BUILD IT OR BUY IT? MY FIRST TRACKDAY… + YAMAHAER’SGUIDE THE GIRL ON A BIKE POPS HER CHERRY AT DONNY A LIGHT ON THE GO DOWN THE ON LINE DO YOU SPLASH THE CASH OR BUILD S OMETHIN G CHEAPER AN D BETTER? FACTORY SPEC: DUCATI 999R £15K-£25K HAVE-A -GO HERO: APRILIA RSV MILLE£4CW:000 THIRTY YEARS AGO THE R1 DESMO CAME TO LIFE… HERE’S THE STORY, PLUS WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO RIDE SUBMW’SSECRETPERBIKE TRACK SPECIAL!SPORTSBIKE OF THE YEAR PART TWO OF OUR SUPERNAKED SHOOTOUT SEES OUR SEVEN PROTAGONISTS SCRAP IT OUT ON CIRCUIT AGAINST THE CLOCK
todayorderonscanAlternatively,theQRcodethispageandyournextcopyWewillsenditdirectlytoyou! 16 60
KTM 1290 Super Duke GT Termer . 76 Johnny’s raring to get more miles in on his big twin.
Used Bike Guide 54
Thirty years ago, BMW came very close to making its World Superbike debut with a desmo driven Boxer. This is the untold story My First Trackday ........................... 70
Yamaha might not make box-fresh R6 street bikes any more, but there’s plenty of used options to go about. Here’s all you need to know about the last of the line.
YOUR LIFE ON BIKES
Tom Neave ..................................... 96
Build it or Buy it? 16
THE KNOWLEDGE
Fully fit and fighting back, Tom’s been racking up the points like a good’un. Steve Parrish .................................. 98 Steve’s out to cause trouble at Goodwood.
You and Yours ................................ 88
Christian Iddon .............................. 94
All of your adventures.
What’s the best way to go about owning your dream bike? Do you build it or buy it? Naked Sportsbike of the Year: Track Special ............................................. 30
FEATURES
..............................
Track Spec ...................................... 80
A page dedicated to the best readers in the world.
Yamaha’s R1M makes for an awesome track bike, as this lucky owner gets to hammer home
Johnny’s good for lots of things, including guiding people through their first ever trackday.
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ISSUE 397 NOVEMBER 2022 30 BUY GEAR FASTBIKESMAG.COM To pre -order your next issue of Fast Bikes, head to coclassicmagazines..uk/pre-order-
Iddon might not have made the showdown this season, but he’s still putting in one hell of a performance
Chatter ........................................... 90
Last issue we put the seven best supernakeds against each other on the road. This month it’s all about which can go the fastest on track.
BMW’s Secret Superbike ................ 60
COLUMNISTS
TESTS
999R, surely there is no sexier a Ducati to have left the factory? Okay, that last line has probably got a few of you questioning my sanity, but I am one of those weird people who’ve always loved Ducati’s ugly duckling, and I reckon time has warmed many a soul to its ‘different’ disguise
A golden era...
Enjoy the mag.
