Sport rider 2016

FIRST RIDE: 2017 SUZUKI SV650—IT’S BACK!

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

FINALLY! YAMAHA TAKES THE LATEST R1 AND CREATES THE AWESOME NEW 2017 FZ-10 FIRST RIDE

KAWASAKI Z125 PRO ENERGICA EVA ELECTRIC BIKE RIDING TIPS

GETTING THROUGH CHICANES

• TRACKDAY PIT PREP TIPS • SHIFTFX ELECTRONIC SHIFT TRANSMISSION

in this issue

Oct./Nov. 2016

FEATURES 32

32 Cover Story First Ride: 2017 Yamaha FZ-10 Not Just Naked Yamaha’s new FZ-10 is far, far more than just a stripped-down R1…

36 Conquering the Tail of the Dragon

40 ShiftFX EST A far less complicated and much lighter alternative to other semi-automatic gearboxes. Will it make it to production?

40

46 Pit Pass: Ten Kate Racing Ten Kate Racing—World Superbike’s David going up against the factory Goliaths

50

Ten Kate’s American Riders: Nicky Hayden and PJ Jacobsen

52 Trackday Prep, Part 2

46

With your bike all set up for a trackday, it’s time to get you and your pit set up properly as well

DEPARTMENTS 52

6 8 10 14 18 58 60

HOT SHOT WHEELSPIN STOP WATCH MAILBOX NOTEWORTHY BITCHIN’ FRESH KIT RIDING SKILLS SERIES

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

5

HOT SHOT EVENT World Superbike GEICO US Round, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

RIDER Nicky Hayden

PHOTOGRAPHER Andrew Wheeler/ AutoMotoPhoto Nicky Hayden scored another podium finish in World Superbike, finishing third in race one at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on his Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR. The Kentuckian backed that up with a fifth-place finish in race two.

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SPORTRIDER.COM

CHAMPION JOSH HERRIN, 2016 MOTOAMERICA SUPERSTOCK 1000 CHAMP

DERIVED FROM RACING

@RideDunlop DunlopMotorcycleTires.com. ©2016 Dunlop Motorcycle Tires.

BY KENT KUNITSUGU

WHEEL SPIN

THE WING FLING

Ducati begins a brief MotoGP journey into using winglets for racing PHOTO COURTESY OF DUCATI CORSE At the 2015 MotoGP World Championship opening event in Qatar, the Ducati GP15 machines of factory riders Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone debuted large winglets on the fairings. The initial reaction among many of the competing teams was mild derision, as the previous belief on aerodynamic aids for racing motorcycles was that they couldn’t be effective because of how a motorcycle leans when cornering (making it difficult to assist with tire grip) and how little space is available on the fairings to mount such devices.

But then the Movistar Yamaha factory team began trying out its own fairing winglets a few months later. And next small winglets even sprouted up the factory Repsol Honda team fairings in preseason testing for this year.

Eventually the Ducati Desmosedici sprouted multiple winglets, making the front of the bike look almost like a WWI-era Fokker Dr.I triplane.

Why the sudden turnaround? It turns out that the racing engineers at Ducati Corse apparently discovered that the winglets could help with preventing power-/acceleration-robbing wheelies.

A roadracing motorcycle usually has a fairly high center of mass in order to help with steering effort, and the wheelbase is short in order to provide better cornering manners. The problem is that a high center of mass and short wheelbase

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conspire to make it easier for the bike to wheelie under acceleration. And when you have some 240-odd horsepower on tap, causing the bike to wheelie is a pretty easy thing to do.

The accepted method of wheelie control through electronics is to limit the amount of power being applied to the rear wheel when the chassis reaches a specified attitude relative to the track surface. With multiple accelerometers and gyros providing precise information on the bike’s movement, the ECU can determine when, where, and even how to limit power. But reining in the horses obviously costs time anywhere on the track, so any assistance that can be provided in this area that doesn’t use power reduction is more than welcome.

While it’s easy to think that the relatively small winglets can’t possibly be effective at providing enough downforce to help keep the front wheel down (and in slower first- and some secondgear corners where the gearing gives the engine enough leverage, that’s likely true), at higher speeds and gears where the power has a tougher time pulling the front end up, it’s a different story. The downforce increases with speed, and anything that can help keep the chassis attitude from reaching the tipping point—where the center of mass reaches a position relative to the rear wheel that allows the engine much easier leverage

to cause a wheelie—is good. And if you’re not robbing power that could be used to accelerate harder, that’s even better. When it comes to MotoGP, every hundredth of a second you can save counts.

Several MotoGP riders voiced safety concerns though, with Dani Pedrosa being the most vocal after he and Dovizioso collided during the opening laps of the Austin MotoGP race, causing both riders to go down. “The impact was very hard…

Luckily my winglets are not too big,” Pedrosa stated afterward, inferring that he was worried the winglet could’ve cut Dovizioso. “[The winglets have] to be stopped for safety reasons.” Of greater concern for other riders is that the trailing turbulence created by the winglets causes bikes that are trying to slipstream to become very unstable.

“For me, the number-one issue is turbulence.

The [slipstreaming] bikes become very unstable at 350 kph [217 mph],” Monster Tech 3 Yamaha’s Bradley Smith said. “The front starts to shake and blows the brake pads apart, possibly leaving you with no front brakes going into a corner.”

Alas, all of this aerodynamic development will soon come to an end (or at least, the externally visible part of it). After the MSMA (Motorcycle Sports Manufacturers’ Association, comprised of representatives from all the major factory teams) failed to agree upon a workable solution by a mandated deadline, the MotoGP Grand Prix Commission banned the winglets effective with the start of the 2017 season.

While some have welcomed the introduction of winglets to MotoGP, saying that their usage has given a high-tech, F1-look to the bikes, I have disliked them from the start. I love technological advancement in racing but not at the cost of making the racebikes look like wannabe aircraft. SR

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BMW recently announced that it wants to develop head-up display technology in helmets “within the next few years” and that the technology will not affect either comfort or safety.

BY ANDREW TREVITT

STOP WATCH

HEAD INJURIES AND HELMETS Better technology for both PHOTO COURTESY OF BMW Over the past couple of years, there has been an increase in media coverage of sports-related head injuries, much of it centered on the NFL and NHL. The NFL is dealing with studies that reveal a definitive link between football and brain injuries, while the NHL is in the midst of a class-action lawsuit filed by former players over head injuries. The heightened scrutiny at the professional level has led to more attention given to head injuries in other sports and at other levels, including college and high school.

In a way, all this media attention is good because it prompts more studies and research into the issue, which will in turn hopefully result in more medical advances to better help people who have suffered from a head injury and better protective headgear for all sports. A recent story in my local paper, the Vancouver Sun, for example, detailed a new technology involving real-time monitoring of vital oxygen levels and blood pressure in the brains of patients with a head injury. Immediately following the injury, doctors monitor those levels and can use medications to keep them at optimum levels for a better, quicker recovery. In the local hospital where the technology is in use, the rate of headinjury patients with a “good outcome” has gone from 37 percent to 60 percent since the program was implemented a year ago. (However, only a

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small number of patients—between 20 and 30— per year are good candidates for the procedure at this particular hospital.)

If you’ve had a head injury, also referred to as a traumatic brain injury (TBI), you’ll know that it is no fun. A TBI can range from a light knock on the head that leaves you woozy for an hour to something severe that can have long-term mental and physical effects. One of the issues doctors face when treating a TBI is that there may be no visible physical damage from the original injury, and the full extent of the interior damage may reveal itself much later—and occasionally too late for effective treatment. And because every head injury is different, the length and extent of any recovery can vary significantly.

On top of all these unknowns is that head injuries are cumulative, in that if you ring your bell once, you will be more susceptible to an injury should you bang your head again. This is obviously a big concern in sports such as football, boxing, or hockey where athletes may take repeated blows to the head over the course of a season or even during a single game or match, but many motorcyclists with a lot of dirt riding in their youth might fall into this category as well.

Part and parcel with head injuries is, of course, helmets. It seems to me that in the past few months, just as I’ve been seeing more mention of head injuries in the news, I’ve been

seeing more and more riders with novelty helmets on the road. Poke around the internet and you can find a stunning range of helmets, from cheap (and almost literally) pudding bowls to Star Wars replicas to high-tech, high-dollar lids with head-up displays and rear-facing cameras. While some of the novelty helmets are obviously just that and make no claims for safety, there is a substantial number of full-face offerings with jazzy paint that certainly look the part but have questionable protective value. I even found “Arai” and “Shoei” helmets offered at “blowout prices” that are clearly knockoffs.

While some helmet technology has focused on add-ons such as head-up displays and communications (some of which may add to safety), it’s nice to see that advances are also being made on the protection front, such as MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System) or 6D’s ODS (Omni Directional Suspension), both of which increase protection for rotational impacts.

With so many choices available, now more than ever it’s important to do your research before making a helmet purchase. Make sure any helmet you’re considering meets DOT requirements and is preferably certified to another standard on top of that, and make the purchase either in person at your local dealer or from a reputable online source to ensure you are getting exactly what you want. SR

Editor in Chief Kent Kunitsugu Vice President, Group Publisher Andrew Leisner Content Strategy Director Kurt Hoy Director Of Digital Strategy Brian Schrader

EDITORIAL Senior Editor Andrew Trevitt Associate Editor Michael Gilbert Assistant Editor Will Steenrod Managing Editor Terry Masaoka Copy Editor Jessica Matteson Editorial Assistant/Receptionist Serena Bleeker

ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN

MARKETING Marketing Director Tim Collins Consumer Marketing Director Andrew Schulman Marketing Manager Corie Windust Sales Development Manager Ashley Roberts Consumer Engagement Director Corey Eastman Consumer Events Manager Tonia Troncone

PRODUCTION Group Production Director Rina Viray Murray Production Manager Julie C. Greene

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SPORT RIDER (ISSN 1065-7649, USPS Permit #11-651) October/November 2016; VOL. 24, NO. 6. Published 6 times per year in December/January, February/March, April/May, June/July, August/September, October/November by Bonnier Corporation, 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offices. Copyright © 2016 by Bonnier Corporation. All rights reserved. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission of Bonnier Corp. MAILING LIST: We make a portion of our mailing list available to reputable firms. If you would prefer that we don’t include your name, please write us at the Harlan, IA address. POSTMASTER: Send all address changes and all UAA to CFS, Non-Postal And Military Facilities to: Sport Rider, PO Box 6364, Harlan, IA 51593. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: US and US Possessions $19.95 for 1 year (6 issues). Canadian orders $29.95 and international orders $39.95. International order must be paid in advance and in US funds only. Canada Post: Publication agreement #40612608. Canada Return Mail: IMEX Global Solutions, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.

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MAILBOX | READERS FIRE BACK

Sport Rider magazine Attn: Mail 15215 Alton Parkway, Suite 100 Irvine, CA 92618

Sport Rider welcomes your comments, criticisms, adulations, and cash. Keep in mind that all materials sent to the editors will become the property of Sport Rider and cannot be returned.

We reserve the right to cut your sentences into tiny little bits.

LETTER OF THE MONTH

INVISIBLE

GOLD & GOOSE

I’ve always had bigger bikes, and I ride pretty aggressively. Last year I bought a wrecked Honda CBR250R with the intent of making it a canyon bike that wouldn’t dare me to go triple digits on the straights. My first test ride was to the local hardware store a couple of miles away. The stock pipe is quiet as a mouse. Truth be told, I had more people try to run me over, pull in front of me, turn toward me, and simply not even notice I was there in 15 minutes than I have had in the last 20 years.

Maybe it was the silence of the bike? Maybe it was the lack of power? Maybe it was the slim profile? Or maybe I just rode passively because of all the above? Whatever it was, that was the last time that bike ever saw a traffic light. I went

TO SLIDE OR NOT TO SLIDE—THAT IS THE QUESTION! Regarding your Riding Skills Series’ “Riding with Traction Control” piece in the Aug./Sept. issue, I had never been a supporter of the rider assistance electronics that are the newest frontier for motorcycle technology—and specifically not on racing machinery. However, [Andrew Trevitt’s] piece illustrated a perspective that made me raise an eyebrow. Utilizing precise throttle control to maximize the effectiveness of the data processing that is on board the motorcycle is a great way to keep riding the machine to its greater potential. I appreciated the article quite a bit.

While I do enjoy riding the new bikes and am beginning to believe that it is good to have such systems as TC and ABS on bikes for the public roads, I would still like to put the argument out there that racetracks are not the place for them—at least not in the premier categories. This is my opinion:

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straight home, stripped the lights, and turned her into a trackbike. I don’t want to tell people how to ride or what kind of bike to get, but I think there’s a lesson in there somewhere. I’ll let you guys analyze it.

Fred Astaire Tucker, GA Mr. Astaire has raised some interesting points on a couple of issues that sportbike riders face every day, and we’ll in turn hand this over to our readers to analyze. For his thought-provoking letter, Mr. Astaire has won an AGV Sport Mission textile jacket courtesy of Motonation.

The Mission features a rugged 600-denier outer shell with genuine leather panels on the shoulders,

Let the junior categories develop these technologies as well as help develop the racers themselves.

These software systems will allow the racer to mature and understand the limits of the bikes, simultaneously allowing the factories to develop their software for their product lines. Once a rider demonstrates the skill and talent to step up to the premier classes, the rider aids should be removed.

Let me use an analogy. Let’s look at a guitar player, a famous one! One who is regarded as the best and can just shred it up. Would we respect him and his talent as much if his guitar had electronics built in that would clean up missed notes, silence noises from poorly played notes, make volume adjustments, and take corrective measures so that every note played is in perfect timing? I don’t think we would. We want to see the artist master the instrument and express themselves in ways that most of us can’t. Racers in MotoGP are riding artists, and to have a computer making decisions about machine control that they should be controlling for themselves fundamentally opposes why a human races another human.

Do we really want to see whose computer races better than the next?

