001_PB_Aug09 cover.indd.sp.indd 1 16/6/09 15:37:11

APRILIA RSV4 vs

HONDA RC45words matt wildee Pics rory game

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HOmOLOgAtION SPeCIALS

Aboard the bike that makes the rsv seem slow...

No speedo, no mirrors, no switchgear. Just an RC45 and Honda's 1995 'A' race kit. That RSV4 won't be leading for long...

p76-84 PB augmod leg hom PDP.sp.indd 1 18/6/09 15:35:31

APRILIA RSV4 vs

HONDA RC45

077

Framed by the rough black fibreglass of race-kit ram-air scoops, the granite and green of

Dartmoor blurs like the fuzzy VHS of an ancient TT video. But this isn’t a video replay from the comfort of a soft sofa, this is real and with every passing second I’m being consumed by sensations. The shocks of vibration, buffeting and noise are ruling my world. The RC45 is gulping in the air, pulling hard and chasing an invisible redline and a 14,500rpm limiter. The blare from the exhaust is bouncing off the dry stone walls, reverberating through my plug-less ears. This bike has almost every HRC go-faster bit you can get bolted on. It’s almost too much.

Aprilia RSV4 Factory-mounted Kar Lee and myself are cutting across the B3212, threading our way between the sheep, tourists and wild horses that roam the Peaks. We shouldn’t be here and nobody looks pleased to see us. We’re hardly being inconspicuous, but when we’re riding bikes this good it’s hard not to be excited. Kar’s on the only V4 superbike of the modern era, developed to massage Max Biaggi’s ego and bristling with electronics and high-tech components. I’m riding the last great V4 performance bike. As standard the RC45 is special, but this one has a full HRC endurance race kit, kicks out 145bhp and weighs 162kg. You could have won Suzuka on it in the mid-90s.

Pared down and undiluted by the compromises that made a showroom spec RC45 tardy, this 15 year-old bike covers ground faster than almost anything else I’ve ridden. If the RC had mirrors, I’d be able to see the following RSV4 disappearing from view behind me. Out of the slow corners it pulls first gear forever, growling with an intensity and aggression that makes the Aprilia seem soft. If the RC had a speedo, I’d know that the bottom cog lasts until 110mph, before the next five ratios shotgun into place with pump-action accuracy, engine note hardly wavering, rear Pirelli digging in and driving. If it had any comfort, my knees wouldn’t be brushing my wrists and there wouldn’t be

p76-84 PB augmod leg hom PDP.sp.indd 2 18/6/09 15:35:48

031

SIGMA APRILIA RSV (ALL MODELS)

SLIPPER CLUTCHIf any bike ever required the benefit of a full-on slipper clutch it’s Aprilia’s big V-twin. This five-ramp unit from Sigma is the latest addition to their ever-growing range and uses the standard clutch plates and springs, and is a huge improvement over Aprilia’s stock unit. We were utterly sold on Sigma slipper clutches when we tested one in our Honda CBR600RR.>£649.75 >Sigma Performance 01892 538802>www.SigmaPerformance.com

TYGA HONDA CBR125 AND CBR400 SUPER FOUR

CARBON PARTSIf small and left-field Hondas are your thing you’ll be delighted by these slices of exquisite carbon goodness imported by our chums at Jap 4 Performance. You see here a tank cover for the CBR125/150 (up to 2007) and a front fender for the same, as well as a front guard and side panels for the CB400 Super Four, plus some injector covers for the latest Revo VTEC version.>£30-£99 > JaP 4 Performance 0161 613 6600>www.JaP4Performance.com

HARRIS UNDER FORK AND BMW K1200 (R&S)

PADDOCK STANDSThere are two types of front stainless steel paddock stand here. One is a spigot type that locates under the fork legs, available for most bikes of 10 years and beyond. The other is for the BMW K1200 R and S. Being bike specific there’s none of the wobbly angst you might experience with ‘universal’ types. >£61.52 (£76.08, Bmw K1200)>HarriS Performance 01992 532501 >www.HarriS-Performance.com

HM STRAIN GAUGE

QUICKSHIFTER The latest version of the HM Quickshifter PC has no moving parts and requires no mechanical set-up or cutting or splicing of wires. With a strain gauge quickshifter, the change is initiated by molecular changes in the shiftrod. The selector drum is always loaded when a quickshift is initiated for a perfect shift every time. >from £293.61 >HarriS Performance 01992 532501 >www.HarriS-Performance.com

YAMAHA YAMALUBE

LUBRICANTS & POLISHESThe Yamalube range is made by Yamaha who say, ‘We design our engines’ design and performance specification based on the oil they will use.’ With those oils being developed in tandem, they’re sure to perform equally well in any make of bike. Yamaha have produced a range of polishes, chain lubes and other emollients, too.>from £3.99 >YamaHa 01932 358000 >www.YamaHa-motor.co.uK

p30-33 PBaug prodsfrontREVCDP.sp.indd 2 18/6/09 07:55:41

WEISE TORNADO PLUS SPS

GLOVESFull-grain leather race gloves with kangaroo palms for under a ton? We’ll have some of that please.

