USED 2015 BMW S1000RR
WE’ VE LEARNED AFTER A YEAR IN THE S 1000 RR
FANCY OWNING ONE HERE’S YOU NEED
FANCYOWN OF THESE? ’S WHAT YOUN TO KNOW… PIKESPEAK–AMERICA’SLAST
WINNING AT TWINNING
ONEFOR THEROAD? KTM1390SUPER DUKER HAVING HADAGOO DTHRASHING ON TRACK, IT’S TIME TO SEEHOW THIS STONKING SUPERNAKED CUTS IT ON THESTREETS. LIVING WITHA KAWASAKI ZX-6R…
FUELLEDBYPASSION ANDPERFORMANCE,DUCATI’S CRAFTEDSOMEOFTHE FINEST V-TWINS. WE RELIVE THEIR JOURNEYONTHREE OF THEMOSTEXOTICPRODUCTION BIKESEVERMADE.
TESTS
Winningattwinning....................... 16 Arguably, Ducatihasdonemore forV-twins thananyothermarque.Wetakea tripdown memorylanetotestthreeof itsmostspecial motorcyclesoverthelastthreedecades.
UsedBikeGuide.............................. 54 BMW’sS1000RRneeds no introduction.Butif you’re lookingtobuy one,a fewpointers mightnotgoamiss.
Onefortheroad............................. 60
Havinghammeredit ontrack,BigMac wantedtosee if theKTM1390SuperDukeR was anycopon hislocalbacklanes.See whathemadeofit.
COLUMNISTS
ChristianIddon............................... 96 Newyear,newteam.Iddon’sgotsome excitingnewsforyou.
SteveParrish................................... 98 Moremadnessandwisdomfromtheman theycall Parrish.
FEATURES
PikesPeak: America’slastgreat roadrace......................................... 70 Ifyouenjoyyourroad racing,you’lllove this pieceonAmerica’shistoricroad race.
HondaV3......................................... 80 Hondaisn’tshyofdeliveringexciting, innovativemotors…butwedidn’tsee this coming.
Alternatively, scantheQRcode onthispageand orderyournextcopy today.Wewillsendit directlytoyou!
Readytolaunch…
So, therewehaveit –2025.Let mestartbywishingeachand everyoneofyou aHappyNew Year.Itonlyseemslikeyesterdaywewere stressingaboutmillenniumbugsand suchtripe,whereas aquarterofacentury on,wehavebiggerconcerns…suchas whethertwo-strokeswillevermakea comebackandhowyoucanconvince yourbetterhalfthatyouneedtobuy that bikeandtakethattwo-wheeledtripwith yourmates.
it’s that you have to roll the dice and make things happen, so whatever you’re
New Yearis alittle like ablankcheque, andit’s onyoutospend it wisely.
I’vegot aloadofshenanigansplanned fortheyearahead,and if onlyhalfof themcomeoff I’llbe avery luckyman. Forme, now is perhapsthemostexciting timeofall,because it’s whenthe invites startarrivingtoheadoffsomewhereand tryoutthe latestofferings.
Ifthere’sonethingI’velearnedsofarin life, it’sthatyouhavetorollthediceand makethingshappen,sowhateveryou’re plotting, Ihopeitcomesoff whateveryougetupto, makesur dropus alineandshareyourexploits withus.Theway Isee itisthe
Goodold2024signedoffwithan impressivearrayofnewmodelsbeing launched,ofwhichyou’llfindplentyagain inthis issue’snewssection.Chancesare thenextfewmonthsaregoingbeonthe
I hope it comes off. And, as ever, whatever you get up to, make sure to drop us a line and share your exploits with us. The way I see it is the
the next few months are going be on the limiter, riding anything and everything, all over the place… And I can’t wait.
As well as many predicted models, there’s been a fair share of
unexpecteddeliveriesannounced,such asSuzuki’snewDR-ZfamilyandMV’sF3 Competizione –thatthing looks absolutelystunning.CFMoto’s announcementof asupersport675is anotherthing Ididn’tseecoming, butit’s verywelcomeallthesame.Isthisthe yearthatweseemoremanufactures goingbacktosportsbikes? Ihope so,but Ialsoappreciatethe reasonswhy differentbrandshavetakenthepaths theyhave.It’sajugglingactandthey’ve gottomakethebeststepstheycanto fulfilthedesiresofpeoplesuchas hequestionis,who’snailedthe uesswe’llsoonknow. brief the best? I guess we’ll soon know
fulfil the desires of people such as yourself The question is, who’s nailed the Enjoy the mag,
Some things arebetterleft behind,but Fast Bikes isn’tone of them trustus. Fora start, we’d miss you, butit’dalso mean you’dmis sout on awhole
load of news,reviews,tech, talksand insightintopioneering protagonists.Justthink about theroad trips, theproject bike builds –and allthe excuseswe throwinwiththem. We want you on this ride,and we want your stories, your inputand guidance, so don’tbeastranger! Check
outthe cracking dealswe’ve got here andlet’s getyou settled into anotherseasonof thegoodstuff from the UK’s leadingsport sbike magazine.
