Table of contents for July 2015 in Performance Bikes

WELCOME TO THE July 2015 PB, which is all about the riding. In the last four weeks, we’ve slung our legs over a huge array of machines, from 200mph+ supercharged behemoths, to sweet-handling middleweights, to well-fettled readers’ bikes and everything else in between. These are the highlights… Si Hargreaves got on Kawasaki’s mega-power H2R and fired it up a runway. The results, on p62, were surprising, illuminating and slightly controversial. Kar Lee rode the tidiest GSX-R1000 special we’ve seen in ages. It’s a bike we’d all love to have in our garage. See p68. Then there was me, datalogging my old 2000 R1 and seeing how much braking improvement can be gained by some cheap mechanical tweaks. Read about it on p90. Finally, on p46, Michael Rutter tested the stock…

UNTIL RECENTLY, MV Agusta had a tiny dealer network in the UK to supply their bikes to and have consequently spent a long time propping up the bike sales chart. But now they’ve taken control and are dealing direct with UK riders, and in the last year alone, sales are already up by over 300 per cent. Normally a new tourer would pass us by, but we have a lot of love for MV’s brilliant three-cylinder engine and its counter rotating crankshaft. That, and the promise that it is a touring bike but not as we know it, meant we just had to check out the new Veloce 800. Light, nimble and with enough grunt for looping wheelies, it’s a tourer for people who haven’t given up on life. There’s…

DIAVEL TITANIUM 500 Diavel Titanium limited editions are on sale. It comes with a load of titanium/carbon goodies and is £22,995. NÜRBURGRING CALENDAR If you like women’s arses and the Nordschleife, then get the ‘Der Grüne Himmel’ 2016 calendar from rachaelclegg.com. It’s a bit surreal. FREE AKRA ON MT-09S Yamaha is giving away over £1000 worth of Akrapovic titanium system with new MT-09s. Contact your dealer and get stuck in. JOHNSTON SAYS F13K CANCER Lee Johnstone is aiming to raise £13k this season for the Marie Curie cancer charity. See f13kcancer.com for details. DAINESE SELL RACER-BUM LEATHER Dainese is making cool wallets and iPhone cases from crashed race suits. See dainese.com for details. NEW AFRICA TWIN COMING Honda have released a teaser for the CRF1000L Africa Twin due out in…

BACK ON TRACK Alpinestars have a new track-ready back protector. The Nucleon KR-R is a hybrid of a hard shell and energy-absorbing material and Level 2 CE-certified. XS-XL; £109.99.alpinestars.com QUICK ACTION KWACK Fancy putting a bit of zing into your ER-6? Robby Moto are now building a quick-action throttle for the Kawasaki that costs £159 and comes with four ratios.moto46.co.uk HORNY SOUND Denali have a solution for those who really want to be heard. The SoundBomb shrieks out a 120dB note (20dB louder than OE) yet is compact enough to fit on a sportsbike. £39.99 rg-racing.com…

WHO IS JOHN McGUINNESS? The Morecambe Missile has 21 TT wins. The first man to break the 130mph barrier, he’s also instructing at the PB trackday (see p123) YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE the TT is just around the corner and I still haven’t booked my ferry tickets. I’m so crap I haven’t even got around to that yet and the racing starts in less than a week… Before the TT I’ve got a test with the Mugen guys. Well I’ve actually got two tests – one on Tuesday and another on Thursday – which is the problem with an electric bike. With the Mugen you ride it flat out for 20 minutes and then it takes a day to recharge it, so you have to go home! I have no idea…

IN THE MID-80S, when John Bloor’s engineers started designing a new range of British motorcycles, the decision to use an inline triple layout was pragmatic as much as based on engineering advantages. Because of the connection with Triumph’s legacy, ditching the parallel twin made sense. But Hinckley also wanted to make big sportsbikes and tourers – models not normally powered by parallel twins. They opted for a combination of 750cc and 900cc triples, and 1000cc and 1200cc inline fours, sharing frames, wheels, brakes, suspension and a few engine parts. Within a short space of time it became clear the triples would be Triumph’s signature engine, growing into a range of adventure Tiger, naked Speed Triple, sport touring Sprint and sports Daytonas. When they launched the Daytona 675 in 2006, Triumph’s…