Norman Dehm Durango, CO

elbows, front chest, and back for additional safety. The jacket has accordion Spandex panels on the sides for a comfortable, relaxed fit, along with two extra-long intake vents and two rear vents for maximum airflow. CE-approved protection is provided at the shoulders and elbows, along with an 8mm-thick memory foam back pad. Other features include a multiple-stitched main seam construction for maximum tear resistance, zippered cuffs, two front hand warmer pockets, two interior pockets, and a removable, waterproof, and breathable Reissa liner. The $119 jacket is available in black or the HiViz, shown here, and in sizes S–XXXL. For more information about the Mission, log on to motonation.com. —Ed.

While this idea would certainly make the premier class more exciting to watch, it would be a dangerous proposition to have riders come up through the ranks of the junior categories riding with (and relying on) traction control and then throwing them on 240-plus-horsepower MotoGP bikes with no electronic aids. Currently, most series that use a spec ECU—including Moto3 and Moto2—limit or even eliminate the use of traction control, and as you point out, this puts more emphasis on rider skill than computers and engineers.

Unfortunately, MotoGP bikes are now so powerful that traction control is necessary from a safety standpoint. High-side crashes are very rare, whereas at one time they were common and responsible for many injuries. There’s no doubt that traction control and other rider aids take something away from “the show,” but the improved safety benefits are worth that trade-off. And you need to remember one of the points that Trevitt’s story was trying to demonstrate: The cream still rises to the top, i.e., the most skilled riders are the ones able to ride the bikes to the limit where the traction control can really be exploited to go quicker. There’s a reason why all the top riders train on dirt track or supermoto bikes that don’t have traction control. —Ed.

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FRAN KUHN

MAILBOX

LITERBIKE COMPARISON I was reading the latest issue of Sport Rider, and the literbike comparison (“Three Ways to Win,” Aug./Sept.) prompted me to write. A recurring theme throughout the story was the lack of midrange from the 2016 Kawasaki ZX-10R. I have to wonder if this is due to Euro 4 regulations that will be in effect next year. This weekend I was reading the latest issue of Fast Bikes magazine from the UK, and they just happened to have a comparison mostly consisting of literbikes with a few smaller ones thrown in as well. In that story as well, many comments were made about the lack of the midrange from the ZX-10R, how it was due to Euro 4 regulations, and that Kawasaki chose to make the ZX-10R compliant this year instead of waiting until next year to implement changes. I am wondering if this also applies to the bikes here in the US and the one that was tested. It was good to see a Kawasaki win a comparison.

Bill Keenan Kinsley, KS

I loved the article comparing the R1, ZX-10R, and the RSV4. Sadly, all three of those bikes are way out of my league. Their life expectancies would be measured in minutes at the racetrack with me onboard. Anyway, I couldn’t help but notice a small error in the horsepower and torque graphs. I think it’s an error, anyway. Maybe there is something I’m not understanding. As you know, hp = torque x rpm / 5,250. As such, at 5,250 rpm, the torque and horsepower curves for a particular bike intersect. You can clearly see it with the ZX-10 and the

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CORRECTED HP & TORQUE

Some of the updates to the 2016 ZX-10R, including a bigger and heavier exhaust system, were intended to help the bike meet Euro 4 emissions standards.

Visually, our US-spec testbike is identical to the European models we’ve seen (unlike, for example, the Ducati 959 Panigale that has a different exhaust for

the two markets), and the lack of midrange we mentioned is most likely due to Euro 4, even though US-spec models may have different ECU programming to help offset some of those limitations. Note that next year the Honda and Suzuki literbikes will certainly be all new and the current Yamaha YZF-R1 may need some updates for Euro 4, as all will have to comply with Euro 4 regulations in 2017. —Ed.

— RSV4 RR 171.1 hp @ 13,500 rpm — ZX-10R 166.9 hp @ 11,700 rpm — YZF YZF-R1 R1 162.4 hp @ 12,600 rpm

150 125

100 75 50

RSV4 RR 75.3 ft.-lb. @ 10,300 rpm ZX-10R 75 75.99 ft.-lb. ft -lb. @ 11,200 11 200 rpm YZF-R1 73.2 ft.-lb. @ 8,800 rpm

25 0

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RSV4. The R1 curves intersect at about 4,500 rpm on your graph, which as far as I know is an error of some sort. Additionally, you can see several places on the graph where torque of the R1 is lower than the RSV at a certain rpm (6,000 rpm for instance), but the horsepower is shown as higher.

I’m pretty sure that’s an impossibility. Whatever the case, all three bikes sound like great fun.

Jim Moore Jacksonville FL

Andrea Dovizioso Team Ducati MotoGP

A couple of astute readers pointed out this error in the dyno chart from our last issue’s literbike comparison test. Yes, on a dyno chart showing horsepower and torque, the two lines should intersect at 5,250 rpm provided torque is shown in foot-pounds. But somewhere in the transition from the Geek’s overworked laptop to our art director’s Mac and the finished layout with the literbike dyno chart, the horsepower curve for the Yamaha YZF-R1 ended up stretched out across the lower rpm range, resulting in the error described above. The correct chart is at lower left. —Ed.

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CHANNELING OUR INNER BURT MUNRO Thanks for an exciting and well-told story. The god of speed must have been smiling on your crew!

In fact, Kento must have been channeling Burt Munro. He and Brock Davidson took the Kawasaki H2 to its limit and beyond. Kento’s bravery and determination to wring every last bit of performance from an already amazing machine is inspiring. Bravo! When do we get the movie?

Lou Ordorica Westminster, CO It was a fantastic experience to work with Brock Davidson and the Brock’s Performance crew and to get the result that we did. While we don’t have a feature-length film in production like The World’s Fastest Indian, which documented Burt Munro’s exploits, there is a video on our website with footage of the run. Visit sportrider.com and search for “high speed” to see the video. —Ed.

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NOTEWORTHY FIRST RIDE

BY KENT KUNITSUGU PHOTOS BY ADAM CAMPBELL AND SUZUKI

2017 SUZUKI SV650 The latest edition of the venerable SV finally goes back to its original “simple and fun” roots Ever since Suzuki punched out the engine displacement of the Japanese domestic market SV400 to create the SV650 in 1999, the model has remained a best seller for the manufacturer from day one. The company didn’t tamper much with the SV in the next nine years—and for good reason. Why mess with success?

But then Suzuki made some changes to the SV in 2009 that included a switch to the somewhat peculiar “Gladius” moniker. A cheaper steel tube frame replaced the previous aluminum unit (contributing to a weight gain of around 20 pounds), and funky-styled bodywork was offered in various contrasting pastel colors. The SV faithful frowned, and sales figures dropped.

Suzuki tried to mend the situation in 2013, rebadging the bike as the SFV650 and ditching the pastel colors. But the bike was a still a Gladius underneath the paint, and it continued to languish in showrooms.

So for 2017, Suzuki is returning the middleweight V-twin back to its roots, starting with the comeback of its original SV650 nomenclature. In the engine bay, the 645cc DOHC V-twin gets new CAD-designed pistons that feature resin coating on the skirts and tin coating on other sliding areas for less friction; compression ratio is lowered slightly to 11.2:1 (from 11.5:1) to allow the use of regular unleaded fuel. The SDTV EFI 39mm throttle bodies get new

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long-nosed, 10-hole injectors for better fuel atomization, with a new “low-rpm assist” feature that opens the throttle plate slightly when the clutch begins to be engaged to help avoid stalling from a dead stop.

Up top, the airbox has been redesigned with more internal volume and staggered intake funnels for better midrange response. The 2-into-1 exhaust featuring the catalyzer in the mid-pipe section is new, with less weight and increased flow for improved overall performance that also meets the more stringent Euro 4 emissions standards.

Changes to the chassis are centered around ergonomics, with a new slimmer fuel tank and seat (the fuel tank is 2.5 inches narrower at its widest point than the SFV, while the seat is 1.2 inches narrower), allowing the rider to put his/her feet on the ground easier at a stop. Note that the slimmer fuel tank doesn’t impinge on its capacity; the new SV fuel tank still holds 3.8 gallons, same as the SFV. Suspension is basically the same nonadjustable 41mm fork and single spring-preload-adjustable shock with some minor adjustments to spring and damping rates.

All told, the 140 new parts (60 in the engine, 80 on the chassis) contribute to a claimed power increase of more than 4 peak horsepower, with the same torque. Even better, the new SV weighs 15 pounds less than the

The new SV650’s seat is more supportive and has more room for the passenger.

SFV (and the SV650 ABS weighs 18 pounds less than the SFV650 ABS).

Throw a leg over the new SV and you immediately notice how much slimmer and smaller overall it feels than the outgoing SFV. The fuel tank no longer seems bulbous from the saddle, and the seat height is the same, but it feels lower because your legs get a straighter shot at the ground. You only need to hit the starter button once, with an “easy start” system turning the engine over until it fires up. The low-rpm assist is another nice feature for novice riders, providing just a hint of throttle to help prevent stalling at take-off.

As far as the engine upgrades, it’s a bit difficult to ascertain much difference without having the older SFV to compare back to back, but we can say the new SV certainly retains the original SV’s peppy engine response and amiable character that made the first-generation 650 such a sales success. There’s plenty of low-end and midrange power to zip you out of turns or pass traffic, and that power continues climbing in a nice top-end rush that eventually begins to drop off around 9,000 rpm. Simply put, there’s a generous amount of power to be had almost anywhere in the rev range. And that’s a good thing because the bar-graph tachometer in the new all-LCD instrument panel (similar to the 2016 GSX-R1000 unit) is hard to read at a glance.

Flicking the new SV into the first set of canyon corners reveals that same nimble yet planted

handling feel that endeared the original bike to so many club racers and novice street riders alike.

Despite the suspension’s minimal adjustability, the spring and damping rates are well chosen, keeping the chassis nicely under control at a rapid pace in the twisty pavement sections without being too stiff at lower speeds on imperfect urban tarmac. Speaking of comfort, the new SV retains the original’s excellent ergos, and we had no complaints after a full day spent in the saddle.

About the only gripe we have with the new SV is the brakes. The two-piston Tokico front calipers are the same old slide-pin design from 1999, and their action feels like it, with not much power and very numb feedback. While it’s likely Suzuki was thinking about preventing a novice rider from easily locking up the front tire in a panic maneuver, a better set of brake pads would go a long way toward shoring up this issue.

All in all though, we really liked the 2017 SV650 and are certainly glad to see the spirit of the original bike return in the latest version.

The Suzuki has all the clean styling and spunky personality of the first-gen model but with some new technology added in to put a fine polish on the overall package. To top it all off, the 2017 SV650 retails for $6,999 ($7,499 for the ABS model), retaining yet another feature of the original: superior bang for the buck. SR

While we basically like the layout of the new LCD instrument panel on the 2017 SV, we still find the bar-graph tachometer hard to read at a glance.

2017 Suzuki SV650 MSRP

$6999, $7499 for ABS

ENGINE TYPE

Liquid-cooled, DOHC 90° V-twin

DISPLACEMENT

645cc

BORE X STROKE

81.0 x 62.6mm

COMPRESSION RATIO

11.2:1

INDUCTION

Suzuki SDTV, 39mm throttle bodies, single injector/cyl.

CHASSIS

The 645cc V-twin engine gets new pistons as well as a new airbox and exhaust system among 60 new parts to gain 4 more horsepower over the old SFV mill.

New CAD-FEM (Computer Aided Design Finite Element Method) design pistons and rings are lighter and have resincoated skirts and tin-coated sliding parts for less friction.

FRONT TIRE

120/70ZR-17 Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier J

REAR TIRE

160/60ZR-17 Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier J

RAKE/TRAIL

25°/4.1 in. (106mm)

WHEELBASE

56.9 in. (1445mm)

SEAT HEIGHT

30.9 in. (785mm)

FUEL CAPACITY

3.8 gal. (15L)

CLAIMED WET WEIGHT

430 lb. (195kg)

SPORT RIDER

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

19

NOTEWORTHY FIRST RIDE

ENERGICA EVA The Italian electric motorcycle company’s new naked version of its Ego sportbike gets ready to hit the streets

BY KENT KUNITSUGU

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ENERGICA

After sampling the electric Energica Ego sportbike back in late 2014 (“Energica Ego First Ride,” October 2014), former SR Associate Editor Bradley Adams came away impressed at the progress made by electric motorcycles but was still put off by the limited range (probably around 70 to 100 miles, depending on riding style), weight, and price ($34,000). Fastforward to two years later, and the Energica people arrived at the Sport Rider offices with their new Eva, a naked version of the Ego. Like the Ego, the Eva is powered by an oil-cooled, permanent-magnet AC motor drawing energy from an 11.7 kWh battery pack. Unlike the Ego though, the Eva’s motor mapping is different, resulting in less top-end power (95 versus 130 hp) with less torque as well (125 foot-pounds versus 144). There are four ride modes available—Eco, Rain, Urban, and Sport—along with four possible battery regeneration settings (off, low, medium, and high) that function as engine-braking.

The chassis features the same basic steel tube trellis frame as the Ego, with a fully adjustable 43mm inverted Marzocchi fork up front and a rebound/

The Energica Eva handles nicely considering its weight, with the suspension and chassis providing stable and neutral steering manners.

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spring preload-adjustable single Bitubo shock out back. The 3.50 x 17-inch front and 5.50 x 17-inch rear rims are shod with Pirelli Diablo Rosso II rubber in the typical 120/70 and 180/55 sizes, with massive twin 330mm front brake discs clamped by Brembo radial-mount/Monoblock calipers, plus a single 240mm disc/two-piston caliper combination in the rear. The Bosch ABS is switchable, meaning you can turn it off if so desired.

Ergo-wise, your butt sits 15mm lower on the Eva, with the pegs also lower and farther forward than the Ego to maintain some legroom. The superbike-bend tubular handlebar puts your torso in a more upright position but still maintains a semblance of sport, with more forward lean than, say, a Yamaha FZ-09 or KTM 1290 Super Duke R. The color TFT display instrument panel is nicely lit, and the information is laid out well so that you can find relevant data at a glance easily.

