Table of contents for June 2015 in Performance Bikes

“WE ACTUALLY TRIED using the new 1000cc RSV4 engine in the Tuono when we were developing the bike,” admits Aprilia’s Piero Soatti at the technical briefing. “But we soon realised we needed something extra.” That something extra turned out to be cubic centimetres. By adding 3mm to the bores, going from 78mm to 81mm, Aprilia have given the Tuono a claimed extra 5bhp peak power as well as more throughout the rev range – but, more importantly, have added more torque everywhere, too. This is generally what happens when you enlarge an engine; it breathes more deeply, burns more fuel/air, you get bigger bangs. Although you could argue if Aprilia were really interested in better bottom-end torque for a bespoke naked roadbike engine they should have gone for longer stroke…

BASIC ARCHITECTURE IS the same; same bore and stroke (the 1000cc K-series originally evolved from a bored-out GSX-R750, which gave it a relatively long stroke compared to other litre sports motors), same crankcases, same cylinder head, valve angle, etc. The GSX-S has milder cam timing, but not much milder. Inlet valve lift is reduced, exhaust valve increased, and overlap is down from the K5’s 80° to 75° – which, given the K7 engine went back to 79°, isn’t a huge difference and explains why the GSX-S motor feels a) more powerful than the claimed 146bhp, and b) so top-endy. Valves are the same diameter but made of steel, not titanium – lower rpm means less need for low weight. Pistons are cast (not forged) designed to be 3% lighter, with…

SIMON ANDREWS CALENDAR Sales from the ‘Unstoppable’ calendar featuring semi-clothed BSB riders has raised over £5000 for the Simon Andrews Trust. The Trust was set up in Simon’s memory to support injured riders with rehabilitation. PIRELLI SOLD Italian tyre firm Pirelli is set to be bought by Chinese company China National Chemical Corp (ChemChina is much snappier) for a whopping £5.16 billion. RUTTER IN BSB PB road tester Michael Rutter has taken over the BSB Gearlink Kawasaki seat. “We need to get the bike up to speed and into the top 20,” he said. NEW BIMOTA Bimota have unveiled a new version of their BMW superbike called the BB3 T Trofeo, with custom IoM paint to mark their TT participation. BAYLISS RETIRES... AGAIN! After standing in for Davide Giugliano on…

I LISTEN TO PB! I have been a long-time reader and subscriber of your great magazine. I’ve always really loved the diversity of bikes in PB. Having owned quite a few of the bikes you have featured I’ve often read your writers’ comments and sat there nodding in agreement with their findings. However I’ve never read an article and thought “I must have one of those bikes” until PB’s run to the sun on the BMW S1000RR Sport. In the late 1990s I did the same route for the same reason on a ZX-7R, and the experience is etched on my mind forever. To cut to the chase, instead of just nodding with agreement, I’m sitting here on the first day of spring, the sun is shining and I’m about…

SEASONS DON’T COME much sweeter than Bruce Anstey's 2014. Even the Queen recognised his achievements, honouring the veteran road racer with membership of the New Zealand Order of Merit. The Padgett's Valvoline Honda star became the first man to lap the TT at over 132mph as he added the Mountain course outright record to his 2010 mark of 133.977mph at the Ulster Grand Prix, the world's fastest bike racing circuit. The 45-year-old also maintained his record of finishing on the podium at every North West 200, TT and Ulster GP for the past 12 seasons. That included Supersport victories at the NW and Ulster, a Superbike race win at Dundrod, four podium finishes at the TT and a Classic TT win on a YZR500 Yamaha. Anstey's tally of nine TTs,…

