-10 PRICE: N/A ENGINE: Liquid-cooled, DOHC inline-four DISPLACEMENT: 998cc SEAT HEIGHT: 32.5 in.

FUEL CAPACITY: 4.5 gal.

CLAIMED WET WEIGHT: 463 lb.

CYCLEWORLD.COM 47

CW RIDING IMPRESSION 2016 TR IUMPH THRUXTON R

THRUXTON R SPECS

2016 TRIUMPH THRUXTON R PRICE: $14,500 DRY WEIGHT: 469 lb.

WHEELBASE: 55.4 in.

SEAT HEIGHT: 32.0 in.

FUEL MILEAGE: 38 mpg 1/4 MILE: 11.66 sec. @ 115.45 mph 0–60 MPH: 3.1 sec.

TOP GEAR 40–60 MPH: 3.1 sec.

60–80 MPH: 3.0 sec.

HORSEPOWER: 87.4 @ 6750 rpm TORQUE: 75.0 lb.-ft. @ 3730 rpm BRAKING 30–0 MPH: 31 ft.

60–0 MPH: 126 ft.

STYLE AND S UB S TA NCE R O W D I LY COEXIST B y M ar k H o y e r P h o t o g ra p h y b y Je f f A l l e n

C

ontemplating the Amal Monoblock “carburetors” on this 2016 Triumph Thruxton R, I am reminded of an expression of a friend of mine who used to do stand-up comedy and had a bit about “fake” augmented parts of female anatomy. “Fake? If they’re in the same room with you, they’re real.” And I find myself unable to tear my eyes 48 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

away from these fake carbs.

It’s like in drama: the willful suspension of disbelief. I should be offended that a pair of covers shaped like 389s shield us from seeing the horrors of the truth and reality of ride-by-wire EFI and the magic that allows this bike to run so great. I should be pissed that there aren’t even any fake throttle cables going into the tops of the “carbs.” But then again, don’t builders always try to hide the cables anyway?

The bottom line is that even ugly motorcycles don’t ignore design. And I haven’t found anything at all ugly on the Thruxton R, which nails the retro-sportbike-café vibe all the way down to its carbs. The polished alloy top triple clamp, the aluminum strap “holding” the fuel tank, the suede-y seat with red stitching, the conical rear hub. Under that pretty quick-release alloy gas cap…is

a locking black plastic screwoff unit.

Mix it all up with killer modern suspension (a sublime fully adjustable Showa Big Piston fork and a pair of adjustable Öhlins shocks), Brembo brakes, and freakin’ Pirelli Diablo Super Corsa tires on those wire-spoke alloy rims and you have a mash-up of new and old that works exceptionally well. And at least the Brembo Monoblock calipers are real…

Recent extensive seat time testing the new Norton Commando 961 (May) makes it impossible not to bring up here. Pretty much everything that is the Thruxton R is what the Commando would like to be. There is an airiness to the presence of the Commando that the Thruxton doesn’t have, but the rest of the Triumph’s package is sweet, indeed.

For some reason, the power character of motorcycles often finds expression in my mind through liking to the character of different cuts of meat. My Yamaha WR250R is like a spicy chicken breast, my old ’58 Triumph Trophy was a lamb shank, and my Norton 850 Commando is a lot like a thick-cut filet (bone in). The Thruxton R expresses itself like a perfectly cooked entire beef tenderloin. It’s tender and loooong and carries a density and flavor that satisfied from first bite to last. But it also feels ever so slightly

too dense. Okay, I’m riding off to the pub…

The 97.6 x 80mm, 1,197cc parallel twin actually has pretty weird power delivery for a sporto bike like this, with 87.4 hp at 6,750 rpm and 75.0 pound-feet of torque at 3,730 rpm. In terms of power, you are living in the now. Whatever the revs (staying under the 7,100-rpm redline), it’s: Turn throttle, go! But when I was tucked in and arcing toward the exit of a corner, I did want a bit more top-end zing.

We took the opportunity to spin a bunch of laps on the

Triumph at Buttonwillow Raceway and were impressed overall. Assistant Editor Will Steenrod said, “Holy torque!

It hits peak torque right away and can carry a wheelie for the whole rev range.” But he also noted that when fuel sloshed in the tank under heavy braking or at deep lean, the fuel pump was sucking air and causing the engine to stutter at the worst possible instant—something we’ll have to look into a bit more.

But this was isolated 100 percent to the track.

I personally wish for

a 360-degree crankshaft because I love the sound of a classic British twin, but it’s impossible to argue with the euphonious exhaust note provided by the 270-degree crank. The sound is sort of the modern British expression of the retro Ducati SportClassic sound, with, to extend the food analogy, lots of rich gravy.

Somehow the Thruxton manages to be all the things it wants to be without feeling forced. And let me tell you, if it’s on the same road as you, it is most definitely real.

THRUXTON R NAILS THE RETRO-SPORTBIKE-CAFÉ VIBE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO ITS CARBS.

CYCLEWORLD.COM 49

DUC OF ALL TRADES DUC AT I S CR A MBLER COMMU T ER , T R A ILBIK E, A ND R ACER A LL ROLLED IN T O ONE

By Blake Conner

A

fter logging more than 100,000 miles on his 2004 Triumph Bonneville daily rider, Heath Cofran fell in love when the Ducati Scrambler was announced for 2015. After riding it, he knew he had to have one. “To me, it felt like how I wish the Bonneville would feel,” he said. “It is nimble, light, has more power, and I was drawn to its cool retro/sporty/modern feel.”

After racing it in a scrambles (!) and taking it to a roadrace trackday in stock form, it dawned on him that with a couple of mods he could race the bike in AHRMA’s Battle of the Twins class. “I immediately did my homework to see who made what parts for the bike,” he said. “The biggest challenges were the 50 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

low exhaust, the footpegs, and tires.”

