GAME CHANGER!
BMW’s s 1000 rr Fires Up Superbike industry With High-tech gadgets
Cycle Rider MAGAZINE
CYCLERIDER . ME
MANUFACTURER SHOOTOUT Big Four Goes to War for American Market Share Fear The Ninja Team Green Gets Mean With The ZX-R Series
Blast From the Past! Yamaha’s
1968 DT-1 Kawasaki’s
1969 Mach III
Honda’s
King Of The Dirt
March
USA $3.99
2011
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Inside Scoop On The Planet’s Best MX & SX Stars
1969 CB750
CAnADA $4.50
2011 YZF-R1
Take Back Adventure It Looks Mean. It Rides Meaner.
The supersport liter class has never seen anything like this. The all new YZF-R1 keeps the same beautiful shape and introduces an industry first achievement. It is the world’s first production motorcycle with a crossplane crankshaft. Translation? Unbelievably smooth power delivery impossible from traditional crankshaft design and increased torque for acceleration that is out of this world.
For more information text “YZF-r1” to 998754 or visit www.yamaha-motor.com Always wear a helmet, eye protection, and proper apparel. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Adhere to the maintenance schedule in your owner’s manual. Professional rider shown on a closed course. Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
Reinvention of the
American Sport Rider
A brief history of sport riding, American culture and the motorcycle manufacturers who turned 20th century motorbikes into high-tech works of art. BY SEAN RUSSELL
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orldly doom and gloom, sluggish sales figures, decreased Japanese R&D, predictions of a European change of guard but the fact still remains: Japan’s Big Four dominate the American motorcycle market—Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki each sharing their spirit for racing with millions of riders. The Japanese started manufacturing motorcycles long after early European and American companies but their rise post-World War II forever changed the sport industry. Before 1945, Europeans ruled cycle racing and smashed speed records they set in the first place. After WWII, Japanese rode around construction detours on the way to ruling the world on two-wheels. In the United States, public opinion called motorcyclists, “troublemakers” and that was that. It’s amazing how powerful bad press can be. LIFE magazine hooked Americans in July of 1947 with an oversized snapshot of a drunken rider engulfed in beer bottles above a headline reading, “Cyclist’s Holiday.” The article covered a Fourth of July weekend event in Hollister, California, fueled by roughly 4,000 boozed-up bikers celebrating the finale of the annual American Motorcycle Association Gypsy Tour. American motorcycling remained misunderstood until it received an image overhaul in the sixties. But how do you change public opinion in the United States? Honda took the marketing approach while others chose the checkered flag.
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MARCH 2011/4
Honda History
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amaha entered the American racing arena before any other Japanese company. Through the
sixties, Honda’s “Nicest People” ad campaign and pop-culture event sponsorships softened the country to two-wheeled transport. Perception shifted. Foreign cycles captivated a new era of riders and so began the American sportbike movement. Seems simple enough but the story is much longer. Today, Japanese to designer companies like Ducati, BMW and Aprilla mass-produce the most inexpensive race-replicated vehicles on the planet. Affordability made sport riding accessible. Raw exhilaration kept riders hooked. And the combination of the two helped to develop a diverse population of sport riders, all sharing in a universal truth—we respectfully accept the risks for the sensory fiesta felt at every twist on and off the throttle. It is a beautiful thing when our brain screams, “Danger, Will Robinson!” and our body smirks, curl its toes and ducks into what lies ahead. That is motorcycling. Riding is art performed on the track, through traffic and far off the beaten path. Our bikes are chapters in a long history of sport riding—a history that begins with the manufacturers. What we think of American sport riding today really started with Honda Motor Company’s marketing magic performed through the sixties. First, a little background, decades before winning the hearts and minds of couldbe riders, Soichiro Honda’s motorsport career began in early 20th century Japan when the young teen met Yuzo Sakakibara, the owner of a Tokyo auto and motorcycle servicing shop. Every great business figure had an equally great mentor. Yuzo was that person for Honda. Yuzo shared a vast knowledge of engineering, fabrication, management and vehicle repair to a teen who would later head the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer. As a young man, Honda built a name for himself as a skilled vehicle engineer, fabricator and mechanic. He did everything from customize a city fire truck to building race cars. Naturally, he tested his race builds on the track until an unfortunate wreck severely injured his co-pilot/ brother and freaked out his family enough to take Honda out of the driver’s seat. His energy turned to designing a bicycle engine while war of all things set the stage for motorcycle demand. In 1948, Honda Motor Company
1948
1959