We are spoilt for choice when it comes to two-wheeled offerings, which is no bad thing… assuming you’re minted and can buy everything you want. If I were rich I’d fil the garage in a heartbeat, then build another one to store some more. There are so many cracking bikes out there, but for me the best options come from the Noughties Maybe that’s more a reflection of my age and what I grew up seeing and liking, but I honestly think that era of sportsbikes was exceptionally pioneering from a design and performance point of view It was also a time when you knew fresh metal was never far away, which is unfortunately something we can’t expect nowadays. The upside was that new protagonists kept on pushing the
envelope and forcing rival brands to put in the cash and graft to keep up with the Joneses, but the downside – if there was such a thing – was that certain bikes and configurations got left behind; I’m looking at you, AdmittedlyV-twins,not everyone’s a fan, but I am and I wish there was a credible V-twin sportsbike on the market now (what are you waiting for, KTM?). As it is, I hark back to the Noughties to get my fix; a time when it seemed that every man and his dog had their hand in that sector. Along with Honda’s SPs and KTM’s RC8s, there were also the two bikes you’ll find on the cover – my favourite twins of all time What’s not to like about a Mille… apart from a failing sprag clutch... and as for a
f you had to make a list of the top five bikes you’ve either owned or craved, what would they be? I bet it took all of two seconds to fill that line-up, and if I’d have asked you for 10 bikes, it probably wouldn’t have taken much longer to rattle them off
I
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Whether you like the look of it or not, it truly is a great bike to ride around on, as I’ve learned these last few months. And the same goes for the Aprilia too, which is actually a project bike that’s taken three years and countless bloodied knuckles to build. But the pain and the price has been more than worth it, as you’ll discover in a few pages’ time
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lithium-ion battery and those lighter Öhlins fork help save 2kg over the base Monster. That means a kerb mass of just 186kg – not bad for a 111bhp roadster, but some way off the Streetfighter V2’s 153bhp/200kg No price as we went to press, but expect a couple of grand more than the current £11k Monster Plus model.
Hornet caption
Posh version of roadster gets
HORNET ENGINE TE ASER
Ducati’s sort of removed the need for a high-end Monster with the launch of the Streetfighter V4 and V2 supernaked machines – hence the end of the 1200 S and R models
PL ANET FAST BIKES – NE W METAL, NEWS & REVIE WS
TeStylemasÖhlins,andrmignonipipe
Hornet caption 2
But the Bologna firm clearly feels there’s scope for a premium version of its legendary roadster, and here it is: the Monster SP Based on the current Monster, it uses the same basic engine and chassis – the 937cc Testastretta engine from the Multistrada and Hypermotard 950s, in an aluminium frame.
As we went to press, Honda was keeping its 2023 lineup close to its chest – but it did release this teaser image of the new engine for the forthcoming Hornet 750 roadster.
2023 DUCATI MONSTER SP
path of Yamaha with its MT-07 range. The engine is a neat design, with a compact 8V SOHC ‘Unicam’ head, similar to the Africa Twin unit. Honda claims 90bhp@9,500rpm,aroundwhich is good power for a twin, and a bit more than the 74bhp Yamaha motor There’s a 270° crankshaft, for a ‘big bang’ power delivery, and Honda reckons it’s got stacks of fat grunt too - smart. The engineer leading the Hornet development is Fuyuki Hosokawa, who was also behind the banging new CBR1000RR Fireblade, so he knows what makes a great motor. We’ll have a lot more on the new Honda CB750S Hornet in the next issue.
The 111bhp motor is unchanged in the SP, apart from a smart Termignoni silencer It’s the chassis that boasts the real upgrades though, with Öhlins 43mm USD front forks and rear monoshock, both fully adjustable, and a Sachs steering damper. The brakes on the SP are also updated to Brembo Stylema calipers and 320mm discs with new aluminium carriers and a radial master cylinder.
1
The electronics package gets a new ‘Wet’ riding mode for the IMU-assisted cornering ABS and traction control setup, while a
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Monster
The firm is replacing the old 599cc four-cylinder roadster with a new 755cc parallel twin, following the
The special Streetfighter is styled in homage to the 640bhp V10 Lamborghini Huracán STO supercar, but remains largely stock in terms of engine and chassis. There’s a neat Akrapovic titanium silencer, but the engine power remains standard, around 208bhp On the chassis front, there are some really lush lightweight Lambo-style forged aluminium wheels, with a unique rear axle nut that echoes those on the Huracán. The carbon bodywork
is also styled after the Lamborghini, with the same paint job, and the pegs, levers and heel guards are all Rizoma billet alloy and carbon designs. Weight is around standard too: 197.5kg, a few kg less than stock, mostly thanks to those wheels.Just630 of the Lamborghini Streetfighters will be built – and there will be another 63 even more special models, aimed at Lamborghini owners, who can have the bike painted to match their supercars It’s a superexpensive item though: even the standardmorewillLamborghinibasicStreetfightercostaround£56,000,thandoubletheV4Spricetag.
