1608 RF final

AUGUST 2016 RSA R30.00 

AUGUST 2016 

BIKES TESTED: 

• 2013 KAWASAKI ZX-10R 

• 2012 HONDA CBR100RR 

• 2010 BMW S1000RR 

• 2009 YAMAHA R1 

EXCLUSIVE: 

A DAY TESTING 

WITH BRAD 

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1002 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE AUGUST 2016

WHAT IS THE MOST TRIED AND TRUSTED 

TYRE BRAND AT THE SUZUKA 8 HOUR? 

DUNLOP! 

31 TEAMS CHOOSE DUNLOP FOR 

SUZUKA 8 HOUR ATTACK 

Dunlop Suzuka 8 Hours in numbers 

60 Teams in total • 31 Dunlop Teams • Titles: 8/10: Dunlop has helped teams win eight out of the last ten titles 

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2002 Dunlop teams have stood on the top step of the podium 38 times 

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RIDEFAST MAGAZINE AUGUST 2016 1

W E L C O M E THE TEAM: 

EDITOR & DESIGN: 

Rob Portman 

rob@ridefast.co.za 

082 782 8240 

ADVERTISING: 

Zenon Birkby 

zenon@ridefast.co.za 

074 104 1074 

ACCOUNTS & 

SUBSCRIPTIONS: 

Anette 

anette.acc@mweb.co.za 

011 979 5035 

July was a month of ticking life experiences 

off my bucket list - It started off with a trip to Italy 

for my first ever World Ducati Week, at the Marco 

Simoncelli Grand Prix circuit in Misano. Had 

such an amazing time and what an experience, 

something every motorcycle nut should try, even if 

you're not a Ducati fan you will love this event. I give 

a full rundown of the event in this issue. 

When in that part of Italy, one simply has to go 

to Rossi’s home town of Tavullia, situated around 

25km from the Misano track. I did just that and 

visited the Rossi fan club base, which is a Bar and 

Gelateria packed with Rossi memorabilia. Behind 

the bar is the official VR46 shop, where I got some 

official gear. I also signed myself, and my baby boy 

Trey Knox, up as official Rossi Fan Club Members, 

and received a shirt, cap and membership card for 

each of us. 

After that I spent a day at the Misano circuit 

with Brad Binder, who was doing some testing 

for the KTM factory. It was great catching up with 

Brad and I managed to get some great insight 

to Brad’s immediate and long term future plans. 

Exciting stuff, which should be announced soon. 

Staying with Brad and we will be releasing the 

new range of official Binder shirts, caps and 

hoodies very soon so keep a look out on 

our Facebook page for more details. Will 

also have the full range featured in next 

months issue. 

A week later and it was my turn to hit 

the track with our 2016 Kawasaki 

ZX-10R Project Bike. It was the 

8 hour race, and we showed 

great pace but unfortunately 

too many pit stops cost us the 

win. Oh well, 12 hour up next in 

October and we will be looking 

to right some wrongs. Big thanks 

to Kawasaki SA, Dunlop SA, Dynamic Express 

Services, Fourways Motorcycles, Dave from R&D 

Racing, Martinus from TRD motorcycles and 

Omega Fibreglass for all their support. 

The following week and I was joined by The 

Singh, Daphne Lang and Henry Barnard down 

in Sabie for our feature test in this issue - 4 great 

used sport bikes for under R120,000. 

I have been wanting to do a test like this for 

so long and finally made it happen. We would all 

love to own new modern day sportbikes but the 

weakening rand means that only a lucky few get to 

experience the seduction that is new 1000cc litre 

production machines. 

Three days later and I was off again, this time 

to Germany for the world launch of the new BMW 

R nineT Scrambler. We have the exclusive first 

test featured in this issue, and are the first print 

magazine in the world to publish the launch story 

so really proud of that. 

July also saw more bad news for South African 

motorsport, with the passing of racing car driver 

Gugu Zulu. 

I had got to know Gugu really well over the 

past 15 years, none more so than this year, 

where I worked with him in the SuperGP 

championship. 

His death came as a huge shock to 

the enitre Nation, SA has lost one of it’s 

unsung heroes. A massive loss not only for 

SA motorsport but for humanity. Gugu 

was a true spirit and a man that will 

never be forgotten! 

A trust has been setup to help 

support his wife and baby girl. Full 

info on page 14 of this issue. 

EDITOR 

Rob Portman 

CONTRIBUTORS: 

Sheridan Morais 

Brad Binder 

Darryn Binder 

Cam Petersen 

Richard Knowles 

Gerrit Erasmus 

Clive Strugnell 

TO SUBSCRIBE 

CALL 011 979 5035 OR EMAIL 

anette.acc@mweb.co.za 

Digital or print copy. 

DECALS BY 

TEL: CHRIS 082 602 1836 

TONY 083 770 2400 


ducati.com 

Official Sponsor Developed with 

Powered by 

The new Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro. 

The wild side of Ducati. 

DRP 

DUCATI RIDE PLAN 

Ducati 

174 Bram Fischer Drive, Randburg - 011 919 1600 - sales@ducati.co.za - www.ducati.co.za 

Ducati South Africa Official @DucatiRSA Ducati_SA 


Contents AUGUST 2016 

6: NEWS: DUCATI 1299 S ANNIVERSARIO 

24: FEATURE: WORLD DUCATI WEEK 2016 

34: FEATURE: FLASHING YOUR BIKE 

36: COVER STORY: 4 QUALITY USED BIKES 

56: FEATURE: TESTING WITH BRAD BINDER 

52: WORLD LAUNCH: BMW R NINE T SCRAMBLER 

58: WORLD SBK: LAGUNA SECA 


The Refined VFR1200X 

Contact your nearest dealer today

Sexy just got 

even SEXIER! 

Ducati 1299 Panigale S Anniversario 

Ducati unveiled a new special edition machine during this 

years World Ducati Week in Misano, in the presence of the 

company CEO Claudio Domenicali and brand ambassador 

Casey Stoner. The model that was chosen to epitomize 

the 90 years of Ducati bike-making history is the 1299 

Panigale S, but the new machine is truly over the top. 

Welcome the Ducati 1299 Panigale S Anniversario 

- a limited edition bike that will only be available in a 

500-unit run. The anniversary machine sports a new 

livery inspired by the MotoGP prototypes and the 

Superleggera. 

The top triple clamp is laser-etched with the model 

number in the 500 series, while the steering head 

inserts shift the front wheel forward by 5 mm, providing 

the Ducati 1299 Panigale S Anniversario with almost the 

same architecture as the Panigale R. 

Ducati saved no less than 2.5 kg of weight thanks to 

using a lithium battery and carbon fibre parts, such as 

the heel guards, rear fender, and shock absorber cover. 

The Ducati 1299 Panigale S Anniversario also comes 

with newly-developed electronic technologies, such 

as the Ducati Traction Control (DTC) and the Ducati 

Wheelie Control (DWC), both in their new-generation, 

EVO stage. 

The Bosch Cornering ABS is also on the list, as 

well as Ducati Electronic Suspension, Engine Brake 

Control, and Ohlins Smart EC, “an event-based control 

system that processes information about the bike 

and accordingly uses stepper motors to dynamically 

adjust the suspension set-up during riding, improving 

cornering grip, stability, braking, turn-in, handling and 

riding comfort.” 

The dashboard is the acclaimed TFT screen, and the 

bike also brags with customizable Ducati Riding Modes 

(Race, Sport, and Wet). The forged Marchesini wheels 

are a neat complement for the aluminium monocoque 

frame, specifically designed Akrapovic exhaust 

silencer as part of the racing kit that also includes billet 

aluminium mirror blockoffs and a cover for the hole 

where the license plate holder goes when riding on the 

street. A battery charger is also part of the deal. 

No price was announced for the Ducati 1299 Panigale 

S Anniversario, but we can only expect around 2-3 of 

these beauties to come into SA, so If you plan to get 

one, you’d better get in touch with Ducati SA and make 

an inquiry or even place a deposit because something 

tells us these will sell like hot cakes. 

Ducati SA - 011 919 1600. 


And here’s some tech talk from Ducati 

regarding the DTC EVO technology: 

“DTC EVO, based on entirely new software algorithms, 

becomes both more precise and consistent in its intervention. 

It interfaces with the 1299’s Bosch Inertial Measurement Unit 

(IMU), sensing at all times the bike’s lean angle and using that 

to judge the required intervention more accurately and so 

allow an ideal amount of slip for the rear tire (according to the 

selected DTC EVO level), providing increased precision. And 

when the system does intervene, reading the lean angle 

ensures that it does so consistently and repeatably in the 

same riding conditions. 

Furthermore, DTC EVO adds the ability to intervene 

on the butterfly valves in the motorcycle’s throttle 

bodies, in addition to altering spark advance 

andfuel injection. Under conditions in which 

high-speed intervention of the DTC EVO system is 

unnecessary, closing of the butterfly valves allows 

the system to manage traction while maintaining 

optimal combustion parameters, resulting in 

smoother intervention and engine response. 

On a simple traction control system, when tire slip is 

sensed the system intervenes to control it. As the tire 

grips again and slippage stops, the system reduces its 

intervention until slippage occurs again, and the cycle 

repeats. This results in a graph of system intervention 

that, viewed in detail, shows oscillation around a 

theoretical “line of perfect intervention” which is the 

precise limit of traction: 

DTC EVO reduces the magnitude of these oscillations to 

bring system intervention closer to this line of perfect 

intervention: 

This is especially advantageous under conditions of 

varying traction, such as the changes in rear tire 

grip as it is consumed. 

In addition to this increased precision of 

intervention, when set at level “1” DTC EVO adds 

a new functionality, allowing a rider to control 

the bike at a level formerly available to only the 

most advanced riders and professional racers. 

While the bike is leaned over in a turn, the 

rider can use the throttle to dial-in additional 

rear-wheel slip beyond the “normal” level 

of intervention – thus further pivoting the 

motorcycle around its front wheel, and 

closing the trajectory of the turn. DTC EVO in 

level 1 allows this pivot to occur, effectively 

allowing rear-wheel steering with active 

traction control. 

By increasing consistency and precision of 

intervention, and opening up a whole new way 

of adjusting the bike’s dynamic behaviour, DTC 

EVO gives the 1299 Panigale S Anniversario 

maximum cornering performance and 

acceleration with the highest level of safety.”

Bye bye CBR600RR? 

Is Honda planning to stop the production of the CBR600RR? 

It’s bad news for Honda enthusiast but there are rumours that Honda is seriously 

planning to cut the CBR600RR from its production, but you need to take this info with 

a grain of salt, because it’s from the website motorcycleraw.com, and they apparently 

heard it from a credible source. 

The Honda CBR600RR has been on the market for a while and it’s been a real 

success for Honda, but since some European decided to play with displacement 

and drop some pistons, like the Triumph DAYTONA 675 or the MV AGUSTA 

F3 800, the small Honda CBR600RR, with his bulletproof four cylinder, has 

struggled to take some market share all around the world, and the Japanese 

have noticed this. 

So why keep a bike which is doing really badly in terms of sales? Plus in 

Europe the new Euro 4 regulation is quite a hard thing to achieve with the 

CBR600RR engine, so instead of introducing a new model for 2017, Honda 

will drop the CBR600RR from his line-up. Nothing official yet, but we are 

hoping for some more news on this soon, as well as the potential arrival of a 

CBR800RR - oh please Honda, just give us a nice middleweight sportbike! 


Sofuoglu goes faster 

than ever before! 

400 KM/H in 26 Seconds Aboard a Kawasaki Ninja H2R 

The Kawasaki Ninja H2R tied its name to the history of motorcycling once more, 

after Turkish rider Kenan Sofuoglu took it to a whopping speed of 400 km/h 

(248.6 mph). There may be some fellows who would argue that the reading on 

the bike’s speed cannot be taken for granted and we’re fine with that. 

However, Kenan’s performance cannot be down played with such arguments. The very fact that the 

dash of a production motorcycle read 400 km/h is, per se, a fantastic achievement that stands taller 

than any other details. 

Indeed, Kenan benefitted from several aspects devised specifically for this attempt, but the bike 

remains stock, with no race kits or other similar add-ons installed. Pirelli developed a special formula 

rubber for the tires, allowing Sofuoglu to lay the hammer down as hard as possible knowing that he 

has around 30 seconds of astonishing grip until reaching 400 km/h. 

Rev’It devised a special one-piece leather suit with enhanced aerodynamics, while Elf supplied the 

race-grade fuel that would grant the H2R some extra horsies, and there’s nothing extraordinary 

about this. After all, the H2R is a track-only beast so using top-drawer items is perfectly 

recommendable. 

Even though Kenan’s goal was to reach 400 km/h in 30 seconds, his run along the Ozman Gazi 

bridge took him to that speed in just 26 seconds. Obviously, the thing we are looking forward is 

seeing Kenan and Kawasakirigging up another run, but a Guinness Book-sanctioned one, with 

proper speed-reading gear to 

meet the requirements of the most 

demanding of people. 

We don’t know how much the 

Ninja H2R’s speedo readings 

differ from the actual speed so 

it’s difficult to estimate the real 

velocity. Even so, simply seeing 

“400” displayed on the dash is 

something we won’t be forgetting 

anytime soon. Great job, Kenan! 

FIRE IT UP! NOW 

WITH FULL 

ACCESSORIES 

DIVISION 

Experienced accessory guru, Michael 

Barnard, joins FIRE IT UP to head and 

run the new accessory department. 

Barnard has been in the motorcycle 

accessory business for the last 12 years 

and knows the business extremely well. 

FIRE IT UP will be stocking top name 

brands such as Shoei, Alpinestars and 

others, from helmets to riding jackets. 

Visit them at shop 2, cnr William Nicol 

and Leslie drive, Sandton, between the 

Cycle Lab and the Pro Shop. For more 

information, call 011 467 0737.

NEWS 

Find us on Facebook: 

RideFast Sportsbike Magazine 

BMW Motorrad Days 

Guests at the 16th BMW Motorrad Days drink more than 17,000 

litres of beer, eat endless amounts of burger and curry sausage 

The 16th BMW Motorrad Days, held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, from 1-3 

July, saw 35,000 visitors this year, who came in from Asia, North America, South 

America, Africa and all of Europe. Together, these BMW enthusiasts drank 17,000 

litres of fine German beer and ate 3,500 portions of chicken, 2,000 portions of curry 

sausage and 1,800 burgers. Impressive? Then, Chris Pfeiffer turned up again and 

pulled a few wheelies. There will be more of the same in 2017. 