opened in response to a post-WWII Japan desperately in need of inexpensive and fuel-efficient transportation. Company popularity grew as improved models came off the production line. A year after founding on the motorbike’s simplicity, the 98cc Dream D motorcycle kicked off Honda’s sportbike journey. Wasting no time, Soichiro set his sights on American expansion. Attacking U.S. With A Smile Soichiro knew success in America relied on the public disassociating his company from motorcycling’s outlaw image. That meant motorcycles far from anything that scared a newbie half to death. Safety was priority number one. On June 4, 1959, the first American Honda Motor Company office opened in Los Angeles. This was the same year Alaska and Hawaii became states. The country was changing. Showroom sales were weak initially but steadily increased as ad campaigns highlighted everyday people riding Hondas. The message stuck. By 1963, American Honda sold 100,000 street and off-road motorcycles. Rider success on those bikes dumped fuel on the company-interest flame. Some rode for leisure, others because of
1964
1969
convenience and then there were the adrenaline junkies who tested themselves alongside their machines. The latter group was pure sport riders. Motorcycle fanaticism ensued and company execs toasted with champagne glasses. To date, marketing students study the “Nicest People” ad campaign because of its huge success in flipping American product opinion. Riding Nice Turns Dirty Triumphs off-road set the stage for revolutionary street bikes. In 1962, Dave Ekins and Bill Robertson Jr. flogged dual 250cc CL72 Scramblers down the 963 miles separating Tijuana and La Paz, Mexico in record time. The unsanctioned sprint inspired the makings of the inaugural ’67 Baja 1000. If there is ever a good time to become one with your ride, it is when ripping over miles of loose desert at highway speeds. Honda won the two-wheel category of the Baja 1000 in its second year and has since become a staple on the Baja trophy podium. Early off-road success from bikes like the CR250R Elsinore later transitioned into Motocross (MX) and Supercross (SX). It was time to tear up the asphalt. From Dirt to Street Supremacy Honda’s grip on racing grew through the decades thanks to what Cycle World magazine coined the world’s first superbike. In 1969, Honda rocketed into the sport market as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first to walk on the moon. The ’69 CB750—a large displacement, inline four-cylinder with disc brakes—was one small step for man and one giant leap for motorcycle manufacturing. Writers hailed it as unbelievable and riders couldn’t wait to try it on the open road. Full out, it did 120 MPH and speed-hungry American consumers could not get enough. By 1981, a race version of the CB750 won the Daytona 200 with one of many great riders soon to come. Big Red’s Favorite New School Racers A fast bike is nothing without an equal rider. Honda
2000
2011
In 2002, a prototype Honda RC211V piloted by Italian-superstar Valentino Rossi won the company’s first MotoGP Championship. Soichiro Honda was born November 17, 1906, in Tenryu City, Japan. He apprenticed at Art Shokai. Honda Motor Company founded in 1948.
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AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Dave Ekins racing a Honda CB95. After winning numerous off-road events, Ekins became a motorcycle journalist.
Business schools study Honda’s famous “Nicest People” ad campaign as a landmark in American marketing.
The 1969 Honda CB750 Four affordably retailed for $1,495 in America. Comparable bikes sold for between $2,800 and $4,000. www.work2ride.me
Jeremy McGrath won a total of 72 races inlcluding seven AMA Supercross Championship titles. He now proffesionally races off-road trucks.
The 2011 CBR1000RR is Honda’s fastest streetbike. It features an electronically controlled combined ABS and electronic steering damper. MARCH 2011/6
American Honda Racing’s Trey Canard riding a CRF250R during the 2010 Motocrosss season. CRF450R after winning each 450cc division race of the ’04 AMA Motocross National series. American riders owned the dirt at this point but we had yet to lock down a new school rider capable of bringing home a MotoGP Championship. The stars aligned in 2006 as Crash won Best Picture and Kentucky-born Nicky Hayden won Best Rider after taking Honda to their second MotoGP Championship title. Hayden became the seventh American MotoGP/500cc winner. If there was ever a time for new street riders to feel inspired, this was it. Hayden was young, looked like a regular dude and made racing seem easy. His appeal reignited domestic interest in the sport and helped Honda sell bikes. A solid marketing plan kept sales booming. Honda’s eye for talent took them to the top almost as quick as the three seconds it takes a CBR1000RR to hit sixty. A New Partnership In Racing Winning countless races, catering to an army of followers and a model lineup of top-tier motorcycles helped Honda do something no one else ever had. In 2010, as BP looked for cost-effective ways to clean the Gulf, a brand new world racing series called Moto2 kept things affordable. Moto2 chose Big Red as its single engine supplier. Making everyone use an engine inspired by the CBR600RR meant teams would not spend millions on their own R&D. No other manufacturer has ever exclusively provided an entire motorcycle race class with identical engines. Soichiro Honda took a small Japanese shop and built an empire. He understood his riders because he was one of them but his company didn’t get to where it is without help. Had it not been for a full cast of talent, Honda’s leading role would have felt emptier than The Fast & the Furious missing Vin-D and his crew. Seriously, who would have built Paul Walker a ten-second car?