ANDTHEY JUST KEEPCOMING!
Thehustleneverendsinthe‘newbikes’world.Here’sourpickof the2025machines thathave comeaboutsincethelastissueofFastBikes.There’splentyto getyour teethinto…
SUZUKI DR-Z4S /M
There were of famous wandering around the Birmingham NEC at Motorcycle Live last month, and we half-expected to see Marty McFly and Doc Brown on Suzuki stand –because it was to the future for the
brand, which unveiled the new DR-Z4S and SM at the show. The neat, lightweight supermoto and dirt bike are a 2025 take on one of the great little Suzukis from 20 years ago, the DR-Z400S and SM. The original DR-Z was
a high-performance machine for its but the 40bhp 398cc DOHC motor was fed by an old-school and it didn’t survive tightening Euro rules, going off sale in the UK and the EU in 2007 without any replacement back a re-
Therewere plenty of famous guests wanderingaround theBirmingham NEC atMotorcycleLivelastmonth, andwe half-expectedtoseeMartyMcFlyand DocBrown on the Suzukistand–becauseitwas back tothefutureforthe Japanese brand,which unveiledthenew DR-Z4Sand SMattheshow.Thene lightweightsupermotoanddirtbike are a2025takeonone littleSuzukisfrom20y DR-Z400SandSM.TheoriginalDR-Zwas ahigh-performancemachine forits day, butthe40bhp 398ccDOHCmotorwas fedbyan old-school carburettor, andit didn’tsurvivetighteningEuro emissions rules,goingoff saleintheUKand theEU in2007without anyreplacement (thoughitremained on salein other globalmarkets). ofdecadesan crazyforsmall-b lightweightbikes Suzuki’sbrought backareengineeredDR-Zfora wholenewgeneration.
(though it remained on sale in global markets). Fast-forward a couple of decades and the market is going crazy for small-bore, well-priced, lightweight bikes, and Suzuki’s brought
engineered DR-Z for a whole new generation.
Suzuki says the engine is – but it’s extremely similar to the original DOHC four-valve
Suzukisays theengine is all-new –butit extremelysimilar originalDOHCfour-valve lump,with thesameboreand stroke,crankcase layoutand fve-speed gearbox(thepublic’sdemandfora six-speedboxhasgoneunheeded, sadly).Theoverhaulneededtomeet Euro5+emissionsregshasbeen comprehensive,though.Aswellasthe obligatoryride-by-wirefuel injection
chamber and new titanium intake/ sodium-cooled steel exhaust valves Cams are altered, there’s a new dual-plug ignition set-up, and both the airbox and exhaust system are all-new Peak power is – not bad, but a whole three ponies less than you got 20 years ago Progress!
lump, with the same bore and stroke, crankcase layout and fve-speed gearbox (the public’s demand for a six-speed box has gone unheeded, sadly). The overhaul needed to meet Euro 5+ emissions regs has been comprehensive, though. As well as the obligatory ride-by-wire fuel injection
with42mmthrottlebody, O2sensors and emissionsgubbinsall-round, there’sa newpiston,redesigned cylinderheadwith fattercombustion chamberandnewtitaniumintake/ sodium-cooledsteelexhaustvalves. Camsarealtered,there’sanew dual-plugignitionset-up, andboththeairboxand exhaustsystemare all-new.Peakpoweris 37bhp –notbad,buta wholethreeponies lessthanyougot20 yearsago.Progress! TheDR-Zchassisfollows asimilar path,whichistosaythesamebasic set-upasbefore,butwith amodernised take.There’sasteeltubeframewithKYB USDfrontforksandrearmonoshock, andwire-spokedwheels.Here’sthebig differencebetweentheS dirtbikeandSM supermoto:the Shasa 21infrontand18inrear wheel,withIRCdirt hiletheSMgets 17inrimsbothends,and grippyDunlopSportmax Q5Aroadtyresin120/7017 ments.
difference between the S dirtbike and SM supermoto: the S has a 21in front and 18in rear wheel, with IRC dirt rubber, while the SM gets 17in rims both ends, and grippy Dunlop Sportmax Q5A road tyres in 120/70 17 and 140/70 17 ftments.
