FEBRUARY 2019 RSA R35.00
19002
9 772075 405004
FEBRUARY 2019
EXCLUSIVE TEST
MACHINES
TWO VERY MEAN & EXCLUSIVE BIKES TESTED
EXCLUSIVE TEST
FIRST LOOK
WSBK TESTING ROCKET POWER
BRITS SIT TOP OF THE POPS
TRIUMPH’S NEW 2.5 LITRE BEAST
THE TEAM:
EDITOR & DESIGN:
Rob Portman
rob@ridefast.co.za
082 782 8240
ROB PORTMAN
ADVERTISING:
Sean Hendley
dirtandtrail.ridefastsales@
gmail.com
071 684 4546
OFFICE &
SUBSCRIPTIONS:
Anette
anette.acc@mweb.co.za
011 979 5035
CONTRIBUTORS:
Sheridan Morais
Brad Binder
Darryn Binder
Gerrit Erasmus
GP Fever.de
Eugene Liebenberg
Niel Philipson
Greg Moloney
Daniella Kerby
Copyright © RideFast Magazine
All rights reserved. No part of this
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methods, without the prior written
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Time waits for no man – how true that statement is as we
are already in February and things are moving along very
quickly. I remember laughing and moaning at my Mother
when I was younger and she used to say “there is just
not enough time in a day”. How could she possibly say
that? I used to think. Time went by a lot slower when I
was younger that’s for sure, as now I fi nd myself saying
that statement more often than not.
While it has been a very fast start to 2019, our cover
story this month is from a test I did at the end of 2018
out at Kyalami. Two very exclusive and seductive bikes
tested at the SA Biking Academy track day. Big thanks
to Clinton Pienaar for hosting us and what was a great
event. This was my third time testing the new R1.3m
BMW HP4 Race and it was again mind blowing. A bit
more than the previous outing as the new Kyalami layout
was the perfect playground for the 215hp plus beast.
Really got to stretch the legs of the Bavarian beast and it
thrilled me every second!
The other bike is another work-of-art - A Honda
CBR1000RR SP custom painted right here in SA in Ten
Kate Red Bull Honda WSBK colours. It’s a tribute bike to
the late, great Nicky Hayden and what a machine it is!
Staying with the famous #69 rider and it brought tears
to my eyes when I got the offi cial press release from
MotoGP media stating that the number 69 would
be retired from MotoGP in honour of the great 2006
MotoGP World Champion. Nice touch from Dorna and
one I think the world over would agree with.
Speaking of MotoGP and I’m sure just like you I am
itching for the new season to start. Ducati and Honda
have unveiled their teams and colours for the upcoming
season, with the likes of Yamaha and KTM to do so in
the coming weeks so keep a look out on our Facebook
page. We touch on the new Ducati and Honda teams
in our Paddock News section of this issue. Sad to see
that Lorenzo has injured his hand and won’t be able to
take part in the upcoming Sepang test. He had great
momentum after the last test where he really impressed
and looked good on the Honda. This will for sure set him
back a bit, but let’s hope that he will recover fully and can
be a big thorn in the side of his team-mate this season.
I think it’s going to be another cracking season with so
many questions that need answering; can Lorenzo beat
Marquez and challenge for the title? How will the pair get
along in the pits? Can Rossi fi nally get number 10? Does
Dovi have what it takes to win the title? All very exciting!
Over the past month I have spent some time with
Brad Binder and it has been great. He helped us test
KTM’s new 790 Duke in this issue and I managed to
hang out with him and some others while training on
MX bikes. Always great seeing and catching up with
Brad and Daz, who are both excited and keen to get
the new season going. Big challenges ahead for both
of them with Brad having to develop the new Triumph
powered Moto2 bike and Darryn fi tting into a new team.
No doubt both boys are going to shine and we will be
behind them all the way as usual!
The World SBK boys have been out on track and we
feature the fi rst test of the 2019 season in this issue.
Great to see BMW back with a full factory effort. Tom
Sykes is their leading man and it was the fi rst time the
world got to see the new bikes in action. No doubt they
have plenty of work to do but both riders seem to be
positive about the new bike. Sykes and the new BMW
S1000RR look to be really competitive already. I think
the new BMW is going to do well this year and it will be
great seeing the Bavarian brand up there once more
challenging the Kawasaki’s and Ducati’s. Sykes is going
to thrive being the main focus in the team. He was always
at his best when all the focus was on him and he was
the number 1 rider. He suffered once Rea came into the
Kawasaki team, but now with the BMW team he is very
much number 1 and needs to make that count..
Johnny Rea is still the man to beat but it does seem as if
the others have steeped things up a bit. The Yamaha boys
look to have solved some problems while Ducati, with their
new V4R machine, look ready to attack. While the times
seem very close from the test we can’t forget that Rea
does not beat the guys over one lap, but rather over the
entire 25 plus lap races. He is just able to set his bike up
perfectly to handle the long races compared to the others.
That’s his biggest advantage and the other riders and
teams have to work on that rather than out right pace.
The introduction of a 3rd heat over race weekends is
certainly going to be interesting. It will be a shorter sprint
race and I think that will bring plenty more riders into
the mix. Guys like Sykes and Lowes will have a much
better chance at beating Rea. These guys seem to have
great pace on new tyres and at the start of races, but
fade away due to tyre wear. This shorter sprint race will
eliminate that somewhat and I think will make things a
bit more interesting. Put it this way, things couldn’t get
any more boring so why not try something else. My only
complaint about the 3rd race and the races being split
over Saturday and Sunday is that me, as a race fan,
now has to try and explain to the family that I need an
entire weekend to watch the racing. I will rather miss the
racing than deal with an unhappy wife…
Apart from all the racing news and articles we have
some great other features packed into this issue. One
I really enjoyed is the how riding a bike is good for you.
We have a saying here at RF; “Ride more, Stress less”
and we prove that it’s actually scientifi cally proven that
riding more will not only help with stress but also with
fi tness. Great read and one I am sure you will all enjoy
along with all the other great stuff we have featured.
Now please, go and enjoy!
RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019 1
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
PG38: TWO MEAN
MACHINES TESTED
We test two very exclusive machines around Kyalami.
PG34:
FIRST RIDE
CROSBY TT400
PG46:
FEATURE
WHY RIDING IS GOOD FOR YOU
PG50:
BIG TEST
5 SYM SCOOTERS
PG58:
CLASSIC
GAME CHANGER - DUCATI 916
PG14:
FIRST LOOK
NEW TRIUMPH ROCKET & THRUXTON CUSTOM
PG66:
LONGTERMER
OUR HUSQVARNA VITPILEN 701
PG68:
WSBK TESTING
FIRST TEST OF 2019
PG60:
EXCLUSIVE TEST
BRAD BINDER ON THE KTM 790 DUKE
2 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
KTM 790 DUKE
Photo: Gerrit Erasmus
BRUTALLY
BEAUTIFUL.
790 DUKE GETS BRAD BINDER APPROVAL.
2016 Moto3 World Champion and SA Star, Brad Binder, gives his stamp of approval on
the new KTM 790 Duke - “The motor really surprised me with the amount of power on
hand. It was brutally beautiful and had me wanting more. I did not want to let it go...”
the Factory Ajo Red Bull Moto2 rider said after testing the bike at Redstar Raceway.
Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations!
The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.
New Honda Fireblade might feature V-TEC.
Variable Valve Timing is getting more and more popular
Honda is up to something very ingenious
for its next superbike. After squeezing
all the juice from the CBR1000RR
engine launched back in 2008 Honda is
considering the V-TEC technology for
their litre missiles to come. The company’s
latest patent features a complex solution
that uses VVT technology in a way that
we’ve haven’t seen before.
The patent combines a bit of everything
we’ve seen regarding the VVT technology
in the motorcycle world in an original Honda
way. Forget about the old V-TEC, this time
the system is a lot more complicated than the
simple valve that the Japanese manufacturer
came up with back in 1980. The patent
features a Da Vinci like engineering that uses
eight sets of cams for each cylinder.
It will be easier to understand if you check the
image above where the system is presented
for a single cylinder. The cam lobes are now
double for each valve and they are stacked
together on a grooved shaft. This way the set
of four valves can move left or right in order to
satisfy the VVT action.
We’ve already seen something similar from
BMW that developed the shift cam system
that is only related to the intake camshaft and
uses an electronically controlled actuator to
make things happen. The Honda VVT system
is a bit different because it uses the system for
both the intake and exhaust valves.
The stacks of valves feature a channel at the
very begging of each set of camshafts were
the actuator is positioned. We are not sure if
Honda will use eight actuators or if there will
be only two connected to every camshaft
through a set of rods but a thing is for sure
this is one of the most complex systems
we’ve seen so far.
The VVT system proved to be a very good
solution in the motorcycle world. Is not
something new but it defi nitely changes the
way the engine responds and it increases
the power delivery. Ducati used it for its
Multistrada, Suzuki patented a very original
and all-mechanical system that powers
their GSX-R1000 and now BMW uses it for
their superbike and for their famous boxer
as an upgrade.
The magic behind the system is that it will
help increase the mid-range power delivery
and help the engine reach higher rpm at the
same time. Every way you look at it this is the
answer for the in-line-four-cylinder superbikes
to produce more low and mid-range torque.
Honda kinda lost this battle so we keep our
fi ngers crossed and hope this system will
make to production.
4 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
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BMW sales still on the up.
BMW Motorrad sets eighth record year of motorcycle sales.
BMW Motorrad has released its yearly
figures for 2018, and the report is mostly
positive. Sales worldwide were up a very
modest 0.9% for the year (165,566 in total
unit sales), and this does mean that 2018
was the German company’s eighth year in
row of growth.
The GS continues to be king for BMW,
with 51,000 of the GS and GS Adventure
variants of the R1200 and R1250
motorcycles sold in 2018.
This is a new record for BMW Motorrad,
and the company saw an impressive 84,500
R-series motorcycles sold in 2018. BMW
says that the R nineT family played a strong
role in helping achieve such a large sales
figure of the R-series of its motorcycles.
The K-series showed strong growth for
2018, with the K1600 Grand America
helping push the six-cylinder lineup to a
25% sales increase, with 8,306 units sold.
The tourer did especially well in the US
market (for which it was designed), and
BMW plans to create more motorcycles
that have a particular focus on the needs for
the American rider.
For its sport bike lineup, BMW Motorrad
reports that 18,773 units of its S1000RR,
S1000R, and S1000XR models were sold
worldwide.
BMW Motorrad’s largest markets continue to
be in Europe, with Germany (-11% / 23,824
units), France (0% / 16,615 units), Italy (-2%
/ 14,110 units), and Spain (0% / 11,124
units) leading the charge. Also, the UK sold a
respectable 9,224 units.
The growth centers for the brand though
were China (+35% / 7,561 units) and Brazil
(+11% / 7,361 units), with India showing
strong sales as well with 2,187 units sold
in 2018.
SA still boasts a very positive market,
with total sales of 2,119 being recorded,
although it was down slightly from 2017’s
2,253 bikes sold.
Per segment in 2018:
Adventure – 1.439
Urban mobility – 11
Sport – 195
Roadster – 57
Tour – 319
Heritage – 98
Here in SA the entyre market in the above
500cc segment was down by 26% in 2018.
While BMW Motorrad’s sales declined by
29%, it retained 33.1% of the South African
market share, which was more than double
the share enjoyed by its closest rival.
Looking ahead to 2019, BMW Motorrad
expects strong results from its revamped
R-series lineup with their ShiftCam motors,
as well as its new S1000RR superbike,
which will race in WorldSBK this season
and is a fan favourite here in SA according
to previous generation sales.
The company hopes to sell 200,000 units
or more in the 2020 model year, though
that figure seems optimistic considering the
current sales growth pace, and the forecast
for the world economy, but time will tell.
MV Agusta back in SA!
The Fire It Up! Team are pleased to
announce that they have been appointed
as The Official Importer for MV Agusta
Motorbrand in South Africa! From
February 2019 Fire it Up! will be up and
running as far as parts and repairs are
concerned, which will be carried out at
their Performance Technic Kyalami Facility.
They will be appointing an approved
service agent and there is a possibility of a
retail store later this year in Cape Town and
KZN. JHB Sales will be headed up by MV
Agusta Specialist Berto Santos.
All new MV bikes sold will come with a free
3 year warranty - now that’s impressive!
This is great news and there could be no
better establishment to run the MV brand.
Craig Langton and his team have been with
the MV brand before and no one is more
passionate and knowledgeable on the
brand. We look forward to seeing the Italian
master-pieces back in SA after almost a
year with nothing. Very exciting models like
the most powerful production naked bike
ever produced, the Brutale 1000 Serie Oro
and the ultra gorgeous Superveloce 800.
For more info, contact Berto on 011 467
0737 or visit their stunning dealership at
Shop No 3 , Showrooms on Leslie, Corner
of William Nicol and Leslie Drive Fourways.
6 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
LIVE IT.
LOVE IT.
RIDE IT.
Discover more: 011 437-4699
KTM 790 RC - Where are you?
Why, oh why has KTM not yet released a fully-faired version of their 790 Duke?
KTM’s 790 platform is a marvelous thing
and even a Moto3 world champion agrees
with that statment in an exclusive test later
in this issue. It brought us the potent KTM
790 Duke sport bike, and this year sees
the arrival of the hotly anticipated KTM 790
Adventure R dual-sport.
Compact, powerful, and affordable – those
are the three words that best describe what
the Austrian motorcycle house has created,
and we knew from the get-go that the 790
platform was destined to bring us several
motorcycle models.
Now, the time has come to ask where is our
KTM RC790?
The omission seems like an obvious one from
the “Ready to Race” brand, which has built its
street bike lineup on top of an uncompromising
performance-focused ideology.
It is curious then that KTM has nothing in
the supersport or superbike categories, and
now that the Austrians have an obvious
contender for the supertwin segment, we
are left wondering.
We aren’t the only ones asking this
question, however. The graphic at the top of
this story comes from Indian Autos Blog, as
they imagine what a fully faired KTM RC790
could look like.
That image has spurred an unofficial
response from KTM, with the company’s
Luke Brackenbury (PR Manager for Street)
tweeting the concept image, with the simple
question “Should we?”
The question isn’t as simple as it seems,
however. While middleweight sport bikes
like an RC790 could be the answer for a fun
canyon carving machine, the pedigree is a
little bit tougher.
First up, there is the awkward 799cc
displacement, which keeps the 790 platform
from slotting neatly into existing racing
regulations.
We have seen supertwins finding a life
on the race track (most prominently at
the Isle of Man TT, but also most recently
in the MotoAmerica paddock), but that
displacement size has hovered around
650cc, not 800cc.
This is the same problem that plagues the
intriguing Kramer GP2 prototype, which also
uses KTM’s 790 motor.
A dedicated race bike, the new Kramer will
most likely have to compete with supersport
machines when it debuts next year, which is
a tall order from a machine that makes 103hp
in stock KTM form.
Now, we have heard much greater
performance figures coming from the
Kramer camp, with the KTM engine
showing great horsepower-making potential,
but when you consider the state of the
current supersport market, and the costs
that are associated with them, it is a tough
decision to ask a two-wheeled enthusiast.
KTM is surely keeping an eye on Kramer’s
progress, likely letting the German company
be the canary in the cage for what comes
out of Mattighofen, Austria.
If that sounds like doom and gloom, don’t
worry too much. There are plenty of reasons
why the KTM RC790 makes sense as well.
For one example, take a look at the Suzuki
GSX-R750, which has long been sold as
the perfect track bike for closed-course
enthusiasts. Barely heavier than the GSX-R600,
and with gobs more torque, the Suzuki
GSX-R750 has carved out a class all for itself.
The same can be said of the MV Agusta F3
800, Ducati 959 Panigale, and others. Look
at the fervor around the idea of a Triumph
Daytona 765, or more recently the Aprilia
RS660 concept, for instance.
