Table of contents for March 2016 in Performance Bikes

WELCOME TO THE March issue of Performance Bikes. This month is all about the launch of two PB icons – the ZX-10R and the Speed Triple. You’ll find a huge amount about the Kawasaki, its evolution and heritage in these pages, so I’m going to talk about the Triumph, instead. Every time I see a Speed Triple it makes me proud to be British. A product of the reborn Hinckley-based Triumph, it’s never been a machine that harks back at ‘retro’ heritage or panders to trendies in waxed cotton jackets with beards. It has always been just what it looks – a ballsy, powerful high-performance streetbike. I’ve just returned from riding the latest model – and it’s the best it has ever been. Loads of small differences combine to make…

PB’S GREAT – I LOVE IT Just picked up the mag, I’m about a month behind over here in Canada. It’s such a good read and simply the best on the market. The long-termers, Rutter, the modifying of stock bikes, the way you lay it out is just 10/10. PB is my go-to mag for a good read and long may it roll. When Johnny Mac tested the H2 I had to PM him. He was such a solid guy. And I sometimes make fun of Si Hargreaves on Facebook, because I can. I owned my own racing school here in Calgary for 12 years; the track got closed and now I do a few trackdays here and there. But reading PB cheers me up and it brings me back…

In my time I’ve raced every version of the ZX-10R, excluding the new one. So I’ve got a real history with them, and a lot of affection. I rode the first two models in WSB, and then the third generation in BSB standing in for someone in the MSS team. Then I raced the outgoing model in BSB for all but one year. There’s not one I didn’t enjoy racing – they’ve all been amazing bits of kit for their time. The 2005 model was the year after I was on the Foggy Petronas – the first bike I rode was just superstock spec engine-wise, but even then it was like having a turbo after pedalling that underpowered triple. The ZX was really agile, and I put it on the…

THE 2016 MOTOGP season is going to feel a bit like Groundhog Day for Bradley Smith. Just like two years ago the Brit will be riding for Tech3 Yamaha and riding for a contract. And this despite a brilliant 2015 when he was the top non-factory rider and the only rider during the last five years, apart from Valentino Rossi, to score points in every race. “It’s strange when I think of the successes of last year and I don’t have anything to show for it, except the trophies in my cabinet at home and the self-satisfaction,” says the 25 year-old. “Now I’m very much in the same situation I was in during 2014 and I’ve already had Lin Jarvis (Yamaha racing MD) putting the pressure on by telling me…

MICHAEL’S TIPS FOR HOW TO STAY IN RACING FOR 27 YEARS ONLY PUSH WHEN IT’S SAFE Dad’s era was nasty and I grew up hearing horrific stories. That’s why I’m always more cautious on the road tracks, which I guess might hold me back slightly. On a short circuit I don’t mind going up the road! LOOK AFTER YOUR SPONSORS Everyone thinks racing is about riding a bike, but so much of it is about looking after your sponsors. When you get on that bike and go racing, that’s the easy part; getting there and securing the money is the hard part. KEEP FIT I hate going to gyms. Some riders love them, but they just depress me. You need to be super-fit to ride a bike nowadays, but I’m…

HOT HEAD Chris makes life tricky for Whitey by getting his side of the gasket too far down too soon. Sausage fingers squeeze through the gap COOL HEAD Whitey guides the head gasket down the studs, his left hand preventing the piston from slapping the mouth of the crankcases ‘Sourcing replacement parts is a no-brainer: we’ve gone for genuine Suzuki spares’ 1997 SUZUKI BANDIT CHRIS NEWBIGGING PROJECT BANDIT HAS never looked sorrier in its life. With only two months to go before the race season starts, what we have is a pile of crusty, tatty and worn components. We’ve been organised, but not quick enough on the spannering front. We best get a move on… Key to the project is putting the engine back together. We took it apart last…

HOW LONG THREE MONTHS/1100 MILES COST £129.99/£129.99 CONTACT WWW.SPADACLOTHING.CO.UK I DON’T RIDE far in winter, nor do I ride in extreme cold. All-weather martyrs be damned – riding in the slime and frigid cold of deep winter is miserable and doesn’t teach you anything other than how to ride on lethally slippy roads and live with fear. But in the same breath, wet roads and merely chilly days don’t bother me, so I still need gear to cover these eventualities for my 20-mile round trip to work, and the odd jaunt of no more than one tank of fuel from home. This cheap gear has done the job nicely. If you’re used to Gore-Tex gear with proper insulation, it won’t cut it. It keeps the cold out down to about…

