D TOP 10 USED INVESTMENTS
YOU THE FAST BIKES Y ARAGE NEED IN YOUR GA
STOP FAST!
WORKSHOP ❯❯ TOP TOOLS RATED
BRAKING BOLTONS TESTED
❯❯❯❯ HOW TO FIT AN AFTERM MARKET QU UICKS SHIFTER
AUGUST 20 019 ISSUE 356 6
VV4sR 999R PLUS
ITH ROSSI ❯❯ ON TRACK W KES ON THE TT TA ❯❯ FAST BIKES -ROAD EXPERIENCE ❯❯ YAMAHA OFFPS AND TECHNIQUES ❯❯ TRACKDAY TI
TORQUE OR TOP-END? MANCE DOES PERFOR E IN PERFECTION LI ROUND? THE MIDDLE G WE FIND OUT
UK off-saale date – 20/08/2019
No.356 August 2019
£4.4 40
IT OUT ON SCRAPPING CE-REP DUCATI’S RA ICONS
ISSUE 356 AUGUST 2019
IT’S THE NEWS!
Upfront ........................................... 10 All the tastiest gossip.
GEARED UP!
Products.......................................... 15 All the latest, coolest and trickest products.
THE KNOWLEDGE
Used Buyer’s Guide......................... 72
Everything you need to know when buying a ‘Busa.
Track Craft ......................................82 How to make the most of your trackday.
Master Legal ...................................95
When you’re better off listening to your solicitor than your mum.
YOUR LIFE ON BIKES
20
Addiction.........................................60
Clive White shows us his stunning NSR 250.
SUB
You & Yours.....................................92 All of your latest adventures!
Chatter ............................................94 It’s only fair we give the best readers in the world a page of their own!
RIBE C S e8 pag See etails d for
WORKSHOP
Our guide to….................................96 …fitting a quickshifter.
Know Your.....................................102 This month we get all quizzical on brake calipers.
What a tool ...................................104 Halfords Professional tool kit… is it any good?
OUR LIFE ON BIKES
44
Staff Bikes.......................................96
•Honda CBR650R •Kawasaki ZX-6R •BMW S1000RR
•Yamaha MT-10 SP •KTM 790 Duke
Race Riot .........................................86
Bruce and Carl have been to Oulton Park for some more endurance racing, whilst Boothy was away chasing birds round the IoM TT course.
88
RACE SECTION
Pit Pass.......................................... 106 The lowdown on BSB, WSBK and MotoGP.
COLUMNISTS
Neave twins ............... 118 Tim’s British Superstock 1000 season is taking shape.
TESTS COVER STORY 999R vs V4R ...................................... 20
They might be years apart, but these two homologation specials from Ducati didn’t half put a smile on our faces.
Bettering your Brakes....................... 44
Scott Redding ......... 119
Bruce has been to Anglesey to find out which mods are worth making to your brakes.
Gary Johnson........... 120
You don’t need 200bhp to have a blast on a motorbike.
The former GP racer is getting the hang of BSB.
Still injured, Gaz struggled at the TT.
Christian Iddon.......... 121
It never rains but it pours, for Iddon.
Steve Parrish ................. 122
Parrish’s take on all things bike-racing.
4 AUGUST 2019 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM
Occupying the Middle ground.......... 52
FEATURES
Ten minutes with.............................. 36
…Luca Marini, Rossi’s half-brother and Moto2 front-runner.
Top Ten Fast Classics........................ 38
Want to invest in a classic bike that can still make you grin? Look no further.
WELCOME
Worth the wait!
I
t’s been a corker of a month; not only has the sun decided to make an appearance, but I got the chance to ride one of my all-time favourite motorcycles. Admittedly, I should probably be shouting about the V4R on the cover, but it was the 999R that really got me buzzing. Ducati made something special with that bike and it didn’t disappoint. As for the V4R, let’s just say it was worthy of all the hype and caused a fair few scuffles in the office because we were all gagging to get our hands on its keys. As special bikes go, it was right up there. It’s a shame Ducati didn’t allow us to test it in last issue’s USB special, and not being able to try it out on track’s not been ideal either. Still, it’s the same score for all in the industry, so there’s no point in harping on, but needless to say, I would sell both Carl and Boothy to give that thing a blast around a circuit. It would have to be a big, wide and open venue. The thing is an animal up the top of its rev range, and I can fully comprehend why it’s been cleaning up in BSB and WSB. Performance aside, the big question is whether it’s likely to be a future classic? The kind of bike that’ll be considered an investable icon in years to come? We’ve got a whole feature on such bikes this month, and there are some pretty tempting options for not a lot of money – it’s worth checking out. In other news, it was great to see so many faces at our recent Fast Bikes trackday. Sorry to those that couldn’t book on (it sold out well in advance), but hopefully we’ll get chance to spin some laps with you next year. On the topic of laps, Carl won’t stop banging on about riding Misano with some bloke called Rossi. It's something that you can do too, so check out his piece in this issue and get your holidays booked early. Anyway, that’s enough about us; what have you been up to? This is the best time of the year, so I hope you’re making the most of it. Riding bikes never gets old, along with meeting new faces and finding new places. So what have you got planned? Where are you off to? We want to know, so drop us a line and we’ll try to get you in the mag. The same goes for those getting on track. We’ve been blown away by the great response we’ve had for our free trackday competition, so keep that momentum going. You might be the next winner of a No Limits trackday – good luck! Enjoy the mag and thanks for all your support.