There is the argument to be made that
the sport bike market is dead, but as we
have seen with the KTM 790 Duke, what
the market really needed was a rethink.
An affordable offering like the KTM RC790
could be what it takes to get riders excited
about these approachable performance
machines.
For bonus points, the Austrian brand has
proven that it can deliver a robust package
(cornering ABS, TFT dash, up/down
quickshifter, and IMU-powered traction
control) for the bargain basement price of
R149 999.
For R170 000 MSRP, we could see the
KTM RC790 doing well in the SA market,
especially since it offers so much more than
what the status quo has available.
To answer Mr. Brackenbury’s earlier
question of “should we?” on Twitter, we
would respond with a question of our own:
Why haven’t you already?
8 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
Reviving the Classic Car and
Bike Scene in Mauritius
The pleasure of riding a classic motorbike,
or driving a vintage car, is made even more
intense when you’re travelling through
beautiful scenery. Mauritian riders and drivers
get to enjoy both palm-fringed beaches and
the island’s mountainous interior, as well as
the gorgeous climate.
Whereas previously there were relatively
few classic vehicles on Mauritius, the
government’s recent decision to waive import
duty on vehicles over 40 years old has seen
a huge upsurge in interest among the island’s
enthusiasts.
One company that is riding the wave of this
passion is Revival Customs & Classics. In less
than a year, they have established themselves
as one of the foundations of the local
classic and vintage scene, and their custom
modifications, restorations and imported cars
and motorbikes are in great demand.
Revival Custom & Classics’ roots can be
traced back many years, to co-owner Paul
Wren’s global travels. At every place he
stopped, he’d involve himself in businesses
where quality, style and craftsmanship
featured heavily.
Paul’s sole criterion throughout his career was
that he must always do what he loved, and
his passion for motorcycles in particular lead
him to run a Harley Davidson dealership from
his Mauritian home. This was so successful
that by 2010 he was asked to establish
Harley-Davidson Mauritius, a business he ran
successfully until he sold his shares in 2016.
If you’ve ever ridden a Harley, then you’ll know
that it’s impossible to be anything other than a
Harley rider for life. It was in fact what turned
out to be a happy accident that got Paul into
the restorations business: in 2008, he was
knocked off his Harley Softail Fat Boy.
Fortunately, Paul escaped serious injuries,
although his bike was less lucky. It became
Paul’s first rebuild project, and laid the
foundation for his commitment to accuracy and
authenticity, plus customer service and safety.
The Fat Boy was sold to a local doctor, and will
be returning to Paul’s workshop in December
for an extensive set of custom modifications.
From his earliest days in the furniture trade,
Paul has always been a builder and a creator.
Since moving permanently to Mauritius, he’s
forged a firm friendship (and built a solid
business relationship) with Julien Schmitt,
now Technical Director and equal partner
in Revival Customs & Classics. Julien is
a master motorcycle technician, and his
technical skills perfectly complement Paul’s
flair for building things from scratch.
When it comes to two-wheelers, Mauritius’
biker community is still in its early days and
Paul is determined both to build a collective
of like-minded riders and to protect his riding
friends from the negative associations that
sometimes get attached to riders.
From ride-outs with friends to becoming
an official Harley Owners Group (HOG)
Chapter with over 80 members, the local
riding community has grown exponentially. In
keeping with his informal, no rules approach,
Paul regularly organises rides that – in case
any more incentive is needed – nearly always
end up at a beach BBQ set-up.
10 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
The next of these ride-outs will take
place on December 2nd, and will end
at the Parc de Mont Choisy Golf Club
where Revival Customs & Classics will
be showing some of their latest custom
builds and Classic Cars. Participants will
get the chance to vote for their favourite
machine, with prizes for the owners.
Revival Customs & Classics sees their
role as being to support and encourage
Mauritius’ nascent custom build and
Classic Car community. Owners have the
opportunity to participate in the servicing
and maintenance of their machines, and
customers can visit the workshops as freely
as they can the showroom. This helps add
to the knowledge base on the island, and is
part of Revival Customs’ inclusive approach
to business and community.
The company has also made itself
indispensable through the additional
services it offers, including their Car Finder
and American Muscle Car programmes.
Both of these involve close collaboration
with specialist dealers in Britain and the
USA, and Revival Customs & Classics
have built up considerable expertise in
permit applications, shipping and fi nal
clearance and registration.
While many of the custom builds that
Revival Customs & Classics have
completed to date have been based
on Harleys, they are much more than a
single-brand workshop. The team have
also done some great work on Honda,
KTM and Yamaha motorcycles, including
both cosmetic styling changes and
tuning work. Currently, Revival Customs
& Classics are actively looking to create
a Sixties-style Café Racer from an older
Japanese or British motorcycle.
In everything they do, Revival Customs
& Classics know they can rely on Motul
lubricants, cleaners and coolants. Motul’s
long history mean that they have an
instinctive understanding of the needs of
older engines and gearboxes (including
those that don’t do so well on modern,
synthetic lubricants).
Mauritius’s tropical, island climate presents
unusual challenges, not to mention
the differing needs of older cars and
motorbikes. Despite this, Paul and Julien
have nothing but praise for Motul products.
“Motul is a proud part of motoring heritage
in many countries, and we’re delighted
to help vintage car and bike owners in
Mauritius continue enjoying the roads
of their beautiful island,” stated Mercia
Jansen, Motul Area Manager for Southern
and Eastern Africa. “As a supplier of
quality oils and lubricants to Revival
Customs & Classics through our local
importer, CFAO Motors, Motul is proud to
contribute to the creation of a community
of motoring enthusiasts in Mauritius.”
“We’re happy for people to visit and see
what we’re working on, our garage is part
of our showroom and gives us the great
opportunity to engage with our clients
while we work on their bikes, they’re
also welcome to turn a wrench with us
if they want to know more about how
their bike works,” says Wren who shares
more information about a current project
they are busy with. “Currently we’re
busy with a 300mm rear tyre conversion
on a Harley-Davidson Rocker C. This
build will include specially commissioned
CNC machined wheels, cut from solid
billets of high-grade aluminium and the
perfect example of Revival Customs &
Classics’ commitment to innovation and
engineering excellence.”
To learn more about current Revival
Customs & Classics’ builds and projects,
and how Motul products are contributing
to this innovative company’s success,
please visit their Facebook page: https://
www.facebook.com/revivalcustoms/
WE BUY AND SELL
GOOD CONDITION
SECOND HAND
BIKES
www.bobbyscott.co.za
Cnr. Breed & Taaifontein Road,
Montana, Pretoria.
Tel. 012 548 0040/45
Grant Scott 082 706 0070
grant@bobbyscott.co.za
GPS - S25’ 40.724’
E 028’ 16.326’
Harley-Davidson Livewire.
More specs on the new Livewire electric bike and two wacky e-bike concepts.
Harley-Davidson has fronted up at CES in
Las Vegas with partial specifi cations and
a horrifi c pricetag to stick on its Livewire
electric motorcycle. But that’s not all. The
company has also fl oated a couple of weird,
funky two wheelers that live somewhere
between the motorcycle and e-bike worlds.
The specs are in for the bike Harley
hopes will open up a new market among
millennials. The fi rst electric Harley will go
0-98 km/h in less than 3.5 seconds and
have a range around 177 km of urban
riding. It’ll have cornering ABS and lean
angle-sensitive traction control, as well as
fully-adjustable Showa suspension and
a 4.3-inch colour touchscreen with builtin
navigation. And it’ll cost a blistering
US$29,799 (around R470k).
We expect high prices on electrics at the
moment with batteries still a brutal up-front
cost. And we’re used to high prices from
Harley, too, but close on 500 grand is a
heck of an ask for any motorcycle – it’s
more than Ducati wants for its Panigale V4
S, for example. And while there’s little to
pay for fuel or servicing once you own it,
the Livewire will continue dipping into your
pocket with a yearly subscription fee to its
H-D Connect service.
H-D Connect is a cloud-based service that
hooks your bike up to the net via cellular
As cool as it is we don’t see
the new Livewire making
its way into the SA market.
With a massive price tag and
our useless power supplier
there is just no point. But we
are sure that if you ask your
HD dealer nicely and pay a
big deposit they might just
bring one in for you.
data services. It lets you check what the
charge status is like (the bike should charge
within about 35 minutes on a Level 3 DC
fast charge through CCS Combo/J1772
charging), plus locate it via GPS if it’s stolen,
and gives you service warnings. The fi rst
12 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
year is free, after that you need to pay
an unspecifi ed annual subscription.
This ain’t millennial-friendly pricing, folks.
This is Harley trying to be the Tesla of
motorcycles, offering a good-looking,
premium, high-performance electric
early in the game. Unfortunately, though,
while the Livewire rocks a very tasty
digital dash and what seems to be a fairly
torquey powertrain (no power or torque
fi gures are forthcoming), there’s little here
that pushes the game forward the way
Tesla has. People seem willing to throw
down to drive around in something truly
game-changing, and Tesla has arguably
made the most exciting and forwardthinking
vehicles of the last decade.
Whether the Livewire will carry such a
halo remains to be seen. It’s certainly a
great looking bike. But if you want your
all-American electric motorcycle to wear
a real trailblazer’s badge, you’re probably
already rocking a much cheaper, quicker
and longer-range Zero SR or Lighting
LS-218 – these two companies have
been fi ghting the zero-emissions fi ght for
many years now out on the West Coast.
Harley’s other CES concept: a mini
electric moped for urban riding
Harley also used CES to launch a couple
of concepts that point toward lighter,
smaller, cheaper urban and off-road
bikes. The fi rst is a mini-moped monkey
bike with a fl at bench seat, high bars
and a hollow LED ring headlight. It’s got
skateboard-style footboards, and a lowslung
battery/motor box with a belt drive
back to the slim rear tyre, and sports
that sleek, retro-futuristic look that’s so
rampant these days. It’s the kind of ultrasimple,
friendly, twist-and-go machine
that new riders and non-riders might just
fi nd hard to resist at the right price.
The other is a sharp looking electric
offroader that looks like a premium
version of something like the Sur-Ron
Light Bee. Its chunky dirtbike tyres are
no bigger than something you’d see on
a fat bike, it runs a compact mid drive
motor with a belt to the rear wheel, a
small battery pack, a lightweight dual
suspension frame and a razor-thin seat
unit that riffs on fl at track style. The Light
Bee gives a fun trail riding experience
with just 6 kW (8 hp) of power and
around 2 kWh of battery, and the Harley
concept looks around the same physical
size so we’d expect similar performance
fi gures. We certainly wouldn’t expect
the Harley to launch for less than US$3
grand though, which is the kind of price
you can get the Light Bee for if you go
direct from China.
Metzeler’s new Cruisetec tyre
The tyre for power cruisers, customs and tourers, delivers improved handling on both older
and modern machines, giving great grip also in wet conditions and class leading stability
Metzeler SA has launched the new
Cruisetec tyre, a higher-performance option
for V-twin riders than its Marathon rubber
currently available. The Cruisetec aims to
improve handling and road feel on new
and old machines, and is chock-full of new
design features to make that happen.
Designers started from the ground up,
developing a new dual compound for the
Cruisetec to specifi cally address the needs
of V-twin motorcycles. This compound
provides better cornering feel, improved
braking and stability, and better wetweather
performance. A revised tread
pattern also complements the Cruisetec’s
wet-weather chops.
Ultimately, this is Metzeler’s attempt to
make the riding experience more enjoyable
all around for V-twin riders. Lines will
be easier to hold through the corners,
transitions will be more smooth, and tyre
life is promised to be long and performance
to be consistent throughout the usable
life of the Cruisetec. Metzeler also asserts
it designed the rubber to optimize
performance in situations where electronic
rider aids will come into play, things like
ABS, traction control, and the like.
The Cruisetec sits at the top of Metzeler’s
cruiser and touring line now in terms of
performance. Metzeler will offer a broad
range of sizes for the Cruisetec when it
comes to market January 2019. That
includes sizes for 16, 17, 18, 19, and 21-
inch front wheels and 16, 17, and 18-inch
rear wheels.
The new rubber is set to arrive in SA late
Feb early March, with pricing also set to be
announced on arrival.
RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019 13
Rocket Power!
2019 Triumph Rocket TFC - The power
cruiser world is about to be rocked.
More than a month ago news broke of
Triumph’s plans for a revival of the Rocket
III and now the bike has been offi cially
confi rmed as a headliner for the fi rm’s new
‘Triumph Factory Customs’ range.
It was shown this evening alongside the
Thruxton TFC, a range-topping Bonneville
derivative dripping in carbon fi bre and
exotic components.
The Triumph Factory Custom range will
be a new line-up of limited-edition models
sitting right at the top of Triumph line. The
Thructon TFC and the new Rocket TFC will
be limited to just 750 examples of each,
with the Thruxton going on sale fi rst.
Triumph describes the idea of its TFC line as
‘ultra-premium’ and they’ll be priced to suit.
The Thruxton comes in at a hefty £17,500
(no word on SA pricing yet), with deposits
being taken now. Full details of the new
Rocket, likely to carry an even higher price,
are due to be revealed on 1st May.
Rocket 3 TFC
The Rocket may be the second machine
in the TFC range but it’s the much more
signifi cant new model.
The old Rocket III, launched back in 2004,
was the largest-capacity full-production
motorcycle ever made, with a purposedesigned
2294cc three-cylinder engine.
And while it slipped from the fi rm’s
European line-up a couple of years ago
in the wake of Euro4 emissions rules it
remains on sale in the all-important North
American market.
But this new Rocket TFC – Triumph is
baffl ingly calling it a ‘Concept’ despite
confi rming it for production – isn’t just a
prettifi ed version of the existing Rocket III.
It’s a completely new bike from nose to tail.
Although Triumph hasn’t revealed any
specifi cations or technical details yet,
the engine doesn’t appear to share any
of its castings with the existing Rocket.
The cylinder block, cylinder head and
crankcases are all new, and it’s hard to
imagine many of the internals are carried
over unaltered. The overall layout and size
appears similar, although for years there
have been rumours of the Rocket growing
to 2.5 or even 2.6 litres in capacity.
With Ducati’s Diavel moving the goalposts
in terms of performance for this sort of
muscle-cruiser, Triumph is sure to be
getting a lot more power from the engine.
The old model managed 147hp, but the
new one is likely to easily surpass that,
hitting 180bhp or more without breaking
a sweat. And its huge capacity means
unrivalled torque.
Of course, the Diavel also showed that
bikes like this don’t have to be excessively
heavy, and that’s another area Triumph has
looked at. The new bike appears to use an
alloy frame instead of a steel one, and the
design is far sportier than the cruiser-style
14 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
Rocket of the past, with massive upsidedown
forks, Brembo radial calipers and a
rear monoshock instead of the old twinshock
suspension. There’s a single-sided
swingarm, too, adding to the Diavel-baiting
appearance, while the exhaust is a
stubby affair with two exits on
the right and a third on the
left hand side – a layout that
was fi rst seen on the original
2004 Rocket III.
While the fi rst version
of the new Rocket will
be the limited-edition
Rocket TFC seen here,
it’s unimaginable that
Triumph will have put
so much development
work into a bike that will
be restricted to 750 sales
worldwide. As such, the
carbon-laden TFC is sure to
be followed by a lower-spec,
mass-made machine. Badges on
the sides of the bike suggest it will be
simply called ‘Rocket 3’ – with the Arabic
number replacing the Roman ‘III’ of the
previous model.
In fact, there will probably be multiple
versions of the bike; it’s easy to imagine
Triumph mimicking the way it’s turned the
Bonneville line into a multi-faceted model
range, and using the new Rocket 3 as the
basis for everything from bobbers to tourers
and feet-forward cruisers. Watch this space
for more information as it appears.