TRICKBITZ WAREHOUSE 

CLEARANCE SALE! 

13TH AUGUST 2016 

Trickbitz, the official importer of top quality after 

market motorcycle brands such as Puig, Powerbronze 

and Galfer, will be having a massive warehouse 

clearance sale on Saturday the 13th August, from 8am 

to 2pm. The sale is open to the public and there will be 

card facilities available. There will be massive savings 

on hundreds of top quality products - from screens, 

huggers, crash bobbins to brake pads. 

Address: Unit 5, cnr Seilskip and Ridge road, Laser 

Park, Honeydew, JHB. 

Don’t miss out! For more info call 011 672 6599. 


Made for riders, by riders

NEWS 



Bikers for Mandela 

No politics - just great people on bikes getting together to 

help those less fortunate by doing their 67 minutes of service. 

DYNO BY QUINT GETS WINGS 

The performance dealership out in Edenvale now have 

stock, and can fit carbon fibre wings to your H2, to give 

it that H2R stealth look. They also have a wide range of 

performance mods and bits available for both models. 

Tel 011 609 9275. 

Riders from The Eagles, Soweto motorbike school, Tigers, 24/7 Riders and Batsumi 

set off from Yamaha SA on 16th July for Lakeside Mall in the East Rand. Here they 

gathered paint drums, paint brushes and curtain rails donated by the Mall and took 

them to the Pem Haven Care Centre on the edge of Benoni. There, they spent 67 

minutes painting the homes and putting up curtains. 

The centre has been running for 17years and has cared for and looked after families 

in unfortunate situations. There were about 100 bikers on the day and some of the 

youngsters from the home even took a spin around the block, which by the smiles on 

their faces certainly made their day. 

Alfred Matamela, or King Donut as he is affectionately know, was the organizer of the 

day. Good one guys! Proud to be a motorcyclist. 

7 year old Thando led 

us all into the home. 


THE NEXT GENERATION OF BONNEVILLE MOTORCYCLES. 

STREET 

TWIN 

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R 

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AVAILABLE TO TEST RIDE 

Triumph’s SA # 1 dealer in Gauteng - since 2000 

Traditional 

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• Wide range of Triumph clothing 

• Dedicated Triumph Dealership 

• Wide range of pre-owned motorcycles available 

• Triumph second hand spares available 

T’s & C’s Apply 

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147 Van Riebeeck Avenue, Edenvale 

Tell: 011 609 4590 

Fax: 011 452 0443 

Cell: 082 492 7103 

triumphcon@iafrica.com

NEWS 



Gugu Zulu Trust 

A family trust has been established in honour of racing car 

driver Gugulethu (Gugu) Zulu, whose tragic death in mid July 

while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, has left his family, friends 

and the nation in shock. 

Gugu was climbing Mount Kilimanjaro 

in Tanzania with his wife Letshego 

and other well-known South Africans 

as part of the Trek4Mandela initiative 

which seeks to raise awareness 

and funds to acquire resources to 

ensure that young girls’ schooling is 

uninterrupted. 

The 2016 Trek4Mandela team had 

planned to summit Mount Kilimanjaro 

on Mandela Day, Monday, 18th July. In 

an Instagram post two days before his 

death Gugu wrote that whilst his wife 

was doing well, he was experiencing 

flu-like symptoms. When his condition 

didn’t improve, he was taken down and rushed to hospital, where he sadly passed 

away in the early hours of Monday morning. 

The trust has been set up with the intention of honouring Gugu and all he stood for, as 

well as to contribute towards the care of his baby daughter, Lelethu and wife, Letshego. 

While motorsport was his passion, Gugu was fundamentally driven to make a 

difference in the lives of South Africans. He chose to dedicate much of his time to 

working with charities and on community projects. Notably, he was one of the cofounders 

of the multiple award-winning Diepsloot Mountain Bike Academy playing an 

integral role in its ambition to building a BMX track in Diepsloot. 

Furthermore, some of the many other charities Gugu supported include, Caring4Girls, 

JAG, Songo and Info. He and Letshego participated in several endurance sport events 

including the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Race, the Cape Argus Cycle Tour, Ironman, the 

Two Oceans Marathon and even The Absa Cape Epic, with the sole purpose of raising 

money for initiatives. 

As noted in their Trek4Mandela profile, they wish to inspire people from all walks of 

life, especially those considered to be previously disadvantaged, to take part in various 

outdoor activities, and place priority on healthy living through physical activity. 

The family trust will therefore be a vehicle to set up a foundation to continue the legacy 

of Gugu Zulu’s purpose and keep the “Gugu Zulu” spirit alive. Gugu had a passion 

for transforming non-mainstream sport by exposing children from disadvantaged 

communities and backgrounds to such sporting activities. 

Gugu’s family would like to acknowledge his long-time friend, fellow racing driver and 

colleague, Stephen Watson, who has been very instrumental in setting up the trust and 

supporting the family in this regard. 

Gugu and Stephen, both passionate racing drivers, co-founded GAS Sports, a motor 

sport company, wherein the ‘G’ stands for Gugu. They shared a vision to turn the 

South African Superbike championship, named The SuperGP Champions Trophy, into 

a world class sports property. 

Gugu always put others first and never sought to enrich himself. To this end, the trust 

will look to animate his spirit of service allowing us to show our support for his daughter 

and wife. 

All donations or contributions to the trust are welcome and will be placed into the Gugu 

Zulu Family Trust which is in the process of being established. The account details for 

the trust are as follows: 

Account Name: Waterford – Gugu Zulu Family Trust 

Bank: Nedbank Limited 

Branch Code: 198765 

Savings Account: 9019592539 

Additional information or any queries may be directed to: 

Family Representative: Mr Tseliso Motloheloa on tseliso.tm@gmail.com 

Gas Sports: info@gas-sports.com or stephen@gas-sports.com. 

DUCATI SUPERSPORT? 

Are Ducati reviving their Supersport model? Judging 

by the rumours and this pic the answer is yes! 

The Ducati SuperSport S draws its lines from the 

Panigale, but it appears to be based off the Monster 

platform, with the trellis frame clearly visible. 

We can also see what looks like a single-sided 

swingarm, Öhlins suspension, and lower spec 

Brembo calipers. We would guess that the new Ducati 

Supersport S is based on the Monster 1200 chassis, 

judging from these elements, but rumours are that 

the engine will be around 937cc, which may mean the 

821-derived engine found on the Hypermotard 939. 

All speculation ofcourse but regardless, the news 

should be exciting to long-time Ducatisti, who can 

remember venerable machines like the air-cooled 

two-valve Ducati 900 SuperSport SS. 

Look for the Ducati SuperSport and SuperSport S 

to drop later this year, likely at the EICMA show in 

November, but possibly at INTERMOT in October. 


2016 ZX10 R KRT Winter Test Edition 

R 289 995 

Including R5000 

instore voucher 

NEW 2016 ZX10 R 

R 289 995 

Including R5000 


Kawasaki 2016 H2 Including R5000 


R399 000 

2015 ZX10R 

R 175 995 

2016 KX 250 F 

R 84 995 

F15529 

Authorised Kawasaki Dealer 

Tel: 011 465 1540 • Fax: 011 465 1100 

Unit 1, Cnr On the Straight, The Straight Rd, Fourways 

*Terms and Coniditions apply 

sales@fourwaysmotorcycles.co.za 

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sales2@fourwaysmotorcycles.co.za 

Service bookings: service@fourwaysmotorcycles.co.za 

www.fourwaysmotorcycles.co.za

PADDOCK NEWS 

Brought 

to you by 

NO MORE WINGS 

Winglets Permanently Banned from MotoGP 

No aerodynamic winglets will be present on the premier class 

motorcycles as of the end of the current season. At Assen, the IRTA, 

FIM, and Dorna agreed to ban them in any form, as the MSMA failed to 

come to a sensible conclusion after being asked to devise a set of rules 

for these add-ons. 

The fact that the bodies regulating MotoGP were not very happy with 

the winglets that made their way fairly recently on almost all the bikes is 

old news. Among the manufacturers, the most vocal against the aero 

winglets was Honda, never shying away from expressing their discontent 

with these add-ons, albeit they devised some for their bikes, as well. 

Winglets made their way to the MotoGP races with Ducati, who appears 

to have mastered this technology and added it to all their machines. 

Yamaha and Honda joined the club, too, but this didn’t mean they were 

entirely happy with this. 

It is not official whether Honda championed the ban, but we can, at least, 

expect them to have vetoed any decision in favour of the winglets. The 

FIM, Dorna and IRTA asked the MSMA to come up with a set of rules for 

the aerodynamic winglets, thus regulating their dimensions, number and 

use. And because the manufacturers failed to reach a unanimous result 

that would lead to an official MSMA proposal, the ban was imposed by 

the other bodies. 

The main reason for the ban was rider safety, with the theme repeatedly 

making the headlines each time a Ducati or other bike with winglets 

would crash in a race this year. No rider sustained any injuries caused 

by the aerodynamic winglets, even when Andrea Iannone’s machine 

touched the back of Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez. 

Ducati, through their Team Manager Davide Tardozzi, already warned 

that Borgo Panigale will be seeking for loopholes in the new, restrictive 

regulations, and declared that the new rules would better be wisely 

conceived. 

Winglets gone, it’s expected that the manufacturers will pay more 

attention to the shape of the fairings, and we might see MotoGP bikes 

evolving quite a bit in the coming years, compensating the lesser 

tuneability of the spec ECU software. 

However, the winglets are still usable until Valencia, so it’s still game on in 

the aerodynamic battle. 

KTM WILDCARD 

KTM Debuting as Wildcard in MotoGP’s Valencia Final Race 

It was known before that Austrian bike-maker KTM will debut this 

year in the Valencia MotoGP round, same as Suzuki did in 2015 

when it returned. Mika Kallio will be deployed for the task as he 

recently confirmed the manufacturer’s firm intention to take part in 

the last race of this season. 

Thirty-three year-old Finnish rider Mika Kallio said he would race 

the new KTM MotoGP prototype as a wildcard in the final race of 

the season that takes place in Valencia. This comes after testing 

alongside fellow Thomas Luthi and current riders in Austria, where 

he impressed with his 16th quickest time. 

Kallio finished the test only 2.2 seconds apart from pace-setter 

Andrea Dovizioso and with more than three months until the final 

race, there’s still time to improve that. And this looks just like Suzuki 

did in 2014 ahead of its comeback the following year when it let 

Randy de Puniet ride at the Valencia final round. 

“I think everyone can be really satisfied that we’re here with the 

others. In the end I think the lap times were on a good level,” Kallio 

told MotoGP.com. “We tried to follow the others and see how the 

bike is behaving and where we are losing compared to them. We 

did a lot of laps, there were no technical problems. 

“We were around two seconds behind the fastest guys, at the 

moment it’s quite good. We still have time to work before we come 

to the Valencia race, hopefully tomorrow we can improve even 

more,” he added. 

Earlier on, KTM confirmed that Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro 

would join full-time tester Kallio as a team for 2017. Former 125, 

250, MotoGP and Moto2 racer, Mika Kallio stepped away from 

competition this year and became KTM’s official test rider. 

The final race of the 2016 MotoGP season takes place at Valencia, 

Spain, between 11 - 13 November. The circuit record is currently 

held by Jorge Lorenzo, taking him 1’31.367 to complete a tour of 

the circuit last year. 


Pic by GP-Fever.de 

DEVELOPED 

BY THE BEST. 

Official MotoGP tyre supplier 

MICHELIN Power SuperSport 

MICHELIN Power Slick Evo 

Available at your nearest dealer

MOTOGP RIDERS: New apparel 

A new shipment of Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino 

Rossi shirts and hoodies have just landed in SA. They are exclusively 

available from Powersport Motorcycles in Boksburg. 

There is a variety of awesome shirt designs available as well as really 

cool hoodies. A must for any MotoGP fan! 

Shirts are priced from only R320each, while hoodies from R550. 

Get down to their shop situated at 122 North rand road, Boksburg, 

or call them on 011 894 2111. 

TATTOO ADDICT: Beeswax Aftercare 

Your tattoo should be considered like an investment. After 

all, it’s something that’s going to be on your body for the 

rest of your life. Because of that, tattoos need appropriate 

treatment, both in the immediate days after getting it and over 

the long haul. 

Your initial concern when leaving the tattoo studio should be to 

get your tattoo healed as quickly as possible without getting any 

infections. Tattoo Addict after care has been specially formulated 

for healing, and contains no fragrances, colourants or antiseptics to 

ensure minimum irritation to even the most sensitive skin. Applied 

regularly, your tattoo will heal quickly, reducing the incident of 

dehydration and scab formation on the skin. 

Once your tattoo is healed, 

make sure you keep 

your tattoo hydrated and 

moisturised. Dry skin allows 

the dead skin cells to get 

thicker, making your tattoos 

look faded. It is important to 

avoid lotions with fragrances 

in them, as they can cause 

irritations, especially if you have 

sensitive skin. 

With beeswax for moisturising, 

Shea butter for cell regeneration 

and essential oils which 

act as anti-oxidants, antibacterial, 

anti-fungal and 

anti-inflammatory agents, Tattoo 

Addict after care is the perfect 

product to continue to use daily 

on your tattoos. 

Protecting your skin from the 

sun is always important, but 

tattoos can increase your risk of 

suffering from the effects of too 

much sun exposure. 

Yellow ink can cause itching, 

redness and raised skin when 

exposed to the sun, but other 

colours can cause problems 

too. In a recent study, skin 

reactions were observed 

mostly in people with black, red 

and blue ink in their tattoos. 

Try and minimise exposing your 

tattoos to the sun by keeping 

them covered as often as 

possible. In summer, apply 

sunscreen regularly. 

By following these simple steps 

you can go out there and let the world enjoy your body art! 

Our inked up editor, Rob, has tried the new product and loves it, his 

bright tattoos a testament to that. 