STORY SO FAR Former crash wreck now a black beauty. But it needs a service MILES THIS MONTH 130 SPENT THIS MONTH £180 EMS Ducati Shim kit 2001 DUCATI 900SS RUPERT PAUL GIVEN THE RECENT lack of dinner party or wedding invitations, I decided to catch up on the valve shim check I’ve been putting off for some time. All the other engine checks – oil and filters, belts, throttle balance and idle speed – have been done recently. In fact, an ECU remap last year showed the bike was making 80bhp, so it’s fairly healthy. But it’s 6500 miles since the last check, and the handbook recommends a 6200-mile interval. Checking the valves on any 1990s Ducati is like filling a dishwasher after a massive party while you’re locked…

MATT WILDEE THE EDITOR matt.wildee@pbmag.co.uk Dead heat between McGuinness, Rutter and Guy Martin. Want them all to win! SIMON RUSSELL ART EDITOR simon.russell@bauermedia.co.uk They all deserve it, but I’m gonna say McGuinness. No, Dunlop. No, Martin... JOHN McAVOY ROAD TESTER editorial@pbmag.co.uk Conor Cummins. A 131mph lap from a standing start in 2010. No mug... MICHAEL RUTTER TRACK TESTER editorial@pbmag.co.uk Ian Hutchinson. He’s going well, and you don’t win five in a week by accident MARK WHITE TECHNICIAN editorial@pbmag.co.uk If anyone takes a new R1 over with them... That’s all I’m saying RUPERT PAUL CONTRIBUTOR editorial@pbmag.co.uk So if it was really a Senior TT it would be Ago, yes? Gettit? SIMON HARGREAVES CONTRIBUTOR editorial@pbmag.co.uk I reckon Michael Dunlop. He’s a force of nature – he’d push a bike over the line…

2015 IS SHAPING up to be the year of the sportsbike, but even if you don’t have a full licence you’re still invited to the party. Those on a restricted licence have an ever-increasing choice of specific minisportsbikes, and for 2015 this number has increased with the arrival of the Yamaha YZF-R3. Smaller capacity sporstbikes have come on in leaps and bounds in recent years and the likes of the KTM RC390 and Kawasaki Ninja 300 have really upped the game. Not everyone wants to do 150mph; some riders simply want to ride a fun machine with light weight, good handling and a peppy engine that excites without terrifying. Which is exactly what the R3 does. Yamaha were the first to give little bikes a big bike feel, with the…

PB HAS JOINED forces with Dunlop to host our third free trackday at Rockingham Motor Speedway in Corby, Northamptonshire. Taking place on Thursday, July 30, it’s 100% free, as a thank you to PB’s loyal readers. PB columnist and TT legend John McGuinness will be a guest instructor and a lucky few will win the chance to get one-to-one instruction from him. Dunlop tyres will be on hand to give away free goodies as well as offer advice. They’ll be selling tyres at exclusive rates through InFront Motorcycles, who are also there to offer track suspension set-up tips. Rockingham is one of our favourite tracks, with a combination of fast and slow corners and the chance to run on part of the banking. It also has the best sequence of…

AFFORDABLE | RACE-BRED | BRITISH 2015 RST TRACTECH RANGE RST are an established name within race paddocks all over the world thanks to riders such as Alex Lowes, Josh Brookes, Chris Walker and Cameron Donald all wearing their kit. However, despite this, the firm’s products aren’t impossibly expensive – it’s high-quality kit with an affordable price tag. PB picked out our highlights of the firm’s new Tractech range. Contact: www.rst-moto.com EVO-2 ONE-PIECE The Evo-2 sits below RST’s Pro Series CPX-C race suit and represents a £150 saving at £449.99. Made from 1.1mm-1.3mm cowhide with perforated panels, the suit has CE-approved armour in the shoulder, elbows and knees as well as a CE-approved back protector. For comfort the collar and cuffs have a neoprene layer while a double leather layer on…

WHO IS JOHN McGUINNESS? The Morecambe Missile has 21 TT wins including this year’s Zero TT. He was the first man to break the 130mph barrier AT THE MOMENT I’m sitting at home absolutely hanging after driving my motorhome back from the Le Mans 24-Hour race. My head was gone and when I got home I just slumped on the sofa, turned the phone on silent, stuck the speedway on the TV and collapsed. If you had offered me a million quid to keep my eyes open I simply couldn’t have done it. Le Mans was a bit of a disaster and I feel really bad for the Jackson Racing team as they are a great bunch of lads and deserved a better crack at it. But even before the…