HOW LONG 3 TRACK SESSIONS COST £34 CONTACT WWW.SIDISELECT.CO.UK I’M BAD AT keeping myself hydrated on track. I often don’t drink enough at UK circuits, so when the Sepang Ninja ZX-10R launch came up I fretted about keeling over in the high-heat, high-humidity climate. So I got this. Spidi suits have a cavity in the hump, and a hole to feed the tube through for this Hydroback insert, plus fittings to keep the end of the tube near your gob. It takes half a litre of fluid (not a Martini or beer, according to the warning on the bag) – enough to top you up between rest stops. That’s the theory. For a 20-minute track session, I found I wasn’t able to divert the brain space to using it. It…

‘The damn thing didn’t have a limit that the engine could find’ FLAT OUT I rode it mercilessly against the stop – in top, for miles sometimes. Top speed on purchase: 65mph. Top speed on sale: 70mph A LITTLE DRINK Fuel consumption is minimal, but the seven-litre tank still only lasts 70 miles at a time RUBBER SIDE DOWN Huge amounts of grip from the tyres – enough to deck the sidestand YOU’RE 17, BURSTING with testosterone and the 50cc restriction on your two-wheeled life has just been lifted. What do you want? An Italian two-stroke sportsbike that’ll show an optimistic three-figure speed on the dial with a bit of illegal derestriction and the ability to redistribute key components to different parts of the highly-tuned motor. Regularly. I had my…

MATT WILDEE EDITOR matt.wildee@pbmag.co.uk The return of knee-down grip when the sun’s out and no slime! SIMON RUSSELL ART EDITOR simon.russell@bauermedia.co.uk Changing the oil and cambelts on my Duke so she’s ready for another season CHRIS NEWBIGGING FEATURES EDITOR chris.newbigging@pbmag.co.uk Thrashing more litre bikes on track. The ZX-10R launch was a good start JOHN McAVOY ROAD TESTER editorial@pbmag.co.uk Mallory Park. What can I say ? I miss it. My guts don’t miss the cafe though... MICHAEL RUTTER TRACK TESTER editorial@pbmag.co.uk The TT. The rest of the year is just a countdown to getting back on the IOM MARK WHITE TECHNICIAN editorial@pbmag.co.uk Project Bandit. Dry tracks. Sweaty leathers. Elbows out. Shitty pants RUPERT PAUL CONTRIBUTOR editorial@pbmag.co.uk My first ride of summer in skimpy ladies underwear SIMON HARGREAVES CONTRIBUTOR editorial@pbmag.co.uk Generally: hot…

CONTROLLED | BRITISH QUALITY NITRON NTR RACE PRO SHOCK Nitron’s latest shock for the 2015-on Yamaha YZF-R1 features three-way independent damping adjustment as well as a 46mm main piston with an ultra-strong 16mm piston rod. Options include a piggyback, remote or pistol reservoir and a hydraulic preload adjuster for an extra £220.80. The spring comes in black or blue. Price: £877.20 Contact: www.nitron.co.uk GERMAN | AERODYNAMIC | SPORTY SCHUBERTH SR2 Replacing the SR1, the imaginatively named SR2 is Schuberth’s sportiest lid yet and features improved aerodynamics as well as a spoiler. The lid is also said to be quieter than the SR1, has an anti-fog visor and comes with a five-year warranty. Sizes XS-XXL. Price: £549.99 Contact: www.tranam.co.uk GRIPPY | STICKY | BLACK DUNLOP ALPHA 13 Dunlop have released a…

I’VE BEEN INVOLVE D with racing Kawasakis since the 1980s. We have raced ZX-6Rs, ZX-9Rs, ZXR750s, ZX-7Rs and in 2004 started running the ZX-10R. Nowadays more than half the British Superstock grid use bikes that have passed through our workshop, be that complete bikes or just engine tuning or dyno set-up. In 2014 we built the Tsingtao WK bike that took the BSS title with Danny Buchan. “In the early days, the ZX-10R was a wild old beast, the second generation a complete piece of shit and the third one bloody fast but it wouldn’t turn as the motor was too low in the frame. The 2011 model, however, was something special. “I remember when we first got ours, it was at the last round of BSB at Oulton Park…