The custom Shift Tech Carbon slip-on exhaust now tucks neatly up and out of the way, while Gilles Tooling’s adjustable footpegs solved clearance issues. As for tires, he chose Pirelli’s Angel GT because of the 18-inch front wheel size. He then fitted Rizoma clip-ons and levers, a custom belly pan fabricated by Arch Motorcycles, and number plates and various protective pieces for track duty. Two second-place finishes at the Sonoma, California, round of AHRMA was the payoff.

Next up, Cofran wants to tackle the stock suspension, which isn’t cutting it on track in race conditions. He also needs to further modify the seat he customized to hold him in place

better. “I am very pleased with this bike in so many ways,” he added. “It has been my commuter, my trailbike, my track bike, and now my racebike all in one year. I can’t wait to dial it in just a little bit more. Until then, I had to bolt the headlight and taillight back on so I could get to work!”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

etechphoto

ON THE ROAD FROM QUICKEST TO FASTEST RICKEY GADSON’S 302-HP YELLOW CORN K A W A S A K I N I N J A H 2 By Peter Jones

T

he most decorated drag racer ever—Rickey Gadson—is now looking to set a land speed record at over 220 mph, to add to his growing list of 11 national drag racing championships. For this challenge, Gadson plans on conquering speed on a Kawasaki Ninja H2, not on an H2R. Never one to run in a wheelie-bar class, Gadson is again doing it the hard way.

Because the H2 has nearly all of the mechanicals of the H2R, Gadson’s build required remarkably few components.

Gadson’s 2016, Yellow Corn-sponsored H2 has a Guhl flash-tuned ECU and E85 conversion, Dynojet PCV with ignition module, and from Brock’s Performance

52 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

a Slasher exhaust, BST wheels, H2 clutch mod, and lowering kit.

The modifications result in a dynoproven peak of 302.51 hp at 13,100 rpm and 129.02 pound-feet of torque at 10,960 rpm. For less radical performance gains, Gadson now has kits available that have user-friendly (for a select few experienced users, of course) performance gains and milder peak power. The kits include different supercharger gearing for an improved drive ratio and oiling, plus a set of velocity stacks for improved airflow, which are machined from aluminum to resist distortion from increased boost

pressures. Unless you’re going to be seeking a land speed record, there’s not a lot a rider can do to use 302 hp on a streetbike with a conventional swingarm.

Gadson will be competing on his Ninja H2 in the East Coast Timing Association (ECTA) MPS/BF-1650 class, which currently has a record at 220.5882 mph. When possible, Gadson might also compete at the Texas Mile while working on his goal to develop this machine into a 350-hp monster.

Of course, this year Gadson can still be found competing in two drag racing series: the IDBL and the Manufacturers Cup. His ride in those series is a 2015 turbocharged ZX-14R that he has ridden to 195 mph in 1,320 feet. The project Kawasaki Ninja H2, with a lengthened swingarm, that Gadson created last year is back in Japan, preserved in Kawasaki’s heritage museum. On that lightly modified bike that was built to show the inherent performance within the H2, Gadson achieved a drag time of 8.21 at 166 mph.

Gadson’s new website, which has dates for his drag racing school and a store for his growing list of performance parts, can be found at rickey-gadson.com.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

Justin W. Coffey

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CB-XXX HONDA’S SUBLIME INLINE-SIX BECOMES AN UNLIKELY TR ACKBIKE

By Mark Hoyer

T

he audacity of Honda’s 1978–’82 CBX inline-six superbike has made it a cult classic for customizers.

That same audacity often leads to, let’s call it, “over-inspiration,” which sometimes results in some overdone machinery.

That’s definitely not the case with Nick O’Kane’s CB-XXX, a tight and tidy performance-inspired update of this late ’70s classic.

O’Kane is a British expat who spent his formative years watching Freddie Spencer & Co. thrash big superbikes before they moved on to grand prix racing. This superbike/GP connection is further strengthened by the CBX’s 1,047cc six-cylinder being designed

by Shoichiro Irimajiri, the very same man who designed Honda’s landmark ’60s GP six-cylinders. The appeal of the 1982-model CBX basket case O’Kane found (apart in 10 boxes with a rolling chassis!) was irresistible.

54 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

Vision? “Build a minimalistic CBX racer, keeping a blend of the original CBX lines and adding modern sportbike components, suspension, and wheels,” O’Kane says.

His role as national account manager at K&N Filters gives him access to some pretty choice resources, one of which allowed for the custom fabrication of a carbon-fiber fuel tank and bodywork in the K&N shop. Molds were pulled from stock pieces of various years—particularly the cool spoiler-equipped 1979 tailsection—then reshaped to suit the racier stance. Saddlemen whipped up a custom seat to fit.

Strategic gussets were added to the stock frame, and the steering-head angle was made steeper. A custom steering stem works with adjustable-offset Robby Moto Engineering triple clamps.

A 2007 Yamaha YZF-R1 fork (for sixpiston calipers) and a 2006 GSX-R1000 braced swingarm (with Öhlins shock) are track-ready upgrades. Excel Pro

Series aluminum wheels are 17-inchers and wear Pirelli slicks.

Black ceramic-coated DG headers feed a custom RSD silencer and unleash the glorious sizzle made by this magnificent engine. O’Kane freshened up the cylinder head, tidied up the six carburetors, and, of course, has custom K&N filters in a pair of three-into-three setups.

“I can’t say enough about the sound of this bike,” O’Kane says. “A symphony of six cylinders comes to life as you open the throttle. It sounds like God gargling—such an epic bike to ride and simply enjoy.”

Like most people who build a project like this, he is thankful for all the support from various folks who lent expertise and parts advice. But, O’Kane says, “Biggest thanks goes to my amazing wife Anja for her endless support of my bike-building habits.”

We all owe her a big thanks as well for being part of the vision that brought this CBX to life.

THE QUAIL MOTORCYCLE GATHERING

SUBSTANCE & STYLE such an amazing range of motorcycle and personal arche-

THE QUAIL MOTORCYCLE G AT HER ING TURNS EIGHT WITH RECORD AT T ENDA NCE, T HE MOST BIKES EVER, A N D A H U G E LY COMPETITIVE SHOW FIELD

types coalesce in such a friendly two-wheeled Kumbaya?

