bike_magazine_ feb2010
DESCRIPTION
1 is THERE AnYTHing wRong wiTH THE old onE? 2 Evo sounds fAncY. is iT? 3 wHY’s iT An sP, noT jusT An s? 20 20 Words Mike Armitage Photography Milagro it’s merely an abbreviation of evolution and not an indication that the Hypermotard has been transformed into a muscle-tearing 150bhp beast. instead it’s been honed for more power and less weight, with tweaked detailing, which doesn’t sound so impressive. 21 The latest on the remaining new models of 2010 V12 30TRANSCRIPT
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THREE big quEsTions1 is THERE AnYTHing wRong wiTH THE old onE?no, not really. if you’re sure you want a big supermoto it’s most accomplished. but while it sold well in its first year, sales slowed so ducati have spruced it up to keep up with rival KTMs and generate fresh interest.
2 Evo sounds fAncY. is iT?it’s merely an abbreviation of evolution and not an indication that the Hypermotard has been transformed into a muscle-tearing 150bhp beast. instead it’s been honed for more power and less weight, with tweaked detailing, which doesn’t sound so impressive.
3 wHY’s iT An sP, noT jusT An s?Essentially it’s simply to signify this is the special version, just as the s and R tags highlight the racier sportsbike incarnations. it’s not an indication of a return to older-style ducati labelling either – there won’t be an 1198sPs…
Ducati HypermotarD 1100 eVo SpTake seven kilos off the old bike, add 5bhp and voilá: Hypermotard Evo
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F i r S t r i D e
Words Mike Armitage Photography Milagro
020-023 Feb BK Hypermotard CDP.indd 20 11/12/09 07:28:02
Ducati know how to make a bike desirable. I’m not talking
about beautiful lines or lovingly crafted components, but
the all-important name. If, like me, you were drawn to
imported Japanese 400s as much for their gloriously
flamboyant names as for their rarity, then rejoice at Ducati’s latest:
the Hypermotard 1100 EVO SP.
With a name like that, how can it be anything but brilliant?
To celebrate its second birthday, Ducati have given the
Hypermotard a going-over. It’s evolution rather than drastic
change, which explains the amended names: the base 1100
becomes the 1100 EVO; and the S version is replaced by the EVO
SP. Each bike has fewer kilos and more horses, both advances
thanks to revisions of the air-cooled, two-valve-per-head V-twin.
Cylinder head changes, new camshaft profiles and higher
compression are responsible for the bulk of the 5bhp
improvement, giving a claimed peak power output of 95bhp.
There’s also a larger airbox inlet, faster ECU, a return to single
spark plugs rather than twin and an oil bath under the cams for
21
more efficient cooling. An 848-style flywheel also saves weight.
To cut more flab, the crankcases have been redesigned to hug
the gearbox internals more closely, and formed using the latest
vacuum casting technology. These alone save a mildly
unbelievable 3.2kg. With a magnesium cover over the alternator,
which now uses light rare-earth magnets, the complete motor
weighs over five bags of Tate & Lyle’s finest less than last year.
Factor in lighter engine mounts (machined rather than forged,
as on the also-new 796), a lighter wiring loom, clocks borrowed
from the Streetfighter and carbon rear panels, and the total
reduction is 7kg (dry weight is a claimed 172kg).
Updates to create the road-focused 1100 EVO finish here –
suspension, geometry and styling are unchanged. But the chassis
of the new track-biased SP has further alterations, based on
feedback from racers in the Ducati Desmo Challenge and changes
to the bike that won the gruelling Pikes Peak Hillclimb in America.
The perfectly capable two-piece Brembo radial calipers are
swapped for overwhelming monoblocks swiped from the 1198
020-023 Feb BK Hypermotard CDP.indd 21 11/12/09 07:28:23
2010 NEW METAL
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The latest on the remaining new models of 2010
V12 Built around the unmistakable 1200cc
V-twin lump and designed to show
their commitment to enhancing and
developing their flagship engine, this is
Moto Guzzi’s V12 concept. The firm has
recently benefited from a huge dollop of
cash from owners Piaggio, which lets
them develop new models, re-organise
and increase production. And this project
is the first to bear fruit.