HAPPY RIDER More braking power and more feel from the lever, without spending a fortune NOW STOPPING AT 1.1G With rejuvenated brakes, the YZF was able to stop almost five metres shorter from 70mph 2000 YAMAHA R1 MATT WILDEE ON THE SURFACE there doesn’t seem to be much wrong with the brakes on my R1. The fluid is flesh, the pads aren’t binding or dragging and it has a set of braided lines and the Carbone Lorraine pads that have plenty of meat left. It’s all fairly typical of a middle-aged sportsbike in good condition. But I’ve always been slightly disappointed with their performance. While stopping power is reasonable, the feel is poor, and the connection between the lever and caliper is wooden and unresponsive. The thing is that this…

Arai Axces II & RX7 -GP HOW LONG 12 MONTHS COST AXCES II FROM £249.99, RX7-GP FROM £599.99 CONTACT WWW.WHYARAI.CO.UK NINE YEARS AGO, I went to my local Hein Gericke with £250 in my pocket, intent on buying an Arai Condor, Arai’s base model at the time. Though my budget dictated their cheapest model, I tried on their most expensive, the RX7 Corsair, just to say I’d tried it. The difference was night and day. Any ideas I had of buying the Condor went straight out of the window. I had to have a Corsair. Two months later I got lucky; Gericke had a sale and I got an Edwards rep for £300. Now Arai’s base model is the Axces II, which is still around £250, and the Corsair has…

2015 YAMAHA MT-07 ABS MARK WHITE THE LITTLE MT07 proves that you don’t need to spend tens of thousands on a new motorcycle to have fun. At a smidgeon over five grand, it is funky provides a great entry into performance riding. But when I first saw one, I thought nothing of the sort. I had an MT07 press bike in my workshop for a new set of tyres and it sounded so weedy, I had to give it a ride to see if it rode as badly as it sounded. A couple of miles later I was taken aback, grunty flexible and with a motor that allows you to float, long, looping second-gear wheelies. Within the hour I was badgering Matt to get one it. Any bike that can…

2015 KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R THAT’S IT. MY Super Duke R is run in and on its way back to KTM for its first service. While it’s there, I’ve asked for them to fit some rearsets from their ‘Powerparts’ range. I’ll then follow up with some sticky track tyres before handing it to Michael Rutter to take round Mallory. Then we’ll see how much difference the lack of grip and ground clearance he noted as the bike’s weakest points last year actually makes. The Super Duke R has so much punch low down that it’s been the most thrilling running-in period I’ve ever had. SPECIFICATION £13,999 177BHP | 189KG MILEAGE THIS MONTH 396 TOTAL MILES 00603…

MATT WILDEE EDITOR matt.wildee@pbmag.co.uk A ‘powerband’ my mate bought for his AR50. Actually it’s an Escort fanbelt... SIMON RUSSELL ART EDITOR simon.russell@bauermedia.co.uk DP brake pads are a firm fave. Great feel, last well and don’t cost the earth CHRIS NEWBIGGING FEATURES EDITOR chris.newbigging@pbmag.co.uk Ignition advancers. Under £40 for livelier throttle response and a smoother drive JOHN McAVOY ROAD TESTER editorial@pbmag.co.uk Tyres: they’re an FOC upgrade as you have to replace them sometime anyway MICHAEL RUTTER TRACK TESTER editorial@pbmag.co.uk A Monster Energy cap. Did I tell you I’ll do ANYTHING to please my sponsors? MARK WHITE TECHNICIAN editorial@pbmag.co.uk Tiger fur, just like the American Starboyz stunters. I can’t help myself... RUPERT PAUL CONTRIBUTOR editorial@pbmag.co.uk A fag card on the rear wheel spokes so it buzzes when the wheel goes round SIMON…