B y J o h n L . S t e in

It’s perplexed me for years, the Quail Motorcycle Gathering has.

And it took until the eighth running of the event this past May to put my finger on why. The puzzle was, how can

Rockers and Mods used to fight. Ditto the Devil’s Dirtbags chopper club and the cops. But not here.

56 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

PHOTOS 1, 4, 5, 6, 8: JEFF ALLEN; PHOTOS 2, 3, 7: STEVE BURTON; PHOTO 9: MARK HOYER

P h o t o g ra p h y b y J e f f A l l e n , M ar k H o y e r, a n d S t e v e B ur t o n

STEVE BURTON

CYCLEWORLD.COM 57

STEVE BURTON

THE QUAIL MOTORCYCLE GATHERING

Best in Show was taken by Robb Talbott and his 1925 BMW R37 racer; it was also honored as the winner in the BMW Classics class.

Wayne Rainey’s 1983 championship-winning Kawasaki GPz750 won the 40th Anniversary of the Superbike class.

STEVE BURTON

JEFF ALLEN

Assistant Chief Judge Allan Sickman looks over the 1964 MV Agusta GP triple of Virgil Elings, which won the Spirit of the Quail Award.

58 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

The proof of this happy cohabitation fully permeated the Quail Golf Club show field in Carmel, California. Here sat a gleaming little Honda SL70 and a scruffy Harley minibike, while a short walk away perched a six-figure Vincent Black Shadow and Wayne Rainey’s AMA title-winning Kawasaki GPz Superbike. Another stroll revealed a custom Triumph bobber and a 101-year-old Militaire with wooden wheels. What the HeliCoil? To some people maybe, it’s all about the bikes. But to me the 2016 Quail was more like socio-moto field research in a grassy petri dish: Imagine a dance club where geriatrics are boogieing to Tommy Dorsey alongside tattooed millennials hip-hopping to god knows what, and potbellied boomers tripping out to Thin Lizzy. How can this be?

So here’s the answer. This diversity—some 400 motorcycles all sharing lawn space on the Quail’s golf course—means there’s a significant and meaningful desire for high-quality participatory bike events. Whereas car guys enjoy dozens of concours nationwide, motorcyclists’ intense passion is matched by few happenings this special.

And thus, folks come to the Quail. This year, a record crowd of 2,700 attended and 237 motorcycles—nearly 60 percent of the total—entered the concours. This took a team of 49 judges, led by Chief Judge Somer Hooker, to handle the workload. “Enthusiasm is a powerful force,” promoter

THE QUAIL MOTORCYCLE GATHERING

MARK HOYER

Gordon McCall said. “The fact that we are giving enthusiasts a soft, welcoming place to land really helps explain our growth and popularity across all genres of motorcycling.”

This year, three rides formally associated with the Quail Motorcycle Gathering, including a multi-day “Why We Ride” tour beginning in Los Angeles; Friday’s 109-mile Quail Motorcycle Tour for 100 participants (sign up early for 2017—it sells out quickly); and Saturday morning’s Cycle World Tour led by Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer, VP/Group Publisher Andy Leisner, and Marketing Director Tim Collins. The CW tour was the largest yet, as a record 85 riders enjoyed a 50-mile breakfast combo of Monterey coastal and county back roads. And a delicious seaside breakfast too. Among the bikes were a pair of cool vintage Indians, including the 1948 648 Big Base Scout of Matt Blake that would later win The Cycle World Tour Award, along with Jack Massarello’s rare 1988 Honda Africa Twin (never officially imported stateside) and its new 2016 counterpart.

As usual, Friday evening brought a formal dinner (which also sells out early) at the Quail clubhouse.

Receiving special recognition this year was 1976, ’77, and ’78 AMA Superbike champion Reg Pridmore, who was honored as a “Legend of the Sport”; Joe Leonard, the only man to have won national championships both on motorcycles and in cars; and motorcycle designer Craig Vetter, who is still recovering from a 2015 collision with a deer in his teardrop-shaped high-fuel-economy bike. Daytona 200 winner and author Don Emde also presented his new book on tracing Cannon Ball Baker’s famous 1914 record-setting cross-country trip.

On Saturday, it was show time. Ever lined up at the Disneyland gate and sprinted to the first ride when the park opened? This might also serve you well at the Quail, with so much to see in just six hours. Groupings included British, Italian, German, Japanese, custom, competition, antique, private collections, and, especially for the 2016 event, 40th anniversary of Superbike, BMW classics and pre1916 motorcycles. “With 42 judged bikes this year, the Japanese class is the biggest now,” Hooker noted.

But maybe the most invigorating were the customs. Their builders remind me of Andy Warhol. A

JEFF ALLEN

STEVE BURTON

Consider this bike B.S., or Before Superbike. This 1972 Butler & Smith BMW F750 racer was the forerunner of the R90S used

by Reg Pridmore to win the first AMA Superbike Championship in 1976.

Mark Leonard receives an Antique class award aboard his prewar Moto Guzzi Sport. Man with the mic is Cycle World ’s Custom & Style Editor Paul d’Orleans; looking on is Chief Judge Somer Hooker.

60 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

The Cycle World Tour takes place early Saturday morning before the show, with a ride out to the coast for a catered breakfast with waves crashing below before returning to the Quail Lodge field. CW staffers also select a bike on the ride to honor. This year, Matt Blake’s 648 Big Base Scout replica took the prize. Blake’s Iron Horse Corral business focuses on Indian sheetmetal, some of his aluminum wares shown here. He also rode it in grand style.

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THE QUAIL MOTORCYCLE GATHERING

STEVE BURTON MARK HOYER

JEFF ALLEN

JEFF ALLEN

Three-time AMA Superbike Champ Reg Pridmore was honored at The Quail.

Revival Cycles brought this exquisite Velocette custom. Powered by a 500cc single and hung in a Rickman chassis, this former racebike reworked by the Austin, Texas, crew took the Design & Style award.

