Fast Bikes Magazine - October issue, 20 PAGE FREE PREVIEW!

THEKNOWLEDGE

UsedBikeGuide..............................54

Whocouldforgetthefirsteverversionof Yamaha’sbrilliantR1?Notus.Ifyouneeda refresherofwhatthey’reallabout,checkout ourbuyer’sguide.

TESTS

UltimateSportsBike2023..............18

It’sourbiggest,mostpowerfulandsauciest testoftheyear.Ontrackandontheroads withthreesuper-trickhomologationspecials. Redrocket.......................................66

It’snearly20yearssinceDucatilaunchedthe awesome749R.Here’sTimmy’stake.

COLUMNISTS

TimNeave.......................................94 Tim’sracingretirementdidn’tlastlong, havingputinacrackingperformanceat Thruxton.

ChristianIddon...............................96 Iddon’sbeenclockingthepointsandtasting thepodiumjuice.

SteveParrish...................................98 PrepareyourselfformoretalesfromParrish.

FEATURES

BMWMotorraddays.......................60 Ifyou’reafanofBMWs,beerandburn-outs, chancesareyou’lllovetheGermanbrand’s annualextravaganza.

Termers...........................................74 LifebehindthebarsofourDucatiPanigale SP2,KawasakiZH2SEandBMWS1000RR.

Alternatively, scantheQR codeonthis pageandorder yournextcopy today.Wewillsend itdirectlytoyou!

Man-oh-man!

I’vebeentotheIsleofMannumerous times,typicallyfortheTT.Ilovethe place,notjustbecauseofthebikes andtheracing,butbecauseofthe changeofpace,thepeople,andstunning scenerythatlitterseveryinchofthe island.Ifyou’veneverbeen,makesureto getitonyourbucketlist.Thereisnoplace intheworldquitelikeit,asI’vejustbeen remindedafterarecentvisitforthis month’scovertest.Whenwewere planningourantics,decidingonhowand wherewecouldputsomeoftheworld’s mostspecialsportsbikesthroughtheir paces,atriptothehomeoftheTTfeltlike thenaturalchoice–andI’msogladwe madeithappen.

Inafewpages’time,you’llgetagrasp ofhowthisyear’sUltimateSportsBike

testpannedout,butwhatIwanttohark onabouthereisthemagicofthe Mountain.Thereisnomorefamousa stretchofroadthantheslitheroftarmac thatcarvesitswayfromRamsayHairpin toCregg-Ny-Baa.It’siconic,challenging, relentlesslyflowingand…unrestricted. EvenasIwritethis,I’mstillperplexedand appreciativeofthisunconventionalfactor. Seeing163mphonmybike’sdash,on publicroads,knowingIwasn’tsetfora stintinprisonwilllivewithmeforever.

And,truthfullyspeaking,overour three-dayvisit,thatkindofspeedwasa regularoccurrenceformeandTimmy, beingtowedalongbymyoldmateandTT racerJoeAkroyd.Itwasbeyondspecial, exhilaratingandterrifying–allatthe sametime.Thelevelofconcentration

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requiredwassomethingelse,especially becauseIdidn’treallyknowwhichway theroadswent,orhowthebikesreacted underthecambers,bumpsand undulationsoftheroad,whichwereall ever-changing.HowthelikesofHickyand co.makeitlooksoeasyissomethingelse, andthoughIdidn’tthinkmylevelof respectforthosewhotackletheTTor Manxcouldbeanyhigher,it’ssomehow beenenhancedtoagodlydegree.And thesamegoesformyloveoftheisland anditsinhabitants,whowerebeyond accommodatingonourvisit.Wereallydid hitthejackpot.

Asfarasspecialtestsgo, thisonewilltakesome beating.

