www.motorcyclenews.com

‘The R1 feels like it has three types of engines in one’

flatplane crank, and its une-ven firing order was created to give the rear tyre a chance to regain grip in between power pulses. But despite the engine’s unusual ‘lumpy’ sound (a bit VFR-ish at times), the way it delivers its power is more akin to an industrial-strength electric motor. As soon as it’s time to apply the power out of a cor-ner, the engine wants to rev, from a closed throttle (no matter where you are in the revs) to flat-out.

There’s no delay in power, it’s there all the time, and best of all so useable too. During our first sessions, Yamaha sent us out on stand-ard suspension settings and road-going Michelin Pilot Power 2CT tyres, with their new 190/55 profile at the rear (UK bikes are most likely to get Dunlop Qualifiers,

‘It’s hard to think of any downsides to this engine’

although that’s still to be confirmed by Yamaha). And such is the low- and mid-range grunt that it could easily overcome the grip of the rear tyre, and these aren’t shabby tyres either. When it does start to go, it slides so controllably compared to a

peakier conventional inline four that you even relish rather than dread the thought of it happening again, something I’m never normally brave or skilled enough to consider.

I thought before this test

that the new R1 would be faster than the old one on the track, and I reckon it is, The engine doesn’t scream like it did, but it’s much more of a riot.

With Michelin’s new and impressively sticky Power One supersport tyre to play on in our latter sessions you really start to twig just how good this motorcycle is. Gone are the slides and now it’s all about zero-lag, incred-ible drive and easy-to-control power out of every one of Eastern Creek’s corners.

It’s hard to think of any downsides to this engine, but the only one I can think of would be to do with the extra grunt it has low in the revs. Open the throttle in slippery or wet conditions, or on low-grip or worn tyres on the track, and it may be easier to lose traction compared to a

conventional high-perform-ance, peaky inline four with less power down low. It’s much the same problem you get with a V-twin.

Yamaha has thought of this with their D-Mode system, which alters how fast the fly-by-wire opens the butterflies in the throttle bodies. In each of the three modes – ‘A’, ‘standard’ and ‘B’, the R1 makes exactly the same power, it’s just how quickly it gives it to you (see page 4).

On the softest B mode power is dished out gently enough to let the rear tyre find grip in a corner before it gets going, if conditions are bad. I much preferred the more neutral ‘standard’ mode on the road and track tyres. I tried the more aggressive ‘A’ mode but the throttle response was much

ONDA officially unveiled the Fury chopper last week – a bike the Japa-

nese giant hopes will capture a slice of the custom market but without making any compromises.

The 1300cc Fury is a US market-only model and has been developed by American Honda in an effort to give owners the look of a one-off custom bike while keeping Honda reliability and rider comfort.

The bike has been born out of the explosion in sales of custom choppers, a large part of which has been kick-started by TV shows like American Chopper. The

raked out look gives the Fury the longest wheelbase of any production Honda to date – and stays true to the chopper style.

It has a low seat and a clean look with cables and hoses either hidden away or kept as simple as possible.

The engine of the Fury is derived from the VTX1800 but the water-cooled motor has been engineered to look like a more traditional air-cooled engine with the

Honda bids for a slice of custom chopper market – but has no plans to sell it in the UK

‘It’s the chopper you’d build yourself – if you had a factory’

radiator mounted discreetly down at the front of the engine.

Despite its looks, the seat-ing position on the Fury is far from radical. Honda wants the rider to be com-fortable and in control. There is no uncomfortably stretched-out riding position or ape-hanger bars on this custom bike.

In terms of looks, Honda wanted a massive rear tyre, but settled for a 200-section rather than something larger to try to keep some proper handling.

The same can be said for the single shock rear end of the bike. It’s designed to look like a hardtail but with a shock absorber in there the rider will be protected from bumps and the Fury should actually handle reasonably well.

The 1312cc liquid-cooled V-twin isn’t about perform-ance and the bike features single disc brakes, front and rear, a heavily-raked 45mm fork with a decent amount of travel from front and rear suspension. The shock is adjustable for rebound and spring preload. Although the fuel tank looks tiny, it actu-ally holds virtually 15.4

litres. Seat height is low at 678mm.

Honda’s statement about the Fury says: “It’s the chop-per you would build for yourself – if you had a factory instead of a garage. Welcome to the wild side – of Honda.