62 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

bit nerdish, awkward and out of step, and yet somehow brilliantly in command of a boundless, fertile artistic space. In the early 1960s, who would’ve regarded Elvis, silk-screened flowers, and Campbell’s soup cans as art? However, Warhol’s spirit won the last laugh, as Triple Elvis was sold in 2014 for $82 million. What does this portend for custom motorcycles of the nouveau hip at the Quail this year?

Let’s check back in 50 years. Meanwhile, make it really big and your bikes will follow.

Among many custom standouts was the 624cc 1967 Kawasaki W1-based special of Michael LeFountain. Fully redesigned to recall the elegant black 1954 Matchless G45 racers, the bike wears many bespoke parts that LeFountain fabricated using components from 23 different Kawasaki models. The gas tank is a reshaped GPz unit; the megaphones are modified KZ1000 police-bike muffler shells; and the oil tank is formed from two 750 Mach IV side covers welded together. Genius.

K&N Powersports Sales Manager Nick O’Kane brought a wicked 1981 Honda CBX trackbike wearing lightweight 17-inch wheels and Pirelli slicks, a shorty 6-into-1 exhaust that has to sound amazing, and mesmerizing natural-finish carbon-fiber bodywork (see accompanying story, page 54).

Irishman Paul Crozier turned a 1976 Honda CB550 Four into a MotoGP-inspired café racer. Honoring the LCR team, it features an inverted fork, handmade aluminum fenders, a vintage Benelli 360 tank—and of course rider Cal Crutchlow’s #35 on the tailsection. So when Crozier flew the bike to CoTA for the GP, the team freaked out when they spotted “CAL” in the corner of the license plate.

“How did you do that?” they asked. Life in the Golden State has its rewards.

Once again, The Quail Motorcycle Gathering got it all done with substance and style, from the venue, food, and entertainment to the bikes, rides, people, concours, and awards. As such, the event is now connecting not only with its traditional base but with women and millennials—two important growth areas for the sport. So where is it going from here? Rumors of an associated auction and vintage races at nearby Laguna Seca surfaced this year. “We don’t have a crystal ball,” McCall replied coyly. “But we are good listeners.”

CW CUSTOM

ULTRA-CHIC BA CLEAN AND SIMPLE HIDES T H E T H O U G H T- O U T C O M P L E X I T Y IN THIS BMW R75/5 B y Pa u l d ’O r l é a n s P h o t o g ra p h y b y Je f f A l l e n

64 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

AVARIAN CAFÉ

I

breezed right past Bryan Fuller’s latest custom at the Handbuilt Show last April. With my third “Vintagent” cocktail in hand (nice touch, Revival) and a loud party slowly gyrating through the hall, the BMW R75/5 “toaster tank” café racer, in its quiet black and silver livery, was hidden amidst a sea of “look at me” customs. A thoughtful (sober) friend took my elbow, whispering, “You need to see this bike,” and while the party roared, my head quieted, taking in Fuller’s gorgeous subtleties.

CYCLEWORLD.COM 65

CW CUSTOM

It’s as discreet as is possible for a radically lightened, classically shaped café racer, mostly due to the minimalist paint and non-bling finish—even the originally chrome “toaster” panels on the tank have been swapped for aluminum. The back end is cleaned up with a monoshock, but otherwise, the architecture is standard, including the stock, vintage drums up front. With the heavy /5 mufflers swapped for a pair of 1960s-style trumpets and classic bumpstop racing seat, this bike says “built in 1970,” except nobody built them this well 45 years ago. Nor as slim—the café seat of BMW’s 1973 R90S is twice the width of Fuller’s bike. This highlights the design freedom custom builders enjoy, which factories just can’t match, a point reinforced in a recent conversation with Edgar Heinrichs (BMW’s head of design), when asked if BMW could make a “simple” motorcycle again.

“With a 5-liter airbox and 7-liter exhaust required by law—no.” So dig your freebreathing, noisy mofo vintage customs, 66 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

baby, while you can.

Fuller’s abbreviated BMW deletes the instruments and turn signals and blacks out the engine cases but retains a pair of alloy fenders, by gum—a righteous bulwark against the silly trend for a full-spray custom riding experience in anything but SoCal weather. Fuller kept the standard airbox, which means he intended it to be ridden longer than a photo shoot, a point he proved by offering me the bike for The Quail Ride just prior to the Motorcycle Gathering in Carmel, after my ’28 Sunbeam racer split its soldered-up fuel tank.

He knew I’d spank her, so he reminded me the BMW’s new owner would be waiting at the end of my 110-mile test through the twisting, bumpy roads of California’s central coast range. There’s no kicker, the bike fires easily on the button, and the gearing is standard, which means the potential for higher speed offered by a light-spinning motor is traded for quick acceleration. She rockets off the line with a satisfying basso burble from those near-empty pipes and winds up beautifully.

The Quail Ride has a full CHP escort, which clocks along at the speed limit, but 100 bikes stretch across a mile, with hot laps around the Laguna Seca apex.

Let’s just say Fuller’s BMW feels good at “the ton,” wherever that happened, and flattens out like a cat at speed, after arching its back when taking off from rest. The monoshock was rock hard until a Fox Shock pal dialed down the

settings, after which the ride was less plank, more ’70s Italian.

After the relatively smooth prelude through the Salinas Valley, the ride turns back toward the coast, snaking through the lonely canyons of Carmel Valley Road.

The spectacular spring landscape and righteous twisties are offset

by California’s bugbear—deferred road maintenance.

Hammering a vintage café racer through here means little Dieter really does fly, the /5 aviating frequently, with a waggle of yaw but no drama.

More dramatic was hard braking for decreasing-radius, off-camber corners, which revealed the limits of that front drum and the shaft-drive rear end having to cope with bump-braking and the fork fully compressed. An amazing combo of hopping, chirping, and bucking resulted in one corner—okay, don’t do that. Mind you, no vintage bike would have done better, and a rigid-rear custom would have been skittering horizontally in identical conditions (don’t ask how I know), so we’ve found the limits of a BMW chassis designed in 1968. On smooth corners, the bike was a blast, with quick acceleration accompanied by a charmingly obnoxious exhaust note and very predictable handling from the double-loop tube frame, inspired by the Norton Featherbed.