Enjoythemag,

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BOSSY MAN

‘Dangerous’BruceWilson bwilson@mortons.co.uk

FAST MAN TimNeave tneave@mortons.co.uk

MONEY MAN

Charlie‘TheSheriff’Oakman coakman@fastbikes.co.uk

OLD MAN JohnMcAvoy gramps@fastbikes.co.uk

BSB SUPERSTAR ChristianIddon ...andBritain’sbestbuilder

RACERTRAINER BradHowell …andproperfoodand fitnessguru

Seepage8forthebestdeals, orvisitclassicmagazines.co.uk/ subscription/FB/fast-bikes

SEASONED SCRIBE AlanDowds

...andepicwheeliepuller

RACING PUNDIT SteveParrish ...andproatpranks

SUPERSTOCK CHAMP

TomNeave ...andcombineking

LEGAL LORE GavinGrewal ...andhardcoreoff-roader

Somethingsarebetterleftbehind…but FastBikes isn’toneofthem...trust us.Forastart,we’dmissyou,butit’dalsomeanyou’dmissoutonawhole loadofnews,reviews,tech,talksandinsightintopioneeringprotagonists. Justthinkabouttheroadtrips,theprojectbikebuilds–andalltheexcuses wethrowinwiththem.Wewantyouonthisride,andwewantyourstories, yourinputandguidance,sodon’tbeastranger!Checkoutthecrackingdeals we’vegothereandlet’sgetyousettledintoanotherseasonofthegoodstuff fromtheUK’sleadingsportsbikemagazine.

BRUCEWILSON,EDITOR

YAMAHA25TH ANNIVERSARYGYTR PROR1

Wild£138k WSBK-spec anniversary editionR1 –butit’s track-only

Isitreally25yearssincethe YamahaR1rockedourworld?It shurelyis.AndwhileYamahaasa wholehasbeenalittlebitslackon thecelebrationsfront,itsGYTR (GenuineYamahaTechnology Racing)factoryracetuningarmhas beenbeaveringawayonthissaucy pieceofnonsense.TheGYTRPRO 25thAnniversaryR1isapparently asclosetoaWSBKorWECmachine asyoucangetwithoutrunninga worldchampionshipraceteam

–andithasapricetagtomatch. It’sbuiltbythefactory’sownrace technicians,withengineand chassispartsfilchedfromtheworld raceprogramme,andwillsetyou backastunning£138,000including VAT.That’senoughtogetyoufive brandnewR1Msuperbikes,with changeleftoverfortrackdaysand tyresfortheyear…

Thespecisprettyamazing:full WSBKbuiltmotorwithmorethan 230bhp,MagnetiMarelliraceengine

management,factoryswingarm, ÖhlinsraceFGRforksandTTX shock,BremboGP4brakesandfull Akrapovicracepipe.Ofcourse,it’sa trackonlybike–thoughwe’dloveto seeonebangingalongtheA272on atradeplate.Theclosestparallelwe canthinkofistheBMWHP4Race –alsoabarelydisguisedWSBK/WEC bikefestoonedincarbon,andalso notroadlegal.

TheGYTRPRO25thAnniversary R1isalimitededitionrun,withjust

25bikesbeingmade.Eachonewill bebuiltatthecustomer’schoiceof YamahafactoryGYTRraceshop, andthrowninwiththepurchase priceisafulldayofbikesetupon trackwithateamofdedicated Yamaharacetechs.They’re currentlyallgone–whatcostof livingcrisis?–butyoucanstillstick yournamedownonthereserve list.Moredetails:https://europe. yamaha-motor.eu/specialunits/ reservation/r1-gytr/en

2023GOODWOOD FESTIVALOFSPEED

WewereattheGoodwoodFestivalofSpeedlast month,dodgingtherainandthehurricanewinds totazzupthehillonacoupleofsweetsweet rides.BrucegracedtheBMWM1000RRwithhis presence,whileDowdssnatchedaspinonthe Moto2ReplicaTriumph765StreetTriple.

