Norton Commando with Chris Walker
GoinG commando Riding the Norton Commando with Chris Walker. Words: Matt Wildee Pics: Jason Critchell
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ucked in, throttle pinned, foot poised to snick the next gear, I’m chasing Chris Walker. Ahead a right-hander looms. Walker brakes hard , the rear tyre loose, snaking, arcing telltale black lines. He tips in late and hard, back still squirming. He holds an impossibly tight line and then he’s back on the power, kicking up the dust on the exit, again squirimg as he gets on the gas. Fifteen years ago, as a teenager obsessed with BSB, that situation was my dream. Now in 2010, reality is slightly different. Of course we’re not locked in combat for the 1997 British Superbike crown and we’re not edging each other off the track at Cadwell for the title. We’re riding briskly on a Leicestershire B-road and we’re on Nortons – Nortons built in 2010 in an English factory. And that really should be the most unbelievable part of the whole story. When businessman and bike fiend Stuart Garner resurrected the Norton brand, less than two years ago, he started with virtually nothing. All he had were the designs to an American-built Norton commando that needed completely re-engineering. Now, sitting just a stone’s throw from
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3600 garages
Our bikes
Project bike
How to
Rated kit
Chooser
spanners Chooser
Pics: Tom Critchell
If it’s hexagonal and needs tightening or loosening then these tools will see you through the job. But which one to go for?
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Draper
he key to a good spanner, like the Allen keys we featured last month, is in the making. As with the Allen keys a spanner is made from super rock hard 31 CrV3 steel, and relies on three things, the quality of steel, the accuracy of the tolerances and the care taken in the heat treating process. A quality spanner should bend if over-stressed, a cheap one will simply snap. Quality products are given a nickel-chrome plating to prevent rusting, which is a good way of identifying a good spanner. The plating on quality tools will flex slightly as the tool is also designed to flex. On cheap spanners the chrome will flake off rather than flex. We’ve gathered a selection for all budgets and needs, including ratchets and ring spanners...
elora 12-piece long open end spanner set
This twelve-piece set from Draper has long handles for improved leverage. Hardened and chrome plated to protect against corrosion each of the jaws is offset at 15 degrees to allow you to flip the spanner over and continue tightening a tricky-to-reach nut. The set contains sizes 6x7, 8x9, 10x11, 12x13, 14x15, 16x17, 18x19, 20x22, 21x23, 24x27, 25x28 and 30x32mm. PriCe: £99.99 ConTaCT: Draper Tools 023 8049
sealey
Titanium-coated 10-piece combination spanner set
bling bling baby Warning: you may overtighten bolts using these as you’ll become mesmerised by the ever-changing reflected light as you move them.
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You’ve got a titanium exhaust, you’ve got titanium fasteners, you’ve even got a titanium tax-disc holder. What’s next? Why not get some titanium-coated spanners? Ranging from 10-19mm in size they are made from the usual drop-forged chrome vanadium steel but what sets them aside from all other spanners is the fantastic polished-titanium mirror finish, creating a rainbow of colour in your dingy garage. Guaranteed to send your mates green with envy. Probably. PriCe: £70.44 ConTaCT: Sealey 0800 161 3031, www.sealey.co.uk
sealey
double end extra-long six piece ring spanner set
PB has seen lots of videos involving double-ended items, but none quite as shiny or lovely as these spanners from Sealey. As well as the longest name of any spanner set these items range in length from 236mm to a gigantic 407mm with 8x10, 11x13, 12x14, 13x15, 16x18 and 17x19 ring sizes. Made from drop-forged chrome molybdenum steel (the same stuff Ducati frames are made from) each spanner has a polished chrome finish while the rings have a 12-point design for a snug fit. When it comes to undoing a stuck nut, using a ring spanner is far more sympathetic and less likely to round the nut than an open-ended one, making these a must-have tool box addition. Price: £140.94 contact: Sealey 0800 161 3031, www.sealey.co.uk
Phaze
18 Piece combination spanner set
About as basic as you can get, this set contains all the spanners you could need and is a perfect tool kit starter, or just a useful set to have lying around should your old man turn up in his classic car with a few loose bolts. Containing a selection of metric as well as AF (imperial) spanners the set comes complete with a plastic roll pouch which should protect the spanners against the inevitable oil leaks a vehicle with AF bolts will have… Price: £19.99 contact: Halfords, www.halfords.com
halfords
Professional 10 Piece Flex-head ratchet set
You really don’t expect a £40 set of spanners to come with a lifetime guarantee, but that’s exactly what you get with these items from Halfords. The ratchet has a 72-tooth design, giving as little as 5˚ of movement, while the head is set on a flexible joint to allow up to 90˚ of angle. The kit consists of 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17 and 19mm spanners and a 3/8-inch spanner adaptor plus ¼-inch bit adaptor. Price: £39.99 (after promotion £79.99) contact: Halfords, www.halfords.com
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Four very different bikes, with very different characteristics. Which woud you choose?