Bryan Fuller’s simple, delicately detailed BMW café racer should be an inspiration for anyone walking this path. The stainless-steel brackets holding the fenders are truly elegant and match both scale and curvature of the white pinstriping on the tank, seat, and engine cases. Cheeky details include the seat’s integral taillight and the fuel cap, inspired by a Grolsch beer bottle— study it, and wonder why nobody’s done it before. A hundred such understated design decisions adds up to an incredibly tasteful motorcycle, built by a true professional at the top of his game.

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SAVAGE THIRST ASK KEVIN SLOBBERING HOG

BY RAY NIERLICH

DASTARDLY OIL?

Q:

I read the letter in the Jan./Feb. issue regarding automotive oils in motorcycles. Will I be creating a problem using Castrol GTX 10w-40 in my 1998 Gold Wing instead of the more expensive Honda oil?

A.M. COMITE PORT CHARLOTTE, FL

A:

You will probably never have a problem. Gold Wings are bulletproof. That said, what is with taking the chance of frying the clutch just so you save a couple of bucks? Some less-than-bulletproof bikes have experienced problems with starter drives slipping ($$$) as well as clutch slip and, worse yet, camshaft failures. Oil at my local Honda dealer runs about the same price as auto oils. You certainly can use Honda oil, but you don’t have to. Any wet-clutchapproved oil in 10w-40 or 10w-50 will be aces.

STARVING SAVAGE

Q:

I have a 1995 Suzuki Savage that has been given the Ryca Motors CS1 treatment. Occasionally the bike will simply sign off at 60 mph (4,000 rpm). It will run well up to that speed, but then it won’t go any faster. It does not miss. The engine runs smoothly but simply won’t continue to accelerate. It doesn’t matter if I’m going uphill or down, 60 mph is all it will do, and this threshold never varies. Other times it’s fine and will continue to accelerate normally. The problem seems to manifest itself completely at random.

The engine can be either hot or cold, and the problem will spontaneously occur then clear up during my rides. I sourced a used igniter on eBay, but the problem still exists. I’d take it to a shop, but because the problem is intermittent I’ve never been able to get it to the shop when it’s acting up. The bike only has about 12,000 miles on it.

STEVE HEATWOLE CYCLEWORLD.COM

68 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

A:

When an engine quits accelerating, “signs off” as you say, without any detectable misfiring, it is starving for fuel. Check to see if enough gas is getting to the carb first. Remove the fuel hose at the carb, turn the petcock to “prime,” and catch the gas into a clean cup or can. Watch the steam for a minute. It should be a steady trickle, not stop and start, at least 16 ounces in a minute. Now check the tank vent by popping off the gas cap to see if that helps. If still suspect, take the petcock apart and check for debris in the screen or valve.

If you find silty rust in the screen, you need to clean the fuel tank too. You can buy a new valve or rebuild the existing one. The valve is vacuum-operated in the “on” or “reserve” positions.

I prefer to fit a manual valve that you can turn off when you want to run the carb empty before storage. The manual valve from a Yamaha Raptor 660 will fit. Remember to plug the vacuum port going to the engine. If the fuel flow seemed okay, pull the float bowl to look

for dirt, varnish, and crud. Cleanliness is next to godliness when we are talking about carburetors.

TRIUMPHANT DEAL?

Q:

Is $5,500 a good deal on a 2007 Triumph Tiger 1050 with 32,000 miles? It has been well kept. If it is kept up with regular maintenance, how many miles can be expected from this motorcycle?

TAMMIE SOUTHER CYCLEWORLD.COM

A:

What constitutes a “good” deal to you may or may not be to someone else. You’ve got to decide for yourself. I think all motorcycles are a good deal, much cheaper than a visit to the shrink, and better for you.

A price tag of $5,500 seems about market value for a Triumph Tiger as you describe. Can’t say how long she will go for. When exactly are you planning to crash it? They’re all still going, so that’s the only way to stop ’em.

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SERVICE ANTI-DIVE REDUX

Q:

The main reason for separating the anti-dive system with washers/shims is not related to the braking system; it is to eliminate the anti-dive function. The anti-dive action on the left fork leg is the most common cause of the shock absorber oil retainer (fork seal) failure.

The oil retainer is not capable of withstanding the pressure produced when hitting a pothole while the anti-dive system is active. Very often in that event, the fork seal has a complete failure, and all the oil comes out immediately.

After doing three repeated regular repairs, changing the oil retainer and adding a washer to the anti-dive was the only solution that worked for me (and for

ASK KEVIN MULTIPLE THROTTLE BODIES: WHY?

Q:

This is a question I’ve pondered many times. With many cars and motorcycles on equal footing with respect to specific output (i.e., horsepower per unit of displacement), why is it that motorcycles persist with employing an individual throttle body for each cylinder whereas in automobiles a single throttle body suffices?

Granted some bikes do produce higher specific output than many cars, so I assume there’s a performance advantage. Still, many bikes overlap cars with respect to horsepower per liter yet still come equipped with individual throttle bodies. Seems to me that motorcycle manufacturers could take some cost out both for themselves and, later, for customers by adopting a single throttle body, since the maintenance to synchronize them would be eliminated.

JEFF BERTRAND

A:

The first problem is to avoid fuel or air maldistribution, either of which can cause one or more cylinders to receive an incorrect mixture. Incorrect mixture produces higher emissions and lower power than having correct mix on each cylinder.

At the races one can often see, on fourcylinder bikes, that although only one oxygen sensor is fitted in the collector pipe, there are positions (all plugged) for oxy sensors in each of the four head pipes. What this indicates is that the engine’s fuel map was “trimmed” on the dyno to establish the small corrections required to bring all

70 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

several of my friends with similar bikes) in the long term.

I did the required separation not with washers but with a nice metal piece, produced at a local machine shop.