YamahawasalsotherewithitsDB40concept bike,whichwefirstsawattheBikeShedshow inLondonearlierthissummer,andlookstobe

DUCATI30TH ANNIVERSARY MONSTER

Ofcourse,ifyou’reasoldasus,1993stillfeels likeabout15yearsago.Realityhoweverinsists thatitisinfactdoublethat–whichiswhyDucati hasdroppedthis,the30thanniversaryeditionof theDucatiMonster.Backin1993Ducatiwasa nichesportsbikemakerandfinancialbasket case,ratherthanthesaucybikebehemothitis now–butitwasabouttoreleaseacrucialpart ofitsjourneyoutoftheabyss.Argentiniandesign guruMiguelAngelGalluzziconvertedaseriesof sparepartsfromtheDucatiwarehouseintoa slick,capablenakedroadster,theMonster900, whichwouldsellbythetruckloadandspawna wholeseriesofmachines,fromnovice600twins tofire-breathingsuperbike-engined1200s.

Inrecentyears,theMonsterhasbeenusurped attheentrylevelbytheScrambler800models, andatthetopendbytheStreetfighterV2andV4 models.ButDucatistillowesitamassivedebt, andhaskeptitonasaclassyuppermiddleweightnakedroadsterforthe cognoscenti.Nowpoweredbythe110bhp Testastretta11°937ccmotoralsoseenonthe DesertX,Hypermotard,Supersport950and MultistradaV2,there’sabasemodelandanSP withÖhlinsshock.Andnowwehavea limited-edition30thanniversaryspecial,which addsanOhlinsNIX30frontforkandsteering dampertothemix,togetherwithsome lightweightforgedaluminiumwheelsanda lithiumbattery.AddinsomeBremboStylema

setforproductionrealitysoon.TheDB40stands for‘Deltabox40’sinceitmarksfourdecadesof YamahaDeltaboxbeamframes–thefirstofthe then-newchassisdesignappearedonaYZR500 GPbikein1982,beforemakinganappearance ontheTZR250andFZR1000RGenesisroadbikes. Genuine500GPandBSBlegendNiallMackenzie wasthemanwhizzingupthelegendaryhillclimb courseonthecuriously-styledmachine.

TheDB40usestheenginefromtheMT-09–so puttingtwoandtwotogethersuggestswemight soonbeseeingtwonewmodelsfromYamaha: thelong-awaitedR9sportsbikepoweredbythe 890ccCP3engine,andaretro-stylefaired sportsterwiththeDB40’slines,totakethe XSR900lineintothe1980swithasetofperiod bodyworkinplace.Watchthisspaceformoreas wegetit.

calipersandlightweightalloyfrontbrakedisc carriers,andyouhavethelightestMonster around,tippingthescalesat164kgdry,4kgless thanstock.It’spricedaswellasyoucanexpect thesedays:£16,095,andisinshopsnow.

KAWASAKISUPERTEENSERIES

It’sfairtosaythatKawasaki’sforthcomingZX-4RR inline-fourmini-superbikehascaughttheimagination ofUKriders–we’venotheardsuchexcitementover asmall-capacitymachineinyears.AndTeamGreenis makingthemostofit,withanall-newSuperteen one-makeBSBsupportraceseriesin2024.Theseries willbeopentoridersagedbetween15and20, runningacrosseightdouble-headerroundsincluding aWSBKsupportrace.Thewinnerwillgetabrandnew KawasakiZX-6Rroadbike(thoughtheywon’tbeable torideitontheirlicencelolz).

MSSPerformancewillbuildthetrack-prepped bikes,andtheracepackagepricesstartatatasty £12,000plusthevodkaandtonic.Thebikeswere shownoffatBrandsHatchandThruxtonBSBrounds, withLeeJacksonthrappingthelittlebuzzbombaround Thurxton.Theyacuallylookpropernaughty,witha neatSpark.itracepipe,K-Techsuspension,Pirelli SupercorsatyresandGBRacingcrashprotection.

RossBurridge,headofmarketing&racing atKawasakiUKsaid,“Assoonaswesaw thismodelontheproductionplan,weknew itwasdestinedfortheracetrack.Tohave theBSBChampionshippromoterMSVRon boardandenablingustohaveaclass entirelydevotedtothisbikeisfantastic. Weareexcitedtobeabletooffera competitivelypricedandexcitingrace packagetoyoungriderslookingto developtheirracingcareers.TheTeam Greenethoshasalwaysbeenabout supportingyoungtalentandoffering opportunitiesontrack,sowecannot waittotakethisonestepfurtherwith thisnewclassin2024.”