Tattoo Addict after care can be bought from leading tattoo studios 

nationwide or directly online at http://tattooaddict.co.za/retail/ 

FROM: Tattoo Addict 

WEBSITE: www.tattooaddict.co.za 


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TRADE 

IN 

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Photo: H. Mitterbauer 

CHOOSE ADVENTURE 

Trade up to experience KTM’s world of high-speed adventure. 

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FREE KTM ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 

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KTM 1190 ADVENTURE 

KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE 

* Discount of R 20,000.00 off recommended retail price (incl. VAT) when trading in a vehicle (the vehicle must have been 

registered to the purchaser for at least 6 months before this purchase) and purchasing a KTM 1190 Adventure model year 2015 

or KTM 1290 Super Adventure model year 2015 at a participating, authorised KTM dealership. Only one motorcycle per buyer. Offer 

valid while stocks last. 

The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional 

equipment available at additional cost. Some parts are not approved for use on public roads in certain circumstances (varies 

from country to country). Further information can be obtained from your specialist KTM dealer. 

KTM Group Partner

T Y R E T E S T : M I C H E L I N P O W E R C U P E V O 

EVOLUTION 

Michelin has an updated track focussed tyre now in their range - The Power Cup Evo, and we were 

lucky enough to test it around the awesome new Kyalami Circuit at this years SA Bike Festival. 

Words: Rob Portman Pics: Meghan McCabe 

Michelin is a tyre brand 

we know and trust very 

well here at RideFast 

Magazine. Having raced Mon their Power Slick EVO in last year’s 

24 Hour race and this year’s 4 hour, 

they were impressive as slicks as 

demonstrated by our double victory. 

With Michelin being back in 

MotoGP, they are doing all they can 

with the feedback they get from the 

likes of Rossi and Marquez. They then 

transfer this knowledge to the end user 

out on the road or track. 

A couple of years ago I tested the 

first generation Power Cup Evo tyres 

and to be completely honest I was not 

overly impressed by them. So when 

Michelin SA offered me to test the updated 

version of a more track focused tyre I was 

keen to see if they had managed to improve on 

what was a very average tyre back then. 

The test would take place at the newly revamped 

Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. Michelin 

had the track booked for 45-minutes on the 

opening day of the Kyalami Bike Festival. It 

gave us journos the opportunity to go out and 

not only test their new tyres, but also get a feel 

of the new circuit layout. 

Before I get onto the tyres let me just 

congratulate Toby Venter and the rest of the 

team at Kyalami, they have built an amazing 

circuit and the new layout is challenging but 

incredibly fun. It is truly a world-class facility 

and it is only a matter of time before we have 

world championship event here. Unfortunately 

I do not think we will be privileged to host 

MotoGP or WSBK anytime soon though as 

the declining rand is making it very difficult to 

sponsor these types of international events. 

The last WSBK outing in SA cost provincial 

government about 30million. 

Maybe one day though… fingers crossed. 


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What are the Michelin Power Cup Evo’s? 

The Power Cup Evo is a Supersport and Superstock treaded 

race tyre (95% track 5% road), and although road legal, it is very 

much at home on circuit. Michelin have simplified the range of 

compounds, reducing it from three options to just one, which has 

a much wider operating range. The Power Cup Evo has a new 

compound designed to work in a wide operating temperature 

window so there’s no need to produce soft, medium and hard 

compounds. 

The Power Cup Evo was produced to rival the Bridgestone 

RS10, Dunlop D211 GP Racer, Metzeler Racetec RR K3 and 

Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP. 

Built using Michelin’s new ‘Adaptive Casing Technology’, the 

first ply is laid at 70° and the second at 90°, which allows the 

crown of the tyre to flex, which is intended to give increased 

straight-line stability and maintain rigidity on the edges to cope 

with cornering stresses. 

The Power Cup Evo is the treaded version of the Power Slick 

Evo we used to great effect in the 24-hour and 4-hour races. It 

doesn’t have quite the same racy profile as the slick, which means 

it doesn’t turn in as quick but it does have the same durable 

compound, which handles multiple heat cycles better than a 

racing slick so wont be so reliant on tyre warmers. 

What are they like? 

The new Power Cup Evo definitely feels a lot better than the 

previous generation tyre. Both the front and rear offered way more 

grip, which in turn led to me having lots more confidence. Even on 

the newly surfaced, dusty Kyalami circuit, the tyres offered great 

agility and feel, in and out of corners. There is a bit of movement 

at the front when turning in initially, but that is a trademark of 

Michelin tyres. It’s a feeling that does unsettle you at first but, once 

you realize it happens often without breaking traction you soon 

adjust to the sensation. 

The bike I used for the test was a 2011 Honda CBR1000RR, 

very kindly leant to us by Fire-It-Up, the motorcycle dealership 

out in Fourways. I chose this bike as it has no traction control 

and other aids to help the tyres. It is a true tyre test and not an 

electronic test. 

The Power Cup Evos complimented the CBR1000’s glittering 

handling capabilities perfectly, getting up to temperature quickly 

and allowing me to push the Honda hard through the corners. The 

more I got to terms with the new track layout the harder I pushed. 

The tyres were competently handling all the punishment being 

thrown at them. 

2CT distribution on front 

2CT distribution on rear 

I accelerated hard coming out of the slow 2nd gear turns and 

with no traction control to help out, the rear tyre did give a bit of 

movement. Nothing uncontrollable though, and I think it was also 

down to lack of setup on the rear shock. 

After the 5th lap I could feel that the tyres were heating up 

and they were starting to slide around a lot more. We had set the 

tyre pressures harder than normal before I went out and I could 

feel that they were now a bit too hard and this was causing more 

movement. Never the less, they still offered good amounts of grip 

and, at no stage did they have me leaving unwanted marks in my 

nice new undies I had just purchased a few days before. 

Overall, I was impressed with the new Power Cup Evos. 

Michelin have managed to improve on the previous tyre, and at 

the end of the day that’s what it’s all about. I’m sure there will be 

even more improvements coming to their track/road tyre range 

soon with all the info gained for the MotoGP boys. 

The new Power Cup Evo tyres are available at your local 

motorcycle dealer or tyre fitment centre for around R5200ex vat 

per set. There is also a more road-focused option available – The 

Power SuperSport Evo, which is a 50% road and 50% track 

based tyre. That retails for around R4650ex vat per set. 

Recommended pressures when cold: 2.1 front 1.7 rear. 

For nearest Michelin stockist you can call Autocycle Centre on 

011 879 6470. 


“The Selling experience 

should should be be as as good good as as the the 

buying experience!” 

“ We Pay Instantly” 

• We purchase with integrity and pay 

what your bike is worth. 

• We make payment instantly, no waiting. 

• We have a unique, first in SA 

consignment opportunity. 

• Dealers Welcome. 

Call James on 076 827 9676 or 

email James@bikebuyers.co.za 

ACCESSORY SPECIALS! 

Sunoco Race Fuel 

available per litre! 

Tyre Specials!!! 

GPR 300 ROAD 

front 120 R1099 

rear 180 R1699 

rear 190 R1799 

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rear 180 R1899 

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Please note that Fire It Up is an independent company and it not associated to any other companies in South Africa whatsoever. Any perceived similarities are merely a coincidence 

Call Michael on 011 467 0737 

Shop No 2 , Showrooms on Leslie, Corner of William Nicol 

and Leslie Drive Fourways, JHB (next to Cycle lab and pro shop) 

www.fire-itup.co.za

MORE THAN 

JUST RED! 

W O R L D D U C A T I W E E K 2 0 1 6 

Ducati celebrated its 90th anniversary in style - WDW2016 was a 

massive weekend of bikes, displays, events and entertainment, and 

we were there to witness it all. Words: Rob Portman Pics: Ducati Press and Rob 

Since the first event 18 years ago, 

WDW has attracted enormous crowds 

whose Ducati motorcycles overflowed 

the parking area like a sea of red. This years 

event was more special than ever as The 

Italians celebrated their 90th Anniversary and 

was labeled as “More Than Red”, with Ducati 

expanding with models such as the Scrambler 

and X Diavel splashing yellow and black into 

the mix. 

After what seemed like an eternity of 

travelling, we finally arrived at Bologna airport in 

Italy on Thursday the 30th of July. 

We then waited, and waited, and waited 

for our luggage to arrive on the carousal. 

After waiting for 20minutes we soon came to 

terms with the fact that our luggage had been 

misplaced or lost, no surprise to me after the 

confused look I got from the SAA employee who 

checked my bag in back in JHB. The lady never 

really looked to sure about what was going on 

but did assure me that my bag would arrive at 

the final destination in Bologna. So, off to lost 

luggage we went only to be hit with more bad 

news. The wonderful SAA employees did not 

even put our bags on the plane, so we were 

informed by a semi-attractive Italian lady that 

our bags were still in JHB. Nice, stuck in my hot 

stinky clothes in gorgeous, sunny Italy for the 

next two days. 



I managed to put all the drama behind 

me and was excited for our first voyage. 

We set off from the airport to the Ducati 

headquarters, which is around 30km 

from the airport. A 60euro, yes, 60euro 

taxi trip later and we had arrived. What 

an amazing sight and sound, seeing and 

hearing hundreds of Ducati machines paint 

a breathtaking picture and sound off a 

symphony of pure delight outside the front 

door to this historic brand. 

We were greeted by our good mate 

Gherardo and taken for a quick bite to eat 

at the canteen before heading on a tour of 

the factory. No pics allowed in the factory, 

very strict policy backed up by a sticker 

being placed over all cameras including 

cell phones. 

Gherardo went on to explain the 

heritage of this amazing brand. Had no 

idea that Ducati started out as a company 

manufacturing phones, microphones and 

shavers, before being bombed by the 

British who saw what they were producing 

as a threat. 

After that Ducati went on to produce 

the world’s first ever engine-powered 

bicycle. And the rest is history as they say. 

It’s truly amazing to see how far the Ducati 

brand has come – one of the world’s most 

recognized brands! 

After the tour of the factory, where we 

saw how all the bikes are produced and 

manufactured, even spotting an engine 

that we were not suppose to, it was time 

to head off to the newly re-vamped Ducati 

Museum. After filtering through some 

vintage machines, we finally arrived at 

the part of the museum that was right up 

my alley – the modern day bikes. A ray of 

sunshine somehow managed to pierce 

through the roof of the museum and 

shine brightly on a host of breathtakingly 

gorgeous Ducati racing machines. From 

Mike Hailwood right to Stoners MotoGP 

championship winning Desmocedici 

machine. Funny how they never had 


Rossi’s Desmo bike on display… let’s not 

go there hey? 

After a brief shop at the factory store 

located just across the road, it was time 

to head to the train station for the 1hour 

train trip to Rimini, the vibey town situated 

30km for the Misano track, where our 

hotel was based. 

Friday the 1st July and it was finally time 

to head off to the Marco Simoncelli Misano 

Circuit and witness for myself the glory that 

is WDW. 

On the way to the track, we were 

passed by hundreds of roaring Ducati’s. 

Never had I wanted to own a Ducati more. 

The entire Romagna Riviera was peacefully 

invaded by thousands of Ducatisti from 

every part of the globe, who began 

forming a long queue Friday morning to 

enter the event. 

As soon as I walked through the big 

red arch a massive chill of excitement 

rushed through my entire body. It was 

9.30am in the morning and this place was 

already buzzing. 

Over 8,000 Ducati’s of all shapes and 

sizes passed through the gate in the first 

2 hours, with a couple of other makes 

also filtering through, I had never seen 

anything like it before! That gorgeous, 

distinctive sound of dry-clutch rattles and 

roaring growl of Italian Stallion machines 

rumbled throughout the entire track, 

goosebumps… 

There were a huge variety of displays, 

events and entertainment with one of the 

biggest highlights of the weekend a closedroom 

preview of Ducati’s new Project 

1312 – the new Supersport. It is a sporty 

roadbike, accessible to new comers to 

the Ducati world thanks to its easy riding, 

weight, performance and price with a fourvalve 

937cc engine. 

Only those present were able to see the 

machine but it didn’t take long for someone 

to snap a picture that is now doing the 

rounds on the Internet. 


It was so busy that I didn’t even get a chance 

to get in. After queuing for over an hour and 

moving 2 steps, I called it quits and carried on. 

After all there was plenty to do… 

The pits were glazed with all Ducati MotoGP 

and World superbike race setups – from the big 

race rigs to the machines themselves being on 

display for all to see. This was my idea of heaven! 

I managed to snap a pic or two with riders such 

as Danilio Petrucci, Eugene Laverty and Johnny 

Hernandez, as well as hear them fire up and 

rev their MotoGP machines. A true motoring 

symphony… 

Later that day was the Scrambler Flat Track 

Race, with an actual race battled out on the 

specially created track within the circuit, where 

eight MotoGP and Superbike champions rode 

eight Ducati Scrambler Flat Track Pros. The 

winner, after a series of head-to-head contests, 

was Andrea Dovizioso, just beating Troy Bayliss. 

There were countless activities going on 

around the paddock and on the track. The “Land 

of Joy” hosted tons of fun activities animating 

the Scrambler Village, where participants could 

experience the thrill of the Flat Track. In addition 

to Scrambler riding lessons, the public could 

participate in the DRE Enduro tasters and the Intro 

and Precision mini track-riding courses, as well as 

free on-track practice sessions. 

That evening saw a Scrambler beach foam 

party take place, we were exhausted from our 

long trip so we did not attend but after seeing the 

pics the following morning on the Ducati press site 

I wish we had. Never mind, we still had loads of 

activities planned for Saturday, including a drive 

on track in a Lamborghini Hurricane. What an 

experience that was! Driving a multi-million rand 

car around one of the most famous circuits in the 

world – pretty cool! There are words to describe it 

but I can’t use them in this magazine, as they are 

quite vulgar. Let’s just say it was one of the best 

experiences in my life. 

The rest of Saturday was all about press 

meetings with the likes of big boss Claudio 

Domenicali, and the MotoGP race team with riders 

Iannone, Dovisiozo, Stoner and team bosses Paolo 

Ciabatti and Gigi Dall’Igna. Just general chat about 

how things are going and future plans. Most of the 

questions were aimed at one man, Casey Stoner, 

who was asked in many different ways wether or 

not he will make a wild-card appearance at any of 

the MotoGP races this year? “We have no plans for 

now” he replied. “For now I am just concentrating 



on improving the bike and getting my riding fitness back 

up to where it needs to be”. Let’s hope that we will see him 

taking on the likes of Rossi, Marquez and Lorenzo at some 

point this year – a battle we all want to see! 