Back in 2005, the only electronics on a DR-Z was a tiny calculator-spec LCD display: now you
Backin 05,theonly electronicson atiny calculator-specLCDdisplay:nowyou getloadsmore,includingprobably superfuous tractioncontrol,switchable ABSandriderpowermodes,together withLEDlightingand amuchbigger (butstillretromonochrome)LCDdash. Nowordonpriceaswewenttopress but expect adecenttagwhenthey arrivein thesummer.
Keepaneye onouronlinechannels –Facebook,Twitter,andthe Fast Bikes website(www.fastbikesmag.com) –fornewsasit happens.
2025 APRILIATUONO 457, PLUS RSV4 ANDTUONO V4 UPDATES
Apriliahad aheapofupdatesand newkitattheMilanshow,withthe neatlittle Tuono457catchingthe eye.AswiththeRS457sportsbike, themini-Tuonohaskeptthings premium,withtheonlyaluminium frameinitsclass,togetherwith preload-adjustablesuspension: 41mmUSDfrontforksand arear monoshock.ByBrediscbrakesat bothendslookafterstopping,and theneatchassissetupgives alight 159kgdry mass.
Theengineisthesame parallel-twinDOHCliquid-cooled unitasontheRS457, withan A2-licence-friendly48bhppeak power.Aprilia’sgiventhe ride-by-wirepowertrain afullset ofelectronicrideraids –again, uniqueintheclass.Thelittle supernakedcomeswith aproper five-inchTFTcolourLCDdashand backlitswitchgear,tocontrolthe tractioncontrol,riderpower modes,switchablerearABSand optionalup/downquickshifter.
AwayfromtheA2-class,the insaneRSV41100superbikeand TuonoV41100supernakedboth get aslewofupgradesfor2025.
Thesuperbikenow boasts aheady 217bhpfromthe1,099ccEuro5+ compliantengine,and theTuono isn’tfarbehindwith178bhp from thesamecapacity.Theelectronics are upgradedonboth bikes,with thelatestridingaids,and thereare newBrembo Hypure brakecalipers ontheRSV4.
Bestofall,the firm ’s producingnewpos hFactory variantsofbothbike sf or2025: forgedrims,s emi-activeÖhlins suspension,cornering headlights,a ndloadsmore.We’ll beridingbothbike sa ss oonas wecan –m uchmoreonthese flash we apons,t hen…
MV AGUSTAF3COMPETIZIONE
ItsparentfirmPie re rm ightbesufferingfinancial woe s, butMVAgustakeepsturninguptobike showswithoutstandingmachiner y. ThisF3 Competizioneis as oli du pgradetothefirm’s8 00 supersportsweapon,with ra dicalaerodynamic bodywork,andanevenmore ra dical weight- loss programmeallover.T heengineershavecutwet we ight tojus t1 85kgwiththesuppliedtitanium ra ceAkrapovicexhaustfitted.Withthatpipein place,i ta lsomakes160bhp@13,500rpm,givinga
verytastypower-to-weight ra tioof0.9bhp/kg. Thebigchangesover theRRversionareon the chassisfront: theCompetizionehasfullÖhlins suspensionatbothendsofthesteel tubular trellis frame.Thefrontfork is afully adjustableNIX30USD unitwith43mmTiN-coatedstanchions.Outbackis anÖhlinsTTX 36 shockabsorber,alsofully adjustable,andoperatedthroughthegorgeous single-sidedswingarm.
TheCompetizionealsohastricknewcarbon wheels,specificallydevelopedforthebikeand whichcutunsprungmassby amassive3kgover aluminiumrims.Agustasays the mods“sharpenup the bike’shandlingandagility, especiallyinquick directionchanges, while alsoadding atouchof aestheticprestigewiththeirmatte-finished exposedcarbon.”Thetrickchassisisroundedoff by anewbrakingsystem,with320mmdiscs and BremboStylema monobloc radial-mountcalipers. NopriceasyetontheF3Competizione –but expectit to beprettystiff.