Yamaha has confirmed that Jorge Lorenzo will ride the YZR-M1 until at least the end of 2016. Jorge’s average start to this season had fuelled rumours he would use a clause in his contract to leave Yamaha after this season, or that Yamaha would invoke a similar clause. Yamaha Factory Racing boss Lin Jarvis said: “I can assure you and the MotoGP paddock that Jorge will be with Yamaha for 2016. We have spoken together already: he wants to stay with us, we want to stay with him, it’s done, so Jorge will be with us this year and next. It’s a fact!”…

Road racing’s furriest star is under the scrutiny of Manx Police after claiming he lapped the TT circuit in 22 minutes whilst driving an Aston Martin V12 Vanquish. Guy was testing the £200k beast for the Sunday Times, in which he speaks of starting his test at Quarterbridge, reaching the open speed limit and ‘letting it have it’. His 6am blast apparently included a 180mph run along Sulby straight (speed limit: 40mph), and hitting the crest at Ballacrye flat-out. We’ll tell you next month if the feds were waiting for him at the Douglas ferry terminal before the TT……

EURO ABS CONSPIRACY? I recently test rode an MT09 Tracer, and going over the spec, the dealer proudly tells me it’s got ABS. “I don’t want to pay for the ABS” says I. “I don’t need it.” “But it’s compulsory from next year,” says dealer. From the price of the new GSX-S1000, it’s adding £500 to the price of a big bike. I also understand that some bike’s ABS systems can’t be maintained at home – they need a special dealer pump to bleed them. So again, more cost added; another nail in the coffin, the thin end of the wedge. Why hasn’t more been made of this? So, they’re deterring the younger riders at the bottom with a crap test system, and now they’re chipping away at the rest…

SECOND OPINION FOR FAST LAP times on a trackday (assuming the base model has decent suspension like these two) there is little performance benefit from riding an ‘SP’ or ‘R’. The Blade is sublime. The ‘SP’ feels smoother, but this one is a belter. And for such a small, narrow bike, the 675 has huge performance capability. Humble base models are the real unsung hero here. Show-stopping ‘SP’ and ‘R’ version are only possible because their basic architecture is so good. THE BLADE WAS less than a second down on the Blade SP we tested last year, which feels about right given the difference in the two bikes’ tyres. Put this Fireblade on the same Supercorsas as the SP and it’d be right there, which means you’re probably wondering what…

GEARING We’re not suggesting the ZX-10R is lacking in straightline thrust – but, that said, it doesn’t necessarily need its 184mph top speed either. The 04-05 ZX-10R came with 17/39 gearing, while the 06-07 model used a slightly lower 17/40 combination. With first gear still good for nearly 100mph, there’s a case for lowering it further to make it even more super-responsive at road speeds. You could start at an extra tooth on the rear sprocket, or take it to a more extreme but still popular 16/42 set-up. STEERING DAMPER Every 2006 and 2007 ZX-10R had an Öhlins steering damper – or, at least, it was a steering damper with the word ‘Öhlins’ printed on it. To be frank, it’s ineffective even when wound up to maximum damping. Some owners…

1 DIGITAL VERNIER CALIPER I don’t know what make this is, but I wouldn’t be without it. It’s invaluable for checking the internal bores of bushes for wear, the diameter of fasteners and the thickness of brake discs, for example. Once you’ve bought one, you’ll be surprised how often you use it. 2 DRAPER EXPERT TORQUE WRENCHES I’ve got two of these in the garage and I use them for almost everything. I’m absolutely obsessed by having everything torqued up correctly. The 3/8in drive one has a range of 5-22Nm and the 1/2in drive covers 30-110Nm, so that means I’m covered for just about anything that crops out. 3 OBERON CLUTCH HOLDING TOOL This tool is specifically made for Ducati clutches and it was far from cheap, but I still…

COLLARS AND CUFFS The worst Caz has noticed is the bike has two blue wheels, but only one blue anodised bar end. The other’s gold. Go figure 1988 YAMAHA FZR400 MARK WHITE THERE ARE MOMENTS in your biking career that will live with you forever. Now is one of those times for both myself and especially Caroline. On June 21 last year we were driving a support van for the second Longest Day Down challenge, raising money for Cancer Research UK. It’s a mission to ride sub-£300 motorcycles the length of the UK, starting at sunrise in John o’ Groats on the longest day of the year, aiming to reach Land’s End in time for sunrise 24 hours later, without touching a motorway. This year Caroline is riding, giving cancer…

