Performance Bikes aug sampler

Rossi tribute

20

Bolt on M1

Words Emma Franklin Photography Mark Manning

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the guys at Yamaha’s prototype

workshop are going to be chuffed with Lyndon Bishop’s two-wheeled Rossi tribute

21

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Porky pillions make this sort of caper easier

26

How does weigHt really affect my bike?Lighter equals quicker, but by how much? We test how bolt-on mods and rider weight really affects outright performance

Words Emma Franklin Photography Mark Manning

f orget airbrushed images of size zero wenches, it’s Honda we

have to thank for all this teenage girl-like obsession with

weight. Whether it’s lusting after slimline subframes,

ditching your lead-acid battery for a lithe lithium-polymer or craving

carbon, we’re all slaves to the scales.

Design genius Tadao Baba kicked it all off with the development of

the FireBlade in 1989. A weight-conscious Baba harangued and

bullied his design engineers into making key components lighter

and lighter. For him a sports bike couldn’t be a sports bike unless it

was lightweight. As a result his revolutionary FireBlade was a

staggering 205kg fully-fuelled, which was 39kg lighter than any of

its competition at the time. With that the great weight race was born

and all the manufacturers eventually reached for the SlimFast.

Now, as the limits of the internal combustion engine are in sight

and the yearly increases in peak power seem to be slowing,

manufacturers have once again shifted their focus to weight.

Advances in materials technology have allowed development teams

to shave off weight with each and every update. Just look at what

Suzuki achieved with the latest GSX-R600. Nowadays a fully fuelled

litre bike can weigh as little as 194kg and 1000cc prototype GP

machinery weighs less than a fully-lagered Johnny Vegas.

Te smallest GP whippet of them all Dani Pedrosa, combined with

his 230bhp 2012 Honda RC213V, weigh an incredible 208kg. 4kg of

this is additional ballast stipulated by DORNA after a last minute

regulation change meant the RC213V came in shy of the minimum

weight limit for this season. Tis means the bike itself weighs just

153kg and Dani a mere 51kg. You don’t need to be Carol Vordeman to

work out the maths here; it’s a simple power-to-weight ratio

calculation. A bike’s weight divided by its power provides the ratio

and the higher the ratio the more power the engine can devote to

acceleration. It’s Newton’s second law of motion – simple high school

physics - or at least it is on paper. It’s only when you start to think

about the practicalities that the weight debate really starts to fry

your noodle… using low fat oil, of course.

27

Highly-tuned singles tearing the Cumbrian air apart. Hardcore supermoto fans are still creating mayhem at little-known kart tracks

32

33

Title Initial Surname

Address

* Please enter this information so that Bauer Consumer Media, the publisher of this magazine, can keep you informed of newsletters, special offers and promotions via email or free text messages. You may unsubscribe from these messages at any time.

Postcode

Telephone Mobile*Email*

YOUR DETAILS

Title Initial Surname

Address

Postcode

TelephoneEmail

DELIVERY DETAILS (if different, ie purchased as a gift).

Account Name

Account Number

Sort Code

Name and Address of Bank

Direct Debit Guarantee. • This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct

Debits. • If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit Bauer Consumer Media Ltd will notify

you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request Bauer Consumer Media

Ltd to collect a payment, confi rmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request. • If an error is

made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by Bauer Consumer Media Ltd or your bank or building society, you are entitled to

a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society. - If you receive a refund you are not entitled

to, you must pay it back when Bauer Consumer Media Ltd asks you to. • You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply

contacting your bank or building society. Written confi rmation may be required. Please also notify us.

Signature Date

Postcode

Please pay Bauer Consumer Media, Direct Debits from the account detailed in the instructions subject to the safeguards of the Direct Debit Guarantee.

Originator’s Identifi cation Number

PAYMENT DETAILS

Bauer Consumer Media, publishers of this magazine, would also like to keep you informed of special offers and promotions via post or telephone. Please tick the box if you do not wish to receive these from us or carefully selected partners

I enclose a cheque/postal order for £made payable to Bauer Consumer Media Ltd.

Please debit £ from my debit/credit card:

Visa Maestro Delta Mastercard

Card Number

Expiry Date / Valid From /

Issue Number

Signature Date

SEND TO: Please include completed coupon and cheque if appropriate with the magazine name on the back.