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Main test £3000 Performance Bikes
speed Words: Rupert Paul Pics: Jason Critchell
on the
cheap
We believe £3K is the smallest amount of money you can pay for a decent bike. Here are four wildly different ways to spend it...
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t is astounding what you can get for your money these days. Before us are four of the prettiest, evocative and most disparate bikes we’ve tested all year. Each once can be bought for the same price as a tenyear old Mondeo, yet each offers a heady combination of thrills that outweigh their pricetag. First off we have the Kawasaki ZX-6R B1H. The most mental of all Kawasaki’s 600 screamers, it offers a flexible engine combined with a snappy chassis that always verges on the edge of instability. In nearly every measurable way, these things are still cutting-edge. Next up are the Benelli Tornado and the Ducati 748. Both still look delectable. The 748 combines the looks of the most influential sportbike of the last 20 years with a fluid, revvy V-twin motor - a heady combination. The Tornado is oddball of the bunch. Much newer than the others here, it has a questionable reputation, but also has the looks that might make it worth the gamble. Finally, we have the hulk-like Kawasaki ZX-12R. Its brutal, heavy and slightly crude, but it looks great and goes like hell. 000 040
Guy Martin meets... Ron Haslam
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Leon prepares to take Guy up in the Haslam’s microlight aircraft, from the family’s Derbyshire farm
‘why exist if you’re not doing what you love?’ When Guy Met Ron Haslam Words: Guy Martin Pics: Fly Tipping
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SPEED TEST BMW S1000RR
17 189.732mp
197.
The ouTer limiTs Words: Mark White Pics: Fly Tipping
Just how close to 200mph can you push the most powerful production bike?
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his is the BMW S1000RR (in case you’ve been living in a cave for the last six months). It’s the most powerful production motorcycle you can buy today. With 184bhp of mind-bending outright power and monster acceleration, there are only two things you can do with this insane machine: make it slower and more useable on the roads; or see if you can eke out any more unnecessary speed from it. As this isn’t a knitting magazine, we went for the ridiculous second option. Let’s push the envelope… To motivate us on our quest to the mph madhouse, we’re entering the BMW into a round of the 200mph Straightliner’s events, giving us an official target to aim for – the two ton Holy Grail. But first, we’ve got some testing to do at Bruntingthorpe’s two mile straight…
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188.726mp
77.828mph 191.161mph ph
192.54mph
.289mph 189.163mph 189.434mph
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full metal jacket The frame and swingarm were stripped back and clear anodised for the required race look
blinking clever Front indicators are in the bar ends. No really.
brake the bank Calipers and front discs are high-spec Brembo, the rear disc is a one-off from EBC. The rear caliper is the coolest we’ve ever seen.