POWER DELIVERY The Panigale makes a huge amount of grunt everywhere in its rev range, making more torque at 5000rpm than any litre four does as its peak. It’s enough for the front to lift in fourth and fifth on the road. Seriously... BUILD QUALITY The more time you spend with the bike the more you appreciate the level of finish, from the neat routing of the rear brake hose to the quality and depth of the paint. This is a very expensive motorcycle, but its build is a cut above cheaper bikes FINNICKY V-TWIN? Only a little bit. It shunts in town at low rpm when cold on a constant throttle, but smoothes out as engine warms. Fuelling is direct, but not jerky and tall gearing means it is…

2015 BMW S1000RR SIMON HARGREAVES OH GO ON then, if you must. PB’s 2015 BMW S1000RR hasn’t exactly been idle since the group test in the last issue. On the road, it was as magnificent as the new Yamaha R1 and Ducati’s Panigale 1299 S; which of the three bikes we preferred was largely down to whichever we were riding at the time. Since then it’s been pedalled around Mallory by Michael Rutter at a greater pace than, well, anything PB has ever tested, ragged senseless for a tyre test, and repeatedly hammered by Matt using it as a high-performance commuter. It must be the first time ever that a bike arriving in my possession counts as a rescue. But it needs a breather. And a clean. My first ride…

INJECTION One map for all gears, and it wasn’t good enough for any of them. Power Commander made an instant improvement SUSPENSION As good as the early Noughties got – fully adjustable Kayaba. Forks set soft as standard, but PB set-up guide transformed it ENGINE Not quick enough in the TT, but 92bhp at the back wheel is perfect for a naked 600. Enough go to clutch a wheelie at 60mph TRIUMPH INVENTED SUPER nakeds with the Speed Triple. Until the boys at Hinckley ditched the plastics from their flagship sportsbike and lobbed on minimalist naked bike headlights and handlebars, everyone was happy to use detuned versions of obsolete engines in a cheapo chassis. Unsurprisingly, the Speed Triple became Triumph’s defining model. The Daytona 900/955i died off, leaving the streetfighterstyle…

KEEP INSPIRING, PLEASE PB takes a while to hit the stands here in New Zealand and I am currently working my way through the March issue. I try to make it last a whole month but I invariably end up making multiple visits to the newsagent looking for the next issue well before it arrives. I ride a 98 FireBlade which is stock except for one tooth down on the front sprocket (a tip I picked up from PB), and I may be riding this bike for some time as I can’t see myself affording more modern machinery for a while. The features I really love are those that talk about the things that stir our souls. Either Johnny Mac whooping out loud after a massive out of the seat…

VALVE TIMING Increasing valve lift and reducing overlap ensured the 2013 675 didn’t lose any peak power compared to the previous incarnation PISTON SPEED The Daytona’s motor has an average piston speed of 21m/s. By comparison, the peakier MV F3 675’s pistons move at 22m/s CROSSPLANE Although technically not a true ‘crossplane’ crank, the 675 – with three pistons evenly spaced – produces only clean, ‘linear’ torque WIDER BORES 2013’s redesigned Daytona 675 ran wider bores, so Triumph could safely extend the triple’s over-rev WHEN WE SAY ‘inline triple’ we think of Hinckley Triumphs, then maybe Yamaha’s MT-09 or MV’s F3 range. But soon the list grows to include BMW’s K75 flying brick, Kawasaki’s two-stroke KH series, Suzuki’s GT380, 550 and 750, Laverda’s Jota, Benelli’s Tre and Aprilia’s Cube; only…

