The Verdict
It's not just the core categories that continue to flourish and develop, and we have to thank the lesser classes in many ways. Without the BMW GS legacy, lhere'd be no S lOOO RR. Even the 'budget' bikes are increasing the bang-for-your-buck, and the introduction of fresh faces has upped the standard once again. Yes, this is a group lest, but we have several clear sub-divisions and one solitary vvinner. With a victor so victorious, it's hard to be objective and restrain from slagging the others....
Kawasaki Z1000 Brake Recall
Cot one of the 2010 Z1000s You might want to get it sorted Kawasaki has issued a recall of some 2010 model year ZIOODs, Including the ABS variants. On affected machines, the left front brake hose can apparently get sliced up by the brake disc under hatd braking, which can damage the hose leading to a fluid leak which coufd cause brake failure and result in an accident. No shit. The repair consists of inspecting the front brake hoseand replacing it if required. Additionally, the front brake hose...
Yamaha Fz8
After the fanfare of its launct the reality set in. Yamaha ha thrown a toy kitchen sink at the F2S, borrowing much from the FZ1 - Including the massively Inflated price. his is an exciting class, regardless of the lack of fairings and the budget paraphernalia bolted on. Once naturally evolved from naked 600s, a recent European infiltration has seen these middleweights serve a bigger purpose than just getting newbies onto the road. it's a division on the up. Take the Triumph Street Triple for...
The Engine
This is the first time BMW has ever made a six cylinder engine for a bike, but its car department knows a thing or two about them. With a claimed power output of I60bhp at 7,500rpm and I75Nm at S,000rpm the 649cc motor packs quite a punch, but what is more impressive is that BMW claims it makes 70 per cent of Its maximum torque at l,500rpm. Thai's 122Nm, more than theS 1000 RR's peak of 106Nm and only a few shy of an U98S's 127Nm - with the engine hardly ticking over To achieve this, and keep...
Fbtrackday
Before the racing gets underway at Anglesey on 12th September, there's the opportunity to get some laps In round the awesome Welsh tuck on our very own Fast Bikes trackday. Mo Budget Cup teams get this FREE, so that means if you're planning to race on the day you'll get five 20 minute sessions, an hour of qualifying and a three hour race. For everyone else, you can pay 130 for the trackday and mix it with the NBC boys, and us on our longtermers, and bomb around track. Alastair's excellent...