2016 ENERGICA EVA MSRP

$34,500

MOTOR TYPE

Oil-cooled, permanent-magnet AC

BATTERY

11.7 kWh

CLAIMED HP

95

CLAIMED TORQUE

125 ft.-lb.

CLAIMED RANGE

Up to 124 miles in Eco mode

CHASSIS

A single Bitubo shock with rebound damping and spring preload adjustability does an admirable job of keeping things in control out back. Pirelli Diablo Rosso II rubber provides decent steering habits and grip.

FRONT TIRE

120/70ZR-17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso II

REAR TIRE

180/55ZR-17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso II

RAKE/TRAIL

24°/3.9 in. (99mm)

WHEELBASE

57.7 in. (1465mm)

SEAT HEIGHT

31.3 in. (795mm)

CLAIMED CURB WEIGHT 617 lb. (280kg)

The Eva sports quality running gear, with a fully adjustable 43mm inverted Marzocchi fork paired with huge 330mm dual discs and Brembo Monoblock radial-mount calipers.

The full-color TFT instrument panel displays a wealth of information in a well-organized format that’s easy to read at a glance and is visible in broad daylight.

Before our ride on the Eva, we had a chance to ride the Ego sportbike, enabling us to do a direct power comparison between the two. As far as low-end power and acceleration, there wasn’t that much of a difference, with the Eva providing arm-stretching acceleration when you whack the throttle wide open. But it was easy to sense the power difference between the Ego and Eva once you got into the motor’s real efficiency range beyond 50 mph. Make no mistake though, 125 foot-pounds of torque is still incredibly strong, and the Eva will easily leave any ICE (internal combustion engine, i.e., gasoline-powered) naked bike behind in a 50- to 70-mph roll-on acceleration contest. And, yes, that includes the Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 and the KTM 1290 Super Duke R. The Sport ride mode is really the only one you’ll want to use on the Eva. Urban and Rain are very lethargic in throttle response and power output, and the only reason you would want to use Eco is if you’re getting low on battery charge.

And speaking of battery charge, when we first hopped on the Eva, it was at about a 65-percent

Both the Energica Eva and Ego now feature an onboard integrated fast-charge system that is fully compatible with commercial recharging stations. A 30-minute recharge up to 80 percent is claimed.

charge. A 40-mile loop consisting of suburban streets leading to a short canyon road jaunt—all with heavy doses of throttle—quickly sucked up enough juice to bring the battery down to around 20 percent. Both Energica bikes are equipped with an onboard integrated fast-charge system that is fully compatible with commercial recharging stations; with this setup, the system is claimed to allow a 30-minute recharge to bring the battery up to 85 percent charge. If you choose to charge it at home on your household 120-volt current, expect at least 3.5 hours of waiting time to get it up to 100 percent charge.

Overall handling traits with the Eva are balanced and neutral, with the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tires providing fairly quick-steering manners and decent grip. The Energica carries its weight

well when rolling, which is quite a feat when you consider the Eva’s very sizable curb weight of 617 pounds. That the suspension and chassis were able to keep that heft from getting out of whack in the corners also speaks volumes, though it was easy to feel that weight start to overpower things as the riding aggression level increased, putting a definite limit on the fun.

That extra weight also means it’s a good thing the Eva is equipped with big 330mm dual discs with Brembo Monoblock front brake calipers to slow the bike down. As you’d expect, braking power and feel were excellent, and they contribute to the Energica’s quality feel. But with that much weight to haul down from speed, the brakes can easily overpower the fork if you’re not careful. You can use the regen settings to help in this regard, with the high setting providing a good amount of engine-braking for street riding; for canyon riding, medium or low was less upsetting to the chassis when you let off the throttle.

While we’re on the subject of brakes, one thing the Eva (and Ego) lacks is a parking brake.

Because there’s no transmission, the Energica will freewheel when not under power, so you’ll need to be careful not to park the bike on an incline where it could roll forward. Energica reps said this update will be coming soon. There’s also a reverse mode that helps you back up the Eva while parking.

And finally, there’s the aspect of cost. The $34,500 sticker price puts the Energica Eva up in rather exclusive territory, where not too many motorcyclists tread. Granted, those who do are more likely to put up with the range and weight disadvantages in exchange for the exclusivity. SR

SPORT RIDER

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

21

NOTEWORTHY FIRST LOOK

BY KENT KUNITSUGU PHOTOS COURTESY OF YAMAHA

2017 YAMAHA SCR950 Yamaha’s Sport Heritage lineup grows as the V-twin SCR950 joins the XSR900 Yamaha is definitely taking the classic bike revival movement seriously. First, the retro-styled XSR900 based off the FZ-09 platform made its debut earlier this year, and from what we hear, the bike is already selling well. Now the XSR will be joined in Yamaha’s Sport Heritage lineup by the SCR950, a bike styled in the classic scrambler/enduro vein of the ’60s and ’70s.

Using the 942cc, SOHC, 60-degree, air-cooled V-twin engine (with carbon-fiber-core belt drive) and double-cradle steel tube frame from the Yamaha Bolt cruiser, the SCR950 adds sportier steering geometry, spoked wheels, stouter suspension pieces, block-pattern on-/off-road tires in 100/90-19 front and 140/80-17 rear sizes, along with styling cues to replicate the old DT series enduro bikes of the ’70s. The rear subframe is different than the Bolt’s unit, in order

to support the higher and flatter seat and the cantilever mounting of the piggyback-reservoir rear shocks.

More DT-style enduro flashbacks include the side panels that feature an oval-type number plate (hiding a moderately sized storage area inside), all-metal fenders, rubber accordion fork boots covering the conventional fork tubes, and a 7/8-inch steel-tube vintage-style motocross handlebar with crossbar. A full complement of genuine Yamaha accessory pieces is already available for the SCR950, including different types of fly screens, a skid plate, saddlebags, off-road-style footpegs, and much more.

The 2017 Yamaha SCR950 will be available in dealerships by the time you read this, with an MSRP of $8,699. Color options will be Rapid Red and Charcoal Silver. SR

The SCR950 utilizes the same 942cc, SOHC, 60-degree, air-cooled V-twin engine from the Bolt cruiser, along with the same basic steel double-cradle frame, but with tweaks to better fit the styling and intended purpose of the SCR.

2017 Yamaha SCR950 MSRP

$8699

ENGINE TYPE

Air-cooled, SOHC, 60° V-twin

DISPLACEMENT

942cc

BORE X STROKE

85 x 83mm

COMPRESSION RATIO

9.0:1

INDUCTION

EFI, dual 35mm throttle bodies

CHASSIS

The SCR950’s styling harkens back to the Yamaha DT series enduro bikes of the ’70s, with a number plate side cover and cantilever-mount rear shocks.

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More ’70s enduro styling cues include the two-tone Yamaha paint on the fuel tank and the classic old-school motocross steel-tube handlebar with welded-in crossbar.

Spoked rims in 19-inch front and 17-inch rear diameters are shod with Bridgestone Trail Wing 152 block-tread tires, with the belt drive from the Bolt cruiser making the transition as well.

FRONT TIRE

100/90-19 Bridgestone Trail Wing 152

REAR TIRE

140/80-17 Bridgestone Trail Wing 152

RAKE/TRAIL

28.4°/5.1 in. (130mm)

WHEELBASE

60.8 in. (1545mm)

SEAT HEIGHT

32.7 in. (831mm)

FUEL CAPACITY

3.2 gal. (12L)

CLAIMED WET WEIGHT

547 lb. (248kg)

NOTEWORTHY FIRST RIDE

2017 KAWASAKI Z125 PRO

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SPORTRIDER.COM

Team Green takes direct aim at Honda’s Grom

BY KENT KUNITSUGU

PHOTOS BY KEVIN WING

There’s no doubt the Honda Grom has been an instant hit, with sales of the little 125cc bike continuing to rise in double digits and nearly toppling the long-reigning volume leader of the small-displacement streetbike category, Kawasaki’s Ninja 300, last year. Team Green wasn’t about to take that threat lying down, so it brought the Southeast Asian market Z125 Pro over as an early release 2017 model to give the Grom some serious competition. We got the opportunity to ride the new Kawasaki through the streets of San Francisco as well as on a fun little mini closed course in a parking lot on the man-made Treasure Island in the bay.

The Kawasaki Z125 Pro (the Pro suffix stems from the manual four-speed gearbox, while the “standard” Z125 in Asia has an automatic transmission) is

The Z125 Pro’s saddle is actually nice and supportive and even has enough room for a passenger to join in on the fun.

They might not look like much, but the Kawasaki’s brakes and tires performed surprisingly well, offering more than adequate power and grip.

We’re liking the Z125 Pro’s styling that incorporates many of the same lines as its bigger Z brethren (Z800 and Z1000) without looking too cartoonish. very similar to the Grom in overall size, but things begin to become a little different from there. For starters, the Z125 Pro’s air-cooled SOHC engine is oversquare in configuration (the bore measurement is significantly larger than the stroke measurement) compared to the Honda as well as having a higher compression ratio, so it has more power potential.

Whether the Kawasaki actually does have more power than the Grom is hard to gauge without riding the two bikes side by side, especially when you’re talking only 10 or so peak horsepower. Regardless of any possible advantages, the Z125 Pro’s engine has a nice, amiable powerband that can putt around at walking pace while also having enough spunk to keep up with most traffic on city streets. The clutch has an easy

pull with smooth engagement, and the gearbox doesn’t exhibit any quirks or issues.

We were pleasantly surprised at the little Kawasaki’s suspension and braking performance.

The nonadjustable inverted fork and four-step preload-adjustable single rear shock look like budget pieces, but they performed admirably throughout our ride and even handled being hustled around the closed course without any complaints. Likewise for the tiny single-piston slide-pin calipers front and rear, with single 200mm petal-style disc and a similar single 184mm disc out back; braking power was more than adequate, with decent feel and without excessive effort required at the lever. Heck, even the IRC NR77U tires offered surprisingly good grip and respectably smooth ride at all lean angles.

The Z125 Pro has fairly spacious ergos for such a small bike, and the seat is just wide and supportive enough to keep your butt from going sore after 30 minutes in the saddle (and with the gas-sipping engine and 2.0-gallon fuel tank, the Kawasaki will go a lot longer than that before stopping). There’s also enough room for a passenger, along with folding passenger pegs, so more than one can join in on the fun. And the instrument panel’s analog tach/LCD info panel is nicely laid out (including a digital speedometer, gear indicator, and fuel gauge), though the position is so low that you have to take your eyesight

2017 KAWASAKI Z125 PRO MSRP

$2999

ENGINE TYPE

Air-cooled SOHC single

DISPLACEMENT

125cc

BORE X STROKE

56.0 x 50.6mm

COMPRESSION RATIO

9.8:1

INDUCTION

DFI, 24mm throttle body, single injector/cyl.

CHASSIS FRONT TIRE

100/90-12 IRC NR77U

REAR TIRE

120/70-12 IRC NR77U D

RAKE/TRAIL

26°/2.7 in. (69mm)

WHEELBASE

46.3 in. (1176mm)

SEAT HEIGHT

30.7 in. (780mm)

FUEL CAPACITY

2.0 gal. (7.6L)

CLAIMED WET WEIGHT

225 lb. (102kg)

off the road to read it.

At just $2,999, for the amount of fun you’re going to have the Kawasaki Z125 Pro is a major steal. Better head down to your local dealer now before they get snapped up because these bikes certainly won’t sit on the showroom floor for long. SR

SPORT RIDER

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

25

NOTEWORTHY FIRST LOOK

LS2 HELMETS High-end brand of MHR Helmets (one of Europe’s top-selling helmet brands) making a big push in the US

BY KENT KUNITSUGU PHOTOS COURTESY OF LS2 HELMETS LS2 Helmets may not be a recognizable brand in the US, but the company has been doing business over in Europe for quite a few years and is one of the top-selling brands there. Launched in 2007 by Jiangmen Pengcheng Helmets, Ltd., makers of the MHR helmet brand, LS2 Helmets’ R&D and design teams are headquartered in Barcelona, Spain. The brand’s helmets are worn by MotoGP racers Yonny Hernandez and Loris Baz and Moto2 rider Isaac Viñales. For sport-minded riders, LS2 has its latest Arrow, Arrow Carbon, Vector, and Stream lids.

The Arrow is constructed using a tri-composite fiberglass shell and boasts an extra-large eyeport (LS2 claims its measurements are 0.75 inch taller than any other full-face helmet on the market) that not only allows for better vision when in a racing tuck but also an improved side vision. An optically correct, 3mm-thick flat shield that is compatible with racing tear-offs (tear-off posts are included) uses a quick-release pivot base that allows easy tool-less shield swaps, including LS2’s FogFighter antifog face shield or its Pinlock-ready shield.

The interior features cheek pads that have an emergency quick-release system and are precision-cut from a single piece of high-quality foam using LS2’s 3-D laser technology. The interior liner fabric wicks away moisture to keep the wearer dry and cool and is removable and washable (LS2 recommends washing by hand and air-drying). Ventilation is provided by two adjustable intake and four exhaust vents, and the Arrow is certified to ECE 22.05 and meets DOT standards with a five-year warranty. The Arrow weighs a claimed 1,400 grams and retails for $249.95 in solid colors or $274.95 in graphics versions.

The Arrow Carbon is basically identical to the standard Arrow helmet, with the exception that the shell is constructed from a lightweight carbon/Kevlar weave. Everything else, including the extra-large eyeport, 3mm-thick face shield with tear-off posts, emergency quick-release laser-cut cheek pads, moisture-wicking liner, ECE/DOT certification, etc., is the same as the Arrow.

The Arrow Carbon is claimed to weigh 1,350 grams and retails for $439.95 for the clear-coated carbon version and $464.95 for the white graphic version.

Both the Arrow and Arrow Carbon are said by LS2 to be shaped for “long oval” heads and to have a fairly snug fit. LS2 reps say that if you want a tight, “GP fit” to get your usual helmet size; if you want a more comfortable fit, order the next larger size.

