1609 RF final

SEPTEMBER 2016 RSA R30.00 

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EXCLUSIVE 

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A CLOSER LOOK AT THE NEW MACHINE

1002 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2016

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RIDEFAST MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2016 1

W E L C O M E THE TEAM: 

EDITOR & DESIGN: 

Rob Portman 

rob@ridefast.co.za 

082 782 8240 

ADVERTISING: 

Zenon Birkby 

zenon@ridefast.co.za 

074 104 1074 

Thank goodness that MotoGP was back on 

track. I was starting to get withdrawal symptoms 

but at least my garden was looking good thanks to 

all the attention it was getting on Sunday mornings. 

The Austrian and Czech Republic rounds 

delivered top class racing once again and it was 

great to see new winners in the MotoGP class. I’m 

a big fan of Andrea Iannone and Cal Crutchlow, so 

seeing them win was great. We just had to feature 

a pull-out poster of each rider to celebrate their 

wins, hope you approve? 

What’s even more special is seeing Rossi defy 

logic and go as fast as he does, even at the tender 

age of 38. It’s incredible to see him challenge his 

much younger rivals - He truly is the G.O.A.T! 

Sadly it does not look like he will be getting that 

elusive 10th title this years, although there is still 

plenty of racing to do, it seems as if Marquez will 

once again be the party pooper. You have to be 

impressed with Marquez 

this year. He has 

matured so much 

and now looks 

like the complete 

racer, not risking 

it all but rather 

accepting defeat 

when needed and 

collecting points. 

Staying with impressive riders and our man 

Brad Binder continues to shine. Yes he had the 

crash in Brno but I don’t fault him at all. I know 

everyone thinks he should have backed off and 

rather picked up points but I don’t believe in that. 

He is there to race and pick up wins not just settle, 

it’s still to early to do that. He has a healthy points 

lead and can’t let the championship cloud his mind 

too much as it might hamper his riding. Keep doing 

what you’re doing I say - Go for it! 

We catch us with Brad in his exclusive race 

column where he tells all and reveals for the first 

time his plans for next year. Exciting stuff ahead for 

him and I cannot wait to see what unfolds. 

I am also pleased to announce that we finally 

have his new range of official RideFast Forty One 

shirts and hoodies available. Full info on page 16. 

Had so much fun testing the bikes we have 

featured in this issue. From the big and heavy, 

naked and nimble, old and new, we have a good 

mixture of bikes highlighted. 

Going forward I would like to feature a “Readers 

Letters” section in the mag, where you all get to 

have your say, good or bad, not only about the 

mag but about happenings in the industry. Kind of 

like your own eds column where you can express 

your thoughts on racing, bikes, what you like or 

don’t like about the mag, agree or disagree on what 

we had to say about a bike... the floor is yours so 

please send all your letters to rob@ridefast. 

co.za and I will be sure to put them in. 

Really want you the reader to be able to 

express yourself! Who knows, your 

letter might even win a prize! 

Also, if you have any questions 

with regards to buying a bike, or 

any tech related question which 

you would like answered by an 

expert, please feel free to send it 

to me and I will either assist or get 

another expert too. I have great access to the best 

in the business so would like to offer my resources 

to help assist you. 

That’s it for now. I hope you enjoy the mag as 

much as I do, and if not, send me a mail and tell 

me why not and what we can do to improve our 

mag. Your input is vital and valued! 

Thanks and ride safe! 

EDITOR 

Rob Portman 

ACCOUNTS & 

SUBSCRIPTIONS: 

Anette 

anette.acc@mweb.co.za 

011 979 5035 

CONTRIBUTORS: 

Sheridan Morais 

Brad Binder 

Darryn Binder 

Cam Petersen 

Richard Knowles 

Gerrit Erasmus 

Clive Strugnell 

TO SUBSCRIBE 

CALL 011 979 5035 OR EMAIL 

anette.acc@mweb.co.za 

Digital or print copy. 

DECALS BY 

TEL: CHRIS 082 602 1836 

TONY 083 770 2400 


“We stand for Integrity, 

Honesty and Customer 

Experience. Fire It Up! 

is the new pre-loved 

destination store.” 

Craig Langton 

#integrity 

#ethos 

#honestbikes 

#therightbikefromtherightpeople 

#keepingmotorcyclingaffordable 

#payitforward 

#cleanestbikesinsa 

#bikegiveaway 

#givingback 

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#expertadvice 

CUSTOMER QUOTE “Fire it up have certainly 

changed how buying a motorcycle gets done. They 

don’t sell you a bike, they grant you an experience. 

I am proud to be associated with the team at Fire 

It Up, as how they do things, rests well with my 

values. No where else can you go to a bike shop, 

relax in the lounge and have it feel like home. 

Thank you team for restoring the culture and 

relationships into the world of motorcycling.” 

Please note that Fire It Up is an independent company and it not associated to any other companies in South Africa whatsoever. Any perceived similarities are merely a coincidence 

Tel: 011 467 0737 / James 076 827 9676 or Berto 079 494 2404 

Shop No 2 , Showrooms on Leslie, Corner of William Nicol and Leslie Drive Fourways, JHB (next to Cycle lab and pro shop) 


Contents SEPTEMBER 2016 

14: NEWS: KTM RC16 MOTOGP 

35: FEATURE: 8 BEST SPORTBIKE BUYS 

16: PRODUCTS: SHOEI & BINDER 

39: COVER STORY: TRIPLE THREAT 

18: FEATURE: MV FLASH TUNED 

51: TESTED: KAWA Z1000 & APRILIA TUONO RR 

20: WORLD LAUNCH: PIRELLI DIABLO 


50% OFF 

CLEARANCE STOCK! 

EDENVALE STORE ONLY 

THURSDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER: 8am - 5.30pm / FRIDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 8am-5.30pm 

SATURDAY 1ST OCTOBER 8am-3pm / SUNDAY 2ND OCTOBER 9am-2pm 

MASSIVE IN STORE SPOT SPECIALS THROUGH-OUT THE WEEKEND! 

EDENVALE 123 VAN RIEBEECK AVE EDENVALE, JHB 

011 452 2397 / Tyre Bay 011 452 1285 

CRESTA 254 BEYERS NAUDE DR BLACKHEATH, CRESTA 

011 431 1938 / 011 431 1935 

30% OFF 

UP TO 

UP TO 

STANDARD RETAIL OF 

MOTORCYCLE ACCESSORIES & SPARES 

AT ALL 3 BRANCHES 

PRETORIA WILLOW WAY SHOPPING CENTRE 

CNR LYNNWOOD RD & POWER AVE, LYNNWOOD, PTA 

012 807 1502

2017 Honda CBR250RR 

The new CBR250RR looks gorgeous. This is the 

true successor to the early-1990s CBR250RR 

Honda have unveiled the all-new CBR250RR in Jakarta, Indonesia. This new bike seems 

to be closer in spirit to the glorious early-1990s CBR250RR as compared to the rather 

more prosaic current-generation CBR250R. Just look at the new bike - what a difference 

an extra ‘R’ in the name can make! “Passion and a high interest in Indonesia’s motorcycle 

enthusiasts encouraged us to present the all new Honda CBR250RR,” said Honda’s 

Toshiyuki Inuma. Nonetheless, it was a pretty low-key unveiling for a machine that’s been 

so keenly anticipated worldwide and which is likely to make its way to Europe, the US and 

various Asian markets by the end of this year (fingers crossed for SA). 

In any case, the 2017 CBR250RR is powered by a 250cc four-stroke liquid-cooled 

DOHC 8-valve fuel-injected parallel-twin, which should be quite a bit more powerful than 

the 26bhp single-cylinder 250cc engine which powers the CBR250R. Unlike the 1990s 

CBR250RR, the 2017 model doesn’t have an aluminium twin-spar chassis, with Honda 

opting for a tubular steel ‘truss type’ unit this time, perhaps for a bit of cost cutting. Still, 

at least the ‘gull-arm’ swingarm is made of aluminium, and we hope the new CBR250RR 

will weigh a bit less than the 250R, which has a kerb weight of 163kg. The 1990s 

CBR250RR had a kerb weight of 159kg and a power output of 45bhp, so we certainly 

hope the new one beats those figures! 

Notable bits on the new CBR250RR include Honda’s Pro-Link rear suspension, 37mm 

USD Showa fork at the front, LED lights, seven-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels, multiple riding 

modes and ABS. Colours available include racing red, metallic gray and metallic black, 

and the bike will go on sale in Indonesia by the end of 2016. Shortly thereafter, we hope, 

it will also be launched in other parts of the world. Honda will reveal prices closer to the 

actual launch, so stay tuned. 

FULLY CUSTOMIZED 

ARAI HELMETS FROM 

RECONSTRUCTED 

Reconstructed and Arai South Africa have joined 

forces and are now offering you the chance to 

create and own your own replica helmet. Get 

your Arai helmet fully customized in your own 

design. The helmets are customized and painted 

by SLgrafics in Netherlands - the same company 

that does work for the likes of Shez Morais, David 

McFadden and other top local and international 

riders. Their work is World class and WSBK and 

MotoGP spec! 