Yamaha History
had the right equipment and fantastic early racers but it wasn’t until the nineties that they signed some real household names. American SX and MX fans could not help but get behind Jeremy McGrath. Honda sponsored the “King of Supercross” before he had the crown. McGrath won the majority of dirt races entered through the nineties, which amounted to 12 SX/MX championships and 101 career victories. His stardom pumped up American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) viewership and turned the sport into a big-money attraction. The turn of the century got even better for Honda Racing. In 2002, their top riders could do no wrong. On the world stage, Italian-superstar Valentino Rossi piloted a prototype RC211V to the company’s first FIM MotoGP World Championship title—the most elite cycle series in existence. Texan Colin Edwards won the FIM Superbike World Championship. To top it off, Ricky Carmichael signed on to reignite MX fanship as another hero of the dirt. In Carmichael’s first season, he won the ’02 AMA Supercross Championship and 24 of the 24 AMA 250 Motocross National events, the first perfect season in MX history. American Honda sport riders walked with an inflated chest that year. It is empowering when series champions win on a modified bike more or less like the one sitting in your garage. Street riders who bought into the next generation 599cc ’03 CBR600RR definitely felt as fast as their bike looked. Back on the dirt, Carmichael was faster than his bike looked. He went on to win both MX and SX championships in 2003 and McGrath retired. Newly crowned, Carmichael kept the streak alive and made everyone want to ride a
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amaha couldn’t have helped Mr. Arizona (P. Walker) in the car department but they could have told him how to win race wars. Honda rose out of a love for motorsports. Music inspired Yamaha Motor Company. That’s right, music and here is how: in the late 19th and early 20th century, Torakusu Yamaha manufactured Japanese reed organs and pianos for a small but growing market. Before 1900, Japan imported most of its pianos and organs from Europe. Torakusu tuned into his niche and the cash rolled in. After WWII, research into international markets exposed a need for more motorcycles. Genichi Kawakami, the first president of Yamaha Motor Company, spotted the opportunity and a light bulb went off. He realized the metal-alloy technologies they used for building instruments could also work for motorcycle design. Making music led to making bikes and the three-pointed tuning fork logo tied it all together. Taking America On The Track Music doesn’t win races or make motorcycles go faster. Breaking into
the market meant offering something cheap but quick enough to take pole position. In August 1954, 125 YA-1 motorcycles answered the call. The next year was hectic as Yamaha Motor Company formed, full-scale production of the 125cc YA-1 began and success at the acclaimed Mt. Fuji Ascent Race and Asama Highlands Race got people talking. Winning races turned out to be a great marketing technique. With Japanese riding Yamaha, it was time to get America onboard. In 1958, Yamaha took to the United States on the track with a three-pronged plan. First, they entered into the American Catalina Grand Prix and finished sixth thus becoming the first Japanese motorcycle manufacturer in the international race circuit. On the momentum of impressed fans, Yamaha then employed an independent Californian distributor who marketed and sold the company’s first motorcycles in the United States. Third, Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., under a different name in 1960, took full operational control and gave Honda
someone to look over their shoulder for. Mission accomplished. Street + Dirt = A New Adventure Chili and cheese, Stewie and Bryan, fireworks and beer—what do these all have in common? They are individually great and even better together. In 1968, Yamaha took this approach and combined street riding with dirt riding. The result was the world’s first mass-produced on/off-road enduro motorcycle. The 250cc, two-stroke DT-1 took adventure riding to the next level. The problem was most Americans didn’t buy into Japanese for their MX needs. For the time being, the British ruled this market. The ’71 DT-2MX took the first real stab at winning rider support. MX aside, their future looked bright. They were going to need a much bigger trophy rack for the years to come. The Man Who Put Racing On Its Knees Racing is sort of like a Dave Brubeck piano solo. What looks like improvised insanity is actually a string of rehearsed motions performed well enough to look easy. Looks
Rossi and Yamaha teammate/rival Jorge Lorenzo during ‘09 MotoGP Season.
