Table of contents for March 2018 in Performance Bikes

HYPE IS A DANGEROUS thing to generate for any new product: there’s been plenty of it around the Panigale V4. Will it be flawed like the MotoGP bike was until very recently? Will it sacrifice everything Ducati has stood for in the 43 years since it first placed two cylinders at 90 degrees to each other? Any questions over Ducati’s move into a new world for its flagship sportsbike are now answered. I was on the launch, on Valencia’s extremely technical MotoGP circuit. It’s almost an odd location to launch a bike claiming 214bhp – mostly second/third-gear bends – but what it did was prove the V4’s worth beyond a dyno. More than any other Ducati superbike (and everyone else’s, I’m confident), its stunning handling, braking, grip and power curve…

THE UK’s current fastest, yet least popular, superbike is doing its best to woo more riders, with the reintroduction of the RR model. It’s broadly the same as the £20k RF model, but Öhlins suspension is substituted for Sachs, wheels are cast alloy instead of forged, and different (and arguably classier) graphics are the only changes. It costs £15,599 – less than the base model R1 and Fireblade, £1300 more than a base ZX-10R and £500 less than the GSX-R1000R. Engine, frame and electronics are unchanged.…

DUCATI IS GOING in with both feet and testing its 2019 WSB contender alongside its own (and rivals’) 2018 bikes in public. Lorenzo Zanetti (who raced the old Panigale R in Italy’s domestic CIV Superbike championship) was a surprise appearance at the semi-official Jerez superbike test, mixing with the cream of WSB regulars and a few BSB frontrunners, ending the three-day test 1.9s behind Johnny Rea’s best. The bike is clearly an early development bike – listed on time sheets as a Superstock bike but running WSB-spec chassis parts, with a rough fairing and fairly agricultural subframe carrying a road bike seat pod, it doesn’t scream ‘race ready’... But it’s a promising start – Zanetti, while world-class, has a best WSB finish of eighth in 2012, and a couple of…

YOUR CHOICE of aftermarket exhausts for KTM’s 1290 Super Duke R just got larger, and more Oriental. Yoshimura’s new Alpha T slip-on is almost 1kg lighter than the standard OE fitment and promises improvements to both power and torque (because 175bhp and 104lb.ft clearly isn’t enough). Finished in stainless steel with a carbon-fibre end cap, it has been designed for use without changes to your fuelling and has a removable baffle so you can really bring the noise. Price £582 Contact www.performance parts-ltd.com…

If you’ve just splashed £16,000 on a new GSX-R1000, you can probably find the cash down the back of the sofa to afford some crash protection. This range of anodised products includes frame sliders and axle protectors, and RDMOTO have also produced some mechanical mods such as shorty levers. Also available are the more subtle PH01 classic mushroom-shaped crash protectors (£57.60) which are available in black or white. Price £43.20-£118.80 Contact www.skidmarx.co.uk…

I’VE USED MY 2013 690R for a bit of road racing, short circuits, sprinting and hill climbs. It’s fitted with with Duke 690 Cup bodywork (the bellypan, front numberboard and seat cowl), plus rearsets and handguards. I’ve fitted a lightweight race battery, a Translogic quickshifter and a dongle to turn off the ABS so I can back it into tighter turns. The engine is helped up to 78bhp with a Cup-spec header pipe and Akrapovic can, an open airbox and KTM’s map to suit.…

I HAVE WHAT SOME bike nuts regard as the ultimate day job: testing the 1290 Super Duke R, Super Duke GT, 1190/1290 Adventure and now the new 790 range. I work with the R&D team and project leaders at KTM who are tasked with developing the road bike range and Customer Racing department where we develop road bikes, like the RC390, for racing. Yes, there is a lot of pressure to get it right but there’s plenty of job satisfaction if the bikes are well received by the press and owners. The R&D department does an outstanding job; every aspect of a bike is evaluated. They can replicate real road riding on test benches in their new facility. The department has grown from about 40 people when I started to…