HONDA FIREBLADE, 2006-2007 A modestly updated version of a 2004 model. Gained engine internal tweaks, a gearing change and microscopic geometry mods. Less dramatic in a straight line than a ZX-10R, but more satisfying in the corners. YAMAHA YZF-R1, 2007-2008 Often overlooked. First of the four-valve R1s. Less pretty than its predecessor, not as renowned as the crossplane R1 that replaced it. Was PB’s favourite litre superbike of 2007, as it was fastest round the Nürburgring. SUZUKI GSX-R1000K7 2007-2008 Another sequel that struggled to live up to its predecessor, and was cursed to carry a heavier twin exhaust. GSX-R K7 is a calmer, plusher road bike than a D-model ZX-10R, but is also a fair bit heavier.…

INVEST IN THE PROPER TOOLS You don’t need a chest full of Snap-On, but you do need good quality tools. A few special tools specific to your bike will be invaluable. If you plan to keep it for a while, getting the proper tools to look after it is money well-spent. A Ducati cambelt tensioning tool is a must for me. DON’T GO IN WITHOUT A MANUAL For Ducatis, you can get them on CD easily enough. Stick to the recommended torque settings for everything and don’t assume you can feel if something is tight enough. It may take longer to use a torque wrench rather than a spanner, but you’ll know the job is done right. KEEP EVERYTHING OUT OF HARM’S WAY Keep everything off the floor. Don’t be…

1999 SUZUKI TL1000R CHRIS NEWBIGGING I ONCE OWNED A TL1000S, which by default means I am conditioned to express distaste for the shellsuitwearing flabster that is the standard R model. There’s a clear but friendly divide in the TL community, depending on whether you like your weirdo Suzuki twins half or fully-faired. Ideally, mine’s a 1997 TL1000S-V in metallic black. Nonetheless, Matt’s enthused ramblings about the performance of our very own mutant TL-R compelled me to set aside my views and take it for a spin. The visual intent of Project TL is underlined by the racket it makes: as Whitey warms up the JHS motor, the M4 exhaust resonates off anything in the vicinity, and the chain/gear driven cams rattle like a bottle of antibiotics, free from the noise-reducing,…

THE TESTERS Matt Wildee The editor 35, 95kg, 6ft 2in, soft, sticky Covers more mileage than anyone else on the magazine and likes a tyre that works well on the road as well as the track. Has ridden every sports tyre of the last decade. Fatter than he looks in pics, he loves grip and sweet steering. John McAvoy The road tester 42, 105kg, 6ft 2in, hard, wobbly On a good day, big Johnny is able to keep Michael Rutter in sight at Mallory Park and has more feel than Mr Tickle. We’re always astounded by the level of his feedback. Mark White The spannerman 37, 64kg, 5ft 10in, floppy, torn Once arrested for donning an all-in-one rubber suit at a kid’s party, what he doesn’t know about rubbering up…

2015 TRIUMPH DAYTONA 675 CAROLINE BARRETT IT’S BEEN A busy month for the Daytona. As well as getting spanked around Mallory Park by Michael Rutter, I nicked it from Matt and covered almost 1000 miles on it, taking in loads of North Yorkshire’s best roads and an awesome foray into Northern France. As a complete wrong-side-of-the-road virgin, having never ridden in Europe and as a bit of practice for my Longest Day Down challenge, where I’m riding from John O’Groats to Land’s End later in the year, Whitey and I hatched a plan to ride to France for the Bank Holiday weekend. He could get some miles on his Yamaha MT-07 and I’d watch him struggle with his naked bike from the comfort of my fairing... The Daytona had already…

2015 SUZUKI GSX-R750 AN INTERESTING THING about testing a bike direct from a manufacturer is you get to go to its UK HQ and have a snout. Which is how I found myself having a chat with Suzuki techinican Paul Sabey while he gave the GSX-R its first service and I stared around at bikes, cars and outboard motors in Suzuki’s workshop. Afterwards it was time to give the GSX-R its first proper run so I immediately got myself over to my favourite roads in Norfolk. All I can say is this: F**k me, what a piece of kit, fast sharp, awesome! SPECIFICATION £9599 134BHP | 192KG MILEAGE THIS MONTH 313 TOTAL MILES 00869…