Magazine Subscriptions, FREE POST, EDO3995, Leicester, LE16 9BR

To view how we store and manage your data go to

www.greatmagazines.co.uk/datapromise

7 2 0 9 64

38

39

41

42

46

The 955/1050 moTor

engineS

“If you want power you need a last generation 955 engine post-2001 – they made the best power with the 2001 Daytona topping the tree. They are completely different to the early 955 (which had a piggy-back alternator rather than one on the end of the crank) and you can get 140bhp out of them fairly easily, even 160bhp with some work. The 1050 is simply a stroked late 955 engine, it is essentially the same motor with a few alterations to cams etc. PB’s project Triumph has an early 955 engine – the wrong one for racing!”

releaSing The 1050’S poWer

“I honestly wouldn’t bother tuning a 1050 motor, just get it set up correctly. The throttle bodies need careful setting up, the close loop/throttle adaption sorting and possibly a race can and they will make good power and torque, around 118bhp. I do take the cats out of the exhaust but it is mainly for show, the gains are only 1-2bhp, nothing like as good as the Daytona 675, and again I don’t use Power Commanders.”

gearing

“Down one tooth on the front for the track, one up for the road – the engine has loads of torque and can easily handle another tooth on the front.”

SuSpenSion

“The R’s suspension is the proper Öhlins stuff, so if you can get your hands on it second hand then it’s top quality, however I wouldn’t recommend buying it new. In my view a better use of your money would be to get the stock

stuff re-valved.”

WaTch ouT For

“As with the 675 motor the 12,000 mile service is crucial, so check the service history, but if the engine sounds healthy and it goes in and out of gear fine then you will be ok. The motor is bullet-proof so check the chassis well. The piston are known to seize in the calipers, I make stainless steel pistons for about £10 each that prevent this happening, and the fork stanctions can become pitted. The suspension linkages seize up like you wouldn’t believe and cost a fortune to sort out – easily £300. The needle race in the linkage gets knackered if it isn’t greased during the 12,000 mile service and by 24,000 it will be screwed. People talk about the centre piston over-heating on triples, this may have happened on the very early carbed bikes but on the injected water-cooled models it isn’t a problem.”

regulaTor/recTiFierS

“The regulator/rectifiers aren’t very good and often have issues and so do the stators. If you buy OE you are looking at £350 for a stator and £250 for the reg/rec. Pattern ones are cheaper but they don’t last as long as OE ones. You can get an OE one re-wound for £150 but personally I’d keep an eye on eBay for a good second hand unit, which will be about £50. I’d rather have a second hand original stator than a pattern or re-wound unit.”

oe or paTTern?

“I’d use genuine fork and brake seals, but bearings from a specialist as Triumph charge a fortune. Always use OE filters.”

955/1050 moTor: Which iS beST?

WhaT engine iS beST?

‘If you want power you need a last-generation (post-2001) 955 engine – they made the best power with the 2001 Daytona topping the tree. They are completely different to the early 955 (which had a piggy-back alternator, rather than one on the end of the crank) and you can get 140bhp out of them fairly easily, even 160bhp with some work. The 1050 is simply a stroked late 955 engine. It is essentially the same motor with a few alterations to cams etc.

Tuning

‘I wouldn’t bother tuning a 1050 motor, just get it set up correctly. The throttle bodies need careful setting up, the close loop/throttle adaption sorting and possibly a race can, and they will make good power and torque, around 118bhp. I take the cats out of the exhaust, but it’s mainly for show, the gains are only 1 to 2bhp, nothing like as good as the 675 and, again, I don’t use Power Commanders.’

Final gearing

‘Go down one tooth on the front for track use, and one up for the road – the engine has loads of torque and can easily handle another tooth on the front sprocket.’

SuSpenSion

“The R’s suspension is the proper Öhlins stuff. It’s top quality, so if you see it for sale secondhand, buy it. However, I wouldn’t recommend buying it new. Getting the stock stuff revalved is the best bet and will cost a lot less than buying new stuff.’

WaTch ouT For...

‘As with the 675 motor the 12,000 mile service is crucial, so check the service history, but if the engine sounds healthy and it goes in and out of gear fine then you will be okay. The motor is bullet-proof so check the chassis well. The pistons are known to seize in the calipers, I make stainless steel pistons for about £10 each that prevent this happening, and the fork stanchions can become pitted. The suspension linkages seize up like you wouldn’t believe and cost a fortune to sort out – easily £300. The needle race in the linkage gets knackered if it isn’t greased during the 12,000 mile service and by 24,000 it will be totally screwed. People talk about the centre piston overheating on triples, this may have happened on the very early carbed bikes but on the fuel-injected water-cooled models it isn’t a problem.’

regulaTor/recTiFierS...