1 The BMW’s calipers are unchanged but the ABS map is refined for 2015 2 New exhaust sheds 3kg and boosts the mid-range 3 The updated frame has its flex and rigidity altered and new geometry. The swingarm pivot is 3mm lower 4 Semi-active suspension is now an option 5 Heated grips, how very BMW 6 The dash has a real time lean angle display 7 A new button allows the traction control’s level to be altered when in Slick mode 8 And finally the rear, which is sharper than before...…

THESE ARE THE three fastest bikes we’ve ever tested around Mallory and each is sublime in its own way. “The all new Yamaha YZF-R1 couldn’t be more different from the latest BMW S1000RR in the way it goes about its business and where its priorities lie. It’s super-focused, has one of the most usable, exciting motors on the planet. It is a huge step forward for Yamaha and with more time may go faster still. “The Beemer is just magnificent and has the closest feeling to a full factory race bike of any road bike I’ve ridden. The engine just keeps giving, the chassis is so easy to manoeuvre and the electronics are sublime. The only question mark is down to the optional HP wheels fitted to this test bike.…

BEING GUY MARTIN’S boss has to be the toughest job in bike racing. Getting to speak with Mr Martin these days, given his immersion in Spitfire resurrection and barge building, is a major challenge in itself, without having to try steering a path for the famously free-spirited road racer. But that is exactly the test that Philip Neill, the boss of Tyco BMW, wakes up to every day. LIFE IN THE LIMELIGHT “Guy is definitely different,” Neill smiles when he is asked about his TV celebrity road racer. “He brings with him a certain kind of pressure because you do have to deal with his popularity and all the demands on his time. “Sometimes I have to say no to people wanting a slice of Guy because if they all…

1 BIKE VALETER “This is Nooj and he is a bloody genius. He can transform a shitty bike into the most glorious machine you have ever seen. A valet costs £60-£85 but is worth every penny, especially if you are looking to sell the bike. An intensive clean also spots any loose nuts and bolts and Nooj always picks up on details like that.” 2 WORKSHOP MANUAL “There are some really good paper manuals out there and a lot can be downloaded from the web for free. Working on a bike is all about confidence; if you read the manual and take your time you can do basic maintenance. It’s a good idea to have a cheap laptop in your garage with manuals downloaded on it. Or porn.” 3 SNAP-ON…

“THE WORK DARREN has done has transformed the bike, I’m absolutely speechless at the change in its handling, it’s like a different bike. “The TL’s whole attitude has changed. Before, it felt like it was sat on its nose and refused to move regardless of what you did. The forks didn’t extend under power, they just fired up in the air! Now the bike accelerates out of bends without any instability and when it does wheelie it just rises smoothly rather than kick off. “We might not need a steering damper any more. When you braked, the forks felt like planks of wood, now the dead feeling has gone and you can feel the feedback from the front tyre. I can’t wait to ride it properly. “For around £320 the…

STORY SO FAR My lighter and more powerful 5PW R1 has also been getting dustier MILES THIS MONTH 0 or even negative figures by now... ‘My letterbox rattled to the tune of aerospace alloy brackets for me to test-fit’ BREMBO HPK RADIAL CALIPERS I like the look of these calipers more than any other, so while they weren’t monoblocks they were (just) within budget and gave me the opportunity to satisfy my guilty pleasure for titanium fasteners CUSTOM ADAPTORS Fitting the radial Brembos to the R1’s Öhlins fork bottoms requires an adaptor. This one was CAD drawn and machined by a friend 2003 YAMAHA YZF-R1 MARK WHITE IN AN ATTEMPT to finally get this R1 resurrection project started, I’m going to get it stopped. With a spangly set of Brembo…