“With hand-built appear-ances radical enough to turn every head and catch every

eye, only the Fury dares to open the door to the most extreme level of custom looks.

“But once you’re rolling, the Fury experience is all about that special bond between rider and machine: the unmistakable big V-twin pulse, the characteristic V-engine note and the no-

nonsense riding stance bring you back to the core elements of riding. Destined to become a milestone machine, the Fury captures the pure, undiluted chopper essence, placing it within easy reach of nearly every rider.”

Details, visit: www.fury isunleashed.com

EW custom bikes can boast a top speed of over 150mph and a design ‘inspired by

God’, but this one does!Called The Serpent, it’s the

latest creation from US custom house Ransom Motorcycles. It’s powered by a 2008 GSX-R1000 motor geared to hit 160mph and, according to head man and devout Christian Wayne Ransom, was inspired by ‘God-given vision’.

The Serpent has taken the firm six months to build at a claimed cost of $125,000 (£85,200). The engine is a stressed member in the one-off tubular trellis frame and breathes through a hand-made 4-2-1 stainless steel exhaust. A 17-tooth sprocket at the front end and a 48-tooth item at the rear make the most of the Suzuki

motor’s torque at lower revs.The bodywork – fuel tank,

radiator cover, mudguard, and tail piece – is all hand-made from aluminium. The digital speedo from the GSX-R is mounted in the centre of the fuel tank, and the rear light is neatly locat-ed under the seat.

Ransom crafted the drive- and counter-shafts, plus the stainless steel radiator hoses.

The forks are 56mm items made by Mean Street, which hold a 21-inch billet wheel from US specialists RMD Billet. Ransom made a sin-gle-sided swingarm to hold the rear wheel (also by

RMD) and its 300mm Avon Venom tyre. Rear shocks are by Works Performance.

Kustom Seat Kreations made the saddle, and the bike is topped off with an Xtreme Kreations paintjob.

Wayne Ransom says: “90% of each bike is produced in-house. Each concept is designed and built to order.”

Ransom says he takes the owner’s height, weight, leg and arm length, as well as the way they like to ride, into account. Then he relies on some divine intervention to help design a bike that suits, explaining: “Each concept comes from a God-given vision, based upon the crite-ria the client gives.”

The Serpent is the fourth ‘concept’ bike Ransom has built since 2004 (see right). He made his first motorcycle after becoming dissatisfied with the custom sports bike scene on America’s East coast, which he complains is

WAYNE RANSOM didn’t set out to make his name as the builder of sports bike-engined customs. Instead, he wanted to build bikes with a unique style that could still offer eye-popping performance, and saw little other choice but to use sports bike engines.

“In my mind, performance

involves high rpm and four cylinders. Nothing else compares to the inline four cylinder.”

He adds that he expects owners of his bikes to exploit the full potential of the Japanese sports bike engines – and hit the 160mph top end. “They’re built to do it,” he said.

‘The GSX-R motor is geared to hit a 160mph top speed’

‘Nothing else compares to the inline four-cylinder engine’

more about personalisation than genuine customising.

“I’d always been around guys that really knew how to fabricate, cut, chop, and machine. With the custom sports bike market, all you have is paint, chrome, fat tyre kits, and modified body-work and exhausts.”

Ransom plans to unveil his next project – a 600bhp, twin-turbo Hayabusa-pow-ered bike – in June. He says it will have tuneable air sus-pension and is being built to tackle the world motorcycle land speed record. “It’ll have a digital boost control giving either 200 or 600bhp at the touch of a button,” he says.

Ransom Serpent brings together the power of Suzuki’s GSX-R1000 and ‘the Almighty’

www.motorcyclenews.com

to produce a machine well worthy of praise

A HELMET stolen from late World Supersport racer Craig Jones has been returned to his mum.

Yvonne Jones had collected every helmet her son ever raced in – except for a dis-tinctive ‘stormtrooper’ Arai which had been stolen from the star in a break-in.

She was reunited with the lid after attempts to sell it on eBay following Craig’s death were exposed in MCN.

Mrs Jones said in the end the seller, whose auction

attempts were sabotaged with fake bids, simply posted the helmet back to her.