TECH3 TEAM OWNER Hervé Poncharal has been Bradley Smith’s boss since he moved to Moto2 in 2011. The Frenchman has worked with many Brits in recent years – Smith, Cal Crutchlow, James Toseland and James Ellison – which he attributes to his Anglophilia. Poncharal studied in England in the 1970s when his greatest loves were Barry Sheene, prog-rock star Peter Gabriel and chasing les petites Anglaises! “England was like paradise,” he smiles. “Bradley is a clever guy,” adds Poncharal. “He is technically very good, so he’s good at setting up bikes and developing bikes, plus he’s a very hard worker, has incredible commitment and a strong focus, so he would be a great asset for a factory team. At the end of this season all the top guys’ contracts finish,…

CHEAP BUT NOT NASTY Zero Limits Carbon bodykit looks ace, wasn’t hard to fit and saves loads – in weight and beer tokens and beer ‘We were impressed with the quality. Flawless carbon weave and neat lacquer’ 1999 SUZUKI TL1000R MATT WILDEE WITH ONLY A handful of horsepower less than Suzuki’s factory AMA racers, amazing handling thanks to GSX-R1000 L2-derived running gear, and an already-huge weight saving, Project TL1000R is entering its final stage – to lose even more weight and gain a little bit of sex appeal. We’d progressed though the cheap, real-world mods at the start of the project, so now it was time to indulge ourselves and turn the TL into eye-candy. If you saw the TL out with the girls on a Saturday night, she’d be…

HOW LONG 1500 MILES COST £53 FOR TWO PAIRS CONTACT WWW.EBAY.COM BRAKING’S CM55 IS a general-purpose sports pad that has performed well on my 2000 Yamaha R1. I fitted them as a comparison to the EBC Double H pads I’d been running. Just like the Double Hs they’re a pad more suited to road, rather than track riding and in this aspect they perform well with consistent performance from cold and slightly-more initial bite than the Double Hs. They’re unaffected by wet conditions and bedded in well. Their consistency means that it’s easy to trust them and while they don’t give your stoppers into MotoGP-spec capabilities, their friendly nature means you’re happy to lean on them. The CM55s are claimed to be low wear and so far this has proven…

HOW LONG THREE MONTHS COST £215.98 CONTACT WWW.MACHINEMART.CO.UK IF YOU’VE A small workshop like mine, or even a double garage at home with no in built heating, get one of these. Far more efficient than leccy fan heaters or oil filled radiators, a decent space heater will provide instant heat, and lots of it. This Clarke one is bloody brilliant, much quieter (all space heaters are noisy, that’s how they heat space...) than all others I’ve heard and very efficient while being frugal with the fuel. This one has a thermostat on it so cuts in and out automatically, which is extremely handy. Although it can be run on diesel, I wouldn’t advise that unless you like headaches, and I use heating oil over paraffin. I get mine from either…

2016 TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE R MATT WILDEE WITH OVER 100 changes and what could well be the best three-cylinder motor ever produced, Triumph’s new-for-2016 Speed Triple is a blast to ride. It wheelies until you lose concentration, works brilliantly on the road and well enough on the track to embarrass any poorly-ridden sportsbikes The refinement process has made the bike torquier and more powerful. Changes within the motor are widespread and effective, and were implemented for two reasons: firstly to keep pace with the ever-more-stringent demands of Euro 4 emissions regulations and secondly to inject some more life into a five-year old platform by making it snappier, more responsive and more flexible. It’s also had a makeover – there’s revised, sharper styling, a new (sadly smaller) fuel tank, plus lots…

BY THE TIME you read this I’ll have raced at the Phillip Island Classic. It’s one of my favourite events of the year. There’s so much that I love about it, from the track, which is so fast, flowing and exciting, to the competition, which has great riders, like Jeremy McWilliams, Glen Richards, Shawn Giles and Cameron Donald. The bikes are awesome too – there are XJ1200s, Katanas and all manner of grunty, air-cooled stuff being shunted around at mind-boggling pace. Proper. Best of all is the weather – it’s 35 degrees there which will be a relief after all the flooding and shit weather in Morecambe. It’s been a funny old start to the year in the McGuinnness house. Normally New Year is a bit insane and generally ends…