‘The regulator/rectifiers aren’t very good and often suffer problems, and so do the stators. If you buy OE, you’re looking at £350 for a stator and £250 for the reg/rec. Pattern ones are cheaper, but they don’t last as long. You can get an OE one re-wound for £150, but personally I’d keep an eye on eBay for a good secondhand unit, which will be about £50. I’d rather have a secondhand original stator than a pattern or re-wound unit.’

oe or paTTern?

‘I’d use genuine fork and brake seals, but bearings from a specialist, as Triumph charge a fortune. Always use OE filters.’

SeaT loWering

‘If you’re struggling to reach the ground then

drop the forks 15mm through the yokes and

take a bit of preload off the front and rear.

Tat’s simple enough. Te clever bit involves

the suspension bolts. Each bolt has a bit of

play in its mounting hole. When the bike is

assembled it is off the ground, so the play

makes the bike sit higher. I loosen each

suspension bolt and re-torque them with the

bike on the ground. This drops it by around

12 to 15mm. It makes all the difference and

doesn’t effect the handling. This trick works

on most models of Triumph.’

mainTenance

‘During a major 12,000 mile service the

suspension linkages should be stripped,

cleaned and greased. If this hasn’t been

carried out, they can seize. A non-Triumph

dealer won’t be able to balance the throttle

butterflies or use the autoscan properly, so

ensure this has been done. Valve clearances

need to be checked at 12,000 miles and a lot

of bikes are sold at 11,000 or 23,000miles to

avoid the £600+ cost of the big service.

When buying secondhand check the service

history for stamps from official dealers.’

Fuel mapping

‘I hate Power Commanders. I reckon you are

better off using the standard maps from

people like Arrow. I look at the bike’s

parameters, mainly the air/fuel ratio, and

reprogramme the stock ECU to compensate.’

ThroTTle Slack & body balance

‘Triumph say the throttle cable should have

2-3mm slack in it, which I think is a bit too

much. I reduce this but ensure there is

enough free play so that the throttle doesn’t

open at all when the bars are on full-lock –

if it does the throttle adaption system will

make the bike run poorly. Always ensure the

throttle bodies are balanced, this makes a

huge difference to the power delivery.’

engine Tuning

‘If you are racing then skimming the head

and porting will get you into the 125bhp+

area, while a full supersport tune, which

involves cams and so on, is nearer 135bhp.

I’ve heard the BSS Triumphs are putting out

over 143bhp but that’s big money.’

SuSpenSion

‘Te 675’s forks and shock are really good as

standard. I’d recommend nothing more

than a Maxton re-valve on the forks (£250

to £300) and a Maxton shock for about

£500, that’s the most I’d spend. On a Street

Triple, where you have no adjustability on

the forks, I’d get them re-valved. You can fit

Daytona forks, but they will still require

re-valving to suit the naked bike. If you swap

the forks you will need to use the Daytona

radial calipers but the stock Street wheels

will fit and the discs are the same size. Te

shocks are all interchangeable, it’s only the

springs that are different between Street

and Daytona models. Don’t bother messing

around with dropping the forks on the

Daytona or Street Triple, you’ll only end up

making the bike unstable.”

Final gearing

‘For track use, go down one tooth on the

front sprocket, which is simple as it doesn’t

require the chain being split.’

Right: Suspension linkages can seize knackering the needle bearing (in Clive’s right hand) if not greased at 12,000 miles; Below right: Losing the cat and the exhaust valve can release as much as 10bhp; Bottom right: Stators can be a problem (the one on the left has had it) and OE ones are expensive. Winding won’t last, so eBay is the answer

47

Isle of Man TT Hot shots

Michael’s literally flying through Rhencullen on his way to winning Supersport race 2 – his third TT victory

48

I n 2008 the TT press gurus came up

with a publicity campaign to get more

young fans interested in the event.

They developed the idea that a posse of

‘Young Guns’ were coming to beat the

established stars like John McGuinness,

Bruce Anstey and Ian Lougher.

But one rider fell under the radar, too

young even to be a ‘Young Gun’. Michael

Dunlop, son of TT legends Robert and

nephew of Joey, only made his debut on the

Island in 2007 at the tender age of 18.

