PREVIEW! Fast Bikes January 2023 issue

It’sbeenonehellofayear,butonethat’sslippedthrough myfingersfasterthanasuperpolelap…onfast-forward. TheolderIget,themoreIwonderwherethetimegoes,but it’snow,duringthebuild-uptoChristmas,thatI’vefinallygotthe chancetokickbackandtakeeverythingintoaccount.Thebikes, theplaces,theroutes,thepeople...Idon’tthinkIcouldhave crammedinmuchmoreifI’dtried,andIhopeyoucansaythe same.Asfarashighlightsgo,ridingBautista’sworld championship-winningDucatiV4Risrightupthere,alongwith tacklingtheGSTrophy,plusclockingsomeveryspecialmileson myApriliaRSVMilleprojectbikethatevenIdoubtedwouldever makeitoverthefinishline.Inallhonesty,thehighlightsareso numerousthatit’shardtothinkthemallthroughinthismoment, butneedlesstosayit’sbeenablast.Generallyspeaking,riding bikesisawesome,regardlessofwhereyouareorwhoyou’re with,soit’shardtonothavemadesomanygreatmemories. Johnny,TimandIhavehadsomeproperlaughsthisyear,which iswhatit’sallabout,whiledoingourbesttoputaworthymag togetherforyou.Ihopewe’vekeptyouentertained,informed, andhungryformore–becausenextyearpromisestobe

anotherbelter.We’vegotaprettygoodgraspofwhatnewmetal isheadingourway,withplentyofexcitementonthecards,and we’vealsobeenrunningthroughsomemust-doanticsfor2023.

It’satthispointthatIwanttogiveabigthankstoyou.The onlyreasoncanabletoplanoutwhatwe’reuptonextis becauseyou’vekeptusinapositiontodoso.Cheesyasit sounds,wewouldn’tbeherewithoutyou,andwearewell awareofthat–sotrustmewhenIsaywe’llbesinkingafew pintsinyourhonourinappreciationthisCrimbo.Andonthat note,allthat’slefttosayisIhopeyouandyourshavean absolutelybrillianttimeoverthefestive seasonandthat2023bringsyoualllaughs,

THE ITALIAN COLLECTION

It’slikeChristmashascome earlyinherethesepastfew weeks,whatwithallthesweet newbikesdropping.TheMilan Showwasthefirstproperone post-Covid,anditdidn’t disappoint,withplentyof hotfreshmachinery appearingthroughoutthe launchseason.Here’sour pickofthecrop,starting withthosecrazyItalians…

V4VICTORY

It’stakenafewyears,butDucatihas finallyfittedallitshigh-endmachinery withV4engines,withthemental Diavelmega-cruisergettinga Multistrada-basedfour-cylindermotor toreplacetheold1260V-twin.Addin somedetailtweakstothe StreetfighterswithanewSP2variant andanupdatedPanigaleV4Rwith 240.5bhp(don’tforgetthe0.5),andall youDucatistiaretrulyspoiltthisyear…

V4DIAVEL

StartingwiththatDiavel,it’slongbeenthe cruiserthatit’scooltolove.Proper superbike-specrunninggearandan explosive162bhpmotor,plusalongand lowchassis,meantitcouldblowmost stuffawayfromthelights–yethaddecent groundclearanceandwentroundcorners, too.Thenewbikeisnow13kgxlighter thanbeforeandhasastonking168bhp V-fourGranturismoengine.It’sactually deadsensible,withmassive40kvalve

checkintervalsandsmartcylinder deactivation;itshutsoffthebackpair whenidlingandunderlightloadsto reduceheattotheriderandcutemissions.

We’renotbotheredaboutthat,of course–wecan’twaitfortheinsane acceleration,that240-sectionrearPirelli, BremboStylemabrakes,NASA-specrider aidspackageandthenaughtyfour-exit silencerdesign.Thepriceforallthis nonsense?From£23,595.