Aimed at touring/sport-touring/adventure/commuter riders, the Vector helmet has a shell made from LS2’s proprietary ultra-light-yet-strong High Performance Fiberglass Composite (HPFC). The adjustable top vents are set up for true flow-through ventilation, while the chin vent has two buttons; the gray one directs airflow to help defog the face shield, while the outer black button sends ventilation to the rider’s face through the chin bar. That face shield is 3mm-thick Class A polycarbonate and is optically correct, scratchand UV-resistant, and ready to accept LS2’s FogFighter antifog lens insert.

The Vector has a drop-down tinted inner shield that is cable-activated by an easy-access sliding button on the left side of the helmet, and the cheek pads (with an emergency release system feature) are contour-cut using LS2’s precision 3-D laser technology. Three helmet shell sizes allow better fit with

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The top-of-the-line Arrow Carbon has a shell made from a lightweight carbon/Kevlar weave; the helmet is claimed to weigh 1,350 grams.

(Left to right) The Arrow uses a tri-composite fiberglass shell and is claimed to weigh 1,400 grams. For the budget-minded crowd, the Stream has many of the features of the more expensive LS2 helmets but at a wallet-friendly price. The Vector is aimed at the sport-touring/touring/commuter market and has a drop-down inner tinted shield. the smallest possible size, and the EPS uses multiple densities for better impact absorption. A DOT-approved quick-release chinstrap is easily opened with gloved hands, and the helmet meets or exceeds DOT and ECE 22.05 standards. The Vector’s liner shape is like the Arrow in that it’s made for long, oval heads. The Vector retails for $249.95 for solid colors and $274.95 for graphics versions.

And finally, for budget-minded riders, the Stream helmet features a shell constructed from LS2’s proprietary Kinetic Polymer Alloy composite. Like the Vector, the Stream has a drop-down tinted inner shield, and the toolless, quick-release face shield is also scratch-resistant, optically correct, and ready to accept an antifog lens insert. The cheek pads use the same 3-D laser-cut technology for precise fit, and the moisture-wicking inner liner is removable and washable. Meeting or exceeding DOT and ECE 22.05 standards, the Stream has a quick-release chinstrap, five-year warranty, and is shaped for long, oval heads as with the other LS2 lids. Retail price is $129.95 for solids and $139.95 for graphics versions.

Check out ls2helmets.us for a dealer near you. SR

See how much you could save on motorcycle insurance today.

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NOTEWORTHY FIRST LOOK

NEW BELL STAR HELMET LINEUP NOW ON SALE Bell Pro Star, Race Star, and Star helmets employ numerous innovative technology advancements in protection and fit

BY KENT KUNITSUGU PHOTOS COURTESY OF BELL HELMETS Although Bell Helmets debuted its new flagship Star helmet lineup at last year’s AIMExpo in Orlando, that release was actually what is considered in the industry as a “soft launch”—in that the production versions of the helmets weren’t available yet and specs were still to be finalized. But now that any kinks have been worked out of the final product, Bell will have the new Star lineup in retail sellers’ hands by the time you read this.

The latest Bell Star helmet catalog consists of the Pro Star, the Race Star, and the Star. All three lids share numerous new features and technology from the company, as well as each having its own unique construction—and price.

All three Star helmets share the same

The Race Star has all the same high-end features as the Pro Star while using a less-expensive-but-proven 3K carbon fiber for the shell to allow it to sell for $450 less.

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aerodynamic shell shape. Optimized in the com pany’s own wind tunnel, the overall shape was not only developed for smooth, non-buffeting airflow with the rider looking straight ahead but also when turned to the side (as when a rider looks over his shoulder to check on race competitors or changing lanes). Some helmets we’ve worn are great aerodynamically when looking straight ahead but much less so when you turn your head.

The eyeport on the new Star lineup has been widened for increased visibility for the rider in both vertical and lateral fields. Labeled the “Panovision Viewport,” this gives the Bell Star not only better forward vision while in a racing tuck but also better side vision. Part of this lateral field of view increase is due to a slight cutout in each side of the eyeport’s rearward lower portion. Bell engineers found that this cutout significantly improved lateral vision when turning your head to look back.

Based upon the intended markets for the Star helmets, Bell also modified the helmet orientation on the rider’s head via the helmet padding.

The Pro Star and Race Star have the “Raceview profile” that has a higher brow position for better field of view in a racing tuck, while the Star has the “Streetview profile” with a lower chin bar orientation for a rider in a touring or standard riding position.

Bell is also introducing its new ProFit system with the Star helmet lineup. In order to ensure that the Star’s shell size is more compact and proportional to the rider’s head for a smaller profile, improved aerodynamics, and the lightest possible weight, Bell is producing the Star helmet in an

unprecedented five shell sizes. Most helmets are produced in only two or three shell sizes, and then the EPS liner and padding are swapped to accommodate various head sizes. With five shell sizes, Bell is ensuring that the Star is optimized for weight, size, and aerodynamics in each sizing variant.

All three Star helmets also feature Bell’s new Magnefusion magnetic cheek pads. Instead of using clips or buttons to fasten the cheek pads into the helmet, the Magnefusion cheek pads simply slip into the helmet and literally lock into place by themselves. This not only allows supremely easy removal for cleaning or custom fitment with different size cheek pads but also permits quick and simple removal by medical personnel in case of an emergency.

The Pro Star is the top-of-the-line member of the Star helmet lineup and is intended as a full race helmet. The shell is made from TeXtreme carbon-fiber weave, which is the same ultra-light and super-strong carbon technology used in current F1 race car chassis and high-end racing boats. TeXtreme carbon fiber is claimed to be 20 percent lighter while also being stronger than conventional carbon fiber, which it achieves by using straighter fibers that are woven in a flatter profile. The straighter fibers offer better strength, while the flatter weave profile means less resin is used overall, contributing to less weight.

The Pro Star also utilizes Bell’s Flex impact liner, which debuted in the company’s Moto9 off-road helmet in 2015. The Flex liner employs three different density materials to manage low- to high-energy impacts; conventional EPS (expanded

»

The Bell Flex impact liner is made from three different materials to handle low-, mid-, and high-energy impacts, as well as mitigate angular acceleration from oblique impacts similar to the MIPS liner.

The Pro Star is the flagship of the Bell Star helmet lineup and features a shell made from TeXtreme carbon fiber, the same ultra-light/strong carbon material used in current F1 race cars and racing boats. polystyrene) is used on the outer layer, while the inner layer is made from EPP (expanded polypropylene), with a layer of EPO (expanded polyolefin) sandwiched in between. The EPS and EPP layers handle the mid- to high-energy impacts, while the EPO deals with low-energy hits. Additionally, because the EPO layer is segmented, it allows a small amount of slip movement between the EPS and EPP layers (roughly similar to the MIPS system Bell uses on some of its midrange helmets), which is said to help mitigate angular acceleration in oblique impacts. And finally, the layers have gaps that allow improved airflow within the helmet, contributing to increased ventilation via the numerous adjustable intake and exhaust ports on the helmet shell.

Action sportswear company Virus has licensed Bell to use its CoolJade fabric for the inner comfort liner and cheek pads. Woven in a moisture-wicking construction, the CoolJade fabric employs yarn fibers that have been infused with recycled jade to create a natural cooling effect. Together the two features are claimed to reduce skin surface temperature by as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Pro Star retails for a princely $1,299.95 ($1,199.95 in matte black finish) and meets or exceeds Snell M2015 and DOT FMVSS 218 standards. It’s available in sizes XS to XXL. The Race Star is said to be “for the racer with a day job,” so it provides the same level of protection at a more affordable price point of $749.95.

Unlike the Pro Star’s hyper-expensive TeXtreme carbon-fiber material, the Race Star uses the

less-expensive but well-proven 3K carbon fabric for its shell makeup. Thus, while the Pro Star is available in only three motifs, the Race Star is offered in seven different graphics or finish versions.

The Race Star shares the same Flex impact liner and CoolJade comfort liner as the Pro Star, as well as the shell shape, Panovision eyeport and shield, and Magnefusion cheek pads (Bell says the Race Star is compatible with glasses). And the same sizing (XS to XXL) and same helmet standard certification (Snell M2015, DOT FMVSS 218) are shared between the Pro and Race Star.

For the rider who wants similar performance but at an even more wallet-friendly price point, the Star has the same aerodynamic shell shape, Panovision eyeport/shield, and Magnefusion cheek pads as its more-expensive brethren. The shell (available in the ProFit system’s five shell sizes for a better XS to XXL fit) is constructed from the company’s Tri-Matrix composite of aramid, carbon fiber, and fiberglass. Bell’s standard EPS liner is used in place of the Pro and Race Star’s Flex liner, and instead of the pricey CoolJade material, the Star uses X-Static Silver fabric for the inner comfort liner and cheek pads that is said to permanently inhibit microbial and fungal growth that causes odors.

This less-expensive makeup allows the Star to be priced at $499.95, with the helmet available in the same sizing and Snell/DOT standard certification. The Star comes in eight graphics and finish versions.

For more information, go to bellhelmets.com/ star-series. SR

The Star has similar features (the same ProFit shell sizing, aerodynamics, magnetic cheek pads, and eyeport/shield) as the more expensive Pro and Race Star helmets but for a more accessible $499 list price.

All three Star helmets feature this small cutout on the lower portion of the eyeport that significantly improves the rider’s field of view when turning their head to look back.

NOTEWORTHY IN MEMORIAM

RIP: SAM WHEELER 1943–2016 Innovative veteran motorcycle land speed racer succumbs to injuries sustained in practice crash at Bonneville The soft-spoken Wheeler was one of the friendliest people you could meet in racing. He will be sorely missed.

BY KENT KUNITSUGU PHOTOS BY DICK LAGUE/IGNITION3.TV

SAM WHEELER ARCHIVES

Longtime respected motorcycle land speed racer Sam Wheeler of Arcadia, California, died as a result of injuries sustained in a practice crash at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah on Monday, July 25. Piloting his mostly self-designed and self-built EZ-HOOK streamliner powered by a Vance & Hines-built Suzuki Hayabusa engine with turbocharging by Mr. Turbo’s Terry Kizer, Wheeler was participating in a private testand-tune event. The amiable Wheeler was on his first shakedown run of the day when a malfunction occurred somewhere after the 2-mile marker.

Unfortunately, because of an undetermined reason, the drag chute that slows the streamliner after a run and helps prevent rolls and flips in a crash did not deploy. Witnesses said the streamliner flipped 15 feet in the air during the resulting crash. Wheeler suffered a collapsed lung, cracked ribs, and severe brain trauma; he died after undergoing surgery.

Sport Rider initially met Wheeler back in 1996 when we did our first feature story on him and his EZ-HOOK streamliner (“Hooked on Speed,” April 1997). But Wheeler had already been setting speed records on the salt for 33 years before that, beginning with a Bultaco 125-powered mini-streamliner that achieved a top speed of 92 mph in 1963. After getting a Norton 750 to set a record of 208.729 mph (using a modified external fuel tank from an F-84 fighter jet as bodywork), Wheeler eventually set his sights on setting the outright motorcycle speed record.

A shot of Wheeler (center) in his high school days working on his first streamliner powered by a Villiers 125cc two-stroke engine. On the right is his friend Roger Lamb, who went on to create drag-racing suspension company Lamb Components.

Sam Wheeler and the EZ-HOOK streamliner at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

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After running 301 mph with a 160-hp modified Kawasaki ZX-11 engine in his streamliner, Wheeler knew he needed more power and went through several types of engines from various suppliers.

But numerous problems with them (as well as front tires coming apart at 300-plus mph) and a lack of funding blunted his charge toward the record.

Then his friend Dick Lague put him in touch with Fred Fox, CEO of Parts Unlimited. Fox not only provided the necessary funding to get Wheeler’s effort back on track, but he also introduced Wheeler to Terry Vance of Vance & Hines. Both Vance and Byron Hines enthusiastically backed the project, with the V&H race shop building engines for the streamliner. Along with turbocharging provided by veteran forced-induction wizard Kizer and other new developments in the EZ-HOOK streamliner, many were confident that Wheeler was going to break the 400-mph barrier at Bonneville this year.

Wheeler’s wife of 42 years, Carol Wheeler (they met at the Bonneville Salt Flats 43 years ago), stated, “He was doing what he loved, and his last memory was being on his beloved Bonneville Salt Flats.” Wheeler is survived by his wife, son Ben Wheeler, granddaughter Samantha Burr Wheeler, and daughter Dayna Wheeler.

Wheeler was one of friendliest racers you would ever meet, and it was always a pleasure talking shop with him about his streamliner and land speed racing. The soft-spoken engineer was an innovative designer and was never one to brag about his accomplishments. He will be sorely missed. Godspeed, Sam Wheeler. SR

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Yamaha’s new FZ-10 is far, far more than just a stripped-down R1

BY MICHAEL GILBERT PHOTOS BY BRIAN J. NELSON We’ll admit that when we had first heard of the new FZ-10, we had expectations, but they weren’t incredibly high. Throughout the last year and a half, Yamaha has delivered a number of incredible motorcycles that have done everything but let us down. In the naked-bike class, however, only European manufacturers have been able to get it right—so naturally we thought this might be the one bike Yamaha wouldn’t nail right on the head.

Information had been released that the biggest FZ would be heavily based off the current generation YZF-R1, and that’s great; but admittedly the R1 was developed more for racetrack performance rather than street use. That’s why we were skeptical and assumed the FZ would come with its supersport brother’s base package but be “tuned” for the street (read: slowed down considerably) either through cheap components or electronic limitations that would make it little more than a shell of the R1.

Admitting the truth when you don’t want to is never easy. But after a day aboard the FZ-10 on the iconic Tail of the Dragon in North Carolina, it was time for us to accept the fact that Yamaha had done it: It had built the naked bike that we didn’t think it would. And quite honestly, we can’t stop thinking about it.