(Above, Left) The 2011 Honda CBR600RR has a wet weight of 410 pounds. (Below, Left) Valentino Rossi racing the Repsol Honda RC211V. 7/CYCLE RIDER
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1998 YZ400F Winning On A Wave Of Technology The same year “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” topped Billboard charts and an antitrust lawsuit slapped Bill Gates in the face, the winner’s circle met the ’98 YZF-R1 and ’98 YZF400F. Had Mr. Microsoft ducked the Justice Department’s indictment, either of the YZFs would have gotten him away from Johnny Law in a flash. The YZF400F ended an era of two-strokes in MX and introduced riders to four-stroke power. Designers looked to the shape of a bullet before coming up with the YZF-R1. It whipped necks out of alignment at every crack of the throttle. The R1
1998 YZF-R1 weighed less, ran faster and stood smaller than the comparable Honda CBR900RR, Kawasaki ZX-9R and Suzuki TL-1000R. In 1998, no one else stood a chance against what Yamaha brought to the dirt and street. Technology kept the YZF series relevant as future models introduced fuel injection and the industry’s first partial fly-by-wire throttle system. All of this technology would have never hit the everyday rider had it not been previously successful on the track. Learning From The Maestro When it comes to racer approval there is one opinion that means more than most. In 2004, Yamaha made international news after enticing Rossi away from Honda and into a new contract. Rossi came out of the gate on a mission of world domination. He took the ’04, ’05, ’08 and ’09 MotoGP World Championship title. He had plenty of great battles riding for Repsol Honda but his run for Fiat Yamaha is as iconic as the waving leg he throws off the peg coming into corners. Rossi is one of the best in history but Texas-born Ben Spies, who won his first FIM Superbike World Championship on a YZF-R1, is the company’s future in MotoGP. Spies brought the World Superbike title back to the USA after a six-year hiatus before moving up to MotoGP.
Rossi left Team Yamaha for Ducati after the ’10 season but not without putting up an all-time battle against teammate and season winner Jorge Lorenzo. Call it his final concerto in a six-year masterpiece. Josh Hayes kept spirits high by winning the ’10 AMA Pro American Superbike Championship on a Graves Motorsports YZF-R1. There is something special about riding for this team. It could be the music or simply the talent. Either way, they provided us with some of the best race highlights ever uploaded on YouTube. Today, Yamaha Motor Company is the second largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. The YZF-R1 remains their fastest production supersport, tested at a companyowned race facility in Fukuroi, Japan. Serious testing keeps them competitive against possibly their biggest rival in the AMA circuit, the GSX-R1000. Dressed in yellow, Suzuki rolled into racetracks bumping the chorus of DJ Quik’s “Dollaz + Sense” and made new racers an offer they could not afford to ignore.
2003 GSX-R1000
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efore joining the Big Four, this manufacturer got its jollies from weaving cotton and silk. Suzuki Loom Manufacturing Company, established in 1920, tailored itself into a brand known for insane riders and super-fast cycles after WWII forced them out of the wonderful career of cloth. War-damaged loom facilities left the weaving business in rags and founder, Michio Suzuki, needed a new way to make a living. He rode out of the red amidst an early fifties motorbike-buying bonanza in Japan. He broke into the market with motorized two-stroke bicycles. In 1954, amidst the McCarthy communist witch hunt in America, capitalism and booming sales helped form Suzuki Motor Co., Ltd. The following year, the125cc, two-stroke Colleda became the company’s first motorcycle. Earning market share in the early sixties meant beating Honda and Yamaha. So in 1962, Suzuki engineered a race bike for the Isle of Man TT’s first-ever 50cc category— mind you, this is the most danger-
ous road race in the world—and won the championship. They took this “No Guts, No Glory” attitude to America the following year. U.S. Suzuki Motor Corp. opened in Los Angeles while they won the ’63 Isle of Man TT 50cc category for the second time. Big bikes and big names soon put Suzuki in the ranks of the industry’s best. Getting Funky In The Dirt In a time of lava lamps, bellbottoms and the Bee Gees, Suzuki did more than stay alive in the dirt riding circuit. Through the seventies, they stacked FIM World Motocross Championship and AMA Motocross Championship titles. The ‘71 Suzuki TM400 gave MX riders an option and the ’75 RM125 gave everyone something to save for. Racers like Brad Lackey, the first American 500cc World MX champion, Roger Decoster and Mark Barnett showed how hard you could push a Suzuki. Yellow became fashionable on the dirt and the RM series stitched itself into MX history. RM represents the brand but a different series defines who they are. Birth Of A Company Icon Every motorcycle manufacturer has a series riders think of when they see a brand’s logo. In the eighties, Suzuki found their identity on the street with the GSX-R series. In 1986, a
year after release overseas, the 749cc GSX-R750 came to an America that could not stop spending. The National Debt had doubled to two-trillion dollars in a matter of six years and our checkbooks never thought about closing. If you are going to spend mine as well buy something fast and in ’86 no other industry superbike outmatched the “Gixxer.” It screamed, “Race” and if its riders couldn’t hear than they could pick up a company brochure and find out what the “R” in the model name stood for. Getting Paid To Play On A Gixxer Suzuki wanted riders to do more than look fast on their bikes. They wanted them to be fast but getting on the track isn’t cheap so they came up with a contingency program that paid GSX-R racers for podium
2005 RM250 finishes. The program grabbed club-racing support and checkered flags turned into paydays across the country. Kevin Schwantz and Jamie James made a nice chunk of change on GSX-R750s after winning the ’88 Daytona-200 and ’89 AMA Superbike Championship, respectively. A decade later, Mat Mladin kept the torch lit by winning the ’99 AMA Superbike Championship. GSX-Rs then won eight of the next nine AMA Superbike Championship titles. Before 1999, the series included a 600cc, 750cc and 1000cc model and then the ’99 Hayabusa GSX-R1300 swooped in. The ‘Busa became the largest model in the
2011 GSX-R1000
2011 YZF-R1 9/CYCLE RIDER
Suzuki History
are deceiving though. Brubeck and California-raised Kenny Roberts Sr. inspired a ridiculous amount of imitation because they were just that good. Now in the MotoGP Hall of Fame, Roberts Sr. put on quite the world tour from 1978 to 1980. During this time, he became the first American 500cc MotoGP World champion before winning two more times. That is three consecutive seasons of gold at MotoGP. He gave the country bragging rights and showed everyone how to drag a knee through turns. Hanging off the bike with a knee in the corner has become as common to racing as the mention of Brubeck’s “Take Five” in American Jazz class. Roberts Sr. inspired change at the rider level and helped Yamaha do the same as a manufacturer.
