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JANUARY 28, 2009 MCN SUPPLEMENT X 3
Contents WELCOME WELCOME to the 2009 MCN London Motorcycle Show guide – your unmissable guide to what’s hot at this year’s show at ExCeL. Pre-show fever has hit the MCN office, with all of us getting ever so slightly giddy at the thought of running our grubby mitts over the latest models. Here’s how my weekend is going to pan out… First port of call for me will be the Ducati stand, to get a feel for what the allnew 1098-engined Streetfighter feels like between my legs. Then I’ll probably have to run over to the Bimota stand to surgically remove Neevesy from the DB7. At this point, he’ll drag me to the Yamaha enclosure to spend half an hour gawping at the new R1. My other half will be forced at gunpoint to sit on Suzuki’s new Gladius, if only to prove that some manufacturers do think of women and new riders. I’ve got to see the new BMW S1000RR – the firm’s first inline four World Superbike racer. And I’ll be paying numerous visits to the Carole Nash Live Action Arena, to see the UKFMX guys boinging and backflipping about – the kids’ll lap it up, and I can always just answer their questions of, ‘Dad, can you do that?’ with a knowing, if slightly sheepish, nod. And if there’s enough time left in my day, I might just find a few seconds to hunt down the MCN babes and vote by text for my favourite – not that I’m allowed a favourite, you understand… Bring yourself, your friends, your family, your better half to ExCeL this weekend – there really is something for everyone. Marc Potter, editor
6 See the awesome new R1 for yourself
4 See Ducati’s stunning Streetfighter
11 It’s back… meet the new V-Max
‘Pre-show fever has hit the MCN office this week’ MARC POTTER, EDITOR
9 Check out BMW’s new F800R
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14 Classic racers… including Barry Sheene’s 1975 GP winner
‘Bring yourself, bring your friends, bring your family. There’s something for everyone at the show’
17 Text to vote for your No1 MCN Babe
23 Wild stunts in the Carole Nash Live Action Arena
Show highlights 4 Ducati’s new Streetfighter and iconic 1198 superbike. 5 See BMW’s new World Superbike contender. 6 Yamaha’s new crossplane R1 makes its London debut. Plus WSB technology for new GSX-R1000. 9 Everybody’s getting naked! Suzuki’s new Gladius plus naked bikes from BMW, Buell and Kawasaki. 11 2009 Yamaha V-Max – the return of an icon. Plus debut for BMW’s K1300GT hyper-tourer.
12 A-Z stand listings and comprehensive floorplan. 14 Kevin Carmichael tops the stunt show action. Plus classic bike of the year contest. 15 Top celebrities at the show. 17 Vote for your No1 MCN Babe 18 Hottest new kit from Ducati and more. See it all at the show! 21 Claim your EDZ neckwarmer. 23 Win a 2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R complete with a FREE personalised numberplate. Plus complete show timetable – don’t miss a thing!
MARC POTTER, EDITOR
4 X MCN SUPPLEMENT JANUARY 28, 2009
Fighting fit 1098 engine, traction control, brutal styling… Ducati’s Streetfighter is one of 2009’s most outrageous bikes IT’S been billed as one of the most aggressive looking machines to ever hit showrooms, but underneath the punch-you-in-the-face looks and jaw-flapping angles lies one of the most intelligent naked bikes to go into production. But the Ducati Streetfighter won’t be in dealers until spring, so this is the last chance to cast your eye over the flesh and bones of the model before it goes into hiding for the next few months. Don’t just think Ducati has stripped the fairings away from its superbike and restricted the motor to create this bares-all naked motorcycle. The engine has been yanked straight from the outgoing 1098 as it is: a 1099cc 90° V-twin using the same narrow-angle fourvalve cylinder heads, camshafts and 104mm diameter pistons. But what it does have is Ducati’s self-termed DTC traction control system along with a full Marelli electronics package – the first road-legal bike with
AND THERE’S AN ‘S’ TOO IN true Ducati fashion there will be a tweaked version of the Streetfighter S available as well. Upgrades come in the form of suspension with the Showa OE fitments swapped for fully-adjustable Ohlins allround. The handlebars will also be substituted for the same clip-ons that
come with the 1098 Superbike to give a sportier feel. And the 10-spoke alloy Marchesini wheels from the standard bike will be dropped in favour of lighter fivespoke forged replacements from the same manufacturer. Expect to pay around the £14,000 mark.