RONALD MONTAGNE COSTA RICA

A:

I understand your motivation to “fix” the problem of blown fork seals, but disabling the anti-dive valve is the wrong approach. Honda doesn’t design products that don’t work in the real world. The vast majority of Gold Wing owners are satisfied with the reliability and operation of their machines.

Reports of blown fork seals and rough riding complaints are largely caused by poor maintenance. Brake fluid being

cylinders to the desired mixture strength.

Once that is done, all four fuel maps (one per cylinder) can be raised or lowered together to compensate for changes in atmospheric density or humidity. Once all cylinders are trimmed, a single oxy sensor is all that’s needed for trackside tuning.

Something on the order of a 10 percent torque boost can be had over a modest range of rpm by choosing the correct intake length. While pipes of this correct length could all be fed from a single “log manifold,” it has always been quite difficult to get fuel added at a single point to proportion itself equally among the four cylinders at all rpm and throttle angles.

Therefore it has proven best to treat each cylinder as essentially a separate engine, with its own separate intake system and its own fuel and ignition maps, optimizing not for an average but for its specific optimum.

Another point is that motorcycles, having so little rubber on the road as compared with cars, need utmost accuracy in torque control to apply power in corners. Four throttle butterflies close to the cylinders do a good job in this respect.

As an example of worst-case, early development examples of the Wright 18-cylinder R-3350 engine (later powering the B-29 bomber) added fuel at a single point upstream of the supercharger, resulting in a nearly two-to-one variation in mixture strength, from the leanest to the richest cylinder. Achieving even workable improvement in this proved to be an enduring nightmare for both development engineers and flight crew (lean backfiring and induction fire on takeoff caused many

hygroscopic, it absorbs moisture and should be changed no less often than every two, (2), du, dos, zwei years. If brake fluid isn’t changed on a regular basis and either of the anti-dive pistons stick, operation will be affected adversely.

Your fault is in the upper portion of the valve. This piston sticks in the “out” position, and thus the fork is always in anti-dive mode. Obviously the ride will be harsh and pressure inside the fork leg will be high when compressed. The fork seals, being the weakest link, will blow out if the anti-dive valve isn’t repaired.

Honda incorporated anti-dive into the Gold Wing fork so as to avoid bottoming out under hard braking and yet have a soft spring rate for a plush ride.

If about to hit a chuckhole, it is best

aircraft losses).

Honda some time ago revealed that its fuel-injection control models all three forms in which fuel reaches engine cylinders: (1) as evaporated fuel vapor, (2) as entrained droplets moving with airflow, and (3) as wet fuel, migrating along the walls of the intake pipe. Steady-state cruise, as in the case of a touring bike on an interstate highway, is an easy problem, but when the throttle is constantly moving, the differing time constants of the three delivery modes begin to affect mixture strength.

Bonneville is another venue in which fuel or air maldistribution in convoluted manifolds all too frequently leads to the loss of a piston. When people in the work area hear a run by a strong V-8 beginning, they stop what they are doing and turn toward the “music,” willing the engine to make it through all its upshifts. One of the occasions when such a car “popped,” I heard an older man standing next to the line of waiting cars say, “There’s a waste of good ice.” He was referring to the use of ice-andwater mixtures in the charge air coolers of supercharged cars. When you run out of ice, you have to drive into Wendover to buy more.

If you remove the four-barrel carb from an old-time V-8 engine and look straight down into the manifold, on its floor you will often see little guide channels. These were intended to guide wet fuel to weaker cylinders. In the case of “log” manifolds, points of junction were often sharp rather than smoothly radiused, the aim being to allow wall flow fuel to strip off at the sharp edges, rejoining the airflow.

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SERVICE practice to try to avoid the hole! Look where you want to go, not where you are. If possible, brake as hard as possible before the hole and let off an instant before the front wheel hits the hole.

The anti-dive will then be released and it will be easier on your backside, front tire, and rim as well as your fork seals.

SLOBBER

Q:

I would greatly appreciate it if you could shed some light on the frustrating problem of “oil carryover,” a fairly common condition with Harley-Davidsons.

I own a 2009 FLTRSE3, which I purchased new and have maintained meticulously. The 110ci engine has slobbered oil since its first oil change at 1,000 miles. The condition has probably gotten a little worse over time. Oil seeps out of the air cleaner just as described in an H-D Service Bulletin.

I did the procedure described in the bulletin and kept the oil level a halfquart low.

I installed a K&N filter so that I can

wash it about every 500 miles. The slobbering is generally associated with riding at highway speeds during which the oil blows out of the CVO open element air cleaner assembly onto my right leg and side of the motorcycle.

The service department at the dealership where I purchased the bike dismissed the issue as being caused by an overfilled engine oil level—even after they did the oil change. I recently took it to another dealership where I got to speak to the technician who checked it. He confirmed the problem but stated that it is “within tolerances.” (It certainly did not seem rational to insist that the technician tear into the motor just to be sure.)

It seems that I must either live with it or sell the bike. Any expert advice?

WILLIAM F. MURRAH III, MD FAIRHOPE, AL

A:

Obviously your first bike wasn’t a Triumph Tiger Cub. Oil out the breather at high speeds is a common issue on Harleys.

You did the right thing when you chose

not to tear down the engine. There’s a more than good chance you wouldn’t see anything amiss and put it back together only to find the problem still there. Diagnose first. In case you were distracted, diagnose first! I can’t stress this enough.

First, get a leak-down test performed to see if there is too much pressure in the crankcase from ring blowby. Next, check for crankshaft “scissoring.”

Scissoring is the flywheels shifting relative to each other on the crank.

Harley had a problem with this on some bikes in ’08 and ’09. You’ll have to take the cam box apart to put a dial indicator on the exposed end of the crank. If it wobbles, it hogs out the gearotor pump and it doesn’t scavenge properly.

The fix is a new crank, oil pump, etc. (expensive!).

If both those items check out okay, you may get some improvement by fitting a larger oil pump, for better scavenging.