GENIUS IDEA: TAKE a race glove, add Gore-Tex. Hey presto – a waterproof mitt with a slim cut, good feel and protection. It’s the perfect spring/ autumn glove, which covers about 80% of my riding season perfectly. A tad thicker than a regular race glove, but nowhere near as bulky as a normal waterproof gauntlet, they’re comfy and secure, too. After five years, this pair is no longer waterproof (they do manage the odd shower OK), but I’ve a feeling this has as much to do with the regularity of my cleaning regime as it does the material’s effectiveness. You need to keep on top of Gore-Tex. I’ve worn them for trackdays and racing and prefer them to racey GP Plus of a similar vintage.…

DESPITE THIS GHOST-S video camera from Drift being my companion for the last year, it’s safe to say that I’ve probably not made full use of its range of abilities. A situation that is more a reflection of me rather then the camera. The Ghost’s spec is virtually identical to its obvious alternative, the GoPro Hero 4. It’ll film 1080p, HD quality at 60 frames per second, take 12MP single frame photos at whatever time lapse you want and gain you kudos on the internet by being able to share your crystal clear heroics with the world. There are a couple of key things that are unique to the Drift compared to the GoPro, namely the packaging. The Ghost is more compact and bike-friendly and thanks to the rotatable lens…

SPECIFICATION £13,999 177BHP | 189KG MILEAGE THIS MONTH 201 TOTAL MILES 0 02 0 7 MPG THIS MONTH 34mpg BEST MOMENT Braaaaaahp! Again and again and again... ‘At 5000rpm its power is so strong and instant I’ve not found myself wanting more’ THROTTLE CONNECTION It’s fully ride-by-wire, but not that you’d know. The Super Duke R is a rare example of a modern ride-by-wire bike with weight and stiction at the twistgrip, despite the lack of cable between throttle grip and potentiometer. Take note any bike manufacturer currently trying (and failing) to get a ride-by-wire throttle to feel like it’s connected SPARK MANAGEMENT It has two spark plugs per cylinder that are controlled independently of each other depending on which engine mode you’re in TOP-END STOPPERS See those front brake…

SPECIFICATION £9,599 134BHP | 192KG MILEAGE THIS MONTH 358 TOTAL MILES 0 05 5 6 MPG THIS MONTH 48.7mpg BEST MOMENT It’s finally run in. Yay! 2015 SUZUKI GSX-R750 SIMON RUSSELL IT’S BEEN A slow month with the GSX-R, but with good reason, I’ve spent the month running the engine in. I’m a sucker for doing things properly so I have spent the first 500 miles as per the Suzuki handbook with the ‘engine speed varied and not held at a constant speed’ below 7000rpm. Boring, but it has meant I’ve had time to sit and bond with the Suzuki and notice and appreciate its details and foibles. There’s a mode button to switch the engine between a full power A mode and a detuned B mode tucked where the…

AIR-COOLED ENGINE 75bhp might seem underpowered to most but this has over 40 years of heritage and a free-revving nature. Wheeiies, too WHEELS 18-inch front and 17-inch rear, 10-spoke alloy wheels look gorgeous in the flesh, but limit tyre choice CONNECTIVITY There’s a an iPhone-friendly USB socket under the seat, for the media types. At least it means they can download PB onto their customised iPad Mini FOR YEARS THE motorcycle industry had been desperate to get new bums on seats. When those bums arrived, however, they were clad in massively turned-up jeans, accessorised with lumberjack shirts and beards. These East London types had latched on to the opportunities offered by the credit crunch, initally upcycling tired, knackered old bikes into simple, good looking, cheap rides. Manufacturers caught on and…