Thruxton TFC
The Rocket TFC might still be a way from
production but dealers are taking deposits
for the Thruxton TFC right now – so if
you’ve got £17,500 burning a hole in your
pocket, be quick.
It’s instantly clear that the bike is based on
the bullet-faired ‘Track Racer’ version of
the Thruxton R, but the improvements are
more than skin deep.
Carbon fi bre has been used wherever
possible in the fairing, side panels and
seat, helping cut 5kg from the bike’s
weight down to 198kg dry. Meanwhile, the
1200cc parallel twin gets an extra 10hp
from a titanium Vance and Hines exhaust,
new mapping and revised riding models
for rain, road and sport. Inside lies a new,
lighter crankshaft and balancer shafts,
high-compression pistons and revised
ports. The cam cover is magnesium and
even the engine covers are thinner-walled
to make them lighter.
The suspension is new, too. Ohlins NIX30
forks replace the Thructon R’s Showas,
matching the remote-reservoir Ohlins
shocks at the back, and there’s a Brembo
radial master cylinder to go with the radial
calipers from the same fi rm.
Elsewhere, changes from the normal
Thruxton include a machined billet top
yoke, black anodised wheel rims, a leather
seat, brushed nickel mirror centres, special
instrument faces and badges and a
brushed alloy ‘Monza’ fuel cap.
Each of the 750 examples gets the usual
‘limited edition’ treatment – a numbered
plaque on the headstock, a certifi cate
signed by Triumph CEO Nick Bloor, a
branded bike cover and even a book to
chart the bike’s build process.
Call Triumph SA on 011 444 4441 for
more info on pricing and availability.
RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019 15
All the Dukes come together.
The Dukes hold court on RADMoto’s 2nd Exclusive Duke Day.
There is nothing more impressive then
seeing a group comprising of a single
model of bike ride past you on mass. The
guttural roar of the 1290 engines, the
higher pitch growls of the 790 and the
buzzing of the 390’s all made up a group
like this for RADMoto’s second exclusive
Duke day. Dukes are notorious for being
the playful, even potentially naughty bikes
in the KTM line up. While the adventures
would turn their homework in on time
the Dukes would charm the teacher into
accepting the dog ate my homework
excuse. Their shorter wheel based naked
looks are expertly designed for the tight
and twisty roads. They turn on a dime
and change on a ticky and a simple wrist
twist across the cylinders would easily
put wind into that helmeted hair. KTM
designed them to look fierce, from the
smaller 390’s all the way to the Beast of
the 1290 and with 36 of them gathered at
RAD for the ride they made a striking and
intimidating bunch. RADMoto with Andy
Biram from The Adventure Academy
had plotted a route that goes straight
to the street fighters heritage, the tight,
windy and inner city style roads to show
just how good this bike in the suburban
setting. But Andy had found at least one
or two open roads for The Beasts to
stretch their legs.
Andy started the day with a safety talk
after RADMoto’s favourite man Nelson
had made sure everyone had coffee
in their hands and a smile to welcome
them. Andy’s safety talks are a mixture
of sensible riding advice to give everyone
an idea of what they are getting into and
to make sure everyone has the best
time, and an sense of humour that puts
everyone at ease. The previous Duke
day was a self navigating route but this
one with the tighter wanderings meant
we were to stick together as a group, the
1290’s leading the charge.
At 9:30 with the riders kitted and on
their bikes, the 36 bikes headed out of
RAD’s dealership in a flash of orange and
black with the rumbles of the engines
joining together to create music. As
they headed up the hill of Witkoppen
to the first section of the route through
Bryanston, one just needed to watch
the group to see how unique each
bike is. Duke’s seem to have their own
culture where modifying it is the way
forward. The looks range from menacing
to beautiful and everything in between.
These bikes come out with their own
16 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
personalities but the owners can stamp their
own identity on their rides. From stickers
to pipes, and one transformer, they each
are their own. The group headed through
the suburban landscape, the bikes in their
elements, coming out at Witkoppen by the
Buzz shopping center heading up towards
Malibongwe and turning to wind their way
into Harties. The mid stop goal was Wheelie
road, but they had a brief stopping point as
they turned onto Malibongwe to re-group
and check everyone was happy. Smiles
were already prevalent, and the bonding had
started amongst the riders. Once the group
was together again they headed towards
Avianto, taking a different route then the
fast open paced road to Harties that’s a
favourite of breakfast run riders. Andy had
found a road that spoke to the roots of
the Dukes, playful and mischief with tight
turns and sweeping corners, twisting and
dancing along. The scenery may have been
spectacular but the riders seemed to be
enthralled with the impishness of the road
and how it snaked along. They regrouped
at the T- Junction of Harties to head to
Wheelie road, laughter and jokes were the
order of the day and that cold water waiting
for them was needed. The Dukes roared
off to wheelie road, and on arrival RAD staff
were waiting to quench their thirst with
water and they all chatted about the ride so
far. Wheelie Road is a partitioned off area
in Harties and is aptly named as a place for
the guys to practice wheelies, endo’s and
burn outs. The 1290 Duke club had joined
and this meant the riders were treated to
a show of bikes on one wheel, some solo,
others testing their synchronized skill and
timing going on either side of the partition at
once. The growl of the engines reverberated
off the over pass and everyone was awe
struck. After an impressive burn out by one
of the riders, Andy pulled the group together
for another briefing. The end point was
Smokin Aces, and another fun but more
open, flowing route awaited the Dukes.
The photographer made sure that their was
a group photo before everybody heading
back into Fourways. The route back was
shorter, as growling stomachs could almost
be heard over the bikes and a cold juice
was greatly needed. The group arrived at
Smokin Aces, a new bikers Restaurant in
Fourways. Even at a place that is used to
bikes, the group caused quiet a stir riding
in on the Dukes, awe struck faces following
the rumbling train of bikes. Helmets came
off, coolies were served and as the music of
the one-man band drifted over the tables,
laughter, jokes and stories were shared.
Looking over the sea of orange Dukes, the
conclusion for the day was: when is the
next one, that was to much fun. Thank you
to everyone that joined and made it such
a success, to the 1290 Club, Andy at The
Adventure Academy, Patrick for being the
patient sweeper, Brad and Arnold with his
lovely other half at the refreshment point and
each and every Duke rider.
RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019 17
Dunlop and Suzuki SA “Day of
Champions” track day at RSR.
A selected few were joined by top SA’s top stars for a day at Redstar Raceway.
Pics by Daniella Kerby
For the 2nd year in a row, Dunlop SA
managed to round up some of SA’s best
talent and get them out on track for some
much needed saddle time. Last year it was
Phakisa and this year the event was held at
Redstar Raceway.
It was an exclusive event held by Dunlop SA
and supported by Suzuki SA. An invite only
day where the lucky few who cracked the nod
got to rub shoulders with the cream of the
crop in SA motorcycle racing.
The highlight was no doubt 2016 Moto3
Champion and current Moto 2 rider, Brad
Binder, who graced the track not only with his
presence but also his skills. Was a real treat for
all to see the Factory KTM rider in action and
he was getting all the grip he needed from his
Dunlop Moto2 tyres.
Filling out the star studded class was Moto
3 star Darryn Binder, UK based riders Bjorn
Estment and Brent Harran, TT star AJ Venter,
been there done that man Sheridan Morais,
5-time SA champ Clinton Seller, 2-time SA
champ David McFadden and current champ
Michael White. All the riders had the new Dunlop
D213 tyres fitted to their machines and nothing
but praise for the new rubber from them all.
Overall it was a great day had by all, getting
to meet and greet these top stars and spend
some time out on track. What could be better?
Big well done to Sean Powell and his team
from Dunlop SA as well as Suzuki SA for
putting on truly amazing event.
Even The Punisher made an appearance.
Of course these two dirty bastards (Jason Wessels and Andrew
Katay) would find the brolly dollies.
Brad Binder with the Monroe Racing Team.
Top SA rider Bjorn Estment spending some time on the Suzuki
GSXR1000 before heading back to the UK to race one.
AJ Venter
testing his new
GSXR1000.
Like mother like daughter - Zoe
Bosch chasing her mommy.
18 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
The man who put it all
together - Sean Powell
from Dunlop SA.
The very stylish
and fast Darryn
Binder.
Rob doing some pillion rides.
DUNLOP D213
EXCLUSIVE TEST Words by Rob Portman
Apart from holding the prestigious
honour of being the official media
partner for the Dunlop/Suzuki SA Day
of Champions, we were also handed
the exclusive first test of Dunlop’s allnew
D213 cut slick race tyres. Myself,
along with all the top SA stars who
were mentioned in the news on the left
hand page, got to sample the new tyres
for the first time in SA.
While I was over at the Isle of Man TT
race last year, I spotted some Dunlop
tyres fitted to most of the competitors
bikes of which I had never seen before.
I immediately messaged Sean Powell
from Dunlop SA asking him what tyres
these were. He replied “It’s the new
D213 race tyre, they are coming to
SA soon and they are going to be the
choice of track tyre”.
Needless to say the new D213 went on
to pretty much dominate the TT Stock
bike classes, winning with Superstock
1000 race with Peter Hickman.
The new D213 is the step above the
previous D212 tyre, which was a proven
fan favourite with many a racer and
trackday rider worldwide over the
past couple of years. The first obvious
difference is the tread pattern, which
Dunlop describe as “Radical Fin-shape
pattern with epitomised groove angles”.
The highly distinctive tread pattern
has been designed to optimise warm
up times and provide maximum tar
contact in dry conditions.
We fitted the tyres to Ricky Morais’
Yamaha R1 machine, which we
would be sharing with Shez Morais
throughout the day. Shez pounded in
the laps on the new tyres and was left
really impressed with the amount of
grip in-and-out of the turns and more
importantly at full lean angle. Nothing
but solid grip and stability from the front
tyre at maximum lean angle, and Shez
was getting plenty of it as you can see
by the pics.
I had the exact same feeling from the
tyres in my sessions. Planted all the way
around the tricky RSR circuit. I loved
the stability under hard braking and
even whilst trail braking deep into the
turn there was no hesitation from the
front end. Hats off must also go to Ricky
Morais who had his R1 setup perfectly.
After close on 40 laps completed
over the course of the day, with Shez
completing around 28 of those at
very competitive times, the tyre wear
looked sublime front and rear. Still
plenty of tread left as you can see by
the pics below. Dunlop have always
been renowned for the amount of grip
they offer as well as longevity over its
competitors and the new D213 has
proved that once again.
We ran the Pro2 compound, which is
the softest compound brought into
SA. The Pro4 is also available for those
guys looking for a harder compound
which will ultimately last longer but not
have the same grip level as the Pro2.
After speaking to the likes of David
Speaking to David McFadden and
Michael White afterwards they were
both seriously impressed with the new
rubber, sentiments shared by all who
ran them on the day.
A set will cost you just shy of R6k and
are available through AJ Venter at
Lekka Racing - 011 238 7666.
Big thanks to Ricky Morais for letting
us use his gorgeous R1, which just
happens to be up for sale so if you are
in the market for a factory, well setup
racebike with all the bells and whistles
then give him a call.
Brad Binder getting some
good saddle time in.
RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019 19
More exciting news from Fire It Up!
The progressive and very forward thinking folks at Fire It Up!
are always looking for ways to make motorcycling in SA so
much better and here are two more bits of great news.
Fire It Up! and Performance technic
appointed as Zero service agents:
Since the closing of the local importers,
Fire It Up have been working hard
to assist a number of customers left
stranded. One of the brands recently
fi nalised is Zero electric motorcycles. Fire
It Up and Performance Technic have just
invested in all the necessary training and
specialist tools to offer Zero Motorcycle
customers the service experience they
deserve and of course service with
confi dence.
The motorcycles will be serviced and
maintained at Fire It Up’s new facility in
Kyalami, Performance Technic, where
a team of technicians are available to
repair and service your motorcycle.
The facility opens in February 2019
and Zero Motorcycle customers can
look forward to the arrival of a new
range of motorcycles later in the year.
For service enquiries contact info@
zeromotorcyclesa.co.za
Service plans for motorcycles
Well this is a fi rst to us, service plans for
motorcycles and at completely affordable
prices.
Selected pre-owned motorcycles will
be available with a 1 year/25,000km’s
comprehensive mechanical and
maintenance cover. This means for that
year of ownership everything mechanical
and electrical is covered including a full
maintenance plan. Sounds crazy? This is
valued at over 30k. If the customer keeps
the bike for another year the Motoplan
can be extended for another year.
These motorcycles will be advertised
accordingly, check our site or Facebook
as they arrive.
What’s the catch? Nothing, just ensure
that the motorcycle is maintained at
Fire It Up’s new facility in Kyalami,
Performance Technic, which we will do
a feature on soon. New motorcycles/
MV Agusta/Kawasaki/Zero and others to
be announced will be available with a 2
year/25,000km MotoPlan.
This means that you never have to worry
about service or repair costs again. A
Cape Town partner will be announced
shortly and then KZN.
All this is exclusive to Fire It Up. Visit their
dealership at Shop No 3, Showrooms on
Leslie, Corner of William Nicol and Leslie
Drive Fourways. Tel 011 467 0737.
Bridgestone’s new
Battlax Hypersport
S22 motorcycle tyre.
What is one of the most important things
a sport rider needs from a tyre? Reliable
grip. That goes for just about any rider, but if
you’re putting a knee down on surface roads
in the mountains it’s even more important.
Bridgestone promise to provide better grip than
ever in dry and wet conditions with its new
Battlax Hypersport S22 tyre, available end Feb
2019 here in SA.
The S22 takes the top spot in the Hypersport
line from the S21, and a new tread pattern and
compound refinements aim to give riders much
better performance than before.
Starting with the tread, Bridgestone aimed to
enhance wet-weather function with a more
rigid pattern and increased land-sea ratio on
the shoulder (number of grooves compared
to the surface). These two changes offer a
more reliable tyre in the wet, according to
Bridgestone.
The company then used it’s Ultimate Eye
technology to increase the contact patch of the
S22 over the S21. Bridgestone uses the same
methods when developing tyres for the FIM
Endurance World Championship, and for the
S22 it’s resulted in remarkably reduced slippage
areas for the front and rear tyres.
This is complemented by a better compound
too, with optimized resin geared to provide
better grip at lower temperatures, thereby
reducing warm-up time on dry surfaces. For
wet-condition performance, there’s finer silica
particles in the center of the rear tyre to provide
better grip in the rain.
20 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
New 2019 VersysX ABS
Best commuter available, very
economical, impressive road and
off road capabilities
R75 499
//INCLUDES 2 YEAR MOTOPLAN
New 2019 Ninja 400
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World Supersport 300 dominator!
R79 900
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Z300 ABS
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Save time and money.
R64 995
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Z900 CAFÉ
Modern day classic that
impresses in every way possible.
R168 900
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NINJA Z650 SE
Excellent commuter!
Save time and money.
R119 995
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Z900 ABS
A naked sportsbike that will
leave you breathless!
R135 900
//INCLUDES 2 YEAR MOTOPLAN
ZZR1400 OHLINS
All the power with all the control
- a true hypersport machine!
R227 995
//INCLUDES 2 YEAR MOTOPLAN
ZX10R KRT
The Superbike to beat!
Includes autoblip downshift.
R229 900
//INCLUDES 2 YEAR MOTOPLAN
KX65 R37 995 KX85 R45 900
EXCLUSIVE MOTOPLAN
WE ARE NOW OFFERING A TWO
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R179 995
Official SYM and AEON dealers
SALES TEAM: Berto Santos 079 494-2404 / James Ridley 076 827-9676 / Kyle Frazenburg 074 617 7305 / Cam Franklin 073 408 0888
LANDLINES: 011 465 4591 / 011 465 4212 / 011 465 5351 / 011 467 0737
Shop 3 & 4, Showroom on Leslie, Corner William Nicol & Leslie, Fourways
Factory Racing now FAST
KTM & ROC Harley Davidson.