The much anticipated Diavel Drag race took place on 

Saturday evening, where the likes of Stoner, Redding, 

Iannone, Dovi and blasts from the past like Regis Laconi 

and Loris Capirossi, lined up on the front straight for a drag 

race on Diavel machines. Two at a time would battle it out 

with the final race being between Redding and Stoner. 

Redding would take the overall win ahead of Stoner with 

Laconi in 3rd. 

Later that night saw a big unveiling, with Casey Stoner 

rolling on to the stage aboard the limited-edition Panigale 

S Anniversario – a machine built as a tribute to Ducati’s 90 

years of existence. 

The night was ended off in true tradition, with the big 

bosses, and other staff members from Ducati, cooking the 

famous barbeque for all to feast on. That really impressed 

me, seeing the big honchos wearing aprons, holding braai 

tongs serving and mingling with all their guests. 

Although 60 percent of people attending were from 

Italy, the remainder came from Europe, the USA, Canada, 

Brazil, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, India, China, 

Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and as far away as Japan, 

Australia and New Zealand. With crowd numbers tipped to 

have beaten last year’s record crowd of 65,000, it’s highly 

likely this was the most successful event yet, and I was 

there to witness it all! 

Some SA Ducati Owners Club 

members who made the trip 


SPORTBIKE MAGAZINE 

RF magazine play.indd 1006 

2014/12/27 8:44 AM

DUCATI PANIGALE 

1299 S Anniversario

FLASHING 

YOUR BIKE Cost effective horsepower gains 

Fire It Up Motorcycles in Fourways has developed a tuning tool for most modern motorcycles. 

It’s a plug and play system, cost effective with huge gains. Words: Glenn Foley Pics: Kyle Lawrenson 

In order to explain this lot we are going to 

have to go back in time a bit and explain 

how things work. 

In the old days, before the advent of 

fuel injection and CDI (electronic) modules, 

to gain real horsepower, there were a 

few pretty complicated ways to get more 

power from stock bikes. 

Carb Jetting, profiling camshafts, bigger 

bore pistons, gas flowing and performance 

pipes were just a few examples of how 

it was, and is still done. Stepping further 

back – you could advance timing on the 

old unreliable points system, but often the 

bikes would run lean. 

These are all Mechanical solutions – 

and they can (read can) affect reliability 

because you are opening the engines and 

changing factory tolerances and specs. 

Make sense? 

Most modern bikes, quads side 

by sides etc these days (obviously 

excluding two-strokes) are fuel injected 

and all now have electronic ECU boxes. 

An engine control unit (ECU) is a type 

of electronic control unit that controls 

a series of actuators on an internal 

combustion engine to ensure optimal 

engine performance. It does this by 

reading values from a multitude of sensors 

Professional ECU Flash Tuning Benefits: 

• Increased RPM Limiter. Some racers or 

motorcyclists want to increase their RPM 

limiter to achieve a higher speed. 

• Improved Throttle Response. Once the 

motorcycle has been correctly mapped, the 

throttle response is immediately improved, no 

more flat spots and instant acceleration. 

• Optimised Ignition Timing. Adjusted to match 

your performance requirements according to 

the fuel used. 

• Faster Quick Shifter Changes 

• Performance Increases of up to 20% 


leading S1000RR drag bike for example – 

power gains of up to 10 BHP increase in 

power have been achieved over and above 

a normal ‘piggy back’ system. 

Best of the lot – not a spanner is lifted, 

so there is no need to be concerned about 

spanner rash on any nuts or bolts – and 

your bike remains mostly intact throughout 

the process. 

within the engine bay, interpreting the 

data using multidimensional performance 

maps (called lookup tables), and adjusting 

the engine actuators accordingly. Before 

ECUs, air-fuel mixture, ignition timing, and 

idle speed were mechanically set and 

dynamically controlled by mechanical and 

pneumatic means. 

The factories are pretty smart at 

electronically governing their machines. 

So let’s say a bike builder builds an engine 

and tests it on the bench. As long as the 

engine produces power within certain 

prescribed parameters it is signed off and 

then installed. Then all the ECU governors 

etc are put in place so that it meets all of 

the emission laws. Are you there? 

In ANY mass production, performance 

will slip a bit – so even though a bike, sxs 

etc feels “Hey Wow” out of the box – it has 

the potential to be significantly better. Did 

you know that even when your throttle is 

wide open, your bikes brain keeps it shut 

just a little? So you are not actually getting 

max performance from your bike. 

Until very recent times, it was virtually 

impossible to change the factory settings 

on the ECU systems. You had to employ 

the services of a Bazzaz or Power 

Commander box in order to 

adjust the fuelling and so on 

and to be absolutely fair, those 

systems have proved to be 

fantastic, but there were still limits 

as to how far you could tune. Enter the 

guys from Fire It Up. 

This innovative lot have spent a great 

deal of time studying ignition systems 

system and, working with partners in 

the automotive industry and some smart 

people in Europe. They have developed 

software to alter your bikes power info. 

Cool huh? But what makes it unique? 

They tell us that they have designed it 

specifically for South African conditions – 

especially in JHB where we have a very 

unique air pressure. Don’t forget, all bikes 

come into our country with European 

Maps, not South African Maps. 

So if you have – let’s say a GS that rates 

standard at 107 BHP, by simply writing 

a South African Map (Language) and the 

bike being set up correctly by adjusting the 

Fuel tables, throttle maps, ignition tables, 

torque limiters etc, gains of up to 10HP. 

The biggest difference however is the 

overall feel and rideability of the bike. 

On one well know championship 

The dyno graph above shows the huge 

increase in power and torque Fire it Up were 

able to get out of a Ducati 1299 S Panigale. 

Over 10hp and 10Nm of torque gained - 

massive gains from low to high rpm. 

And there is more… 

With Adventure bike, top speeds are not 

always your major concern. These guys will 

chat to you about what you use your bike 

for – so if you are a tar rider, you want a bit 

of torque and more top speed. For dirt use, 

you need smoother toque and perhaps 

a bit less at the top – they will them map 

your bike to suit your riding needs. 

So what’s there to lose? 

Non invasive surgery – and in terms of 

cash for horsepower relatively inexpensive. 

Your bike can be flashed back to standard 

at any time. For the guys running race fuel, 

Fire It Up can write custom maps. 

For more info visit www.fire-itup.co.za or 

call Craig 0828832872 / (011) 467-0737. 

Apart from the Flash Tuning bay, 

Fire It Up also have an immaculate 

showroom floor packed with quality 

used motorcycles. They also now 

have a accessories store upstairs. 

RIDEFAST MAGAZINE AUGUST 2016 3 5

Declining Currencies, rising interest rates, 

a plethora of other complaints and 

issues and what are we doing about it? 

We will drag society from the doldrums 

of despair by... riding bikes. Not any of the 

new Nene-Gate priced bikes, but some 

CHEAP 

THRILLS 

4 GREAT SPORTBIKES FOR UNDER R120,000 

If you think R120,000 won’t buy you much in terms of a quality sportsbike these days, we are 

about to prove you wrong. We get our hands on 4 quality used machines that prove you don’t 

have to break the bank to own a beast. Words: The Singh & Rob Portman Pics: Benno Stander 

of the older more affordable bikes that are 

still floating around some reputable second 

hand dealers looking for a loving home. 

Each year many exceptional bikers take 

part in the Bike Economy run that takes 

place somewhere in the misty mountains 

of Nelspruit. It is a harrowing event, where 

not only, must bikers maintain breath-taking 

speeds (It’s all relative, just ask Evil Knievel) 

through the mountain passes, but ride 

frugally while doing it. It is not uncommon 

to witness a grown man crouched like 


Godzilla on a tricycle kitted out in full race 

leathers going at 112km/h on a 250cc for 

5 hours. Eyes twitching in concentration, 

sweat pouring down his pasty brow, 

hoping, praying, that his last nibble at the 

throttle has not cost him 2.5ml of extra fuel. 

In his mind he realizes that, that particularly 

aggressive move has probably lost him the 

opportunity to claim the title of “fastest slow 

guy using the least fuel.” 

Leaving aside the camaraderie and fun 

of the event, it’s as ridiculous as the cyclists 

that manually pedal up Long Tom Pass or 

“Die Hel” and call it enjoyment or trying to 

have a hairstyle when riding a bike. 

RideFast decided to see how much fuel 

we could burn in our version of the Economy 

Run, where the objective was to find the 

best bang for buck crotch rocket under 

120K and not hold back on the throttle. 

The steeds chosen for this test were the 

aging but still timeless Honda CBR 1000RR, 

the Cross-Plane beautifully rendered 

Yamaha R1, an original puke-green no 

electronic aids BMW S1000RR and finally 

one of the most underrated bikes of the last 

5 years, the 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R. 

We decided to once again visit the 

undulating corners and picturesque 

mountains of Mpumalanga, this time 

we had bikes with fairings and could go 

slightly faster. Rob also was wearing his 

full leathers, so now the ride was getting 

serious. It is after all impossible to resist 

the allure of frozen mornings and misty 

sunsets. It’s the closest knee slider 

shredding destination which truly provides 

an exhilarating experience coupled with 

scrumptious cuisine at an affordable price. 

On this trip we were accompanied by 

top lady racer Daphne Lang and Rob’s 

mate Henry Barnard, who could pass as his 

accountant. 

Winter in Sabie is a convoluted vacation 

of freezing posteriors, numb finger tips and 

blocked noses. The weather warms up 

by 10am when a wintry sunbeam begins 

defrosting the roads but until then you 

better have 22 layers of clothes and seven 

heaters strategically placed in your room. 

Daphne rose to the occasion by wearing 

all the clothes that she could fit under her 

leathers and carried her shampoo and 

makeup in the back-pack. It kept her warm 

and well-groomed. Henry on the other hand 

looked terrified, whether it was from his first 

foray into Sabie with slighytly more serious 

riding company, or because a girl was 

dragging her knees on the tar ahead of him. 

We will never know. 

I spent most of the trip up on the Honda 

and although the bikes technology is eight 

years old, it never missed a beat and 

performed flawlessly throughout the entire 

journey. This was a 2012 model, which I 

collected from Cayenne, and apart from 

the slightly dulled paint scheme it looked in 

very good nick. Honda has always made 

reliable motorcycles, if slightly sedate in 


All 4 bikes were fitted with good tyres, so we 

could really have fun through the twisties... 

their personalities. Owning a Honda back 

in the day was like driving a Yaris, it was 

practical and ticked all the boxes but was 

just so average. It was easier to stand near 

the bike and convince your mates that 

it’s not about looks but personality. The 

Honda has plenty of presence and heaps 

of personality, just ask Stoner. His bike had 

so much more personality then him that his 

wife ran off with the mechanic... 

The CBR in this rendition had 13,000km 

on the clock and was outfitted with an 

exhaust in sparkling titanium, which was so 

exuberant that it would make a banshee 

run for cover. Its brakes were crisp and 

effective and the gorgeous torque of the 

bike will keep you smiling for hours. For me 

it felt quicker through the gears than the 

other bikes and could be counted on to 

roar out the apexes with reckless abandon. 

It carried the luggage pack with ease and 

for those economy riders gave the best fuel 

consumption of the lot. 

Everything is relevant and the only 

time fuel matters on a bike is when you 

commuting or perhaps a student, or an 

H2 owner? On this trip, most of the metal 

monsters showed an average consumption 

of around 200km before reserve lights were 

seen blinking on. 

I had owned one the first ever RR’s in SA 

way back in 2010 and mine was a brooding 

Thunder Grey Metallic that almost had me 

become road kill in Durban due to a Taxi 

Driver skipping not one but THREE lanes to 

take me out. 

I had written off the first RR before most 

people had taken delivery of their bikes. 

What an idiot I am. 

Anyway, this model had a quick shifter 

and that was it. It had no TC or any other 

electronic aids. It was an untamed, savage 

and impossible to control creature at the 

coast. The RR has at least 180 ponies, 

trickle in 17% more power at sea level and 

it’s quiet special. (Like Bruce Banner is 

special - The Hulk to the lighties out there). 

For those of you who have not ridden the 

valley of a thousand hills and other twisty 

roads with extra power, go try it. After the 

bone numbing 300km to Harrismith, it 

becomes very entertaining. 

This BMW S1000RR, which we collected 

from Fire It Up in Fourways, at about 

30,000km still had plenty of punch in it, 

like a sleeping dragon that takes time to 

warm up, the 9k rev band is still a master 

arm switch and apart from the snatchy 

after-market quick throttle, this bike is still 

as intimidating as it was six years ago. 

Amongst this group of hooligans it still has 

the best stoppers and most precise steering 

combined with relentless power, it is a lot 

of bike for 120K. My second RR had a 

108,000km when I last saw her, so if these 

Great, affordable accomadation 

and grub at The Woodsman 

engines are well-maintained etc, they will 

give you a productive and useful lifespan. 

Put Cerberus in a kennel and don’t 

feed him for a week and that is what the 

R1 sounds like under full acceleration. It’s 

not the fastest of the group, but what it 

lacks in top end it more than makes up for 

in temperament and charisma. It growls 

where other bikes purr, it barks where other 

bikes idle and add the intense gaze of a 

Gorgon and the Yamaha is still a fun, flashy 

and re-vitalizing ride. This particular one 

we collected from Cayenne, looked really 

impressive in its Tech 3/Monster Yamaha 

MotoGP livery, adding even more spice to 

the already sexy beast. 

Daphne impressed us the most on the 

R1; achieving lean angles that would make 

a WSBK rider beam with pride or hide their 

head in shame... 