IS THIS THE best year ever for new sportsbikes? In the last few months Ducati, Yamaha and BMW have released 1000cc race reps with advanced gyro-electronics, semi-active suspension and engines that nudge at 200bhp. Fans of going really, really fast round corners have really, really never had it so good. Now it’s Aprilia’s turn to throw their pistons into the ring with a revised RSV4, called the RF. Punching out a claimed 201bhp @ 13,000rpm, the new bike is up 16bhp on the previous model thanks to numerous engine mods mostly aimed at reducing internal friction and drag. It weighs 0.5kg less, has a tweaked electronics package, steering geometry and suspension, a new nose fairing, lights and mirrors, and a longer swingarm. But almost as significant is what it doesn’t…

“THE 1000CCC ROADSTER segment is full of competitors – we should have originality as a latecomer.” So say Suzuki, at the Spanish launch of the new GSX-S1000. They’re right. Nakeds make up a third of new UK bike sales, as popular as sportsbikes. Kawasaki’s Z1000 is the obvious rival; so are Honda’s CB1000R, Triumph’s Speed Triple, Aprilia’s Tuono and Ducati’s Monster, and BMW’s S1000R and R1200R. Most of them have been around for more than 10 years. As has the GSX-S’s engine, which is based on 2005’s GSX-R1000 K5. So yes, Suzuki are behind the curve. But it’s also the cheapest big naked; at £9499 for the ABS version it undercuts the ABS Z1000 and CB1000R by £400, and the basic, no frills S1000R by £700. You have to wonder…

Our sister title MCN has taken over the Peterborough-based motorcycle show formerly run by the BMF, shaken it up and turned it into something they’re quite excited about. “There’s loads on offer,” says a very enthusiastic chap in an MCN-branded fleece. “From our incredible classic race bike parade, to the Extreme Enduro and the full program of Flat Track racing in the main arena, there will be so much to see and do. We’re bringing back the legendary Transatlantic Trophy with Kevin Schwantz. Don’t miss your chance to test new and classic bikes, see and hear amazing race bikes in action, see your heroes battling it out in the live action, grab a bargain from the retail zone and much more. It’ll be great!” Advance tickets are available at www.mcnfestival.com…

PROTECT YOUR 2015 R1 British firm R&G Racing have already got their hands on a new YZF-R1 and have developed a range of crash protectors and a tail tidy for it. If you are planning on falling off your new bike, give them a bell. www.rg-racing.com TT SPECIAL Arai have released details of their 2015 TT special lid. Designed by Aldo Drudi, the £749.99 RX-7 GP TT helmet can be ordered through any Arai dealer or collected directly from Isle of Man-based Crossan Motorcycles during TT fortnight.www.whyarai.co.uk R1 RACE FAIRINGS Reactive Parts have become Europe’s first aftermarket fairing supplier to stock a full fibre glass race fairing and seat unit for the new R1. As you would imagine, demand is high for the £499.99 kit. www.reactiveparts.com…

1 Underseat pipes are gone, replaced by a titanium low slung unit 2 The R1M gets semi-active suspension, the stock bike KYB 3 The R1’s styling is based on Rossi’s M1 4 The new angle-sensitive ABS is linked front to back 5 The lovely ‘R1’ casting on the swingarm is a beautiful touch 6 The new TFT dash has two displays and shows real time acceleration and brake force 7 Crossplane engine is all-new with titanium conrods and no expense spared 8 Magnesium wheels help the shock perform…

The ZRX1100 when Magnus Wallner bought it. Stock, except for a very noisy Kerker exhaust Old cast pistons alongside Wallner’s forged JE replacements that run off Carillo rods Brake legend Acke Rising, founder of ISR, on the lathe turning out the Grade 5 titanium caliper bolts The ZRX in advanced state of undress, at ISR for fitting of new brakes and suspension Huge six-pot caliper in ISR’s mill. Two of these grip 320mm discs at the sharp end of Wallner’s ZRX Hella bi-LED module is driven via relays because of ‘distortion’ in the power supply in the stock harness Engine was ported and polished head at the Motospeed workshop in Västerås A four in one solution. Mudguard, battery tray, coolant tank and crank case breather catch tank ISR triple clamps…