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Kawasaki ZX-10R
Mark Tucker was inspired by pre-season test bikes to build this Kawasaki. If there is a meaner ZX-10R on the planet we’d like to see it words: Gary Inman pics: paul Bryant
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pecials builders can often be split into two categories – those who are prepared to hunker down in their trench, pull their collar up and wait for the right part to become available. Then there are those who want it right now! And will compromise their original vision to get things done in a hurry. Mark Tucker is happy to wait. The former merchant seaman ordered this 2008 model year Kawasaki ZX-10R at the back end of 2007 when he was living and working in Dubai. The bike would be delivered in March ’08, but he’d already started buying parts for the transformation in January of that year. ‘I knew exactly what I wanted to do and what the bike would look like before it even arrived,’ explains Mark. ‘I thought I’d have it all done in a couple of months.’ It took a couple of years. So long, in fact, that he started building the bike in the sweltering 40-degree heat of Dubai and finished it in the drizzle of Aberdeen, having moved back to his native Scotland.
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feel the Quality ‘Bloody good quality’ Arata rearsets and HRC rear brake reservoir
Main test £3000 Performance Bikes
Owning
The facts and figures that count when it comes to buying the right bike, plus everything you need to know about home servicing
depreciation
£3600 £3200 £3000
Estimate over the next three years
2011
2012
2003 Benelli Tornado LowSide coStS
Side fairing: £290 Footrest: £45 Brake lever: £35 RHS exhaust: N/A
Total £370 coLour optionS
2013
Estimate over the next three years
2011
2012
inSurance
inSurance
Servicing
Servicing
Is it easy to work on?
Is it easy to work on?
TPFT F COMP Aged 30 £125.05 £257.19 Aged 45 £89.01 £155.09 (Calculated for a rider in a semi-rural town in Cambridgeshire with three years no claims and ten years licence)
Minor: 12 months/6000 miles £350 Major: 24 months/12,000 miles £550 ‘I have no idea why people pay so much for Ducati servicing as they are really easy to work on. Swapping the shim stacks is tricky, but the rest is simple. Oil and filter takes minutes and even the belts are easy to change once you’ve watched it being done, a home mechanic shouldn’t have any problems. The big issue with Ducatis is the finish, especially on the engine. Clean every part well or it will flake and fall off and corrode like hell. Oh, and the electrics are shit!’ Mark White – PB technician
058 000
depreciation
£3000 £2700 £2300
2002 ducaTi 748
LowSide coStS
Side fairing: £264.61 Footrest: £20.21 Brake lever: £94.76 RHS exhaust: £528.22
Total £907.80 coLour optionS
2013
TPFT F COMP Aged 30 £201.95 £340.92 Aged 45 £134.20 £236.72 (Calculated for a rider in a semi-rural town in Cambridgeshire with three years no claims and ten years licence)
Minor: 3750 - £150 Major (including valve clearances): 7000 - £350 ‘I’ve not been near a Benelli but from what I’ve heard they are quite tricky. The fairing is very intricate and has lots of fasteners which is always a bad sign. Oddly enough, because the bike is in such a niche market there tends to be really good support from owners clubs and enthusiasts with loads of maintenance tips on the internet from people who have done it themselves. The best way to learn is from other people’s mistakes.’ Mark White – PB technician
insurance quotes provided by
2000 kawasaki ZX-12R
2003 kawasaki ZX-6R
depreciation
depreciation
2011
2012
LowSide coStS
Side fairing: £364.13 Footrest: £32.83 Brake lever: £39.00 RHS exhaust: £978.21
Total £1414.17 coLour optionS
2013
Estimate over the next three years
£2900 £2500 £2200
£2700 £2500 £2200
Estimate over the next three years
2011
2012
inSurance
inSurance
Servicing
Servicing
Is it easy to work on?
Is it easy to work on?
