THINK YOURSELF FASTER
DE C ISS EMB UE ER 386 20 21
SORT YOUR HEAD OUT, SORT YOUR SPEED OUT
SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE
GETTING DIRTY AND LOOSE ON BMW’S R1250GS
AND THEN THERE’S THE OTHER R7 JACK VALENTINE AND MICHAEL RUTTER REMINISCE ABOUT THE TTWINNING R71
T R O P S R E P SU HA’S A M A ITH Y 7… W S GRIP WEIGHT R O T E NG GETTI EW MIDDL N
BEGINNING... 22 YEARS AGO JUST 500 OW-02 R7S WERE MADE... PLUS WE GOT OUR HANDS ON ONE OF THEM
TEN MINUTES WITH RYAN VICKERS DUCATI 999 BUYER’S GUIDE TRACK SPEC – MT-09 NEWS, PRODUCTS AND TESTED KIT
ISSUE 386 DECEMBER 2021
THE KNOWLEDGE
Used Bike Guide .............................62 All you need to know about Ducati’s iconic 999
Track Craft .....................................82 If you’re planning a foreign trackday, Dean’s got some great advice
YOUR LIFE ON BIKES
You and Yours ................................86
All of your adventures
Chatter ...........................................90 A page dedicated to the best readers in the world…
TESTS
Yamaha’s new R7 .......................... 18 We check out the latest addition to Yamaha’s extensive supersports range
Yamaha OW-02 R7 .........................28
We take things back to the beginning with the original R7
COLUMNISTS
Tom Neave .....................................96 Hear what the 2021 National Superstock 1000 champ has to say about this year
42
Christian Iddon ..............................94 Iddon reflects on his best BSB to date
Steve Parrish ..................................98 Steve’s back on the road and he’s not holding back
FEATURES
The other R7 ..................................38 Who remembers the R71?
Spirit of adventure .........................42 A weekend in tents, with beer and big motorcycles. What’s not to like?
Think yourself faster .....................54 There’s more to racing than fancy diets and endless hours in the gym.
Ten minutes with Ryan Vickers .....68 The BSB protégé has done himself no harm this year. We check in with him and throw a load of questions his way.
Track Spec ......................................78 It’s not the first track bike that springs to mind, but there’s plenty of potential in an MT-09
Race Riot ........................................88
18
Timmy’s had one hell of a season at BSB, as we’re reminded this month
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GEAR
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WELCOME
Test of time
B
ikes are beyond exceptional these days in terms of performance, tech and styling… as I’m sure most of us would agree. It’s crazy to think how rapidly models have evolved over the past decade or two, and who only knows what’s waiting around the corner for us. It’s an exciting time but it never hurts to look back every now and again, to remind ourselves of where our biking roots began. One machine that’s allowed such an opportunity has been Yamaha’s R7, which I’ve covered comprehensively this month, both testing the new parallel-twin version and the original OW-02 that Haga put to good use in World Superbikes 22 years ago. The name’s the same but the differences between both machines are startling… and not just because of the engine configuration. As mad as it sounds, it’s easy to forget how differently bikes smelt 20-odd years ago, kicking out those tantalising petrol fumes you just don’t get these days. And when was the last time you had your hands on a choke? The OW-02 sent me right back to my youth, messing around with bikes that cost a fraction of the Yamaha but delivered similar levels of tangible pleasure. Of course, the new R7 is so much more clinical and contemporary in every which way, but that doesn’t mean I like it any less – as you’ll grasp when you read my piece. Yamaha’s put something truly special on to the market with that bike and I hope we see more manufacturers going down that route, delivering affordable and desirable options for new riders wanting a slice of first ‘big bike action’. In my formative years there were so many more bikes to pick from, with loads of 400s, 600s and 750s on the market, meaning the jump up to a 1000 wasn’t so daunting… or even necessary. In my opinion, that’s exactly what our sportsbikes world needs to bring in those next-generation riders who’ll otherwise find themselves lost in Shoreditch, sipping on mocha choca lattes and oiling their moustaches. The original R7 was a machine of real significance and I reckon the new R7 could prove just as impactful in a wholly different way.
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NEW METAL The 2022 new bike merry-go-round is warming up nicely... here’s the latest saucy produce from our favourite bike makers.
SPORTY TOURERS!
