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kawasaki zx-6r

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STILL THE wILdEST 600words justin carter Pics john noble

ALL you nEEd IS LovESo sang the Liverpudlian four-piece, but they were of course wrong. All you actually need is front-end faith and a decent turn of speed, as Leon Haslam proved so emphatically in the 2010 World Superbike season opener at Phillip Island. He may have been new to the Alstare GSX-R1000, and the Ducatis may have been kinder to their rear tyres, giving young Haslam last-lap headaches in both races, but he and his front Pirelli were best mates and the Suzuki’s sheer power kept his head above water on the straight bits. Should you ever be forced to choose just two positive attributes for your performance bike, they are the ones to go for. The Kawasaki B1H ZX-6R has them in spades.

THE fronT End... oH, THE fronT End...The 2003 ZX-6R’s front end was always going to be something pretty special. When the bike was launched back in 2003, it was the only 600 with upside-down forks. It also boasted Kawasaki Front End PerfectionTM, a mysterious blend of geometry, springing and damping expertise to which only a select core of Kawasaki Heavy Industries engineers are privy, The Few. Membership of The Few is limited to just seven at any one time and the knowledge is committed to memory, never written down. When one of The Few retires, the handover is a protracted affair involving long periods of meditation, strong opiates and a 24-hour trackday at Suzuka on a ZXR750J.

On the road in 2010, the front half of the Kawasaki feels more Italian than Japanese. The ZX-6R isn’t quick to change direction, the perfectly judged clip-ons requiring a decent amount of force to bring about a response (back then mass centralisation had only just been invented, hence the big, heavy, shiny can slung out back), but it is very accurate, the bike rolling onto your chosen lean angle with a serene sense of security.

THE bAck End... AH, THE bAck End... Those of a nervous disposition, or with particularly large or sensitive testicles, should steer clear of the B1H. The rear suspension is everything the front isn’t: crude, stiff and mildly troublesome. It will shirk duty at any opportunity. Half-decent pothole? Expect a shockingly direct kick through the seat and a flare of revs. Rippled tarmac? Comedy scrabbling. Crest? An unprompted half-wheelie, a decent wag of the bars and, if you’ve been really optimistic with the throttle, prolonged air. You weren’t expecting that, were you? What’s more, time has done nothing to dull the shock’s steadfast refusal to soak anything up. In fact if anything – like Z750s of the same vintage – it’s worse now.

In 2002 Kawasaki put its hands down its pants and found its long-lost balls. Suitably empowered, it released the 636cc B1H ZX-6R the following year

p8-12 PB May ZX-6R.indd_ng_as_kl.indd 8 11/3/10 09:41:03

009

Either Kev has just fallen from the sky

or he’s emphasising the brilliance of the

B1-H’s front end

p8-12 PB May ZX-6R.indd_ng_as_kl.indd 9 11/3/10 09:32:11

To finish first, first you have

to finish

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words mark white Pics rory game illustration kar lee

You may not have heard of superfinishing but when it comes to fine fettling and rider satisfaction there’s little to beat it

I’ll bet good money that as soon as you opened this feature your eyes were drawn to the pictures of shiny things.

It’s only human to be drawn to precious-looking objects, but very often they serve no purpose other than to titillate. So, when I was handed a superfinished camshaft during a recent visit to Race Developments I was intrigued and had to know more…

SUPER WHAT?Mass production techniques have improved tenfold in recent years giving us performance and reliability gains thanks to better tolerances. But the end product can still be improved with some clever thinking and, more importantly, acute attention to detail.

Whenever a part is machined the tooling used will inevitably leave some surface marks. The peaks and valleys, or asperities to give them their posh name, cause a number of unwanted things to happen. Especially where these parts come into contact with others.

The first and most obvious issue is friction. Think of the surface of a crankshaft journal under a microscope. You’d see what looks like the grain in a length of wood. Then think of the bearing that the journal runs in. That also has its own grain caused by its manufacture. These two

grains will unavoidably run in different directions. In ideal circumstances a thin film of oil separates these two surfaces. However, that oil is also subject to the effects of the asperities and tries to follow the grain on each component. This creates friction and with friction comes heat and all its associated demons. Wear, frictional losses, tolerance change etc are all factors, and there are great benefits to be had by reducing them where possible. The bottom line is they all rob power so why not find a way to reduce the negative effects?

Improving the surface on a microscopic level also improves reliability and durability because hairline cracks and deformations are less likely to

appear – most common engine failures or big maintenance issues can often be traced back to problems such as these.

Superfinishing is the name given to a metalworking process which improves surface finish. More specifically, isotropic superfinishing (ISF) is what Race Developments uses and to great effect. In fact, the term isotropic actually means: identical in all directions; invariant with respect to direction.