SCRAMBLERSEGGEDON

FromtheoutrageousnessofDucati’sV-four firebreatherstothemuchcuddlierendofthe marketnow,andthefirm’sentry-levelScrambler range.Thebase803ccDesmodueenginehas beenoverhauled,withanewride-by-wire throttleandmorecompactsidecovers,plusa newclutch.Thatallsaves2.5kgofmass,andthe newfuelinjectionmakesthingsliketraction controlandanup/downquickshiftereasierto

implement.Thechassishasanewlighterframe, savinganother1.5kg,andrelocatestherear monoshocktoamorecentralposition,witha newswingarmdesign,too.Powerisabout73bhp forthe170kgdrymass.

Equipmentlevelsareraised,dependingonthe model,withanewcolourdash,LEDlights,USB sockets,quickshifterandBluetoothphonelinkall available.Pricesfrom£9995.

ITALJET500DRAGSTER

Theysaythatnostalgia’snotasgoodasit usedtobe–butwedisagree.Theoriginal ItaljetDragsterscooterwasa180cc two-strokeurbanstrikeweaponwithmad skeletonisedstyling.Thisnew500version lookstocarrythaton,witha500ccsingle motormaking43bhp,Brembobrakes, aerodynamicwingsandUSDforks.Justa conceptatthemoment,butitlooksgreat.

PLANET

DUCATIPANIGALEV4R

Inourdarkmoments,wewonderifwe’ve alreadyseenthebestofpetrol-poweredbike engines.Withengineersanddesignerssettoturn theirattentionfullytobatteriesandelectric motorsinfiveorsixyears’time,havethey alreadygivenuponthepowerplantswealllove? Onthefaceofit,thenewPanigaleV4Rsuggests not:theheadlinepeakpowerfigureisafrankly jaw-dropping240.5bhp,upfromthe231bhp claimedlastyear(bothwiththeoptionalDucati Performanceraceexhaustsystemfitted).But 3.5bhpofthatnewfigurecomesfromtheuseof auniquenewraceoildevelopedbyShellwith Ducati,whichcutsfrictionby10%andaddsthe lastgobbetsofgrunttothefinaloutput.

Themainenginemodsbehindthepower boostareatthetopend:5mmshorterintake trumpets,moreaggressivecams,andnew two-ringforgedracepistons,whichare5glighter each,andhaveaDLCdiamond-likecarbon coatingontheskirtstofurthercutfriction.The titaniumconrodsarealsonew,modifiedwitha

Keepaneyeonouronlinechannels–Facebook,Twitter,andthe Fast Bikes website(www.fastbikesmag.com)–fornewsasithappens.

drillingdowntheirlengthtofeedpressurisedoil fromthebigendbearingstothesmallends. That’sprobablymoreaboutimprovingdurability andreliabilitythanapureperformancechange, butitwilllettheengineerspushcombustion pressuresandrevsupthatlastlittlebitwithout needingtoprescribeachangeofrods,gudgeon pinsandpistonsevery1500miles… Awayfromtheengine,theothermodsare minor.Tweakstothechassisincludeareshaped fueltankforbettergripincornersandanextra litreofgas,thesteeringgeometryisslightly modifiedwitha 20mmhigher rearride height,and theÖhlins

suspensionhasatadmoretravel.Bodyworkgets thinneraero-wingsandnewcoolingductsforthe engineand(curiously)thequickshiftersensor. Wetweightisanimpressive193.5kgstock,and thetitaniumAkrapovicracepipetakes5kgoff thatfora188.5kgweight.

TheV4RwonWSBKthisyearunderAlvaro Bautista,andthoughthestockfactorybikeisn’t thebeallandendallofaraceeffort,the changesherewon’tdoanyharmtothe2023 campaign.Priceis£38,995:formanorderly queue.

STREETFIGHTERV4

Wecoveredthe2023updatestothe PanigaleV4superbikeearlierthis yearand,asyou’dexpect,mostof thosetweakshavebeenappliedto the2023StreetfighterV4range,so theV4andV4SSFmodels nowhaveanewelectronics packagewithnewpower modes–full,high,medium andlow,plusanew‘wet’ ridingmode.Thechassis nowcomeswithaslightly

higherrearswingarmpivotpointand thelarger17-litrefueltankthatgives bettergripincornering.The1103cc DesmosediciStradalemotorisasyou were–stillputtingoutawild208bhp, withsomeveryminorremappingand anewclutchcoverdesign.