NORTONDEALER ANDTESTRIDES

Norton’ssignedupanotherdealer:Williams AutomobilesnearBristolisaddingthechi-chi luxurybikerangetoitsnichecarofferings:Lotus, MorganandLotus.Meanwhile,theBirmingham bikemakerisrampingupitsdemoride programme,withaCommando961riding roadshowthroughoutAugustandmoredatesto come.Moreinfo:https://nortonmotorcycles. com/test-ride-roadshow/

TRIUMPHEXTENDSMOTO2DEAL

Westillrememberhowstunned wewerewhenweheardthat Triumphwastakingoverthe Moto2enginesupplycontract backin2017.Butit’sworkedlike acharmsince2019,andnow Dornahasannouncedafive-year extensiontothedeal,takingthe Hinckleycontractupto2029.

Triumphwillalsodevelopanew racegearboxdesign,with improvedshifting,forthe2024 season.

SteveSargent,chiefproduct officeratTriumph,said:“Moto2

continuestobeanexcellent platformtoshowcasethe performanceandcapabilityof our765tripleengines.Overthe lastfiveyears,we’veusedthe raceengineprogrammetodrive enhancementstothe765 engineandgaininsightsand learningsthatwe’veusedto furtherdevelopandevolveour StreetTriplerange.Our reputationforbulletproof durability,reliabilityand class-leadingperformancehas grown,which,inturn,drivesour globalsales.Thenewrace gearboxwillmakeabig differencetotheresultsthat riderscanachieveontrackin Moto2,andinadvanceofthis, ourengineeringteamis alreadytestingand developing

improvementsingearselection, testingpartsafteruseinthis year’sMoto2TMrounds.”

CarlosEzpeleta,DornaSports chiefsportingofficer,added:“Our firstfiveyearsworkingwith Triumphareprovingtobeareal success,withgreatracing,riders achievingnewMoto2records acrosstheboard,andimpressive reliabilityfromtheoff.

“Wewantedthiscollaboration tohelpdefinethatstepbetween Moto3andtheMotoGPclass, andIthinkTriumphhasachieved justthat.

“Wearereallyhappywiththe waythepartnershipisevolving aswell,withmoreinnovation anddevelopmentstilltocome, andwearelookingforwardto fivemoreexcitingyears together.”

TRIUMPH EDINBURGH

TheHinckleymassivehasextendeditsremit northoftheborderwithacompletely revampedsolusdealershipinthecapitalof Scotland.TriumphEdinburgh,onPfeffermill Road,boastsanewworkshopspaceandthe classyblackTriumphcorporateidentityout front,complementingtherecently reopenedTriumphGlasgowoutfit attheotherendoftheM8. edinburghtriumph.co.uk

TRIUMPHTIGER900 ARAGONEDITIONS

Winningatop-classrally eventisabigdeal... winningona200kgroad bikeisdoublyimpressive.

Triumphismarkinglast year’sBajaAragonRally winbyfactoryriderIvan Cervanteswithabraceof specialeditionmachines.

TheAragonversionsof theTiger900Rallyandthe Tiger900GTmodelsall comewithspecialpaint schemesanduniqueseat designs,andareanice upgradeonthealready

excellentTiger900range. Availablenow,pricedat £13,695forthe Tiger900GTAragonand £13,995fortheTiger900 RallyAragon.Moreinfo: www.triumphmotorcycles. com

ALLTHE L AT ES T, COOL ES T&TRICK ES TPERFORMANC EPRODUCTS

LS2 VECTORII CARBON HELMET

ChinesebrandLS2 hasdevelopeda strongreputationfor solidkitatgood pricesandthenew VectorIIhelmet expandsthatremit, witha100%full carbonoutershell.