traction control to come out of the Bologna factory (you have to fork out extra for the race ECU and exhaust kit to be able to put the seven-stage traction system through its paces on the 1098R). Also incorporated into the focused streetbike is the Ducati Data Analysis (DDA) function. This allows owners to plug a memory stick into the socket under the seat and download up to three-and-ahalf hours of riding data including rpm, throttle opening and more. Combined with the barely
detuned motor, it’s far to say Ducati isn’t hiding the bike’s track credentials. A side-mounted twin exhaust system replaces the iconic underseat cans used on the superbike and there’s no ram-air, stripping the power of around the region of 5bhp. But with a claimed power output of 155bhp with 85ftlb of torque it’s pushing close to the 165bhp reading from Suzuki’s B-King and BMW’s revised K1300R with 175bhp. The headlight unit is unique to the Streetfighter
THE COMPETITION » Suzuki GSX1300 B-King: £9000 – 164bhp » BMW K1300R: £9500 –175bhp
and any untidiness under the front cylinder and located within the steel trellis frame is concealed with an extended carbon bellypan and plastic covers. The clutch covers have Ducati logos cut into them rather than being plain like on the 1098 Superbike and the mirrors have been adopted from the re-nosed Monster 1100 that also arrives in UK dealers in 2009. But the seat unit, tank, front mudguard and digital display are all the same as those on the 1098. Chassis-wise, the only difference from the sport sbike is the bars. The Streetfighter has handlebar risers and raised bars instead of clipons, but other than that it’s all on par with the flagship superbike, including the gorgeous-looking singlesided swingarm. The machine comes equipped with fully-adjustable Showa forks and rear shock, Brembo four-piston monobloc calipers and twin 330mm discs up front to complete the high-spec components list. Pirelli Diablo rubber comes as standard, wrapping 10-spoke alloy Marchesini wheels.
» Triumph Speed Triple: £7799 – 128bhp
WHAT TO LOOK AT
» MV Agusta Brutale 910: £10,500 – 136bhp
THIS is a completely new model so behold the entirety of it. It could become the talking point of 2009: you’ll either love the hardcore styling or hate it.
» Buell 1125CR: £7830 –146bhp » Honda CB1300R: £6950 – 130bhp » Ducati Streetfighter S: £14,000 (est) – 155bhp
SPEC SHEET Name: Ducati Streetfighter Cost: £11,000 (est) Power: 155bhp (claimed) Torque: 85ftlb (claimed) Engine: Liquid-cooled, 1099cc, 8v, four-stroke, 90° V-twin. Six gears. Colours: Red, black In showrooms: Spring
More shove for iconic V-twin EVERYTHING might look very familiar but after two years the 1098 is out and has been replaced with an increased-capacity 1198 superbike. The bigger-bore engine out of the £24,000 1098R has pushed out the 1099cc motor, but Ducati has kept costs down by wrapping the package with a more affordable chassis and component parts. Larger inlets and exhaust valves have been introduced following developments from the Xerox World Superbike factory team’s knowledge and the larger
injectors from the 1098R also get carried across to the 1198. The pistons have been reinforced on the underside allowing a shorter skirt to create less friction between the pistons and cylinders. The 1198 will follow the trend set by the all-new Streetfighter (see above) by incorporating Ducati’s DTC traction control system. But everything else is virtually unchanged compared to the 1098 including suspension, brakes and the tubular steel frame. New 10-spoke Marchesini wheels will be fitted to the standard 1198, and the
slightly more expensive 1198S will be available with seven-spoke forged gold Marchesinis. There’s also a commemorative Troy Bayliss 1098R available for 2009 in the colours used by the three-times World Superbike champion in his final career race. The bike will be slightly more than the 1098R’s £24,000 price tag but comes with a full Termignoni system and race ECU and a special paddock stand and bike cover. See the Ducati in the metal on stand N120 and prepare to want one…
SPEC SHEET Name: Ducati 1198 Cost: £11, 955 Power: 168bhp (claimed) Torque: 97ftlb (claimed) Engine: Liquid-cooled 1198.4cc 8v Desmo, fourstroke, 90° V-twin, fuel injection. Six gears. Colours: Red, black In showrooms: Now Stand number: N120
Gold seven-spoked forged Marchesini wheels distinguish the 1198S from the base model
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JANUARY 28, 2009 MCN SUPPLEMENT X 5
STAND
N120
MCN’s Trevor Franklin tests Ducati’s 2009 Monster 1100
Monster’s makeover LAST year Ducati revamped the Monster with the new 696 replacing the 695, giving the firm’s best-selling model its first real facelift since the bike was launched back in 1993. And the Monster 1100 follows the same pattern for 2009 with a new and improved version. The new model boasts the latest-generation 1100DS motor plus improvements over the most recent outgoing S2R Monster, including lighter casings. The ECU has been updated to sharpen the instant take-off when you crack the throttle. The swingarm is Ducati’s new one-piece lightweight single-sider and the trellis frame is similar to that of the 696 Monster. It’s set to come in at just shy of £8000 in standard trim and just over £9000 for a tweaked ‘S’ model.