DUCATI PANIGALE AND SF
Lastissuewegotour wD
Last issue we got our frst sight of the new Ducati V2 engine – an 890cc DOHC non-desmo 90-degree twin, making 115 or 120bhp, but with a new lighter construction, tipping the proverbial scales at 54.5kg We pondered whether such a unit would be phat enough (he means powerful – plain English Ed) for a Panigale or Streetfghter, both of which had nearer 160bhp in their previous confgurations ‘Ducati may have to do something else,’ we opined in our frank ignorance How they must have chuckled in Borgo Panigale when they opened their PocketMags app last month. Since then, we’ve seen these, the two new V-twin
V2engine 0-degree twin,making115or120bhp ew lighterconstruction,tippingtheprover ls 4.5k au uldbephatenough(hemeanspowerful enough nigale Streetfghter arer160b intheirpreviousconfgurations cati vetodosomethingelse urfrankignor vechuckledinBorgo whentheyopenedtheir PocketMagsapplastmonth. Anyway seenthese Ducati performance bikes:the nigalesportsbike andStreetfghter supernaked.Both
bikes: the nigale sportsbike and Streetfghter supernaked. Both both
come with the hence chalk up
AT IG ND V2
ofthechassispackageisimpressiv remboM50 echanicalÖhlinskitontheV2 electronicspac reproach:thelatestintermsofIMUassistedsoftwar
someneatweight utbothalsocome withthefairlyheftypower downgradeinherentinthenewengine heoldSuperquadrounithad rethan35bhpmore ndevenwithweightdropsofabout15kg, ottaponiestolose.
’llcomebacktothatin ,t galean tytempting. thbikesarebroadlysimilar ameand ble-sidedswingarm ,s imilartotheon eont he new Pa ni galeV4 heStreetfighterV2armis30m anigale’ esumablyformorestabilitytos sition).A conventionalswingarmlikethiswillalways ghterthana single-sider,a llotherthingsbeing Ducatialsosay newunitistunedinterm erstabilityand feel,whilealsomakingthemosto he
some neat weight losses, but both also come with the fairly hefty power downgrade inherent in the new engine The old Superquadro unit had more than 35bhp more, and even with weight drops of about 15kg, that’s a lotta ponies to lose. We ’ll come back to that in a mome nt In th e m eantime, the rest of the new Panigale and Streetfighte r up dates are p retty tempting Both bikes are broadly s im ilar, wi th th e sam e new main f ra me an d double-sided swingarm, similar to the o ne on the n ew Panigale V4 (the Streetfighter V2 arm is 30mm longer than the Panigale’s, presumably for more stability to s uit the upright riding position). A conventional swingarm like this will always be lighter than a single-sider, all other things being e qual , an d Duc ati also says the new unit is tuned in terms o f stiffness to give be tt er stability and feel, while also making the most of mod er n slick rubber The rest
of the chassis package is impressive, though a level below the full-on V4 superbike kit – Brembo M50 calipers instead of Hypures, and mechanical Öhlins kit on the V2 S instead o f s emi-active electronic gizmos. T he electronics pac ka ge is also beyond reproach: the latest in terms of IMUassisted softwar e, including sports ABS cornering with slide-by-brake, Ducati Traction Control, Ducati Wheelie Control, Engine Brake Control and the new Ducati Quick Shift 2.0, as seen on the new Pa nigale V4. T he S versions are also equipped with Ducati Power Launch and Pit Limiter as standard. You get four riding modes (race, sport, road, wet), and the dashboard is a new 5in TFT with a fresh user inter fa ce derived from the new Panigale V4. Upda te d bodywork completes the pictur e.
dashboardis mt
bodywor kc ompletesthepicture. pic tsro ga iginalDucati748,whic da de simplyaimingfor moreandmorepowerandcapacity witha rhap othne managedto salefo £15,990fo 16,995fo
But what exactly is that picture? We’re starting to get a vision of a return to ‘proper’ supersports roots for this type of bike Less focus on power, and more thinking about weight and the overall riding package – like the original Ducati 748, which was down on power compared with the 916 (and also no lighter), but offered something different in terms of feel and experience You can see the faws in simply aiming for more and more power and capacity with a ‘middleweight’ machine: perhaps a reset is exactly what was needed. We’ll be riding both new Ducati V2 machines soon, and we’ll fnd out then if Bologna has managed to do just that.
• Both bikes will be on sale for February, priced at £13,990 for the Streetfghter V2 or £15,990 for the V2 S, and £14,995 for the Panigale V2 or £16,995 for the V2 S version.