‘With the quality and range of damping, control is plentiful, with grip and comfort much improved’ 2018 YAMAHA MT-09SP MARK WHITE I CAN RECOMMEND two things. One: Portugal. Two: Yamaha’s new MT-09SP. I can do this because I’ve just had a very nice shower, in a very nice hotel, in a very nice part of Portugal having ridden on some very nice roads, on a very, very nice new motorcycle. (What is this? Fucking Whicker’s World? – CN.) I’m on the launch of Yamaha’s new SP version of the increasingly popular MT-09 in the Algarve – somewhere Yamaha could really show off the benefits of the work done to make the SP version that bit more special, more desirable than the already great base model MT-09. And it’s worked.…

OF COURSE, part of the reason Paton go racing is to sell road bikes. But even without the halo effect of a TT win, Paton’s S1-R Lightweight is a compelling machine. In a sportsbike world that’s all-but given up on developing small bikes, the S1-R stands out as a beautiful, high-end sportsbike of middling capacity. The S1-R Lightweight road bike is pretty much the same spec as the racer – the frame, forks, brakes and wheels are identical and while the exhaust looks the same it has enough silencing to reduce the risk of burst eardrums. Performance is impressive. At 158kg, it’s 50kg lighter than the ER-6 donor bike it takes its motor from, and this is augmented by some mild tuning. Paton offer three levels of tuning for the…

Fairing The frame and subframe are identical on the 2007-2012 and 2013-onwards RR, so technically you can put a new fairing on the older model to update its look. However you will also need to swap the lights, air tube, undertray and mounting brackets, so it’s a fairly in-depth job. The easiest solution is to simply buy a Chinese replacement if you have a spill or want to give your CBR a fresh look. Forks The pre-2013 CBR runs 41mm upside-down forks, which were swapped to 41mm BPF units in the update. As far as PB is aware these are interchangeable, however we have yet to hear of anyone doing the swap. Several owners have swapped the 12-spoke wheels over, so this is a simple visual upgrade. Gearing The CBR…

‘Everyone can come together in one place now and see we’re professionals, not chancing cowboys...’ 2016 BMW S1000RR ALEC TAGUE AS A TEAM, we work really well together. Michael, myself and Matt and Tim at Bathams are all on the same wavelength, and we want the same thing. It’s just easy... apart from the logistics. As it stood, the workshop and bikes were in the north west, I live in Derbyshire, while Michael and Bathams are based in the Black Country. The workshop itself wasn’t ideal – it was supposed to be a temporary measure for running one bike. That was 2009: now we’re up to three bikes, with plans for more, and a little workshop with basic facilities was becoming restrictive for a rider of Michael’s standard, and…

‘The power gain is partly because the bike is now allowed to keep revving from 9k to 11k in top gear’ 2017 YAMAHA MT-09 MARK WHITE HAVING JUST got back from the sunny launch of Yamaha’s new MT-09SP (it’s great. So is Portugal B – see Mome page 34), I’m revved up for the next stage of transforming my base Cont model ct MT-09 into PB’s own SP. While I’ve been away, my bike has been in the care of Dave Wood at DWR Motorcycles in Aylesbury, who has been treating it to his considerable expertise and a custom ECU reprogram. As I’m sure everyone knows by now, emissions and noise regs don’t exactly liberate manufacturers and designers to give us exactly what they intend when they set about…

IF YOU GET your kicks out of long cross-country sorties, keeping a lid on max speed but also keeping your average velocity up, the Tiger is a cracking choice. Ostensibly an adventure bike, it’s really a Speed Triple on stilts with extra comfort, visibility and ride quality, if you ignore the long-legged silhouette. Radial Nissins from an early 675, 17in cast wheels, and a dynamic package honed on British roads makes it perfect for knocking out a couple of tanks of fuel (away from motorways), and dealing with anything you find. Arguably, it’s the 1050 triple’s finest hour: the Speed Triple makes decent use of it, but the leggy, midrange-oriented delivery feels more at home in the Tiger. The size and added weight don’t dull the fun – PB theorises…