The ISF process uses clever chemistry along with a vibratory technique and non-abrasive media to achieve a much more desirable surface finish on engine parts. Now for the science part…

During a typical eight to 12 hour cycle in the machine, various chemicals are repeatedly introduced in controlled

Parts are placed carefully into bath containing secret ceramic materials

Bath sits on hi-tech

vibrating platform

which shakes at a

pre-set frequencyComponents are

polished to perfection overnight

Highly trained technician

squirts chemical stuff into tub

THE SUPERfiniSHing PRocESS

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Your bike made faster

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Main crankshaft gear that transfers power to the clutch and drivetrain. It’s precision areas such as this that benefit most from superfinishing

p114-118 PB MAY YBMF .indd_ng_as_kl.indd 97 16/3/10 09:19:21

Wheel-spinning, tyre-shredding, front-end lifting levels of power and torque are at the very heart of PB’s Bill of Rights. They’re in the DNA of the modern performance bike. In fact no litre sportsbike worthy of the name can offer less than 155bhp and 75lb.ft of torque. All of which means you have to wonder what possible purpose the three battle cruisers you see here might serve, at least for the solo operator on the path of sporty performance motorcycling.

In truth, brute power and ballistic top speed do not make for a rounded performance bike experience, and have not for the last 20 years or so. Here in the UK we get our rocks off on twisting B-roads well away from the crowded tedium and speed-camera angst of motorways. Face it, the A1(M) is a long way from the autobahn and even further from the deserted vistas of the motorcycle brochure.

But before we dismiss the Suzuki Hayabusa, Kawasaki ZZR1400 and BMW K1300S as the cocksure willy waving of over-funded research and development departments, there are some things we should know. The Busa has served PB well down the years, from setting UK land speed records to epic road trips to Istanbul. The ZZR1400 proved to be the fastest stock bike you could buy in the UK last year. And isn’t it a BMW inline four that’s set the performance world alight in 2010? They’ve all got something going for them. Which begs the question – should we be going for them as first-choice rides in performance bikes Britain?

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BMW K1300STeutonic speed from BMW. Fast is all very well but does the K handle?

KAWASAKI ZZR1400Big, fast and a touch cosmetically challenged. Will the ZZR make its extra cubes count?

Your PB testers are...

Kev SmithGive Kev a bike with over 160bhp and both wheels are seldom in line. Loves hyperbikes for their power.

John mcavoyHis build is more typical Brit than GP test rider, so hypersports bikes should fit his needs perfectly.

Jon UrryHe’s eager to be pleased and devastated if disappointed. The perfect road tester, then.

p96-105 PB MAY TEST.indd_ng_as_kl.indd 97 11/3/10 13:11:24

road test///hyperbikes

gentlemen shred your

licencesMotorway-mauling cross-continental hypersports missiles they may be. At least according to the brochures. But do

they make any sense anywhere except autobahns?

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words jon urry pics jason critchell

SUZUKI HAYABUSANow a decade old but still very much the benchmark when it comes to hitting warp speed

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p38-40 PB May prods front CDP.indd_ng_as_kl.indd 38 11/3/10 10:01:16

p38-40 PB May prods front CDP.indd_ng_as_kl.indd 39 11/3/10 10:01:44

p56-68 PB MAY GSXR road tripKR.indd_ng_as_kl.indd 56 11/3/10 11:27:16

p56-68 PB MAY GSXR road tripKR.indd_ng_as_kl.indd 57 11/3/10 11:27:39

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We would all like four bikes in the garage, sadly life just isn’t that simple. But try telling Ducati this as they launch their Multistrada solution…

why we love the multistrada

Give credit where it is due, when BMW introduced the 800GS in the early ’80s they created a new genre of motorcycle and the rest of the world has been vying for a piece of the action ever since. However, while the Germans kept their GS ahead of the pack their rivals stuck neutered sportsbike engines in tall bouncy chassis, disregarded the need for light weight and agility and added a dash of enduro-esque looks.

From the other end of the spectrum, deposed range-topping sports bikes have become sports tourers with little changed other than their position in the sales brochures. In the middle ground bespoke sporting tourers have been developed, including Ducati’s own ST range. Caught between the expectations of sports and touring they inevitably fail to achieve either, piling on bulk and loosing vitality. Lazy bikes. Lazy designers. Now Ducati are attempting to scoop the whole lot.

Within ten minutes of riding my two worst fears are put to rest. Firstly, the Multistrada does not suffer the flip-flop steering often experienced on bikes with enduro aspirations. These bikes – including the previous Multistrada – require unseemly effort on the inside bar to haul them up out of turns. This trait is usually a combination of excessive steering trail and low centre of mass which ensure stability at high speeds despite poor suspension damping and unwieldy aerodynamics. The 1200S has very neutral steering, with enough weight to keep the rider informed. High speed stability is fine, even in strong, blustery cross winds. This stability is achieved in part by having a wheel base which is nearly three inches longer than the 1100’s, though at 60 inches it is pretty much within the usual range of anything that is not a full on sportsbike. Quality suspension damping and correct weight distribution do the rest.