There is nothing negative one can say 

about the ZX-10R, especially this one 

we collected from Suzuki East, which 


“IT IS AFTER ALL 

IMPOSSIBLE TO RESIST 

THE ALLURE OF FROZEN 

MORNINGS AND MISTY 

SUNSETS. IT’S THE 

CLOSEST KNEE SLIDER 

SHREDDING DESTINATION 

WHICH TRULY PROVIDES 

AN EXHILARATING 

EXPERIENCE COUPLED 

WITH SCRUMPTIOUS 

CUISINE AT AN 

AFFORDABLE PRICE.” 


looked very well maintained. It is 

the only “older” bike in this group 

with electronics. It is composed, 

quick and as friendly as a politician 

on voting day. It feels the strongest of 

the bunch in this affordable bike test. It 

also reached the highest top end within 

the shortest distance, which I found odd 

because normally the RR is the first to 

claim that title. 

The RR and the ZX-10 both 

were reaching 30,000km, 

so it was interesting to see 

that apart from a few basic 

maintenance issues, were in 

great condition. For the Kawasaki, 

I would add a quick-shifter and 

after-market screen, the original 

screen flutters like Trumps Toupee 

at a press conference. 

The BMW is fine with the 

after-market pipe and detonates 

like the Thompson machine 

guns of world war and will 

still have old ladies diving for 

cover and motorists throwing 

expletives your way when 

you pass them. Well worth 

the grin factor. 

We were privileged 

to have the Jedi Master, 

Sabie Living Legend Brian 

Muldenhauer joined us for 

the afternoon shoot and 

some relaxed poses on the 

22. Brian is an inspiration 

for many people in the area 

including myself. 

When I met him about a year 

ago with another Sabie legend, 

my close friend John “Mcguiness” 

Jewiss, I was at a point in my riding where I was 

thinking about getting something more chilled 

in the next few years to plod along on. Because 


at RedStar you are either as fast as Ricky 

Morais in shorts and takkies, or you plodding 

along watching the grass grow. 

After watching these two gentlemen tear 

up the roads in Nelspruit on road tyres and 

gravity defying lean angles I realized that after 

350 000km of commuting I had soooo much 

more to learn it almost made me catatonic. 

I was awestruck and humbled at the shear 

pace that could be comfortably maintained 

on these paths of perambulation without 

even breaking out a sweat. 

I then promptly informed my son that 

unfortunately he would have to wait at least 

another 20 years before I thought of slowing 

down and getting a cruiser. For those of 

you who know these gentleman, their tales 

and company is an educational journey of 

death defying stories and scenic trivia of the 

surrounding mountains and valleys. 

For those of you that do not, the next time 

you in Sabie and riding through the 22, take 

note of this little fact: A 65 year old man can do 

the 84 corners in just a tad over eight minutes. 

Time yourself and be amazed. 

Of the 4 bikes that we tested, all of them 

are quick, fun and more bike then most of 

us can use effectively on any given Sunday 

anyway. The newer updates of these bikes will 

be at least a 100k more and once you add 

accessories it could set you way over the 300k 

mark. If you have the money and need bragging 

rights about owning the latest and greatest then 

go ahead and splurge, but if you enjoy a good, 

grippy, reliable bike, all of these would be ideal. 

If I am pushed to choose one it would 

be the Honda, but, realistically they are all 

perfect for this application without making 

you feel like Oliver Twist at dinner asking for 

leftovers or in economy run’s case, extra fuel. 

2013 KAWASAKI ZX-10R 

KM: 29,000 

PRICE: R119,000 

EXTRAS: AKRAPOVIC 

MID - SLIP-ON PIPE 

FROM: SUZUKI EAST 

TEL: 011 918 7777 

2010 BMW S1000RR 

KM: 29,000 

PRICE: R119,000 

EXTRAS: ARROW MID - 

SLIP-ON PIPE / SCREEN 

FROM: FIRE IT UP 

TEL: 011 467 0737 

2009 YAMAHA R1 

KM: 11,000 

PRICE: R119,999 

EXTRAS: YOSHI MID - 

SLIP-ON PIPES 

FROM: CAYENNE 

TEL: 011 244 1900 

2012 HONDA CBR1000RR 

KM: 13,000 

PRICE: R114,999 

EXTRAS: STEALTH MID - 

SLIP-ON PIPE / SCREEN 

FROM: CAYENNE 

TEL: 011 244 1900 

RATINGS: 

Heat 8 

Steering 8 

Fuel 8 

Acceleration 8 

Throttle 8 

Traffic 7 

Servicing 7 

Lights 7 

Wind 6 

New Rider 7 

Total: 74/100 

RATINGS: 

Heat 7 

Steering 9 

Fuel 7 


Throttle 7 

Traffic 6 

Servicing 6 

Lights 6 

Wind 7 

New Rider 5 

Total: 68/100 

RATINGS: 

Heat 6 

Steering 7 

Fuel 6 


Throttle 8 

Traffic 6 

Servicing 7 

Lights 8 

Wind 7 

New Rider 7 

Total: 71/100 

RATINGS: 

Heat 8 

Steering 8 

Fuel 8 


Throttle 8 

Traffic 8 

Servicing 7 

Lights 7 

Wind 7 

New Rider 8 

Total: 77/100 


EDITORS NOTES: 

120 THOUSAND GOOD 

REASONS TO LOOK AT 

A USED SPORTBIKE. 

With the price of new bikes skyrocketing 

due to the weak rand, used 

motorcycles sales have almost 

doubled so far this year. There 

really are some great, affordable 

options out there, and we 

managed to get our hands of 4 

delectable bikes that would impress 

any motorcycle lover. 

I was so impressed by the amount 

of top quality stock the dealers we visited 

had on their showroom floors, and at 

prices that were very reasonable. 

We put the dealers, and their stock, 

to the test, by literally rocking up, 

selecting which bike we wanted, 

asking for the key and heading 

out the door. No time for 

them to quickly prep them or anything, I 

wanted to test them as they stood on the 

floor, to see just what kind of state the 

bikes are in. 

All four of the bikes passed the test with 

flying colours, we only really experienced 

one or two tiny little problems, nothing that 

could not be sorted out by ourselves on 

the trip. 

“THE ZX-10R 

PULLED ME INTO 

THE TURNS, LIKE 

AN EXCITED KID 

DRAGGING A 

PARENT TO THE 

TOY AISLE IN A 

SUPERMARKET, 

IT JUST WANTED 

TO PLAY.” 


I got to spend a good amount of time on 

each bike over the course of our 1100km 

ride from Boksburg to Sabie and back. 

The 2013 Kawasaki ZX-10R, from 

Suzuki East, really impressed me from the 

first second I layer eyes on it. It was in such 

good condition and the Akropovic slip-on 

stub pipe fitted not only looked good, but 

really did bring out the roar of the 4-cylinder 

screamer motor. Such a stunning looking 

bike the ZX-10R, and even though it is 

now the “older” model, it still holds it’s own 

against the newer version. 

This particular bike was so easy to ride 

- throttle response was easy and instant 

with loads of power on offer throughout 

the rev range. A satisfactory ride out on the 

long open highway, but as all the bikes did, 

it really came alive from Long Tom Pass 

onwards. The ZX-10R pulled me into the 

turns, like an excited kid dragging a parent 

to the toy aisle in a supermarket, it just 

wanted to play. The Bridgestone Battalax 

tyres fitted to the bike were still in great 

nik and offered great grip out on the twisty 

mountain passes. On the famous 22, the 

ZX-10 excelled, and I would often forget 

that I was on a 2013 model, with close on 

30,000km on the clock, as it felt as good 

as any new bike I have ridden lately. The 

bike sold itself perfectly to me whenever I 

rode it, well worth the R119,000 price tag it 

displayed proudly on it at Suzuki East. 

The “Baby nappy green” BMW 

S1000RR, as I called it, after experiencing 

nappies displaying a similar colour from my 

baby boy, was collected from Fire It Up, 

and if you didn’t know your sportsbikes 

you could easily think this was a brand new 

model. Apart from the horrible colour, which 

we found out later actually photographed 

really well, this bike is every die-hard 

sporstbike lovers dream. Power a plenty, 

great brakes and a chassis that excites. 

This particular bike could use a flash tune 

from Fire It Up, just to smoothen out the 

throttle response and open it up a bit, as 

it did feel a bit restricted for some reason. 

Maybe the bikes fuelling was not setup to 

the Arrow pipe fitted to the bike. Never the 

less, the bike still had more than enough 

bite and the extra addition of the dark 

screen and race levers, gave it that extra 

sporty feel. Just like the ZX-10, this bike 

was close on hitting 30,000km but felt as 

good as a bike before its first service. I was 

amazed to see that Fire It Up had it for sale 

at only R119,000. Absolute bargain! 

Speaking of bargains, the 2011 Honda 

CBR1000RR (registered 2012) we had 

was the cheapest bike on test. At only 

R114,999 from Cayenne, this had to be 

one of the best buys available out there. 

The Honda CBR1000RR has been around 

for ages now (sure Fred Flintstone even 

had a go on it) but it is a machine that had 

stood the test of time. You can’t help but 

be impressed by how easy it is to use. 

Yes it doesn’t have 200hp, or any kind 

of real electronics but that’s almost what 

makes it so special. The power is simple 

yet effective, and all most really need to be 

honest, especially here where we tested the 

bikes. Its effortless chassis was perfectly 

in tune with the symphony that is the 22. 

It rolled in and out of the corners with an 

unmatched affluence. 

You could hear this bike coming from 

a mile away, thanks to the aftermarket 

MotoGP styled stealth pipe fitted. This thing 

screamed louder than an over paid actress 

in a low budget horror movie. 

Last but not least, the 2009 Yamaha 

R1 - a machine that I have a love/ 

hate relationship with, after 2 not so 

successful years racing one in the National 

championship. Not this particular one of 

course, but in 2013 and 2014 I had the 

honour of racing for the factory Yamaha 

team here in SA onboard the big bang R1. 

It’s a bike that, to be honest, frustrated the 

“YOU COULD HEAR THIS 

BIKE COMING FROM A MILE 

AWAY THANKS TO THE 

AFTERMARKET MOTOGP 

STYLED STEALTH PIPE FITTED. 

THIS THING SCREAMED 

LOUDER THAN AN OVER PAID 

ACTRESS IN A LOW BUDGET 

HORROR MOVIE.” 


corner to corner, no hard 

braking required, just canny 

throttle control. I really did 

feel like a MotoGP rider 

through the 22 and Long 

Tom on the R1, and thanks 

to the Ben Spies Tech 3/ 

MotoGP replica paint job, 

and the roaring sound 

coming out of the Yoshi 

slip-on double pipes, not only did I look like 

one but sounded like one too. 

All 4 bikes we had on test here were 

absolute gems and bargains, and proved 

that if you can’t afford the price tag of a 

new bike, there are great, affordable, well 

worth it quality used machines out there, 

even fitted with R10K plus exhaust pipes 

and other extras. 

hell out of me as I loved riding it, but no 

matter how hard I tried it was just no match 

for the faster, lighter 4-cylinder demons. But, 

I have always said that it is the best bike 

for any rider looking to make the transition 

from 600cc supersport machine to the big 

1000cc litre bike. The power delivery is so, 

so smooth and very easy to handle, even on 

this 2009 model, which was the first of the 

big bang models released with no traction 

control. There really is no need for it though 

on this bike. I rode the R1 from Sabie back 

through Long Tom to Dullstroom and man 

did I have fun. The big compression from 

the motor worked perfectly flicking from 


Brent Harran 

Pics: Neil Philipson 

PROJECT BIKE: 

2016 KAWASAKI 

ZX-10R 

Up till now our 2016 Kawasaki ZX-10R Project bike has 

only been raced in the SA SuperGP championship with rider 

Brent Harran. Our bike got its first taste of Endurance racing 

at the 8 Hour race held at RedStar Raceway on Saturday the 

9th of July. 

Our bike had been fitted with the new fairings and carbon 

fibre frame and swingarm guards, supplied by Omega 

Fibreglass. One of our readers, Aldo Rollandi from Maldino 

Customs offered to be part of the project by spraying the 

fairing kit for us, and as you can see by the pics, he did an 

amazing job! 

Other after-market products include a Puig race screen, 

locally manufactured ACC Billet rear-sets and brake lever 

guard, Bitubo front and rear suspension as well as a Marosso 

Performance pipe. 

Dunlop SA came onboard as the main sponsor for our 

Endurance team this year, and for the 8 Hour we were given a 

D212 front and D211 Endurance compound for the rear. 

Brent took the lead of the race early on and was setting 

really impressive times, dipping into the 1,54’s. We led for 

most of the race, with all four of our riders setting really 

impressive times. Both Shaun Portman and Ricky Morais 

managing 2,01’s, with our editor, Rob Portman, managing to 

break into the 1,59 bracket. 

Our 2016 Kawasaki ZX-10R was showing tremendous 

speed, and never skipped a beat throughout the entire race. 

However, we would run into big rear tyre issues, as due 

to the cold track conditions, the rear tyre started to shred 

after the 2 hour mark. We were then forced to do a rear tyre 

change on the 3 hour mark, and then again on the 6 hour 

mark, costing us massive amounts of time. A front tyre and 

two front brake pad changes pretty much put an end to our 

challenge for the win. 

We did still manage to pick up 2nd overall in the Endurance 

Class A championship, behind winners RSR Stars. We still 

lead the overall standing heading into the 12 Hour race taking 

place on the 8th of October. 

Big thanks to Dynamic Express Services for coming 

onboard as a sub sponsor for the rest of the season. 

Rob Portman 

Shaun Portman 

Ricky Morais 


THUNDER 

IN THE 

VALLEY 

They might not look like bikes that 

can RideFast but don’t be fooled, 

these two retro machines can and 

are worthy of a test in our mag. 

Words: Clive Strugnell Pics: Zenon 

Triumph Thruxton R 

and BMW R Nine T. 


Motorcycling has always been about 

fun and freedom, with the joy of 

riding a powerful two wheeler 

always managing to overshadow lifes 

down sides. Motorcyclists love the image 

of being rough and tough and quite anti 

establishment. They like being just outside 

the behaviour circle regarded as “normal”. 

Sometimes motorcycle manufacturers have 

used this image to sell bikes, and other 

times they have shied away from it and 

projected themselves and their products as 

socially acceptable, well behaved and loved 

by everyone. 