As we’ve said before, it’s great to be a sportbike fan right now…

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The Bike The word “fierce” was mentioned over and over again to us by Yamaha employees when the topic of the FZ-10’s styling came up, and there’s no question why. The bodywork is shaped very aggressively but with purpose too. The front cowling is mounted directly to the frame and is claimed to not only improve front-end handling but also reduce rider buffeting as well. Yamaha designed the FZ-10 as the flagship model of its FZ series, so making it stand out was necessary.

Instead of receiving the engine directly from the R1 and tuning it through electronic regulations, Yamaha’s engineers have delivered a long list of updates—all of which promote low-end to midrange power to improve street performance on the FZ-10. They decided that because the FZ would be ridden at lower rpm than the R1, they could ditch the secondary fuel injector and use a single injector that is 25 percent larger, increase the size of the airbox from 10.5 liters to 12 liters, and use a heavier crankshaft for smoother power.

Yamaha’s list of changes doesn’t stop there though. The engine also receives new forged-aluminum pistons forcing a lower 12.0:1 (from 13.0:1) compression ratio, steel 31mm intake valves, and all-new camshafts with 20 degrees less overlap and less duration than the R1. A long list of updates for essentially a naked R1, right? Remember, Yamaha’s work is all with a purpose. The revisions made to the engine result in a claimed 18 percent more torque than the R1 from 4,000 to 8,000 rpm, with its peak torque coming at 9,000 rpm.

Yamaha’s YCC-T ride-by-wire throttle, which was originally introduced on the 2006 YZF-R6, keeps all the FZ’s power in check with Traction Control, Drive Modes, and a Cruise Control system. The company opted to omit

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the R1’s six-axis IMU on the FZ-10, arguing that the FZ doesn’t need such sophisticated electronics for the street but also justifying the choice was made to cut costs for the targeted buyer.

The FZ’s Drive Modes come in a three-level format (Standard, A, and B, with the latter the most aggressive) that doesn’t limit the amount of power in each mode but changes how the power is delivered through the throttle rotation. The traction control system on the FZ has four levels (including off), as does the cruise control feature.

Yamaha threw revisions to the R1 engine, such as a new crankshaft, pistons, camshafts, steel valves, and a larger 12-liter airbox to give the FZ-10 its own personality.

KYB suspension is outfitted on the front and rear of the FZ-10, and funny enough, they’re the exact same components as the R1 (hello, nimble handling!) only with different damping and spring rates—as well as different triple clamps for the fork—to match the demands of the road. The aluminum Deltabox frame and swingarm are also derived directly from the R1, but Yamaha tossed out the aluminum subframe for a steel piece in case owners want to mount accessory bags for the occasional road trip.

Dual 320mm brake discs are fitted to the cast-aluminum front wheel to help slow this beast, and the radial-mount, four-piston brake calipers are the same as the R1 units but use pistons constructed of steel instead of aluminum and are fitted with different pads for longevity and road performance. The rear caliper is similarly equipped with steel pistons, and the R1’s front radial-pump master cylinder is replaced with a conventional Brembo unit. ABS is standard equipment.

The Ride Whoever made the choice to host the FZ-10 press launch at the famous Deals Gap (see sidebar) couldn’t have picked a better place. Slow turns, fast turns, wickedly impressive undulations, and everything in between made the 150-mile route the best place to test the motorcycle’s outright performance—specifically its handling.

Right out of the gate it was clear that Yamaha engineers had taken the R1’s arguably most impressive trait—its chassis balance—and made sure that wasn’t diluted in the FZ-10. Even in hair-raisingly steep downhill braking zones, the bike stayed off its nose and provided a sense of safety through impressive front-end feedback, never making us second guess if we were beyond the limit. Quick, yet stable, side-to-side transitions boosted confidence further as the bike had a solid, planted feel, something that’s not always common to stock bikes. Much of the balance has to do with the stiff

The Advics four-piston radial-mount front brake calipers are the same units as on the R1, but the FZ’s use steel pistons instead of aluminum.

Deltabox frame derived from the R1, but it should also act as a testament to the suspension.

Unlike its brother, the FZ isn’t designed to go around a racetrack as fast as possible, and that’s why the KYB fork and rear shock, which are the same as the R1, are tuned to provide just as much comfort as performance. In order to achieve the best of both worlds, Yamaha softened the fork spring rates, stiffened the shock spring rate, and tinkered with damping settings until it found what it felt was the best compromise. The front and rear of the

The FZ-10 follows in its R1 brother’s footsteps with nimble handling but also a strong chassis balance no matter the type of riding.

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CONQUERING THE TAIL OF THE DRAGON Deals Gap is a mountain pass that sits along the North Carolina-Tennessee state line and is home to the “Tail of the Dragon,” a stretch of US Route 129 in the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains.

Thanks to its 318 turns in 11 miles, the road is an extremely popular riding spot that draws in thousands of motorcyclists each year.

No two of the 318 corners on The Dragon are the same, and that is much of the reason for its popularity. Some corners are slow, some fast, and the space in between each isn’t much, so riders have to stay on their toes. What did we like most? The road’s undulations that ride like a wave throughout its 11-mile span. And then there’s the scenery…

A trip to Deals Gap is worth its while. Hotels in the area are motorcyclist-friendly, and there are plenty of great restaurants for a mid-ride meal. If you spend an hour on The Dragon or a few days riding the entire area, there’s plenty of fun to be had.

The only negative with The Dragon is the 30-mph speed limit and high activity of law enforcement, so choosing when to ride hard must be done carefully. Enjoy responsibly.

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The only real fairing on the FZ-10 is directly mounted to the frame to help with nimble front-end steering and reduction of wind buffeting for the pilot.

motorcycle work closely with each other, being firm enough to give a lively feel during aggressive riding but also plush enough to take the hurt off our body after a long day of riding. Throughout the day, some heavier riders complained that the fork was too soft, causing them to bottom out under braking, but we never experienced those issues.

Speaking of brakes, the Advics four-piston radial-mount calipers paired with dual 320mm discs and a Brembo master cylinder do a decent job of slowing the FZ’s momentum. Stopping power isn’t a problem for the brakes.

In fact, they’re quite strong. Where the issue lies is in the ability to feel how much braking power is being translated through the lever. We were often left with a dull sense of just what the brakes were doing when we squeezed the lever harder. This is an issue we gripe about with the R1 as well.

The changes that differ the FZ-10’s powerplant from the R1 create a growl in the lower rpm range but not necessarily a bark. Some of you might have read that as a bad thing, but the claimed 18 percent more torque can’t go unnoticed and is really what the FZ needs. The FZ-10 was given a crankshaft with more mass and inertia in order to smooth out power delivery, and the other engine changes give the lower powerband a boost that helped push us back in the seat under acceleration (and for the occasional wheelie!) but never felt like such a heavy hitter that it destroys shoulder sockets or becomes unrideable. Yamaha hit the balance spot-on, but with that said, a little more midrange wouldn’t hurt the FZ either.

As funny as it sounds, the FZ gains its own bark in one area but, quite literally, loses it in another. Yamaha made a revision to the muffler inner core, reducing the diameter from 54mm to 42.6mm to minimize noise levels. On the bike it’s quite noticeable, and although it shouldn’t affect performance, we can see die-hard Yamaha fans only loving the sound until an R1 rides past.

Yamaha had told us the FZ-10 had no need for the R1’s highly sophisticated electronics package, so instead it opted for the cheaper previous-generation system, and now we can see why. The four-level TC is more than capable of

The FZ-10 was given the same 43mm KYB fork as the R1, but it was adjusted with softer spring rates and damping to better fit the FZ’s intended riding scenarios.

One can be better than two, as Yamaha says. The FZ-10’s exhaust is a single chamber system (dual chamber on the R1) to help build low to midrange power.

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Agree or disagree, but the FZ-10 has been sculpted with aggressive looks, and its flash of color in the Armor Gray scheme (shown here) is brilliant.

2017 Yamaha FZ-10 MSRP

$12,999

ENGINE TYPE

Liquid-cooled, DOHC, inline-four

DISPLACEMENT

998cc

BORE X STROKE

79.0 x 50.9mm

COMPRESSION RATIO

12.0:1

INDUCTION

Mikuni EFI, 45mm throttle bodies, single injector/cyl.

CHASSIS FRONT TIRE

120/70ZR-17 Bridgestone Battlax HyperSport S20F W

REAR TIRE

190/55ZR-17 Bridgestone Battlax HyperSport S20R W

RAKE/TRAIL

24°/ 4.0 in. (102mm)

WHEELBASE

55.1 in. (1400mm)

SEAT HEIGHT

32.5 in. (825mm)

FUEL CAPACITY

4.5 gal. (17L)

CLAIMED WET WEIGHT

463 lb. (210kg)

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handling the power delivery of the FZ; compared to other bikes we’ve tested, Level 1 (the lowest intervention setting) never felt like it was cutting power during hard acceleration.

The YCC-T system also houses a variety of Drive Modes (D-Mode) that helped better deliver the engine’s power for different levels of riding.

When set in Standard (the friendliest of the three D-Modes), the on/off throttle response and power delivery was incredibly smooth, and we often found it best when stuck behind cars or during slow-paced riding. The majority of our ride we used the B setting, which is the most aggressive. The power delivery was noticeably more responsive than the other modes and really gave the engine a lively feel, especially in the midrange. The only gripe we have with the B mode is its abrupt on/ off throttle response when riding slowly, but that’s nothing switching modes or ramping up the pace didn’t solve.

When it was all said and done, our day on the FZ-10 put a dumb-looking grin on all of our faces but not a toll on our bodies. Yamaha mentioned that the bike had been designed more upright

than its competitors and especially the R1, which results in a very relaxed riding position. The reach to the one-piece handlebar is comfortable, as is the legroom from the seat to the pegs. It wouldn’t be lying to say that a more forgiving seat would be welcomed for longer or sport-touring riding, but that probably won’t be on the list for most FZ-10 riders. Also, the frame-mounted front cowling did its job of reducing buffeting, and we encountered no problems there.

So What’s The Verdict?

Yamaha has certainly done its homework on what it takes to build a naked bike and delivered a motorcycle capable of competing with Europeanbuilt foes. Sure, we griped at a few small issues, but those are minor complaints that don’t dull the FZ-10’s spectacular shine. The FZ-10 is an all-around great motorcycle with a fun factor capable of making anybody remember why they chose to ride motorcycles in the first place. And at a list price of $12,999, the Yamaha FZ-10 might just stick out as the best bang for the buck in the naked-bike class. SR

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SHIFTFX: A NEW TAKE ON THE SEMI-AUTOMATIC MOTORCYCLE TRANSMISSION

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THE SHIFTFX EST (ELECTRONIC SHIFT TRANSMISSION) IS A FAR LESS COMPLICATED AND MUCH LIGHTER ALTERNATIVE TO OTHER SEMIAUTOMATIC GEARBOXES—WILL IT MAKE IT TO AN OEM APPLICATION?

BY KENT KUNITSUGU PHOTOS COURTESY OF BIPERFORMANCE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

JEFF ALLEN

JEFF ALLEN

Semi-automatic transmissions haven’t made much of an impact on motorcycling, especially with American riders. Aprilia’s Mana 850 and subsequent GT version lasted only a handful of years in the Italian manufacturer’s US lineup before being dropped in 2015. Although it wasn’t a true semi-automatic transmission—it did not have an automatic mode— Yamaha’s 2006 FJR1300AE with YCC-S (Yamaha Chip-Controlled Shifting) survived just four years before being quietly discontinued. And the dualclutch transmission version of Honda’s VFR1200 has lagged far behind sales of its standard gearbox brother since the bikes’ debut in 2010. Meanwhile, semi-automatic transmissions have taken over the performance automobile segment, with paddle shifters on the steering wheel (and no clutch pedal) now de rigueur for any high-end sports car.

Biperformance Development Corporation’s president Dean Pick is hoping to change all that with his company’s latest ShiftFX EST (Electronic Shift Transmission). Some of you more astute longtime readers of SR might remember Pick and the original ShiftFX system from our brief first ride back in the November 2007 issue. Although we were impressed with his setup way back then, the new EST system is far more advanced and refined than the original’s comparatively crude design. And instead of trying to market the ShiftFX as an expensive aftermarket accessory like the original, Pick is trying to license the new system design to an OEM manufacturer.

The ShiftFX EST test mule (a late-model KTM Duke 690) looks like any other stock bike… except for the absence of a shift lever.

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SHIFTFX Simpler, Smaller, Lighter

So How Does It Work?

We were given the opportunity to sample the latest-generation ShiftFX EST on a late-model KTM Duke 690 test mule. One of the design goals with the EST was to allow easy OEM component interfacing and require no changes

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This cross-section photo of the EST Active Clutch mechanism shows the strands of “shape memory alloy” that actually change length according to the electrical current sent through them. This moves the hydraulic piston to actuate the clutch. The Active Clutch is routed inline with the stock hydraulic clutch system and is equipped with a bypass valve that allows it to be overridden at any time by the standard clutch lever.

JEFF ALLEN

The reasons why semi-auto gearboxes haven’t caught on with US motorcycle consumers are numerous, but there’s one immutable disadvantage to all the previous iterations: added weight. The Mana 850 V-twin scaled in at a portly 516 pounds wet, while the FJR AE weighed 687 pounds with full fuel tank. The dual-clutch transmission on the VFR1200 DCT adds 22 pounds to the standard model’s already substantial 591-pound bulk.

There’s also the added complexity. The Mana 850 utilized a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) setup that had to include space in the cases for the various hubs, pulleys, toothed drive belt, springs, etc. Although Honda did a clever job of hiding them, the DCT has a maze of hydraulic lines and actuators leading to the dual-clutch setup that itself requires an innovative but complicated construction to keep the assembly from becoming excessively bulky. Both of the aforementioned transmissions also have parasitic drivetrain power losses from the mechanical and hydraulic designs.