THE 2011-2015 NINJA ZX-10R was sold in two versions, the J and K, with Kawasaki Intelligent Brake System (KIBS) adding £1000 to the retail price of the K. In the used market this translates to a premium of roughly £400 for the benefits of ABS. UPGRADES Both models were subject to a series of recalls in 2011, the first that involved porous crankcases and the second that saw the wiring harness inspected as it was found to be rubbing on the subframe, The 2012 ZX-10R gained new crankcases that sorted the porous issue alongside some very subtle ECU tweaks to improve its fuelling. In 2013 an Öhlins Mechatronic steering damper was introduced, but the changes didn’t stop there. The 2013 model has the ESD ECU, which has a spare port…

RUTTER’S SPANNERING ESSENTIALS 1 MAC 19.2V IMPACT WRENCH ‘You can’t take this away from me, it’s a brilliant tool. There is nothing better when it comes to getting a clutch basket out and it doesn’t hiss or make the horrible racket you get with an airline-operated one.’ 2 MAC TOOLS RATCHET ‘This ¼-inch drive is really useful as it has a flexible head. Getting a socket and a ratchet into the confined spaces on a modern bike can be a nightmare, but the flexible heads gives you that little bit of extra space. The handle is comfortable; I have sensitive hands...’ 3 DESMO ‘I’ve had Desmo, my Cavalier King Charles spaniel, for about seven years now and he has become a very important part of my racing life. Racing can…

CRASH DAMAGE A mint used swingarm was sourced for £70 – just a tenner more than an OE indicator. Yes, £60. For an indicator. Motrax indicators cost just £15. The R&G crash protector that did its job so well was replaced with another one. A pair of used headlights were £70, as was the mirror bracket and clock surround. ENGINE Near stock, besides an air filter, Power Commander 3 and Yoshimura RS-5 end can. Set up on BSD’s honest dyno it makes a modest but more useable 114bhp – up from 112bhp. BODYWORK A used fairing cowl was bought then the whole bike sent to Kas Racepaint in Kettering, who took care of the rest. It’s a beautiful finish with no orange peel or masking tape lines and a subtle…

TRACTION Three-level TC system works on wheel-speed sensors. Level 1 allows gentle breaking of traction. ENGINE Uses the same 73.4 x 59mm dimensions as a K5 but without Ti valves and less compression. SCREEN Weather protection isn’t good enough as standard to keep windblast off above 85mph. FUELLING At its worst between 4000 and 6000rpm – but you adapt to it. 2015 SUZUKI GSX-S1000F MATT WILDEE IT’S BEEN AN interesting month or so as the custodian of the GSX-S, being characterised by that soulful, exciting powerhouse of an engine, enough grip to make some deductions about the chassis and some floating, almost ever-lasting second-gear wheelies that betray the bike’s hooligan roots. These are the things that I’ve learnt after the first 1000 miles... 1 THE ENGINE IS PERFECT FOR ROAD…

HOW LONG 5 YEARS/10,000 MILES COST £170 CONTACT WWW.PLANET-KNOX.COM AFTER FIVE YEARS of use, these gloves have filtered to the top of my kit pile and have seen constant use for the last year. The reason – comfort. After a reasonable breaking-in period they’ve become some of the most comfortable gloves I’ve used in 20 years of riding. The most obvious thing about these is the rubber exoskeleton armour, designed to spread the load of an impact, but there’s subtle things like the kangaroo-skin palms that really appeal because of the feel and dexterity they give. Despite having lots of moving parts, and a ratchet system for tightening the cuff, nothing has gone wrong, or even feels like it may be wearing out. These are 2011 versions, but since 2014,…

HOW LONG 2000 MILES COST £100/£159.99 CONTACT WWW.TRIUMPHMOTORCYCLES.CO.UK THE HERITAGE JEANS on the left are fashionably slim cut with a worn, vintage look and come with D30 knee armour. The £60 cheaper Street jeans on the right are a looser fit with no armour included (but space to fit them). Both have an inner abrasion resistant lining. The Heritage are my favourites, but despite looking good and fitting well there’s no way I could recommend either of these jeans. The denim feels no better quality than a pair from Tesco’s, the riveted waist button fell off on the Street model and the inner lining in both pairs only covers the thighs, knees and arse. An additional Ôair flow anti wicking’ mesh material attached to the lining isn’t the most comfortable…