Create your own design and RECONSTRUCTED 

along with SLgrafics will do the full layout etc. 

Contact Reconstructed for orders or more info. 

Email reconstructedcustoms@gmail.com or call 

0861460460. 

NEW LS2 HELMETS NOW 

AVAILABLE IN JHB 

Top helmet brand, LS2, are now available in 

JHB through Peter Herbert Motorcycles who 

have been appointed an official dealer. LS2 

offer a great range of quality road helmets and 

are well represented in the MotoGP and WSBK 

championships, with top riders such as Yonny 

Hernandez and Loris Baz sporting the brand. 

Pictured here are two of our favourites - The 

Arrow Hernandez replica at only R5495 and Arrow 

C FF323 Carbon at R6000. 

Call Peter Herbert Motorcycles on 011 793 4613 

for more info. 


RIDE LONGER 

GO BEYOND YOUR 

BOUNDARIES 

Broaden your horizons with a ferocious V-twin engine, wind-slicing aerodynamics and a 

full electronics package that includes Cornering ABS and WP Semi-active suspension. 

Dominating distant roads has never been more achievable. If hunting for new riding 

grounds is what you’re after, look no further than the KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE GT. 

Please call 011 462 7796 for your nearest KTM Dealer. 

Photo: R. Schedl 

Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations! 

The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost. 

KTM Group Partner

NEWS 

Find us on Facebook: 

RideFast Sportsbike Magazine 

Norton V4 set 

for production 

Reborn British bike maker to produce 1200cc V4 

superbike in 2017. 

The Norton Motorcycle company has confirmed that its new V4 

sportsbike will be unveiled in November this year with the first 

deliveries of the machine expected in the middle of 2017. 

Featuring a new 1200cc, V4 engine made by Norton the machine 

features a tubular steel chassis and styling along the lines of the SG 

racer ridden by Aussie Dave Johnson at the Isle of Man TT. 

The machine will be publicly unveiled for the first time at the UK’s 

NEC Motorcycle Live show while Norton are now taking enquiries 

for the first V4 machine will be released as a limited edition model 

with a run of 200 units. 

The V4 will be the fifth model in the Norton line-up in addition to the 

three Commando variants and a Dominator. To place your interest 

in getting your hands on one of the machines, head to the Norton 

website at www.nortonmotorcycles.com. 

Martin Breaks Triumph 

Land Speed Record 

Twin cruiser-engined land speed racer sets new 

benchmark ahead of record attempt. 

August 8th 2016 and the Triumph Infor Rocket Streamliner became the 

world’s fastest ever Triumph by achieving a speed of 441.3km/h at the 

Bonneville Salt Flats. Piloted by TT legend Guy Martin, the streamliner 

smashed the previous official Triumph record that stood at 245.667 

mph as well as the unofficial Triumph Record of 264mph, both set by 

Bob Leppan, in the Gyronaut X-1. 

When asked about becoming the fastest ever Triumph record holder 

Martin commented: “It’s good and we are moving in the right direction, 

but it is just one step on the way to what me and team are here to do.” 

The Triumph Infor Rocket features a carbon Kevlar monocoque 

construction with two turbocharged Triumph Rocket III engines 

producing a combined 1,000 bhp at 9,000 rpm. The motorcycle is 25.5 

feet long, 2 feet wide and 3 feet tall. Powered by methanol fuel, the bike 

is competing in the Division C (streamlined motorcycle) category. 

Triumph has a history of breaking the land speed record, holding the 

title of ‘World’s Fastest Motorcycle’ between 1955 to 1970*. The 

record-breaking Triumph Streamliners included: Devil’s Arrow, Texas 

Cee-gar, Dudek Streamliner and Gyronaut X1, the former achieving 

a top speed of 245.667 mph (395.28 km/h). Today’s record, held by 

Rocky Robinson since 2010 riding the Top Oil-Ack Attack streamliner, 

sits at 376.363 mph (605.697 km/h). 

The iconic Bonneville name was conceived following Johnny Allen’s 

land-speed record runs at the Salt Flats in September 1956, when 

he reached the record breaking speed of 193.72 mph. The first T120 

Bonneville model was unveiled at the Earls Court Bike Show and went 

on sale in 1959. 

To follow the progress of the world land speed record attempt, please 

visit www.triumphmotorcycles.com. 

FULL THROTTLE SUMMER 

BLOWOUT SALE 

The mega motorcycle accessories franchise will be having 

its annual SUMMER BLOWOUT SALE from Thursday 29th 

September to Sunday 2nd October. Huge savings - 30% off 

standard retail price of accessories and spares (all branches) 

and up to 50% off clearance stock at Edenvale branch only. 

There will also be spot-specials in stores through-out the sale 

weekend. Don’t miss out! Thousands of top quality motorcycle 

products to choose from. Visit www.fullthrottle.co.za for store 

info or to shop online. 


NEWS 

Find us on Facebook: 

RideFast Sportsbike Magazine 

A Super Day! 

Supercars plus Superbikes can only mean 

one thing - a super day out. 

GUTS N GAS 

OPENING SOON 

A brand new, exciting motorcycle 

accessories concept store is about 

to hit the West Rand. Guts ’N Gas, 

it will strive to offer the highest 

level of customer service as well 

as exclusive deals. Keep an eye out 

for the name in our magazine next 

month for the full details. 

Guts ‘N Gas, it’s a brand, not just 

a store! 

Daytona Group in Sandton recently hosted a Supercar 

and Superbike breakfast run from their dealership, which 

houses top brands such as McLaren, Rolls Royce and 

BMW. 27 supercars and 20 bikes set off on a cold 

morning for a run through to the Bon Hotel on the Vaal in 

Vereeniging. It was an awesome, horsepower filled day. 

The Daytona Group host a car run once every 3 months 

and the guys and girls from Sandton Auto Motorrad host 

a breakfast run every month which is open to all. We took 

the R1M along for the ride and found ourselves in great 

company as you can see by the pics. We were treated to 

muffins and coffee at the massive BMW dealership situated 

on Rivonia rd in Sandton, and a superb buffet awaited us 

at the Bon Hotel on arrival. A really good day was had by 

both car and bike owners. One talented rider on a BMW 

S1000R was certainly the entertainment for the day, with 

his 200kph wheelies alongside the car and bike convoy. 

Give the guys a call on 011676 6600 to join in on their next 

breakfast run. You will love it! 

MORE TRICK PARTS 

FROM DYNO BY QUINT 

Dyno by Quint, one of the leaders 

in motorcycle customising, has 

recently developed front wheel down 

force winglets for the Kawasaki H2. 

Manufactured from Teflon, they have been 

developed in a wind tunnel simulator to 

aid in assisting in front end down force. 

Along with these, they have also 

manufactured carbon fibre H2R winglets 

that fit onto the standard H2. 

Quintin is also in the process of 

developing winglets for several other 

modern day superbikes. Give them a call 

for all you custom needs. 011 609 9275. 


BIKE TYRE WAREHOUSE OPENING IN 

MIDRAND, 1ST SEPTEMBER. 

TYRES FOR ROAD, ADVENTURE AND DIRT. 

The infamous Bruce de Kock, one of the most experienced tyre 

guys in SA, is the man behind this lot. A multifranchise and onestop 

motorcycle, ATV and SXS tyre and fitment centre in Midrand. 

A very interesting guy, Bruce comes from a road and dirt racing 

background with regional colours for quad motocross and is now a 

retired member of the “Insane Few” - a well known quad Freestyle 

motocross outfit in SA. 

He has consulted to international tyre brands and was involved 

in the design and production of an adventure tyre range for an 

international brand. He has developed specialized run flat tyre 

technology for military applications. Bruce holds the notable 

distinction of designing and developing ATV race tyres for more 

than one international team at Dakar. 

He gives back too - Bruce has sponsored and coached numerous 

youngsters as well as pro riders in MX and off road and has 

contributed to Motorsport in SA for a good long while. 

So , in his own words, “You are not just walking into a bike tyre 

retailer, but an outfit that has years of knowledge and experience 

in the market and with so many tyre brands come and gone in SA, 

Batt is a testament to the above.” 

With around 4000 tyres in stock, they supply all major brands, 

Dunlop, Pirelli, Michelin, Metzeler and Batt for road and dirt 

application. A specialised Harley fitment man is in the tyre bay 

along with SXS and ATV specialised fitters. 

Top of the line equipment is on its way for balancing and all that 

good stuff. 

In addition to tyres, Bike Tyre Warehouse will stock a selection 

of consumables like brake pads, chains , mousses and related 

accessories, but they are quick to point out that they are not a 

workshop or service centre. Give them a call or hop on the bike 

and pay them a visit - Richards drive, Midrand. (011) 205-0216. 

SBK SUNGLASSES 

PACKAGE DEAL 

The stunning new range of SBK 

sunglasses have just arrived in SA and 

are now available in a great package 

deal which includes a cap, beanie and 

Lens cleaner. All this for only R1300. 

To purchase or for more info, email 

info@sbkeyewear.co.za or call 082 853 

4476. Check out www.sbkeyewear. 

co.za for full range.

