Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2017 i Performance Bikes

IF, WHEN I joined PB in 2006, someone had told me we’d devote an 18-page special to BMW, I’d have laughed at them. If they’d then told me it would consist of a behind-the-scenes feature on the build of their cutting-edge superbike, an insider’s view of their race engine department where anyone can buy a 220bhp motor, and was finished off with a test of their TT-winning Superstock machine, I’d have told them to stop taking the piss. Ten years ago, the funkiest BMW around was the R1200S, a weirdo boxer twin that felt OK. Now they make the fastest showroom-spec sportsbike money can buy. It’s an epic transformation. We went to BMW’s Berlin plant, where we were granted access to the production line of the 2017 S1000RR. According to…

SUPERSTOCK RULES ARE fairly restrictive, but key parts can be modified to make them perform better in a race environment. The engine has to be largely stock within production tolerances, but the fuelling can be calibrated to work with an aftermarket exhaust. Like the roadbike, BMW’s stocker has traction control that’s adjustable on the move, launch control and a pitlane speed limiter. It makes around 200bhp on the dyno. The suspension has a K-Tech cartridge kit and a DDS-Pro rear shock. Linkages have to be stock, as do brake calipers, but BMW run optional HP cast wheels with Brembo discs. This S1000RR cost Tyco £23k to build, including the bike. Pound-for-pound, Superstockers are the best-performing bikes on the planet.…

MARCH 2002 Daytona goes from idea to full concept MAY 2003 Engine tested on dyno for the first time JANUARY 2005 First completed bikes spotted in secret testing FEBRUARY 2006 Skinny sportsbike is launched. PB’s tester is ‘big-boned’ JANUARY 2007 Outpaces a GSX-R750 in PB’s 24-hour test. Then blows up... OCTOBER 2008 Wins British Supersport with Glen Richards JANUARY 2009 Revised 675 launched with stronger motor, better brakes and suspension FEBRUARY 2011 Daytona 675R launched with Öhlins suspension, Brembo brakes OCTOBER 2012 Wins British Supersport for second time with Glen Richards JANUARY 2013 All-new 675 and 675R. New chassis, engine and suspension JUNE 2014 Wins Isle of Man TT Supersport race with Gary Johnson OCTOBER 2014 Wins British Supersport with Billy McConnell JUNE 2015 Stock 675 beats Fireblade, GSX-R1000, Panigale…

‘It’s the only bike that I’ve kept lapping on until the fuel light came on’ THE SPEED TRIPLE R is great example of a bike that has benefited from years of evolution. Triumph hit on a formula a long time ago, and have stuck to it, resisting the temptation to follow the crowd by chasing big power. Instead, they have been through the previous model with a fine-tooth comb and looked at every single aspect of the bike to either make it perform better or conform to Euro 4 legislation. The difference over the old bike is noticeable. In many ways, it is a lot like when a factory race team prepare their bikes. There isn’t one big thing that sets a factory racebike apart from the roadbike, it’s a…

1 INFRARED THERMOMETER ‘This cost less than £8 on Amazon and is great for diagnosing fuelling issues. If you aim it at the manifold you can see if one cylinder is running hotter or colder than the others. I can’t understand how they can build something this cheaply, but I’m glad they do! It’s also great for taking the piss out of your mates by checking their tyre temperature after a run!’ 2 ABBA STAND ADAPTORS ‘When I buy a new bike I call Abba and get a new set of adaptors, so in this tray are all the adaptors I need to work on mine and my mate’s bikes. I also have adaptors that screw into the footpeg mounting points, meaning you can remove a bike’s swingarm while it…

2015 APRILIA TUONO V4 FACTORY KAR LEE “AS A TUONO V4 Factory owner, would you like to ride one back-to-back with an MT-10?” asked one of our chums at MCN. Now, this may sound like a question with only one answer, but I didn’t agree straight away. I mean, sure, it’s ugly as sin but I’ve had a fascination with the MT-10 since its release. What if it goes, stops, and handles better than my £5k more expensive Tuono? With every man and his dog raving about how good the MT-10 was, there was a real possibility that would be the case. I procrastinated for a few days before finally caving in. I had to know what it was like. The morning starts cold and wet and I’m on Aprilia…