She said: “He emailed me and said it was in the post. I thought ‘yeah, right’, but it’s just arrived.”

The original, painted to look like a stormtrooper’s helmet from the Star Wars films, was presented to Craig at Silverstone in 2005. It appeared on eBay within days of his tragic death fol-lowing a crash at Brands Hatch last August.

THE world’s first two-wheel-drive supermoto was a surprise attraction at this week’s International Motor-cycle Show in New York.

Built by US company Christini, whose mechanical conversion kits have been making an impression in the motocross and enduro scene for a few years, the bike is based on a KTM 450SX and will debut on track this year.

Christini’s patented mechanical All Wheel Drive system delivers power to the front wheel through a series of chains and shafts. The use of one-way clutches in the

front hub allows the front wheel to be driven at a slightly slower rate then the rear wheel.

Power is transferred to the front wheel only when the rear wheel loses traction or the front skids. The front-to-rear power ratio is adjustable and allows for fine tuning to suit rider prefer-ences or conditions.

A conversion kit is designed for select Hondas and KTMs. Kits for GasGas and Kawasaki models are cur-rently under development.

For more information, go to www.christini.com

ACK in the late ’80s and early ’90s, the 61bhp inline four-cylinder Diversion

was everywhere you looked – not surprising, as Yamaha made over 160,000 of the things worldwide.

Now, after years of gather-ing dust, the badge has been

dusted down and it’s back, in the shape of the brand new XJ6 Diversion, plus a naked version called the XJ6.

The new ‘Divvy’ is more powerful, better handling and a damn site prettier than the old one, but it’s here to do exactly the same job – to provide practical, fun and, above all, affordable biking.

New riders looking for their first ‘big’ bike are an

obvious target for this bike, as it’s so easy to ride, practi-cal and comfy. For those who just want to let their hair down and have a bit of fun, it’ll handle that too.

EVEN Yamaha admits the XJ6 Diversion is very similar to its own FZ6 Fazer – it

even shares exactly the same inline four-cylinder 600cc engine. The FZ6 Fazer isn’t too far off an R6, with a revvy engine, solid chassis and wide tyres, but the Divvy’s motor has been softened-off to be less manic, more flexi-ble and easier to use.

The clutch and gearbox action is lighter, the chassis is less extreme for more feel at lower speeds, and the rear tyre is narrower for better agility. Everyone from nov-ices to the most experienced riders will find the XJ6 Diversion easier to live with than the FZ6 Fazer.

One of the FZ6 Fazer’s downsides is that you have to

scream the engine to get the most from it, whereas the Diversion is far easier to get on with when it comes to everyday riding.

ALL Yamaha’s hard work in making the R6/Fazer-derived motor more flexible has paid off. There’s less

‘It’s easier to get on with for everyday riding than the Fazer’

We ride Yamaha’s new budget middleweight and its naked sister the XJ6 at their launch in Australia

www.motorcyclenews.com

‘It’s easy to ride whatever your size, with or without pillion’

need to stir the six-speed gearbox to keep up with traf-fic than with the FZ6 Fazer, making town riding a piece of cake. At very low speeds the throttle response is snatchy when getting on and off the gas, but as speeds increase and the engine is spinning more, it’s less of a problem.

Overall the motor is very smooth and friendly, with lots of power (77bhp) if you’re prepared to rev it – enough for decent wheelies, if that’s your thing. It’s a heap more fun than its closest rival, Honda’s CBF600.

Despite the fettling to make the engine gruntier,

you can still feel its super-sports DNA – it never really relaxes, it’s always busily buzzing away and you often find yourself searching for another gear when you’re already in sixth.

It’s not as bad as the Fazer’s motor and you soon get used to it, but more grunt and less revs would make the XJ6 Diversion even better. As it is, the engine is still impres-sive, while the new, smoother-action clutch and gearbox help the job along.

WITH its low seat and narrow fuel tank, the XJ6 Diversion is very easy to get

on and ride – whether you’re short or tall, on your own or with a pillion. On the move there’s zero vibration felt from the engine, while

around town the Divvy is agile and easy to navigate through traffic. The steering lock is pretty handy and the wind protection from the half fairing is good, too.