Here’s the thing though. Motorcyclists 

are in fact a unique bunch, and have always 

customised, tinkered and changed the 

standard machinery to suit their needs. It’s 

the bikers who set the pace, leaving the 

R & D departments scrabbling to develop 

bikes to fit these needs 

For instance go back to the so called 

“Golden age” of motorcycling, the late 

50’s and 60’s where the “Café Racer” was 

born. Legend goes that large groups of 

riders raced from one roadside café to the 

next on the new ring road around London, 

and the bikes were modified for this. In 

truth there were probably only a handful 

of riders who actually did this. Most of the 

riders and their pillion passengers were just 

excited spectators. The bikes they used 

were the superbikes of that time, Norton, 

Triumph, BSA, Matchless, AJS and other 

twins. The so called “Café racer look” was 

probably just as much developed from 

riders not replacing the non essential bits 

that fell off the bikes as from deliberately 

modifying or removing them. Clip on bars 

and raised footpegs were the way to 

recognise a cafe racer. 

Later came the big move to race replica 

bikes on the road, which resulted in the 

revolutionary Fireblades, GSX R, R1 and ZX 

ranges of modern superbike. 

Another trend started by riders was 

the “Street fighter” look, where race 

replica bikes broke their fairings, bars and 

instruments in crashes or other mishaps, 

and mainly because new replacement parts 

cost plenty, they were simply left off and the 

bikes fitted with upright bars and- cheaper 

after-market, headlights. The manufacturers 

quickly followed suit and today we have a 

range of so-called naked bikes replicating 

the early street fighters. 

And so we come to our feature story. We 

got hold of two brand new road bikes, each 

from companies harking back to the dawn 

of motorcycling. They have been producing 

bikes since the early 20th Century and are 

currently enjoying huge success. Both of 


AT A GLANCE 

THRUXTON R PRICE: R174 500 

them produce ranges of bikes aimed at 

distinct segments of the motorcycle market. 

Both of them have recognised the value of 

their past history, and have identified that 

nostalgia sells bikes to a certain type of 

modern motorcyclist. 

Triumph looked at their past and labelled 

their new bikes “Traditional”, whilst BMW, 

who were never really part of the bad 

boy motorcycle scene prefer to call their 

bikes “Heritage models”. Their two newest 

contenders for the nostalgic buyer are the 

Triumph Thruxton R and the BMW R nine T. 

On paper they look pretty similar. Both 

are twin cylinder, naked roadsters derived 

from their parent company’s parts bin. Both 

offer a thoroughly modern motorcycling 

experience, but they are really poles apart 

in character and the way they go about 

their business. The next thing is that there 

is nothing old fashioned or unsophisticated 

about either of them, other than the 

Triumph resurrects the name of an old 

model, itself named after a famous British 

race track. What does R nine T donate? 

We have no idea, nor does anyone we 

asked at BMW. 

The Triumph Thruxton R 

From any angle this is an absolutely 

gorgeous motorcycle. Every part of it just 

exudes masculinity and purposefulness in 

a way only the British have ever managed 

to capture. This is a Buccaneers’ tempered 

steel cutlass designed to cut an arm off 

in a single downward slice as opposed to 

an Italian stiletto which would slide silently 

between the ribs to pierce the heart. 

The engine is a huge, proud 1200 liquidcooled 

lump placed right in the centre of a 

traditional tube type frame. The beautifully 

crafted alloy clip-on bars sit at just the right 

angle behind a magnificent bullet shaped 

headlight. The instruments are a traditional 

matching rev counter and speedo, chromed 

and polished, held in an alloy bracket at just 

the right angle. The long fuel tank features 

a central polished longitudinal strap holding 

it in place, just like an old factory TT race 

bike. The quick-lift fuel cap would make a 

very cool desk ornament, and the saddle is 

a work of art, stitched by a craftsman and 

just the right length for a rider and a close 

companion. To finish off the classic racer 

look there is a minimalistic rear mudguard 

topped with a small streamlined tailpiece. 

The two pipe exhaust is also exactly what 

one would expect, black and silver and very 

purposeful. The suspension at the rear is 

by twin Ohlins shocks, with very modern 

upside down front forks. The rims are 

polished alloy, connected to the hubs by 

genuine wire spokes. The disc brakes are 

the latest radial bolt type, gripping massive 

drilled discs. 

Riding the bike instantly reveals that 

despite the traditional looks, this is no 

throwback to the past. This bike is as 

up to date as anything available on the 

market. Once the key is turned, lights on 

the instruments show what electronic mode 

the bike is in, the status of the ABS, the 

gear selected and anything else the rider 

might need to know. The riding position is 

just perfect for most riders with the clip on 

bars encouraging a more crouched position 

than they may be used to, but one which is 

great for reducing the wind blast from the 

front. In fact this bike is comfortable to ride 

on a freeway at speed, something most 

naked bikes can’t do. A mini screen on the 

headlight would make it just perfect. 

ENGINE TYPE 

1200cc Air cooled, 8 valve, SOHC, 

270° crank angle parallel twin 

MAX POWER & TORQUE 

96 Bhp @ 6750 rpm 

112 Nm @ 4950 rpm 

SEAT HEIGHT 810 mm 

WHEELBASE 1415 mm 

DRY WEIGHT 203 kg 

FUEL CAPACITY 14.5L 

BRAKES: Twin floating Brembo 

discs, Brembo Monobloc radial 

calipers and Brembo master cylinder 

SUSPENSION: Race bred, fullyadjustable 

Showa big piston forks, 

Fully adjustable Öhlins twin rear 

shocks 

The fuel injection, cleverly disguised to 

look like old style carbs, works perfectly, 

and this bike is just a pleasure to ride. In 

“road” mode it is as docile as a big scooter, 

and just thumps along contentedly. Flip 

the selector switch to “sport” and a tiger is 

unleashed. The difference between the two 

is amazing. The big torque twin delivers real 

superbike performance right up to the very 

far side of 200 anytime the throttle is rolled 

all the way. The brakes do what they need 

to without the slightest fuss. The relatively 

long wheel-base and the steering geometry 

set up ensure the bike is always rock 

steady, fabulous in long sweeps, the faster 

the better. Tight corners need a bit more 

muscle than on a 600 superbike, and there 

is never the slightest hint of the Thruxton 

running out of ground clearance. 

This Triumph is really a superbike 

dressed in its’ grandfathers’ suit. With a 

little time and more of them on the road 

this could possibly become one of the best 

selling Triumphs’ ever. It’s cool to ride down 

to the coffee shop in Greenside and park 

next to the Harleys and Ducati’s, or it could 

be out on a highway carving its’ way down 

to the Lowveld for a weekend of canyon 

bashing. One of the things that is such 

awesome fun on this bike is the wonderful 

booming bellow the big twin makes. There 

is no other sound like it. 


The BMW R nineT 

The first thing you notice on this bike is the 

beautiful polished alloy fuel tank. This is 

the only clue on the bike that this is one of 

BMW’s Nostalgia models. The alloy tank 

harks back to when race bikes had these 

handmade alloy tanks. Everything else on 

the bike is as up to date as any modern 

BMW. The other nostalgic feature of the 

bike is that in BMW’s marketing schpiel 

on the R NineT, they talk about how it can 

be customised to suit the riders taste, and 

they catalogue a whole range of BMW 

accessory add-ons for the bike. What they 

don’t tell you is that some aftermarket 

add-ons, for instance a non BMW specified 

exhaust system, could void your warranty. 

So best stick to the catalogued bits if 

you want to personalise your bike. 

The basic bike is a standard BMW 

air-cooled 6 speed 1200 boxer. It does 

have that fabulous aluminium tank which 

looks hand made by a real craftsman, and 

which is accompanied by a beautifully 

moulded and stitched dual saddle. The 

other feature which panders to a bit of 

traditionalism is the spoked wheels and 

alloy rims. In front its’ got a set of sturdy 

superbike style upside down forks and the 

usual BMW driveshaft and full adjustable 

single back shock. Along the side filling 

the space below the tank and the cylinder 

head is a moulded alloy panel with “nine T” 

embossed on it which finishes the styling off 

very elegantly. 

Riding the bike is very different to the 

Triumph. The seating position is upright, 

with a wide handlebar mounted to the top 

of the triple clamp. The instruments are 

fitted in a plate just ahead of the same 

triple clamp, and hide the headlight or tip 

of the front mudguard. This bike is just like 

many of the other new naked bikes on the 

market, and offers the same features. It 

is nice to ride around the suburbs or as a 

commuter, but on the open road at a fast 

cruising speed there is no wind protection. 

A custom windscreen would solve this. 

The rest of the riding position is very 

comfortable, and the ride is just what 

we would expect from a modern BMW. 

Everything is silky smooth, everything works 

just as it should, including the now standard 

electronic package. 

The performance of the BMW is pretty 

close to that of the Triumph, except to keep 

up with its’ British rival it has to be revved a 

bit more as it has a little less torque. If the 

rider crouches to help the airflow it will also 

easily find its’ way past the 200 mark, and 

sit there for as long as there is fuel in the 

tank without missing a beat. 

This is one of those bikes that sort of 

works its way into your affections. It is a 

unique motorcycle for someone who does 

not want the usual offerings. 

We have saved the best bit about 

this bike to last. This one had a two into 

two Akrapovic (BMW approved) exhaust 

system, which sounds absolutely incredible. 

The exhaust note alone as you wind up and 

down through the gearbox encourages you 

to find the longest way home possible. 

One of the best ends to a day in the 

saddle on two bikes would be winding 

through one of those long sweeping valleys 

in the Lowveld on a warm evening, with 

the thunder of the exhausts of this BMW 

and the Triumph Thruxton booming off the 

nearby hillside….. 

Pure heaven! 

AT A GLANCE 

R NINE T PRICE: R171 990 

ENGINE TYPE 

1,170 ccm Air/oil-cooled flat 

twin (‘Boxer’) 4-stroke engine, 

two camshafts and four radially 

aligned valves per cylinder, central 

balancer shafttwin 


110 Bhp @ 7550 rpm 

119 Nm @ 6000 rpm 


WHEELBASE 1476 mm 

WET WEIGHT 222 kg 

FUEL CAPACITY 18L 

BRAKES: Dual disc brake, floating 

brake discs, diameter 320 mm, fourpiston 

radial calipers 

SUSPENSION: Upside-Down 

telescopic fork with 46 mm 

diameter. Rear: Cast aluminium 

single-sided swing arm with BMW 

Motorrad Paralever; central spring 

strut, spring pre-load hydraulically 

adjustable (continuously variable) 

at handwheel, rebound damping 

adjustable 


If you had to ask me what the biggest craze in modern day motorcycling 

Authentic 

Charm 

WORLD LAUNCH: BMW R NINE T SCRAMBLER 

Rob, riding a Scrambler? Yup! BMW motorrad launch their charming new R nineT 

Scrambler in Munich, Germany. Words: Rob Portman Pics: BMW Press 

is, one of my answers would be scramblers. Yes, scramblers. It 

seems as if every manufacturer just about has a scrambler in 

their model line-up. Now I’m not talking about the old Honda XR 

scramblers as we use to call them, being thrashed in the veld next 

to your house, but rather road going retro type scramblers that were 

extremely popular some years ago. Well, they are back with Triumph 

and Ducati really being the first to kick start the craze once again. 

Zie Germans have now released their own and the second 

extension to their Heritage line - The R nineT Scrambler. Two years 

ago, BMW celebrated their 90th anniversary by releasing the R 

nineT Roadster - a retro cafe racer styled “Modern Classic” as they 

are labelled (tested in this issue as well). It’s been a huge success 


Highlights of the new BMW R nineT Scrambler: 

• Purist design. 

• Stitched seat in patinised leather look. 

• Workmanship with great attention to detail. 

• Air/oil-cooled 2-cylinder boxer engine with a capacity of 1 170 cc. Output 

110 hp at 7 750 rpm, maximum torque of 116 Nm at 6 000 rpm. 

• Designed to be customised. 

• Modular frame concept with removable passenger frame offering a range of variations. 

• Large 19-inch front wheel as is typical of a Scrambler. 

• Upright seating position in classic Scrambler style. 

• Raised exhaust fitted close to the body with twin silencer. 

• Axially mounted 4-piston Brembo brake calipers, steel-wrapped brake lines, 

320-millimetre brake discs and ABS. 

• Individually tailored 


for the Bavarian brand, selling 

over 300 here in SA and well 

over 22,000 units world wide 

in the two years so far. BMW 

motorcycles are on a huge high, 

record sales for a 6th year in a 

row proves that. 

They are looking to add to that 

with the new Scrambler, which 

will attract both old and new 

customers alike with its authentic 

charm. 

The world launch was held in 

Munich, Germany, and the first thing 

I thought as I saw the bike for the 

first time was how remarkably similar 

it looked to the R nineT Roadster. 

In the morning briefing, the head 

designer spoke about creating the 

scrambler. He cautiously said that it 

was actually not hard to create, as 

they had a good base with the roadster. 

He went on to say that there were 3 key 

points for the scrambler; Create a bike with 

emotion, high class design with top quality 

components while trying to keep the price 

of the bike reasonable. They’ve done a 

great job kitting the R nineT Scrambler out 

in quality products like Brembo brakes and 

Akropovic pipes. Emotion, character and 

quality were words used a lot in the briefing. 

They wanted to create a bike with a, quote, 

“Dirtier Soul” to the R nineT roadster - “It 

has everything that defines the Scrambler 

motorcycle type, filled with a very distinct 

spirit and created for motorcycle fans who 

love things that are purist, reduced to the 

essentials and non-conformist.” A bike not 

about horsepower figures or speed, but 

rather a dynamic machine with versatile 

character and passion. 

There really is not a lot to building 

a scrambler. You need a good engine, 

which BMW have in their hallmark 

designed, punchy flat-twin air/oil-cooled 

1170cc boxer engine. Then you need a 

user-friendly chassis with a comfortable 

everyday riding position. It was time to see 

if BMW had got it right? 

Looks even cooler with the 

optional extra cross-spoked 

wheels and offroad tyres. 

The ride: 

After the morning briefing, we were each 

handed a key to a bike, along with a fanny 

pack stocked with essentials like a medical 

aid kit and lumo riding vest. Each bike was 

fitted with a GPS, where our destinations 

had been programmed in so all we had to 

do was press View Map and head off on 

our journey. 