Meanwhile, the ShiftFX EST system has only four working components (other than the buttons on the handlebar) that can be easily adapted to any motorcycle and have minimal drivetrain power losses. None of the mechanical pieces are large or bulky; the gearbox control and the active clutch controller are about the size of a current starter motor, and the automatic clutch is the same size as a standard clutch. Total weight for the EST system: about 4 pounds.

The overall design of the ShiftFX EST is elegantly simple. Shifting is handled by a patented mechanism consisting of a high-speed DC motor with fixed gear reducer that rotates the shift drum directly. Because it eliminates the ratcheting mechanism in the standard gearbox due to its precise control of the shift drum, the EST can actually shift to any gear from any gear (or to neutral), meaning the ShiftFX EST is no longer sequential in operation.

Gearshifts can be accomplished in as little as 50 milliseconds.

Clutch control is handled via a patented electro-hydraulic BDC Active Clutch unit that weighs a little more than a pound. Utilizing a high-tech “shape memory alloy”—the metal changes its length based on the amount of electrical current sent through it—to move the internal hydraulic piston and actuate the bike’s clutch, the Active Clutch also features an isolation valve that allows the unit to be installed inline with a standard OEM hydraulic clutch actuation system. The isolation valve also allows the usage of a standard clutch lever to override the Active Clutch unit at any time, for aggressive launches, slow parking lot maneuvers, etc.

The ShiftFX EST also uses an APTC+ (Adler Power Torque Clutch) autoclutch in place of the standard clutch basket assembly. This auto-clutch unit permits smooth launches in automatic transmission mode, in addition to its slipper clutch benefits on deceleration and its anti-stall properties while coming to a stop. Why not just have the BDC Active Clutch handle these chores? “We are using the Active Clutch as a torque control device during shifts,” Pick says.

“For it to do launch control and anti-stall duty, it would need to be larger and draw more power from the motorcycle, which goes against our design goals.”

Controlling these three components is a compact and fully programmable Transmission Control Unit. The TCU is able to provide any type of shifting characteristic based on speed, load, gear position, throttle position, and other parameters. Plus, the TCU is fully capable of communicating with the bike’s ECU via OEM CAN bus wiring, meaning it can control engine-braking and throttle movement to match transmission and road speed during downshifts, as well as work within any OEM rider aid electronics suite’s riding modes.

The Active Clutch is small and light enough to be easily mounted in various areas on the bike. On the test mule, the unit is mounted just beneath the steering head.

Shifting is handled by a high-speed DC motor that rotates the shift drum directly through reduction gears. This setup not only eliminates the ratcheting mechanism and makes the transmission non-sequential (it can shift to any gear/neutral from any gear/neutral), but shifts can be done in less than 50 milliseconds.

The ShiftFX EST uses an APTC+ auto-clutch to handle launching from a stop and provide anti-stall properties. It works extremely well, providing quick, effortless launches that would be difficult to replicate with the standard clutch.

to existing engine architecture; a cursory examination of the engine revealed the only visible difference to be a custom clutch cover housing the APTC+ auto-clutch and the gear controller. And although we use the term “custom,” the cover wasn’t that much different, with the small bulge on the lower half for the gear controller the only real clue (other than the lack of shift lever) that this KTM was different than any other.

Because Pick is intending to license the EST to an OEM manufacturer, some of the controllers were very basic in design and not intended to look polished and pretty. For example, a three-way switch mounted just underneath the Duke 690’s instrument panel controls the EST’s transmission mode (“N” is for neutral to start the engine, “A” is for fully automatic gearbox operation, and “+/-” for semi-automatic shifting), but a manufacturer would surely create its own more elegant selector design. Likewise for the three buttons mounted on the left handlebar that activate upshift/downshift/ neutral. While Pick feels that using the rider’s thumb is less obtrusive physically and mentally, we would prefer thumb/forefinger paddles like the Honda VFR DCT or Aprilia’s paddles for traction control on its RSV4 series.

After starting the KTM in neutral and then switching to semi-automatic, we trolled around the office parking lot to test the low-speed action of the APTC+ auto-clutch. Even though you can override the auto-clutch with the standard clutch lever at any time, we never really saw the need to as long as we were careful with throttle inputs. Clutch engagement was fairly smooth and allowed easy tight turns, with none of the jerky clutch action that plagued the Yamaha FJR AE. While negotiating Southern California’s urban traffic and then during our first foray into the local canyons, we found that the ShiftFX EST’s shifting action needed to be sped up significantly when riding at a medium pace, with

too much lag between gear changes. Pick quickly plugged in a laptop and began making changes to the mapping. Associate Editor Michael Gilbert took the KTM test mule out on its second run and reported that the shift action was improved. “I was impressed with the seamless feel of shifts as I clicked through the gears,” Gilbert enthused. “The button responded immediately to my thumb input and reacted by giving me a clean, crisp shift every time.”

Still, after having tested some of the best OEM quickshifters on various literbikes, he felt it could have been even better. “Of course it isn’t intended to have race performance, but during upshifts it still had a very slight delay in power delivery between gears.” We didn’t have time to allow Pick to make more mapping adjustments, but he assured us the shift action could be sped up as quick as we wanted. We had no such problems downshifting in semiautomatic mode, with the transmission easily handling hard braking and rapid-fire downshifts while smoothly matching engine and road speed.

One area where the ShiftFX EST did stand out is in taking off from a stop. The APTC+ auto-clutch was dialed in well and enabled very quick launches off the line with no bogging or excessive slipping. In fact, we would likely be hard-pressed to better it using the manual clutch lever. This was a welcome surprise from the usual lackluster acceleration exhibited by other semi-automatic bikes off the line.

In fully automatic mode, the ShiftFX EST worked seamlessly, though Pick admits that he “intends the automatic to be better suited for novice riders and for cruising at a sedate pace,” and the shift mapping reflected that design brief. Running around city traffic and zipping along suburban streets was easily handled, but any type of spirited riding in the canyons showed the automatic transmission mode to be out of its element. “As I would accelerate from a curve at high rpm then let off to enter another, the system would

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SHIFTFX consistently upshift, causing me to freewheel into the corner,” Gilbert complained. Aggressive braking also revealed some mapping drawbacks, with Gilbert griping that, “I also found that on deceleration to hard stops, I was wanting downshifts to happen faster. The slow process forced me to brake earlier to make hard stops because of the lack of engine-braking.” Again, Pick assured us these were aspects that he could easily change with some mapping edits.

A Semi-Automatic Gearbox In Our Future?

The brains of the ShiftFX EST is this fully programmable Transmission Control Unit (TCU). It is fully compatible with any OEM ECU and can interface through the stock CAN bus to control engine-braking and transmission/road speed matching, as well as work with any OEM electronics suite’s riding modes.

An OEM can configure the controls for the semi-automatic shifter actuation however it likes, but Pick prefers this setup for the test mule. The green button is for upshifts, the red for downshifts, and the black button on top is to engage neutral.

JEFF ALLEN Other than the missing shift lever, the only other indication on the engine that something is different is the cover for the APTC+ auto-clutch and gear controller.

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This chart shows the components that comprise the ShiftFX EST. Other than the shift buttons, there are just four working parts, with a total weight of less than 4.4 pounds. The system can be integrated into any existing engine architecture without requiring major modifications.

JEFF ALLEN

For a motorcycle manufacturer, the ShiftFX EST presents some definite advantages over other semi-automatic transmission designs. It retains the standard manual clutch lever to override the EST at any time and is easily adapted to any engine architecture and transmission without requiring major modifications. There are no hydraulic pumps or drivetrain power losses, and the ShiftFX EST’s electrical requirements are easily met by a typical motorcycle’s charging system. Finally, the entire system is compact and weighs less than 4.4 pounds.

While we would love to see this technology tried on a tuned-to-the-edge 600cc or smaller sportbike where constant gear changes can be a distraction, it’s doubtful that a manufacturer would take the chance until it was proven that the system would be accepted by the market. Thus it’s more likely that the benefits of the ShiftFX EST would be more applicable to bikes on the novice/higher-volume side of the market, where the automatic transmission mode can be used as a selling point. One European motorcycle manufacturer has already been testing the ShiftFX EST for possible use in a production bike. But Pick is hoping that others might like to join the semi-automatic party. SR

, y a d n u S n O Race … y a d n o M n O l Sel

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OF THE HONDA WORLD

BY ANDREA WILSON

PHOTOS BY

David versus Goliath. It’s a common theme—the little guy versus the giant. Meet the “David” of the World Superbike Championship: Ten Kate Racing. “A local dealer who went racing, I think you would call us,” team principal Ronald Ten Kate said.

It’s now grown from those humble beginnings to be more than a local dealer slapping a sticker on the bike. With 22 years of racing under its belt, Ten Kate Racing has 10 world titles (all 600 Supersport World Championships except for James Toseland’s World Superbike title in 2007) and have expanded with Ten Kate Racing Products, selling parts and racebikes worldwide, as well as being the home of Honda’s World Superbike effort since 2004.

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RACESPORT.NL “We used to be a motorcycle dealer with a race team,” Ten Kate said. “Nowadays sometimes jokingly we say, ‘Now we are a race team with a dealership connected to it.’”

Although the racing enterprise has grown and its reach extends far beyond its dealership/race shop nestled “between the cows” in Nieuwleusen, Holland, it still has those dealership roots. It still sells everything from a Honda scooter to a CBR1000RR to a customer off the street in addition to selling those full race kits for those in the market (or if you are really in the market, a full race operation, including education for your technicians) to running its own World Championship team. And being in the business of selling motorcycles has added a different perspective to running a race team.

“I think that makes us look at things differently,” Ten Kate said. “You have a little bit of a wider angle than just racing. It is so easy to think that is the only thing on the planet, but we can see the wider perspective as well. We are racing because it improves the bikes that go onto the street, but it improves the image of motorcycles in general, and we must attract a bigger crowd.”

They got into racing to advance the technical side of things, which is his uncle (and dealership manager) Gerritt Ten Kate’s forte. And as mentioned, that side of the business has grown in leaps and bounds, but that close relationship with the dealership cements, or perhaps illustrates, the old adage, “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday.”

“As a team, because we have the dealership,

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Coming from MotoGP to World Superbike with the Ten Kate-run Honda World Superbike squad, Nicky Hayden has brought even more respect to the team.

RACESPORT.NL

Ten Kate opens its doors for its annual fan day called Pit Stop Day. This year the team had more than 8,000 people come in for the meet and greet with the riders, to see the racebikes and other festivities.

After winning the 2014 World Supersport Championship, young Dutchman Michael van der Mark has begun to show his speed on the superbike with podium finishes.

Nicky Hayden takes time to take photos with his fans at Pit Stop Day.

we are used to welcoming people and showing them around,” Ten Kate said. “When we are trying to sell a Fireblade in the dealership and the guy’s still not convinced, we say, ‘Okay, let’s take a cup of coffee.’ The sales guy up front walks through the back of the building, shows him the [team] trucks, shows him Nicky Hayden’s or Michael van der Mark’s bike. The heartbeat goes up, the adrenaline goes—and we’re selling a bike.”

Having this perspective also has Ten Kate praising the team’s new acquisition, 2006 MotoGP World Champion Hayden, the American possessing a depth of worldwide fan base that was unbeknownst to the team until this season.

“He [Hayden] just really takes his time,” Ten Kate said. “That’s probably why he’s built such

a good fan base around him. That is really an example for every rider out there because without fans we wouldn’t be racing in the end. And if only more riders understand, it would make racing already a lot better. You see some riders walking past people without even looking at them or not taking the time to take a picture with a young little fellow. That little fellow is going to be older soon, and we need him to buy the bike. It’s really simple in the end.”

Although simple, racing is not exactly an easy business. In fact, when the economy took a big hit in 2008, a lot of people—okay mostly those with deeper pockets (OEMs)—pulled out of racing. For some, racing is expendable. For Ten Kate, he sees the value going much further.

RACESPORT.NL Ten Kate Motoren, the dealership attached to the race shop.

“Motorcycling itself, it’s not so much about commuting, I believe,” Ten Kate said. “It’s much more about passion. There are people who use the bike for commuting, but there’s always a connection to a passion for the bikes, to enjoy that feeling. And we must give people that fire and that special way of doing things.”

That combination of passion and technology that is a vital part of racing helps fuel motorcycling itself.

“If we just all stopped going racing as an industry, I think we would have been way worse off than now,” Ten Kate said. “We would’ve saved maybe some money in the end, but we need people to be thrilled of things, and we also need the technology to grow. So racing is an essential part. Like Mr. Honda once said, racing is the start of everything in his company. And it still is I believe, and we can’t do without.”

Passion and technology have certainly fueled Ten Kate Racing, and you need fuel when you’re David going up against Goliath—the full factory efforts in World Superbike racing. Everyone loves an underdog, but it is not always easy being one.

When you are an underdog the fight is harder, but being an underdog can give you an edge. So Ten Kate is okay with that label.

“We love being the underdog,” Ten Kate said.

“That’s how we do best. It’s not an easy mission that we are on, but we are there with a good group of people. We’re making the best out of the machine that we have and, in my opinion, with the best pairing of riders because that’s a key point as well.

The bike is only as fast as the rider wants to go.

“Last year a lot of people were thinking that was the last heartbeat of Honda in World Superbike,” Ten Kate continued. “Then toward the end of the year we were showing that there was a bit more heartbeat left. And this year I think we are showing that they should be worried again.

You take it up against the full factory squads like

The man behind the team—Ronald Ten Kate—doesn’t mind being the underdog, but he likes winning best.

Tucked in the back behind the dealership is where the magic happens for the Honda World Superbike Team.

Kawasaki’s effort, like Ducati’s effort, yeah, that actually makes us feel proud.”

So the underdog label applies, but Ten Kate clarified that it doesn’t apply to Honda, just in terms of the team’s resources and manpower compared to the full factory efforts of his competitors. Ten Kate credits Honda’s support as being the reason they can fight at all. So how much support is it exactly? From the outside it’s always been a bit confusing, especially after going from the Ten Kate Racing to the Honda World Superbike Team banner.