Massive new dual dealership out in the South of JHB.
The well known and super busy KTM
dealer on Michelle Ave in Meyersdal
relocated in October 2018 to just off the
Voortrekker rd off ramp from the N12
in Alberton into the huge premises that
used to be Alberante BMW Auto. The
shop is huge, beautifully laid out, very
well stocked and an absolute pleasure
to visit. Nathaniel Do Amaral, the man
putting it all on the line, says the name
change has been coming for a while
as they were being mistaken as just
part of KTM SA and not a dealership in
their own right and the relocation and
expansion was the perfect opportunity
to implement the name change. They
have reinvented themselves, Nathaniel
is reinvesting heavily in the motorcycle
industry because he believes all his
customers and bike owners in SA
deserve even better service, well trained,
friendly and effi cient staff, decently
stocked shelves and racks and excellent
after sales service. This shop has
always been renowned for its fantastic
customer service, but they are now
taking it to the next level with some out
the box thinking to make the customers
experience even more memorable and
get more people riding. With that in mind,
Nathaniel has taken a gigantic leap into
another motorcycle brand and opened
up a completely separate store at the
same premises named “ROC HARLEY
DAVIDSON”. What is “ROC” you may
ask, well it’s an abbreviation for “RIDE
OF CHOICE” and this is your shop
of choice for everything and anything
Harley Davidson. It is stocked with all the
latest and greatest Harley Davidson’s,
accessories, parts, customising bits ‘n
bobs, clothing, jackets, rider gear and
anything else you can imagine. Getting
there is as easy as heading down the
N12, taking the Voortrekker off ramp
towards Alberton and immediately left
into their entrance. While you’re getting
tyres fi tted or your bike serviced, or just
because you’re in the mood to hang out
at a very lekker bike shop, grab a toasted
sandwich or a snack from their canteen,
prices are fair and the food is good.
Give them a call or drop them a mail:
Tel: (011) 867 0092
(011) 867 5941
Email: Enquires: info@fastktm.co.za.
Services: service@fastktm.co.za.
Accessories: sales@fastktm.co.za
22 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
PADDOCK NEWS
Brought to you by
#69 to be retired in
honour of Nicky Hayden
In tribute to the late, great Nicky Hayden,
who passed away in 2017, the number
69 will be retired from Grand Prix racing at
the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas
in Austin, Texas. The “Kentucky Kid” rode
69 to the crown and MotoGP Legend
status during an impressive career that
saw him leave an indelible mark on the
sport and the paddock.
Hayden’s fi rst successes came in 2003
when he took podiums as a rookie
and he went on to win his fi rst Grand
Prix in 2005. That created a perfect
springboard for the following season and
he put together an impressive campaign
to become 2006 MotoGP World
Champion, wrapping up the crown in
the season fi nale. Hayden rose from dirt
track beginnings to the absolute pinnacle
of his sport, taking his unique blend
of work ethic, humility and talent from
the domestic scene to the world stage
and putting his name to an astounding
number achievements both within racing
and beyond its limits – key amongst
which was his moniker as ‘the nicest
man in Grand Prix racing’.
Hayden remained a cornerstone of the
paddock until his departure at the end
of 2015, upon which he was named a
MotoGP Legend. The number 69 will
now forever remain the number of the
“Kentucky Kid”; the man who rode it into
the Hall of Fame.
“What a great honor it will be for Nicky’s
#69 to be retired at Austin,” says
Hayden’s father, Earl. “It is very fi tting that
it will be done at the US race as these
races meant so much to Nicky and he
looked forward to them so much every
year. For myself in particular this will be
very special event because the #69 was
my number when I raced and I was
very proud to see Nicky run the #69 on
his bikes for his entire career. On behalf
of my entire family I would like to say a
special thanks to Dorna for honoring
Nicky in this special way along with the
many other gestures they have done to
support us through the diffi cult times.”
“I’m proud to announce that the
number 69 will be retired from Grand
Prix racing,” says Carmelo Ezpeleta,
CEO of Dorna Sports. “Nicky Hayden
was one of the biggest assets to this
paddock and a fantastic example as
a rider both on track and off. It gives
me great pleasure to honour his legacy
once again and ensure the number 69
remains synonymous with a legend and
a Champion.”
Be sure to watch the Red Bull Grand Prix
of the Americas as MotoGP pays tribute
to Hayden from the 12th to 14th April.
Melandri encourages
riders to speak out
Marco Melandri believes fellow riders simply ‘don’t care’
when it comes to suggesting positive changes for the World
Superbike championship.
For the fi rst time, 2019 will feature three races per weekend
as the now usual Saturday and Sunday full-length events are
to be accompanied by a ten-lap sprint – offi cially dubbed
the Tissot Superpole Race – on Saturday mornings.
The top nine fi nishers of the new Sprint Race will start Race
3 in that same order, while tenth position downwards will be
determined by Saturday’s qualifying times.
The grid positions for Saturday’s fi rst race and the sprint
race itself will see the riders line up as they qualify in Tissot
Superpole, which is no longer made up of two sessions but
one single session for all riders.
While Melandri backs the Sprint Race, the GRT Yamaha
man feels riders’ opinions will only ever be taken seriously
when they club together with a collective opinion.
“I like to race, so a third race is okay,” Melandri told MCN at
the Jerez test on Wednesday evening. “If the sprint race can
increase the spectacle, I welcome it.
“What I don’t like is that we score points in what is a
qualifying race; for me that’s not correct. We will be taking
maybe even more risks than in a normal race because it is
shorter, so you have to start faster.
“You get points, so it is very important for the championship,
but there is no bonus of points. This is not correct in
my opinion. If you want to give points, give a bonus.
Otherwise…no bonus, no points.”
The sprint will award points to the top nine as follows:
12-9-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. Asked whether the riders’ sentiments
are taken seriously, Melandri feels they are not. He believes
championship organisers Dorna can only fully consider
suggestions once riders get together and come up with a
solid and shared idea.
“The riders don’t care,” says the 36-year-old, the oldest rider
in the fi eld. “Twice I have tried to talk to all of them about
such ideas. Only Johnny (Rea) wanted to get involved.
“Other riders don’t care, so we can’t all approach Dorna
with ideas if the riders don’t get together. Some riders seem
interested when I explain ideas, but when you actually put
something together nobody answers to provide any input.”
Melandri has started 151 World Superbike races and has 22
race victories and 72 podium fi nishes to his credit. He was
also 250cc Grand Prix World Champion in 2002.
24 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
more confidence, in wet
and dry conditions, even
after 5000 KM *
even after 5 000
KM, experience
braking in the
wet*
Even after 5 000 KM, a MICHELIN Road tyre
stops as short as a brand new MICHELIN
Pilot Road 4 tyre* thanks to the evolutionary
MICHELIN XST Evo sipes.
With its dry grip, stability and best handling versus
its main competitors, thanks to MICHELIN’s
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more riding pleasure.***
* According to internal studies at Ladoux, the Michelin centre of excellence, under the supervision of an independent
witness, comparing MICHELIN Road 5 tyres used for 5 636 km with new and unworn MICHELIN Pilot Road 4 tyres.
** According to internal studies at Fontange, a Michelin test track, under the supervision of an independent witness,
comparing MICHELIN Road 5 tyres with METZELER Roadtec 01, DUNLOP Road Smart 3, CONTINENTAL Road
Attack 3, PIRELLI Angel GT and BRIDGESTONE T30 EVO tyres, in dimensions 120/70 ZR17 (front) and 180/55 ZR17
(rear) on Suzuki Bandit 1250
*** External tests conducted by the MTE Test Centre invoked by Michelin, comparing MICHELIN Road 5 tyres with MI
*** External tests conducted by the MTE Test Centre invoked by Michelin, comparing MICHELIN Road 5 tyres with MI-
CHELIN Pilot Road 4, METZELER Roadtec 01, DUNLOP Road Smart 3, CONTINENTAL Road Attack 3, PIRELLI
Angel GT and BRIDGESTONE T30 EVO tyres, in dimensions 120/70 ZR17 (front) and 180/55 ZR17 (rear) on a Kawasaki
Z900 giving best dry performance globally and #1 for Handling, #2 for Stability, #2 for Dry grip
PADDOCK NEWS
Brought to you by
Petronas Yamaha came ‘very close’ with Pedrosa
Dani Pedrosa kept his cards close to his
chest, but it was well known that the 31-time
MotoGP winner was in discussions with the
new Petronas-backed Sepang Yamaha team
after losing his Honda seat to Jorge Lorenzo.
Indeed, Pedrosa postponed a planned
retirement announcement at Catalunya as the
Yamaha talks intensifi ed.
But ultimately, the Spaniard decided it was
time to call an end to his racing career,
albeit thanking Sepang and Yamaha for their
patience while he made a fi nal decision.
“The Pedrosa [talks] were a reality. It was very,
very close,” Sepang CEO Razlan Razali told
Crash.net.
“He spoke to Yamaha, Yamaha assured
him they would give him all the support he
needs. I sat down with him, together with
Carmelo [Ezpeleta, Dorna CEO] and the
same thing as well.
“But when a rider is not mentally sure about
continuing to race, there’s not much we can do.
“But we were in serious discussions. When
he decided to call it a day, he actually gave
me a call and thanked me for the opportunity.
He apologised for not responding quicker, but
I can understand that it was a big decision for
him and I respect his decision.
“He was very professional about it all.”
Prior to Pedrosa, Sepang had initially been
linked with another MotoGP ‘A-lister’ in
the form of triple premier-class champion
Lorenzo. However, Sepang did not yet have a
confi rmed place on the 2019 grid.
“At that time having a MotoGP team was still
just a concept,” Razali said.
“Nothing was set in stone, so we couldn’t even
talk to anybody at that stage, but somehow
paddock rumours started circulating and he
[Lorenzo] thought we were setting the team up
just for him. Which we weren’t.
“But of course, he surprised everyone
and joined Honda anyway - which is fi ne
because he would have been expensive for
our budget anyway!”
Lorenzo and Pedrosa moving out of the
picture also had a knock-on effect in terms of
the Sepang team’s choice of M1 machinery.
For the fi rst time, Yamaha offered Sepang the
chance to run factory ‘A Spec’ bikes, equal
to the offi cial team of Valentino Rossi and
Maverick Vinales at the start of the season,
rather than year-old ‘B Spec’ machinery
previously used by Tech3. Naturally, the A
Spec would cost more.
While Pedrosa would need an A Spec to
be interested in the deal, Razali revealed
Petronas had been willing to fund two such
entries, with Franco Morbidelli pencilled-in for
a factory bike from the very start.
“We want to be competitive. We don’t want
to just make up the numbers and hence we
made the decision and negotiated for one
factory machine. Initially it was two. But then
[Pedrosa] dropped off,” Razali said.
“But Frankie was always an automatic choice.
He was always in the equation whether
the top rider would have been Pedrosa or
Lorenzo. And we always planned for Frankie
to have a factory bike.”
When Pedrosa decided to retire - and with
no other proven MotoGP winners available
- Sepang, Petronas and Yamaha decided to
take a gamble on a rookie; Fabio Quartararo,
who will spend his debut season alongside
Morbidelli on a B Spec bike.
“When we ran out of riders for the second
bike of the calibre that would deserve a
factory ride, then we thought, ‘let’s look at a
young rider’. We didn’t make that decision
alone, we consulted Yamaha as well.
“A few names came in and we locked onto
Quartararo.
“Everyone was quite excited because we
know where he’s comes from and how he’s
progressed. Yamaha liked it as well, Dorna
liked it, the French Grand Prix guys like it. I
think he has the potential and we’re happy to
give Fabio this chance.”
Petronas Yamaha, Malaysia’s fi rst MotoGP
team, will hold its offi cial team launch in Kuala
Lumpur on January 28.
Pedrosa - who recently revealed that HRC
president Yoshishige Nomura told him he was
too small to stay on as the factory’s MotoGP
test rider - has signed for test riding duties
with KTM.
The Spaniard is currently undergoing stem
cell treatment on a fractured collarbone.
26 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
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PADDOCK NEWS
Words by Peter McLaren (Crash.net)
Tech3: ‘Some people are laughing at us’
Having celebrated sixth in the MotoGP
championship, three podiums and two pole
positions with Johann Zarco during its final
season with Yamaha, Tech3 dropped to the
tail of the timesheets during the start of its new
partnership with KTM.
Hafizh Syahrin and new rookie signing Miguel
Oliveira, arriving in place of Zarco after the
Frenchman’s move to the factory KTM team,
were slowest of the full-time competitors during
the post-season tests at Valencia and Jerez.
Leaving Yamaha - whose factory team has
won 107 500cc/MotoGP races since 2001,
when Tech3 joined the premier-class - for
MotoGP’s newest manufacturer (a wet debut
podium at Valencia, best of ninth in the dry)
combined with the departure of Zarco was
always going to force a reset in Tech3’s results.
That’s easy to say, but motor racing is not
known for patience and the Yamaha stickers
had barely been peeled from the Tech3 trucks
when some in the paddock were openly
asking if they regretted the decision.
“This is a big challenge for me and the whole
team,” team boss Herve Poncharal told Crash.
net. “You know, a lot of people are laughing,
thinking we made a big mistake.
“A lot of guys in the media but also those
that follow us generally were asking - even
in Valencia after just two days with limited
track time due to the weather - ‘Are you
disappointed? Do you regret your choice?’
“Some were smiling, laughing, saying ‘good
luck my friend’. Things like that.
“But it’s just the beginning. We have to
understand a lot of things. So we need to keep
calm, work hard, respect all our partners and
try to deliver what they are expecting from us.
“Of course, I’d like [my riders] to be five
positions up, but we need to control ourselves.
Right now, we can’t play the lap time game. It
might sound boring, but we need to work.”
That’s not to say that Poncharal himself didn’t
do a lot of soul-searching before deciding to
part ways with Yamaha.
“This was a decision I’d been thinking about
quite a lot. You don’t end a partnership like
the one we had with Yamaha, which lasted 20
years, without thinking, is it a mistake? Is it the
right decision?” he said.
“But what I found with our new partners was
very exciting and, after just the first few days
together, it’s exactly what I thought it would be.
“It’s one thing - as a rider, but even more as a
team - to join a project that is already winning
and another to feel you are going to be, with
all humility, helping a new project grow and
improve.
“We are happy. We have a lot of new faces in
our box. KTM also employed a lot of new staff
to set up this new satellite MotoGP operation.
There are people coming from various other
manufacturers. The guy in charge of the
support team is from Ducati, for example.
“So far it’s a really good feeling. For sure you
would like to be higher up the timesheet. But
also we found out - mainly through Johann
Zarco’s comments and also Hafizh Syahrin,
the two ex-Yamaha guys - that they almost
have to forget everything they knew about how
to ride a MotoGP bike because the [Yamaha
and KTM] are very different.
“It’s a process that I hope will not be too long,
but we have a lot of work ahead of us.”
Tech3 has taken MotoGP podiums with
28 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
Brought to you by
Zarco, Jonas Folger, Bradley Smith, Cal
Crutchlow, Andrea Dovizioso, Colin
Edwards, Ben Spies, Marco Melandri, Alex
Barros and Shinya Nakano since 2001.
But along the way they also had to weather
some barren years, including being absent
from the rostrum in 2005, 2006 and also 2007
- when its riders were just 16th and 18th in the
world championship on Dunlop tyres - and
Poncharal is fully aware of the task ahead.
“We always say Paris, Rome or London was
not built in a day. How many years have
Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, now Ducati, been in
this championship? It’s only been two years,
with two riders, for KTM,” he said.
“KTM has improved a lot, but also everyone
else keeps improving. So you have to improve
quicker than the top guys to reduce the gap.