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER Join a forum and ask other owners for advice if you have an issue with your bike. The most important weapon in your arsenal when working on a bike is knowledge, and thanks to the internet this is usually available at your fingertips. WET CHAIN LUBE Always used wet chain lube – wax and dry lube are crap. Wet lube gets inside all the nooks and crannies on the chain and keeps it lubricated. Build up the wet lube in layers to ensure it really gets to work and let the propellant evaporate before you actually ride the bike. TEST TENSIONS! Getting your chain and throttle cable tensions spot-on is vital on a bike. If you have too much slack in your throttle cable, the response can…

STORY SO FAR Matt tweaks and fettles his 2000 R1 to the point where, frankly, everyone in the office is bored MILES THIS MONTH 357 SPENT THIS MONTH £185 Chain and sprockets CONTACTS M&M Motorcycles 01780 482277 2000 YAMAHA YZF-R1 MATT WILDEE IT’S BEEN A great month’s riding with the R1. This April has been one of the nicest I can remember, with weeks and weeks without rain and dry, sunny days to revel in. And the R1 has been a worthy accomplice. I’ve finally sorted one of the last things that was bothering me – the slightly ropey chain and sprockets. They’d done really well, lasting 15 years and 30,000 miles, but they were showing their age. The rear sprocket was beginning to wear asymmetrically on the driven side,…

IT’S NOT OFTEN you can call a fairly expensive modification to a motorcycle a sure-fire investment, but a pair of Öhlins Road & Track forks are always going to be metaphorical gold in the bank. I bought these second (probably more like seventh) hand six years ago and could sell them tomorrow for the same price I paid, if not more. But of course I’m not going to sell them. There wasn’t really anything wrong with my standard forks, but you don’t need to be a genius to realise a pair of Öhlins legs are going to be an improvement over cheaper, mass produced, OEM forks. I needed to get my R1’s forks re-valved anyway as the massive amount of weight I’d lost from the bike meant I was running…

MERCURY HEARING HAVE been working for the NHS for more than two decades, but I was still sceptical. How much better than disposable foam plugs could £80 custom ones be? And would the cost be justified? Mercury can do almost limitless colour combinations, and after getting the moulds done at the London Motorcycle Show, two weeks later I had a pair of standard Pro Plugs and a pair with built in earphones delivered. There were handy instructions for insertion and, importantly, removal (If you whip them out too quickly you could burst your eardrum, such is the quality of the seal). I’m sold. The first time I used them was in complete comfort and with the perfect level of wind noise being blocked out (I could still easily hear engine…

LATHES ARE ALL very well but they don’t fit inside an ordinary garage. But this one does, because it’s only 820mm long. I bought it to power my hobby of fitting Japanese fork internals to Ducati Showa forks. Doing these conversions means removing anti-tamper peening, making up new spring preload spacers and cartridge cups, and shortening damper rods and needles. This lathe is just big enough to manage all that – and it can also cut threads, make special tools, turn up spacers, shorten bolts, and bore holes in things. Best bits: the varispeed electric motor and safety cutout. Worst bits: the compound slide is a bit sticky, the dials are in imperial and you can only cut metric threads with a new lead screw (£30). But really it’s superb…

SPECIFICATION £9,549 116BHP | 192KG TOTAL MILES 0 07 2 7 MPG THIS MONTH 48.7mpg BEST MOMENT That long, almost musical wail as it holds onto every rev in third and fourth. Bliss 2015 TRIUMPH DAYTONA 675 MATT WILDEE IN A WORLD of 190bhp sportsbikes it is easy to dismiss Triumph and their 116bhp Daytona 675, but it’s one of the most compelling bikes on the planet. When Triumph launched the latest generation of Daytona 675 they seemed embarrassed. They’d launched the Daytona into a middleweight supersport market that was on its arse, but had signed off the development cheques long before, at a time when everything was rosy. So they kept going. Judging by the first few hundred miles on our Daytona, we’re glad they did. The result is…