ThebiggestStreetfighternewsfor 2023isthetrack-readySP2version, though.Replacinglastyear’sSP,the SP2hassweetblack-and-white winter-testingliveryandcomeswith

heapsofcarbonfibregoodies–splitspokewheels,mudguard,clutch coverandaero-wings.Yougeta lightweightaluminiumracetank,the brakesnowhavethelatestBrembo StylemaRcalipersupfront,and there’satrickSTM-EVOSBKdryrace clutchfitted.Addinacustom upholsteredseatandnumbered plaqueonthetopyoke,andyou’ll feelmuchbetteraboutthe£30,595 pricetag.

BIMOTABX450

No,it’snotApril1justyet,butthiswas oneofthemorebizarrethingstoeruptat EICMA.Bimota–afirmalreadywithmore thanahintofconfusionaboutitsdirection –unveiledaKawasakiKX450-based endurobike(Kawasaki,ofcourse, essentiallyownsBimotanowadays).It looksgood,withtheBimotacolour schemeandaneatbrandedsilencer,but it’snotexactlywhatthefirmisknownfor andseemsalittlepointless.Half-done,too; theenginestillhasKawasakilogosonthe covers.

MVAGUSTA921SRETRO

Wecan’tdecideifthisMVAgustaretroconcept machineisgeniusoradesigncrimeagainst humanity.It’sanhomagetothe750SAmericaof theearly1970s(alsoabitofaminger),which explainsthegarishred/white/bluescheme.The concepthasanew921ccinline-fourengine, makingjust115bhp,butwithloadsoflow-down gruntandaspecialbalancersystemforextra smoothness.Theframeisamixofsteeltubes andaluminiumplates,andsuspensionisby Öhlins,withamassivebracedswingarmand crazyshroudedfrontbrakediscs.Fancyit?

APRILIARS660EXTREMA

RemembertheApriliaRS125ExtremaGP125 replicafromtheearly1990s?Itmadenearly 35bhpwhende-restricted,weighed115kgdry, andwithanalloyframe,USDforksandgull swingarm,itwasthesourceofmoreteenage yearningthanSamanthaFox(askyourdad).This RS660variantpaysvaguelyappropriatehomage tothetastyeighth-litrebuzzbomb,withslick graphicsandalight166kgdrymass,down3kg overstock,thankstoaspecialstreet-legalSC Projectexhaustsystemwithcarboncan.Nice.

Normally,aMotoGPraceweekendwouldbea rubbishplacetolaunchyournewnaked middleweightroadstermachine.But,ofcourse, TriumphhasaveryspeciallinkwiththeGrand Prixworld,andMoto2inparticular,whereits 765StreetTripleengineisthecontrol powerplant.So,itwasatthefinalroundofthe 2023championshipinValenciawherethenew 2023StreetTripleswereunveiled.

Therearetwostandardmodelsnow–theR andtheRS,withtheoldentry-level675S variantreplacedbythenew660Trident.TheR andRShavehadaheftyenginerevamp,with about7bhpmorepeakpower,meaning118bhp

fortheRand128bhpfortheRS–nice.Theextra powercomesfromacomprehensivetop-end retune:revisedinletports,alteredcombustion chamber,newpistons,con-rodsandgudgeon pins,andmorecompression,now13.25:1from 12.65:1.Therearenewvalvesandcamshafts withshorterintaketrumpets,andthebottom endisalsorefined,withimprovedcrank, balancer,clutchandtransmissionsetup.Anew slipper/assistclutchandrevisedgearinghelps getthenewpowerdowntotheTarmac,and yougetastandardup/downquickshifter,too.

Thechassishashadlessdonetoit,withthe frameandswingarmremaininglargelyasyou

were,butthereisanupgradetothebrakes, withStylemacalipersontheRS.

SuspensionisShowabothendsontheR, withtheRSgettinganÖhlinsSTX40rearshock. Theelectronicridingaidsalsogettheonceover,withanewIMU-assistedsuiteandafancy colourLCDdash.

ThebignewsatValenciawasanewMoto2 editionoftheStreetTriple.ThishasalltheRS performanceandkit,butaddsÖhlinsforks, clip-onbars,andaloadofcarbonfibre bodywork.Pricesarereasonableforthespec, wereckon:£9595fortheR;£11,295fortheRS; and£13,795fortheMoto2edition.

withlitre-plus,thosemanufacturersatWSBK, there’samarket–andwecouldhaveabikein thatmarket.Butit’snotagiantmarket.What theysellfromthatarequite‘halo’–wonderful thingsthatdoagreatjob.It’salovelythingtodo, butit’sabiginvestment,andthetrickle-down effecttoamass-producedormainstreambikeis notourstrategy.”