“But I believe the riders they have now, not
simply growing from two to four, are also quite
complimentary. The most important thing is to
keep everybody calm, motivated and feeling
part of a project.”
Tech3 has certainly been made to feel part of
KTM, with Poncharal highlighting the efforts
made by the Austrian factory’s motorsport
director Pit Beirer.
“Our life is our work and when you spend this
amount of time together you need people
that are accessible, share your values, have
common points of view and targets. As we’ve
discussed many times before, I always try to
build a ‘family’ atmosphere because human
relationships are very important. The older I get
the more important they are.
“Pit is the head of motorsport at KTM. He is a
person I admire a lot. You can feel the passion,
the will, the desire - sometimes too much
because he wants everything now! Also he has
been a very successful [motocross grand prix]
racer. So racing is in his DNA. He is a rider, a
sportsman.
“The fi rst thing Pit did on Tuesday morning at
the Valencia test was to come to our garage.
He asked everyone in the team to be there and
made a speech,” Poncharal revealed.
“Pit said ‘there will be four full-factory KTM
bikes on the grid next year. There will not be
less engines, less RPM, or less this and that for
Tech3. All we want is for KTM to win. It doesn’t
matter if it’s a Tech3 or factory team bike. We
don’t care’.
“It was a really good speech and my guys
were really fi red up.”
After a year in which Yamaha’s Japanese
management was called into question due to a
record losing streak, Poncharal also found the
KTM structure much clearer.
“KTM sells a lot of motorcycles, but the
organisation is a lot easier to understand than
the big Japanese companies and you know
who is the boss,” he said.
“I’ve already met Mr Pierer [CEO] and Mr
Trunkenpolz [whose uncle helped establish the
company, the ‘T’ in KTM]. You feel the warmth
straight away when they hug you and say
‘we are proud to have you with us, it’s a big
honour, we’re going to do great things’.
“That is the feeling you are looking for and that
we never found [in the past].
“So what I can tell you is that we are happy
with our decision. We have a three-year
commitment from KTM, Red Bull and Elf. We
feel a big responsibility because of what these
guys have invested in us.
“We don’t want to disappoint anybody. We
have time, but I know that doesn’t mean a lot.
Because in the end, in the racing world, you
need to deliver.”
But what does delivering actually mean for
Tech3 in 2019?
Poncharal brushed off suggestions Tech3’s
focus will be on trying to challenge the factory
team of Zarco and Pol Espargaro. Instead,
top ten fi nishes while moving the RC16 closer
to the front are a ‘realistic’ for three of the four
KTM riders.
“I don’t want to see us in competition with the
factory team because we feel part of the same
family,” Poncharal said.
“Clearly Pol knows the bike better than
anybody else and we know Johann is a
guy that can make pole positions, front row,
podiums and can win races. So the two
factory KTM riders have got more experience
and right now are faster than us.
“But we are not too far. Syahrin and Zarco
are quite close to each other. Half-a-second.
But what we want is to reduce the gap to the
front guys.
“I don’t want to speak for Pit Beirer and Mr
Pierer, but the target is to be as regularly as
possible in the top ten. Which is not easy,
because you know how many full factory guys
there are now.
“I had a little bit of time to go watch around the
track [at the Jerez test] and nobody is slow! It’s
impressive and very close.
“2019 will be a season where we will learn -
riders and team - how to exploit the maximum
of our package and together with KTM pass the
message about what we need for our riders to
feel more comfortable and more competitive.
“Sure, winter testing is going to be a good step
but by the fi rst races we will still be discovering
things.
“That doesn’t mean we don’t have ambitious
targets, but we are realistic about the level
of MotoGP, the bikes and riders. So top ten
is realistic for three of the KTM riders - Pol,
Johann and Hafi zh. We want to give Miguel a
bit more time to understand everything.”
Having proven a match for the other MotoGP
rookies on his way to title runner-up in Moto2,
Poncharal has been impressed by Olivera’s
composure during a low-key Tech3 transition.
But he’s also aware that the Portuguese star’s
patience will not be endless.
“Miguel has been fi ghting with the other
rookies - Mir, Bagnaia, Quartararo - in Moto2
and now he’s behind them. Of course I’d like
him to be with the other rookies now, but at
the moment we need to control ourselves and
Miguel is very good at that,” he said.
“So far, Miguel has never even made a gesture
of frustration, ‘it’s okay, I have to learn’. But
we need to keep helping him because if it’s
the same after three or four races for sure the
morale will go down.”
The Jerez test, the fi nal track action of 2018,
fi nished with the top KTM of Espargaro in
17th (+1.2s) followed by Zarco in 19th (1.9s),
Syahrin 23rd (2.6s) and Oliveira 24th (2.6s).
“Both Johann and Hafi zh are very happy with
the engine and almost every run you could see
they were more at home with the bike,” said
Poncharal.
“We had only one bike [per rider at Tech3] and
you lose track time, also because the team
is still discovering this bike, so every change
takes longer.
“But you don’t want to keep doing runs once
you’ve reached the limit of a setting. You need
to change the set-up to understand how it
feels for the rider.”
In December, Tech3 team members visited the
KTM headquarters for detailed instructions on
how to adjust and assemble the RC16 ahead
of 2019 testing, which begins at Sepang in
early February.
RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019 29
PADDOCK NEWS
Brought to you by
New look Ducati MotoGP
Ducati became the fi rst MotoGP team to offi cially launch its 2019 campaign
when Andrea Dovizioso and new signing Danilo Petrucci unveiled the
Desmosedici GP19 livery during a ceremony at the Philip Morris R&D Cube
in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
The biggest talking point is the inclusion of ‘Mission Winnow’, both on the
redder-than-ever bike and offi cial team name, ‘Mission Winnow Ducati’.
‘Mission Winnow’ is a slogan used by Philip Morris to “discard old
approaches”, learn “from past mistakes and use them to shape our future”.
It fi rst appeared on the Ferrari F1 cars at last season’s Japanese Grand Prix.
Philip Morris has remained Ducati’s main MotoGP sponsor ever since the
Italian factory entered the sport in 2003, despite no longer being allowed to
run any Marlboro cigarette branding.
The company is now pushing for a smoke-free future through its IQOS
tobacco heating system, but Philip Morris emphasised that ‘Mission
Winnow’ does not advertise or promote any PMI-branded products: “This
is about passion.”
As such, Philip Morris is able to use ‘Mission Winnow’ in MotoGP and once
again have a visible presence at the Ducati Team.
Dovizioso has fi nished title runner-up to Honda’s Marc Marquez for the past
two seasons, winning six races in 2017 and four in 2018, when the addition of
three wins for Jorge Lorenzo made it Ducati’s most successful season since
Casey Stoner’s 2007 championship year.
New rider Danilo Petrucci acknowledged he and new team-mate Andrea
Dovizioso enter the 2019 season with different goals, stating “we need each
other to reach them” as he prepares for his fi rst season as a factory rider in
the MotoGP class. “I’m really looking forward about going to Sepang. Last
year wasn’t a good race. But Andrea and me can make good work together
and I can only learn from him and give back some help during the year.”
Andrea Dovizioso goes into 2019 with “more confi dence” than previous
campaigns, and “really” believes he and Ducati will be in the MotoGP
championship mix after a positive end to the last calendar year. “I’m really
excited because this season is a bit different for me,” said Dovizioso, runnerup
in both of the previous two campaigns. “I feel better than last year - [with]
more confi dence. For sure every year is a different story. But the feeling at
the end of the season in the last two tests was really good. We tried some
new parts on the bike and already our speed was good.”
“In Sepang we’ll have a full new bike. I’m confi dent and I think our level can
be really good from the beginning. From that we have to build something
more again. I think we will have a lot of material to try in the fi rst two tests
before the season starts. Overall I’m really excited for this season.”
2019 Repsol Honda MotoGP
A few days after the launch of Ducati’s MotoGP team, Repsol
Honda launched their team in Malaysia, as the factory-backed
MotoGP team debuted its 2019 team and livery. The bikes look
the same, the goal hasn’t changed, but the big news from Sepang
was seeing Jorge Lorenzo in Repsol orange.
Lorenzo was wrapped in bandages of course, still fresh from the
surgery on his left scaphoid, which he broke while MX training.
This meant his leathers had to be cut along the left arm so he
could get in and out of them, and it will also delay some of the
press photos of the 2019 Honda RC213V race bike and see him
miss the next offi cial test in Sepang.
As far as debuts go, that is not a great start, but it will have little
effect on perhaps the biggest shakeup in the MotoGP paddock
over the past few seasons.
This is because Repsol Honda is now home to the only two riders
who have won the MotoGP Championship in the last seven
seasons. If that doesn’t scare the rest of the paddock, then we are
not sure what will.
This fact promises good results for HRC in MotoGP, but the
real task will be managing two riders who are at the height
of their careers and have expectations of adding to their
championship tallies.
Will sparks fl y on and off the track? Only time will tell. Judging from
Lorenzo’s comments in the team’s press release, so far things are
going well. But let’s see what happens once championship points
are on the line.
“Repsol Honda are on a different level in every way,” said Jorge
Lorenzo at the launch. “I could see it at the Valencia test, when I
had many people around me listening to what I was saying. It is a
dream for any rider to be part of this team.”
“I am very demanding on myself and always try to get the best
out of each situation. I want to repay the team for all the trust they
have given me with good results. I am very proud to be on a team
with as many victories and as much history as Repsol Honda.”
“I like the bike a lot, it turns in very well and is very docile,” Lorenzo
added. “In addition, the team gave me a very warm welcome
from my fi rst day here. My main objective for 2019 is, fi rst of all, to
recover one hundred percent and be able to demonstrate on track
that we really are the Dream Team that people are talking about.”
30 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
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32 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
T H E C R O S B Y T T 4 0 0
“What a cool little bike!”
That’s the comment passed
by everyone that rode it.
This is a classic example
of when price and appeal
cross paths. Words by Glenn Foley
In the not so old days, bikes were relatively
uncomplicated. If you are a child of the
80’s, you’ll remember the big single cylinder
thumpers, like XT’s, SR’s and XR’s – basic
motorcycles with big hearts and no fancy
electronic magic. Bikes that you simply
hopped onto, hit the starter – or kicked
yourself to death – and took off for some great
adventures. This is a bike that has been built in
this very spirit.
Never heard of Crosby? Well in Europe
these bikes are marketed under the brand
name Mash. But that wouldn’t really fit in
South Africa.
The name of the Crosby brand is derived
from the famous town in the Isle of Man, where
the first ever TT400 class was run starting
off down the Crosby straight. We thought it
was a play on the very laid back music from
American supergroup Crosby, Stills and Nash.
Both derivatives work on a bike like this.
In the garage
We had it for a whole week – we zipped to the
shops, called on dealers – and basically looked
for any excuse to ride it. The TT400 is the
epitome of simple, uncomplicated commuting.
There was plenty of speculation
everywhere we went. “Hey man – I had a
Triumph just like that” or sheez that’s cool –
and it ended in a conversation about iconic
bikes through the ages.
The guys are quite correct – this little retro
quietly transmits a lot of attitude. Plenty of
Chrome, laid back styling and clean lines.
It is the king of cool at a price that won’t
make your wallet groan. The Crosby guys
have deliberately given the bike a “Euro
Cool” look and feel – complete with a British
flag embossed into the logo just to confuse
matters. And a bike like this just lends itself to
further customizing.
34 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
Ride impressions
Hit the happy button – there is a kick start shaft
but no lever, snick her into gear – and off you go.
The TT400 is a plush, comfortable head
turner and it goes as good as it looks. The air
cooled 400cc mill delivers very user friendly
torque and acceleration right through the
rev range. They tell us that OHC 4-valve
Single Cylinder Engine Punches out 26 HP at
7,500rpm.
She’s no slouch – the dual chrome finished
pipes emit a genuine roar as you shift through
the gears up to the 140kph Mark.
Cruising on the freeways you never feel
as if you don’t have enough grunt to keep
up, or overtake the cages. The best fun is
shooting around the suburbs, zipping to the
roadhouse, hitting the back roads out to the
breakfast run stop.
She runs happily along at 120 all day –and
you won’t be buzzed to death. It’s a wellbalanced
thumper – a lot smoother than the
80’s versions of these 4 valve engines. And
history tells us that with the correct amount of
TLC, air-cooled singes are basically bulletproof.
The brakes are adequate for a bike like
this – a disc up front with a drum out back.
They bring things to a halt just fine – but we’d
probably fit braided brake lines up front for a bit
more bite. Economy is spot-on – we saw just
on 25kms to a litre.
Suspension is much the same – the twin
shocks out back look the part and deliver a
plush ride. The front forks are nothing fancy
but they do what they are supposed to.
Instrumentation is simple analogue speedo
and tacho with a fuel warning light. We love
the fact that there is an old school on and
reserve tap on the fuel tank. A small carrier is
thoughtfully mounted out back, so you can tie
on a bag and take off to visit your mates for
the weekend.
We have some of South Africa’s most
experienced motorcycle people in this here
office, and we all had a blast. This bike is really
good fun, with lots of personality.
But, there is a very wide, possibly
untapped market for this Crosby. A bike like
this is perfect for a lady or an entry level rider
thanks to its small size and unintimidating
power. It feels small, is not a heavy bike to
manoever – and – well, here it comes again, it
is beautifully crafted.
Conclusion
Here’s the best part - R48000.00. In our
opinion, this is probably the best value for
money bike that we have ridden in a very long
time. There are already in excess of 80 of these
bikes on South African roads right now. If the
quality is as good as it feels – then this bike
should sell all day long.
Go and ride one for yourself. You’ll see
what we mean.
Standard colours include Gloss Black & Gloss
White and Gloss Light Blue & Gloss White.
vcustomcycles.co.za
086 182 2835 for more info.
RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019 3 5
2019 MOTOGP CALENDAR
COME WATCH
ALL THE LIVE
ACTION ON OUR
BIG SCREENS!
MACHINES
We are truly blessed to know some of the coolest men in SA, who also happen to have some
of the coolest and meanest bikes on the planet. Even better, they let us ride them.
Words by Rob Portman. Pics by Johan Engelbrecht & Gerrit Erasmus
38 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
Now, I know I’m going to sound
like a broken record here as I
have said this many times. In
this life, and especially in this
industry, it’s not what you know
but who you know and that
was highlighted once again for this test.
I was lucky enough to be invited along to
Kyalami by two of my good mates to test their
two very exclusive, mean, illustrious machines.
Since I started doing this magazine back in
2009, I have met some amazing people who I
have built very strong relationships with. Those
relationships have been built on trust and
respect and because of that I have been able
to test some of the most desirable production
motorcycles ever built.
The two owners of these bikes, Jacques
and Harry, have become very good friends
of mine and share one big passion –
motorcycles. Sportbikes to be precise. I met
both men through the racing channels and
both are just as passionate as I am when it
comes to motorcycles and motorcycle racing.
Hence why we get on so well.
Both men attended the final trackday of
2018 on their mean machines, held at the
world class Kyalami Grand prix circuit. The
day was hosted by Clinton Pienaar from SA
Biking Academy and Superbike Magazine,
who very kindly offered me a spot for the day.
I jump at any chance to ride the new Kyalami
circuit as it is one of the best I have ever ridden
on in the world, and I have been to the likes of
Valencia, Estoril, Portimao and Phillip Island. I
would have to say that out of all of those only
Phillip Island gets the heart racing more than
Kyalami. Really is an amazing place to ride a
motorcycle, especially brute beasts like the two
I had on test here.
Honda CBR1000RR SP – Nicky Hayden
Ten Kate WSBK tribute bike
This is a bike that has had plenty of time, effort
and money poured into it. But most of all,
emotion. Owner Jacques, like most of us, is
a big, passionate Nicky Hayden fan and like
the world was devastated when the legendary
American rider passed away back in 2017.