2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000 GT and Honda NT1100 The adventure touring sector has pretty much blown traditional sporty tourers out of the water for years now. But is there life in the old ST class yet? Honda and Suzuki certainly seem to think so, with both firms releasing new machinery in the sector for 2022. First up is the Suzuki GSX-S1000 GT – a fully-faired version of the naked GSX-S1000 we rode earlier in the year. This GT version takes the same 152bhp engine and decent chassis package and adds a much more touring-friendly fairing. You also get a 19-litre fuel tank, wide rubber-mounted handlebars and LED lighting, plus extra-comfy seating. There’s optional hard luggage, thanks to a stronger new rear subframe, and a huge 6.5-inch TFT colour LCD dashboard. On the chassis front, there’s fully adjustable 43mm USD KYB forks up front and a pre-load/rebound adjust shock in the back. The electronics are also proper: up/down quickshifter, Bluetooth, cruise control, power modes, ABS and traction, of course. The GT costs £11,699 and is in shops now.
The NT1100 also uses an existing engine and frame, this time the 100bhp 1,084cc parallel twin motor and steel tube double cradle frame off the Africa Twin. The running gear is tweaked for a more road-biased feel and look, and there’s all-new bodywork. It looks a bit on the chunky side – and does tip the scales at a hefty 238kg wet (248kg for the DCT automatic transmission version). Suspension is standard Honda fare – Showa all round, but with a 43mm USD fork and remote pre-load adjust rear shock. It’s also rammed with toys: a big 6.5-inch colour LCD touchscreen dashboard, traction, ABS, cruise control, heated grips, Apple/android media set-up, and hard panniers as standard. It also has wheelie control, though the 100bhp/248kg power-to-weight ratio suggests that particular system might not be called upon too often…
As always with Honda, the new NT1100 will no doubt be a great thing to ride and far exceed its slightly dull-looking specsheet numbers, so we’ll reserve full judgement until we get a spin on one. Price and availability were still to be confirmed as we went to press.
NATTY MIDDLEWEIGHT ADVENTURERS!
Ducati Multistrada V2/Triumph Tiger Sport 660
LCD dash and cornering headlights. The mighty V4 Multistrada is still the king, but if you don’t need a massive 160bhp weapon, the V2 makes a lot of sense. It costs from £12,495, with the V2 S starting at £14,495 Triumph’s Tiger Sport 660 is a level down from the Multistrada in terms of performance and cost – 80bhp and £8450 – and is aimed at the lowermiddleweight class; your Yamaha Tracer 700 and Kawasaki Versys 650 level, rather than the Ducati. It’s heavily based on last year’s entry-level Trident roadster, so has the same 660cc triple engine and steel tube frame with fairly basic road-biased running gear. The Showa suspension only has rear pre-load adjustments, while the Nissin brakes use sliding twin-piston calipers up front. The equipment list is decent: colour LCD dash, power modes, switchable traction control and ABS, plus LED lighting, manual-adjustable windscreen and integrated mounts for the accessory hard luggage options.
There’s still plenty of interest in heavyweight adventure bikes these days – but a lot of folk definitely prefer something a little less behemoth-like. The middleweight adventure-touring sector is on fire with loads of options, and both Ducati and Triumph have released new contenders. The Multistrada V2 is, as expected, a fairly modest update on the already great Multistrada 950. It uses the 113bhp 937cc Testastretta motor off the Hypermotard and Supersport in a smaller, lighter, cheaper Multistrada chassis. There’s been a bit of weightsaving on the engine and chassis – it’s about 5kg lighter than the old 950 at 199kg (202kg for the S model) – but Ducati’s not held back on the kit list. You get the full beans electronics package: IMU ABS and traction, rider power modes, and options for quickshifter and cruise control. The S version has Ducati Skyhook semiactive suspension, standard quickshifter and cruise, plus a colour
RETRO FUNSTERS!
Kawasaki Z650 RS, Ducati Scrambler 1100 Tribute Pro and Ducati Scrambler 800 Urban Motard Z650 RS
We reckon even Kawasaki was a bit surprised by the success of the 1970s-styled Z900 RS it launched a few years ago. The firm made a good job of it, of course; the modern Z900 naked roadster suited its Z1 makeover perfectly, and it’s as nice to ride as it is to look at. So there’s no real surprises in this, the new Z650 RS. Team Green has taken its solid Z650 naked roadster middleweight twin and dressed it up like the 1977 Z650 B1. The air-cooled inline four Z650 was the firm’s middleweight roadster of the time, and quite successful, too. It had the styling of the bigger Kawasakis, solid performance, and is quite a desirable classic now.
NOVEMBER 2021
The 2022 version has the looks, including the sweet fuel tank shape, retro-stitched seat cover and duck-tail seat unit. There’s a big round headlamp, of course, though it’s full of LEDs rather than a yellowish tungsten bulb, and you get textbook twinpodded instruments with a neat integrated LCD info panel. Performance is essentially identical to the standard Z650: 67bhp, 187kg wet, with 41mm RWU forks, pre-load-adjust rear monoshock and twin 300mm discs up front with twin-piston calipers and Bosch ABS. The new Z650 RS should be in dealers now, costing from £7549.