After just a couple of kilometres on the 

bike, I could feel that BMW had ticked all 

the right boxes (excuse the pun) with their 

R nineT Scrambler. The bike was seriously 

comfortable, with the handlebars and foot 

pegs in the perfect position. The simplicity 

of the bike was effective, from the old 

school single clock, to the raised exhaust 

with two vertically 

arranged Akrapovic rear 

silencers that comes 

standard. Literally just 

plug and play. It was so 

refreshing riding a bike 

that was this easy to 

enjoy. BMW did the right 

thing by not de-tuning 

the motor, keeping it 

pretty much exactly the 

same as on the roadster 

- 110bhp and 119Nm of 

torque, yeah, that will do 

thank you. 

You 

wouldn’t 

normally associate good power with a 

scrambler, but it this case it’s there, eagerly 

waiting to be used. 

The twisty country roads we rode, or 

should I say raced along on, sold this bike 

perfectly. I couldn’t believe how fast I was 

going through some of the turns, and on a 

scrambler of all bikes. It was so easy to flick 

the bike from right to left, fast or slow bends, 

no matter what the scrambler thrived. 

When it was time to be a bit more 

relaxed, the scrambler duly obliged, and 

when it was time to do some serious peg 

scrapping, almost superbike speed styled 

riding, it never shied away, instead offering 

enjoyment in abundance. 

I had to call upon the Brembo brakes on 

more than one occasion to help me out of 

a sticky situation, which they did. 

Over the two days of testing, we 

clocked up just on 280km worth of riding, 

through Germany and Austria, on some of 

the best roads ever. 


GET THE LOOK! 

BULL-IT SR6 Carbon Jacket - Black 

For this test, I really wanted to get a jacket to fit the scrambler, retro look. The Bull-It 

SR6 Carbon Jacket with detachable grey cotton hoodie was just what I was 

looking for - a jacket that had plenty of style with loads of protection and other 

great features, one being connectable belt hoops inside the jacket to connect 

to your jeans belt, so no jacket creeping up your back while riding. 

Also features micro climate inside – 1mm of airflow using 

Covec structure and cool mesh liner, which keeps 

you warm when it’s cold and cool in 

the summer. It also has a 

Covec thermal barrier 

inside, which 

prevents heat 

transfer from 

road friction. 

Overall a great 

jacket and so 

comfortable, one I will 

be using more often than not. 

Available at most motorcycle 

dealers country wide. 

I really did enjoy riding this bike, and 

to be honest, going into the launch I 

really couldn’t see myself enjoying a 

scrambler. But it brought out the kid 

in me, and showed me a pure side of 

motorcycling I have not seen in a very 

long time. There were a couple of things 

I didn’t quite like about the bike - first 

off, anything over 140km and wind 

protection became and issue. Second, 

the leather, retro styled seat was 

comfortable for the first 40km, after that 

it felt harder than SAA’s economy class 

seats. Other than that though, I was 

seriously impressed! 

BMW SA are looking to bring the 

new R nineT Scrambler in at around 

R150,000 for the base model. There are 

a host of accessories available as usual, 

from traction control, which we had 

fitted on our test bikes but really is not 

necessary on a bike like this, to spoke 

wheels, which do look oh so cool. 

AT A GLANCE 

R NINE T SCRAMBLER PRICE: +/- R150 000 

ENGINE TYPE 

1170cc twin cyclinder air/oilcooled 

2-cylinder boxer engine 


110 Bhp @ 7750 rpm 

116 Nm @ 6000 rpm 


TOTLA LENGTH 2175 mm 

WET WEIGHT 220 kg 

FUEL CAPACITY 17L 

BRAKES: Brembo Hydraulically 

activated twin disc brake, Ø 320 mm, 

with BMW Motorrad ABS 

SUSPENSION: Telescopic fork, Ø 

43mm. Rear wheel suspension: 

BMW Paralever 


A DAY AT 

THE TRACK 

WITH BRAD BINDER 

We managed to spend a day with Brad Binder at the Misano 

circuit in Italy where he was testing some new parts for KTM. 

While I was over in Italy, for World 

Ducati week, I got a phone call 

from a certain Mr Brad Binder, who 

had seen via my Instagram that I was 

at the Misano circuit. He informed me 

that he would be testing at the famous 

Marco Simoncelli track on the Monday 

and Tuesday following WDW and 

wanted to know if I would like to join 

him for the test? Of course my answer 

was yes and thanks to my mom, who 

happens to be the best travel agent in 

the world, my flight was changed from 

the Sunday night to the Tuesday night 

allowing me to join my little buddy on 

the Monday for his first day of testing. 

Words and Pics: Rob Portman 

I was really excited as it has been a 

while since I have seen Brad in action 

up close and personal, and I was really 

keen to see what exactly they get up to 

when testing. 

What a great sight it was seeing 

those two big factory race rigs on my 

arrival at the track, bright and early 

on the Monday morning - one for the 

Factory KTM team and the other for 

Team Sky VR46 Moto3 team, who 

were also there for the two days of 

testing, and no, Rossi did not make an 

appearance unfortunately, but did chat 

to his right hand man Uccio a bit. 


Even though it was just testing for the two teams, security 

was still strict, so not just anyone could stroll into the track 

and get up close. I was interrigated for a bit before Brad 

came out and assured the officials that I was indeed with 

him. After greeting the entire team, it was time for Brad to kit 

up and head out for the first session. 

Brad was not testing for his RedBull KTM Moto3 team, 

but rather for the KTM Factory, who had some special 

parts they wanted him to try out for next years Moto3 bike. 

And who better to test it for them than the current Moto3 

championship leader? 

Brad was joined by former Moto3 rider, Efren Vazquez, 

who had started the season off in Moto2 but lost his ride so 

took up the job as factory KTM motor tester for 2 days. 

There were some real trick parts scattered all over the 

pits, so secret that I was asked to please not take any 

photos in the pits. 

The bike Brad was testing was not his race bike but rather 

a factory KTM bike used to develop parts. 

Brad was instructed to head out on track and no matter 

what had to do a minimum of 7 laps before pitting, no matter 

what he thought of the bike. After his first stint out on track, 

Brad informed the team that the bike did not feel comfortable 

for him, saying the length and positioning of the bars and 

pegs felt way off. The team soon discovered that they had 

not set the bike up to what Brad’s team had sent them, and 

in fact, the bike was still setup for Team Sky VR46 rider, 

Nicolo Bulega, who had tested the bike a few weeks earlier. 

So the team pulled out some really fancy looking tools and 

continued to set the bike up literally to the millimetre for Brad. 

His second session out looked much faster and the stop 

watch confirmed that. Brad told the team he felt much more 

comfortable on the bike but was not 100% happy with the 

setup. So a few more changes to the bike and Brad started 

to lap quicker with every lap out on track. 

Heading into the 4th session it was time for the team to 

start throwing some new trick bits at the bike. Out came the 

carbon fibre swing arm. Yes, a carbon fibre swing arm. Brad 

was hesitant at first as he was worried if it would handle 

the stress out on track. He did his 7 lap stint and set really 

impressive times. He came in and his first words to the team 

were “I love it!”. Well there was a curse word ahead of that 

but you get the point. 

For the rest of the day the team continued to throw new 

parts at the bike, from triple clamps to a new 2017 spec 

motor. Brad completed 66 laps on the day and his slowest 

time was only 1.5 seconds off the lap record. Incredible, and 

to see Brad in action is truly a wonderful sight. The amount 

of confidence he has is inspiring. 

It really was great to see how these guys work behind the 

scenes. So professional and the technology is incredible. 

They can pin point everything, telling Brad which corners he 

can brake later for, trail brake longer into, use more or less 

back brake, get on the gas earlier, later or harder, you name 

it they record it and analyse it. What did fill me with pride was 

seeing how well respected Brad was by the team. All 8 staff 

members crowded around Brad after every session, pen and 

note pad ready in hand waiting to jot down every bit of info 

Brad could throw at them. They trust him, believe in him, so 

much so that they want him to test and approve parts for the 

2017 Moto3 bike. Our once little braced-faced boy has come 

along way from the days of racing a CBR150 at Midvaal, and 

myself, and the rest of the Nation are extremely proud of him. 


Words by KENT BROCKMAN 

Summer! 

THE BOYS OF 

LAGUNA SECA WORLD SUPERBIKE DEBRIEF 

The WorldSBK season goes on its annual 

summer break, with the championship 

suddenly poised on a much finer edge than 

was imaginable just a week ago. 

Jonathan Rea’s dominance of the 

current campaign has been almost 

unparalleled. However, his run of 17 

consecutive podium finishes to open the 

season is now over, and suddenly he faces 

a threat from within for his title defence. 

This is because an engine issue left 

Rea on the sidelines in Race 2 at Laguna 

Seca, and suddenly his championship 

lead had been cut to 46 points. It is still a 

comfortable margin for Rea but suddenly 

doubt can creep into the “Team 65” side of 

the Kawasaki garage. 

Tom Sykes’ win on Sunday marked a 

return to the winner’s circle for the former 

champion, and while he is still an outside 

bet for the title, he is at least back in 

realistic range of Rea. 

This paints an interesting picture for 

the WorldSBK riders to consider while they 

rest over the next two months. 

Equal Spoils for Kawasaki Riders? 

A win apiece for Rea and Sykes 

left them both with reason to cheer in 

California, but it was Sykes that will leave 

the happier rider. The 2013 champion left 

Laguna Seca with 45 points and some 

momentum entering the summer break. 

Sykes followed his teammate home 

in Race 1, but took advantage of Rea’s 

retirement to take 25 points from his rival. 

Having crashed in Assen earlier in the 

season the tally stands at one retirement 

each but the 46 point lead still gives Rea a 

very healthy title cushion. 

“Something caused a problem with his 

bike, but that’s racing,” said Sykes. “I made 

a mistake in Assen and he took the 25 

points, and the role was reversed here. So 

it’s quite interesting but certainly this is what 

we needed and we’ll go into the summer 

quite happy.” 

It wasn’t a trouble free day for Sykes, 

with the Kawasaki clearly struggling in 

some areas. The Ducati’s were visibly faster 

through the mid-corner zone at various 

sections of the track. It was something that 


Sykes noted, but he did well to ensure 

that he put his bike in the right place to 

make overtaking difficult for his rivals. 

“I couldn’t get the power applied 

on the edge of the tyre today, which 

was a big, big battle. So they made it 

very hard for me. This made me very 

nervous on the front end of the ZX-10R. 

So I’m happy with how I reacted but 

we need to be conscious of this and try 

to improve.” 

Ultimately Sykes profited from 

the infighting at Ducati (more below) 

and was able to leave Laguna with a 

31st career win in World Superbike. 

For Rea the positiveness of a Race 1 

win were lost by a mechanical failure. His 

Kawasaki ground to a halt and after the 

race his crew chief, Pere Riba, confirmed 

that it was an engine problem, but that he 

was confident that it wasn’t a terminal issue 

for the engine and that it should still remain 

in circulation. 

At one point Rea was running third, but 

made one of the most audacious moves 

imaginable by overtaking Sykes and 

Giugliano into the Corkscrew. From the 

outside it looked incredibly aggressive, but 

for Rea it was simply a case of seeing an 

opportunity and taking advantage of it. 

“I didn’t think it was aggressive, to be 

honest. They were getting backed up for 

some reason. I braked normally and there 

was an opening. I was like, why aren’t they 

going in? They got to one point where 

I was past Tom and Giuliano was really 

stopping so I had to release the brake and 

go through on him as well.” 

Within a couple of laps Rea ran wide 

with the start of his technical problems and 

retired. 

“I ran wide at Turn 7 but my race was 

red carded anyway because some corners 

later the rear was locking and we realized 

that we had a mechanical problem. So 

that’s how it worked today.” 

A Win Left on the Table by Ducati 

Two riders into one corner rarely ends well, 

but somehow Chaz Davies and Davide 

Giugliano both survived to tell the tale of an 

epic scrap between the Ducati riders. 

After being boxed in at the opening 

corner, Davies was in the worst possible 

position for the early laps, and fell as far 

behind as seventh, but made his way back 

through the field to finish on the podium. 

In most cases this would have been 

seen as a respectable fightback, but the 

pace of the Welshman was such that this 

felt like a win that got away from him. 


In the closing laps Davies bridged the 

gap to Sykes and Giugliano comfortably, but 

with his tyre grip dropping, he didn’t have 

enough confidence to make clean moves. 

When he did get past his teammate he 

immediately ran wide at the Corkscrew. 

For Davies, it seemed like a sudden gust of 

wind blew him off course. 

“I think the one mistake on my part was 

I think me and Tom caught a mega gust of 

wind going into the Corkscrew with about 

three or four to go,” said Davies. 

“We both went wide and it was strange 

because we were both on line and going for 

the apex at a normal speed. And then all of 

a sudden before we knew it we were both 

three or four meters offline. It was really weird 

and that allowed Davide to get back by.” 

“Then it just became a fight to try and 

finish in front of him and he finished in front 

of me. I’m a bit disappointed because I 

think that had I’ve gone through I’d have 

had the pace to hold off in the last laps. 

But, I didn’t manage to get to the front and 

I couldn’t really do anything about it the last 

lap. I had lost a little it of time and really I 

didn’t have good grip all race.” 

“I really suffered, and it was just getting 

quite hard at the end. But I felt like had I got 

to the front I could have held it there. But 

to actually try and make moves, I was really 

struggling getting off some of the turns. The 

race was already done by the time there’s a 

lap and a half to go.” 

For Giugliano it was a much 

needed uptick in performance 

last weekend. The Italian is 

under severe pressure and to 

have claimed a podium finish 

will have been well received. 

However, that podium is also tempered 

by another crash out of podium 

contention for the Italian. 

“I wanted to attack Tom, but I did not 

want Chaz in front,” said Giugliano. “For me 

it was difficult in this race, as Chaz and Tom 

were braking harder than me and it was 

impossible for me to pass. It was a hard 

race, but it was fun.” 

“There was some close action between 

me and Chaz and on the front straight 

I was afraid for me and Chaz. We were 

more and more close, but this is racing. I 

wanted the podium but the victory would 

have even better.” 

That victory, which would mark the 

100th victory for an Italian rider, still looks 

possible for Giugliano, but until he can 

knock open the door it will be something 

that will define his fortunes. If he is to hold 

onto a Ducati, he needs to win races. 