WE’VE RIDDEN IT MCN’s chief road tester Trevor Franklin has already
BMW S1000RR is go! FORGET heated grips, panniers and electrically height-adjustable screens – BMW’s latest innovation is a bike that’s been built to conquer World Superbikes and you can see it for the first time this year at the MCN show. The German manufacturer is taking its assault very seriously with a newly-developed inline four-cylinder engine and a beam-framed design housing it that has more Japan about it than quirky European thinking. And many of the features from the race bike will transfer straight over to the machine
you can have on the road. The S1000RR is going to be laden with technology. Sport ABS, like that used on the new CBR600RR and Fireblade, will be fitted but with the option of having it on or off with the flick of a switch. And BMW has already mentioned some advanced technology in the cylinder heads that it is still keeping close to its chest. Brute power will also be a big feature of the road bike. Insiders have said they are aiming at a one-bhp-per-kg power-to-weight ratio, or 190bhp from the 190kg machine!
And if the performance figures don’t impress you, the styling will. The sidepanels feature fairing gills – these are crafted to suck hot air away from the tightlypacked engine and radiator. But to keep the costs down to make it a competitive equivalent to 1198s, Blades and R1s there is no self-supported carbon seat unit like on BMW’s HP2 Sport. No price has been set, but BMW says it’s set to come in around the Japanese litre superbikes. With no official road bike launched, the race bike prototype will be in pride of place at the show.
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ridden the Monster 1100. He said: “If it’s fun you’re after, the Monster 1100 will supply on demand. Grab those bars and swing through the bends like a bicycle with no brakes. It is that easy to chop and change direction. And with heat in the Bridgestone BT016 tyres there’s a lot of ground clearance to explore and sports bikes to chase. “The Ducati Monster is very, very good – a proper air-cooled Ducati.”