The concept was created by ex-Ducati
man Pierre Terblanche and Aprilia’s
on-form Miguel Galluzzi, and there were
three versions of the concept at the
recent Milan show. The LM is a sportsbike
named after the old Le Mans series
(above); the Strada, has more upright
ergonomics and a pillion seat (above left);
and the X (left) is billed as ‘one-of-a-kind’
but is actually something of a supermoto.
All share the same cast aluminium frame,
monocoque bodywork (which hinges up
as one piece for access beneath) and four-
valve, 1151cc, 90° motor. There are some
cool details too, like the LCD rear view
system instead of mirrors, LED lighting
and those curiously appealing heat sinks
near the headstock.
Moto Guzzi were gauging public
reaction at the show in Italy before
deciding if the next step is production or
three more occupants for the museum.
We’re hoping for the former. ‘This is just
the first step,’ says Galluzzi. ‘We are back
to relying on ideas and we have plenty of
them. This is just the beginning.’
Fingers crossed, eh? >>>
moto guzzi
030-031 Feb new metal round up.indd 30 11/12/09 07:40:37
front
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SHIVERThe seat is now 50mm thinner and a tad nearer to the ground, to make it easier to get a leg down and give better control. The handlebars and footpegs are lower and further back for a more inclined, sportier stance. The rider and pillion pegs are different items too, for ‘an enhanced sporting look’ and the brake discs are now wavy. The cowl is also modified to give a smidge more protection, new colourscheme and large, old-style Aprilia graphics.
NORGE GT 8VGuzzi’s charming if mildly lacking tourer benefits from the four-valve-per-cylinder engine from the Griso and 1200 Sport. With new exhausts to suit, there’s an increase in both the claimed power and torque – up just over 8bhp to 103.5bhp at 7500rpm, with torque climbing from 74 to 81 lb.ft.
Suspension is sportier thanks to different spring rates and revised damping, while the fairing is revised to offer better protection and better cooling by ducting heat away from the air-cooled engine more efficiently. The clocks are now nearer to the rider as well and there’s a modified centrestand, redesigned for easier operation.
DORSODURO FACTORYAprilia’s handy supermoto is available in Factory form in 2010. The fly-by-wire 750cc V-twin and composite frame of the base Dorsoduro are unchanged, but Aprilia have sprinkled the running gear with updates.
The Sachs 43mm upside-down forks are specific to this model, hanging from forged yokes, with longer travel and adjustable preload and rebound damping. Cast fork bottoms hold four-piston Brembo radial calipers, as opposed to Aprilia’s own gold copies on the base model and Shiver, grabbing at wavy discs, and the rear shock is also changed for a fully adjustable gas unit.
Carbon fibre replaces some of the plastic bodywork to save weight, with the large tank sides and both mudguards formed in the lightweight weave. An anodised top yoke, alloy bars and a black and red paint scheme complete the changes.
APRILIA
mOTO GUzzI
S P E C SPrice £10,915Engine 1151cc, 8v, sohc, 90° V-twinPower 103bhp @ 7500rpm (claimed)Top speed 130mph (est) Wet weight 251kg (claimed)
S P E C SPrice £7625Engine 750cc. 8v, dohc, 90° V-twinPower 90bhp @ 8750rpm (claimed)Top speed 130mph (est) Wet weight 210kg (est)
S P E C SPrice £6215Engine 750cc, 8v, dohc, 90° V-twinPower 95bhp @ 9000rpm (claimed)Top speed 135mph (est) Wet weight 218kg (est)
030-031 Feb new metal round up.indd 31 11/12/09 07:37:38
Words Gary Inman Photography Chippy Wood
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Toby & Julesd r e a m t e a m
Toby Moody bounds up the stairs to the anonymous hotel where I’ve arranged to meet him and the other half of Eurosport’s dynamic commentary duo Julian Ryder. I get the impression Toby bounds everywhere. He has the same tongue-lolling enthusiasm as a one-year-old Red Setter. He’s all firm handshakes, bright eyes and dress, which is best described as finance manager of a medium-sized
provincial firm kicking back at the sailing club. Within minutes he’s showing us photos on his iPhone of the Suzuki GSX-R600-powered single-seat hillclimb car he races at his beloved Shelsley Walsh
‘I started commenting at the age of 20,’ explains
the 37-year-old Toby. The son of car hillclimb
enthusiasts, with a father who commentated over
the PA at live races, Toby’s been obsessed with
motorsport since he could walk. ‘I picked up a
microphone rather than spanners, because I already
tried that. For a summer job I was in final assembly
at Benetton Formula 1. The following year, for £65 a
week, I worked on rally cars at ProDrive. But I wasn’t
really very good at it.