PADDOCK NEWS 

Brought 

to you by 

BRADL TO HONDA 

WSBK FOR 2017 

Outgoing MotoGP rider joining Hayden 

aboard CBR1000RR. 

Honda’s official Superbike World Championship team has signed 

German Stefan Bradl for the 2017 season alongside fellow MotoGP 

export Nicky Hayden on a new Fireblade. 

Bradl, 26, will replace Michael van der Mark – expected to be switching 

to Yamaha – after missing out on a factory grand prix seat for next year. 

“I’m really happy to join the Honda WorldSBK Team for the 2017 

season,” 2011 Moto2 World Champion Bradl said. “It’s a great 

opportunity for me and I’m really looking forward to this new challenge 

with a really competitive team and I’m sure we’ll do great things together. 

“Of course, this is going to be a whole new experience for me but I will 

try to adapt as quickly as possible, in order to get some really good 

results. I can’t wait to try the Fireblade and, obviously, it’ll be fantastic to 

work together with Nicky. We can all look forward to the future and I am 

super motivated for this new journey.” 

Honda WorldSBK Team manager Ronald ten Kate commented: “We are 

very excited to welcome Stefan Bradl into our team and the WorldSBK 

paddock. Stefan has chosen to ride with Honda in World Superbike and 

we will be sure to repay his trust in us in the best possible way. 

“In the meetings we’ve had so far, he gave us a clear view on his 

goals and the way to get there and it is clear that we share the very 

same approach to racing. Like every other rider coming from MotoGP, 

he’ll need to get used to the different character of production-based 

motorcycles and tyres, but considering he is still very young, I’m sure he 

will learn fast!” 

Despite his age, Bradl has a wealth of experience at international level. 

Since his 125cc debut in 2005, he has collected 19 podium finishes 

and seven wins across all GP classes. After winning the Moto2 World 

Championship in 2011, he made his MotoGP debut with the LCR Honda 

Team in 2012. 

BAUTISTA ON 

DUCATI IN 2017 

Aspar Signs Alvaro Bautista for 2017 

The penultimate piece of the 2017 puzzle has fallen into place. 

The Pull&Bear Aspar team have announced that they have signed 

Alvaro Bautista to race for them for the 2017 season. 

The deal had long been anticipated, Bautista confirming at the 

Sachsenring that he was in talks with Aspar, and expected a 

contract to be signed. 

The final details were sorted out in Austria, and an announcement 

made the day before the Czech Grand Prix got underway in Brno. 

Like the Avintia Ducati team, Aspar will have two different bikes 

at their disposal for their riders. One rider will be given a Ducati 

Desmosedici GP16 for the season, while the other will have a 

Desmosedici GP15. 

In the Avintia team, it is Hector Barbera who will have the GP16, 

while Loriz Baz makes do with the GP15. In Aspar, it is Alvaro 

Bautista who has the GP16, while the second rider, still to be 

confirmed, will get to use the GP15. 

Bautista’s signing leaves one more seat to fill. The second seat at 

Aspar is still up for grabs, though Eugene Laverty has first refusal on it. 

The Irishman is still vacillating between the Aspar ride and a seat in 

WorldSBK with Aprilia. A decision on that shoudl be forthcoming 

very soon. If Laverty doesn’t take the seat, then Yonny Hernandez 

will retain his seat in the Aspar squad. 


Pic by GP-Fever.de 

DEVELOPED 

BY THE BEST. 

Official MotoGP tyre supplier 

MICHELIN Power SuperSport 

MICHELIN Power Slick Evo 

Available at your nearest dealer

PADDOCK NEWS 

Brought 

to you by 

KTM TAKE COVERS OFF RC16 RACER 

KTM RC16 MotoGP bike unveiled in all its Red Bull-liveried glory, prepares to do battle in 2017 

KTM are now all set to enter MotoGP fray in 2017 and 

have unveiled their 2017 RC16 MotoGP bike, which 

will be ridden by Pol Esparago and Bradley Smith 

next year. “Almost two and a half years ago we 

made the decision that when we become 

number one in Europe we would be forced 

to join MotoGP. We’re now selling more than 

60% of our 200,000 bikes on-road and to get 

accepted at the highest level of the sport, you 

must take part in MotoGP, the F1 of motorcycle 

racing,” says KTM Group CEO, Stefan Pierer. 

“Racing is our philosophy, our motivation and if 

we enter the segment, for sure we will have a 

learning curve but we will reach to podium. 

My life’s dream is to be the world champion 

in MotoGP,” he adds. 

“It was not difficult to convince them because the 

spirit of competition is in the heart of KTM. This is 

a very important step for us. We have a balance 

of Japanese 

and European 

manufacturers and KTM has proved its capability in 

all sporting activities. I am very impressed with how 

KTM does things, and not just with MotoGP. When 

they started with Moto3 they were immediately very 

competitive. KTM does things in the proper way. Races 

are races and you need some luck, but they prepare 

everything in the right way,” says Dorna Sports CEO, 

Carmelo Ezpeleta. 

There seems to be a positive buzz in the MotoGP 

paddock about KTM’s entry into the premier class 

and the RC16, which is rumoured to already 

produce more than 250bhp from its V4 engine, 

is expected to do well in the hands of 

Bradley Smith and Pol Esparago. The 

bike uses White Power suspension 

instead of MotoGP-standard Öhlins, 

and has a steel tube chassis which is 

also rather unusual in MotoGP. KTM 

have four tests lined up for the RC16 over the 

next few months and the bike will compete in the 

last race of the season, in Valencia, in November this 

year. 


Q&A: KTM On-Road Technical Director 

Sebastian Risse – The Development 

of the KTM RC16 MotoGP Bike 

Sebastian Risse is the man behind the KTM 

RC16 MotoGP bike which was presented on 

Saturday at the Red Bull Ring. An automotive 

engineer by training, Risse has been with KTM 

since 2008. 

He started out as a crew chief and chassis 

analyst on KTM’s now defunct RC8 Superbike 

project, but when KTM returned to Grand 

Prix racing in 2012, Risse took charge of the 

Moto3 project, which has gone on to be the 

benchmark in the class. 

Risse is currently head of all of KTM’s 

roadracing activities, and has overseen and 

led development of the RC16 MotoGP bike. 

That machine has both interesting parallels 

and major differences with the other machines 

on the MotoGP grid: the bike uses a 1,000cc, 

90°, V4 engine housed in a tubular steel 

trellis frame, and a fairing that looks like an 

oversize version of the Moto3 bike’s, and sits 

somewhere between the Honda RC213V and 

Kalex Moto2 designs. 

The bike will also use WP suspension, though 

as WP is a wholly owned subsidiary of 

KTM, it will basically be a dedicated factory 

suspension effort. 

After the KTM RC16 was presented, 

we spoke to Sebastian Risse about the 

differences and design choices which went 

into the bike. 

David Emmett: Did you ever consider 

using aluminum beam frame? 

Sebastian Risse: Already in past projects, 

like Moto3, of course we were considering it. 

There we also had the experience from 125 

and 250. So it was a decision which was 

really well thought through. 

We even had some aluminum frames 

running, but in the end, it was a conscious 

decision. We know more about the 

steel frame, we didn’t find any 

disadvantages, we knew our 

strong points and can use them, 

and we know also what to work 

on to reach the similar level to 

aluminum. 

DE: No theoretical disadvantages or 

weight disadvantages? 

SR: For example, the material damping is 

not the same between aluminum and steel, 

between those two and carbon fiber, between 

very different materials, and it’s something you 

need to handle. 

To say in general, there is an advantage or 

a disadvantage in weight, this is really hard 

to say, because the whole bike package 

depends on this. For example, with a steel 

frame, it is easier to get the heat away from 

some areas, where aluminum is closing 

everything up. 

So maybe you can save some heat shields 

and so on. So there are really secondary 

aspects you can put together. 

DE: It’s not just about the frame, it’s about 

the whole of the bike as a package? 

SR: Exactly, yes. It has to work together. For 

example, from Moto3, we know we are very 

weight efficient with respect to the stiffness, 

and it’s for sure not a disadvantage with the 

steel frame. 

DE: Firing order: big bang or screamer? 

SR: We are still doing some investigations 

about this. Especially now with the 

electronics, there’s not just the mechanical 

firing order, there’s more about it, and you 

can play a lot with it. We will see what we 

decide at the very end. 

DE: Aim is to run without a balance shaft, 

that also implies certain things for the 

engine configuration and firing order, or 

else you have to compensate? 

SR: This is true, yes. 

DE: Is the aim to be the most powerful 

bike on the grid? 

SR: No. Of course, when you are an engine 

guy, you always dream of this, and that’s 

clear for everybody. But also to have a good 

understanding of what the total package has 

to deliver. Sure, in the beginning, let’s say in 

the first season, we will not be always there. 

Will have brighter moments and more difficult 

moments, and then to have a strong engine is 

for sure not bad. But we know about the total 

balance, and we see that the strongest 

bike is not winning the championship 

for some time now, and this of 

course has to make everybody 

think. 