The wild child of road racing has taken the

event by the scruff of the neck in the half

decade since, winning three TTs on privately

entered machines (and breaking down while

leading twice as many). Michael’s maverick

style hasn’t always impressed those self

same publicity gurus who thought up the

Young Guns campaign. His methods may be

at odds with some of the more shiny

corporateness of the new TT but in a year

when the old guard of McGuinness, Anstey

and Rutter dominated the TT once again,

Dunlop’s third victory in the 2012

Supersport race was a breath of fresh air.

With Martin Finnegan tragically gone

from the original Young Guns line-up and so

many of the rest appearing in the list of the

walking wounded, Dunlop may now be the

only man standing in the way of

McGuinness closing down on his Uncle

Joey’s all-time record of 26 wins. Legendary

TT snapper and news hound Stephen

Davison followed the angry young man’s

trials, tribulations and triumphs at TT 2012,

getting the inside track on what makes the

maverick the fastest kid on the Mountain.

‘John’s getting closer to beating Joey’s record...

but not if I have anything to do with it’

At the tender age of 23, Michael Dunlop already has three TT wins under hisbelt. This is the story behind his most recent victory, where he explains whyhe’s the only man who can stop McGuinness taking his Uncle Joey’s record

Words and photography Stephen Davison

49

Isle of Man TT Hot shots

Dark clouDs…

The sun shone throughout practice week but it seemed as if a black cloud was sitting over the Dunlop awning. No matter how hard he tried Michael couldn’t find his rhythm or the speed to run with the fast boys.

‘There’s bits of the Mountain that I am good at and there’s places where I’m shite,’ he explained in his typically forthright manner.

One unique TT moment did offer some light relief though. During the opening riders’ briefing an official explained that one new hazard the racers might encounter on the course was a wallaby. During the winter some of the errant marsupials had escaped from the wildlife park at Quarry Bends!

light on the horizon

Dunlop’s long time sponsor, Gary Ryan, had split from his young protégé during last winter, but having watched Michael struggle for speed with the GSX-R600 at the North West 200 the Dublin businessman felt moved to act.

‘I saw Michael on TV and he was riding far too hard to make up for the lack of power,’ said Gary. ‘I just thought if he rides like that at the TT he won’t be coming home again.’

The cavalry arrived on the Tuesday afternoon ferry from Dublin complete with a new Yamaha R6. That evening Michael was back in the groove at Greeba Castle, eventually lapping at over 124mph.

The GSX-R600 needed to be ridden hard to get the most out of it, but salvation came in the form of a new R6 donated by a sponsor

Michael cranks his new R6 into the sunlight

at Greeba Castle

50

54

55

73

84

85

108

109

112

113

By Jon Urry Photography Paul Bryant

New

StuffSilencer

Constructed from titanium, the silencer has the Akrapovic logo lazer-etched on its side and is designed to mimic the WSB team’s exhaust. The Road and Race silencer can’t be fitted to the stock headers, however BMW sell a different slip-on Akrapovic pipe for £700, which looks identical and can be matched to the stock headers.

removeable

baffle

To make it road legal, Akrapovic have fitted the silencer with a removable baffle – or dB eater as they so aptly describe it.

BMW S1000RR Akrapovic Road and Race titanium exhaust systemCost: £2324.54

Contact: BMW UK

www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk

BMW have handed over the duties of making the S1000RR go faster and sound better to exhaust specialist Akrapovic and here are the fruits of the Slovenian firmÕs labours.

Derived from the HP race system, the Road and Race Akrapovic headers and intermediate pipe are made from titanium and weigh 5.7kg less than the stock BMW system, yet still contain all the gubbins to make them road homologated. So, inside the stunning pipework lies a catalytic converter and exhaust control valve, and the system even comes with the necessary control cables to make it all work.

While previously you only had the choice of a road-legal or race exhaust to match your headers, BMW have added a dual-purpose silencer for 2012, which basically means it has a removeable baffle. Leave it in and youÕll keep your neighbours (and track noise monitors) happy, while the bikeÕs power will be unaffected. Remove them and, with the special BMW ECU update, you should gain around 5lb.ft more midrange between 5000 and 9000rpm, as well as a far fruitier racket!

114

115

119

120

Tyre launch Continental Race Attack Comp

Conti’s German test facility has 140mph banking... ...a wet handling track (not necessary in the UK)... ...and is surrounded by well-surfaced local twisties

122

123