This put into motion this emotional,
sensational custom bike.
Jacques wanted to build a bike in tribute of
the former MotoGP world champion, his hero,
who had been racing for the Red Bull Ten Kate
Honda squad in the World SBK championship
at the time.
Now, one cannot just simply splash their
bike, helmet or car with the iconic, flashy Red
Bull racing colours. Red Bull have strict rules not
allowing just any person to use their branding.
RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019 3 9
“The attention to detail is second
to none and it’s hard to believe
that this bike was actually
brought to life right here in SA.”
They keep it very exclusive and
if one is caught having their
designs or logos displayed without
permission Red Bull can impound
the item until the branding has
been removed. They are extremely
strict with this kind of thing.
Jacques knew this and set about
contacting Ten Kate and the Nicky
Hayden foundation directly to see
what the possibility was of getting
permission to build this tribute bike.
Jacques was surprised at just how
accommodating both were and so
the project was a go.
Jacques managed to secure
the fi rst new Honda SP1 model
brought into SA back in 2017 and
now that he had permission from
the team and Nicky’s foundation, it
was time to get going.
Neil and his team from MotoArt
here in SA were tasked with
painting the bike up exact to that of
the Ten Kate Red Bull Racing bike.
Not an easy job, but the guys did
an amazing job. Up close the bikes
design and work is faultless and
even the team themselves would
be mighty impressed.
With the help of Langston
Racing, who are the offi cial importers
and distributors of the Akrapovic
brand here in SA, Jacques managed
to get himself one of the fi rst
production made full Akro pipes and
what made this even more special
was that it came directly from the
Ten Kate Racing Team.
As you can see the bike came
out a true master-piece and one
that even Nicky himself would be
40 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
Our Shaun managed to get his
hands on the bike at the Dunlop/
Suzuki SA Day of Champions at
Redstar and this happened. Getting
him off the thing was not so easy...
proud of. The attention to detail
is second to none and it’s hard to
believe that this bike was actually
brought to life right here in SA.
Just shows again just how much
talented we have here.
The bike has been dressed with
a few extra aftermarket parts to
fi nish off the racing look and feel.
Shorty levers, Arashi rearsets,
GB Racing engine covers, lever
protectors and an MWR Air
Filter, which Jacques is hoping
to replace with the offi cial factory
racing BMC fi lter soon.
Craig and the team from Fire It
Up! Sorted out the electronics with
the addition of a Rapid Bike System.
So, with a new set of Pirelli slicks
fi tted it was time for me to head out
on track and see if this bike is more
than just a looker.
The new Honda CBR Blade is
such an underrated bike here in SA.
Buyers are put off simply because it
doesn’t have the 200hp fi gures its
competitors have and that to me is
just so silly as if they had to swing
their leg over this machine they
would immediately forget about the
number and realize just what an
amazing machine it really is.
A good thing the custommade
Mass suits come
with elbow sliders.
On this test, the Blade once
again reminded me of this fact.
It sells you with it’s easy to use
chassis and motor. This bike still
had the standard gearing on so
it was a bit long for the Kyalami
track but the addition of the Rapid
bike system certainly did give it a
bit more kick out of the turns and
smoothness on instant throttle
response. Braking and handling
was simply sublime and got the job
done at every turn, although I am
still not a big fan of those shorty
levers, just don’t have a good
feeling with me.
Overall a really impressive
package to not only look at but
also ride. A great job done but all
“The new Honda CBR Blade
is such an underrated bike here
in SA. Buyers are put off simply
because it doesn’t have the 200hp
figures its competitors have and
that to me is just so silly as if they
had to swing their leg over this
machine they would immediately
forget about the number and
realize just what an amazing
machine it really is.”
RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019 41
involved and Jacques can be very
proud of his creation. He has had
plenty of interest from buyers in the
US wanting this exquisite tribute
bike and it looks like the bike could
be heading over to the states, but
Jacques is still in two minds.
Bavarian Beast part 3
This would be my third time testing
the exclusive BMW HP4 Race
machine and my second time here in
SA on the same machine. I had the
privilege of being the first and only
journo so far to test the carbon-clad
racer here in SA. Owner Harry invited
me along to Redstar Raceway last
year to test his new racing machine. It
was a great test and I was reminded
just how good the bike was having
tested it the year before at the world
launch in Portugal.
Even though I left the test
impressed, owner Harry was still not
100% satisfied with the performance
and setup of the bike and wanted to
get more out of it.
Four months on from that
test and Harry invited me along
to Kyalami to test the bike again,
around a track that would lend itself
a bit more to the Bavarian Beast’s
ultimate power.
I was really excited for this test
as like I said before, Kyalami is one
of my favourite tracks and one that
really suits my riding style so if I was
impressed with the bike at the tightand-twisty
Redstar track then I was
going to be completely mind-blown
with it here at Kyalami.
Just before heading out, Harry
told me to be wary of the grip from
the slightly worn Pirelli SC2 tyres,
especially the back. He went on to
tell me that I should short shift to
6th gear before hitting the flat-out
kink down the front straight as the
rear wheel spins up like crazy in 5th.
Sounded a bit too far-fetched to me,
so in typical “I am the man” fashion, I
did not listen, but would quickly have
my ego knocked out of me.
42 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
“Not much comes close to
that feeling of wheel-spinning
at 240kph in 6th gear through
the kink down the straight.”
The HP4 Race loved every second around
the Kyalami track - it proved to be the
perfect playground to help get the best out
of this sensational motorcycle.
On my fi rst fl ying lap, I hammered the HP4
Race as hard as I could down the straight,
revving the hell out of it in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th
before getting to the small kink. Before I could
even blink the rear tyre spun up and gave me
a gentle reminder of just how much power this
bike really has. I was fl ung out of the seat –
swallowing my ego in the process. Ok, so Harry
was right, short-shift to 6th from now on…
“FML, this thing is faster than I remember”,
that’s what was passing through my mind
shortly after the underpants destroying moment.
Again, not paying much attention to what
Harry was telling me in the pits as he did make
mention of the fact the bike has improved
power fi gures from the last time I tested it.
Harry has worked hard with top BMW tech,
Dean Ferreira from Creative Race Concepts, to
get the power delivery as smooth and useable
as possible and setup the exclusive top-grade
Ohlins suspension, something not just any
person can do. Luckily, as mentioned, Dean
is a guru when it comes to all things BMW so
the bike felt really good and I could feel the
improvements from the last time I rode the bike.
Sensational amounts of power in every gear
at every rpm. It’s hard to describe the amount
of power without using every curse word ever
created. What’s even more crazy is how easy
it actually is to use and handle the 250plus HP
power on hand. The electronics have been
designed to
help harness
that power and
help the rider use
it to its full potential
without kaking
one’s self. Harry
has the bike perfectly
setup with just the
right amount of
traction and wheelie
control set in 1st, 2nd and 3rd
gears. Powering out of the
tight and fast turns at Kyalami
is an absolute dream. Easy
to use and enjoy but that arm
ripping thrust is still there.
I’ve never been up the steep hill towards
Leeukop (formally knows as Wesbank corner)
so fast in my life. The bike also made short
work of the long front straight. Not much
comes close to that feeling of wheel-spinning at
240kph in 6th gear through the kink down the
straight. Thrilling, addictive, frightening, exciting
and so much more!!! That pretty much some’s
up the experience of riding this bike.
Nothing I have ever ridden before comes
close to the experience and feeling of this bike,
especially the way Harry has it setup. Everything
works perfectly and is built to tear up tracks
and destroy lap times. If I see what the bike
has done for Harry and how it has
improved his riding and lap times it just proves
even more what a machine this truly is.
Being fully kitted out with all the highest
quality components, some of which money
can’t even buy, you can’t help but be fi lled
with the confi dence and conviction to go
out and push the limits. That’s until the brain
reminds me that it’s a R1.3m bike and if I
crash it I will have to sell my house, car, kids
and wife to help pay for it.
44 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
TRUE MOTORCYCLE ART COMING BACK TO SA!
LAUNCHING END OF FEBRUARY 2019
#INTERGITY
TM
NEW YEARS
RIDE-OLUTION
Why motorcycling should be available on prescription.
It’s the start of a new year and instead of wasting time and money on a new gym contract
to help get yourself back in shape, why not just buy a motorcycle and get riding?
By Steve Rose (BikeSocial - www.bennetts.co.uk)
Having successfully completed my Xmas
‘Pre-Tox’ diet of chocolate, pies and booze
apparently, I now apparently have to work it
(whatever ‘it’ may be) and spank myself with
the thorny branches of regret. Or summat.
Thankfully I don’t have to worry about
dieting, detoxing or this year’s favourite
exercise DVD because riding a bike is a brilliant
way to lose weight, get fitter, be happier and
fight dementia. Seriously, motorcycling is so
flipping good for you it should be available free
on the NHS (National Health Service).
I know this because a few years back I
was the lab-rat in an experiment to measure
calories burned while riding, and the brain
chemistry of a 38-degrees lean angle on
the B1190 freeway. Boffins at Nottingham
University stuck sophisticated heart rate
monitors to my chest, put a tube in my mouth
and sat me on a static bicycle. The tube
went to a machine that measured Oxygen
in my breath and plotted a graph of Oxygen
consumption versus heart rate as I pedalled,
from which the boffins accurately calculated
calories burned.
Then I rode a motorcycle, still wearing the
heart monitors to record bpm alongside rpm.
The bike was a Honda Hornet 600 and the
December weather was dry, above freezing,
but not quite grippy enough to ride the bike
hard. So, the results were lower than they’d
be in summer when I’d be working harder and
sweating more.
Riding on country roads burned around
400 calories an hour. Which is the same as a
brisk walk. To add some context, most people
burn around 50-70 calories per hour when
resting, moderate cycling burns around 500
calories and jogging is around 650 per hour.
So, riding a motorcycle burns almost as
many calories as cycling and you don’t have
to wear lycra or be killed every time you meet
a truck turning left. Your motorcycle journey
Steve busy
burning calories
“Riding on country roads burned around 400 calories
an hour. Which is the same as a brisk walk. To add
some context, most people burn around 50-70 calories
per hour when resting, moderate cycling burns around
500 calories and jogging is around 650 per hour.”
is likely to be longer than a cycle ride too,
meaning you burn more calories per session.
The science here is that riding involves
thousands of subtle body movements;
keeping things upright, fighting the windblast,
steering, shifting weight and bracing when
braking. It might not match a spin class for
effort-per-minute, but in an hour (or four) on the
bike, you’ll burn more actual calories. Avoid the
‘Full English’ at the bike caff, you’ll be ready for
that bikini in no time.
Biking has many other benefits, which are
harder to measure, but recognisable to any
rider. The single-minded focus – that feeling
of being ‘in the zone’ and at one with your
bike – promotes a similar brain chemistry to
meditation, which helps reduce stress. And
again, it’s the length of time you do it while
riding that makes it so valuable.
At the other end of the scale there’s
endorphins – pleasure and reward chemicals
released when you exercise. Endorphins
have a similar effect to Morphine – generating
a feeling of ‘wellbeing’ without the needles,
dental challenges or new ‘friends’.
Finally, and perhaps most interesting, is
something called proprioception which is
how we subconsciously manage positional
changes in space and movements in our body.
Experts suggest standing on one leg or using
a balance ball to develop proprioception, but
motorcycling (and cycling and horse riding)
demand it naturally as we subtly adjust body
position, reacting to changing conditions.
Again though, the difference for us is we do it
for longer.
46 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
Burning up the miles means burning up
the calories as well.
Increasingly, scientists believe that better
proprioception helps prevent Alzheimer’s and
dementia. You might take this with a pinch of
salt because dementia is the disease-of-themoment
and everything seems to promote it,
prevent it or both. But proprioception is at the
core of our nervous system and has a direct
impact on the function of the cerebellum, a
part of the brain that collects neural impulses
from around the body and amplifies them as
they transfer to the other parts of the brain that
control movement, cognition and thought. Put
very simply, enhanced cerebellum function
means a person has fine control of their
movements, thoughts and speech. Patients
with Alzheimer’s and dementia often show
reduced cerebellum function. Cycling and
motorcycling are especially good at promoting
proprioception and therefore will enhance
cerebellum function and potentially reduce
dementia.
Dementia, depression and obesity are
the currently the biggest problems facing
our healthcare system and motorcycling can
directly impact all three. Wouldn’t it be great
if giving everyone a motorcycle on the NHS
turned out to be the most cost-effective way
of making us all healthier and happier? If that’s
not a reason to put biking at the heart of
Government policy for health and transport,
we don’t know what is.
Even if they don’t, the more you ride the
more chance you have to stay mentally and
physically sharp enough to enjoy riding for
even longer.
Happy new year!
Want more proof?
New Study finds
Motorcycle Riding
decreases stress,
increases focus. By Andrew Cherney
You know why you ride. We all do, right? (Cue
violins.) It’s that feeling of release, the rush of
adrenaline, the social benefits of a group ride,
yadda yadda yadda. We all have known since
day one that just a couple of minutes on a
bike was a surefire way to relieve any pesky
stresses that might crop up in the daily grind.
Well, now there’s a study out of UCLA,
funded by Harley-Davidson, that officially
confirms all those messy thoughts and puts
it into bigger, more precise, and scientific
context. In short, it seems that riding a scoot
gives you some of the same benefits as a
workout and decreases cortisol, the nasty
hormone that signals stress.
The neurobiological study was produced
by a team of researchers from UCLA’s
Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human
Behavior who studied a group of healthy
experienced riders piloting their own bikes on
a predetermined route for 35km under normal
conditions.
The researchers recorded the riders’ brain
activity and hormone levels before, during, and
after motorcycling, driving a car, and resting.
The research team monitored participants’
electrical brain activity and heart rate, as well
as levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline, and
cortisol using mobile EEG technology. The
results found that when riding, the subjects
experienced increased sensory focus and
resilience to distraction. Riding also produced
an increase in adrenaline levels and heart rate,
and a decrease in cortisol levels—the kind
of results you often get after a light exercise
session, which also is a stress reducer.
The use of that tech was pretty groundbreaking
in itself: “Until recently, the technology
“The results found that when riding, the subjects
experienced increased sensory focus and resilience
to distraction. Riding also produced an increase in
adrenaline levels and heart rate, and a decrease in
cortisol levels—the kind of results you often get after a
light exercise session, which also is a stress reducer.”
RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019 47
to rigorously measure the impact of activities
like motorcycling on the brain didn’t exist,”
said Dr. Don Vaughn, the neuroscientist
who led the research team. “The brain is an
amazingly complex organ and it’s fascinating
to investigate the physical and mental effects
riders report.”
The study also emphasized these key points:
• Riding a motorcycle decreased hormonal
biomarkers of stress by 28 percent
• On average, riding a motorcycle for 20
minutes increased participants’ heart rates
by 11 percent and adrenaline levels by 27
percent—similar to light exercise
• Sensory focus was enhanced while riding
a motorcycle versus driving a car, an effect
also observed in experienced meditators
versus non-meditators
• Changes in study participants’ brain
activity while riding suggested an increase in
alertness similar to drinking a cup of coffee.
The full report, entitled “The Mental and
Physical Effects of Riding a Motorcycle,”
which measured the biological and
physiological responses of more than 50
experienced motorcyclists using mobile EEG
technology will be presented later this year,
according to Harley.
Of course, the Milwaukee folks had their own
spin on the paper: “We’re leveraging the latest
technologies as we shift focus from exclusively
motorcycles to growing ridership, so it only
made sense to tap technology to explore the
impact of riding itself,” said Heather Malenshek,
Harley-Davidson’s senior vice president of
marketing and brand. “The research findings Dr.