Basically, you see on some 

race tracks that 5% of the 

time, you have all throttle 

bodies full open, so how 

much can you gain? You 

can pass people, but you 

can’t make the lap time 

with engine power. 

DE: Which area 

still needs the 

most work on 

this bike? 

SR: Basically, 

now looking back, 

it becomes more 

clear that there were really phases in the 

project. For example, in the beginning, you 

have to make the rider feel comfortable, so 

work on the ergonomics before they can tell 

you more about the stiffness and the setting. 

Then of course you have to get the best out 

of the setting, out of what you have. And then 

things like turning, handling of the bike, it’s a 

continuous development process. 

And also it was very helpful now to see where 

the others are. Because when you’re testing 

on your own, this becomes more and more 

blurred, and you dream of something that is 

out of the normal. 

But we know now quite well what is normal, 

what the others are doing, that basically 

everybody has similar boundaries in some 

aspects, and now we will improve the aspects 

that on the one hand we are maybe missing 

against the others, and on the other hand, 

the areas where we see we are strong and 

where know how to do it, of course we can 

go further. 

We don’t have to make the bike which is in no 

aspect worse than the others, but we can use 

our strengths. 

DE: Did winglet ban affect you and your 

plans? 

SR: To look into downforce in general is 

something which I think since 10 or 15 years 

people were doing. Already in the 1950s, 

1960s you saw even on them. But now 

whenever you go in the wind tunnel or you do 

simulations, you look at these aspects also, 

even if there are no winglets on the bike. 

The rule for next year is there will be no 

wings, how this wording will be exactly and 

how people can work with it, we will see. 

But basically, the rules are the rules, and we 

try to get the best out of the package inside 

of the rules, and that means we are looking 

at the downforce like we always did in 

conventional ways. 


SHOEI X-SPIRIT lll: 5 Star SHARP rating 

The Shoei X-Spirit III is the latest racing helmet from Shoei which was 

launched and introduced at the beginning of 2016. The helmet is used 

by some of the best riders across the globe such as John McGuinness, 

Bradley Smith, Eugene Laverty and Marc Marquez. 

The new Shoei X-Spirit III motorcycle helmet joins 52 other helmets to 

score the maximum five stars in the UK’s Safety Helmet Assessment and 

Rating Programme (SHARP). 

SHARP is one of the most recognised independent rating systems in the 

world and the new Shoei is one of four from the brand in the top ranking, 

including the previous X-Spirit II. 

Not only did the helmet receive five stars, which is the highest SHARP 

rating that can be awarded to a crash helmet, it also scored the highest 

marks (very good) in every single impact test area on the helmet. 

The SHARP rating tests the main impact areas of the helmet. The Shoei 

X-Spirit III gained the highest marks on every single impact area, The 

helmets are dropped from varying heights at different speeds to record 

the impact resistance. 

A dummy head inside the helmet records the details of impact as the 

helmet is tested from every angle. 

The test also drops the helmets on a sloped area to record 

how much frictional impact each helmet gets on each side. 

The X-Spirit III detailed minimum friction which means that 

your head is securely protected on impact. 

The new X-SpiritIII will be available in South Africa soon and will sell for 

R9500.00 for the plain colours and between R10500.00 and R11500.00 

for the graphic and replica models. 

Sizes range from XS to XXL. 

Visit www.ampsa.co.za for full dealer listing. 

BRAD BINDER: Official apparel 

We here at RideFast Magazine are the official media sponsor to 

Brad Binder, and have been since 2009. We also now have the 

official license for Brad Binder apparel and have just released the 

new range of RideFast Forty One gear. 

• Caps R400 each (flat or curve peak) 

• Shirts R300 each - Adult black #fromlasttofirst 

Adult orange Forty One. Sizes S, M, L, XL and XXL. 

Orange Forty One also available in kids sizes - 2/3, 4/5 & 7/8. 

• Hoodies R800 each - Available in yellow or orange. Full 

sublimated printed with fleece inside and print inside hood. 

• A4 sticker kit R100 each. 

For more info or to purchase any item email rob@ridefast.co.za. 

Hoodies must be ordered and paid for up-front. Takes two weeks 

to manufacturer. Courier fee of R75 for outside JHB and PTA. 

STYLE 1 ADULTS: 

5X SMALL 

10X MEDIUM 

10X LARGE 

10X XL 

5X 2XL 


5X SMALL 

10X MEDIUM 

10X LARGE 

10X XL 

5X 2XL 


5X SMALL 

10X MEDIUM 

10X LARGE 

10X XL 

5X 2XL 

STYLE STYLE 2 ADULTS: 2 KIDS SIZES: STYLE 2 

5X SMALL 5X 2-3 

5X 2-3 

10X MEDIUM 5x 4-5 

5x 4-5 

10X LARGE 5x 7-8 

5x 7-8 

10X XL 

5X 2XL 

LABELS REMOVED LABELS REPLACED REMOVED WITH RIDEFAST REPLACED PRINTED WITH RIDEFAST LABEL PRINTED LABEL 

16 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE AUGUST 2016

FLASHED TO 

PERFECTION! 

You want to flash your motorcycles ECU but before you go spend the money you want to 

know for sure that it will make a differance. We put it to the test! Words: Rob Portman Pics: Zenon 

Flashing your motorcycles ECU is 

definitely the in thing at the moment. 

You get increased performance and 

a much more responsive ride out of your 

motorcycle without having to splurge huge 

cash on loads of aftermarket treats. Or so 

they say… 

Last month we did a feature on Fire It 

Up and how they go about flashing your 

motorcycle and the advantages of going 

this route. While it all sounded great, 

does it actually work? Do they actually 

get the promised performance and feel? 

I was really keen to feel first hand if this 

actually worked so I went through to 

the motorcycle dealership in Fourways, 

jumped on a stunning stock 2012 MV 

Agusta F4R and took it for a ride. I chose 

the MV because European bikes do seem 

to struggle more than most in our thick, 

“Kind of like taking 

one lung away 

from Usain Bolt 

and feeding him a 

McDonalds Quarter 

pounder meal just 

before he does the 

100m sprint and 

expecting him to do 

it in his normal time - 

not going to happen!” 

suffocating South African conditions. While 

the bikes come out with big horsepower 

and torque figures on paper, we don’t 

really get to feel just how good these bikes 

actually are due to our weather conditions, 

and very second rate fuel we get here. 

Kind of like taking one lung away from 

Usain Bolt and feeding him a McDonalds 

Quarter pounder meal just before he does 

the 100m sprint and expecting him to do it 

in his normal time - not going to happen! 

I have been lucky enough to test 

various European motorcycles overseas 

and they perform so much better in more 

conducive conditions. This is also down 

to the bikes fuelling and mapping being 

set for those conditions, so when they 

make the big trip across the oceans and 

arrive here in SA they are around 20- 

30% down on performance before they 


even get un-crated. Throw in huge Euro4 

restrictions means the bikes we get here 

are massively restricted. MV Agusta South 

Africa battled for a while trying to sort out 

their bikes fuelling and throttle response 

for here in SA, so much so they even 

flew the experts out from Italy with there 

big fancy machines to help setup all the 

MV’s. There were big improvements but 

the bikes, like this 2012 F4R I tested here, 

were still not 100%. 

Now I’m not going to go through the 

whole what flashing your ECU means and 

the gains etc… we covered that all last 

month but what I will tell you is if all of it is 

true and if it does really work. 

Now I have ridden some bad MV 

bikes in the past, with throttles that had 

no feeling and were snappy and not very 

pleasant. Setting off from robots was a 

challenge and one couldn’t even think 

about holding a constant throttle - it was 

either on or off. Big flat spots through-out 

the rev range in every gear, they really were 

that bad. But as I said MV SA did manage 

to sort most of the bikes out and I could 

feel that this 2012 model I was testing had 

been sorted. It felt smooth, responsive and 

easy to manage. Or so I thought… 

I took the bike for a good 150km ride, 

from flat out highway stuff to tip toeing 

through stand still traffic. The bike felt 

good and when I arrived back at Fire It Up 

the first thing I said to Craig was “I’m not 

sure how you are going to improve this 

bike. It feels good to me”. He responded 

with “Just wait and see!”. 

So the next day I was back and ready 

to feel if there was a difference. 

Craig had done a stage 1 flash on the 

bike - This is applicable to all bikes but 

European bikes in particular. Craig had 

written a MAP for South African conditions 

and not so much a performance MAP. 

Typical gains from a stage 1 flash are 

around 5 to 15HP, depending on the 

brand and that is on a stock bike with 

standard exhaust and air filter. 

Straight from leaving the shop I could 

feel the bike was a bit more responsive 

and the throttle was much smoother. I 

was impressed as I really did not think 

there was anything wrong before but 

having ridden the bike after the flash I 

could feel that there was and the bike was 

being hampered. It felt more open, more 

free, way less restricted. Setting off from 

the robots was now a treat with the extra 

kick and user-friendly throttle. 

Way easier to ride, especially through 

the start/stop chaos that is William Nicol 

on a Friday afternoon. 