“Usually how it works for the outside world is when things are going great, it’s a lot of HRC and Honda parts on the bike, and when things are not going so great, it’s the local dealer going racing with an old fairing,” Ten Kate said with a smile.

“Honestly, there’s a good input from Honda behind us. Without Honda we couldn’t go racing to the level where we are now. But the way things have been developing over the past years, HRC is concentrating their efforts in the MotoGP side of things, and together with Honda Motor Europe we are engineering the bikes from our end for World Superbike level. There is not a lot of HRC parts on the bike.”

Although smaller than the full factory efforts, they are efficient. Decisions don’t take long, and they have resources at their fingertips—machine shops in-house and direct contact with their suppliers.

“We can turn things around I would say fairly quickly because the decisions can be taken in a short period,” Ten Kate said. “It doesn’t take weeks or months. Sometimes usually it’s just a matter of hours before we have an okay on stuff, how to move forward. And then the companies working for us are flexible enough to stop normal production or work evening or nighttime for us. So we can move fairly quickly to new concepts.”

There’s still a difference in resources, something Hayden has had to get used to coming from MotoGP and bigger teams.

“He doesn’t want to go the easy way,” Ten Kate said about Hayden. “He’s got a lot of stuff he wants on the bike or he wants changed on the bike. That’s not a problem, but usually it takes a bit of time to get things done. But that’s just motivated the team even more. So we don’t mind at all to have a rider who wants things to be 110 percent

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At Ten Kate’s home base, roughly 34 miles away from TT Assen Circuit, the trucks get ready for the next World Superbike round. because that’s the same ethics that we have.

Yeah, our team is not the biggest, with the biggest manpower or the biggest resources around, but we are giving it everything we’ve got.”

They want to win. But the highs and lows of racing don’t make it easy.

“It’s not about easy life. It’s about doing things giving it a hundred percent at all the time, trying to improve things,” he said. “We do make mistakes, and we will keep doing them, but we try to learn from every single mistake we do. Like one of the very first riders of the team once told me, every time you go out there you have to improve, and that’s one of the biggest lessons maybe we’ve ever learned in racing. That’s what we try to do.”

There’s no comfort in the struggle, but coming out the other side is quite rewarding.

“It doesn’t matter that you lose,” Ten Kate said. “It matters how you come out of it. Usually we’ve come out the Rocky way. Sometimes the pen and sharp, but then when you come all around the table and just make things better again, yeah, that’s really one of the best feelings in life.”

Again, it’s about that passion, that goal of continuing to make something better, advancing the technology. And this year it looks like that effort will pay off. So far with nine rounds into the season, van der Mark has five podiums and Hayden has one victory (Race Two at Sepang) and three podiums. Both seem to be on the verge of making contending for wins a habit.

“During the winter tests we already knew, ‘Hang on, we’ve got something going here,’” Ten Kate said. “Then after four rounds we [could] easily say, maybe not be winning yet but for sure for a majority of journalists and fans, the biggest surprise of the year, so far I think. And I want that surprise to be even bigger.” SR

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No need to go to a museum… The team’s championship-winning history gets displayed

Ten Kate’s American Riders: Nicky Hayden and PJ Jacobsen The Honda World Superbike Team is home to two Americans this year—Nicky Hayden in World Superbike and PJ Jacobsen in World Supersport. For Hayden it’s a big adjustment to a new championship after 13 years in MotoGP. “I got a lot to learn from them about this whole championship and bike,” Hayden said. “I think as you get older, some things are actually harder to learn because you are so used to one way and so used to how things were done; it sometimes might even take longer to adjust.”

Part of that adjustment is getting used to a team without full factory resources.

“They’ve been great,” Hayden said. “I’ve probably been pretty demanding because I came from factory teams, you know Marlboro and Repsol budgets. I like things done in a certain order, but I have to realize we are a factory-supported team.

So I’ve had a few things to adjust to. Definitely a lot of passion here. These guys all definitely live it. I got a good relationship with everybody in the team, especially with the crew chief all the way down, and that’s very important.”

Hayden was happy to reward the team’s efforts with a third-place finish at Assen, pointing out that their efforts to get the clutch how he liked it made all the difference on the start, where he went from 10th to fourth.

“I’m very happy for the

start because when I first rode the bike the clutch was terrible,” Hayden said after his podium in Assen. “I really stressed that we have got to do something better for the starts because I unfortunately realized that I could be starting from the second or third row. And to their credit they changed a couple of springs, and we tested some stuff already in Phillip Island. Then in Thailand I had a little bit of issue in the second race, but after that the clutch has been perfect every start since. It’s a lot of those

little things that the team does to help a rider that adds up.”

As for Jacobsen, it was a move upward after being on so many teams in World Supersport that had a tendency to evaporate.

“Finally to get on more of a factory team, a team that’s been around for so many years, it’s good to have,” Jacobsen said.

“They’re hard-working guys; they work very professionally. It’s really good to be on a solid team and you know the team’s going to show up every weekend.”

TRACKDAY PREP, With your bike all set up for a trackday, it’s time to get you and your pit set up properly as well Preparation is the key to a solid trackday. In the June/July issue we laid out a roadmap for bike setup to make it easy to transition your steed from street to track (and back). This article will focus on how to get yourself prepped and some essential items to bring with you to ensure that your pit space is comfortable and well equipped without the need for a big trailer or motorhome.

BY KEVIN NIXON

PHOTOS BY ANDREA WILSON

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Command central: Having everything within easy reach makes the day better. Set up your pit area at home prior to your trackday to see how it works, and figure out how long you’ll need to set up to avoid being rushed on the day of. Coolers make great canopy anchors, as do ramps.

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Choose your weapon: The paddock can be a big place, and having a simple form of conveyance can be key. The less energy you spend trudging around in your leathers, the more you have to ride.

Chances are you’ll need to adjust your air pressure at the track. Don’t roll the dice here; assuming there will be compressed air at the track is a bad idea. Show up ready.

Anything from an average bicycle pump to a powered compressor will get the job done.

If you’re recording your sessions on video, safety-wire your camera to the bike. Some organizations will require this, as cameras can become missiles at speed.

FITNESS Yeah, we know you’re not aiming to be the next Valentino Rossi or Marc Marquez, but the truth is that riding on the track is a lot more physically demanding than you might think, no matter what level of rider you are. Another known fact is that when you get tired, your reflexes and decision-making start to deteriorate—not a good combination out on the track. But here’s a side benefit not too many talk about: Working on your cardio and flexibility will keep you on the bike later in the day as less-fit riders begin tapping out and parking themselves in the pits. Having a better fitness level means you’ll have a clearer view of the

track as the day wears on in more ways than one.

Another key component of fitness is diet.

No, you don’t need to hire a sports dietitian, but you do need to think about what you’re eating before and during the days you are riding. A plate with grilled fish and veggies might be a better choice the night before than an order of nachos, a 16-ounce steak, and three or four beers. Start the riding day with foods that will not leave you feeling sluggish or sleepy. At the track, have a varied supply of energy snacks (including fruit, such as bananas and berries) that are easily digestible and don’t pack a lot of sugar. Be sure to munch

periodically during the day; you’re going to be cranking through your store of calories, so you’ll need to replace them in small doses throughout the day.

The big one to remember though is to hydrate.

You should be drinking enough fluids during the day (stay away from sugar-laden soft drinks and energy drinks packed with caffeine) to be forced to pee at least a few times, and its color should be a very light yellow, if not clear; darker yellow urine means you’re not hydrating enough. Note that as you get older, your body uses thirst as a dehydration signal less and less.

Here is a sample tool kit. Build yours based on the size of the fasteners on your bike. Back that up with an adjustable wrench and be certain to include a spare ignition key. Nothing could be worse than unloading your bike and realizing your key is at home.

TOOLS AND SPARES Having the right variety of tools—and spares, if possible—is essential. There’s no reason to haul your complete rollaway tool chest. Do an inventory of the fasteners on your bike and make sure you have the tools to fit them. In most cases, a selection of sockets from 8mm to 17mm, corresponding box-end wrenches, and a set of Allen (hex) keys or sockets will cover most bikes. Be sure to have the necessary tools to remove both wheels. You should also have an adjustable wrench of some sort (a set of channel lock pliers, for example). Additionally, include zip-ties, a power drill with an assortment of bits, wire cutters, safety wire, electrical tape, an air pump, and a reliable tire gauge.

If you have the means, assemble any spares you have. If you followed the advice of our last article and installed a set of folding levers, bring the original levers with you. If possible, a set of spare clip-on bars and footpeg assemblies are also good to have. Basically, pack any spares you have for parts that might touch the ground. There is nothing worse than ending the day with a broken item when you have a spare at home.

Prepare for the crash: If you have any spare levers, handlebars, or footpegs, pack them. Also pack a drill. If you crash and have cracked or broken fairings, you can drill and zip-tie them back together. Rickety-looking, yes, but you’ll still be riding with a good story to tell.

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Physical comfort is important. Throw down a carpet underneath your bike and bring a chair. Also bring sun protection and a mix of high-protein energy snacks and plenty of water and sports drinks.

» A simple box fan will make the day just a little better. Between sessions, throw your sweaty helmet on it to dry it out.

TRACKSIDE COMFORT Being comfortable when you’re not on the bike is a good thing, as anything that fatigues you strips valuable energy. At the very least, bring a chair and a remnant of carpet to put under the bike. Should you find yourself wrenching between sessions, having a soft (and insulating, if it’s a hot or cold day) pad for your knees and butt will be appreciated. Consider buying or borrowing a pop-up canopy; exposure to the sun or rain showers saps energy quickly.

Food and drinks were mentioned earlier, and you’ll need a cooler to keep everything cold. Do your homework and locate a store close to the track that will have ice and be open before and during the trackday should you need to replenish your supply. Another item that will keep you comfortable is a fan—for you and your helmet. A fan that you can rest your helmet on between sessions will help dry it out. If you can swing it, a generator is good to have because not all pit spaces have access to power. An alternative to buying one would be to look at your local rental store. You won’t need much energy; a 2,000-watt “whisper quiet” unit will do the trick.

Last but not least, the final essential item for a day at the racetrack would be some form of pit transportation, such as a bicycle, skateboard, minicycle, etc. The track can be a big place, and trudging around in your leathers is another energy-sapper. Plus, if you followed our hydration advice, you’ll be happy to have a pitbike to run you back and forth to the head.

Showing up prepared is the key to both having fun and improving your skills. One thing I always notice after a trackday is that while my skills have improved, I also find myself riding slower on the street. Get to the track where you can ride as fast as you dare, where everyone is going the same direction, and should you fall, there is a team of medical professionals already there to help. SR

A one-piece suit, over-ankle boots, gauntleted gloves, and a full-face helmet are the uniform of the trackday rider. We suggest wearing some sort of compression undergarments or the now-common undersuits inside your suit. Should you crash, this sort of gear reduces skin abrasion inside the suit.

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BITCHIN’ FRESH KIT

BY MICHAEL GILBERT

If you’re like us, you probably take more pride about what’s inside your garage than inside your home. Of course, the motorcycles inside are what you want to show off, but having a well set-up garage can arguably carry just as much bragging rights. Shown here are a variety of products that are made to clean up, trick out, and just plain help get the work done in your own garage.

DAINESE PADDOCK SHOE

BEL-RAY BIKE WASH

MATRIX CONCEPTS M80 TOOLBOX

Do the hard work in style. Dainese’s Paddock shoe is the perfect complement to a clean garage. The shoes are made with perforated materials to increase breathability, while leather inserts and a sturdy sole provide protection in the shop. And when it’s time to head around town, count on Dainese’s screen-printed designs and reflective inserts to let everyone know these aren’t just your normal work shoes. The shoes are priced at $139.95. dainese.com

If you’re putting time and money into having a clean garage, why skimp on a clean bike?

Bel-Ray’s Bike Wash is a biodegradable micro-emulsion cleaner designed to attack the dirt and grime that might be covering your motorcycle. The cleaner works by softening dirt and grime, so a quick rinse with water will wash it all away. Aside from being environmentally friendly, the wash also gets along with plastic, rubber, and painted surfaces, so there is no worry when soaking your bike in it.

Retail price is $8.95 for 32 ounces. denniskirk.com

If you still have your grandfather’s trusty toolbox in your garage, it might be time to upgrade. Matrix Concepts gives you the opportunity to get with the times with its M80 Toolbox. With an eight-drawer design, it comes standard with locking drawers and heavy-duty hardware to stand the test of time. The best part? For $399.95 the box comes in a variety of bold graphics to add 2016 flavor to your workbench. matrixracingproducts.com

MECHANIX WEAR SHOP APRON So you’ve got the garage organized and all the same tools the professionals use, but now it’s time to work like them.

If dressing the part is your thing, take a look at the Mechanix Wear Shop Apron.

Besides using the apron to give yourself that “factory” technician look, the ballistic nylon apron includes several pockets for easy access to common tools, as well as an additional chest pocket designed to store a notepad and pencil. The apron fits waist sizes 28 to 44 and retails for $24.95. mechanix.com

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MOTION PRO MAGNETIC FINGER GLOVES Digging for lost nuts and bolts underneath your motorcycle’s bodywork, cables, and other parts can be a real pain. That’s why the crew at Motion Pro came up with yet another simple tool: the Magnetic Finger Glove. The glove is created with a two-way stretch panel to fit a single finger and is able to grab nearly any steel or iron hardware, taking the frustration of dropping pieces out of the equation. A single glove is sold for $11.99. motionpro.com

PRO BOLT ALUMINUM WORKSHOP BOX

MOTOCONCEPTS MOTOPAD

Got a screw loose? Okay, well maybe the Pro Bolt Aluminum Workshop Box can’t help with that, but the kit can help with tricking out and customizing the bike in your garage.

The Workshop Box consists of 200 pieces of 7075 aluminum hardware, including common bolts, nuts, and washers. The array of hardware is designed to fit non-stress areas of the motorcycle, including case covers and fairing hardware, and not only replace the existing pieces but also add some flash to your bike. The Workshop Box is

The MotoPad by MotoConcepts, a mobile workspace built from stout polypropylene plastic, is the closest thing we will ever come to having a daily designated parking spot! The plastic deck provides an organized surface to work on and show off your bike. The MotoPad has a foldable design that allows for easy storage or transportation and gives a professional look to your pit setup at the racetrack.