Scrambler Tribute Pro 1100
From one 1970s throwback to another... this time it is Ducati’s 1971 750 GT we’re celebrating, in the form of a Scrambler 1100 Tribute Pro. It’s got the old-school Ducati logo on the tank, a brown stitched seat cover and a period ochre yellow paint scheme, which goes perfectly with the air-cooled V-twin motor and steel tube trellis frame. The rest of the bike is basically the same as the base-level Scrambler 1100 Dark: 86bhp, 1079cc two-valve desmo engine in a steel tube trellis frame with cooking suspension and brakes, a decent electronics package and wire-spoked wheels with Pirelli MT60 RS rubber. Less retro and more street is the new 800 Scrambler Urban Motard. It’s a bit of a mishmash of designs on the supermotard theme, with a high dirtbike-style front mudguard,
flat-tracker sidepanel number boards, spoked rims and sporty street tyres. The paint scheme is sort of graffiti-art with white and GP red colours, and it’s an attractive enough take on the Scrambler theme – though there’s nothing to suggest it will have the genuine madness of a proper supermotard. The air-cooled V-twin motor makes 73bhp and the bike weighs in at 180kg dry. Neither model is built for outright performance (Ducati doesn’t want to cannibalise its Monster sales, we guess), but like all the firm’s Scramblers – it’s about a fun ride. And, to be honest, they get that spot-on: the Scrambler 800 and 1100 are both easy to ride and good fun, especially around town or on the proverbial twisty back roads. The 1100 Tribute Pro costs from £11,995 and the Urban Motard 800 is from £10,350.
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NEW S & REV IEW S PLA NET FAST BIKES – NEW METAL,
BORDERING ON THE RIDICULOUS There’s little sign of any clarity for foreign trackday fans when it comes to shipping bikes into the EU post-Brexit. A press release from the National Motorcyclists’ Council (NMC) attempts to clear up confusion surrounding the current situation, but for the moment there remains a number of uncertainties around taking bikes out of the country, especially at the popular UK-France crossings. If you’re riding your bike across for a tour or whatever, then there’s nothing to worry about – apart from carrying your licence, V5 logbook and having a UK sticker on your numberplate. Similarly, if you’re taking your own bike in a van or on a trailer and you’re present, so long as you have all the paperwork – V5, driving licence, and a letter from your mum – you should be okay to carry on to your trackday. However, if you’re sending your bike in a van a courier or mates
and you won’t be there (if you’re flying down separately, say), then you may run into problems. Your bike is freight being carried by a third party, so third-country customs rules apply, even if the bike is abroad for just a few days. There is the ATA Carnet system which can be used to temporarily import things like non-roadregistered motorbikes, two sets of slicks and race wets on wheels and large Snap-On tool chests into the EU, but it’s expensive and bureaucratic. And according to the NMC, the precise situation is not at all clear for bikers. “The UK Customs and Excise department give you different answers depending on who you asked and the day of the week,” said NMC chair Anna Zee, “I.e. they didn’t know.” And it doesn’t seem like there will be hard and fast rules any time soon. Anna Zee again: “Sadly, the Cabinet Office is hitting brick walls when it comes
to third parties shipping bikes into the EU. Customs counterparts on the other side of the Channel are so far unwilling to offer a solution to the problem. “Given that there is no ‘single market’ as such in border crossings, each government has a different view and the EU has yet to regard the matter as a priority. “The NMC will be stepping up pressure at the political end of things on the UK side, as although Government officials have been incredibly helpful, ministers themselves will now need to step in on the issue to support the efforts of officials.” For the moment, then, if you’re sending a bike to a EU trackday and you won’t be with it, get some advice from the trackday firm and see if they have an organised transport route with the correct paperwork etc. It might save a load of cash and grief – including being turned away at the French or Spanish borders.
Nutty Nürburgring special MV Agusta! There’s nothing at all sensible about this story. It’s about a limited edition MV Agusta – which are never sensible – and it’s a special Nürburgring edition... perhaps the least sensible track in the world. The madness continues the more you read. It’s a naked roadster – the Brutale 1000 – which is not at all a sensible machine to take round the high-speed Nürburgring. It’s been tuned to make 215bhp and weigh just 177kg dry with the supplied race kit fitted. It has carbon-fibre BST wheels, electronic Öhlins suspension, titanium con-rods and carbon-fibre bodywork, as well as all the other usual nonsense you get on the Brutale 1000 RR. Luckily for the sanity of the world, it’s limited to just 150 units and costs ‘from €38,990’. Form an orderly queue with your fellow loons. 12