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FEATURED RIDE
2011 Suzuki Hayabusa A famous falcon dives back into the lineup
Tech
Specs Price
$13,699
Engine Type
Horizontal In-line
Valve train
DOHC, 4v
Displacement
1340cc
Transmission
6-speed constant mesh
Claimed horsepower
180
Claimed torque
na
Frame
Aluminum
Front suspension Inverted telescopic, coil spring, oil damped
series and showed speed freaks what riding a rocket felt like. Hayabusa translates to Peregrine falcon in Japanese—a bird that can reach 175 MPH in dive. Marketers relished the fact that such a falcon eats black birds. Honda’s go-fast 1100cc Blackbird led the industry in speed until the ‘Busa came along. Suzuki had the speed, the wins and a big checkbook. They soon would also have one of the world’s most iconic extreme sports athletes, continued Gixxer success and balance sheet issues. 21st Century Guts & Glory The 21st century featured a youth obsessed with dangerous stunts, 11/CYCLE RIDER
pranks and the kind of behavior old generations made Dateline NBC Special Reports about. MTV found serious success with the Jackass series while Travis Pastrana showed his own level of crazy on a dirt bike. When talking guts, not many have more than this guy. Pastrana is the Rossi of Moto-X. Easy-going charisma, no sense of pain and extreme talent put his face all over the place. He landed the first double backflip in a dirt bike competition, decimated opponents at the X-Games, starred in a MTV series and stamped his sponsors name onto everything along the way. His success with Team Suzuki started after winning both the ’00 and ’01 125cc MX
Rear suspension
Link type, coil spring, oil damped
Front brake
Dual hydraulic disc
Rear brake
Hydraulic disc
Front Tire
120/70ZR17 M/C
Rear Tire
190/50ZR17 M/C
Seat height
31.7 inches
Wheelbase
58.3 inches
Fuel capacity
5.5 US gallons
Claimed wet weight
573 lbs
Contact
www.suzukicycles.com
The Haybusa uses Suzuki’s SDMS system, allowing riders a choice of three differing engine settings.
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(Above) Mat Mladin is the winningest AMA Superbbike rider in series history. He retired in 2009. (Right) Mladin racing a GSXR1000. (Below) MotoGP 500 legend and Texan, Kevin Schwantz stayed loyal to Suzuki through the entirety of his career. He won the ‘93 500cc title on a RGV500 before retiring in 1995.
and SX championships. He has done things on RM dirt bikes that defy gravity and common logic. Most of us can’t flip a motorcycle forty feet in the air but we get why he does. Riding is all about having fun. The smile smacked across his face during every post-event interview says it all. He loves what he does and that’s why we love watching him. The same year Pastrana put on a Freestyle Moto-X clinic at the ’05 X-Games, a rider named Troy Corser gave Suzuki their first World Superbike Championship title. These are two brand legends that showed how far guts could take
(Below) Travis Pastrana landed the first double backflip in competition during the 2006 X-Games.
(Below) #1 Ben Spies and #66 Mat Mladin after an AMA race. Spies went on to WSBK and then MotoGP.