The standard MotoPad, priced at $199.95, measures 72 inches by 48 inches, but additional enlargement squares can be purchased to fit larger bikes. motoconcepts.com

KENDON TRAILERS STAND-UP LIFT There’s no longer a reason to break your back working on your bike. At its full raised height, the Kendon Trailers Stand-Up Lift raises your motorcycle 32 inches off the ground, allowing for easier accessibility while working. And in case you don’t have an air compressor, the lift’s air-over-hydraulic jack can also be used via a manual pump to raise the 80-inch-long platform. Sure, the $799.95 price tag sounds a bit hefty, but your back will be thanking you every time you use the lift. kendonusa.com

Perhaps the most famous chicane in the country, the Corkscrew at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

RIDING SKILLS SERIES

MORE CHICANERY Understanding the subtleties to mastering chicanes

BY ANDREW TREVITT

PHOTO BY RILES & NELSON

One of the facts of life riding on tracks in the US is that chicanes are practically everywhere. This feature of two opposing, tight turns one directly after the other is a common format to slow riders in a particular spot for safety or simply chicanery (pun definitely intended) on the track designer’s part. Few riders list a chicane as their favorite section of any racetrack, mostly because chicanes often disrupt any natural flow or rhythm to the circuit.

While many riders see a chicane as a section where they just want to get through cleanly with no mistakes, there are a few key points to keep in mind that can help get you through quicker while keeping the chance of an error to a minimum.

Most chicanes are the slowest part of the track, and we know from the speed/distance/ time relationship that in slow corners, distance is more important than speed. That said, it’s important to keep a tidy line through the chicane, making that line as straight and short as possible and keeping as close to the curbs as you can. Watch the top riders through many chicanes and you will see them ride right over curbs, sacrificing speed for a shorter, straighter shot through. It’s also important to be consistent in your line choice so that you can better evaluate how any changes you make affect your time and exit speed.

Backing up a bit, you will usually find a chicane at the end of a long straight, meaning you

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will be hard on the brakes at the entry. To make sure you consistently make the first apex and not run wide, ensure that you have a good braking marker for the turn. Note that the wider you make your arc in the first section (either on purpose or by mistake), the tighter and slower you will have to be in the second half. Be as consistent on the entry as you can so that you can keep the tight line you want, close to the first curb. One slight problem here is that these braking zones are hot spots for overtaking, so in some cases you may have to brake later and/or take a defensive line and run the risk of going wide at the first apex.

Once you are in the chicane, pick up the throttle as quickly as you can to help the bike turn for the second part. While there are rare cases that the second part of the chicane is slower than the first (such as the turn 3/4 section at Road Atlanta), most are such that the second turn is at least as fast as the first, and you will be able to apply some throttle in between the two corners. How far apart the two turns are will determine just how much throttle you can apply and if you can actually make the section into a short straight, with the necessary throttle and brake applications. Watch the top riders in a chicane, and you will see that even if the two turns are practically on top of each other they will squeeze in a burst of throttle and hard braking in between. We discussed this aspect of chicanes in more detail in a previous RSS (“Conquering

Chicanes,” June ’12).

With at least some throttle applied, now is the time to turn the bike as quickly as you can.

This means as much force on the bars as you can muster and using your lower body to help rotate the bike from full lean to full lean. Move your body from one side of the bike to the other in one smooth motion, keeping your upper body close to the tank to speed up the transition. Many riders split this into two distinct parts, pausing when the bike is upright to move their body over, but everything should be accomplished in a single, fluid movement. It’s definitely not an easy task to make this big transition all while working the throttle and brake and keep everything smooth; it will take some practice, and you may want to work on each aspect individually before putting it all together.

In the second turn of the chicane, your line should be as close as possible to the inside curb, if not over top of it. If you have trouble consistently making this apex, that is a sign that you need to adjust either your speed or your line through the first part. Because chicanes are generally slower parts of the track, your exit speed is the most important factor, and you should work toward optimizing this rather than a charging entry.

Every chicane is unique and will require a different line and varying amounts of throttle and brake. It can definitely help to watch riders of different levels go through a particular chicane, noting their lines, how they make the transition from one turn to the other, and what they use for throttle and brake between the two turns. Finding those unique subtleties of a particular chicane will put you well on the way to improving your speed and consistency in that section of the track. SR

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Item 239 shown

DRIVE 1/4" 3/8" 1/2"

LOT 2696/61277 807/61276 62431/239

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AGV SPORT AIRVENT VENTED TEXTILE JACKET SR TESTED PRODUCT EVALUATIONS The “vented mesh” textile jacket has become an extremely popular riding apparel item in the sizzling hot days of summer, and there are tons of different brands to choose from.

We originally shied away from wearing them, as the initial offerings left us more than a little suspicious as to their durability in a crash. But the newer vented textile jackets are of much better construction, and we’ve been testing a few of them. One offering that’s stood out lately is the AirVent textile jacket from AGV Sport.

One reason we used to cast a wary eye on vented textile jackets was because some of them had somewhat flimsy-looking material in major impact areas. The AirVent jacket addresses those concerns by placing actual leather reinforcement panels in the shoulders and elbows. The rest of the jacket is constructed using polyester MaxTex 600-denier fabric, with multiple-stitched main seams to ensure structural integrity and resist tearing. CE-approved (EN 1621 Level 1) armor in the shoulders and elbows provide hard protection, along with an 8mm-thick memory foam back protector.

The vented mesh panels for cooling airflow are located on the chest, inner arms, and back

WHAT WE’RE TESTING 62

SPORTRIDER.COM

area, with a 100-percent polyester anti-bacterial fixed mesh liner helping to wick away moisture and keep you comfortable. Soft fleece material and neoprene are used in the collar to prevent chafing, and the arms feature pre-curved tailoring to prevent binding and/or bunching in a riding position. A removable lightweight, waterproof, and breathable Reissa liner zips into the jacket to ward off those sudden summer showers, and the arm cuffs feature water-resistant zipper closures with Velcro fasteners; adjustable Velcro straps in the arms and waist help keep the jacket’s fit snug.

Reflective piping runs down the front and back of the AirVent for nighttime visibility, and there are two zippered hand-warmer pockets, a zippered inner chest pocket, and a zippered change pocket on the left arm. And finally, an 8-inch rear zipper allows attachment to one of AGV Sport’s vented textile pants.

There’s no shortage of cooling airflow with the AirVent jacket, that’s for sure. Even when worn behind the big fairing of a sport-touring bike on a hot day, the AirVent never had us wanting for more ventilation. Overall tailoring was nice on our size-medium jacket, with plenty of arm length that prevents the cuffs from pulling back and exposing part of your wrists when riding in an aggressive sportbike position. We especially appreciated the fleece/neoprene collar on the longer rides; we’ve encountered plenty of textile jacket collars (even those that were mandarin-style like the AirVent) that tended to annoyingly chafe on our neck after a while.

DETAILS AGV SPORT AIRVENT VENTED TEXTILE JACKET RETAIL: $129 MOTONATION.COM The only gripes we have with the AGV Sport AirVent jacket are that the elbow armor moves around a bit too much for our liking (an additional arm strap on the forearm would likely help here) and that the middle of the back of the jacket is basically all mesh material. Although the back protector is there between you and the jacket, we’ve had a few crashes where we slid on our back for a bit, and we’d prefer to have at least a section of more durable material in that area.

Oh, yeah, there’s one more big selling point with the AGV Sport AirVent textile jacket: the wallet-friendly list price of just $129. You’d be hardpressed to find a comparable value in a vented textile jacket with the same features and overall quality build. Available in sizes medium to XXL, in both all black and the gray/black model shown.

Bell Pro Star Helmet

FirstGear Mesh Lo Boots

Bell Helmet’s latest-gen Pro Star racing helmet boasts features like the Flex Impact Liner, TeXtreme carbon shell, Pro-Fit system, Virus Cool Jade Power Mesh lining, and much more.

We’ll report on its performance in a future issue.

You can still have foot protection in the

leather with a molded sneakerstyle sole for comfort. Stay report.

MOTOOL SLACKER DIGITAL SAG TOOL + AUTO ZERO MODE SR TESTED PRODUCT EVALUATIONS Setting correct suspension sag numbers on any motorcycle is important to achieve proper handling and feel, but going through the process of finding assistance (another person needs to take one of the measurements while the rider is on the bike) often leads riders to skip the routine. The Motool Slacker was originally designed for the off-road market, where checking

rear sag is a routine order. Now the company has developed a Street Kit to allow sportbike enthusiasts to check both front and rear sag on their bikes.

The tool has been designed to allow you to find and set sag numbers on your own—though some muscle is required. After placing the Slacker on the motorcycle’s axle and attaching the measurement cable to the fork adapter or tailsection, you must pull the bike over on its kickstand to completely unload either wheel to allow the Slacker to find a zero measurement.

Then hop on the bike in your normal riding position (balancing the bike either with a wheel chock or propping it up some other way without loading the

DETAILS MOTOOL SLACKER DIGITAL SAG TOOL RETAIL: $149.99 (PLUS $24.99 FOR STREET KIT) MOTOOL.CO

suspension) and check the LCD display for your sag measurements.

We found the Slacker to be extremely easy to use, facilitating the process of figuring out sag measurements without any help. Actually, the tool’s biggest advantage is its precision, which eliminates human error and takes secondguessing of measurements out of the equation.

But while it functions great, the price tag ($149.99 for the Slacker Digital Sag Tool and an additional $24.99 for the Street Kit) might prove to be an obstacle for many people to spend that much money for something they will only use maybe once or twice a year. SR

THESE AREN’T TYPICAL RIDERS. STUNT RIDERS ERNIE VIGIL AND NICK APEX TUNE WITH POWER COMMANDER.

FUEL INJECTION MODULE

SUPERIOR OPTIONS - PRECISE CONTROLS

W W W. P O W E R C O M M A N D E R . C O M This product is intended to be used only on racing vehicles on closed courses, and not for use on roads or vehicles otherwise subject to emission control requirements. ©2016 DYNOJET RESEARCH

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YOUR ABNORMAL GUIDE TO THINGS ABNORMAL

NORMAL ROTATION

Seamless Transmission How do the seamless transmissions in MotoGP work, and are they that much better than a conventional transmission with all the latest electronics (including up and down quickshifters)? How long will it be before we get seamless transmissions on streetbikes?

Douglas Gibson Tutwiler, MS The only solid information we have to describe the inner workings of the seamless transmissions used in MotoGP comes from a series of patents related to a “multistage transmission,” several of which are attributed to Honda. All the manufacturers use seamless transmissions, and they may or may not be similar to the Honda setup—either because of corporate pride or to get around the patents.

In a conventional transmission, only one gearset can be engaged at a given time. This occurs when one of the gears slides along its shaft and dogs interlock with an adjacent gear. Because only one gear can be engaged at a time, and the gears must slide along the shafts, there is a finite time for each shift, and power must be cut during that time. The power cuts not only hurt acceleration

64 SPORTRIDER.COM

Sport Rider magazine Attn: The Geek 15215 Alton Parkway, Suite 100 Irvine, CA 92618

This diagram, seen in several patents related to Honda’s seamless transmission, shows the system of ratcheting pawls (red arrows) that lock each gear to the output shaft to transmit power. Pins inside the shaft extend outward to engage each gear, but when the pins retract and the next gear is selected, the pawls remain locked in place until the next gear is under load.

DIAGRAM COURTESY OF US PATENT OFFICE

ASK THE GEEK

srmail@bonniercorp.com

NORMAL ROTATION

on the straights, but they can also unsettle the chassis if a shift is made midcorner.

In the Honda layout, the input shaft and gears are essentially one unit, with the gears splined to the shaft and spinning at the same speed at all times. On the output shaft, all the gears spin freely, but inside each gear is a set of four pawls that can lock the gear to the shaft to transmit power.

The pawls are pushed into place by pins that are extended outward from the center of the shaft by a set of rods inside; using a ratchet effect, two of the pawls lock into place under power, while two lock into place under deceleration.

When a shift is made to the next gear, the pins retract, but as long as power is still applied the acceleration pawls of the original gear remain locked in place and that gear will transmit power.

Once the next gear is engaged and takes up the load, the shaft starts to spin faster than the original gear and the pawls disengage. Everything is reversed if the motorcycle is decelerating and the rider downshifts, with the deceleration pawls held into place until the lower gear is engaged.

Because there is no interruption in power, the shift is “seamless.” This saves a tiny bit of time on each straight, but according to riders in the series the main importance of the gearbox is the improvement in stability during gear changes midcorner.

It is very unlikely you will see this type of seamless transmission anytime soon on your streetbike.

One reason is that, given the construction described above, neutral is difficult to build in. If, for example, you select neutral by disengaging all the gears, there is a chance that the pawls for a particular gear may still be locked into position, and even with the clutch pulled in at a stop there may be enough drag in the transmission to prevent them from disengaging. All MotoGP bikes equipped with a seamless transmission do have an extra lever on the handlebar, reportedly related to the use of neutral.

Another issue is cost. A conventional six-speed transmission has about 80 individual parts, including the gears, shafts, shift drum, forks, shims, and circlips. A seamless transmission as described in the Honda patents looks to have about three times that number, with 16 individual parts in each gear alone related to the pawl mechanism.

Some of those parts are very small and under very high load; reportedly the Honda MotoGP transmissions require service every day at the track by a dedicated HRC technician.

For street use, the performance benefits of a seamless transmission would be very slim compared to a quickshifter-equipped conventional transmission, especially when the costs are taken into account. SR

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Those World Superbike riders sure have a funny way of studying tracks. Here Jordi Torres works on the Corkscrew at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The Althea BMW rider ďŹ nished eighth in both races at the GEICO US round of the series.

66

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