Although very basic (only the rear shock is adjustable for preload), the suspension does a good job of keeping the Yamaha on the straight and narrow – even on some of the seriously bumpy roads we came across in the Aussie outback. Of course, if you push very hard you can find the limits of the chassis quite quickly, but for the most part the Yamaha is stable, corners easily and is easy to ride in any conditions.

IT’S not overloaded with toys but, considering its price, the XJ6 Diversion comes with a decent level of

equipment. It has a centre-stand as standard (a neat piece of design, considering the underslung exhaust), a multi-function LCD dash and preload adjustment for the rear shock. Handlebars are adjustable back and for-ward by 20mm and there’s an ABS version (not tested here) for £300 extra. Yamaha accessories include crash bobbins, tank bag, backrest, panniers, top box, engine guard, tank pad and rack.

FOR a budget machine, the XJ6 Diversion is well designed, well thought-out

ON’T let the famil-iar appearance fool you – the numer-ous, seemingly

small changes to the BMW K1300S amount to a seri-ously improved machine over the outgoing model.

It may look similar but the combined result of so many developments has given the inline four more perform-ance, better fuel economy and range, and improved engine refinement.

More important for many potential owners is the fact that the whole range now

has ‘proper’ indicators on the left-hand bar – not the complicated, confusing BMW multiple switches on both bars. This may sound like the smallest change of all but for many non-BMW riders three-switch indica-tors are a reason not to buy German. The new K-Series also heralds an end to all BMWs having multiple switches – all new bikes will have conventional ones.

The biggest seller of the K-Series range in the UK has always been the fully-faired K1300S – the firm expects to sell around 450 in 2009, compared to 250 of the naked R and 100 or so of

the massive GT touring ver-sion.

The S is a bike BMW is happy to compare with the likes of the Suzuki Hayabusa and the Kawasaki ZZR1400 – even though the power output from the slightly big-ger capacity engine is lower, producing a claimed 175bhp against 194bhp from the Hayabusa.

While the Japanese bikes are even faster than the K1300S, BMW maintains the K1300S is a more usable, everyday bike that can com-bine huge speeds with fitted hard luggage, heated grips, traction control and the improved Electronic Sus-pension Adjustment (ESA II) system (see Kevin Ash, page 32).

Engine development was carried out by Ricardo Engi-neering rather than BMW – the first time the hugely respected firm has worked on a BMW motorcycle. The brief was to work on improv-ing the fuel efficiency, emissions and most impor-

tantly, refinement. All of these have been sorted suc-cessfully. The most impressive facet of the motor is its ability to combine all of these qualities yet still sound like a racing engine when revved hard. It’s also got away from the slight reluc-tance to rev that characterised four-cylinder K-Series motors of old. Despite being pushed very hard over two days with loads of stop-start riding for photos, all of the launch bikes were averaging no less than 40mpg.

Over two days of riding in Spain and into Portugal the S showed how versatile it is, covering miles of Spanish

mountain roads that ranged from tight, first-gear hair-pins with rock faces on one side and perilous drops on the other, through to ultra-fast straights, motorways and even some off-road action. The off-road riding was a surprise – the result of a slightly odd road that went from beautiful virginal tarmac to unpaved rubble and then back to tarmac. What this did allow, howev-er, was a tough test of the ESA II system. A simple click of a switch on the left hand bar changed the suspension from taut Sport mode to plush Comfort – the differ-ence in ride quality was

immense. Add in the ASC traction control (the same as on the BMW R1200GS) and it was all under control.

ESA II works by adjusting the springs and dampers as before but now allows the spring preload to be adjusted too thanks to an Elastogran (see Kevin Ash, page 32). Basically there are three set-tings each for single rider, single rider with luggage and with pillion and luggage…Comfort, Normal and Sport. These settings are preset and a sliding piston allows a rub-ber-style ring to expand only to set amounts to govern the ride height.

Forget the science – just

‘The K1300S heralds an end to three-button indicators’

Clever tweaks – and conventional switchgear – for BMW’s 175bhp K1300S rocketship

www.motorcyclenews.com

‘Most people don’t know how to adjust their bike’s suspension’

focus on the fact that it works brilliantly. The system’s helped by some weight sav-ings on the Duolever front – with the use of aluminium rather than steel. Once on the move a simple click of a button alters the feel of the bike. Feeling lazy and want a plush ride on the motorway? Then Comfort is for you. Want the bike to feel sharp and focused? Then click onto Sport. Normal is just that… something in the middle. All you need to do is wait about four to five sec-onds for the stepper motors to do their work – no need to stop and definitely no need for spanners.