Troy Corser won Suzuki’s first World Superbike Championship in 2005. you. But track wins do not always translate into big sales numbers. In 2010, despite it all, including an AMA Daytona SportBike Championship title, Suzuki froze shipment of the GSX-R series into America. It was a shocking move in an attempt to keep the company ahead of a tight economy. Amidst all the brand chatter, a redesigned line of supersports awaited final approval
at Ryuyo, a company-owned testing facility outside Hamamatsu, Japan. The speculation stopped when the ’11 GSX-R600 and GSX-R750 arrived in America lighter, shorter and slightly resculpted. As riders felt out the next generation GSX-R, a ninja named Kawasaki readied an attack. Team Green ripped into the market at a balls-to-the-wall pace and has raised hell since. MARCH 2011/12
Kawasaki History
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f “The Fonz” rode sportbikes, he’d have a Kawasaki Ninja on sheer principle. The company formed on rebellion. They turned heads and never shied away from a challenge. From the beginning, Kawasaki took a stance against the happy-go-lucky “Nicest People” and went for the real riders. Race superstition called green bad luck so they made it their brand color. After going green, the last of Japan’s Big Four wasted no time making sure everyone knew their name. Kawasaki originated in the late 19th century as a builder of ships, railroad equipment and electrical generating plants. Shozo Kawasaki founded Kawasaki Heavy Industries in 1896 and it wasn’t until 1961 that company built their first motorcycle. The 125cc ’61 B8 kicked off their reign of terror. In March of 1966, with only five years of motorcycle experience, American Kawasaki Motors Co. opened in Chicago. Two
years later, their American market divisions merged into the Kawasaki Motors Co., U.S.A., headquartered in Irvine, California. Infrastructure laid, they went to work on a superbike to smash Honda’s CB750. Early Road Warriors Kawasaki crept into the market with an assassin’s speed. Their attack came fast, furious and without warning. The 500cc ’69 Mach III knocked the superbike world on its back. Not one motorcycle in its class stood a fighting chance. The onslaught continued on the track as Dave Simmonds won Team Green’s first 125cc World Championship Grand Prix. A ’69 MotoGP title and industry-leading superbike brought 13/CYCLE RIDER
(Above) Eddie Lawson and an ‘83 KZ1000R. (Below, Left) 03-04 ZX-6R. (Below, Right) Bubba Stewart at a Team Green photoshoot. fear to the hearts of all competitors. Their attitude fit right into a culture of Woodstock and Vietnam War protests. Starting in 1978, Anton Mang rode his way to five world championships over four years. Speed followed into the eighties as Eddie Lawson won the ’81 AMA Superbike Championship. At the same time, the ’81 GPz550 took Kawasaki into the 599cc sportbike market. For every street success in the eighties, there was a failure at the MX level. Their first MX bikes used futuristic technology like disc brakes and rear suspension linkage but Americans didn’t care. They wanted superbike power. Winning early asphalt battles did pay off in the form of a monumental branding accomplishment. A New Kind of Ninja Say “street bike” and non-riders think of the Ninja ZXR series. It is the go-to layman descriptor for nameless crotch rockets on the silver screen to mom’s explanation of what just blurred by her mini-van window. The name alone is marketing gold. It just rolls off the tongue. The Ninja series began as the ’84 Gpz900r but that model name sounded too techy so American Kawasaki Motors Co. simplified it to “Ninja.” The first Ninja supersport reached a top speed of 155 MPH and the ’90 Ninja ZX-11 became the
world’s fastest production motorcycle of its time. Off topic, the wraparound-framed ’90 KX250 also debuted that year and finally impressed MX riders. For entry-level riders there was the Ninja 250R, the market’s only worthwhile option
for new sport riders who wanted to start slow. Ninjas did not just sound fast and nimble. They were and a Ninja ZX750R proved that by winning the FIM Endurance World Championship from 1991 to 1994. Amongst the FIM wins, Scott Russell also won the ’93 AMA Superbike Championship. From shore to international shore, Ninjas waged war against the competition. In 2003, they exposed a weakness in the 599cc supersport market. Every other bike in this class sat below 600ccs and they wondered why. As the Department of Homeland Security began fighting terrorizers, the ’03 Ninja ZX-6R www.work2ride.me
636 fought against the 600-class norm by adding an additional 36ccs of power for more midrange pull. Amateur racers instantly saw the advantage. Drunk off the need for speed, they did something crazy. Kawasaki Aircraft Co., Ltd. produced the company’s first motorcycles. A ghost of the aviation division’s past may have had a hand in the ’04 ZX-10R because it absolutely flew. This Ninja produced 161.9 ponies at 11,750 RPM in a package with smaller dimensions, apart from height, than the ’04 ZX-6R. The 998cc ZX-10R reached 100 MPH in first gear and output more power than the Suzuki Hayabusa, not to mention every other ’04 literbike. With the ‘Busa ousted from its spot as “Ichiban Speedster,” Kawasaki felt it necessary to replace the void with a new cruise missile—one with even more power. The behemoth that rolled off the production line would arguably become the fastest straightline mass-produced sportbike in the world. Ninjas now take their place in American pop-culture next to Maverick of Top Gun and the “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem.” A Shinobi Master Of The Dirt Ancient Japanese teachings said a ninja gained his power from the art of deception. Only after sneaking in unnoticed could he attack with precision and quickness. James “Bubba” Stewart Jr. is a Shinobi Master of the dirt. He entered into a sport dominated by white riders as an African American and killed it. With a helmet on, he blended right in. On arrival, MX and SX riders
(Below) ‘11 ZX-14 close-up. (Right) ‘11 ZX-10R mid-wheelie on the track.