MATT WILDEE EDITOR matt.wildee@pbmag.co.uk This month it’s Cal Crutchlow. His interview starts on p66... SIMON RUSSELL ART EDITOR simon.russell@bauermedia.co.uk We have had a lot of great racers over the years, but I think it’s Hislop for me. CHRIS NEWBIGGING FEATURES EDITOR chris@pbmag.co.uk David Jefferies. He called me ‘a useless twat’ when I was 15. I didn’t mind... JOHN McAVOY ROAD TESTER editorial@pbmag.co.uk Fogarty: TT winner, WSB champ and a reality TV star now known by your gran! MICHAEL RUTTER TRACK TESTER editorial@pbmag.co.uk Joey Dunlop: I saw dad race him; I raced him when he was 48. He kicked my arse. MARK WHITE TECHNICIAN editorial@pbmag.co.uk Jenny Tinmouth. One chat gave big respect but put me off going faster... KAR LEE FORUM EDITOR editorial@pbmag.co.uk Joey. Attitude and charity work show racers don’t…

‘The new MT-09 looks mad and likes to go bonkers – it’s certainly no shrinking violet’ ENGINE The MT-09’s triple is now Euro 4-compliant and comes with a slip-assist clutch, three riding modes (A, STD, B), three-stage traction control (off, 1, 2) and a quickshifter. CHASSIS The 41mm USD forks are now fully-adjustable (left leg for comp, right for rebound). Shock is the same as the XSR900’s and adjustable for preload and rebound damping. STYLING 5mm higher rider’s seat, 13mm longer pillion perch. Licence plate hanger is swingarm-mounted. Plastics are more anglar,and there are four LED front lights. 2017 YAMAHA MT-09 JON URRY WHEN THE ORIGINAL MT-09 appeared in 2013 it impressed with its feisty three-cylinder engine and bargain price tag. But it was far from perfect. Cursed with…

‘It might favour those who realise races aren’t won on the first lap’ NATIONAL SUPERSTOCK IS set to become more interesting than British Superbikes after a shake-up of the race format that will introduce 100-mile endurance races and longer 50-mile races as well as standard 30-mile sprints. The 17-race series, five up from this year, will have double-headers at most rounds and be higher on BSB’s billing. The 100-mile races will, in effect, be two 50-mile sprints with refuelling time in the pitlane. Pirelli Supercorsa SC2 tyres will be mandatory and bikes will be allowed kit ECUs or an MSV-approved software alternative. “It’ll be interesting to see how it all pans out,” says PB’s road tester Michael Rutter, who finished fourth in the championship last year. “I moved to Superstock…

WHO IS JOHN McGUINNESS? The Morecambe Missile has 23 Isle of Man TT wins to his name. And an 02-plate Bentley. WITH MACAU ALL done and dusted I can now draw a line under the 2016 season. Macau was a great way to end the year, but I do have a love/hate relationship with the place. When you get there, you see the track and think, “Oh shit, why am I here?” It is proper dangerous. The last thing you want is to be eating your Christmas dinner through a straw in Macau General! But the event is such a great buzz. It’s funny, I seem to be falling backwards in my results there, but after 19 years I still love it and wouldn’t miss it. This year I thought…

AFTER OUR TOUR of the production facility, we’re led through a grey side door. To be honest, we thought we’d caused some grave offence and were being booted out of the nearest exit. But the modest workshop we found is the source of the S1000RR’s racing success across the globe: Motorrad Motorsport’s (usually off-limits) engine room. BMW’s approach to racing is unique, in that they don’t actually take their cutting-edge, Superbike series-eligible bike racing themselves. Seems daft, when other factories lob serious time and resource at factory efforts. But they’ve tried that: it didn’t really work, pouring money into top-level racing without a WSB title. But since they switched to developing, producing and maintaining engines for customers, they’ve covered themselves in glory. Superstock and Superbike grids at national, international and…

‘This is the first bike I’ve ever ridden where I could actually use the ABS to my advantage. It’s just so smooth and progressive’ THE 2016 TRIUMPH Speed Triple R has split opinion in the PB office since we first saw it last year. Matt and myself loved its balance, composure, ease of use and perfect fuelling. But there is no getting away from the fact that it isn’t the fastest motorcycle in the world – at least in a straight line. The 128bhp it kicks out at the back wheel is a nice amount of power for a naked, but it is 30bhp less than the likes of the S1000R, first-gen 1290 Super Duke and the 1100 V4 Tuono. But the Daytona 675 is proof that Triumph know…