HONDAUPDATES FORTHE 750T WINS
It’sfairtosaythatbothofHonda’slatest750twins –theXL750 Transalp andCB750 Hornet –weren’t cryingout foranyupdates. Launched less thantwoyearsago,the nakedroadster and upper-middleweightadventuremachineshavewowedcustomerswiththesolid performance,high-speclistandpremium fnish, at agreat price.But thebig Hhas been tweakingthem anyway,withEuro5+compliance roundthecorner,and someslickupdates to thechassisandequipmentlevels.The Transalphas anewfairing withdualLED headlights, a revisedairintakeandimprovedaerodynamics,togetherwith anew 5inLCD TFTcolour dashboard,withsuitableswitchgear andupdatedphoneconnectivity(thisdashhasbeen rolledoutacrossmuchoftheHonda rangethisyear).
Meanwhile,theHornethashad asimilar updatetothelighting,with anewdual LED headlampand the new5in colourdashboard, andtheengineershavealsotweakedthe suspension,dialling in newdamping settingson theShowa41mmSFF-BPUSDforksandPro-link seven-stagepreload-adjustablerear shock.
Thesweet 755cc parallel-twinenginemakes thesame 91bhp peakpower in bothbikesfor 2025,and theCB750Hornetweighsinat 192kg withthe Transalptippingthescales at 210kg. PricesforbothmodelsareTBC;expect themin theshopsearlyin2025…
BMWF 450GSCONCEPT AND F900 TWIN UPDATES
BMW’s‘F’ rangehassometimesbeenoverlookedinthe past,whichisashame.TheBavarianbike-mongerswere ploughing alonelyfurrowintheparallel-twinworld nearly20yearsagowiththeoriginalF800models,and noweveryone’sinon(arguably)the dullest ofthe two-cylinderlayouts. Theymustbefuming.Butnottoo much,sinceBMWunveiled atrioofnewF-modelsatthe MilanandNECshows.Firstupiswhatitcalls a‘concept’ (thesegenerallyendupasproductionmachines)F450 GS,whichis asmall-capacitytwin-cylinderadventure machine,a stepupfromthetrulyentry-levelG310single, butaleveldownfromthelikesoftheF700/750/800 modelsofyore.It’sthefamedA2-compliantmachinewe allknowandhatesomuchthesedays,withthe associated47bhppeakpoweroutput (thoughwe’re still hopingBMWwillmaketwoversions,one with more ponies).ThereleasealsomentionsanA2-licencelower weightlimit,whichsuggests175kgdry,whichis encouragingenoughonanoff-roadbeastie.
Theengineisanall-newjobbie,designedbyMunich fromscratch ratherthan arejiggedversionof somethingelse,whichisencouraging.BMWsaysit’s extra-compactandlight(notthatyou’dexpectittosay
anythingelse…)andusesmagnesiumandother lightweightsolutions.Thechassislooksfairlystandard for BMW’sGSmachinery,witha steeltrellis mainframe, aluminiumswingarmandbolt-onsubframe.Long-travel conventionalsuspension,wire-spokedwheelsanda Brembobrakeateachendroundsoffwhatwecan see ofthedesign.There’slittleinthewayof soliddetail fromBMWatthemoment –butgoingonpastform, we’dexpect afullrelease in thenewyear,andbikesin showrooms latesummer2025, allbeingwell.
•Whatwedohavefullfactson is the newF900 range,withanew XRroad-basedadventure tourerand Rnakedroadsterhittingtheshowroomsnextyear. Bothget anew fully adjustable43mmUSDfrontfork replacing theoldunadjustableunit,and theyalsoget lighterwheels,saving aclaimed1.8kgover theold parts.Othermods,includingan800g lighterbattery, means atotalweightsavingof3kg –notbad. The 895cc270-degreeenginehasthe samepeakpower outputof105bhpbutisnowEuro 5+ compliant,and therearedetailupgradestothe electronics,riding positionand equipment levels.
ROYALENFIELD BE AR 650
NamedaftertheBigBearrundesert raceRoyalEnfieldwonbackin 1960with16-year-old racerEddieMulder,theBear650is asoft-ish streetscramblerbasedontheInterceptor650. TheBearusesthe same air-cooled47bhp650twinasthe firm’sotherclassically-styled upper-middleweightmachines,but with ascrambler restyle,slightlydifferentframe,longer-travel suspensionand19infrontwheel.