There are, of course, little niggles – nothing in life is perfect. Some of the bikes were fitted with Continental Sport Attack tyres – they were universally disliked for a lack of feel. Most test rid-ers thought they felt like they were over-inflated in the 10 to 15°C temperatures we experienced in Spain.

The fuel tank is no bigger

and without a longer test it hasn’t been possible to find out the full range, despite improved fuel efficiency. And adding some options is going to get pricey – ESA II is £617 for starters – although BMW do bundle some options together to save money. I wouldn’t bother with the quickshifter unless you really want it. It worked fine but seemed out of place on a machine like this. Also, some of the bikes that had been run-in on salty British roads were already showing some worrying amounts of corrosion on brake discs, too.

Despite these tiny issues, BMW has shown that it doesn’t need a huge model change to make a good bike even better. The engine is brilliant and the K1300S is fast, comfortable, practical, good looking and will handle anything thrown at it… even accidental off-road riding.

Turn the page for the K1300R and K1300GT. models.

D V E N T U R E bikes are all about practicality, ease of use and mild off-

road ability, so it’s hard to see why KTM saw the need to endow the already pokey Adventure 990 with an extra 17bhp.

The new Adventure 990R is the firm’s flagship dual-purpose machine replacing the Adventure S. It shares much with the successful 950 and the last generation 990 Adventure but with some changes to the spec to justify the ‘R’ suffix.

The tastiest change is the fitment of the firm’s loony Superduke’s 115bhp LC8 engine, replacing the softer 106bhp V-twin in the base model, but with a few mapping tweaks to take the

sharp edge off the delivery without compromising the tyre-tearing grunt.

Top-quality WP suspension gets an extra 55mm of travel both front and rear to give the Austrian-built machine more off-road ability as well as firmer settings to prevent

the bike pitching excessively on the road. The ABS fitted the standard bike is also ditched to reflect the sportier intentions of the 990R, but the rest of the chassis remains the same.

Throwing a leg over the R after a spell on the standard

model (see right), the difference is immediately apparent. The taller suspension and motocross-style seat translate to an extra 55mm of height on paper, but with less sag from the firmer set-up the difference is actually greater in reality.

Trying to manoeuvre at a standstill is awkward, and one red-faced KTM employee ended up in a pile on the floor while mounting the bike in a strong sidewind. Shorties can get on it, but need to be aware things could get messy as even this six-foot lump struggled on sloping surfaces.

On the move the 990R’s extra height isn’t an issue, but to begin with riders used to road bikes might feel isolated from the chassis. You’ll find and lean angles feel exaggerated as you

swing the wide Renthal bars into bends.

The power dominates the riding experience, though. While it doesn’t snap and charge forward quite like a Superduke, the punch is instant from most of the rev range. It gives the gangly Adventure plenty of capability for wheelies, or for the more responsible, the ability to ride winding country roads with minimal need to change gear.

Off-road the hike in power is less welcome – the faster response spins the rear tyre far more readily on a combination of rubbly tracks and wet mud.

KTM is still sticking by the heavily treaded tyres and off-road rim sizes that limit tyre choice, but despite the trail pattern of the standard-fit Pirellis the bike still grips better on road

For 2009 KTM’s world-busting Adventure V-twin comes in hopped-up ‘R’ form – so why should you want one? Well, the loony Superduke LC8 engine just for starters

than off, where the compromise means the tyres simply don’t bite into the ground like dedicated off-road rubber. But the

potential is there for the KTM to shine away from tarmac – prototypes of the first 950 Adventure won the Dakar rally with a claimed

90% of parts shared with the road bike, and my limited off-road skills are still enough to keep the bike the correct way up despite the

‘For just £200 more than the standard bike it’s great value’

www.motorcyclenews.com

Pirelli tyres’ unsuitability for the job.

Despite the efforts made to improve the bike’s off-road ability, the 990R’s higher spec impresses more back on tarmac. The suspension’s firmer damping deals with large bumps at speed better, and the steering is more accurate.