20
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BOSS MAN
‘Dangerous’ Bruce Wilson dangerous@fastbikes.co.uk
AD MAN
Charlie ‘The Sheriff’ Oakman coakman@fastbikes.co.uk
NEW MAN
Carl ‘Pretty Boy’ Stevens teaboy@fastbikes.co.uk
RACE MAN
Mike ‘Boothy’ Booth race@fastbikes.co.uk
TECH MAN
Rob ‘Beano’ Bean
tech@fastbikes.co.uk
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NE W S & REV IEW S PL ANET FAST BIKES – NE W ME TA L,
WINGED DUCATI V4 STREETFIGHTER REVEALED Here at Fast Bikes, we love a good supernaked. And after being tempted for so long by the spy shots and rumours of Ducati’s naked offering, we’ve finally been treated to the first official information on the prototype Streetfighter V4 – and it’s pretty damn naughty. Just as we’d all hoped, it’s derived directly from the Panigale V4, but has lost the fairings, and has been fitted with high and wide handlebars. Ducati are using the monstrous 1100cm³ Desmosedici Stradale powerplant for good measure, and say it has ‘aerodynamic profiles specifically designed for this model’ – or wings, for us regular folk. Yep, wings, on a naked bike. The V4 Streetfighter made its debut at the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, where it was going to clean up, before a tragic accident occurred (see the boxout right). It looked absolutely stunning as well, running a pixelated livery designed by Centro Stile Ducati, who, unlike using a livery to hide the lines, went for a pixelated livery to show ’em off, and give us a taste of how the production machine will look. According to Claudio Domenicali, the CEO
10 AUGUST 2019 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM
and big boss of Ducati: “The Streetfighter V4 will be one of the stars of the Ducati World Premiere 2020”, which will be presented at EICMA. It will be in Ducati dealerships from mid-March next year, and you can even put down a deposit and register your interest now.
RIP CARLIN DUNNE
At Pikes Peak, the man responsible for the super-stylish press shots, Carlin Dunne, passed away after crashing his V4 Streetfighter at the very end of the lap. Everyone here at Fast Bikes magazine would like to send our deepest condolences to his friends and family.
NEW S & REV IEW S PLA NET FAST BIKES – NEW METAL,
BUY AN RSV4, GET A FREE TRACKDAY! As if anyone needed any more of an excuse to go and buy a new RSV4, Aprilia have just given one. Basically, throughout July the first 25 customers to buy either the RSV4 1000 RR or RSV4 1100 Factory will be invited to Silverstone for a trackday in September as guests of Aprilia. Fancy it? Well ,get down to your local dealers now!
THE NITRO WORLD GAMES ARE COMING TO THE U.K! Enjoy watching people doing insane stunts? Well, look no further than the Nitro World Games… There’s a certain something special about having a load of pros doing ridiculous tricks off massive ramps, isn’t there? We absolutely love it, and now there’s a great opportunity to see one of the biggest competitions on its first time out of the U, S of A… The Nitro World Games will be
taking place in Wales next year, where more than 100 of the very best action sports athletes will invade the Principality Stadium on May 23-24. If you head along, you’ll be able to see five different disciplines: Freestyle Motocross, BMX Best Trick, BMX Triple Hit, Skate Vert and Scooter Best Trick. Fancy it? Tickets are on sale now, from https://www. livenation.co.uk/artist/ nitro-world-games-tickets
MOTORCYCLE LIVE OFFERING FREE LOCKS… Yes, more freebies! If you’re going to Motorcycle Live, you really should go and get booked up for a ticket before November 15, as it means you’ll be entitled to a brand spanking new Oxford lock, worth £25. It’s all subject to availability, blah, blah, so head over to www. motorcyclelive.co.uk to find out more.