PAUL’S WORKSHOP WISDOM PUT THE WORD OUT I have found so many items just by asking friends if they know of anyone who has one or is getting rid of one. The worst thing is when a mate says, ‘You should have said – I threw one of those away only last week...’ SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHOP I always support my local bike shop and pop in there as much as possible. If you are friendly with the local shop, they will sort that puncture at 5pm on a Friday so that you won’t miss the TT ferry! USE YOUR MATES Everyone has their own skills, and using your friendship network can save you loads. If your mate is an electrician he can do a bit of wiring and in…

2000 YAMAHA YZF-R1 MATT WILDEE I’M COMING UP to three years as the owner of my 5JJ and it’s still pretty mint; if anything it’s better than it was when I bought it. But last month, one of those infuriating slip-ups happened that has you cursing. Team PB had hurt my R1. When we were swapping the brake fluid on the bike during the master cylinder test, we spilt a bit on the screen and by the time we noticed, it had marked the plastic. It was only a small defect but, a bit like someone else’s hairy mole, once you spotted the mark you couldn’t stop looking, so it needed sorting. A new one wasn’t the answer – I wanted the standard look for the bike and the stock…

‘It just digs in and drives forwards, like it’s wearing a set of race wets’ 2016 KAWASAKI ZX-10R MATT WILDEE AS AUTUMN HAS turned to winter, my usage of the ZX-10R has changed. Gone are the super-fast road rides and trackdays, now replaced by considerably more measured riding. You haven’t much choice at this time of the year. I’ve never had a problem riding through winter, although in my opinion, riding through ice and snow is pointless and dangerous if you have alternative transport (‘Tell us about your new Lexus,’ said no-one in the office, ever). But I’ve been clocking a decent amount of miles on the ZX-10R. I’ve avoided frosty mornings, and a decent spell of weather after some heavy rain means, as I write this, there’s little salt…

2017 KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R CHRIS NEWBIGGING I’VE ALWAYS WANTED to like the 1290 Super Duke, to recommend it ahead of more ‘ordinary’ rivals. But I haven’t been able to. Sure, a naked with more power than the deified GSX-R1000 K5 and a true 100lbft of torque is always going to be fun, but a few glaring flaws ruined the £14,000 supernaked for me. The Tuono V4 1100 outdoes it as a supernaked dream bike, the S1000R and MT-10 offer a more polished package for less at the expense of a little individuality. The KTM was good, but there were plenty of reasons to buy something else. But it’s three years old now, and every manufacturer has had their development hand forced by Euro 4 emissions and noise regulations.…

2017 KAWASAKI Z650 ADAM CHILD THE NOW DECEASED Kawasaki ER-6n wasn’t a bad bike; far from it. When it was launched in 2005, UK test centres snapped up the first models for learners to wobble around car parks on. Over the years, Kawasaki tried to iron out the vibrations and make the learner-friendly 650 more desirable by tweaking the design. It had more facelifts than Stallone. In 2012 it was given a new lease of life with the introduction of the new 650 Lightweight class at the TT. Kawasaki’s ER-6 has dominated, taking every podium spot at the TT since 2012. I was one of those who entered the new Lightweight class, and tried to convert the ER into a racebike. It was an excellent learner bike, but it wasn’t…

RUSSIANS BAIL OUT MV MV’s year of financial ups and downs concluded with an ‘up,’ thanks to investment from Russian firm Black Ocean finance, who have made their cash in plane chartering. It was also reported last month that MV were under investigation for using employees’ pension contributions to keep the ailing company afloat. STREET TRIPLE REPLACEMENT THIS MONTH? An ‘exciting new Triumph’ is set to be unveiled this month. But rather than a new Daytona, we think it’ll be a 800cc, long-stroke, big-bore Street Triple. A big Euro 4-compliant Street Triple would go head-to-head with Yamaha’s MT-09 family. We reckon itGuy could s Streamliner have a good didn chance t do ofthe bus winning,..too this . time…