OurmanDowdsrode theBear650 on theridinglaunchin California,and it worked well,intheveinof Enfield’s other
modernbikes.Thestylingissharp,buildquality impressive,andonthe backroadsaround PalmSprings,itwaseasytogetonwith.Theengine is abitunderpoweredfor the mass(214kg) and thefrontforksquite firmoverpotholesandcatseyes,whilethebrakescoulddowith anotherdiscupfront.Theoff-roadperformanceislargelynominal, thankstothatmassand theroad-biasedtyres,but somegentle,dry green laneswouldbefunforsure.
Thebestpartofthe Be ar,a fterthe st yl ing and fin ish ,i st he price:about£6750for ab ra nd-new,s tyl ish retro s crambler.P ickoneupon fina nce,p ark it n exttothe S1 000RR,andus eitf or sunnybackroadbimble s… you’ll have ab all.
CFMOTO V4 ENGINE
Here’sone fromtheleft field. TheChinesebudget bike maker releasedimagery of anall-new V-foursuperbike-specengineat theMilanShow –and justabout nofactsabout it.Dubbed the V.04,it’sa999cc90-degree V-4, makingabout210bhp,andwill, accordingtothefirm,be ‘competitionready,’ whichwe assumemeansa WSBKeffortat somestage(internetrumours thatit hassomethingtodowith theKTMMotoGPengineare way off themark).Thefirmalso showed aconceptmodel ofa radicalsuperbike,dubbedthe MasterofSpeed,cornily
enough. There’s littlethatlooks realaboutthebikemodel,but theintentis clear: expect to see thismotorin afuturistic but (hopefully)verywell-priced superbikein acoupleofyears’ time!
FLYING FLEA
Onethingyoucan’taccuseRoyalEnfieldofis under-sellingitsheritage(andrightlyso).The firm’sBritishancestor firmbuiltsmall folding 125ccREmodelmotorbikesforAllied paratroopersintheSecondWorld War, nicknamedtheFlyingFlea.They were dropped
intobattlealongsidethesoldiers,givingquick, easy field transportandcommunicationsin the hoursanddaysbeforeproperreinforcements arrived.
Andnow Enfield’sreusedthenamefora newelectricsub-brand.The firmshowedoffits
firstprototypeelectricurbanmobilitymachine, theFlying Flea C6roadsterandS6scrambler. Bothbikeshave astrikingdesign,withbelt drive,girderfrontendandminimaliststyling. Therearenomoretechdetails butexpectto seetheminproductionformforearly2026.
KT MS TAT EMENT
Aswewenttopress,someverysadnews was comingoutofAustria.TheKTMfirm announcedthatitwasentering aformof administration,inanattempttorestructure thebusinessandresolveits woeful financial situation.Thecompanyhasbeenstruggling overthepastyear,withpoorperformance fromthebicycledivisionitexpanded post-Covid,andthedownturninthebiketrade in2024didn’thelp.Thesharepriceofthe parent firm,PiererMobility,plummeted throughtheautumn,andnowthecompany,
whichalsoownsMVAgusta,GASGASand Husqvarna,is fightingfor itsfuture.
TheUKarmofKTMhas issued astatement aimedatreassuringcustomers,though. ReleasedjustaftertheMotorcycleLive show, thestatementsaidcustomersdon’tneed to worry,and therewill benoconsequencesfor them:“Nothingwillchangeforourcustomers. Ofcourse,weguaranteethatwewillcontinue to delivermotorcycles,sparepartsand accessoriesundertheusualconditions.There willbenoirregularities–neitherin theflowof
goods nor incustomerservice.KTMis undergoing arestructuringphaseoverthe next 90 daystoalignthecompanywithglobal demand.Untilthen,customerswillnotnotice thispitstopforthefuture.
“KTMisalsowellpreparedfortheupcoming roadseasonthankstonewmodelssuchas theKTM 125SMC R,KTM 390 SMC Randthe KTM 125Enduro R,KTM 390Enduro R,aswell astheKTM390AdventureandAdventureR. Thesemodelswillbedelivered inthe first quarterof 2025.”
WINNING AT TWINNING TWINNING
Blurringpassionwithperformance,Ducati’schanged the worldoneV-twinatatime. We checkoutthree ofthefinestto everreachtheshowroom.