‘After asking my dad, he said, “You can
commentate, but I’m not doing you any favours.”
Someone came up to me after a couple of meetings
and said, “I can lie in the grass at the top of the hill
with my eyes shut listening to you and I can see
everything.” I thought, “That’s it! That’s exactly what
I’m trying to do.”’
A few minutes later Toby’s commentary partner
Julian Ryder arrives. A bear of a man; short, thick
hair; short, thick beard; and, I’m assuming, short,
thick, hairy legs.
The pair have been the soundtrack of UK GP fans’
weekends for more than a decade. If there’s a GP
bike on track anywhere in the world, it’s likely they’re
giving an opinion on it for Eurosport.
While the BBC’s coverage is excellent, with clever
features in the build-up, characterful anchors (I said
‘anchors’) and fearless pit-lane paratroopers, the
race commentary is set at a level a little too
simplistic and repetitive for the GP hardcore. Listen
to one of Toby and Jules’ commentaries and you
quickly realise they’re genuine fans. And, because
they know they’re catering for the hardcore, they
take up the roles of King Gnomes, revelling in the
tiniest detail, itching to share the most obscure
nugget. You get the feeling they’d do the job for
nothing. Not what you get from the Beeb.
‘We complement each other,’ says Ryder, talking
about the two companies. ‘The anoraks listen to us,
some camped on the settee for every session. The
Beeb’s show is very high quality, but they can’t
devote as much time to it as Eurosport do.’
Rally commentary led Toby to GPs. ‘It was early
’96 when I heard about the opportunity. I thought,
“Great, I’ll be number two to the American fella
[Dennis Noyes].” Oh no, the job was for the number
one. So I went out and learnt about bikes. Very
quickly. I’d been to bike races and there’s a photo of
me in the family album as a boy with Barry Sheene,
but I didn’t know the current scene. I learnt it in a
hurry before I went to the interview with Dorna in
Spain. They sat me in a booth and said, “Right,
commentate on this race.” I only knew about seven
names. After two laps they said, “Fine,” and put me
t h e b i k e i n t e r V i e w
050-054 Toby & Jules Interview.indd 50 11/12/09 08:42:42
From far left: The book of books for MotoGP stats addicts; A mobile phone and accurate watch are essential tools of the trade; Toby bones up on his race stats, while Jules checks out the sports
section. ‘Any more tea in the pot, Toby?’
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050-054 Toby & Jules Interview.indd 51 11/12/09 08:43:15
078-085 2010 BMW Blade final.indd 78 14/12/09 12:40:36
078-085 2010 BMW Blade final.indd 79 14/12/09 12:40:59
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Pinpointing what’s wrong with telescopic forks
makes a lot more sense in a classroom than it
does on a road, forest trail or racetrack.
Some of this can be blamed on 74 years of
continuous development. But most of it is down
to the fact that, although in theory forks are a
dog’s breakfast, in practice they’re very good.
Perhaps their biggest advantage is their
tendency to dive under braking. Thirty years
ago manufacturers and race teams had all
manner of anti-dive or pro-squat systems. But
braking dive is exactly what you want. Not only
does it transfer more weight on to the front tyre
at the ideal time, allowing harder braking, it
steepens the steering and reduces the trail too –
precisely when you want the bike to be at its
most flickable. On top of that, forks transmit feel
almost directly to the palms of your hands.