The gloves have Knox SPS sliders and grippy chamude overlay on the palms. There are TPU shields on the knuckles / fingers, and pre-formed fingers with stretch panels over the back and thumb. plus the usual velcro wrist strap and adjustable cushioned cuffs. Matt black or black/white in small to XXX-L.>£99.99 >Weise 0117 971 9200>WWW.Weise-clothing.co.uk

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AIM SMARTYCAM ONBOARD

CAMCORDERIncriminate yourself in spectacular new ways with the AIM SmartyCam. Actually, this is an incredibly clever piece of technology with high-speed GPS and the ability to connect to your bike’s ECU or an AIM datalogger. This allows you to make your own DVD-quality videos in the style of the onboard footage they show on the telly with speed, rpm and so on overlaid. It will also show GPS lap timing and real-time track position. Hours of high-tech fun.>£799.25 >AiM 0844 800 2183>WWW.AiM-tec.co.uk

neWproducts

TYRE DOWN BIKE

STRAP SYSTEMAs skilled as we are here at PB at strapping down bikes in vans and onto trailers, there has been the inevitable scuffed panel and top yoke, not to mention perforated ply lining and dimpled van panels. Ratcheting a bike down hard on its suspension always seems a bit harsh, too.

Enter the Tyre Down, which requires strapping of the rear wheel only. It has a pair of metal plates, each with a friction pad, which grips the rear tyre. Webbing straps (rated to hold 400kg) on either side attach to mounting points and are secured by heavy-duty ratchets. You just slip the plates over the rear tyre, locate the hooks in suitable anchor points and tighten each ratchet. No compressed suspension and no scuffed panels, cans or top yokes either.>£60 >V2 MAl 08700 677 617>WWW.V2MAl.coM

Words AlAn seeleypics john noble

Choosing a datalogger p106

Kar Lee’s camcorder p120

p30-33 PBaug prodsfrontREVCDP.sp.indd 1 18/6/09 07:54:48

p86-92, GUY copyMF.sp.indd 2 19/6/09 12:52:05

p86-92, GUY copyMF.sp.indd 3 19/6/09 12:52:22

PB road test///the Plan

2009 KTM RC8R 159bhpThe pReTendeR. WiTh a RaCe seRies To iTs naMe, The RC8R is a seRious ConTendeR on boTh The TRaCK and Road.

2009 YaMaha YZF-R1 159bhpThe inline FouR ThaT’s been designed To gRip and pRolong TYRe liFe liKe a TWin buT WiTh The beneFiTs oF The inline FouR.

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Grandstand, Rockingham Motor Speedway, www.rockingham.co.ukLots of corners here too

p62-69 PB Aug pt2 CDP.sp .indd 82 17/6/09 11:50:37

THIS MONTH WE HaVE● Ridden some of the most delectable bikes on Earth● Eaten, slept and wept driveability● Loaded £53,105 of bikes into a single van● Pondered the future of road bike engines

ONLY ONE WaY TO SpLIT THEM: LOTS OF THROTTLE,LOTS OF CORNERS aND a DaTaLOGGER

2009 APRILIA RSV4 156bhpThe homoLogATIon SPecIAL. VeRy SPecIAL. JAPAneSe WSB RAceRS ARe mASS PRoducTIon mAchIneS. The RSV4 ISn’T.

2009 ducATI 1198 155bhpThe STAndARd. ducATI TWInS hAVe Been The BIke of choIce foR geTTIng ouT of coRneRS quIckLy. ARe They STILL?

words BEN WILKINS pics PAUL BRYANT

it’s all about corner exit. The slower the corner, the harder it is to get power

down. The rsV4 is trying hard

063

Yamaha’s crossplane crank has been designed to give the R1 an advantage coming out of a corner. Designed to allow the rider to get the power down and get out of a corner hard. Effectively to make it less like an inline four. This puts it head to head with V-twins and V-fours that are already good at it. The question is, do any of them have an advantage?

p62-69 PB Aug pt2 CDP.sp .indd 83 17/6/09 11:50:57

p70-73 PB Aug pt3 CDP.sp.indd 82 17/6/09 11:59:56

p70-73 PB Aug pt3 CDP.sp.indd 83 17/6/09 12:01:04

feature taglinepb100the bikes to ride before you die

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Before Hayabusas, ZZ-R1400s and ZX-12Rs roamed the land, ZZ-R1100s ruled the world. Faster than GSX-Rs, FZRs and CBR1000s, they ripped arms from sockets with their torque and made lots of people very happy.

p94-95 PB Aug PB100 CDP.sp.indd 1 17/6/09 12:14:07

p94-95 PB Aug PB100 CDP.sp.indd 2 17/6/09 12:15:29

p46-47 PB Aug SubsCDP.sp.indd 1 18/6/09 08:46:44

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1988 HoNda VFr750r rc30HAS SPENT MOST OF THE LAST TWO DECADES HIBERNATING IN CONTAINERS AND GARAGES. NOW IT’S BEING RIDDEN HARD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN yEARS.

1983 suZuKi rG250 GaMMaKAR LEE’S MID-LIFE CRISIS MADE METAL, THE GAMMA HAS SPENT THE LAST 300 MILES PINNED. 20 MILES TO GO, BUT STILL ONLy A 50/50 CHANCE OF MAKING THE RING.

p46-47 PB Aug SubsCDP.sp.indd 2 18/6/09 08:47:40