I KEPT MY FZ6 Fazer standard for a few years and got thoroughly bored with it. I tried to trade it in and realised how little it was worth, so decided to see what I could do with it. The idea was to create a modern-day RD350 – light, agile and minimal. It’s a 2008 model with R6 forks, Öhlins shock, small Supertrapp silencer hidden under the seat instead of the bewilderingly heavy OE muffler, as well as different bars, pegs, mirrors and headlamp. As standard it was the half-faired model so with all that weight gone up front plus the far lighter silencer and with items like the pillion pegs, centrestand and chainguard in the bin, it’s almost 20kg lighter than standard. And you can really feel it. It…

I’VE HAD THIS bike for eight years, primarily built and used as a track bike, but I do run some lights on it for local bike nights. My second street bike was a 1994 GSX-R750, bought new in the summer of 1994. I crashed it on an oil slick left by a dumper truck. I repaired the bike and built it as a track/street bike. I had to sell that bike to provide funds for a business venture in 1998. Needless to say, I regretted it! I found my current bike in 2009 and set about turning it into a track machine. I’ve modified the fairing for forced air intakes to the Airtech airbox (I also got the seat and lower fairing from them). I’ve painted it like my original…

SKIDS FOR SPEED Setting two on the ABS retains control at the rear, but still allows intentional backing-in for sharper corner entry. Blimey. RACE STYLE TANK Without the top cylinder of a twin in the way, the underseat area is free to house most of the fuel tank for better weight distribution. BACKWARDS, FORWARDS The inertia of the counter-rotating crank cancels out that of the wheels for agility, wheelie control, grip and braking stability. ‘The spread of useable, effective drive lets you hang on to a gear or short-shift’ 2018 DUCATI PANIGALE V4 S CHRIS NEWBIGGING I CAN’T BELIEVE what i’m hearing. The very first non-Ducati employees ever to ride a Panigale V4 are the Italian, American and English journalists. After the first session at Ricardo Tormo, I’m trying to…

IF YOU’VE spent this much, why not drop an extra £3558 (plus £142 for the required new lower fairings) and really make it a party? Ducati claim the officially-sanctioned, Akrapovic full system (included on the 1500 limited edition Speciale model) adds a claimed extra 12bhp and shaves off 7kg low on the bike. I tried a V4 S fitted with the system (plus some Pirelli SC1 slicks, Ducati Performance machined alloy trinketry, and a grippier seat) for a session, and while it’s not a whole new bike, it’s even more of a bike. It’s even more agile and raises corner speed further beyond belief. But the main benefit is the improvement in response – it’s faster, and sharper, but also smoother with the changes to mapping. Not only is the…

1 RCV fairing ‘This is a GPR fairing taken from a genuine customer RCV mould and I can’t believe there are any others in existence. I had a mate who worked in a place where he could get this made for me, which was a result. I did try to sell it but no one wanted it, which I’m amazed by. If it floats your boat, give me a shout via the YouTube channel.’ 2 Loft space ‘I keep my trailer up here, but most of it is just crap. A few bits of old Blade, some KTM parts, it’s just storage space. I’d be lost without this extra space, but it does look like it will fall down any second. Those Swift leathers really are hideous...’ 3 Heating pipes…

OOBSESSED AS we are with going forward fast, we’re equally concerned with the business of slowing and stopping as quickly and as controlled as we or the circumstances might desire or dictate. Braking systems have come a long way in the last 20 years or so and we also have access to an aftermarket of brilliant components, not least in the field of front brake master cylinders. However, sometimes the results don’t always live up to the expectations, as our own Kar Lee found out when he changed the master cylinder on his Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory in the December 2017 Issue. Taking effect The hydraulic multiplier effect is at the heart of understanding what goes on in a brake system and informs the changes we might make to a…

2014 KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R JOHN BENNETT THE YEAR HAS STARTED well: my YouTube channel is really taking off, I’m working on the best motorcycle magazine that has ever been produced (if you think this sort of blatant toadying will get you a pay rise... you’re right – CN) And my Super Duke project is forging ahead at pace. I promised you last month this exciting instalment would involve the quest for power – but what is power without control? I had planned to visit Dynojet UK to fit the Rottweiler airbox and get it set up. I’ve heard nothing but positive feedback from people who have installed these to their KTMs. Which means I’m very keen to get it fitted, along with a Power Commander, but work commitments…