DUCATI STREETFIGHTER V4 S L AMBORGHINI EDITION Special Streetfighter gets high end supercar styling – and price tag to match NOVEMBER 2022 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 11
This month, we’ve got two utterly bonkers new non-road-legal superbikes, launched by Aprilia and Yamaha. First up is the new Aprilia RSV4 X Trenta, following on from the 2019 RSV4 X. ‘Trenta’ is Italian for thirty, and the new superbike marks 30 years since the Noale firm won its first road race world championship. That was the 1992 125 GP title, taken by Alessando Gramigni, who was at the Misano MotoGP launch event.
titanium for the ultimate in light weight and high strength. Dry weight is just 166kg – pretty incredible on a 230kg machine. Only 100 of the X Trentas will be made, and they cost €50,000 plus VAT Get onto the Aprilia website if you fancyTheone.other new track beastie is the 2023 Yamaha GYTR R1. It’s had all the road legal stuff ripped off, including lights, ignition, stands and road bodywork, and there’s a comprehensive track package installed in its place.
engine casing covers, brake lever guard and plain white bodywork with a GYTR race seat.
It’s similar to the R6 Race, except that the firm will keep selling a road-legal version of the R1 – for the moment. As it is, the GYTR R1 will make a great base for a club racer or serious track day rider.
(www. fastbikesmag.com) – for news as
The Trenta wears a version of the purple red and white paint scheme from 1992, which is applied to the most extreme set of bodywork on any bike you can buy today. Aprilia’s not only fitted its extravagant aerofoil wings to the front fairing, but has also added the latest aero kit out back: an ‘underwing’ spoiler on the swingarm lower, and the
At the other end of the Ducati roadster range sits this – a limited-edition Lamborghini edition of the mighty V4 S Streetfighter Both Lamborghini and Ducati are owned by the Volkswagen Audi Group of course, which explains the tie-up, first seen on last year’s Lamborghini Edition Diavel 1260.
– Facebook, Twitter,
Some of that kit is performanceoriented, like the Akrapovic decat pipe and silencer, GYTR tunable ECU, ABS emulator, Brembo Z04 race brake pads and a 520 race chain. But much of it is practical circuit fittings: a race fuel cap, shark fin sprocket guard, GB Racing
flying-V fins on the tail unit. Aprilia reckons the carbon fairing bodywork not only provides grip-boosting downforce at speed, but does so without generating excessUnderdrag.the bodywork is the usual top-drawer engine and chassis kit. The motor now makes 230bhp, up 13bhp, thanks to higher compression, a Marelli ECU, titanium race Akrapovic pipe and Sprint air filter Suspension is primo non-electronic Öhlins kit, brakes are the emperor-spec nickel-plated Brembo GP4-MS brake calipers with 330mm T-drive discs and the wheels are forged race Marchesinis But they’re exotic forged magnesium, not aluminium, putting them into the ‘lightest metal wheels around’ category. Even the rear sprocket is fancy: it’s made of
Keep an eye on our online channels and the Fast Bikes website it happens.
Yamaha has also announced a GYTR PRO race parts programme for the R1, R6, R7 and R3. It will offer more than 400 track parts for the firm’s sports bikes, including works swingarms, Öhlins suspension, large capacity fuel tanks, carbon subframes, adjustable yokes, carbon fairings, race dashboards, and much more. The GYTR PRO Shops will launch next spring.
TRACK NUT TERS ONLY!
12 NOVEMBER 2022 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM
Motorcycle Live is the biggest bike show in the country and will be your first chance to see all the new 2023 bikes
MO TORC YCLE LIVE TICK ET S GIVEAWAY
BMW, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, MV, Triumph, Suzuki and Yamaha among others will all have their latest machinery on show. You can’t miss it.
10V-SUZUKISTROM50DE
Yes – it’s that time again! The Motorcycle Live show kicks off at the NEC in Birmingham on November 19, running ‘til the 27, and we’ve got 10 pairs of tickets worth £27 each to give away.