Nevertheless, the shortcomings are there. It’s
just that they’re so enormous they’re built into
what we expect of a motorcycle. Whoever
heard of a bike without a frame? That was
ridiculously cheap and light? That came with
several hundred fewer moving parts?
If a team of engineers had to invent front
suspension today, there’s no way they’d come
up with telescopic forks. But evolution has
selected them over all the other options. It
doesn’t matter that they mix up suspension,
steering and braking functions, rely on a
friction-prone sliding bearing vulnerable to road
grot, and need lots of complication, expense
and extra bulk to work properly. They work and
that’s that. But only for now...
The trouble with forks...
problem #4they’re unstableWhen a bike accelerates hard over bumps, or lands a wheelie crossed-up, it can tankslap. Although electronic steering dampers have taken the horror out of the experience, such frolics are not quickly forgotten.
Fork problem #6they’re an expensive compromise
Forks bend under braking, which affects their ability to slide smoothly. They also need to control weight
transfer as well as shock absorption. And they’ve become complicated bits of precision-engineered
kit that can account for 10-20% of a bike’s cost.
problem #3 they impair airFlowForks must be stiff and therefore wide. This puts two air dams in front of the radiator. In 2004, Ducati ditched their overheating Desmosedici’s conventional 50mm steel tubes for 42mm carbon fibre ones. Same stiffness, less obstruction.
problem #1they add weightForks create immense stress in the steering head, particularly under braking. Thus they need a strong frame to maintain stiffness. Even on a MotoGP bike the frame weighs 6kg or more – at least a stone.
Fork problem #5they mix up Forces
Forks have to deal with the forces involved with braking (and acceleration), suspension movement and steering. Because they all share the load path, the forks need to be large and stiff; worse, hitting a
bump can have an adverse effect on steering, heavy braking uses up travel, and so on.
problem #2they mess up weight distributionA headstock and two bulky alloy beams reduce options to move other clutter on the bike closer to the centre of mass.
...is, in short, almost everything – they’re heavy, complicated and expensive. but we’re stuck with them. or are we?
Words Rupert Paul
funny fronT ends
088-107 FFE CDP SiH .indd 90 11/12/09 09:29:26
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BMW TeleleverIntroduced on the R1100RS in 1993, BMW’s
Telelever front suspension went on to dominate
their model range throughout the ’90s. Based
on a design used by English frame builder Nigel
Hill, the system uses two ‘empty’ sliding forks
which still steer the bike but contain no
springing or damping. Instead, a single shock
absorber handles the bumps, mounted off a
wishbone connected to a rose joint on a brace
between the forks at mudguard height. The rear
ends of the wishbone hinge off mounting points
above and behind the cylinder head.
The system feeds suspension forces into the
frame, bypassing steering. This means braking
and bumps have no effect over the effort
needed to steer, theoretically improving feel,
stability and reducing braking distances
(although not all riders would agree with the
improved feel argument). Other advantages
include less unsprung weight, less friction in the
forks and, by altering wishbone geometry,
chassis designers can tailor the system to dive
under braking to make it feel like tele forks.
BMW DuoleverDebuted on the K1200S in 2005, Duolever is
based on an invention by English chassis
designer Norman Hossack. A pair of solid arms,
like a vertical swingarm, hinge on two rose joints
connected to the frame by short struts. A shock
attaches to the bottom strut. Steering is via a
scissor joint at the top of the ‘swingarm’.
Like Telelever, Duolever splits steering and
suspension forces, meaning brake forces,
bumps and changes in suspension loading due
to cornering (like shutting the throttle mid
corner) have no effect on steering. Brake dive
and steering geometry are adjustable
according to the length and position of
components. Some riders find the rigidity of the
forks make the front end feel remote in corners.
The current alternativesThe funny front end (FFE) world is a lot more complicated than the two broad categories below. But, if you’ll forgive the oversimplification, the following are the systems that could yet rival telescopic forks
Two dirty great tubes with springs and oil
inside clamped together. What’s so
wrong with that?
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