‘A variation on the classic RD500 design would look great on the R6. Decisions, decisions...’ 2017 YAMAHA YZF-R6 KAR LEE WITH THE ROADS still in the grip of winter there hasn’t been much riding lately, though we did get out for a couple of little blasts on the milder days. Even at this time of year, the R6 is a joy to ride, with the engine modes, traction control, the motor’s flexibility and the handling all coming together nicely. The stock brakes are excellent and even the Michelin Power RS tyres are managing to find some grip in less-than-ideal conditions. The problem – if you can call it that – with a lot of modern sportsbikes is that they are very, very, good as standard and besides the slightly…

JUST TO BE transparent, I am an Alpinestarssponsored rider, and it’s all I wore last season. I’ve been wearing Tech-Air-equipped suits, and while I’ve enjoyed the level of fit and feel you expect from a tailor-made suit from their racing department, I didn’t crash all season to test it in any way – I had some big out-of-the-seat moments that failed to set it off. Until Dan Linfoot’s Honda threw oil down at Brands Hatch... I tried to dodge it when I saw the smoke, but me and five other bikes went down the road – fast. I was chucked down hard on my left side, and I didn’t notice the airbag going off as I landed, slid and then tumbled. I always imagined it would be like a bomb…

AFTER 30 YEARS of exclusively wearing gloves with cuffs, it’s no surprise that the first time I tried these ‘shortie’ gloves on, I really wasn’t sure. However, I persisted, and deployed these unassuming, all-black hand shoes whenever the temperature allowed, like when we arrived in Spain a few months ago on our wheezing 125s. Quickly, they made a lot of sense, with the lack of cuff meaning a corresponding lack of faffing about tucking jacket sleeves in and doing up multiple Velcro straps. There is just enough cuff for a jacket sleeve to cover, and the glove is protected on the knuckles and back of the hand by aluminium plates, with plastic inserts on the outside edge of the hand. Good for karate chops. They are a decent glove for…

BMW’S SURPRISINGLY entertaining Boxer Cup is making a comeback, supporting the IDM German national superbike series, with 30 Deutschlanders bashing cylinder heads on identical R nineT Racers. The original series ran from 2001 to 2004, elevating the R1100S from wonky-faced weirdo for old men to quirky, credible sportsbike. Sort of... Boxer Cup 2.0 won’t be on quite the same scale as the original series, which supported MotoGP and was competed by a Pro-Am mix of aged professionals (like Randy Mamola) and fearless ‘who are yous’, like a young Richard Cooper. The bikes are built to a similar spec – Wilbers fork internals and shocks, cylinder head sliders and bellypan, an Akrapovic exhaust system, race brake pads, steering damper and upgraded software for the ABS. Yes, they’ll still run it... Other…

THE STYLE AND POWER of the Ducati X-Diavel appeal to us. The handling and riding position, not so much. Evidently, PB isn’t alone in expecting a Ducati to maintain some semblance of cornering dynamism, even if it is a cruiser. Japanese tuning house Moto Corse have taken steps to solve that issue by creating the DXC – taking the strong fundamentals, addressing the limitations and throwing some performance goodies at it for good measure. The key modifications that make the DXC more than an L-twin fashion statement are to the riding position. Hardly sexy next to the running gear (which we’ll come to), but as standard the low seat, forward pegs and high handlebars put you in about the worst position possible to get it round a corner, and any…

British bodywork firm Pyramid Plastics have created a new range of fairing panels for both the Yamaha MT-10 and SP. Designed to neaten up the area around the bulky exposed radiator ends, the £240 bodywork is available in colour-matching Night Fluo Grey, Tech Black and Race Blu (there’s a gloss black option for £182). If you fancy getting busy with a rattle can, Pyramid will also supply an unpainted version for £136. Price £136-£240 Contact www.pyramid-plastics.co.uk…