To be in with a chance for a pair of tickets, head online to www. fastbikesmag.com where you’ll find more info
bodywork is revised, with tough styling from the 1988 DR-Z800 Dakar racer.
Offer expires 31/10/22. There are no cash alternatives available. The winners will be the first names drawn at random. Terms and conditions apply
Suzuki’s given its long-running big-bore adventure tourer a healthy upgrade for 2023, including a hardcore new dirt-focussed DE version. The V-Strom 1050 DE has long-travel suspension, a 21-inch front wheel, wire-spoked rims, standard engine crash bars and aluminium sump guard, together with a longer, stiffer swingarm. The frame is also stronger, with reinforced seat rails to cope with harsher riding conditions, and the
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The engine is largely unchanged, though it does get sodium-cooled exhaust valves – a first on a Suzuki bike.The transmission is also refined, with smoother, tougher shift components and new gear ratios.
Finally, Suzuki has uprated the electronics package with a new colour LCD dash, off-road settings on ABS and traction, and updated cruise
PL ANET FAST BIKES – NE W METAL, NEWS & REVIE WS
There’scontrol.also a new standard V-Strom 1050 for 2023 which gets most of the DE upgrades to engine, frame, and electronics, with more basic suspension, cast wheels, a 19-inch front rim and plastic sump protector.
ALL THE L AT EST, COOLEST & TRICK EST PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS SW-MOTECH PRO CIT Y WATERPROOF TANKBAG RRP: £143.99 w ww.rg-racing.com RRP: £129.99 w ww.ultimateaddons.com £190.08 (£27 for fitting ring) w ww.sw-motech.co.uk From £863 (stainless) to £1273 (black ceramic with carbon end cap) RRP: £26 w ww.louis-moto.co.uk R&G TAIL TIDY FOR TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE 1200 RR/ RS ULTIMATE ADDONS HEATED GRIPS ZA RD R7 E XH AUST GA ZZINI LED MIRRORS
phone or sat navs It’s made of laminated EVA, isn’t too big at nine litres, and uses the firm’s Pro quick-release tank ring mount system rather than magnets or straps Not cheap, but SW-Motech kit is generally built to last
settings with colour-changing LED indicators. Wiring is a simple 12v feed, and they come in two sizes to fit almost all bikes.
Tank bags are still one of the handiest ways to carry kit on a bike. And this SW-Motech adds total waterproofing (without any extra covers) to the usual recipe of handy zipped pockets, easy access, and a clear top for directions,
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an ‘astonishing’ sound, which we’re sure the noise testers will appreciate No figures on power gains as yet, but the decatted pipe will make a sound basis for a sweet stage two tune we imagine Also available with carbon end caps, and in a smart black ceramic coating.
Scottish firm Ultimate Addons, best known for its ace phone holders, is branching out, and these aftermarket heated grips are part of its new accessory range. They’re a slick design, with the control button on the left-hand grip rather than on a separate panel. They are smart, with a low-battery warning, and have five heat
The latest Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR and RS models are handsome machines –but as always, the statutory number plate bracketry on new bikes is a bit big. A tail tidy is the standard policy here, and this R&G Racing design fits the bill nicely. Available in powder-coated black or stainless steel finish, it works with the standard Triumph indicators and comes with all fittings, wiring harness, and a new LED numberplate light. A perfect little upgrade job for over the long winter nights.
A tidy little add-on for a special bike build, these Gazzini indicator mirrors have standard handlebar threaded fittings and a neat integrated LED lighting function. You can have them with turn signal units built in, or daytime riding lights like here.
Italian brand Zard produces tasty pipes that look a little different from the usual oval or round end cans, and this new fitment for Yamaha’s R7 has some slick lines. It’s a race full system, in stainless steel, with a removable baffle and saves a hefty 4kg over stock. The firm reckons it has
safety levels and premium quality
This HJC V60 looks up to the job. It’s a 1980s-style lid on top with a modern ECE22.06 approved fibreglass shell underneath, so proper
The graphic designs are all pretty neat, and you’l know if this is up your street. Sizes XS-XXL in nin different colours.