I can now honestly say that flashing 

your ECU works, and is well worth the 

money, which is actually not a lot. A stage 

1 flash like this will cost you around R5900 

and will 9 times out of ten get you better 

results than fitting an aftermarket slip-on 

pipe - more affordable with better results! 

The biggest stage 1 gains are on 

European bikes such as Aprilia’s, Ducati’s, 

BMW’s, KTM’s and MV’s. The real benefit 

is an overall improved and better riding 

experience from throttle response to 

engine braking and confidence in the bike. 

A step up from this is a Stage 2 flash, 

which includes tuning for full systems and 

air filters where they start tuning for better 

performance on pump fuel. 

Stage 3 they make additional 

hardware changes, more aggressive 

MAP, which yield even more power for 

guys doing track days etc with race gas 

or octane boosters. 

Craig explained what he does 

differently to others perfectly to me, saying 

that it’s like buying the new Windows 

programme for your computer - You 

install it and then have to make your own 

changes to how you want it where as 

what he does is supply you with a tailored 

made Windows programme already set 

the way you like it. 

For more information or if you would 

like to book your bike in call Craig from 

Fire It Up Tuning on 011 467 0737. 



W O R L D L A U N C H : P I R E L L I D I A B L O R O S S O I I I 

BETTER 

THAN 

EVER! 

Pirelli recently held the world launch of their new Diablo Rosso III tyre at the Sepang 

International circuit in Malaysia. Our man from Down Under was there to put the new 

tyres to the test. Words: Matthew Shields Pics: Pirelli 

I’m the first person to admit that I 

am no racer. Yep, I tried it and I sure 

don’t have what it takes to be at the 

pointy-end of any field. I knew that 

a long time before I could, and did, race 

a motorcycle after seeing the likes of 

Gardner, Doohan, Rainey and Schwantz 

racing when I had more hair - what they 

did was next level. Most days of the 

week if you asked me where I wanted to 

ride I would still say the racetrack. 

The novelty and thrill of riding on the 

track is hard to shake. The unrestrained 

speed and adrenalin are a welcome 

relief from the unknown you face 

every time you head out on the road. 

Like many people riding nakedbikes 

and sportsbikes over the 800cc mark 

on the road, this is normal. Riders 

with these kind of motorcycles will 

occasionally do a trackday, ride mostly 

on the road and, best of all, have fun 

when there are corners. 

Like the Pirelli Diablo II it replaces, 

the Diablo Rosso III is the Italian tyre 

company’s new sports rubber born on 

the racetrack and made for the road. 

No, that is not Pirelli’s catchcry but if 

it was it would be as honest as they 

come. Pirelli race what they sell and sell 

what they race. When someone is short 

a tyre in a World Supersport race, they 

can just about go to the nearest dealer 

and buy one as the technology from 

racing goes into road tyres as soon 

as it can. Conversely, the protagonist 

for change behind the Rosso III 

development was the changing needs 

of road riders and performance level 

of production machinery. Best of all for 

me, those types of riders are just like 

me: they like trackdays, ride relatively 


22 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2016 

new bikes and enjoy the best high-performance machinery has 

to offer on the road. 

“The Diablo Rosso III rider is younger than many other 

groups, they do the most mileage and use their bikes in all 

conditions,” said Pirelli’s head of marketing, Gianluca Renato. 

“They usually ride sports or nakedbikes and ride more 

aggressively. This is the type of rider the Rosso III is aimed at.” 

Pirelli has learnt lots racing world Superbikes as the control-tyre 

supplier for the production-based world championship since 

2004. They’ve spent a lot of time developing rubber to cope 

with a variety of conditions that the Diablo Rosso III’s rider is 

looking for in racing, and transferred this to the road tyre. 

The key objective of the design of this tyre has been to 

deliver predictable handling characteristics on the road and an 

exciting one on the track. Impossible you, say? No, but to do 

it Pirelli has had to change everything. “We did this by using 

the next level of technology on the tyre,” said Piero Misani, 

Pirelli’s R&D and Industrial Director. “We had to totally revisit the 

product: it’s not an evolution of the Rosso II, but it is a totally 

new product that is enhancing performance in all areas thanks 

to changes in the profile, construction and compounds. Nothing 

is the same expect the name.” 

“To do this, the profile has changed both front and rear. The 

contour of the rear tyre is slightly bigger in terms of width and 

there is a higher radius of the shoulder to provide more grip at 

full lean. As lean angles have gotten bigger, so too have that of 

the tyres.” If there is anyone who would know about lean angles, 

it’s a racer and ex-WSBK World Champion Tom Sykes, on hand 

at the Rosso III launch at the Sepang International circuit in 

Malaysia last weekend, was happy to share his thoughts. 

“The tyre is more advanced than the streetbike!” said Tom 

Sykes. “I was able to go around corners and get the exhaust on 

the ground. Jonathan [Rea] and myself aren’t the slowest riders 

around, and we put the tyre to the extreme test - the durability 

of it was also good.” Labelled as one of the most important 

factors, the change in profile up-front makes shape of the tyre 

a lot more like Pirelli’s Supercorsa race tyre than the previous 

Diablo Rosso II, allowing it to work at larger lean angles.

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DIABLO HISTORY 

The Diablo has always been Pirelli’s sporty motorcycle tyre. After its introduction 

in 2002 in the supersport segment, the Diablo family rapidly evolved until it covered 

many other sport market-segments with 16 tyre models, for everything from racing to 

production roadbikes. For more than a decade motorcycle manufacturers have been 

choosing tyres from the Diablo range as original equipment with the Diablo Rosso 

brand identifying products dedicated to sporty use on roads. 

The change in profile has 

increased the speed and lightness 

of handling and, most importantly 

Pirelli says, creates a quicker rise 

back up-and-over the crown of 

the tyre in a flip-flop situation. The 

construction within the tyre, however, 

has been tailored to the front and 

rear differently. At the rear, a thicker 

and stiffer construction is meant 

to cope with high lean angles and 

big amounts of power being put to 

ground through it. On the front, it is 

slightly softer to create a tyre that’s 

more linear in its behavior to make 

a better footprint, and give better 

feedback from the front-end. 

While the change in profile has 

optimised the footprint size and 

improved feeling and grip, it has also 

consequently improved the tyre’s 

durability because it is now wearing 

more evenly. The tread pattern has a 

reduced void ratio – meaning more 

rubber and, therefore, more grip on 

the ground - but works a lot better 

because of the new compounds. 

And what would a new tyre be 

without a spiel on new compounds! 

“The secret [to the compound] 

is the recipe from our wet weather 

race tyres - it is the same in the 

Diablo Rosso III,” says Misani as 

he points to the pit straight and the 

rain coming down at the end of the 

World Superbike race won by Nicky 

Hayden. “It’s a sporty tyre and a lot 

of people think that silica technology 

is escpecially for the wet and not 

for dry, or racing. With technology 

from Superbike race tyres, Pirelli has 

improved the technology behind 

silica to get a compound, from new 

techniques in mixing, that has the heat 

and grip-generation of the slick tyres.” 

Pirelli has made the front Rosso 

III 100 percent silica, to improve 

the handling in the wet and dry, 

and the dual-compound rear is 70 

percent silica, to provide stability 

at high-speed and braking, on the 

centreline and 100 percent silica 

on the shoulders. So how does 

it perform? While having the test 


solely on a racetrack of a tyre intended 

for predominately road riding may seem 

odd, it couldn’t have been a better proving 

ground to test the new tyre. Starting on a 

damp and, in some places wet track, my 

familiarisation with the circuit layout was the 

only thing ever questioned. Riding quicker 

than I would on a damp or patchy road 

that I knew well, the fast-turning nature of 

the tyre was evident but not something the 

conditions would let me fully exploit. 

An hour later, and it was a different 

circuit. With a clearly dry line and aboard 

a previous generation Ducati Multistrada, 

I was immediately impressed with how 

quickly and precisely the tyres allowed 

direction changes and the amount of grip 

they gave on corner exit. Having ridden 

the same model Multistrada on the road in 

Australia with Rosso IIs a week earlier, I can 

say that the Rosso III gives a much sportier, 

faster-handling dynamic. In this sense, they 

are the bolt-on handling improvement Pirelli 

has intended them to be. 

A session later, and I am in a different 

world on the latest generation BMW 

S1000RR. With a dry track aside from an 

inconvenient patch in one of the tighter 

corners, it was as sharp and dynamic a 

ride as any sportsbike on racier rubber. 

That dodgy patch proved to be the perfect 

place to test the fast-turning nature of 

the tyre and the grip of the rear on hard 

acceleration as I fumbled my way around 

the wet patch trying to avoid it all day long. 

By the end of the day, not one tyre on 

any bike in the sweltering conditions at 

Sepang looked like it was near the end 

of its life - something Tom Sykes implied 

was likely the day before, and was true for 

us mere mortals testing the tyres. Despite 

being tested by the heat, and challenged 

by the sketchy conditions earlier in the day, 

as far as a tyre for a trackday goes they 

can’t be faulted. They lasted, performance 

was consistent and predictable, and they 

definitely made the handling dynamic 

sportier - a point proven on the Multistrada, 

and reinforced on the Monster I rode a few 

days earlier on Rosso IIs. 