DAINESE LAUNCH INDEPENDENT AIRBAG Airbags, they’re everywhere now, aren’t they? Well, they’re about to become even more common, thanks to Dainese’s new Smart Jacket. Available to be worn underneath any type of top, jacket or leathers, the Smart Jacket requires absolutely zero connection to the bike and is actually fully foldable as well. It’s available in different versions for both men and women, and even has a new stationary impact protection for the first time. Pretty smart, aye? This is a pretty big breakthrough in bringing airbag tech to the masses, and will be available from July for £569.95. 12 AUGUST 2019 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM
AUGUST 2019 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 13
D REVIEW ED ND BUS ED AN THE VERY BEST KIT – US ED, AB
ALPINESTARS MM93 SUPERTECH GLOVES It’s no secret, I’m a sucker for snazzy designs and bright colours. So, when Alpinestars announced that they were releasing a Marc Marquez replica set of gloves (and indeed boots), I couldn’t help but get drawn in like a moth to light. I’ve been wearing Astars gloves for as long as I’ve been able to afford them, and like the previous GP Pros I was wearing before, they literally fit, well, like a glove. I know the sizings aren’t quite suitable to everyone, but for me they’re perfect, and even n though they’re a top-of-the-range glove laced with protection, they didn’t take a long time to o run in either – one session, and they were bedded edd in nicely, which is probably helped by the fact that the glove iss pre-curved. They feel incredibly safe on, thanks to the multiple reinforcemen nts throughout, and I love the facct that the 4th and 5th fingers are e secured togeth her,
TESTED BY: Carlos MILES: 2,500+ TIME: 8 months PRIC E: £300 WEB: www.alpinestars.com
making the weakest points on the hand stronger. Although they’re not waterproof or warm in cold rides by any means, I can wear these all day, and when doing endurance racing, the leather on the palms is thick enough to save me getting any blisters. Yeah, they’re a lot of cash so try and get a deal if you can, but at the end of the day, if you want to look good and protect your fingers in the process, I’d definitely recommend a set of these.
6D ATS-1 HELMET TESTED BY: Boothy MILES: 1,000 TIME: 3 Months PRIC E: £699.99 WEB: www.6dhelmets.co.uk
How many years have helmets been design n ned the way they have – with a hard outer shell,l a polystyrene liner and foam cheek pads? Ag g ges. Well 6D have decided there’s a better way of o doing it, and developed and patented an omnidirectional suspension system using elastomeric isolation dampers. It means there are loads of little rubbery bungs holding two EPS liners apart, allowing the helmet carcass to sheer, squash and stretch in all directions, just the right amount to minimise the shock to your head and brain. That’s the idea, anyway. Whilst I was confident the new technology would do its utmost to keep me safe in a crash, my days of crash testing products are (hopefully) over, but I did do a bunch of road and track miles with the 6D to get a good idea of what it was like. First of all it’s a comfortable helmet – the medium fitted my
head nicely and was a snug fit all the way round. Despite the carbon fibre shell shell, it’s it s not the lightest helmet on the planet planet, but when it’s it s on your head it feels as light as anything else out there. The field of vision is fantastic, which makes a massive difference on the road, so the visor gets nine of ten – it loses a point for the seal at the top, which leaked ever so slightly when I got caught in a massive downpour (but it was torrential, and I have been told that adjusting the baseplate would cure this). At very high speed it tended to be a bit buffety and without earplugs the wind noise was a bit of a nuisance, but not horrendous. It does feel like a premium helmet, but that’s exactly what the price tag is. If you fancy something different, why not try one on for size?
AUGUST 2019 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 15
D REVIEW ED ND AN BUS ED A ED AB THE VERY BEST KIT – US ED,
GB RACING ENGINE COVER SET TESTED BY: Bruce MILES: 1100 TIME: 5 months RRP: £161.97 + V.A.T. WEB: www.gbracing.eu
No one plans on crashing, but rest assured it happens. I speak with considerate experience, having hospitalised myself more times than I care to admit to my wife, but on most of those occasions I’ve crashed with my bike(s) sporting GB Racing goodness. It’s been my go-to choice of protection since the company hit the scenes well over a decade ago, and I’m still a big fan of the merchandise, which has only got better with time. It’s what’s fitted to my GSX-R1000 race bike, which I unceremoniously threw at the scenery a few weeks back at over 90mph. At that kind of speed, with a few rumble strips thrown in for good measure, a bike is in the lap of the gods, as it bounces ounces and skits its way undete erminably to a stop. I was dreading seeing what damage I’d done, but was
16 AUGUST 2019 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM
pleasantly surprised to see the only visible damage to my bike was the engine case cover itself (not even the bar-end touched down), which had warn to its wear limit (shown by hole indicators) and had cracked in one area. Who cares? It’d done its job fantastically, meaning I was able to get back out on track and lap up more track-time goodness. I’m not here to preach, but rest assured my bike would’ve been mullered without GB Racing’s protection, so I’d highly recommend you fit theirs or some other brand to your bike. But know that with GB you don’t just get brilliant protection, but a perfectly fitting product, with all the necessary bolts and kits to mount it to your bike. bike Over many years and many crashes, crashes the GB’s kit’s never failed to impress me, and on this particular spill it had my back once again.
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