The 05-06 Ninja ZX-6R was the final generation using a 636cc motor. who neglected to look up Bubba’s backstory never could have known he’d been riding since a toddler and had already won 11 AMA Amateur National titles before turning pro at 16. Team Green knew a fighter when they saw one and ushered him into their training facilities. In 2004, Bubba won both the AMA 125 East Supercross Championship and the AMA 125 Motocross National Championship. He had a knack for finding the quickest way around the track. His greatest work occurred four years later. In the meantime, with attention focused on an American star, secret tests commenced at company-owned Autopolis in Japan. What they were working on would soon become the biggest thing the Ninja series had ever seen, literally. In 2006, the 1352cc behemoth of a hyper-cruiser, known simply as the ZX-14 rolled onto showroom floors. Its massive face left the ‘Busa diving for cover and gave the big and tall of America a very comfortable seat for signing speeding tickets. In 2008, Bubba returned a true master of his art and made his own speed history. He became the second rider, after Ricky Carmichael, to ever complete a perfect MX season—24 wins in 24 races. Fans cheered, the ’08 AMA Speed Athlete
of the Year award found its place on his trophy rack and Bubba inched closer to one day becoming part of the MX Hall of Fame. The sponsorship gave Kawasaki street cred on the dirt and proved green wins races anywhere. Their history is marked with industry firsts in areas most avoided. They completed the Japanese Big Four after arriving late to the party. The Big Four popularized sport riding in America but Europeans made it all possible. They have been in the game since the turn of the 20th century. This saga would not be complete without a German company who made us all step back and say, “Holy Future!”
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BMW History
BIKE BREAKDOWN
Tech
Specs
BMW’s S 1000 RR redefined what it meant to be a superbike
I
n America, the word, “German” conjures images of David Hasselhoff, Blitzkrieg, Oktoberfest and executive rides. A room of dapper German automakers could talk your head off about luxury and performance but just one could show up in full-leathers, hair tossed and holding a helmet and still sell you a car. In Germany, he is Bayerische Motoren Werke. English speakers call him Bavarian Motor Works. Internationally, he is simply BMW. More often, you see BMW cars or SUVS but they produced motorcycles five years before any sort of automobile design. They were breaking cycle speed records when Soichiro Honda was going through puberty. BMW started as Bavarian Aircraft Works. In 1916, Karl Rapp absorbed Gustav Otto’s aircraft engine business and a year later the name changed to what it is today. Propellers To Peace Agreements After Germany’s involvement in World War I, the League of Nations slapped the country with rules for a peaceful tomorrow. The Treaty of Versailles outlined those rules, one of which banned German companies from producing airplanes and aircraft engines. In 1920, BMW had no choice but to change. Peace inspired the M2 B15, their first motorcycle engine. All cycle activities moved to the new Motorrad division and production of the R32 motorcycle took off. Such a proud people expected the best from their companies. A racer named Ernst Henne fit the bill of the best and became the company’s official motorcycle representative. Whatever amount of advertising dollars Henne received for his work
15/CYCLE RIDER
Price
$15,880 w/ premium package
Engine Type
Horizontal In-line
Valve train
DOHC, 4v
Displacement
999cc
Transmission
6-speed constant mesh
Claimed horsepower
193 hp at 13,000 rpm
Claimed torque
83 ft-lb at 9,750 rpm
Frame
Aluminum
Front suspension 46 mm Upside-down fork, rebound & compression adjustable
FAST FACTS Base Price: $13,950
Top Speed: 185MPH (est)
ABS Modes:
Off, Slick, Rain, Race, Sport
Competition:
Kawasaki ZX10R, Aprilla RSV4 Factory, Ducati 1198S, Honda CBR1000RR, Yamaha YZF-R1, Suzuki GSXR1000
BMW Motorrad WSBK Riders: Troy Corser (Australia), Leon Haslam (England)
paid off ten-fold. Over his career (1926-1937), he set a ridiculous 76 speed records. The largest occurring in 1937 when Henne broke the motorcycle world speed record at 204 MPH. Imagine how rickety his machine must have felt at that speed. No wonder he retired thereafter. His speed record occurred only one year after Jesse Owens shocked the Berlin Olympics with his track and field performance. Germans could not call themselves the fastest two-legged track stars but thanks to BMW, no one touched them on two-wheels. In 1976, a R90S entered into the first AMA Superbike series and won the championship. They defined speed early but slowed down to focus on the sport-touring and enduro market in decades to follow. Even though they weren’t taking checkered flags, the technology they stuck on their bikes set trends. Through the eighties, K100s debuted industry firsts such as www.work2ride.me