I have no doubt all of these 

characteristics will improve the road-riding 

experience, too, as much as they have 

improved the Rosso II’s on the track. So if 

you like to do the occasional trackday, enjoy 

twisty roads, and want good tyre life, you 

can’t go wrong with Pirelli’s new offering. 

Tech: Pirelli Diablo Rosso III 

As can easily be seen, the tread pattern 

of the new Diablo Rosso III derives 

directly from that of the well-known and 

highly regarded competition tyre Diablo 

Supercorsa, suitable for road use. 

The Pirelli engineers considered it 

important to maintain the grooves with 

the typical and distinctive “flash” pattern 

on the tread because it is recognised 

as an expression of competitiveness 

and aggressiveness. The set of grooves 

represents the best solution possible for 

obtaining compactness of the tread strip, 

a good balance between full and empty 

spaces, and excellent drainage of water. 

The orientation of the grooves follows 

the waves of wear, interrupting the forces 

that cause it, favouring more uniform 

consumption and a reduction of the stress 

to which the compound is subjected. The 

orientation is also effective from the point of 

view of dispersal of water which makes the 

Diablo Rosso III an extremely safe and high 

performing tyre also in the wet. 

In keeping with the DNA of the Diablo 

Rosso II and of all the most recent 

products introduced on the market by 

Pirelli, on the shoulder of the tread we 

can recognise the name of the product 

alongside which is the “flash” symbol 

typical of the tread pattern, to reaffirm the 

family feeling of the latest generation of the 

Diablo family. As a further link with other 

Pirelli products, the new Diablo Rosso 

III is marked with the “D” of DIABLO 0.3 

millimetres deep positioned in the centre of 

the rear tyre. 

SUITABLE MACHINERY 

The new Diablo Rosso III is designed to 

satisfy the most demanding riders who 

want a road tyre capable of great handling, 

an excellent level of grip and consistent 

high-performance over the tyre’s life. More 

specifically, Diablo Rosso III is dedicated in 

particular to motorcyclists who ride their 

motorcycle with a sporty and enthusiastic 

riding style giving a similar feel to that of 

riding on the track. 

Diablo Rosso III is destined not only for 

owners of naked and supersport motorcycles 

but also of those of sports-tourers and other 

machinery that have high lean angles. As 

such, the tyre will suit motorcyclists who 

use their bike both for short trips and for 

medium/long-range rides with light luggage 

and, sometimes, also with a passenger. 

Additionally, Diablo Rosso III will satisfy 

trackday riders on the racetrack. 


Compounds: 

The new Diablo 

Rosso III 

compounds 

meet the needs 

of the new increasingly performing 

motorcycles and of the motorcyclists 

of today who want to have tyres that 

are always versatile and capable of 

guaranteeing excellent performance 

on both dry and wet roads combined 

with good mileage. This is why in the 

compounds of the new Diablo Rosso 

III the Pirelli engineers have played 

around a lot with the percentages of 

silica present. 

Thanks also to an exclusive and 

patented mixing process, Pirelli has 

developed innovative compounds 

with a high percentage of silica 

combined with latest generation oils, 

resins and polymers which improve 

the cohesion of the elements, so as 

to achieve an unprecedented level of 

uniformity. 

The rear tyre is dual 

compound with a large side 

strip of high-grip compound 

and a central strip which 

guarantees the mileage. More specifically 

the profile is divided in a proportion of 

40-20-40 where the side compound, 

more high performing, covers a total 

of 80% of the entire tread while the 

remaining 20% in the central section is 

made up of a compound functional to 

stability and mileage. 

With this arrangement, the side 

compound that guarantees the grip comes 

into play as soon as the leaning phase 

begins, ensuring excellent adherence and 

offering the motorcyclist great confidence 

while leaning into bends. This is made 

possible by the fact that the compound 

used on the side has a 100% silica 

formulation and provides all the grip 

necessary on both dry and wet roads. 

The side compound is supported in the 

substratum by a harder compound which 

gives the tyre characteristics such as 

stability and precision in maintaining the 

trajectory in bends. 

The same compound which in the side 

strips is present only in the substratum 

emerges instead in the central part 

covering a width of approximately 45 

millimetres of the tread. This compound 

also has a high percentage of silica 

(although less than 100%) and has the 

purpose of ensuring stability at high 

speeds together with mileage of reference 

for the Supersport tyre segment. 

The front tyre is a single compound 

with a silica content of 100%. The decision 

not to apply also to the front the dualcompound 

solution is based on studies 

and on the direct experience of the Pirelli 

engineers who arrived at the conclusion 

that the single-compound solution on the 

front is the best choice, as it is the only one 

capable of offering the motorcyclist good 

quality feedback together with a high level 

of stability. 

Profiles: 

In general the main function of the tyre’s 

profile is to affect the handling. 

In this case too, the new Diablo 

Rosso III has inherited much from Pirelli’s 

experience in the world championship for 

production-derived motorcycles: its profiles 

are derived directly from those of the 

Diablo Supercorsa, 

a tyre used in 

the Supersport 

and Superstock 

classes, although 

suitable for road use. 

The profile of the front tyre is 

characterised by a multi-radius 

development which improves 

handling, offering the motorcyclist 

immediate leaning into bends and 

facilitating at the same time rapid 

changes in direction. Compared with 

that of the Diablo Rosso II, the profile is 

higher in the central part and wider at 

the sides to provide a larger contact 

area and a more stable lean. 

At the same time the height of 

the sidewall has been increased 

by about 3 millimetres to favour 

greater flexibility of the sidewall 

in acceleration out of bends, with a 

great benefit in terms of traction. The 

rear tyre follows the same scheme 

and geometry similar to that of 

the front, ensuring perfectly 

balanced and synchronised 

behaviour of the pair. 

Tyre genesis: 

Pirelli, with the teams and riders of 

the FIM Superbike World Championship, 

has used the production-derived racing 

motorcycles as the test machines to 

develop not only the products used in 

competition but also many of the tyres used 

daily by motorcyclists all over the world. 

With the company philosophy of “We sell 

what we race, we race what we sell”, Pirelli 

has brought used the experience acquired 

in this championship and applied it to 

normal production products in areas like 

design technology, structural materials and 

compound mixing process. 

Structure: 

The radial casing of the new Diablo 

Rosso III is very rigid to maintain the 

profile and enables the compound to 

grip the asphalt. Very similar to that used 

in the Diablo Supercorsa, it is made of 

a high-performance Rayon, capable of 

conserving its shape during high stress 

forces generated by acceleration and 

load. The density of the belt has also 

been adjusted to balance rigidity with the 

absorption properties of the roughness 

of asphalt, providing a better feeling of 

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Available now from all good bike shops, 

prices start at $199 for fronts and $299 for 

rears. To find your nearest stockist, jump 

on the local distributor website www.bikewise.co.za. 


RACING PARTS 

Full range of products at 

www.itrmotorsport.co.za 

Sole Importer & Distributors for 

ALL TRADE ENQUIRIES WELCOME 

Landline: 011 452 3881 

Cell: 071 753 2728 / Fax: 011 452 9601 

Email: dean@itrmotorsport.co.za 

tony@itrmotorsport.co.za


TURBO 

CHARGED! 

Tech: Turbos and superchargers - How these forced air induction systems work and 

why they are the way of the future. Words: Matthew Shields 

Kawasaki’s H2 set tongues wagging and 

hearts pulsating with its whopping 300 

horsepower supercharged engine. It’s 

the stuff dreams are made of, but aside 

from that obvious wow factor, why would you 

supercharge a motorcycle in a day and age where 

sensibility sells and extravagance is increasingly 

ignored? It’s all about the future: there is a big focus 

on the search for alternative fuel sources. Well, it’s a 

search that’s been on for a long time but ramped up 

in the past decade as emissions controls have been 

stringently constituted and consumers have become 

more environmentally conscious. 

In the motorcycle world we have seen biodiesel, 

ethanol, hydrogen and natural gas as 

fuel sources for motorcycle propulsion. Hybrid 

motorcycles — one that runs an alternative 

fuel source in conjunction with a petrol or 

electric engine — are also in the works. Electric 

bikes are getting cheaper and are performing 

a lot better, but they are nowhere near being mainstream 

and cheap enough yet. As a result, the pursuit of better 

economy, consumption and performance is still with the 

combustion engine because it is cheaper and has all the 

characteristics that we bike riders have come to know and 

love. So where to next? 

The combustion engine has come a long way since 

motorcycles started rolling on two wheels and surely every 

avenue has been explored. Seemingly so, but it’s the 

avenues that were briefly travelled where manufacturers 

are revisiting: namely the super and turbocharger. 

Superchargers were created and patented in the late 

1800s, used in the 1900s to power primitive combustion 

engines and, when engine performance improved, they 

were banned as they created too much power bikes at the 

time couldn’t handle. And that was happening in the 1940s. 