AndPerkinsarguesthatTriumph’s765range isactuallythenewgenerationofmiddleweight

sportsbikes:“Moto2andSupersportsracinghas becomeanakedsportscategory.PeterHickman rodeaStreetTripleattheTT,notaDaytona. BrandonPaaschwontheDaytona200notona Daytona,butonaStreetTriple765,witha fairing.So,whatsportsbikearewenotmaking? It’stheStreetTriple!Andnowwehavethe Moto2edition,thenewbikeisthebestit’sever been.

“Thelinkbetweenraceandroadbikesis complicated.Butthesimplefactsarestillthere –thenakedsportscategoryiswhatpeopleare buyingandwearenowinasituationwherewe canracethem.”

Keepaneyeonouronlinechannels–Facebook,Twitter,andthe Fast Bikes website(www.fastbikesmag.com)–fornewsasithappens.

HONDAMCGUINNESS 100THFIREBLADE

Yeah,yeah,weknow.It’snoteven Christmas,mate,andyou’rewriting abouttheTT?Well,tobeaccuratewe arewritingaboutlastyear’sTTand JohnMcGuinness’s100thstartatthe

Island.Hondahasreleasedthisgorgeous specialeditionCBR1000RRFirebladeto marktheoccasionandisbuildingjust30 forsale.

Basedonthe30thanniversaryedition Blade,itcomeswiththesamehugeinitial spec:Öhlinssemi-activesuspension, 214bhp999ccmotor,Brembobrakesand 201kgkerbmass.Ontopofthat,the100th startreplicaaddsaone-offpaintjob, signedbyMcGuinness,anumberedplaque ontheheadstock,carbonmudguard, huggerandrearseatcowl,andJM’s trademarktallwindscreen.

Youalsogetamassivegoodiebagof extras,includingMetzelerRacetecRR rubberalreadyfitted,aFirebladegarage mat,indoorcover,alaser-engraved crystaltrophy,andMcPintwilleven handthebikeovertoyouhimselfat theHondaRacingHQinLouth. OrdersareviaHondadealers,and we’drecommendbeingquick–evenat £30,000,they’llsoonbegone,wereckon.

PARALLELLINES SUZUKIGSX-8S

Upper-middleweightparalleltwins arealltheragenow,withmostof theJapanesefirms,plusKTMand BMWallofferingavariationon thetheme.AndnowSuzukihas joinedin,withanew776cc powerplantthathasapatented newdual-balancersystem,forged pistons,270°firingorderanda decent81bhpoutput.Onthenew GSX-8Sroadster,it’sboltedintoa steelframewithaluminium swingarm,withabasicroadster suspensionpackageandradial

brakes.There’sasmart,angular designtothebodywork,plusa decentelectronicspackage–up/ downquickshifter,switchable traction,colourLCDdashand ABS.Kerbweightis202kg,andit comesinthreecolourways:blue, white,anddarkgrey.

Itlookslikeasolidreplacement fortheelderlyGSX-S750–butit wouldhavelookedalotbetterif Honda’sHornethadn’tlaunched lastmonthwith9bhpmorepower and12kglessmass…

YAMAHA’S

2023UPDATES

Thetuning-forkbranddidn’thave anyshow-stoppingnewmodelsat Milan,butithasgivenitswhole rangeabitofatickleup,with colourLCDdashboardsandnew quickshifteroptionsappearingon theMT-07andMT-125,aswellas theTénéré700range.There’sa newYZF-R125learner-legal sportsbikefor2023though,with revisedR7-stylebodywork,colour dashwithBluetoothphonelink, andevenatractioncontrolset-up.

Attheotherendofthescaleis thenewTracer9GT+,whichadds radar-assistedcruisecontrolanda hugeseven-inchcolourLCDdash tothesemi-activeelectronic suspension,IMU-assistedrider aids,andhardluggageonthe

standardTracer9GTmodel. Powerplantremainstheexcellent 890ccCP3triplemotor,putting out117bhp,withloadsoflazy torque.