It’sapremium full-faceroadand tracklid,pennedby thefirm’sBarcelona designoffice,with plentyofhigh-end features.TheECE22.06lidhasquick-releasevisorwithtear-offand Pinlockfittings,seatbelt-stylesteelbucklefastening,removable washableliner,flip-downsun visor,emergencyreleasesystem andextensiveventingchannels. It’slight,atjust1350g,andcomes insixoutershellsizesforoptimal fitting,weightanddimensions. Availableinplaincarbonorfive graphicoptions,itcomeswitha premiumstoragebag,Pinlock insertandanair-cushionedstand foreasiermaintenanceand cleaning.

RRP:£259.99(carbon) £289.99(graphics) www.ls2helmets.com

SHARK EVOGTN-COMLID

ALPINESTARS CALIBERWOMEN’S TECHRIDINGPANTS

Nattycombat-styleridingtrousers withcargo-stylepocketsonthe thighs,angledforbetteraccesson thebike.They’remadefrom high-gradesingle-layerCordura denimmaterialforouterabrasion protection,withAlpinestarsNucleon FlexPlusCEleveloneprotectionon kneesandhips.Therearealso pocketsforoptionalBioflexhip protectorsforevenmoreprotection, atthecostofsomeextrabulk. They’vegotaslimfitandtapered shape,andcomeinboththese women’sandmen’sfitments,inblack orbeige.

RRP£225 www.alpinestars.com

Moreandmorebikesnowhaveon-boardBluetoothconnectionstohelpwithnavigation, media,andphonefunctions,butthey’renotmuchusewithoutaproperhelmetheadset. Thereareloadsofadd-onunitsthatworkwellenough,butthisSharkEvoGTN-Com comeswiththeintercomalreadyinstalled.ItusesaB802unit,fromShark’ssisterfirm N-Com,andit’snicelyintegratedintothelidratherthanbeingattachedviabolted clampsoradhesives.Speakersandmicrophoneareallneatlyfitted,andit’sasimple plug-and-playset-up.ItchargesviaUSB-Candusesabespokesmartphoneapp.The helmetisaversionofShark’sexcellentEvoGTflip-frontroadhelmet,whichweuseas oureverydayridinglid.It’sgotflip-downinternalsunvisor,ECE22.06approval,QRvisor, Pinlockfitment,washableliner,compositeshell,andseatbeltstrapfastening.

RRP:£520 shark-helmets.com/en_GB/

SW-MOTECH TRANSALP PROTECTIONKIT

GermanfirmSW-Motechspecialisesin luggage,butitalsoproducessomevery decentbolt-onprotectionparts,including theseenginecrashbarsandsumpguardfor thenewHondaTransalp750.Thebarsare madefromblackpowder-coatedsteeland helpprotecttheengineaswellasthefragile topfairingandradiatorparts.Thelowersump guardismadefrom4mmaluminium,andit comesinblackorsilverfinish.Bothfitto existingmountpointswithoutanymods.

RRP:£212.51(crashbars),£249.48(sumpguard)

VISIN HEATEDVISOR INSERT

There’snothingworsethantryingtoridewitha misted-upvisor.It’sgenerallyduringtheworst weatherconditions,withrain,sleet,wind,dirtall blastingatyou,andyoucan’tdecidewhetherto openthevisorandgetshot-blastedeyesorclose thevisorandrideblind.Pinlockinsertsdoa grandjob,butthere’snothingtobeataheated demistingsystemlikeonacarwindscreen.Enter thisnewVISINheatedvisorinsert,developedby MidlandsfirmDiamondCoatings.Ituses advancedtechnologytoproduceaconductive transparentlayeronastick-onvisorinsert.A smallbatterypacksuppliesenoughchargetorun foreighthours,keepingthevisorclearfrom misting.It’sauniversalfitment,andsuitsmost helmets.

RRP:£180www.heatedvisor.co.uk

GB RACING STREETFIGHTERV2 ENGINEPROTECTION

Ducati’sStreetfighterV2hasoneofthe firm’slesscommonmotors:the955cc V-twinalsousedonthePanigaleV2,andit’s quitedifferentfromthe937ccmidrange engineusedonthefirm’sotherV-twin models.Soitneedsitsownsetofengine protectors,andBritishfirmGBRacinghas releasedanewkit.Therearetwocoversfor thealternatorandclutchcover,andthey comeseparatelyorasakit.Idealforextra droporcrashprotection,essentialfortrack use,andtheyalsoaddsomeracechic thankstoFIMandBSBapproval.