Harley also has a new type of breather element that will reduce the amount of oil making it to the air cleaner.

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KAWASAKI NINJA ZX-10R YEARS SOLD: 2004â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2010 MSRP NEW: $10,999 (â&#x20AC;&#x2122;04) to $12,999â&#x20AC;&#x201C; $13,199 (â&#x20AC;&#x2122;10) BLUE BOOK RETAIL VALUE: $4000 (â&#x20AC;&#x2122;04) to $7060 (â&#x20AC;&#x2122;10) BASIC SPECS: The Ninja ZX-10R 998cc inline-four utilizes a one-piece crankcase/ cylinder arrangement offering increased rigidity and weight savings. Its stacked close-ratio six-speed gearbox layout allows the compact engine to be more optimally located as a stressed member within the twin-spar aluminum frame. Ram air, downdraft throttle bodies, titanium valves and exhaust, magnesium engine covers, slipper clutch, radial-mount calipers, and lightweight wheels are among the 10Râ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many race-derived features. Compact and light among its peers, the agile chassis boasts a wheelbase dimension rivaling that of middleweight sportbikes of the time.

WHY ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DESIRABLE: The debut 10R model redefined power-to-weight ratios and the overall physical size of liter-class sportbikes. With a penchant for unweighting the front under hard acceleration, it could be a thrilling handful ridden near the limits. In 2006, styling updates distinguished by an under-tail exhaust along with a host of refinements aimed at making it a more user-friendly platform were made.

Updates in â&#x20AC;&#x2122;08 reverted to the single-side exhaust, angular aesthetics, and introduced more relaxed chassis geometry along with Kawasaki Ignition Management, a precursor to todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sophisticated traction control.

THE COMPETITION: The ZX-10R shuffled the performance hierarchy and remained competitive when faced with the all-new 2004 Honda CBR1000RR and Yamaha YZF-R1 generational updates in 2007 and â&#x20AC;&#x2122;09. The much-lauded 2K5 Suzuki GSX-R1000 proved a very formidable literclass foe as well.

Two days after a ride, I plug my BMW K100LT into a battery maintainer. The maintainer will keep the battery at 13.27 volts DC. Upon disconnecting the maintainer, I monitor the batteryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s state of charge and the multimeter shows a constant trickle â&#x20AC;&#x153;dischargeâ&#x20AC;? from the 13.27 volts until it reaches 12.47 volts. Then the battery will stay at 12.47 VDC for several days. Since the only item drawing juice from the battery is the dash-mounted clock, I am puzzled as to where this electrical charge is going. And why does it trickle off upon disconnecting the battery maintainer right before my eyes?

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A:

It is absolutely normal for a battery to return to its standing voltage once it is no longer being charged. Charging voltages are always going to be higher than the reference battery voltage. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter how it was being charged, whether by a maintainer, charger, generator, or alternator.

Now, if your battery voltage continued to decline beyond 12.47 fairly rapidly, then I would say you have an excessive drain.

The clock isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only component that sucks milliamps when the ignition is turned â&#x20AC;&#x153;off.â&#x20AC;? Other circuits also do to a smaller degree. Remember nothing is absoluteâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;diodes leak, and even insulated wires running parallel to each other will leak a tiny current. I once had a Jaguar in my shop that would crank the starter motor when the windshield wipers were turned on! That was damp battery acid carrying enough current to short terminals in a harness connector.

Your battery voltage is on the low side of the normal range. A good, fully charged, lead-acid battery will typically have a standing voltage of 12.7 to 12.9 volts. The exact voltage is dependent on ambient temperature (higher equals higher), the state of charge (if you have just taken it off a maintainer, it is not an issue), the specific gravity of the electrolyte from new (more concentrated equals higher standing voltage), and how sulfated (old) the battery is.

GOT A MECHANICAL OR TECHNICAL PROBLEM WITH YOUR BELOVED RIDE? Perhaps we can help. Contact us at cwservice@ cycleworld.com with your questions. We cannot guarantee a reply to every inquiry.

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DENNIS COX

74 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

CZ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RACE WATCH

CZECH REPUBLIC Everyone is comrades-in-arms at the CZ World Championships

By Brian Catterson

W ROCKETEER: After 16 years away, “Rocket” Rex Staten (24) returned to racing aboard the very same CZ 400 on which he led the 1975 USGP.

BRIAN CATTERSON

BRIAN CATTERSON

hat is it about CZ motorcycles?

Although the Česká zbrojovka factory in the former Czechoslovakia continues to produce automobile parts and measuring equipment, motorcycle production ceased in 1997 after the brand was purchased by well-meaning but financially strapped Italian manufacturer Cagiva. And yet for some reason, decades later, vintage motocross racers maintain a strong affinity for these seemingly crude machines.

One might be forgiven for suspecting that it’s the lure of the unobtainable. Not many Americans dared venture to the communist countries behind the Iron Curtain before the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. So perhaps it was difficult to get one’s hands on a CZ? Not true: They were sold in great numbers worldwide.

Maybe it’s the lightweight two-strokes’ track record, then? Indeed, many of the star riders of the 1960s–70s piloted CZs, and team riders Paul Friedrichs, Joel Robert, and Victor Arbekov broke the four-stroke stranglehold on the world championships by winning seven titles between them.

Compelling, but there’s got to be a more tangible reason than that…

To learn the truth, I headed to the CZ World Championships at E-Street MX Park in Marysville, California, north of Sacramento. Although billed as the “Third Annual,” that’s just a nod to the current venue and the fact that the event is named in honor of promoter Robin Hannah’s late friend Don Matthews, former proprietor of the Zed Shed in Terrebonne, Oregon. Similar events were in fact held as long ago as the late 1970s and continued into the 2000s at various Southern California locations. Those early races are generally acknowledged as having kickstarted the vintage motocross movement.