The turbo came into mainstream motorcycling a bit 

differently. In the early 1980s the landscape of the American 

motorcycle industry was glum. Harley-Davidson was barely 

surviving and Japan’s ability to produce reliable, cost- 


effective, high-performance 

motorcycles was making America, 

and Europe, bleed. US government 

intervention in the form of import tariffs on 

Japanese motorcycles over 700cc were 

brought in to save Harley and the turbo 

was the way to deliver the performance 

of a big bike and the smaller capacity to 

get around the tariffs – hence the likes of 

the Honda CX500/650, Suzuki XN85 and 

Yamaha XJ650T Turbos. Kawasaki beat the 

game shipping the parts, not whole bike 

into America, and assembled their GPz750 

Turbo in the USA. 

As iconic as these bikes now are, 

they weren’t popular. They promised 

middleweight-like handling and big bike 

power at a good price, but the models were 

heavy, power characteristics weren’t good 

and the turbo systems complex. To make 

matters worse, the global motorcycle market 

took a big hit sales-wise and manufacturers 

tightened up their model line-ups. The turbo 

fantasy had all too quickly come to an end 

like the supercharger before it. It seemed like 

it was all too difficult to make these systems 

work, until Kawasaki did it all again with the 

supercharged H2. 

The complexities of supercharging 

systems have come a long way since World 

War 2 mainly thanks to developments 

in aeronautics, automotive and marine 

applications. In fact, its those lessons learnt 

in marine applications Kawasaki cited as 

the reason why the they were toying with 

a supercharged four-cylinder engine they 

displayed at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show: 

the engine that was to become the Ninja 

H2. While Kawasaki didn’t go 

into any detail at the time about 

the engine’s future application, 

it clearly points to the fact that 

superchargers are on the 

agenda. 

Chargers are essentially 

pumps that give the engine an 

extra push by forcing more air 

into an engine. This in turn 

allows smaller capacities 

to be run with a 

supercharger or 

turbo and receive 

an output similar 

to a biggercapacity 

engine. 

Where the 

two systems 

deliver 

in their 

operation is, 

generally, in the 

way they apply 

their initial effect due 

to the fact that turbos 

are typically operated off 

exhaust gases and superchargers off the 

crankshaft. Both systems are essentially air 

compressors that increase air pressure or 

air density to a combustion chamber. The 

increased amounts of oxygen can burn 

more fuel and thus make more power. 

The two systems differ where a turbo 

runs post-combustion. Air from the exhaust 

turns a turbine that increases the pressure in 

the inlet tract. Superchargers are operated 

mechanically in a number of different ways, 

typically off the crankshaft. Belt, gears, 

chains and shafts turn the compressor 

which, in turn, forces more air into the intake 

tract. There are two general negatives to 

the systems. With a turbo, when you twist 

the throttle there is a delay as an increase in 

exhaust gases is needed before putting the 

turbo into effect and pressurising the inlet 

tract. Revs are needed for them to work and 

this gap in performance is often referred to 

as turbo lag. 

Superchargers operate directly in 

relation to engine RPM and hence need 

power to make power. They can rob 

up to a third of an engine’s power to do 

their job, though a net power gain of 

10 percent is typical. You really need a 

decent amount of outright power to see 

a good outright gain in power without 

the initial power rob causing any negative 

effect. So superchargers are typically 

less economical and provide a smaller 

output gain than a turbo, but have more 

favourable characteristics on a motorcycle 

and all of the system’s benefits are 

available instantaneously. Turbos are better 

on economy, less expensive to fit and 

provide a bigger outright improvement, but 

their power delivery characteristics aren’t 

as good. 

Not any more. Efficiency of both systems 

has improved with the use of intercoolers 

cooling the air between pump and intake 

as the systems heat the air when it is being 

pressurised — something that limits the 

total performance improvements of these 

systems. But things have progressed from 

these “typical” traits as manufacturers seek 

improved economy. So evolved are charged 

systems these days that manufacturers 

have sought to eradicate both of the effects 

the systems have “typically” displayed in 

the past. Just have a look at the efforts 

Kawasaki has gone to with the H2 and 

you’ll see the future of the supercharger is 

looking promising. 

While the supercharger looks like the 

way forward, turbocharging is more likely 

to have a bigger future in motorcycling for 

the same reason it is so popular elsewhere 

in the automotive world: it provides 

greater power gains, is more efficient and 

economical. Turbos have been employed 

on diesel vehicles for a long time now 

and diesel motorcycles are running them. 

But the systems are big and bulky. It’s 

going to take a lot of development time 

to get them down to a size acceptable 

for a motorcycle. Rewind to this last 

years Tokyo Show and you’ll see Suzuki 

has a turbo in the works that will be a 

production model in the future. They 

said so, and so do the patent drawings 

they lodged a year ago to a four-cylinder 

engine. How exciting is that?! 


SPORTBIKE MAGAZINE 

RF magazine play.indd 1006 

2014/12/27 8:44 AM

CAL CRUTCHLOW 

2016 MOTOGP BRNO CZECH GP WINNER

SPORTBIKE MAGAZINE 

RF magazine play.indd 1006 

2014/12/27 8:44 AM

ANDREA IANNONE 

2016 MOTOGP A1 RING AUSTRIA GP WINNER


5X SMALL 5X SMALL 

10X MEDIUM 10X MEDIUM 

10X LARGE 10X LARGE 

10X XL 10X XL 

5X 2XL 5X 2XL 


5X SMALL 5X SMALL 5X 2-3 

10X MEDIUM 10X MEDIUM 5x 4-5 

10X LARGE 10X LARGE 5x 7-8 

10X XL 5X 2XL 10X XL 

5X 2XL 

STYLE 2 KIDS SIZES: 

STYLE 2 KIDS SIZES: 

5X 2-3 

5x 4-5 

5x 7-8 

LABELS REMOVED LABELS REPLACED REMOVED WITH REPLACED RIDEFAST WITH PRINTED RIDEFAST LABEL PRINTED LABEL

EIGHT BEST 

SPORTBIKE BUYS 

Our mates over at RacerZone put together a list of the 8 best 

sportbike buys on the SA market today. Words: Daniel Harry & Wlm Edge 

This was a tough battle as all eight contenders argued a good case for 

themselves. But in the end the clear winner was the KTM Super Duke R. It 

is the most complete sportbike money can buy today in my view. It’s crazy 

and looney yet absolutely brilliant. The 180hp, 1301cc V Twin is a gem and it runs 

like a superbike. It does an indicated 299kph and it’s equally impressive in the 

corners. It’s not cheap at R205 999 I give you that but it’s damn good value 

and the styling needs no mentioning. 

In second position is the very fantastic F3 800 from MV Agusta - which 

is powered by one great triple cylinder engine. It’s fast, light, nimble and 

sounds so gorgeous. My word what a beautiful sportbike this is and with 

a price tag of R179 000 what is not to like. 

Third place belongs to the fantastic Z800 from Kawasaki. This 

is a bike that really impressed me from the very first moment. It’s 

a no nonsense, get up and go type of bike that is at home on 

track as it is in the city centre. At a mere R139 995 it makes 

a lot of sense. In fourth place is the very good MT-09 

from Yamaha. Not all are pleased by the styling but 

I think this might be one of Yamaha’s best bikes 

in sometime. The engine - my word it’s fantastic 

and this bike performs in bucket loads I am 

telling you. This is one of my favourite bikes on 

sale today. At R119 950, it’s nothing short of a 

bargain… 

My top four: 

1: KTM Super Duke R 

2: MV Agusta F3 800 

3: Kawasaki Z800 

4: Yamaha MT-09 


Second Opinion on the 8 Contenders in 

no particular order by Wlm Edge 

Suzuki GSX-S1000 - R149 900 

In my eyes this is probably the best looking 

Suzuki on sale right now. Smooth lines dim 

the muscular nature of the naked beast 

somewhat, which is quite the opposite 

of what most other rival brands try to 

achieve with the naked look. The power 

output is good, if not great for what the 

bike is supposed to do. These days it 

almost seems like Suzuki are giving away 

their bikes compared to other motorcycle 

manufacturers. From top to bottom, all 

their sportbikes currently on sale are 

exceptionally well priced. This could be a 

problem for a die-hard Suzuki sportbike fan 

looking to buy a new set of wheels, and 

it might also be a problem for this bike in 

particular. If it was my money to be spent 

it would be hard not to pay R10 000 more 

and taking a GSX-R1000 in GP colours 

home. Yet, that’s only personal preference. 

BMW S1000RR - R226 990 

BMW definitely hit the sweet spot with the 

new alien faced version 2.0 S1000RR. It’s 

much softer on the eye this time round, 

but still looks aggressive enough to fit with 

its performance profile. The S1000RR is 

a bargain compared to other European 

and Japanese Sportbike rivals. Great 

value for money on lots of different levels. 

Performance, build quality, ownership etc. 

The bike’s street cred is also sky high after 

the 2016 Isle of man TT. Its got nothing to 

prove to anybody. What a machine! 