RRP:£99(alternator),£94(clutch), £183(set) www.gbracing.eu

RST BOOTS–TRACTECHEVOIII–DAZZLEYELLOW

Anicely-pricedtrackandroad

BritishkitfirmRST,theTracTec isCEcertifiedtolevel2/2/2/1, highestlevelsofprotection.Th mouldedTPUheeloutershell armourasstandard,withoute replaceabletoesliders,zipan

VULCANET CLEANING WIPES

Thesenewwaterlesscleaning wipesfromVulcanetaimto makeaquickbikecleanup easier.Thetexturedwipesare impregnatedwithaspecial cleaningsolutionthatclaimsto liftdirtoffyourbikeandadda lubricatingsealantthatprevents scratching.Onceyou’veused thewipe,aquickbuffwiththe suppliedM420microfibrecloth finishesoffthejob,sealinginthecleaning solutiononthesurface.

RRP:£36.99www.nevis.uk.com

OXFORD COURIERHEATED GRIPS

Ifyourbikedoesn’tcomewithhotgrips,it’sthe firstthingyoushouldfitforall-yearriding.Oxford Productsmakessomeofthebestoptions,and it’sreleasedthesenew‘Courier’grips.They featureanextra-hard-wearingrubber constructionforregularhigh-mileageridersand

i

cro br is finished of sharp high-v styling and R logos They’re vented with a breathable inner membrane for s waterproof ve

oot from Evo III boot ne of the y feature a nd TPU shin hinge section, Velcro fastening material outer th some ellow

mmeruse–butthere’salsoa sionavailableforanextratenner.

RRP:£139.99 www.rst-moto.com

anaturalfinishorcarbon-lookblack‘poppy’finish, there’sadecentweightsaving(nearly2kgonBMW R1250fittings),andGPRproducesade-catpipeoption forsomemodelstoo.MadeinItalyandavailablefor morethan50bikefittings,includingtheBMWR1250 GS/R/RSK1300,andF850models,aswellasHonda’s AfricaTwinandmanymore.

RRP:£460(stainless)£512(titanium) www.gpr-motorcycle-exhausts.co.uk

HOMOLO 2023

Sportsbikes…they’rebloody awesome.Theyalwayshavebeen, andforus,theyalwayswillbe. Whilewecanappreciateallkindsofbikeson thismag,there’saspecialalluretomachines thatarebuilt rstandforemosttogoreally fast,tohandlelikenothingelse,andstiryour emotionsinawaythatsimplycan’tbe mirroredbyanyothersector.Theotherthing welikeaboutthesetypesofmachinesare theirrichseamsofinnovation,technology, andthinkingoutsideofthebox.Ifyou’ve

everbeenupclosetoaMotoGPmachine, you’llknowexactlywhatI’monabout–everyinchisheaven-sent,purposeful,and oftenbuiltofmaterialssopreciousthatthey canmaketheCrownJewelslookdullerthan dishwater.Impressivedoesn’tcutit,andthe greatthingisthatinthesameveinasyour parentshandingdownyoursibling’s nest knitwear,allthetech,specandmind-blowing performancehasahabitoftricklingitsway ontothestreetbikesyouandIcanscoopup downthelocaldealership.Ofcourse,some modelsaremorelovedthanothers,meaning

theygettheverybestofthebits…thecarbon bre,aeroandpreciousmetalsthatallow enginestoreachunholyamountsofrevs. There’snothingnewaboutthisformat,and indaysofold,thesekindofmodelswould havelikelybeenstampedwiththe ‘homologationspecial’mantle,hammering hometotheworldthatbehindtheirfancy paintjobsandhikedupprices,you’d nd somethingratherrelishable.Thekindof bikesthatwereproducedinlimitedruns, withthesoleintentionofgiving manufacturersthatedgeontrackagainstthe

WORDS:BRUCEPICS:CHIPPYWOOD

OGATION

bestofthecompetition.Ofcourse,then there’sthekudosattachedtobuilding somethingtrulyunique,whichneverseems todoanyharminmotorcycleshowrooms. Overtheyears,andevenmoresorecently, wehavebecomeaccustomedtothe announcementsofsuper-tricksportsbikes thatseemtoselloutonlineinminutes, monthsbeforeanyonegetstoseethe machineinthe esh.