Even more satisfying is the exceptional fuel delivery at all engine speeds and loads. I have fallen out of love with big V-twins since power outputs went beyond 100bhp and fuel injection prevailed, the lazy grace and deceptive shove

being corrupted by oversensitive throttle response and lurching delivery. The Multistrada’s subtle engine revisions and FbW technology combine to produce a peach of an engine. This is due in part to the reduced state of tune of the 1198, but there is still enough urgency in the power delivery to justify use of the term Sport in the mode settings.

Which brings me to the indicator switch. Use it to toggle through the Multistrada’s four pre-selected riding modes. Sport. Touring. Urban. Enduro. While it’s not quite Transformers, it is rather impressive.

Sport Mode: 150bhp engine with ‘High’ throttle response. Sharpest available fly-by-wire connection. Firmest suspension option and traction control level 4 – for experts. (But I coped regardless.)

Touring Mode: 150bhp engine with ‘Low’ throttle response, for more subtle delivery. The suspension is softened and traction control interference increased to level 5.

Urban Mode: 100bhp engine, limp wristed throttle connection, pot-hole friendly suspension and diesel slick-beating traction control at level 6.

Enduro Mode: Same engine character as Urban Mode. Preload pumped up for additional 20mm of ground clearance, Traction control level 2 – otherwise you’d never actually move on loose surfaces.

It gets better. In each mode, the suspension can be selected to one of five preset options according to the load carried, from solo rider to two up with luggage. This is the really good bit. Using the indicator switch and two adjacent buttons, the electronics can be accessed and thoroughly interfered with. The pre-set traction control can be altered to any of the eight levels. It is not possible to disable it entirely, level one offers minimal interference. Front and rear suspension damping – rebound and compression – can be selected and reset. Rear preload is adjustable in half mm increments to a total of 8mm, equating to 20mm of rear ride height adjustment. The riders preferred set-up is then saved as the

words guy martin pics milagro

chain driveMinimised power loss – no poncey shaft here

who is simon martin?

n PB contributor since 1986.n Designer/builder of chassis to suit everything from V-Maxs to 450cc Supermonos.n Previous ownership of the Multistrada’s great grand daddy, the Cagiva Elefant 900ie, its hugely successful uncle, the BMW1150GS and its weird cousin, Yamaha’s TDM 850 prompted a love for real road suspension but left a yearning for full-on performance, so built BABIYOS.n Not yet entirely convinced by electronic intervention. n Hates weight, gimmicks and stopping for fuel.n Loves decent suspension, carburettors and details that make you look twice.

p22-26 multistrada PB MAY 2010.indd_ng_as_kl.indd 23 16/3/10 09:15:37

ducati multistrada

First ride

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long travel suspensionFirm for enthusiastic riding, yet supple enough to soak up the bumps

great visibilitythunder through rush hour traffic with the greatest of ease

beakyes it does look like a bird, but thankfully it looks nothing like the first generation Multistrada

21st century powerplantpunts out a usable 150bhp

all-day coMFortFor two. crikey

p22-26 multistrada PB MAY 2010.indd_ng_as_kl.indd 22 16/3/10 09:15:10

000

Get the Picture

words Bertie SimmondSPic mark manning

recognised as the fans’ favourite – on a screaming in-line four-cylinder Suzuki GSX-R750.

All year long both took each other to new heights and Oulton Park’s two meetings were to become the stuff of legend. In the first meeting at the Cheshire track, Hodgson took the first race, while in the second the pair came together at Lodge, with both riders colliding and going off the track. Hodgson eventually took fourth with Walker thirteenth. The Crescent Suzuki team protested and Neil received a 36-second penalty dropping him to 14th place.

By Silverstone, the GSE team had successfully appealed against the decision but the action on track was hotter than ever, with Hodgson winning the first race and the pair clashing again at Abbey.

Returning to Oulton for the second time that year Neil was on pole but stalled off the start and sank to the back of the grid. Undeterred, Hodgson went from last to first within eight laps to take the win.

Elated Neil prepared for the last round, which is when things really came to a head…

‘I knew this was going to be difficult for me,’ recalls Hodgson. ‘I remember going into the last round and Chris had a 21 point lead into the final pair of races, so in a way the pressure was off me: I think he had to finish fourth in both races to win the title. I was mega confident going into Donington Park as I love the track and I won the first race, but Chris still

needed to claim fourth in the second race to win the championship.

‘I was battling with James Haydon for the lead and getting signs from the team that Chris was doing all he needed to take fourth. I was also doing just what I needed to do but then I smelt the smoke and saw a number 2 on a black board, so I knew Chris was being flagged in. I didn’t have time to think, I remember doing what I normally did. I even tried to out brake James into one of the corners and then thought to myself: “What are you doing?” I eventually did the right thing by coming home second to take the title, but sometimes I sit and think that I should have done it properly and beaten James. So much has happened in the last decade and I can’t believe it is ten years ago really.’

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Who is… Neil Hodgson Neil raced motocross from the age of nine then moved to road-racing. He won the 125cc British title, became a privateer in 500cc GP then a factory rider in WSB. Took BSB title in 2000 then returned to WSB. Took title in 2003, went to MotoGP then the American AMA series. He’s now back in BSB with Motorpoint Yamaha.

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