Gentleman’s Ride blowout
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Another classic bolt-on here – the carbon fibre front mudguard But this isn’t a fake fibreglass jobbie tacked onto a 1997 Bandit 600; rather, it’s a premium MotoGP-spec item from German firm Ilmberger. Made from pre-preg carbon weave and autoclaved, with a
A classic leather jacket like this is the first piece of biker kit most people used to buy. And this Dainese Mike 3 design is a stylish, timeless piece of gear
UV-resistant TUV-approved clear coat, it’s the top of the bolt-on carbonio pile. This one fits KTM’s 1290 Super Adventure, and claims to improve stone and spray protection for the radiators as well as looking super-trick. Other fitments also available.
£299.99 (graphics) £269.99 (plain) PRODUCTS ILMBERGER CA RBON MUDGUA RD FOR K TM 1290 SUPER A DV EN TURE
Worried about all this E10 fuel that’s going about? Chances are you’ll be okay; most bikes were built to cope with ethanol-enriched fuel. If you’re not sure, then a fuel treatment might help. This Cataclean product claims to clean up carbs, injectors, intake valves and more, while also improving starting and running One 250ml bottle is enough to treat any bike.
Ride a retro scrambler or roadster machine and want a suitable lid to go with it?
RRP:
There’sdesignahidden internal visor if you don’t want to use goggles and a removable peak for your annual Distinguished
DAINESE MIK E 3 JACK ET CATACLEAN FUEL TREATMENT HJC V60 HELMET RRP: £9.99 w ww.rg-racing.com RRP: £429.99 w ww.nevis.uk.com RRP: £268 ww w.performanceparts-ltd.com
It is premium stuff: top-notch Laverda cowhide outer shell with a breathable textile liner. Elbow and shoulder armour is soandprotectousualandprotectionPro-ShapeDainese’s2.0softthat’scomfylight,andthere’sthepocketforabackr.Sizes34-50anycolouryoulike,longasit’sblack.
Do you build a bike for less and make it your own or buy the exact machine you want… even if it costs a fortune?
As I write this – older, fatter, and with a meaty mortgage oating above my head – I am having to pinch myself at the situation I’m now in. For those of you who get the mag regularly (you’re awesome, thank you), you’ll have probably clocked that three years ago I bought a ‘box of bits’ Mille for £500 from my mate. With the help of my good friends Clive, Rob, and Griff at AP Workshops (plus many more good folk), we did something special
BUILD IT OR BUY IT?
ome teenage boys dream of girls, booze, and getting behind the wheel of a car… I did. But I also lusted after something most of my mates didn’t – in the form of some saucy Italian twins. To be more precise, I wanted an Aprilia RSV Mille or a Ducati
They999.were the pin-ups of my adolescence, with all the right curves in all the right places, emitting the kind of seductive sounds that made me go weak at the knees. Unfortunately, at 16 years old, an RS50 was as close I could get to these dream machines,
BUILD IT OR
but my passion for the aforementioned particulars never faded
with that Aprilia... not just resurrecting it from its destitute state, but adding a sprinkling of spice. The aim was to keep the bike’s silhouette the same but to subtly spec it up with contemporary goodness… and the way we went about it meant I never broke the bank – at least not by enough to make my wife notice. At a rough guess, I’d say about £4000 went into that pot, which is what you’d pay for a top drawer original RSV these days, albeit without all the fancy stuff on the bike we built, dubbed a Mille ‘CW’, in memory of Clive.
Life’s a funny old game, don’t you think?