TPFT F COMP Aged 30 £157.89 £254.68 Aged 45 £82.56 £158.59 (Calculated for a rider in a semi-rural town in Cambridgeshire with three years no claims and ten years licence)
Minor: 4000 - £150 Major: 8000 - £250 Valve clearances: 16,000 miles - £450 ‘No. These are complete bastards! The monocoque frame gets in the way. You may as well sit on your hands for two hours wearing a blindfold rather than try and swap the plugs. Even changing the battery is a nightmare despite being located on a tray that slides out of the frame. Keep on top of brakes maintenance though. It can easily warp discs if the calipers bind at all, so look after them well.’ Mark White – PB technician
LowSide coStS Side fairing: £434.50 Footrest: £65.00 Brake lever: £40.64 RHS exhaust: £485.06
Total £1025.20 coLour optionS
2013
TPFT F COMP Aged 30 £91.50 £171.70 Aged 45 £68.51 £100.08 (Calculated for a rider in a semi-rural town in Cambridgeshire with three years no claims and ten years licence)
Minor: 4000 - £140 Major: 8000 - £250 Valve clearances: 16,000 miles - £380 ‘The ZX-6R is still from the old school of motorcycles and is big, roomy and easy to work on. But it’s paramount you lube the fairing fasteners. They can seize solid, especially the front one which joins the bellypan together. Competent home mechanics might want to fit a manual camchain adjustor. I’ve seen Kawasaki automatic ones fail. It’s a simple job but you must keep on top of the adjustment.’ Mark White – PB technician
Owning Suz uki GSX-R1000
stealth bomber Words: Matt Wildee Pics: Jason Critchell
How carefully selected, subtle mods made a GSX-R1000K3 the best fast road bike in Bolton
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‘I
’m sick of the way modern sportsbikes keep getting smaller, revvier and less practical,’ says modified GSX-R1000 owner Russell Hodgkiss. ‘It seems that every year they get further and further away from what we all actually need.’ ‘The latest sportsbikes aren’t built for normal size blokes. They don’t have the midrange you actually need for road riding and you struggle to go anywhere on them. I built this project because of these problems.’ This bike was born out of the need to blend cutting-edge performance with the ergonomics the, er, bigger chap needs to make a performance bike work. Bike manufacturers take note. Stop making bikes for jockey-sized superstock racers and make them for the people who actually buy them. Russell’s GSX-R is a lesson in considerate and sensible modification. Like an Edwardian house brought bang up to date he’s managed to retain the key period features, yet enhanced the bike with extensive but subtle renovation. Most modded GSX-Rs end up polished, anodised and coated in the turquoise hue of a Rizla paintjob. There’s nothing wrong with that, but there is a lot to be said for not standing out from the crowd. ‘Anonymity lets you get away with more,’ Russell admits with a knowing smile. I’d only met up with Russell and his Suzuki five minutes prior, but by the end of the day I learn exactly what he’s talking about. Russell has credentials. He’s been a mechanic for 14 years and as well as being the owner of a Bolton-based service shop and breakers (www.bikebits4u.co.uk) he has raced extensively and used to work for 90s TT and BSB legends V&M racing. ‘You never forget a bollocking from Jack Valentine,’ he says, still shaking. He’s poured all his accumulated V&M knowledge into the GSX-R. As I wander into Russell’s neat, subterranean workshop I nearly miss the GSX-R among the rest of the late model and middle-aged sportsbikes that are here to be serviced, or to see their last days under the adjustable spanner and lump hammer of the breaker. Then I spot it up on the bench. From a distance the bike looks just like a normal GSX-R – standard paint, black wheels, a grab rail. Nothing special, I think to myself. But that is entirely why this bike is special. In the halflight, the front-end glints with the gold of proper Öhlins road and track forks. Then you can’t help but notice the massive six-pot PFM calipers and their matching narrowtrack, stainless-steel discs. They’re bolted to delicate, delicious magnesium Marchesinis. This is a front end that would’ve have shamed a BSB bike just a few years ago. 007