SPEC SHEET Name: Ducati Monster 1100 Cost: £7800 (est) Power: 95bhp (claimed) Torque: 79.5ftlb (claimed) Engine: Air-cooled 1078cc 4v Desmodromic, fourstroke 90° V-twin. Fuel injection. Six gears. Colours: Red, silver, black In showrooms: Now Stand number: N120
STAND
‘The new Monster is a very, very good bike – a proper aircooled Ducati’ TREVOR FRANKLIN, MCN CHIEF ROAD TESTER ‘Ducati’s awesome Streetfighter is its first road bike with traction control’
‘The 1198 has technology developed by the Xerox World Superbike race team’
N140 ‘BMW’s S1000R is going to be laden with technology’
Aggressive-looking gills are designed to suck hot air away from the four-cylinder engine
6 X MCN SUPPLEMENT JANUARY 28, 2009
It’s the £10k N350 MotoGP bike STAND
The next-generation R1 is the closest thing to Rossi’s M1 for the road, and you can eye it up at the MCN Show YAMAHA is hoping to land a knockout punch on its superbike opponents in 2009 with the totally new ‘crossplane’ R1. Featuring a crossplane crankshaft, irregular firing interval engine and an all-new chassis, the new R1 shares its DNA with Yamaha’s factory YZR-M1 MotoGP bike. Other inline, four-cylinder road bikes have crankpins spaced at 180° to each other and an evenly-spaced firing order. The new R1 has crankpins set at 90°, so the pistons are stepped rather than two-up and two-down with firing intervals at 270°, 180°, 90°,180° on cylinders 1-2-4-3. The result is a linear, V4-like, delivery. Yamaha claims 182bhp, but its trump card will be how that is delivered – progressively and smoothly. There’s also a new fork design – instead of both forks dealing with compression and rebound forces together like a conventional system,
the tasks are divided between the fork legs. One fork leg control the rate of compression but would spring back unhindered on its own, whilst the other side controls the return stroke. Ultimately it means closer fine-tuning to make the R1 an ultimate ’09 track tool. The rear shock is also new. At a glance, you might find it difficult to differentiate between this and the outgoing 2008 machine. In styling terms the bike is purely an evolution of the shapely lines and acute angles of the recognised YZF range despite every single fairing panel being changed. The black surrounds around the bug-eyed headlamps are the bike’s ram-air intakes so there are no intakes underneath the light units themselves. And round the back it’s a similar sight – twin exhausts under the seat unit but with a new angular shape to the cans. The chassis is also familiar – the tried and tested Delt-
THE COMPETITON THE Ducati 1198, Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 and KTM RC8R will go head-tohead with the new R1 in 2009, but there are also other bikes that will keep you indecisive over which manufacturer to make your cheque out to. HONDA FIREBLADE Cost: £9300 (est) (est £10,300 with ABS) Power: 162.2bhp (claimed) Torque: 78.79ftlb (claimed)
The 2009 R1 is one of the most significant machines in years abox concept with varying thicknesses of cast alloy sections to improve rigidity. And the new motor is also mounted 12mm further forwards in the frame. The cylinders are more upright than previous models to improve front-end feel by altering the weight distribution. The rear subframe has been cast out of magnesium and the swingarm is redesigned to be lighter than its
predecessor, all in the name of moving the weight further forward.
KAWASAKI ZX-10R Cost: £8913 Power: 170.53bhp (claimed) Torque: 92.9ftlb (claimed) APRILIA RSV4 Cost: £14,00 (est) Power: 180bhp (est) Torque: 85ftlb (est)
WE’VE RIDDEN IT MCN’s senior road tester Michael Neeves rode the bike at its world launch at Eastern Creek, Australia. He said: “It has exactly the same distinctive, ghostly wail as Rossi’s Yamaha at full chat and the engine spins up like a two-stroke when you blip it
at a standstill. It’s just as quick to rev on the move, which equals awe-inspiring, relentless levels of acceleration. The engine is ultra-responsive and the bike punches out of corners like a V-twin and screams down the straights like only a four can.”
SPEC SHEET Name: Yamaha YZF-R1 Cost: £9999 Power: 179bhp (claimed) Torque: 85ftlb (claimed) Engine: Liquid-cooled, 998cc, 4v DOHC fourstroke inline four. Fuel injection. Six gears. Colours: White, blue, black In showrooms: Late Feb Stand number: N350
GSX-R uses WSB know-how ANY superbike that a manufacturer is building with a view to destroying the opposition in the top production bike series is going to cause a stir. And that’s the intention of Suzuki which has used knowledge from its factory World Superbike squad to create a championship winner. And that very bike will
take centre stage on the Suzuki stand at the London Motorcycle Show. From a distance you might think little has changed – it all looks very traditional GSX-R. But when you get alongside the sleekly-faired K9 you’ll soon notice a size difference. Suzuki has completely redesigned the engine
to make the bike more compact. The idea is to increase the length of the swingarm (33mm longer than the K7/8) without extending the overall length of the bike. In fact, Suzuki has managed to shorten the machine by a healthy 10mm. The package of shorter wheelbase and longer swingarm will equate
to riders being able to get the power down harder and faster with a reduced chance of wheelspin or wheelies. Meanwhile, keeping the overall wheelbase short means the bike will retain its sharp handling. Suzuki has also made big changes to the suspension, running big piston Showa
forks – the same technology used by Kawasaki for its ZX-6R. The fork leg is used as the cartridge for the piston to move in reducing the variations the fork fluid has to pass through the damping mechanism. This technology means damping control is more precise at all speeds. While you’re at the stand check out the new GSX-R600 K9, which is revised for 2009.