HI, I THOUGHT I would send you a picture of my Daytona 675. It has been painted in Barracuda Blue by 8 Ball custom paint, to pay homage to the 1994 Daytona 900. It has the same logo font as the period bike, and I have finished this off with genuine Triumph Union flag gel stickers. I have added a genuine Triumph quickshifter (an easy fit), an Arrow pipe, K&N filter and Triumph fuel map to go along with it, I fitted an anti-slip seat cover as the original was particularly slick. The Stompgrips I put on the tank help with this, too. The most effective mod was reducing the ride height. Being 5ft 7in, I found the bike a little tall at first so I reduced the top shock…

PROBLEM 1: Tyre life Ducati twins are famed for grip and tyre life enabled by the loping delivery, but a change in control tyre construction hindered the Panigale in its early years... “We raced the 1098 from 2008-12, and in that era Pirelli always brought the SC1 range tyre to the races. They could also improve the SC0 compound to give not only performance but also durability. The 1098 didn’t have that much horsepower, it was 15/20bhp down on the best competitors, like Aprilia, and that meant we had no problem with tyre durability. “The four cylinders could only use the tyres for a couple of laps before a big drop in performance, but then Pirelli improved the tyres a lot and the four cylinders could use all the power…

IN 1991 THE Yamaha Sonauto-Mobil team ran three factory-supported YZR500s in the premier class. Sonauto was actually a private company that imported Yamahas into France. It went on to become Yamaha France (in the way that Mitsui Yamaha became Yamaha UK). The team began the season with just Jean Philippe Ruggia and Adrien Morillas, but Niall Mackenzie joined them at the 12th round of the year at San Marino after a strong showing at the British GP where he finished seventh on Doug Chandler’s spare YZR500 – mainly to give the Sonauto team’s riders a kick up the arse! Niall finished fifth at San Marino and raced with the team for two further rounds in 1991, finishing 12th and sixth. In 1992 he joined the team full-time and finished the…

‘With much thought and a bit of squeezing, Simon Francis got the high beam lamp in’ 2008 HONDA FIREBLADE CHRIS NEWBIGGING IF YOUR PROJECT enthusiasm is waning, it’s steps like this that renew your interest and give you the horn again. Project Fireblade is back from Simon Francis, who has been sorting the busted subframe, adapting his own lightweight caliper set-up to suit the Rotobox wheels, and adding light provision to the HRC race nose frame. The latter has been most of the work (though straightening and re-welding the back end is also no mean feat), but the result should be a useable and properly legal lighting set-up. We may embellish it with an HID kit or LED bulbs, but the basics are there for proper night vision. We…

‘Comparing before-and-after numbers isn’t my aim; a clean, optimised curve is the priority’ 2005 YAMAHA YZF-R1 CARL NEWBIGGING THE NEXT step in knocking a few of the rough edges off this fundamentally sound 2005 R1 is getting the throttle response right. It wasn’t terrible – Euro 4 has produced a few bikes that are worse out of the showroom. But some low-down snatch and other sub-optimal throttle behaviour needed tweaking out, and the de-catted exhaust (both the gutted OE part/Micron cans and the proper Black Widow link pipe/cans recently fitted) almost certainly required the air/fuel ratio correcting for the increased flow. Talking of extra flow, Speedycom were keen for PB to try one of the MWR air filters they sell, which comes with claims for superior performance from the unusual…

PIRELLI’S MOST DURABLE compound slicks set the fastest time in our blind tyre test (PB, September 2017), with good feedback across the board. They seemed a natural choice for a hot day giving an R1M a pasting, and they didn’t disappoint. The crossplane motor’s delivery and traction control really eat into treaded tyres in as little as half a day, but Pirelli’s slicks put up a sterner resistance, working beautifully with the Yamaha’s sublime chassis and making it feel even more limitless. One comment from the test was that durability might be less than exemplary, and towards the end of the day grip started to drop. They were still turning out fast laps, but they’d definitely given their best. On a bike with kinder grip characteristics, you’d get two days…