anti-lock brakes and digital engine electronics. In a digital era, technology became a company calling card and later helped them win all sorts of superbike praise. The World’s Fastest Facelift Before 2010, young riders looked at BMW as something an adventurous dad might ride. The bikes symbolized an expensive, gadget-rich, allterrain toy missing the cool factor of a crotch rocket. It wasn’t often you heard a 19-year-old say, “Hop on the back of my K-1600 GT, baby.” The company needed a shot of Botox. Stylish Japanese supersports attracted young sport riders and BMW took notice. With a dash of Big Four inspiration and cup full of race-technology, out popped the ’10 S 1000 RR. It looked fast, it was fast and no other competitor touched it in assist features. It drew more than just young American attention. Every supersport rider to writer wanted the scoop. Its 999cc in-line
four-cylinder produced 193 horsepower at 13,000 RPM, a limited top speed of 185 MPH and lighting quick acceleration. Next generation tech included a racing anti-lock braking system, optional speed shift system and the market’s best multilevel dynamic traction control. The traction control system offered four options including rain, sport, race and slick. Each option managed horsepower, speed, traction control and available power differently. A lean angle sensor maximized corner control by restricting power when the rider leaned past a pre-set point. For example, in rain mode, the sensor kicked in when cornering at an angle greater than 38-degrees. Not one of the ’10 literbikes offered the same level of electronic features. The ’10 Ducati 1198S used traction control and ABS was an option on the ’10 Honda CBR1000RR but that’s as far as it went. BMW reclaimed a share of the younger market
Rear suspension
Continuously adjustable rear inboundrebound damping
Front brake
Dual disc brake, floating brake discs, 4-piston fixed calipers
Rear brake
Single disc brake, onepiston floating caliper
ABS
4 mode Race-ABS
Front Tire
120/70ZR17 M/C
Rear Tire
190/55ZR17 M/C
Seat height
32.3 inches
Wheelbase
56 inches
Fuel capacity
5.7 US gallons
Claimed wet weight
450 lbs
Contact
www.bmw-motorrad.com
MARCH 2011/164
and more importantly evolved the superbike industry. Today, technology adds safety into some super powerful cycles. It is all about the rider experience. Manufacturers want us to ride safer, faster and feel more comfortable. They also want to be the best which is why it only took one year for the Big Four to come back swinging against the
S 1000 RR. The Battle Continues The latest ’11 literbikes added anti-lock brakes, traction control or both as an option. The ’11 Ninja ZX-10R uses race-grade ABS and a predictive race-type traction control system superior to that offered by the ’10 S 1000 RR. The manufacturer’s fight won’t stop and one day
an American is going to enter the ring. The champion of each class changes more often than Lady Gaga at the Grammys and that’s great. As riders, we get to sit back and enjoy the show. No other class of vehicle, for the everyday person, so closely mirrors what professionals rip around a track. How awesome is that? We get to experi-
ence something most never will. Sport riding is smooth through the corners and insane down the straights. If the day ever comes when it stops being fun expect a fire sale of helmets on Craig’s List. That’ll be the day….
About the author Sean Russell was born in Woodinville, Washington in 1986. During childhood, his uncle’s various sportbikes, most notably an early nineties Kawasaki Ninja, fascinated him. Around the same time, Sean also showed an interest in writing and the prospect of someday working for a publication. The forested suburban upbringing fostered many outdoor activities including trail and MX riding. Before dirt bikes, Sean started on a friend’s homemade mini-bike that on first attempt he quickly low-sided in a cul-de-sac thanks to no sense of throttle control. This early-teen moment paved the way for his first motorcycle, a ’98 Honda CR125. In High School, the same person who supplied the mini-bike offered a ride on his Honda CBRF2. The passenger experience sparked a transition from dirt to street riding. At 18, after entering Arizona State University, he sold his car for a yellow ’01 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R. Outside of school, Sean studied all things sportbike alongside a close group of friends and riding club. During this first year, the consequences of cycle-stupidity matured a young-reckless rider into a respectful motorcyclist. Sean later purchased a ’03 Honda CBRF4i after thoroughly transforming his yellow Ninja into a zip-tied collage of freshman mishaps. Through school, he split his time between writing and riding. At graduation, he hesitantly sold the CBRF4i for a car and moved to Burbank, California. Post-graduation, he spent the first 15 months working in sales and marketing before buying his current ’04 Kawasaki ZX-6R and focusing full-time on a career as a writer. He has found Southern California’s abundance of scenic routes, raceways and motorcycle culture the ultimate place to pursue his passion. With every successive year as a rider, he finds out how much more there is to learn about motorcycling.
Sean on his first street bike alongside a friend on a closed road.
17/CYCLE RIDER
www.work2ride.me
The‘03 CBRF4i he rode for the majority of his time spent at ASU.
(Top, Right) Sean at Streets of Willow on his current ZX-6R. (Above, Middle) Day at Malibu Canyon. (Above) Sean standing on the far right at Laguna Seca for ‘10 MotoGP.
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