I attended one such event at Carlsbad Raceway sometime in the ’90s and was somewhat disappointed. While there were a couple dozen CZ riders on hand, few lined up for the World Championship races because they were

GREG GREENWOOD

CYCLEWORLD.COM 75

GREG GREENWOOD

RACE WATCH CZ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

BRIAN CATTERSON

SUPER BAD: Legendary announcer Larry “Supermouth” Huffman (left) called the action. America’s first World Champion, “Bad” Brad Lackey, (right) didn’t race, but he did bring 10 cases of Czech beer for the postrace festivities!

“WORD WAS THERE WERE 122 CZs ON HAND. THOSE IN THE KNOW SAID THERE WERE NEVER MORE THAN 200 UNITS AT THE FACTORY AT ONE TIME, MAKING THIS ONE OF THE LARGEST GATHERINGS EVER.”

76 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

CZECH MATES: You can’t have a CZ World Championship without a Czech team. Jiri Stodulka, Miroslav Hanacek, and Botjh Haralahpiev made the long trek from the motherland.

more concerned about scoring points in their regular classes.

Not only that, but the event was hardly international in scope, as the vast majority of riders hailed from the Golden State.

Not so this time. The entry list showed riders from all over North America, plus the Czech Republic, France, Ireland, and Italy. The foreigners wore team jerseys in their respective countries’ colors and brought flags that were flown along the fence line, giving the event a true international flavor. And many of the other racers dressed the part, wearing period gear or Czech hockey jerseys. Longtime JawaCZ dealer Bertus made a killing selling nylon vented jerseys emblazoned with his shop’s logo.

Perhaps more impressively, word was there were 122 CZs— plus a handful of machines from sister marque Jawa—on hand.

These were arranged chronologically by row on the start

straight for Saturday morning’s show, and only a few were trailer queens, as most were later ridden in Sunday's races. Put on by Dave Boydstun’s American Vintage Dirt Racers Association (AVDRA), these drew 150 entries in 28 different classes. Those in the know said that in 1972, the year of CZ’s largest annual production, there were never more than 200 units at the factory at one time, making this one of the largest gatherings ever.

A few words about the venue: Modern motocross tracks are too jumpy for short-travel vintage bikes, so E-Street added an “Original Standard Motocross” track. That might not be the most inspired term, but the natural-terrain track is a little slice of heaven, snaking through a grove between two bridges in the sandy flood plain of the Yuba River. Veteran racer Lori Payne (younger sister of Nancy Payne, the first women's national cham-

GREG GREENWOOD

DENNIS COX

TOO COOL: In 1983, John Courts, then 20, built this liquid-cooled CZ 250 by adapting an aftermarket Honda Odyssey cylinder and stuffing the result in a Yamaha YZ125 chassis.

FLYIN’ HAWAIIAN: CZ legend John DeSoto (3z) was on hand to pose for photos, sign autographs, kiss babies, and, of course, race. He finished third in the International Trans-Am 250 class.

pion) said the layout reminded her of the old Shadow Glen track at Indian Dunes.

There were a number of celebrities on hand, and each had a CZ story to tell. America’s first World Champion, Brad Lackey recalled throwing away the lead on purpose at the 1970 Unadilla Trans-AMA when he was just 16 years old. “The grass was wet in practice, and I fell so many times that it stripped out my shift lever,” he said. “I knew I was going to get caught and passed, so I said, ‘Screw this!’ and ghost-rode the bike out of Screw U.” That performance led to Lackey being invited to compete in the Grands Prix, during which time he lived and worked at the Czech factory.

Rex Staten’s 15 minutes of fame came while leading the 1975 500cc USGP at Carlsbad on a Harry Klemm-tuned CZ. Unfortunately, it didn’t last. “The motor mounts broke, the motor was shaking, and I was hanging

GREG GREENWOOD

CZ, CZ, Husky in a box,” he said.

“You just can’t break them!”

Staten seconded that sentiment, calling them “bulletproof,” while DeSoto spoke of their indestructible gearboxes: “I always got good starts because with your hand on your helmet, like we did at the time, you could just jam it in gear without the clutch.” And Lackey explained that there really weren’t any other options if you wanted a trustworthy motocrosser: “Back in the early times there were only CZs, Hodakas, and a couple other brands. If you wanted to race, and finish, every weekend— and just clean your air filter in between—you rode a CZ.” Racing chiropractor Gary DeForest summed it up best, when in a post-race Facebook post he wrote, “Buy a CZ and you’ll never have to work on a bike again.”

Now that’s a reason I can get my head around!

YOUNG GUN: Twenty-oneyear-old Southern Californian Nick LaPaglia (17) won the International Trans-Am 250 and LongTravel Expert classes and led the South to victory in the North/South Challenge.

BRIAN CATTERSON

on for my life!” he recalled.

“The only things holding the motor in the frame were the chain, the pipe, and the carb,” Klemm added.

John DeSoto recalled switching to CZ “because [Husqvarna importer] Edison Dye didn’t pay me for six months.” His fondest CZ memory was winning the 100-mile Elsinore Grand Prix in 1970, topping 1,200 riders on Saturday and 1,700 on Sunday.

It was great to hear the former pros tell these stories, but what I really wanted to know was, “Why CZ?” I asked countless CZ aficionados that question throughout the weekend, and each had his own reasons for rally ing behind the brand.

Seldom, however, did one fail to mention a quality that “CZ Guy” Lee Holth first spoke of at that Carlsbad race all those many years ago: reliability. “You go to a vintage swap meet and you see

WEARING OF THE GREEN: The Irish were the most successful visitors, Trevor Calderwood (32) leading the team with a win in the International Trans-Am 500 race. Teammate Jeff Wright waves him on.

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READER INFORMATION

WORLD’S BEST ROAD TRIP

Seattle-based adventurer Michael Matti capped off his visit to Norway by taking the Atlantic Ocean Road, a 5.2-mile causeway that connects the island of Averøy with the mainland and Romsdalshalvøya peninsula.

Photographer: Michael Matti Instagram @michaelmatti

82 CYCLE WORLD AUGUST 2016

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SLIPSTREAM

Nate Hudson, Long Beach, member of BA MOTO Club , raises some dust on his 2008 Triumph Bonneville T100 ®.

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