Vaughn and his team identified help explain what
riders have felt for the past 116 years—there’s a
vitality and heightened sensory experience that
comes from the freedom of riding a motorcycle.
We hope their findings inspire the next
generation of riders to experience these benefits
along with us.”
Harley also took the opportunity to gently
push its Riding Academy schools for “those
who wish to experience the heightened
sensory experience of riding first-hand.” H-D
Riding Academy introduces interested newbies
to motorcycle riding and builds their skills,
regardless of experience level. To see what’s
near you, search for classes at h-d.com.
It’s what Vaughn’s colleague, UCLA
Professor Dr. Mark Cohen, said that hit the nail
on the head for us though: “While scientists
have long-studied the relationship of brain and
hormone responses to attention and stress,
doing so in real-life conditions such as these
is rare. No lab experiment can duplicate the
feelings that a motorcyclist would have on the
open road.”
Amen to that.
No more excuses then. Get a
bike and go ride, it will make you
feel better, fact!
48 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
Bridgestone's latest hypersport tyre: a
thrilling new product that will allow you
to experience the full extent of your
bike's performance on the road!
ANOTHER STEP AHEAD.
The technical upgrades on the S22
show performance enhancements in all
Bridgestone’s new Battlax Hypersport S22 tyre is ready to
areas. So what we had created the
take your riding experience to the next level in 2019.
ultimate hypersport tyre for all
conditions ?
T E C
Increase the
shoulder are
for optimum
angle and al
working forc
is positive on
drainage, fee
B A T T L A X H Y P E R S P O R T S 2 2
“THE NEW BATTLAX
HYPERSPORT S22:
TAKING YOU TO
THE NEXT LEVEL”
B A T T L A X H Y P E R S P O R T S 2 2
“THE NEW BATTLAX
HYPERSPORT S22:
TAKING YOU TO
THE NEXT LEVEL”
An in-depth look into Bridgestone's
latest hypersport tyre development.
An in-depth look into Bridgestone's
latest hypersport tyre development.
The S22 has adopted a new pattern
design in line with the needs and
requirements of hypersport users. The
light handling brought by the tyre
combined with its feedback and
cornering performance for maximum
confidence are a perfect match for any
hypersport rider.
By adopting new compounding
technology, Bridgestone’s hypersport
flagship model is showing no
compromise in wet and dry
performance on top of increasing the
total handling package.
The Battlax Hypersport S22 will become
the tyre partner taking your excitement
and thrill of riding to the next level.
5LC Compo
Balance be
stability wit
traction and
New tractio
with optimiz
the initial co
to upgrade
New center
silica molec
Generating
ratio (+25%
road
P E R F O R M A N C E
The Battlax Hypersport S22 is
Bridgestone's latest hypersport tyre: a
thrilling new product that will allow you
to experience the full extent of your
bike's performance on the road!
The technical upgrades on the S22
show performance enhancements in all
areas. So what we had created the
ultimate hypersport tyre for all
conditions ?
The S22 has adopted a new pattern
design in line with the needs and
requirements of hypersport users. The
light handling brought by the tyre
The Battlax Hypersport S22 is
Bridgestone's latest hypersport tyre: a
thrilling new product that will allow you
to experience the full extent of your
bike's performance on the road!
combined with its feedback and
cornering performance for maximum
confidence are a perfect match for any
hypersport rider.
By adopting new compounding
technology, Bridgestone’s hypersport
flagship model is showing no
compromise in wet and dry
performance on top of increasing the
total handling package.
The technical upgrades on the S22
show performance enhancements in all
areas. So what we had created the
ultimate hypersport tyre for all
conditions ?
The Battlax Hypersport S22 will become
the tyre partner taking your excitement
and thrill of riding to the next level.
T E C H N I C A L A S P E C T S
T E C H N I C A L A S P E C T S
Increase the Sea/Land ratio in the
shoulder area Sharp 3D end groove
for Increasing optimum cornering speed rigidity. in the dry Optimize groove
by 15% giving 1.2% faster dry
angle laptime. Generating and alignment less spinning to redirect the
from lower speeds onwards in Wet
working
conditions giving
forces
5% faster
on
wetthe tyre. the impact
laptime.*
is positive on handling lightness, water
drainage, feedback and limit control.
The S22 has adopted ratio a new (+25% vs. pattern S21) touching the
road
design in line with the needs and
*Test data : BMW S1000RR , Autopolis Track JPN, BS proving ground JPN , 120/70 , 190/55 sizes.
requirements of hypersport users. The
light handling brought by the tyre
Available
L I Nsoon E Uat Pdealers Nation-Wide
combined with its feedback and
P E R F O R M A N C E
Increase the Sea/Land ratio in the
shoulder area Sharp 3D end groove
for optimum rigidity. Optimize groove
angle and alignment to redirect the
working forces on the tyre. the impact
is positive on handling lightness, water
drainage, feedback and limit control.
Pattern design and compound
changes are reducing the slippage
towards the end of the contact area,
this generates more grip.
5LC Compound structure (Rear) :
Balance between Grip and cornering
stability with a harder center, softer
traction and softest edge compound.
New traction area compound applied
with optimized resin components in
the initial compound mixture in order
to upgrade the grip characteristics.
New center compound adopting fine
silica molecular approach :
Generating a higher silica molecule
Pattern design and compound
changes are reducing the slippage
towards the end of the contact area,
this generates more grip.
SCOOTERS
A 100 odd kilometre funride on most of the Sym model lineup with a very unlikely bunch
of hardcore bikers… Don’t scoff – bikes under 500cc are best sellers in South Africa – so
we went to find out why… By Sean Hendley. Pics by Glenn Foley
50 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019 51
52 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
Even a Yeti like
Sean can enjoy
riding a scooter...
RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019 5 3
54 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
K161755
56 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
Your Testers - Sean who usually rides a GS1150, Gavin who races a ZX10,
Kurt - KTM1290 adv, Brett - 1290 SuperDuke, Nemo - Triumph Explorer.
SA’S DIRTIEST MAG
IN STORES NOW!
ROLLING BACK THE YEARS
How the Iconic Ducati 916 Changed the Superbike Game Forever - We look back at the
two-wheel titan that turns 25 this year, yet seems to remain timeless. By Peter Jackson
This year marks a quarter century since the
1994 Ducati 916 arrived on the world scene
and promptly moved the superbike goalposts.
More than any other motorcycle, the 916 is the
one that created the modern powerhouse that
is Ducati Motor Holding. It is by no means an
understatement to say that the 916 is the most
important motorcycle Ducati has ever built.
Emanating from the pen of the late Massimo
Tamburini, the “Michelangelo of Motorcycles,”
and powered by Massimo Bordi’s four-valve
desmodromic V-twin (measuring 94 x 66 mm
for 916 cc), the 916 became an instant classic
and the face of 1990s superbike culture.
Tamburini deliberately designed the steel-trellisframed
916—loved for its swooping, curving
aesthetic—to have the form of a lady when
viewed from above. Svelte and light in the
tradition of Italian sports motorcycles, this was
a machine unlike anything you could buy at
the time from either Europe or Japan, the latter
of which favoUred boxy, flat edges for their
superbikes including the Yamaha YZF750 and
Honda RC45.
Carl Fogarty racing
the 916 in the 1990s.
Ducati’s former
designer, the late
Massimo Tamburini.
Under the direction of then Ducati owners,
brothers Claudio and Gianfranco Castiglioni,
this was the first Ducati to be designed as a
complete project. Tamburini and Bordi worked
together from the outset to create a machine
that flowed elegantly from mechanical brilliance
to eye-popping beauty.
Ducati and Tamburini skirted the legal
mineshaft of creating the 916’s iconic
single-sided swingarm, the patent of which
was owned by Honda, and the immediately
identifiable under-seat exhausts—the
inspiration for which Tamburini freely admitted
he took from Honda’s NR750.
58 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
“Svelte and light in the
tradition of Italian sports
motorcycles, this was a
machine unlike anything you
could buy at the time from
either Europe or Japan...”
The Italians still harboured ambitions to win
the Suzuka 8 Hours and Bol d’Or 24 Hour
endurance races, and the single-sided
swingarm helped facilitate fast wheel changes.
Ducati never achieved this long-held company
ambition of endurance-race glory, but when it
came to the World Superbike Championship,
the 916 was a revelation.
The machine took five WorldSBK titles
between 1994 and 1999—four to Briton Carl
Fogarty and one to Australian Troy Corser. In
2001, the machine, now with 996 cc, took
one more WorldSBK title with Australian Troy
Bayliss before it was retired from service after
the 2002 season. It also racked up countless
race and title wins in the United States,
Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Like a fine wine, the 916 is one of those
rare creations that gets better with age. The
Tamburini-and-Bordi breakthrough crossed
cultural bounds, becoming more than just
another red Ducati motorcycle. It is a timeless
symbol of mechanical art, and one that looks
and rides as good today as it did 25 years ago.
RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019 5 9
A CHAMPIONS VIEW
KTM 790 DUKE
60 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
A CHAMP
MEETS A
DUKE
Brad Binder was at home relaxing after a hectic Moto2 season, until he got a call
from us telling him to meet us at Redstar Raceway to test KTM’s new 790 Duke.
Words by Rob Portman. Pics by Gerrit Erasmus
The Marketing Manager from KTM SA, Mr Riaan
Neveling, called me up and asked me if I could
organize a photoshoot with Brad on the new
KTM 790 Duke to help market their latest naked
middleweight master-piece. And who better than a
2016 Moto3 World Champion who also happened to
help launch the concept model for the Austrian brand
back in 2016 at the EICMA Show.
So, I made the call to Brad and asked him if he
could help us out and he immediately replied “yes,
of course uncle just let me know where and when”.
So, we setup a date and headed out to Redstar
Raceway with a KTM 790 Duke fully dressed with all
the offi cial Powerparts available. The 790 is a great
looking bike even in stock trim but with all the bling
parts fi tted it really does stand out. The Akro pipe
looks great nestled just under the rear seat and helps
release a bit more roar from the new V-Twin powered
motor as well as give the already responsive power
plant a bit more zest.
The bike is actually owned by Ash Griffi n, a KTM
nutter who bought the bike after it was used in last
RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019 6 1
year’s Pirelli Bike of the Year test. I was told by
Ash when collecting the bike that he owns a
fire arm and that if anything were to happen to
his pride and joy he would not be shy in using
it. Thankfully, we gave him no reason to pull it
out and we returned the bike back in one piece,
albeit with slightly more used Pirelli rubber and
destroyed from and rear brake pads. Sorry Ash!!!
I am a big fan of the new 790 Duke and think
it’s the perfect naked bike for the mass market to
enjoy. It lends itself to a wide variety of rider – from
newby to hooligan – it’s a machine that can be
enjoyed and appreciated by all.
This was Brad’s first time riding the
middleweight naked bike and he was
immediately impressed by the amount of power
available from low in the rev range. “I was
surprised by the amount of power it had” said
Brad. “I wasn’t expecting the response I got from
set off. It was very responsive and I loved the
growl from the engine.”
Watching Brad hammer the bike around the
track and I could see that he was really enjoying
it. I had to deactivate all the rider aids as they
were just getting in the way and hampering
Brad’s fun. Plenty of wheelies (as you can see)
and slides took place during the test, just what
the 790 really loves doing. Brad, and myself,
did have a slight complaint about the front end,
which felt a bit stubborn and stiff especially when
trying to get it into the turns. Not a 100% sure
what the problem was as I had not experienced
that feeling on the previous two occasions I had
tested the 790 Duke. We both narrowed it down
to possibly being an unbalanced front wheel,
or just buckled, which is possible could be as I
found out later on that Ash likes to ride his bike on
the back wheel so plenty of hard landings for the
poor front end.
Besides that, the bike was faultless and I loved
how Brad described the bike in general after the
test, calling it “Brutally Beautiful.” I was shocked
to hear such big words come out of his mouth…
Overall both myself and Brad were left
impressed by the bike, not the first time it has
done it for me but certainly left a good first
impression with the Factory Red Bull KTM Moto2
rider. The brakes are sublime, a riding position
that gets you excited whilst offering a decent
amount of comfort all wrapped up in a machine
that is very appealing to the eye. The motor
and its performance for sure is the stand out
of this bike and with a respectable price tag of
R149,999 it’s for sure one of the best buys on the
market today. All dressed up in the Powerparts
as this one is it costs around R40k more, which
is not bad considering the impact it has on the
overall look and feel of the bike.
62 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019 6 3
Brad says the MX training has helped with body flexibility and mental
strength. After his big wrist injury in 2017 he battled to get back to 100%, but
the riding, although painful at times, did help loosen and strengthen his wrist.
Words and pics by Rob Portman.
A DAY IN THE
While at the 790 Duke test, Brad asked me if I would like to join him and a
bunch of other guys at the Tera Topia MX track later that week for some MX
training. Not wanting to make a fool of myself I accepted, but only to come
hang out and not ride, as I am not exactly talented when it comes to MX riding.
Brad was joined by his brother Darryn Binder and other top SA stars
Dorren Lourerio, Dino Iozzo and Taric vd Merwe at the very neat MX track
based just outside Krugersdorp in Diepsloot. Brad and Darryn would be
sharing the 250 KTM machine which KTM SA had supplied Brad for him to
use for training while here in SA.
I had never seen Brad in action on an MX bike, but had heard from
some of SA’s best MX riders that he was not too shabby on the dirty stuff.
Brad uses MX as a form of training to help keep him mentally and physically
strong. “MX riding is hard and I don’t do it at all during the race season as
it is too risky, but it’s a great way of staying sharp, as it pushes you mentally
and physically. In road racing you can afford to make one or two small
mistakes and get away with slight lapses in concertation, but in MX you
cannot afford to do that as it could be very costly.”
Watching Brad out on track and I couldn’t help but be impressed. The
guy really can ride anything with two wheels and even without pushing
100% he was on it. “When I ride MX I only ride at around 70% of what I can.
I can’t afford to push too hard in case something happens and I get injured.”
Both Brad and Darryn take their training very seriously and that was
made very apparent here as well. They don’t just simply go out and ride,
they have a plan to go out and do no less that 25 minutes of hard MX riding.
Even if the track or bike doesn’t feel quite right they don’t back down. They
get the job done. Again, very impressive to see these guys in action.
After a hard day of riding where thankfully no crashes or injuries were had
by any of the guys, I asked Brad about the upcoming season and what his
goals were. “I want to win it, simple!” he said. “We have a lot of work to do
with the new bike but I am excited to get going. Last year’s performances
don’t mean much this season, as it’s an all-new challenge for us all. There is
some stiff competition as always, but I am ready for the challenge and want
to be champion.”
Confi dant words from Brad who really does look like he means business
this year. I want to thank him for letting me hang out with him while training
and wish him, Darryn and all the other guys the best of luck for the season
ahead – the whole of SA is right behind you!
WITH
BRAD
BINDER
64 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
Where Riders Become Racers....
WWW.REDSTARRACEWAY.CO.ZA
entry@redstarraceway.co.za
GPS Co-ordinates
S26 04'30.9" E28 45'20.0"
082 757 3138
RUNNING CLASSES
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RSR REDSTAR BREAAST RUN
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MASTERS PROR RSR AND CYD OVER 40
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CLUB RACE DATES
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TRACK TURN AROUND
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LONG TERM
TEST BIKE HUSQVARNA VITPILEN 701
Words & pics by Rob Portman
PERFECT
WING MAN
My 701 has taken me to many places over
the past couple of months and without
hassle. Not one problem to report so far.
Nothing but smiles for miles!
This “Super Single” has been the perfect
wingman for me to date and I have honestly
enjoyed everything about this bike since
taking delivery a couple of months ago. After
having my reservations about the bike, I
have grown to really enjoy this simpler form
of motorcycling – and that’s exactly what
Husqvarna wanted to portray with their new
street range – a simple, effective way of
motorcycling.
