Sports Bikes

  • YAMAHA: New supersport sensation

    YAMAHA: New supersport sensation

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    Yamaha’s long-awaited R9 sportsbike is quite a tempting little proposition on the quiet. Yamaha’s gone above and beyond our expectations in some respects, giving the new upper-middleweight sportster some classy chassis components and a new lightweight bespoke aluminium frame, as well as modern aerodynamic bodywork with winglets. But with peak power output of 117bhp and…

  • JOHN REYNOLDS: 2004 BSB title to be celebrated at Motorcycle Live

    JOHN REYNOLDS: 2004 BSB title to be celebrated at Motorcycle Live

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    Suzuki will celebrate the 20th anniversary of John Reynolds’ 2004 British Superbike title at this year’s Motorcycle Live, which takes place from 16-24 November at Birmingham’s NEC. Onboard the now-iconic Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000, ran by the Crescent Suzuki team, Reynolds won his third British Superbike title, taking seven wins along the way. It was also the…

  • YAMAHA: R1 Race and GYTR

    YAMAHA: R1 Race and GYTR

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    We knew this was coming – but it still hits hard. The first Yamaha R1 appeared just six years after our sister magazine Fast Bikes itself hit the streets – so in many ways, they grew up together. It was the original rulebook-rewriter; the superbike that toppled the mighty Honda FireBlade; the first of the…

  • BIMOTA: Back on track with Kawasaki Racing

    BIMOTA: Back on track with Kawasaki Racing

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    The newest force in WorldSBK racing, Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team (BbKRT), has just completed its first on-track test session since the Bimota machine was first unveiled to the public at Jerez on 21 October. The two-day test at Jerez, the same venue as the final round of the 2024 season, was an important first…

  • RK CHAINS: It’s been a successful year!

    RK CHAINS: It’s been a successful year!

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    RK Takasago Chains-supported riders in the BSB and British Supersport Championships came to a climax at Brands Hatch this month, with RK-supported riders taking three podiums and a championship fourth. The Supersport podium was topped by Jack Kennedy with Ben Currie taking the last step on the podium. Tommy Bridewell lost out on the top…

  • HARRIS PERFORMANCE: The Frame Game…

    HARRIS PERFORMANCE: The Frame Game…

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    When it comes to chassis development, few folks know more than the legends at Harris Performance. Our pals from Fast Bikes went to town, questioning them on all there is to know about this pivotal, mind-blowing subject. Here’s John ‘Big Mac’ McAvoy’s learnings… Harris Performance has been building motorcycle frames for the great and the…

  • ARCHIVE: 1991 was a good year for Yamaha

    ARCHIVE: 1991 was a good year for Yamaha

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    LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN 1991 was a pretty good year for Yamaha. VJMC’s Steve Cooper remembers how it went down… As is so often the way in many motor sports, a capricious decision caused a lot of head scratching and work for the Yamaha team ahead of the 1991 season. Michelin’s bean counters decided the cons…

  • TESTED: Metzeler’s Roadtec 02

    TESTED: Metzeler’s Roadtec 02

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    Bruce Wilson has been over to the Isle of Man to see how Metzeler’s new Roadtec 02 hold up in the wet and dry around the famous TT course… I’ve never come across a hoop branded as a Super-Sport-Touring, but that’s exactly where Metzeler brackets its new Roadtec 02. The thinking is simple: it can…

  • TOP TIPS: Choosing the perfect helmet

    TOP TIPS: Choosing the perfect helmet

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    Picking the right lid goes beyond simply deciding which design you like best, but where do you start?  Whether looking to kit yourself out for the first time or treating yourself to some new attire, choosing a new helmet can have you scratching your head on what to look for. To help make it easier,…

  • LAST ORDERS for the Superquadro engine…

    LAST ORDERS for the Superquadro engine…

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    To celebrate before its Superquadro engine is phased out, Ducati’s released a fully loaded, limited-edition version of its Panigale V2. The supersport sector used to be so simple. Four Japanese 599cc inline-four sportsbikes duking it out, plus the Ducati 748 throwing out the occasional conrod at the back while looking utterly gorgeous. Then we got…

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