For Davies, who should have his 

contract confirmed in the very near 

future, the biggest challenge at Laguna 

was holding onto his Ducati. Donington, 

Misano, and now Laguna has seen Davies 

crash out of contention, and after Race 2 

he assessed the current situation. 

“The bike got a bit looser on the way 

into the corner and then it found a lot of 

grip,” said Davies talking about his Race 1 

crash. “When the transfer loaded the front 

tyre it was on the part of the track where 

it drops away from you, so it was like a 

perfect storm on the deck.” 

“I’ll take responsibility for Saturday’s 

crash because I was just pushing on and 

I felt a little bit unfortunate to have that 

sort of snap, and then that aggressive 

recovery. Whereas Misano, the frustrating 

thing about that was it was really difficult 

to explain. It felt like I was cruising at that 

point when I crashed, whereas yesterday I 

was pushing.” 

Davies will need to keep pushing 

because the wind has clearly left the sails of 

Ducati in recent weeks and is pushing the 

Kawasaki bikes now. 

Hayden Back on the Box 

“Laguna is such a special place” said 

Nicky Hayden after finishing on the podium 

in Race 1. 

He has always enjoyed racing in front of 

his home crowd and the atmosphere and 


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excitement he generated at the Californian 

circuit was huge. Road racing was back 

front and center for an American audience, 

and Hayden didn’t disappoint. 

His podium came about because of 

crashes for both Ducati riders, but he had 

to hold off a pack of riders with a bike 

that was clearly struggling. It was difficult 

for Hayden he showed again, just like at 

Sepang, when he is in a position to deliver 

he duly will. 

“At the end of the day two top fives here 

in Laguna is nothing I should be moping 

around about or complaining about, but of 

course I was hoping to do something better 

on Sunday and hopefully do something 

a little bit special,” said Hayden after the 

weekend. “It was a great weekend though 

and to see all the flags and feel the support 

is always great. 

“People were coming up to me all 

weekend and there were a lot of people 

saying, ‘meet my boy Hayden we named 

him after you in ‘06!’ It makes me feel 

good and I appreciate them supporting 

me and coming out and supporting this 

event. It was great to see Laguna come 

alive and have a lot of energy and a good 

atmosphere and some good racing. I hope 

it’s good for road racing in our country. We 

need some good, big events.” 

The state of road racing in the United 

States was a topic not far from lips all 

weekend and with MotoAmerica on 

show, there was a clear opportunity to 

tap into a new market for the domestic 

championship. 

Having attended a round earlier this 

year, and having a brother race in the 

championship, Hayden is passionate 

about the championship and wants to 

see fortunes improve domestically. At the 

moment however, his focus has already 

shifted to the Suzuka 8-Hour. 

“I’m flying straight out to Japan, but I’ve 

tried not to think about Suzuka too much 

until now and focus on this weekend. But 

now I can think about it and go out there. 

It’s going to be different and it’s a few years 

since I’ve been there and working with 

teammates and stuff like that. 

“I hope it’s a fun event and something 

I’m happy to go back to Suzuka. Above 

anything I would love to win it. It would 

be something. I’ve been fortunate 

enough to win some big races but 

it’s going to be a lot of competition 

this year, but to go ride a factory 

bike is also something. The bike looks 

really nice. Hopefully maybe help our 

relationship with HRC.” 

That relationship with Honda is key 

for the future of the WorldSBK team. The 

bike is much more improved this year, but 

still lacking in some areas. For Hayden, the 

biggest disadvantage is horsepower. 

“I had some problems in the races 

and it’s clear we struggled in a few areas, 

especially up those big hills. They were 

not good to us. But it’s not easy. This ain’t 

club racing. These guys are tough to beat, 

and I’m sure they all want to really beat me 

around here so the podium was something 

to be proud of.” 

Milwaukee Talks with Aprilia Intensify 

It has been a trying year for Shaun Muir 

Racing with the switch from dominant 

British Superbike squad to a midfield World 

Superbike team clearly difficult to accept for 

most in the team. 

The tension has been clear at various 

points through the season and the marriage 

of team and BMW looks set to end sooner 

rather than later. 

Like a Vegas wedding there was plenty 

promised for the future, but within 

six months the relationship is on 

rocky ground. 


The BMW looked like a very attractive 

package underneath the lights of a casino 

floor, and a quick marriage was arranged 

with SMR leaving their long term partner 

Yamaha to move in with the German 

manufacturer. 

Since then, both parties have tried to 

make things work, but the clear differences 

between both parties is becoming more 

and more evident. Peering into the garage 

over recent months has been an interesting 

experience. There are two clear factions 

and no clear direction to go in. 

The BMW engineers know 

and understand their bike 

and how it needs to be 

ridden. That path is one 

that sees the electronics 

become king, and for 

SMR this isn’t a 

path that they can 

follow with Josh 

Brookes and Karel 

Abraham. 

Team insiders 

have said that 

Brookes has 

become more 

adamant 

than ever that the bike is the issue 

and that they need to adapt the 

machine to allow him to ride with 

his natural style. BMW have dug 

their heels in and an impasse 

has taken place that has seen 

a pure standoff…and poor 

results. 

SMR are therefore looking for an 

annulment and to move on with another 

manufacturer. 

That looks set to be Aprilia, but they 

have also held negotiations with Ducati. 

Both manufacturers open a new avenue for 

the team. 

Last year the move to BMW came 

about in a whirlwind after it looked highly 

likely that Yamaha would choose SMR 

rather than Crescent to run their WorldSBK 

programme. 

Aprilia negotiations were also happening 

at that time too, but nothing concrete came 

about. Now there is a clear opportunity to 

get into bed with the Italian manufacturer. 

“We are talking to Aprilia but there’s still 

a lot to be decided before we can confirm 

anything,” said Muir in California. “There is 

however a real desire from Aprilia to back 

here and competitive but their MotoGP 

project is clearly very important and they 

don’t want to do both championships 

unless they can give the proper resources 

to both.” 

Those resources would be factory 

support and, in all likelihood, include 

Lorenzo Savadori. This year the Italian has 

impressed on the IODA ran Aprilia, and 

his loyalty to Aprilia has been forged over 

recent years. 

For Muir the stability that a partnership 

with Aprilia could generate would be hugely 

influential in planning for the future. 

“Next year our aim is to consistently 

fight for the top five and we know the 

level of effort that will require. We didn’t 

underestimate World Superbike, but the 

level of competition here is such that if 

you are not at your best it can be very 

difficult. We have stability with our partners 

(Milwaukee and Gulf Oil) and as a result 

we are looking at what will give us the best 

chance to be competitive next year.” 

Ducati is another option for SMR, 

but those talks are not believed to be as 

advanced as with Aprilia. 

Rider Market News 

The wheels of WorldSBK rider market look 

set to turn in the coming weeks, with Chaz 

Davies set to be confirmed at Ducati for a 

further two years. The Welshman has been 

a consistent frontrunner for the team and 

the biggest question mark is as to who will 

join him on the Panigale. 

A win at Laguna could have put Davide 

Giugliano back into the frame, but for 

now the Italian is an outside bet for the 

ride. After a disappointing campaign the 

one saving grace for Giugliano may be a 

willingness to accept a low-paying offer. 

According to paddock rumours most of 

Ducati’s budget for riders in 2017 will be 

taken up with Davies’ pay cheque and that 

could mean a willingness to accept a cut 

rate offer could be important. 

The team has spoken to a host of riders 

with Michael van der Mark and Eugene 

Laverty both having held negotiations 

with Ducati Corse. Both come as proven 

commodities in the paddock. Laverty as a 

race winner and van der Mark as the most 

touted young rider. 

Would either be willing to accept a low 

paying ride for the chance to ride one of the 

best bikes on the grid? 

It looks unlikely at the moment with van 

der Mark set to remain with Honda, and 

Laverty in the pound seats for a return to 

Yamaha. 

The offer that Honda and Ten Kate 

had placed on the table for van der 

Mark, believed to be very attractive to 

the Dutchman, was set to expire over the 

weekend but that was most likely just a 

time frame where the team told its rider that 

they would now be forced to talk to other 

riders in case a backup is required. 

With a new Fireblade rumoured for next 

year van der Mark will likely choose to 

remain where he is but Stefan Bradl has 

talked to the team informally. The German 

has also been touted at Ducati where his 

German passport would be very acceptable 

to the ownership. 

Yamaha confirmed that Laverty is very 

much in the frame for 2017, but that an 

agreement had not been made yet. The 

Irishman’s appearance at Misano saw him 

start discussions with the manufacturer, 

but a return to WorldSBK certainly looks 

on the cards. 

Kawasaki came incredibly close to 

pulling the trigger on Laverty, but ultimately 

Sykes signed his deal in perfect timing 

because otherwise it would be Laverty 

partnering Rea for next year. 

If van der Mark and Laverty turn down 

the Ducati seat, Xavi Fores could be in the 

frame as competition to Giugliano. The 

Spaniard has had a strong campaign and 

another fourth place finish on the Barni 

Ducati will have helped his cause. 

Arguably however Fores would not mark 

an improvement over Giugliano so in the 

secondary wave of rider moves the Italian 

could still hold strong cards. 


Some say that Riaan 

Neveling learnt to put his 

knee down after watching 

The Singh at karaoke night, 

others say that Riaan’s offroad 

skills developed after 

he shared a pizza with The 

Singh. We don’t know about 

that but what is true is that 

you are reading about a dual 

purpose bike in RideFast... 

Enter the KTM 1290 Super 

Adventure. A bulging, aggressively 

poised adventure bike with more 

gadgets and gizmos then most 

entry level motor-vehicles. KTM have 

always had a distinct design; the single 

headlight on this bike ringed by a halo 

of LED’s looks like a grumpy version of 

Ripleys Alien Queen who has discovered 

her eggs were destroyed. In other words, it 

wants to eat you. 

The side view of the KTM does not leave 

one wondering as to the primary purpose 

of the bike, whether it’s touring, road riding 

or getting sand everywhere in the dirt, this 

bike was built to handle it all. 

The bike is de-tuned to a claimed 

160hp from the “R” version, coupled with 

semi-active damping, a tubular frame 

and long travel suspension this bike was 

created to joust against the best selling 

BMW 1200R Adventure. 

It has the usual rain, off-road, sport and 

comfort modes and after some fiddling I 

found it most compliant in sport mode with 

comfort settings. The Old Jedi Master in 

Nelspruit advised this setting and it was akin 

to finding that perfect apex with the sun at 

your back and gritty tar under your knee. 

I took the bike from Joburg to Pretoria 

to Nelspruit and back over a weekend and 

it was an astounding, awe-inspiring journey 

on a bike that in some ways defies belief in 

its sheer versatility. 

Now, having owned a new 2015 BMW 

1200R Adventure before, I was expecting 

A DIFFERENT KIND OF 

SUPERBIKE 

In our never-ending quest to find the current king of 

commuters, Ride Fast was asked by a few avid readers to 

test some not so fast bikes and provide a repository of 

information around these behemoths that “The Singh” would 

not normally be caught riding. Words: The Singh 

a sleepy, relaxed, some what boring ride 

on the KTM all the way to the mountains 

until the first few corners started winking 

invitingly in my direction. 

After easily strapping my luggage onto 

KTM, and that is one thing I do miss 

tremendously about adventure bikes, I 

was off to rendezvous with the Centurion 

Lifestyle Rat Run Bunch. It’s an annual 

event that takes place at Hotel Numbi 

and is worth attending, especially for the 

gourmet feasts that assault your senses at 

the venue. 

The 30 litre fuel tank, heated grips, 

speedo-cruise and heated seats (yes, really) 

make touring with this bike incredibly easy 

and makes one rather arrogant. The KTM is 

a ruthless bike; it accelerates with a subtle 

but linear power curve that I have never 

felt on a touring bike before. We attempted 

a few roll-ons against other tourers and 

its colleagues tasting bitter defeat in its 

evil dust. In the power department you 

can definitely feel its advantage against its 

closest competitors. It’s an unfair contest 

that leaves other tourers feeling as if they 

missed a gear or have involuntarily broken 

their engines. 

On the cornering side, the Adventurer 

with luggage and solid wind-protection, 

effortlessly can corner so hard and fast 

that it leaves super-bikes frowning and 

taxi-drivers squirming. The KTM with its 

advanced electronics leaves perfectly 

toned black lines on every corner exit. This 

can become addictive so I would caution 

against it. 

On the comfort side, I found the seat a 

bit hard after 5 hours in it, but the addition 

of a warm posterior totally negated that. My 

cousins goose did not find it comfortable 

but the rider should make the decision on 

what he or she prefers, not the back-pack, a 

pillions opinion matters as much as a pair of 

tits on a cactus. 

The power of the bike is deceptive, it 

sneaks up on you and even with my rather 

long frame I managed 251km/h on an 

abandoned stretch of tar. It turns smoothly, 

brakes impressively and has phenomenal 

fuel consumption for such a large bike. 

As a commuter it has a high line of sight 

and cornering spotlights, it’s distractive 

at first but in night riding conditions you 

quickly get used to it. It’s similar to adaptive 

headlights in cars that ignite when you turn 

and expose those nasty curves that seem 

to dwell at every corner. 

For me who rides superbikes all the 

time, the KTM is like the dark side of riding, 

the fires that the KTM unleashes combine 

the purest form of scorching riding with 

the comfort of a super-saloon. The Super 

Adventure is similar to the BMW M5. It can 

transport the kids to school in easy comfort 

but at the drop of a button can transform 

into lava-breathing mythical beast of 

devastating performance. 

For those of you that think the BMW 

GS is a good bike, swing a leg over a KTM 

Super Adventure and be amazed! 

RATINGS: 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE 

Heat 10 

Steering 10 (turns on impulse) 

Fuel 10 (30litre tank-Yay) 

Acceleration 9 (insane for a touring) 

Throttle 8 (different modes, simple) 

Traffic 8 (elementary Dr Watson) 

Servicing 7 (market related) 

Lights 7 (either love it or hate it) 

Wind 10 (will protect you from arctic winds) 

New Rider 8 (if your feet can touch the ground) 

Total: 87/100 

Remember this rating applies to the bike as a commuter 


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1608 RF final

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