I CAN’T AFFORD MEGA-MONEY BIKES, BUT I STILL LOVE THEM I’ve been really excited by the latest bunch of high-end superbikes like the BMW HP4 Race and the Ducati Superlegerra. I’m a normal bloke with a normal job. I own a 2011 BMW S1000RR and have got into the habit of buying a fairly new used bike every few years. New bike ownership is a dream to me, let alone spending more than a year’s wages on a bike. Yet I’m really glad these bikes are around – they push the technology forward and that tech starts to filter down to the more ‘normal’ sportsbikes, making them better, faster, easier to ride and sexy as hell. All the trick running gear, electronics, and the 190bhp motor on my BMW were…

WHO IS CHRIS WALKER? Stalker has raced MX, BSB, WSB, World Endurance, GPs and sidecars. He owns a Kawasaki dealership in Grantham I’M A BIT of a Josh Brookes fan, as I’ve said before, and I’ve heard rumours of him coming to BSB, staying in WSB... but he’s still not signed. Rightly or wrongly, being fast isn’t always enough to get a ride in a top championship. How early in the year you start looking for a contract depends on how happy you are, where you want to race, and so on. If you and the team are happy, you don’t look anywhere else. If your ride isn’t guaranteed, you start talks before the summer break – leave it later and you get left behind. You start with series organisers…

DEVELOPED TO THE edge of the rules by the factory-supported Tyco BMW team, this S1000RR is probably the most successful Superstock S1000RR on the planet. This year, Ian Hutchinson took it to victory in the Isle of Man TT, lapping at 133.098mph, and going faster on this – a bike that can be bought and built to race-spec for less than the price of a posh Panigale – than he did on his mega-money, full-factory Superbike. He also proved himself to be a force to be reckoned with on the short circuits in national Superstock, grabbing two wins and finishing second in the championship, despite missing the Donington round to race at the TT. That race was won by eventual champion Taylor Mackenzie. The 25 points Taylor gained were vital…

ROOM TO BREATHE Engine is a bastard to service in the frame. While it’s out to fix a stripped mount, we can fettle it much easier. BEAUTY: SKIN DEEP? From the outside, our Blade looks good. But the plastics and kilos of chain grease could hide nastiness. PAST ITS EXPIRY OEM shocks are ready for a service within 10,000 miles. Our Showa has done four times that. Time to retire it. STICKY BALLS Every chassis bearing needs looking at: sticky grease, notches or seized bushes won’t help our mission. TASTE POLICE Dodgy tankpad, ugly numberboards, rim tape, fake carbon hugger and solid black screen are for the bin. 2008 HONDA FIREBLADE CHRIS NEWBIGGING NO TURNING BACK now – we’re beyond the point of a light tart-up for our well-used Fireblade.…

K-Tech 35DDS Pro shock SUPPORT NETWORK Even on stock settings,the K-Tech shock offered much better support than the stock Kawasaki unit. REMOTE CONTROL Preload adjustment via remote knurled knob saves the cack-handed hammer and drift approach. DOUBLE BYPASS Bypass valve allows oil to flow freely between comp and rebound circuits and allows quick set-up change for wet riding. HOW LONG 2000 MILES COST £1190 CONTACT WWW.KTECHSUSPENSION.COM IN THE LAST decade of testing bikes and products, this is one of the best aftermarket rear shocks that I’ve used, working brilliantly on the track and performing admirably on the road, too, despite not being designed for that use. The 35DDS Pro is K-Tech’s latest shock and is a top-end item for trackdays and racing. Examples of this shock have been used to…

2016 YAMAHA YZF-R1 CHRIS NEWBIGGING IT’S PROBABLY A sign that the R1 shouldn’t see winter roads. It’s hardly the ideal tool, especially on Conti RaceAttacks. Gyro-based rider aids only do so much when grip is near-absent. But the 10 miles between my house and work are snarled-up ring-road hell, so I’m planning a winter on two wheels, to reach the office in half the time it takes in the tin box. So, kitted up, the first day back after my paternity leave, I wheeled the R1 out, lubed the chain I’d cleaned before tucking it away for the fortnight l spent figuring out how to keep a small person alive, popped my earplugs in and locked the garage. My state of advanced readiness made the lack of life from the…