HONDATRANSALP

Honda’snewreleaseattheMilan Showwasarevivalofaveryold name.TheoriginalTransalpwasa softdual-sport600from1986 thatwasaheadofitstime–in theUK,atleast.Nowthat adventuretourersareallthe rage,thebigHhasbroughtthe nameback,thistimeasa750 paralleltwin,usingthesame 755ccmotorasonthenew CB750Hornet.Steeltubeframe andmid-levelchassiskit,plusa

decentelectronicspackage shouldputitrightincontention asawell-pricedalternativeto morehigh-specoptionslikethe BMWF850GSorKTM890 Adventure.It’sahandsome bugger,too,wereckon,certainly muchsharperthantheold Transalpevermanaged,andfits inperfectlybetweentheCB500X andAfricaTwinmodels.Expectto seealotofthemonUKroads nextsummer.

LITELOK U-LOCK

BritishlockmakerLitelokhasbeenworkingonhigh-security bikelocksforafewyearsnow,andthisisitslatestpieceof kit.TheX1MotoU-lockclaimstooffer‘unparalleled’ resistancetoanglegrinderattack,thankstoacomposite steel/ceramicconstructionwithlayersofsuper-hard ‘Barronium’material(namedafterthefirm’sfounder, ProfessorNeilBarron),bondedwithhighgradesteel.The compositematerialgivesanglegrindersatorridtime,wearing outdiscsandbatteriesfasterthannormalsteellocks.It’sSold SecureDiamondrated,sohaspassedsomeprettytoughtests, andthetop-specX3versionusesanABLOYSentrylock cylinder.MadeintheUK,italsofeaturesasoftrubberouter sleevetoprotectyourbikeandweighsinat1.7-1.9kg. £149.99(X1),£249.99(X3)www.litelok.com

ALPINESTARS TECH-AIR3AIRBAG

Thelatestcrashprotectionairbagfrom Alpinestarsisauniversal-fitvest,the Tech-Air3.Aimedatcommuting,touring andlightoff-roading,it’sanall-in-one integratedcrashprotectorthatfitsover orunderyourkitanddoesn’tneed fittingtoanotherjacketorsuit.It’s operatedviaanLEDcontrolpanel, whichhasavibratinghapticnotification set-up,andisdesignedtoprotectyour chestandbackareasfromimpacts.It hasasix-waysensorpackage,with threegyrosandthreeaccelerometers, andusesthefirm’slatestsmartcrash detectionalgorithm.Comesinsizes XS-4XL,andaStellawoman’sfitment,in high-vizyelloworsubtlegrey.

£499.99www.alpinestars.com

AustraliansmarthelmetmakerForciteislaunching intheUK,startingwithitsMK1Slid.It’sa lightweight(1500g)full-faceECE22.05and DOT-approvedhelmetwithacarbonfibreouter shellandaseriesofusefulelectronicsalreadybuilt in.There’sachin-mount1080Pactioncamera, Harman-Kardonspeakerswithdualmicrophones, andaperipheralLEDdisplaysystemthatsends signalstotherideraboutnavigation,speedtraps, mobilecameras,andtrafficalerts.It’scontrolledvia asmartphoneappandasuppliedhandlebar controller,chargesviaUSB-C,andlinkswith Bluetooth5.0.Thelid’sbatterylastsaboutseven

LaunchedattheMilanShowlastmonth, Brembo’slatesthigh-endradialmastercylinder iscrammedwithtechfromthefirm’sMotoGP andWSBKeffortsandfeaturessixpossible settingsforbite-pointandleveraction.Ithas threebite-pointmodes:normal,sport,and race,witheachgivingadifferentlevelof aggressionontheinitialleverpull.Thereare alsotwoleverfulcrumsettings,18and20mm, withaRCScamthatphysicallychangesthe

distancebetweentheleverpivotandthe piston.Thefloatingpistonandgasketsarethe sameasthecomponentsusedinMotoGP,as arethebleedandbrakefluiddeliverycircuit couplings,whilethecrash-prooffoldinglever hastheusualspanadjustment.