Whiletherearethosewhoarguethat sportsbikeshavehadtheirday,thattheir levelsofperformancearewaytoomuch,and

thatsuchmotorcyclesaresimplynot ‘practical’,wecompletelydisagree…andso todothoseaforementioned‘ ashsales’.Too muchisneverenough,assomeoneonce said,andespeciallysointhisworldoftwo wheels.Wewantourbikesfaster,smarter, lither,andsexier,drippingfromheadtotoe inthemostaudaciousoffeatures,imitating thebikesweseeontheteleboxandmaking usfeelevenanounceasspecialasthe brilliancewearesittingon.Andtocelebrate

someofthebestinthebiz,wethoughtthere wasnobettertimethannowtobring togetherthreeofthemostsophisticatedand exoticmodelsof2023...livewiththemon theroadandtracktogetasemblanceof whatthey’reallabout,whatmakesthem tick,andwhyweshouldwanttheminour lives.Let’smeetthecontestants…

THE PLAN...

WORDS:BRUCE

Atthispoint,it’sprobablyprudentto introducethistest’sprotagonists andexplainabitaboutthem.In alphabeticalorder,we’vegotBMW’sM1000 RR,anewfaceandnewstandardinaero. BMWclaimstohavemadethisM-spec missile5mphfasterthroughaerodynamics alone,whileintegratingimproveddownforce andcoolerbrakingthroughothercarbon additions.Itisafeatofengineeringand perhapsevenasignofthingstocome,as manufacturerslooktoareasoutsideofthe enginetomaketheirbikesfaster.

NextupistheDucatiV4R.Incomplete contrast,thefocusofthisbikeisitsengine. TheV4motorwasceremoniouslyhanded downfromthebrand’sMotoGPeffortsback in2017andeversincethedesignhasbeen betteredandbolsteredtotheextentthatthe Italian rmclaims,withtherightoiland exhaustsystemonit,it’llproduceamindblowing204bhp.

Lastly,there’stheHondaFirebladeRR-RSP. Thisbike’sbeenonthescenesince2020and we’restilllookingto ndabetter-handling litrebike.Thesecrettoitsloveablelitheness isitsframeandgeometry,bothofwhich startedlifeonHonda’sRCV,beforebeing passeddowntothestreetmachine.

Specialitmostcertainlyis,asareallthese bikes.Buthowexactlydoyougoabout testingthreesuper-special,super-fast specimensinawaythat’lldothemjustice andshowcasetheirdeepestsensations?We askedourselvesthatquestionseveraltimes overmanyapint,naturallycomingtorealise thatatracktestwasverymuchinorder,and thattheutterawesomenessofDonington’s owingdisposition,backedupbyitsfast straightsandhardbrakingzones,wouldbe thebestplace.Jobdone?Well,no.Farfrom it.Thetrackwouldsurelyshowusagreat dealaboutthesemachines,butatriptothe IsleofManseemedaboutasbe ttingasa fry-upisafterabignightout…ithadtobe done.Whereelseonearthcanyoupullthe pinontheroadanddiscoverhowtheyhandle theoddpothole,draincoverandspeed-limitlessmountaincourse?Yep,theTTwasa naturalmagnetforourtrioandweneededno encouragement.Itwouldbetheperfect playpentoassessthesethreemechanical masterpieces,givingusasolidideaofwhat someofthefanciestproduction endsonthe marketareliketolivewith,scratchingdeep belowtheirsurfacestoupturnthegood,the bad,andthequizzicalidiosyncrasiesofour offerings.Or,toputitanotherway,toseejust howepictheytrulyare.So,thatwasthe agenda–andthisishowitpannedout…