JANUARY 28, 2009 MCN SUPPLEMENT X 7
Also look for... STAND
N580
HONDA CBR600RR9 NEW FOR ’09 THE biggest news here is the ABS option – the first on a supersport bike. It’s been brought in to improve braking stability. Torque has also been upped on the 118bhp (claimed) motor and high speed stability has also been worked on with front-end design tweaks. STAND NUMBER: N580
STAND
N230 ‘The R1 has exactly the same ghostly wail as Rossi’s MotoGP bike at ful -chat’ MICHAEL NEEVES, MCN ROAD TESTER
KTM RC8R NEW FOR ’09 LIKE the GSX-R1000 (below, left) KTM has set its sights on a competitive WSB assault with the RC8R. It’s a higher-spec version of the existing RC8 with a bigger bore motor. The capacity has risen to 1199cc from 1148cc for a claimed 7bhp more with the road exhaust and 25bhp with a race system! STAND NUMBER: N230
‘Suzuki has completely redesigned the GSX-R’s engine’
The headlight surrounds double as ram-air intakes
SPEC SHEET Name: Suzuki GSX-R1000K9 Cost: £8949 (est) Power: 167bhp (est) Torque: 78ftlb (est) Engine: Liquid-cooled, 999cc 16v, four-stroke inline four. Fuel-injection. Six gears. Colours: Blue/white, silver, black, red In showrooms: Feb/March Stand number: N518
STAND
N250 KAWASAKI ZX-6R NEW FOR ’09
Also available in white/silver
BUILDING on the success of the 1000cc Ninja, Kawasaki has sculpted its supersport machine into a smaller version of the ZX-10R. Performance has been updated with the big piston forks and improvements on midrange power delivery. STAND NUMBER: N250
JANUARY 28, 2009 MCN SUPPLEMENT X 17
Pick your own MCN Babe! Watch out for the MCN Babes at the show then vote by text for your favourite POSSIBLY the most difficult part of coming to ExCeL is going to be the distractions away from the new bikes, especially with our six stunning Babe of the Year finalists strutting around the show.
And for the first time you will be our panel of expert judges who select the overall winner. After starting off with 50 entrants, motorcyclenews. com users and top model agency CTA narrowed the
list down to just six stunners. And these are the girls you see before you. All six will be at the show for the full four days, chatting to showgoers and straddling bikes. Each of them will each be wearing a
T-shirt with their name and a specific text number. Keep your eye out for all six of the girls, pick your favourite and text the relevant number they’ll be wearing. It’s that easy, and it means the overall MCN
Babe of the Year will win by popular demand! Don’t miss your chance to have your say on your No1 girl. On Sunday, February 1 – the final day of the show – the number of texts will be counted up and the one with
MIRANDA LOY
ELLIE FORD
NATALIE WATERSON
Hair colour: Brunette From: Greenford Age: 24 Vital stats: 34DD, waist 24, hips 34
Hair colour: Blonde From: Hampshire Age: 23 Vital stats: 30F, waist 24, hips 34
Hair colour: Blonde From: Solihull Age: 22 Vital stats: 32E, waist 25, hips 34
the most will take the crown and be revealed as the 2009 MCN Babe of the Year. N Texts cost 50p plus one standard rate message. Lines close February 1 at noon. Full terms at www.motorcyclenews.com/mcnbabes
‘Look out for the girls at the show, each will be wearing a T-shirt with their name and text number’
‘We selected six Babe of the Year finalists from 50 hopefuls’
‘Pick your favourite and text the relevant number to vote’ NIKKI HEMMINGS
DEBBIE O’TOOLE
GEMMA MASSEY
Hair colour: Brunette From: Wimbledon Age: 26 Vital stats: 30DD, waist 26, hips 34
Hair colour: Blonde From: Derby Age: 23 Vital stats: 32D, waist 28, hips 34
Hair colour: Brunette From: Tamworth Age: 24 Vital stats: 32D, waist 22, hips 32
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