Still so very impressed by the sublime
braking capabilities of this bike, which have got
me out of many a jam so far. The gearbox has
also surprised me somewhat, as while it does
feel a bit clunky at times, not one hiccup so far.
Since the last issue I have added another
480km to the clock and some more genuine
Husqvarna Powerparts to the bike. This
month we fi tted the billet aluminium pegs and
new styled seat.
The new seat has a sleek and elegant
design to it and adds to the bikes
uncompromising look. Doesn’t really feel that
much different to the standard seat to be
honest, it really just adds a bit more fl air. The
pegs round design does make for a more
comfortable ride and feel. The pegs will also
help my brother out on track in his attempt to
scrape his elbow.
Yes, I have to take full blame for dropping
the ball this month. I did make mention in last
month’s article that we would be putting my
brothers attempt to the test, but sadly we just
did not fi nd the time to do so. But, I will make
sure it happens before the next issue along
with fi tting the new Metzeler M7RR tyres,
which will also help him with his attempt as
they have plenty of grip.
So, I say it again, next month you will
either see pictures of my brother getting it
right, or getting it horribly wrong. Let’s hope
he gets it right….
66 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
6 ROUND SERIES CONFIRMED:
• 23 February RSR
• 4 May Phakisa
• 4 June Kyalami
• 27 July East London
• 21 September Phakisa
• 19 October RSR
For more information email motorcycleracingseries@gmail.com
Dunlop SA & RideFast Magazine are proud supporters
2019 is set to see the launch of a brand new Motorcycle Racing Series in
South Africa comprising of 7 rounds across the country.
The Monocle Motorcycle Racing Series is aimed at bringing affordable, fun
racing to the masses - from eager track day rider to breakfast run warriors
- this Series is For the Riders, by the Riders!
The Series will cater for a range of bikes and riders, with classes such as:
• BOTTS Masters
• Ultimate Superbike 1000cc & Supersport 600cc
• Supersport 300
• Classic Racers
• StreetBike Racers - newcomers/road bikes welcome
Entry fee is capped at R1500 per rider - enter as many classes as you like
and only pay R1500.
You don’t have to belong to a racing association, no special racing license is
required - all you need is an active medical aid scheme.
Dunlop SA have come on board as a supporter of the Series and will offer
all riders discount on racing tyres but riders are welcome to use whatever
tyres they like - there is NO single tyre rule!
RideFast Magazine will publish all the races in the magazine over the year,
giving the Series massive amounts of coverage.
All bikes and riders welcome! The only rule is to have fun!
BRITS SIT TOP
OF THE POPS
Making their final preparations ahead of the 2019 season opener, 16
WorldSBK and 12 WorldSSP riders were out on track around Circuito de
Jerez Ángel Nieto for the opening day of testing at the Andalusian circuit.
Despite the chilly temperature, the MOTUL FIM
Superbike World Championship riders were
able to take full advantage of the good weather,
putting in a considerable number of laps and
working all day through their testing programs.
With the track having been resurfaced over the
winter break they all had to wait for the tarmac
to warm up, before continuing with the work
they had planned for the day.
Completing a positive day one of testing,
Pata Yamaha WorldSBK rider Alex Lowes
closed the day at the top of the timesheets,
impressing with a flying lap in 1’40.422. The
British rider was not really focusing in making
the lap times, but as the work on the bike was
proceeding well for the rider, the fast lap times
were achieved consistently, next steps are now
all focused towards Phillip Island.
Waiting for track condition to progress
reigning world champion Jonathan Rea sat out
the opening hours of the day and came out of
his garage around 2 pm. Working on testing
different components for his ZX-10RR, the
Kawasaki Racing WorldSBK rider has been
68 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
focusing in getting is the overall package ready
for Australia and he continued with the same
program on day two. After a few laps done in
the afternoon he was soon at the top of the
timesheet before Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha
WorldSBK Team) took the lead of the opening
day, pushing the WorldSBK champion back into
second position just 0.008 s behind him.
Sitting in third the new Kawasaki Racing
WorldSBK team recruit Leon Haslam, continued
the familiarization process with the WorldSBK
machine. The British rider focused in putting in
as many laps as possible, adapting to the new
bike and learning the electronics. Thanks to a
fastest lap in 1’40.885 he ended the day just
0.435 s off his teammate.
Impressing with his overall pace, Turkish rider
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing)
finished the day in fourth position, after returning
in the saddle of his ZX-10RR for the first time for
2019. Leading during the first part of the day,
the Turkish rider put in another strong lap in the
afternoon closing in 1’41.001.
WSBK TESTING
RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019 69
Testing a combination of chassis part,
settings and electronics Dutchman Michael
van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team)
set the fifth fastest lap in 1’41.047, just 0.605 s
behind his teammate.
Working on their full factory configuration
for the first time, the brand new GRT Yamaha
WorldSBK team took their time to get
acquainted with the new package. Both Marco
Melandri and Sandro Cortese were able to
get used with their machine updates early on
and finished the day respectively in sixth and
seventh position.
Following just behind the Aruba.it Racing
– Ducati Chaz Davies and Alvaro Bautista had
a lot of things to work on as they continued to
improve their Ducati Panigale V4 R. Back at
his full strength, as he was riding injured last
time, Davies completed a positive first day,
despite suffering a small crash through turn
5 late in the afternoon, meaning he couldn’t
improve more. The Ducati rider ended the day
eighth with a best lap in 1’41.375. Spanish
star Alvaro Bautista took his time to get used
to the WorldSBK machine as he had only two
days on the V4 before returning to Jerez. The
Spaniard set a lap time of 1’41.857 after 44
laps ending the day in ninth position.
Davies and Bautista were not the only
Ducati riders on track as also Eugene Laverty
(Team Goeleven) and Michael Ruben Rinaldi
(BARNI Racing Team) were out taming
their Ducati Panigale V4 R. The Irishman,
who made the debut on the new Bologna
factory bike today, finished in 12th position,
while Rinaldi, who was working also on new
suspensions, finished the day thirteenth.
Closing the top ten Spaniard Jordi Torres
(Team Pedercini Racing) ended the day in tenth
position. The Spaniard put in 82 laps as he
was testing new components for his Kawasaki
ZX-10RR. Another Kawasaki rider, Leandro
Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) finished
eleventh as he was working with a different
crew from last season.
Completing the timesheet, WorldSBK
rookie Alessandro Delbianco (Althea Mie
Racing Team), who was the first SBK rider to
take to the track this morning, closed the day
in 14th position. It was strange not seeing the
full team out on track with riders Leon Camier
and Ryuichi Kiyonari. They missed out on
crucial track time and no word on why.
The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team were
also out on track testing today. Both Markus
Reiterberger and Tom Sykes were working
on getting familiar with their bikes as well as
a trying different electronic strategy. With their
focus on these aspects and not on the times,
both the two riders had not been using a
transponder, meaning they didn’t have they
unofficial lap times recorded.
The WorldSBK riders were not the only one
testing, as there were also FIM Supersport
Marcus Rieterberger and
Tom Sykes on the new BMW
S1000RR machines.
Raffaele De Rosa
Lucas Mahias
World Championship top team taking to
the track around Jerez. Federico Caricasulo
(BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team)
closed on top, followed by Raffaele De Rosa
(MV AGUSTA Reparto Corse) and teammate
Randy Krummenacher. Frenchman Lucas
Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished
fourth with fellow Hikari Okubo close behind.
Davies getting to
grips with the new
Panigale V4R.
New GMT Yamaha rider
Marco Melandri.
70 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
Ominous signs for the rest of
the field as Rea looks hungrier
and faster than ever.
BSB champ
Leon Haslam
loving his return
to WSBK.
Rea back at the top of
the charts on day two.
Sun shone down on the final day of testing at
the Spanish circuit of Jerez, where the riders
were able to continue their final arrangements
ahead of the 2019 season opener that will be
held in less than a month in Australia.
With the temperature being warmer than the
first day, day two around Jerez saw many riders
improving their paces and the top ten riders of
day closing in less than a second at the front.
Facing some stiff competition from the
Yamaha and Ducati rivals, reigning world
champion Jonathan Rea took to the track
early this morning working on the small 2019
updates for his ZX-10RR. The four-time world
champion didn’t lose any time and, in the
end, he was able to return at the top of the
timesheets, thanks to a fastest lap time in
1’39.160, just a few seconds ahead of the
Pata Yamaha WorldSBK rider Alex Lowes.
Stunning with his consistency and overall
pace during both the two days, the Yamaha
rider closed second in 1’39.372 and he
continued to make progress with his machine
as he completed 102 laps around the
Andalusian race track. Working on improving
the acceleration of his bike and testing new
parts for the YZF R1 machine, his teammate
Michael van der Mark closed in seventh
position with a fastest lap time of 1’40.145.
Focusing on getting more comfortable on
his new bike, Leon Haslam had a positive
two-day test, as he closed also just 0.342 s off
his teammate in third position. The British rider
was able to be fast on both days, building on
his confidence with the ZX-10RR.
Making an important step forward, Alvaro
Bautista brought his Ducati Panigale V4 R in
fourth position, closing 0.460 s off Rea’s lap
time. The Spaniard had a busy day gathering
as much information as possible to work on,
and design the best base set-up for their allnew
Ducati machine. On the other side of the
garage, Chaz Davies sat out on the opening
hours of the day and took to the track later
in the afternoon putting in only a few laps,
closing the day in tenth. As he was feeling
some pain in his back after the crash he had
the day before, Davies decided to take it easy
as he aims to be back at his full strength for
the next pre-season test that would be held a
few weeks later. Both independent team riders
Michael Rinaldi and Eugene Laverty, who
finished respectively ninth and twelfth, worked
alongside their new teams producing valuable
feedbacks that will be used also by the factory
team to improve their Ducati beast.
Toprak Razgatlioglu continued to impress,
stunning with his performance along the two
days. The Turkish rider finished in fifth position,
with a fastest lap time in 1’39.942.
Continuing to work with the new team
structure GRT Yamaha WorldSBK rider Marco
Melandri had a busy day as he put in a total of
87 laps onboard his Yamaha finishing eighth
overall, while his teammate Sandro Cortese
had his progression slowed down by a small
crash he suffered early in the morning. The
German walked away from the accident
on his feet but had to wait for his bike to be
recovered and repaired before returning to
the track in the afternoon and setting the sixth
fastest time.
Towards the end of the day, the BWM
Motorrad WorldSBK riders Tom Sykes
and Markus
Reiterberger
had their
Laverty on the
Panigale V4R.
transponders finally recording a few of their
lap times. Happy with the progresses made
over the two day, they closed respectively in
fourteenth and fifteenth position.
Among the WorldSSP riders Federico
Caricasulo continued to lead the way also on
day two with Frenchman Lucas Mahias closing
second just 0.222 s behind him.
1. Jonathan Rea 1’39.160
2. Alex Lowes 1’39.372
3. Leon Haslam 1’39.502
4. Alvaro Bautista 1’39.620
5. Toprak Razgatlioglu 1’39.942
6. Sandro Cortese 1’40.075
7. Michael van der Mark 1’40.145
8. Marco Melandri 1’40.469 +1.309
9. Michael Ruben Rinaldi 1’40.540
10. Chaz Davies 1’40.621
11. Leandro Mercado 1’40.794
12. Eugene Laverty 1’40.879
13. Jordi Torres 1’41.066
14. Tom Sykes 1’41.206
15. Markus Reiterberger 1’41.231
16. Alessandro Delbianco 1’42.353
Bautista getting more
and more comfortable
on the new V4R.
RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019 7 1
RF Garage
TECH TIPS
Brought to you by
Adjusting your fuel injection system
From time to time, even maintenance-free fuel injection systems need a little attention
and resynchronising to ensure your engine runs smoothly.
Step by step: How to adjust your fuel injection system
Unlike carburettors, which often need re-adjustment, fuel injection systems require minimal maintenance as long as all the electronic components
are in working order and the system is kept clean. To prevent soiling, a fuel system cleaner should be used in the fuel tank when the motorcycle
is not in use to prevent resinous deposits. Also, you should always adhere to the air fi lter service intervals.
Vacuum connections/rubber plugs
Tank must be secured to prevent it slipping
Bypass screws: set same values on all gauges
Other fuel injection system installed without air filter
Connecting synchroniser vacuum tubes
Lift out tank and secure, e.g. with a piece of wood
ADDITIVE PETROL INJECTOR
CLEANER SPANJAARD
• Specifi cally formulated to clean and ensure
optimum performance of all types of petrol
injectors and injection systems.
• Increases power, performance, fuel economy
and engine life while reducing exhaust
emission and corrosion.
• Add one bottle to fuel every 1 000 km.
Available at selected dealers nationwide.
Air filter housing must be removed
Preparation
1: Just like multiple carburettor setups, the fuel injection
system in multi-cylinder engines has multiple throttle
valves, the synchronisation of which is crucial to smooth
engine running. The throttle valves are opened and
closed by the throttle twistgrip, thereby regulating the
quantity of air and fuel supplied to the engine at a given
moment. Due to mechanical stress, the basic setting of
the throttle valves changes slightly over time and, as a
result, the engine becomes noticeably out of sync when
idling. You can tell from the sound of the exhaust system,
and also from a fl uctuating engine idle speed – put
simply, the engine no longer runs smoothly. It’s time to
resynchronise the fuel injection system.
2: To adjust the fuel injection system, you need a
synchroniser, such as the ones from Rothewald for 2- or
4-cylinder engines. Also the adjustment tools are very
useful for some models. Before you start adjustment,
warm up the engine so that the cold-start device does
not falsify the readings. Then place the motorcycle
securely on the stand – ideally in the open air but, if
inside in a garage, always so that the exhaust fumes
can escape directly to the outside without you breathing
them in while you work.
3: Connect the tubes of the vacuum gauges to the
connection points on the fuel injection system after fi rst
removing the rubber plugs or tubes from the connections.
Gaining access to the fuel injection system
4: If the tank covers the fuel injection system, it must
be raised and supported on something, like a plank
of wood. Often the tank cannot be removed entirely
because it contains the integrated fuel pump. The pump
is actuated by the control electronics and is required for
the engine to run.
Adjust the pointer damping
5: When “propping up” the tank, make sure that it
cannot slip and cause injury or annoying damage to
your motorcycle!
6: In addition, on our demonstration bike, the airbox
must be removed to get at the fuel injection system.
Synchronising the throttle valves
7: Now you can start the engine and begin adjusting the
throttle valves by screwing the bypass screws in or out
until all gauges show the same readings.
8: The purpose of this is to adjust the small air gap
opened up by the throttle valves when idling so that
air is sucked into the combustion chambers on all
cylinders at exactly the same vacuum and at the same
rpm, which ensures the engine works evenly on all
cylinders. To enable you to correctly read the gauges,
they must fi rst be calibrated to each other according
to their instructions for use, and the damping must be
adjusted so that the pointers fl utter only slightly. When
adjusting the throttle valves, generally the aim is not to
set a specifi c vacuum – most motorcycle manufacturers
do not specify one – but to achieve the same value on
all the throttle valves. Then the system will work “in
sync” for all cylinders. If one gauge shows a completely
different reading from the others, this may indicate that
the basic setting of that throttle valve is completely
wrong, or it may mean there is a fault or damage such
as loss of compression on one cylinder or a leaking
intake manifold. If you cannot fi nd and rectify the fault
yourself, then you must go to a motorcycle workshop.
The throttle valves are adjusted using the so-called
bypass screws (see Fig. 7). Never touch other sealed
or colour-coded adjusting screws! All bypass screws
should be open at least half a revolution.
72 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2019
Trade Enquiries: (011) 672-6599
Email: mark@trickbitz.co.za
Enquire at your local dealer
Office Hours Mon-Fri 8am-5pm
www.trickbitz.co.za
K161755
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