Theunitismachinedfrombillet,witha toughdark-titaniumanodisedfinishandalso hasthenewBrembologoembossedintothe body. £TBC

www.bremboparts.com

Whenyoulookatthewaythe sportsbikescenehaschanged thispastdecade,it’shardto anticipatewhatwillhappennext.Weareas likelytosee250bhpstreetbikesaswearea resurgencetothetrendsoftheNoughties when600swerestillverymuchaliving, breathing,andthrivingthing.There’salotof unchartedterritoryoutthereatthemoment,

withbigquestionmarksoneverycorner. Andit’samanufacturer’sjobtogetitshead aroundourwhims,tonavigatethisminefeld andputthekindofjuicyanddesirable offeringsonthetablethatwesimplycan’t refuse.

Butwhatexactlyarethoseofferings?What exactlydowewant?Domanufacturersgive usbikeswithmorepowerthanthegenerous

thresholdswearealreadyexperiencing,ordo theylooktooffermoreaffordable,practical andmaybeevenlesssophisticatedoptions?

Anotherquestionishowsignifcanttothe aboveiscapacity?Indaysgoneby,things weremuchsimpler,witharaftofsportsbikes rangingfrom125ccto250,400,600,750and 1000cc.Eachcouldbeconsidereda destinationorasteppingstone,accordingto

whoownedwhatandhowcontenttheywere withwhattheyhad.Andiftheywanted more,theysimplytookanotherstepupthe ladder.Inrecenttimes,themarginsbetween thesectorshavebecomemuchgreaterand theoptionsonthecardsfarfewer...whichis whyyouhavetotakeyourhatofftothelikes ofDucatiandMVforthrowingsomethinga littlebitdifferentoutthereintheshapeofthe V2andF3respectively.

Bothmachinesaresub-litre.Bothmachines makeabout140bhp.Andbothmachines offeracrediblealternativetoaballs-outlitre bikewithcirca200bhp.Whilethatlatter

fguremighttantalisethelikesofyouandI, it’sworthrememberingthatnoteveryone wantsthatkindofpower,andsomeyounger ridersmightbelaughedallthewayoffthe phoneiftheytriedtocallandinsureone. Fromapurelypersonalpointofview,these bikeskindoffgure,butasfordefningwhat

theyareandwheretheysitinthespectrum ofsportsbikes,you’dhavetocontentyourself withthatanswer,becausethere’snotreallya setboxoutthereforeitherofthem.WhatI doknow–onthebackoftestingthem extensivelyontheroadandtrack–isthat thesemodelsshouldnotbeoverlooked…

WORDS:BRUCE PICS:CHIPPYWOOD

SUB-LITRE

SPORTSBIKES

DUCATIPANIGALEV2

Ontheroad…

It’s1994.CarlFogartyistheWorldSuperbike champion,andDucatiisbaskinginthe successofitsbox-fresh916–amotorcycle thatliterallyburstontothescenethatyear andcleanedupontheracetrackandinthe showroomsatapacenoonecouldhave anticipated.Alegendwasborn,poweredby anL-twinmotorthatpackedameagre 109bhpinstockform.Ofcourse,fast-forward

tothepresentdayandthatkindofoutputon afagshipsportsbikewouldgetyoumore abusethanapudding-bowlhaircutina schoolplayground.Beingblunt,you’dhope formorethanthatfromacontemporary machine’srainmodesetting,andforfurther perspective,it’sabout45bhplessthanwhat youcanexpectfromthisbikehere,Ducati’s ‘baby’Panigale–theV2.Ironically,despite beingnotablysmallerincapacityandpeak powerthanthebigbroV4,theV2isactually 39cclargerinsizethantheinauguralversion ofthe916(thatgrewintimeto996ccand

claimed130bhpinSPspec).Yougetthe point...timeshavechanged,andsohave perspectives–whichisnobadthingasfaras mulletsareconcerned.

BacktothepointandtheV2isakey modeltoDucatiandmotorcyclistsalike,yetit isoftenovershadowedbythebrillianceand desirabilityoftheV4.ButtrustmewhenI saythatthisisnosecond-ratesideliner.Well, Iguessit’slessattractiveifyou’rehell-bent onowningamachinewith200bhp-plus,but there’salottobesaid–andhad–fromthis virtuousV-twinoperator.