S
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races and championships galore but somehow opped in the showroom
For me, the question is whether the huge investment in the Ducati is worth it or if going about building your own trick bike, such as my Aprilia, for a fraction of the cost is the better thing to do? Do you build it or do you buy it? It’s a massive question, up there alongside the best way to save the planet or how best to get red wine out of a white carpet? I don’t have the answer to the latter ones, but here’s what I reckon on the bikes…
Four grand is a substantial sum to me, but it wouldn’t even get me a tickle if I were to have lunged after the Aprilia’s counterpart – Ducati’s 999. It might not have been everyone’s cup of tea back in the day, but it’s a model that brought huge success to the brand on the track and is one of the most winning models the Bologna boys and girls ever produced. To me, it brings back fond memories of Hodgson, Toseland, Xaus, and so many others scrapping hard on the World Superbike scene, plus the likes of Lavilla and Haslam at home in BSB. That thing won
WO RD S: B RU CE PI CS : C HAPPO
Call me weird, but I’ve always considered it one of the best-looking motorcycles ever made, and I think more and more people are warming to that idea as prices are skyrocketing even for the base model machines. And if you’re inclined to purchase one of the fruitiest examples out there, the 999R, you’ll need to have about £15-20k kicking around under your mattress... or a bloody good mate who’s happy to let you keep hold of his –cheers, Al!
OR BUY IT?
DUCATI 999 VS MILLIE
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Plotting his purchase.
FEATURE
Different it might be, but it’s far from fugly
rendered a pig by many when it rst hit the scene. Taste is subjective, of course, and for as long as I have two eyes and a nose, there will be some that consider the 999 ugly, and maybe the very same people will considerer it underpowered too. As for me, I feel the opposite about both factors.
You might well be reading this and wondering why I was so excited about a bike that makes a ‘mere’ 150bhp and was
DUCATI 999R 18 NOVEMBER 2022 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM BUILD IT OR BUY IT?
sat down to take a moment, listening as I did to the click-click-click of the 999R’s cooling hot metal. Having tested bikes day in, day out for almost 20 years, you can become numb to some experiences. Some bikes just don’t stand out, warm your cockles, or make you plot what you’d have to sell on eBay to fund a new addition to your addiction… but this Ducati was different. I wanted it. I needed it. I was instantly feeling withdrawn from it, trying to gure out how a 15-year-old motorcycle could deliver the mesmerising joyride I’d just absorbed. What was meant to have been an hour-long inaugural blast had lasted for four, consuming a tank of fuel in the process and making me feel even happier than the bloke who invented beer (…and he must have been a happy chap). I was all warm inside, largely owing the immeasurable amount of heat from the underseat exhaust that’d been roasting my inner thighs like a pig on a spit roast, but also thanks to the tangible pleasure the 999R emitted. However good I’d expected it to be, the reality was several times greater.
I
Let’s start with the looks. Staring at the bike with my heart rate slowly recovering, I couldn’t help but feast on the beauty before me. What Ducati did, not long into the Noughties, was to rewrite the rule book on what a sportsbike should look like… in much the same way the 916 did a decade or so earlier. Unfortunately for the 999, it turned out that people weren’t ready for such a drastically different design, and that fact bit the bike on the botty as far as showroom sales were concerned. The machine’s at pro les and futuristic angles, with slit-trenchlike wings, was too much for some – but not me. Call me perverse (you won’t be the rst), but I’m a massive fan of its huge and unadulterated side fairings, and the stacked headlights are right up my street. As for the rear end, who doesn’t love an underseat can or a fancily uted double-sided swinger?
In the case of the R, it scores more bonus points thanks to the subtleness of its sexiness. Underneath the characteristic Ducati red paint is pure carbon bre bodywork, but you wouldn’t know that from a distance – the only giveaway are the unpainted areas that double up as the bike’s graphics, showing the carbon weave in all its glory. Maybe they should have made more of a fuss about it, but perhaps they didn’t need
The Marmite of motorcycles.
process. The suspension is no less of a headline act, sporting trick Öhlins front and rear, and then you’ve got the Termi system on this thing that’s assured to win your neighbours over when you start the bike at the crack of dawn. You’ll probably not see the adjustable headstock, but it’s there, as are the two position footplate hanger mounts that allow you to raise or lower the pegs according to your lankiness. The carbon
NOVEMBER 2022 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 19 DUCATI 999R
Shredding sliders
to? The presence of the Corse logo on the front mudguard is statement enough, and if you scan your eyes a little more you’ll soon pick up the hallmarks of a machine that won three world titles. It’s dripping in the good stuff, with radial monobloc Brembos and an accompanying Brembo radial mastercylinder to ensure there’s no hold-up in the stopping
He likes to get his womoney’srth...