Combined with extra flexibility from the hopped-up motor, the added confidence allows you to hustle the bike on unfamiliar or less than perfectly surfaced roads in complete composure. It’s just a shame the excellent ABS system has been sacrificed in the name of performance.

Another compromise compared with the base bike is comfort. The soft, scooped-out perch of the standard bike is replaced by an enduro-style flat seat

designed to allow you to move around on the bike, but for the 95% of riders using the bike on the road the drop in backside comfort outweighs the benefit.

Surprisingly for a bike with better suspension and a much more powerful engine KTM are asking just £200 more for the Adventure R – which is outstanding value

considering the improved and more entertaining ride.

The choice between the R and the standard bike comes down to whether you’re prepared to live without ABS, and are happy to stump up £105 for the genuine gel seat option which resolves the comfort issue as well as cutting 20mm from the seat height.

OTOGP boss Carmelo Ezpe-leta believes the premier class

world championship will survive and prosper as he prepares to oversee a radical cost-cutting programme to protect the series from the global economic crisis.

Despite the withdrawal of Kawasaki and reports of a gloomy future, Ezpeleta is confident a range of sweep-ing cost cutting measures will help the series grow.

Speaking exclusively to MCN, Ezpeleta believes imminent agreements to double engine life, restrict testing and cut down on practice time will safeguard MotoGPs future.

He also believes the cost-

MotoGP boss proposes one bike per rider, extended engine life and more before 2010cutting drive will ensure there is no repeat of Kawa-saki’s shock withdrawal as the Japanese factory became the first major casualty of the credit crunch.

The cost-cutting proposals were discussed at a recent emergency summit of the Motorcycle Sport Manufac-turers Association (MSMA) in Japan.

More concrete details of how the new rules will be phased in will be further dis-cussed at another MSMA meeting in Sepang, Malaysia in early February.

But Ezpeleta said: “Every-body recognises we – Dorna, IRTA, the MSMA and the FIM – have to do something. But you can’t underestimate how crucial the position of the manufacturers is in this championship. They are aware of how difficult it is to achieve their budgets and

they know they must reduce the costs to compete.

“We need to have the same show, but spend less money. The cost issue is in the hands of the manufacturers, the FIM and Dorna to try to resolve this situation. I am optimistic we can dramati-cally reduce costs starting in 2010, and introduce some things that can save some money in 2009, because we have to start immediately.”

One proposal that is cer-tain to be ratified is an extension of engine life, with riders using one engine for at least two or three races.

“We have many ideas, but one is to make the durability of the engine longer – that is a very important step. The engines must be valid for two or three races – this will help a lot with reducing costs. Extending engine life by around 50% for 2010 is

the best way to reduce costs.“Also for next year, I think

it will be good to limit riders to one bike. That will be a

‘Everybody accepts we need to get into a culture of reducing costs’

huge saving. Less time in practice can also help engines to last longer – I think we will start that this year. We are also looking at cancelling the tests after races.

“There are many things we are considering, but it is important that we have rec-ognised we need to get into a culture of reducing costs. Everybody accepts that. We also need to have cheaper bikes for independent teams and we accept that they might need more economic help from us right now. In this economic climate, we can’t say no to anything and we have to study every option open to us.”

By enforcing a rider to use only one bike in 2010, Ezpe-leta believes the cost cuts will actually help him expand the grid numbers in MotoGP, which have been in steady decline for a several years.

The likes of Honda, Yamaha and Ducati would all have extra machines avail-able. Not only would it allow the manufacturers to save money, but also to make more bikes available for new teams who want to partici-pate in the championship. This would then become more attractive for teams if they can choose the bike they want and to have a two-rider team.

Ezpeleta said: “I am confi-dent that the likes of Honda, Yamaha and Ducati will be able to field more bikes in 2010. I think for 2010 we can have 20 bikes.”

Ezpeleta said he was also confident no other factory will follow Kawasaki out of the sport. All members of the MSMA signed an agree-ment in 2007 guaranteeing their involvement in Moto-GP until the end of 2011.

Ezpeleta added: “Honda and Suzuki have a contract with Dorna to race. I don’t think this was the case in F1 and World Rally when they withdrew.

“We made an agreement with the MSMA where they have the right to make the rules and receive payments, but in return they must guar-antee to enter bikes.

“We understand the diffi-culties the companies are facing, but they must under-stand that signed agreements are in place.”