Supersport 600s
the sharp e
Hard work. No midrange. Pointless. They say Supersports 600s have had thei
Words Emma Franklin Pics Paul Bryant
Yamaha YZF-R6 111bhp, rev-hungry, sharp-steering – as hardcore as a 600 gets
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p end
had their day. We say they’re wrong…
Triumph 675 111.51bhp, superbly suspended, ultra light – as torquey as a 600 gets
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Aberdare Park races
Terror between the trees Once a year in a small town in the Welsh valleys, the public park is closed to dog walkers and turned into one of the UK’s most exciting race tracks Words Jim Lindsay Pics Rory Game/David Richards
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2004 Yamaha R1 Laurie Smith
✱ Girder front suspension ✱ Designed and built in nine months ✱ Completely bonkers From the man who fitted a Blackbird motor into an FZR400 frame and also gave us a ZX-10R-powered supermoto, we have this – an R1 with two huge chunks of 6061 alloy billet where the forks usually sit. While girder forks are nothing new, designing, creating and fitting your own with a steepened steering axis to a 150bhp R1 just because you can, is. Using an Ohlins TTX shock, Laurie’s R1 may be heavier than stock, but it’s also incredibly stable under braking. “It’s not fazed by road irregularities like a telescopic fork set up is. The steering is light, precise and there’s way more feel under braking. It’s amazing over bumpy roads.” It incites a fair bit of rubbernecking: “The public reaction is funny. People notice it then spend the next few minutes trying to peer under the fairing to make sense of what they’re seeing. Then they start looking around for the owner!” More on this bike soon...
EBC discs, rebuilt engine, aluminium subframe undertray… there’s been a fair few man hours put into the project
Kwikasfaki Morgan Price
✱ H750 triple motor in GSX-R400 frame ✱ Ohlins forks, R6 swingarm ✱ From the mind that gave us the Mille-swingarmed-Fireblade If the owner’s name sounds familiar, it’s because Morgan – aka Cabbie – had a Fireblade featured in these pages. This time he’s going naked. Running a 120bhp+ ex-dragbike Kawasaki H2 750 triple motor, this GSX-R400-framed special is one of the most impressive projects we’ve seen in a while. Inspired by a mate who’d done a similar project, Cabbie didn’t need much encouragement to get started: “This bike is all about the engine. I love Kwaka triples. They’re all I rode as a kid so this is a tribute.” The GSX-R400 forks haveOhlins internals and an Ohlins look for the outers. The R6 swingarm was milled out 10mm either side of the frame to get it to fit. Tail unit is from a Honda RS125 while the stainless exhausts were courtesy of Performance Fabrications. The project is yet to turn a wheel in its new guise, but we reckon it’s 100% lickable. 029
News 2012 Blade revealed
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✱Fi r s t lo o k
New Fireblade spotted Photos of 2012 bike leaked on Facebook
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t’s the update we’ve all been waiting for. Pictures leaked onto Honda Hong Kong’s Facebook page seem to reveal the 2012 Fireblade, months before its official launch. It’s clear from the pictures that the bike, which celebrates 20 years of the Fireblade, features Showa Big Piston Forks, lightweight wheels, an all-digital dash and an innovative MotoGP-inspired Showa shock. What we can’t see are any wheel speed sensors to indicate the presence of traction control. Honda UK haven’t officially commented on the images, which show the bike inside a Hong Kong dealership, but insiders hint that the 2012 bike will have a modest increase in peak power and a more significant hike in midrange grunt, but would be unlikely to match the BMW S1000RR in outright power. From the looks of things it seems Honda have listened to the requests of superstock racers who longed for a slightly lighter, more agile Blade, but we’ve yet to see a full technical spec.
1 Exhaust looks similar but new lightweight multi-spoke wheels are pure sex! 2 Sharper styled headlamps look more sporty. Enlarged air intakes increase flow
3 New GP-inspired Showa shock has high and low speed damping – a first on a road bike
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4 No wheel speed sensors so perhaps no traction control. Although a more advanced C-ABS is certain 5 Showa Big Piston Forks offer more controlled damping
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Win Silverstone BSB tickets WIN Silverstone tickets to penultimate BSB battle The MCE British Superbike Championship heads to Silverstone on 24-25 September for the penultimate round of a captivating 2011 season. Having hosted MotoGP and World Superbikes earlier in the year, BSB complete Silverstone’s hat trick of premier bike events. We’ve teamed up with the Northamptonshire circuit to give three lucky winner’s Weekend Tickets to watch all the high-speed action. BSB is one of the most competitive two-wheeled race series in the world, featuring some of the most talented riders from the UK and abroad. The racing at Silverstone promises to be fiercer than ever, and with two races on the Sunday, crucial points will be up for grabs in the battle for the 2012 championship title.
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With the dramatic new section of Grand Prix track and improvements to spectator viewing facilities, the penultimate round at Silverstone is not to be missed. To be in with a chance of winning tickets simply log onto www.greatmagazines.co.uk/performancebikes and answer the following question by Monday 19 September: Which rider won the 2010 BSB Championship?
a – ryuichi kiyanori b – Josh brookes C – tommy Hill Race Day (Sunday) and Weekend Tickets are available to purchase in advance for £29 and £36. For further information or to book tickets for the penultimate BSB round go to www.silverstone.co.uk or call 0844 3728 260
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Ducati 848 Streetfighter spotted
The eagerly-awaited 848 Streetfighter has been photographed leaving the Bologna factory. In production trim and in the final stages of testing it’s clear the smaller fighter has been heavily influenced by its bigger brother, although the spec of the brakes and suspension is expected to be slightly lower to keep the costs down. The engine meanwhile is expected to be identical to that of the 848 sports bike but with revised fuelling and gearing.
BSB goes Evo
MSVR have announced rule changes for the 2012 BSB season which will see the introduction of a control ECU. The new regulations, which ban traction control, anti-wheelie and launch control via the use of a common Motec ECU, will also see rev ceilings reduced to just 750rpm over the standard redline in order to increase engine life and reduce costs for teams. Hopefully for us spectators this will also mean closer racing, as teams will be on more of a level playing field.
FATHer oF THe 916 DIes AT 64
As PB went to press we were informed that the great Claudio Castiglioni had passed away in a clinic in Italy aged 64. The president of MV Agusta had a long and distinguished career in motorcycling starting in 1978, when he founded Cagiva, before he went on to purchase legendary brands such as Ducati, Husqvarna and MV Agusta. Castiglioni was responsible for creating such iconic bikes as the Ducati 916, Cagiva Mito and MV Agusta F4. Claudio dedicated over 15 years of his life to MV Agusta, and his passing is a sad loss to all those who think motorcycles should be ridden with the heart and not with the head.
Papa Rossi?
Italy’s newspapers are buzzing with the rumour that Valentino’s girlfriend, 25 year-old Marwa Klebi, is five months pregnant. The news first surfaced last month after the Mugello round of the MotoGP championship. The obvious question is: if the rumour is true how will fatherhood affect Rossi’s form, particularly as the projected due-date could conflict with the last round of the season at Valencia?
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Owning 2006 Honda Fireblade
six figure mileage... ...and all done in two and a half years
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