Ifyou wanttostart agoodargument, askabunchofbikerswhatthebest typeofengineis.Ifyou want to take thatscraptothenextlevel, putthesame questionouttheretothe manufacturers. Wronglyorrightly,mostmarques have strongaffliationswithcertain confgurationsthatareprovenastheir go-tooptionsfordecadeupon decadein someinstances. Truthbetold,that consistencyoftenleadstogood results, fuelled by passion,continuous engineeringdevelopmentand…the absolutestubbornness tonotgiveinand admitthatsomeoneelsehad abetteridea. Butbeforewegoinwithbothfeeton brandsforchangingtheirmindsand turningtheirbacksonenginesthat’ve madethemwhotheyare,it’sonlyrightto acknowledgethat everythinghasits time andplace; 30yearsagopeoplethoughtit was agoodideato walkabout town with ghettoblasters, sportingshellsuitsand withhairstylesthatsurelyhad to be abet. Ofcourse,JohnnyMac’skepthisgoing,
andhe’snotafraidofbreakingtheshell suitouton specialoccasions, butwhoare we tojudge?
Inthesame vein, 30yearsback,most manufacturershadatleastone V-twinin their range,whileDucatisported awhole line-upof such reprobates, withthemost iconicof allbeingthegame-changing 916 thatsetthe worldalightonandoffthe racetrack.Love itorloatheit,it’sfairto saywithoutthatsinglemodel,theItalian marque wouldn’thave clocked afraction ofthe success it’sachievedsince.But as much as itfeels fttingto solely heap praise onthatperformance-fuelled protagonist,it wouldbeuttermadness to ignorethe manymoreV-twin-powered modelsthathave comefromtheboffnsin Bologna,leastofallthemostspecialof special versionstoleave thefactory. Like allbrandsthatsettheir sightsonthetop stepofthepodium, Ducatiisnostranger topumpingoutlap-time-lovingspecials, litteredwith random-soundingacronyms, smatteringsoftrickbits,andmore
preciousmetalsthan you’d fndinaroyal vault.Whenitcomestowinning,there canbeno roomforcompromise,and no brandhammersthatmessagehomeharder thanDucati,bothpastandpresent. You getthepoint:theItalianmarquelikes to pushtheenvelope,anditshouldbe arguedthat overtensofyears, ithasdone moreforthehumble V-twinthanany othermanufacturer.Thequestionis,of themany, manyexamplesthathavecome our way, whichmodelshave hithomethe hardest?Whicharemostdeservingofthe limelight?Whatmakes onespecialbike morespecialthanitsbrethren? Over afew beers, severaltales, and afew arguments forgoodmeasure, Johnnyand Isettledon atrioquitelikenoother,kickingthings offwiththe 916SPS,thenbringinginthe two-time worldchampionship-winning 999Rintothemix,beforesettlingonthe biggest,fastest andmost exotictwinto leave theproductionline –thealmighty 1299Superleggera. Atastyenough selection? Well, we thoughtso.
Do bikesget anymoreiconic than this?
Technically,theSPSisactually thesecondof Ducati’s homologation-special road bikes;however,few either remember orhave seenitspredecessor.The 916SParrivedin1995(a yearafterthe 916Strada roadbike)and wasmade in1995and1996. Agenuine 916cc, the 916SPhastheusualSPgoodies (moreontheselater)butlacksthe SPS’snumberedplaqueonitstop yoke,whichisthe reasonfewrealiseit exists –unless youare arealgeek,it looksmuchlikeatarted-up 916 Strada!Now, ontotheSPS,ofwhich less than1400 were made. TheSPS features a996ccengine (the road bikeswere916cc) thanksto a4mm bigger bore (likethe race bikes),and withintheengine the pistonsare lightweight, theH-section con rodsbuilt from titanium by Pankl, thecamsmoreaggressivelyprofled, valves bigger,and thecranklightened andspecially balanced.Thegearbox alsohaslowerratios thanthe 916
Stradaruns, whichareactuallytaken fromthe 748.Wherethe 916madea claimed 100bhp,theSPS makes 123bhp,anditalsorunstwin injectorsper cylinder,whereasthe Stradaonlyhassingleitemsand arrivedwithboth road-legalcansand race-only Termignonicarbonend pipes. Chassis-wise,theSPSfeatures fullyadjustableShowa forkswithan ÖhlinsshockandBrembobrakes with cast-ironfully-foatingdiscs(which rattle).While theSPS’sfairingis made from plastic,the V-pieceis carbonandsois theundertrayand front mudguard, andsomebikes also hadcarbonchainguardsand occasionally acarbonairbox–dependingonifDucatihadany kickingaroundwhenit wasbuilt!The SPS was updatedinitssecond model year,but thedifferencesare minimal withthecon rods’ designupgraded, rockerarmstweaked,andlogos changedonthe fairingandtankfor somemarkets.