For the same amount of wedge you could become the proud owner of a brand new
bars isn’t awkward in the slightest, though you might want to think again if you’re more than 6ft tall, as the pegs do encourage a bit of contortion of your legs – god only knows how Xaus hacked it.
It was easy for me to overlook the pricing and ownership costs of this bike because it is not mine – it belongs to my good mate Alan. He kindly wheeled it my way and told me to go and enjoy it, which is exactly what I’ve been doing all summer long. While the aforementioned rst ride was very special, the multitude of unprovoked outings since have only strengthened my love of this beauty. Perhaps the best thing about it is the handling, but let me talk you through the ergonomics rst. To sit on, the Ducati feels long and low, with the rider nestled nicely behind the stunningly sculpted tank. It feels ridiculously narrow between the knees, and the reach to the
TECH DATA Ducati 999R (2003-2006) ENGINE Type: 999cc, liquid-cooled, 8v, desmo V-twin Bore x stroke: 104 x 58.5mm Compression: 12.3:1 Fuelling: Electronic fuel injection Claimed Power: 139bhp @ 10,000rpm (2005: 150bhp @ 9750rpm) Claimed Torque: 112Nm @ 8000rpm (2005: 116.7Nm @ 8000rpm) CHASSIS Frame: Steel trellis F Suspension: 43mm Öhlins forks, fully adjustable R suspension: Öhlins monoshock, fully adjustable Front brakes: Four-piston Brembo radial calipers, 320mm discs Rear brake: Two-piston Brembo caliper, 240mm disc DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 1420mm Seat Height: 780mm Dry Weight: 181kg (claimed) Fuel Capacity: 15.5 litres BUILD IT OR BUY IT? 20 NOVEMBER 2022 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM
Of course, all of this glitz came at a price, with the model hitting the scene at an eye-watering £20,000 when new – a good average for what you’d need to fork out to own one now. Get lucky and you might be closer to £15,000, but for a version like this one, that’s absolutely mint and has only 2500 miles on the clock, you’ll probably be looking closer to £25,000. Bottom line – it ain’t cheap!
FEATURE
Fireblade RR-R SP, S1000RR M-Sport or Aprilia RSV4 Factory. Bikes that are so much more powerful and technologically advanced, and don’t require a new timing belt every two years – whether you ride it or not. Buyer beware: there’s a lot more to this machine than meets the eye, but that’s also a huge part of its charm.
All is forgiven the minute you get moving. The L-twin pulls potently from the bottom, propelling you forward with the kind of urgency that’d leave some modern sportsbike in tears. It might not make 200bhp up top but it can hold its own setting off from the traf c lights. The spread of power is quite linear and the fuelling is more than ne, never feeling at or uttery. Simply twist the throttle and it goes like you’d hope it would, and best of all is the fact it doesn’t hunt like newer twins or V4s do when you’re crusing through town at 30mph. In truth, on dry roads, it has a very manageable amount of oomph – exciting to experience, but not exactly ripping your arms from their sockets The higher up the revs you go, the less enthusiastic the motor feels, with peak power being achieved just below 10,000rpm. You don’t need to rev the nuts off this thing to
It tootles around town.
hugger is simply nice, and the same goes for the magnesium front sub-frame that harbours the basic half analogue/half digital Magneti Marelli stacked clocks. And then you’ve got the STM dry clutch that’s hidden away behind even more carbon bre… or at least until you start the motor and its jangling demeanour makes it impossible to ignore. You get the point, this motorcycle is not lacking in bling, and I’ve not even started on the engine’s internals that includes titanium valves and conrods