TECH DATA Ducati916SPS(1996-1998)
INFO:
Price: £16,000-£22,000
ENGINE:
Type: 996cc,liquid-cooled, 8v,desmo V-twin
Bore xstroke: 98mm x66mm
Compression: 11:1
Fuelling: Electronicfuelinjection
Testedpower: 123bhp @10,500rpm
Testedtorque: 99Nm @7000rpm
CHASSIS
Frame: Steeltrellis
Fsuspension: Showa43mminverted forks,fully-adjustable
Rsuspension: Öhlins monoshock, fully-adjustable
Frontbrakes: 2xfour-pistonBrembo calipers,320mmdiscs
Rearbrake: Two-pistoncaliper, 220mmdisc
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 1410mm
SeatHeight: 790mm
Wetweight: 190kg
Fuelcapacity: 17litres
DU CATI 916S PS: RATED
Thereare somethings inlifethatneedzero introduction,such as theGreat WallofChina,Big Benand,chief of themall, Ducati’s916.Ithas donefor motorcyclingwhatthe Pyramidsdidfor Egypt,creating acult-like followingfor thosewholove twowheelsandan educationforthosewhodon’t. From moviescenestoracetracks, itisa motorcyclethathasdoneitall– while dutifullydelivering exoticaon alevelmany ofitspeerscouldonlydreamof. In essence,the 916isspecial,butasisoften thecaseinlife,thereare differentlevelsof specialoutthere. Ducati’s916SPSisnota motorcycle youwillsee everyday.Infact, chancesareyou’ve neverseenoneinthe feshbefore, mainlybecausesofewwere wheeledofftheproduction linessome 30 yearsago,and anumberofthosethatdid endedupobliteratedin agraveltrap. It’sa hen’stoothof amotorcycle,albeitwith muchmoredesirablevibes…andprobably morecostly,too.Ifyou wereonthehunt foroneofthese,you’dlooktospend upwardsof£16,000,whichis farmore thanI’ve gotkickingarounddownthe backofthesofa. Forthatsum you’renot onlybuying asliceofhistory, but alsoa featofengineering.When we talkabout homologationspecials,weare basically describingbikes thataredesignedand builttosport anumberplatebutultimately giveamanufactureranedgeona racetrack.Making23bhpmore thanthe standard916and weighing agoodchunk less, thistrack-inclined reprobate wasborn withintenttogiveDucati’s riderstheedge theyneededtolifttitles. I’ve already gone overthepartsthatgave thisbikesaidedge, so Iwon’t waste yourtimelistingthem again,buthopefully you’ve gotthepoint –thisis aracerforthe roads.So, does that meanit’snogood forthe streets?
Well,therewas onlyoneway to fndout and Ididn’t exactlyhangaboutin volunteering my services. Ihave alotof love forthewhole 916/996/998eraof Ducati V-twins, whicharguably owea chunkoftheirarchitectureandsuccess to the851 and 888 thatcamebeforethem.It mustbepointedoutthatDucati was/isthe masterof fne-tuninganddeveloping platforms, oftenonlychangingthings drasticallyifandwhenneeded.Thepoint beingthat as differentasthisbikemight appearonpaper,itstillfelt very mucha 916Stradawhenitcametotryingitout forsize.Theseatfelttall,thebarsnice andlow, andthetank wasminuscule inwidth. In fact,thewholebikeis supernarrow andit’sonlywhen you parkoneupnexttoaconventional inline-fourthat yourealisethe advantagethispackageoffersagainstt likes oftheshed-sized ZX-7R,forinstance. Intermsofaerodynamics, Ducati really nailedthebrief,butitalsogotitsorigh manyotherareastoo.FiringtheSPSinto life,withthe ftted Termicansslung iconicallyunderthe rearseat,isan experienceinits ownright.Therumble andgrumblethisthingmakes is sensationalandonlyaddstothe excitementbeforeyouletslipwith theclutchandtrundleoffdown the road.Andwhen Isay trundle,I meanit.Thereare momentsintime whereIhave tohitthepausebuttonand putthingsintocontext,whichis exactlythe caseherewhentalkingabouttheDucati’s performance.For amachineofitsera,it wascutting-edgeandpumpingout some serioushorsepower…but by comparisonto anythingoftoday’sstandards,theenergy fromthe V-twinfelt alittle asthmaticthe frsttime Iwoundthethrottlebackinanger. Ihatetosound negative aboutsucha beautifulmachine, buttheperformance simplydidnotliveuptothelooks.