Yamaha MT-09 - R119 900 

In my opinion there’s only one thing wrong 

with this motorcycle - The first impression it 

makes. This is not the most exciting looking 

bike on the market right now, especially 

not in its class. The competition in the 

naked Sportbike market is quite tough. Its 

styling is not as convincing as it could have 

been. Just look in Yamaha’s own stable 

at the MT-10. Love it or hate it, the MT-10 

is insane looking and I think the MT-09 

needs a little bit of that. The MT-09 is not 

an ugly bike at all, it just lacks some drama. 

With all of that been said, this bike will still 

grab your attention when it comes down 

to the numbers. This sportbike is serious 

BANG for your buck. At only R119 900 

its seriously great value for money in the 

Naked Sportbike class. 

Triumph Daytona 675 - R154 500 

The Daytona is a great alternative to the 

rival Japanese supersports alike. I am yet to 

meet someone who rode this bike and did 

not love it. The power delivery and handling 

is crisp and the bike has a proper built 

feeling to it. The styling is not outrageous or 

over the top, subtle, but it all looks good. 

This is a bike that can be enjoyed by all - 

men or women, experienced or novice, the 

Daytona’s easy nature is there for all to use 

and appreciate. 

It’s a machine often overlooked in the 

supersport category, despite winning many 

a supersport shoot-out test. This is one 

highly underestimated motorcycle. 

Kawasaki Z800 - R139 995 

The sub 1000cc naked sportbike category 

has a couple of excellent bikes to choose 

from, and this one is no exception. The 

sinister look of this Kawasaki really fits the 

character of a naked bike. At first glance 

one would not think that this is only an 

800cc. The design is near perfect showing 

off enough drama but without being too 

outrageous. A proper 4-cylinder sportbike 

engine peeks out from some side trimming. 

The only bad thing about this bike is the 

look of the mirrors - I would remove them 

as a personal touch. This naked sportsbike 

has got it all. Awesome looks and has great 

power and a promise of reliability which 

comes along with its brand name. The price 

is more than fair for what this package is 

offering. This bike would be an absolute 

pleasure to own, whether it’s your one 

and only daily ride or your pride and joy 

weekend toy. 


MV Agusta F3 800 - R179 000 

This is Sportbiking at its very finest. The 

designers of this bike are absolute artists. 

All life’s issues tend to fade as you fizz in 

the presence of MV Agusta. The F3 is just 

breathtaking in every aspect - from the 

looks to the power plant department and 

everything in between. It’s powered by a 

3-cylinder engine, which has a great balance 

between horsepower and torque. It’s also 

super light for what it is, which means 

awesome handling and an impressive 

power-to-weight ratio. I do not know what 

the reliability of MV Agusta is like, but when 

standing next to this beauty, it’s the last 

thing you will be thinking about. It being this 

awesome, as well as being Italian, makes 

it almost unbelievable that this bike costs 

only R179 000. This bike is what dreams are 

made of... Where do I sign to have one? 

There would not be any reason to regret 

the purchase of this beast. KTM might have 

taken the gem RC8 away from us, but they 

left us this to dry up the tears. Ain’t no tears 

of sadness going to be anywhere near the 

presence of the Super Duke R... 

Ducati Monster 821 - R141 900 

Lets face it, you cant help it but drool when 

up close to a Ducati. One would quite often 

over look the Monster in the presence of a 

Panigale or Diavel, which is a tremendous 

shame. Take the time to absorb all the detail 

this bike has to offer. Its not a case of love 

at first sight, but get to know her... It doesn’t 

even have to be fast, but Ducati did not 

disappoint. 112hp delivers a strong kick and 

a great bark to go with it. The motorcycle is 

also exceptionally well priced for an Italian 

bike. This is THE naked Sportbike to buy in 

the sub 200k price range if you are looking 

for a truly special bike. 

KTM Super Duke 1290 R - R205 999 

The King of the Nakeds? Well it does tick all 

the boxes. With 180hp it is damn powerful 

and definitely goes like a Superbike. 

The slightly more up-right and relaxed 

riding position of the Duke R compared 

to a Superbike makes for a great and 

comfortable ride, whether you’re blitzing by 

or just cruising. The styling and detail on 

the Duke R is just insane. Its not necessarily 

what one would call pretty, but damn it 

works. At just over R200 000 it’s not a 

cheap bike but its well worth the money. 


TRIPLE 

We love bikes that go fast, and for this test 

we get three of the fastest production bikes 

on the planet - Two old stalwarts and the 

new kid on the block. 

Words: The Singh Pics: Kyle Lawrenson 

• SUZUKI HAYABUSA • KAWASAKI ZX14R 

• KAWASAKI H2 

THREATTHREE HYPERSPORTS 

2016 SUZUKI HAYABUSA 1300 

R190,500 


In ancient times, the resounding 

thunder of hooves would indicate 

the might of an invading 

army. As time progressed, 

the steeds were replaced 

by iron beasts that carried men 

within them and made deafening 

noises as they ploughed into battle. 

Today the battlefields are racetracks 

where men measure their prowess 

by their ability to cross the finish line 

first and in this way dominate their 

opponents. 

In 1999, the release of the Suzuki 

Hayabusa GSXR changed the aspect of 

road going superbikes and introduced a 

new tarmac terminator by introducing the 

Hyper Sports Bike. Combining the nimble 

handling of a superbike with relentless 

acceleration and mind numbing topspeeds, 

it put the fear of God into most 

bikers and created a level of exclusivity not 

witnessed before in street bikes. 

Fast forward 17 odd years and we now 

have a second incarnation of the Busa 

and an electronically tamed Kawasaki 

ZX 14R to add to the mix. Include the 

current queen of bike porn, the ravishing, 

supercharged H2 and we have a script 

for a 600hp lap dance that will leave 

most bikers salivating for 

seconds. 

The Suzuki was resplendent in 

pearlescent white and dark blue stripes, 

sporting similar analogue clocks to the 

original monster of 1999. It is in many 

ways a timeless classic, to be appreciated 

and savoured like a good merlot. Or as 

Brian would put it, any Irish whiskey. Suzuki 

boosted the CCs in the 2007 model and 

in 2012 added a set of Brembos, some 

ergonomics changed with the “new” bike 

but the handling was not significantly 

improved. I had a burnt orange 

2008 model that was my pride and 

joy. It was machine that I reverently 

swore I would never part with. 

I threw everything including the 

kitchen sink at it. 

2015 KAWASAKI ZX-14R 

R189,995 (Ohlins model R195,995) 

2016 KAWASAKI NINJA H2 

R399,995 


The list of accolades included Brembos, 

callipers and master cylinder, Hel hoses, 

Arata full exhaust system, velocity stacks, 

gas flowed head and blue printed engine, 

Yoshimura ECU box and little playboy bunny 

stickers. (That was the true secret to the 

power). It made an impressive 191hp back 

then. Just listing that has exhausted me; it 

reached a respectable true 319 km/h and 

gave really crappy gas mileage. 

Moving on to another big beauty now. 

Kawasaki has really upped their game and 

the release of the upgraded ZX-14R 

proved that, with a smoother 

stronger engine, better 

top end stability 

and a spattering 

of electronics. 

The green machine was a serious 

contender to the Busa’s unassailable 

throne and some say it usurped the title 

from the sewing machine manufacturer. 

Our test bike, oozing sex appeal like a 

muscled fitness model, was sparkling. It 

wore the metallic green/black combination 

of colours synonymous with new Kawasaki 

bikes and carnival goers everywhere. 

Pouting noisily with twin Yoshimura pipes, 

the ZX 14 appeared to be the largest 

contender in this battle of the bulge. 

The super-charged H2, winking evilly 

from within her cowl, still drew every-ones 

attention, like a petulant prom queen, this 

bike demanded attention above all else or 

she would hurt you….badly. 

All the bikes we tested were almost new 

and after checking pressures and topping 

up our tanks we were excitedly off. 

Joined by the partially psychotic Kyle, 

mostly clueless Zen and hairy faced Rob, 

we made an odd group of road riders. 

From blistering freeway sprints across 

Joburg where motorists gawked wide 

eyed as three hyper bikes (make that 

two) bikes blitzed past them at twice 

the legal speed limit tapering off to slow 

undulating off-camber off ramps. It was 

an educational morning. 

The Busa and the 14 are both 

comfortable, strong, reliable bikes 

that are built for long trips and pristine 

confidence at mind-numbing speeds. 

The H2, although faster, lighter and more 

aggressive has no space for luggage or a 

pillion seat. 

The 14R I had previously owned was 

also modified to the hilt, a blue printed 

engine, fuelling modules and a flashed 

ECU stoked the Kawa all the way up to 

335km/h. That is one bike I still miss to this 

day, add the after markets Brembos and 

Ohlins internals, it handled and stopped 

impressively as well. 

Unless your pillion is wonder-women, 

she will not survive a trip on the gravity 

defying acceleration the H2 provides. 

In a sprint the H2 pretty much destroyed 

the other two bikes till about 297km/h 

where the Busa and 14 lazily catch up, 

most times you will not have that much 

space to be passed by these steeds in 

standard trim and adding a 220k on the 

price tag puts things into perspective. You 

could own a new Hayabusa plus a barely 

used 14 for the purchase price of a new 

H2. Interesting thought. 

“There are still some new Hayabusa’s and ZX-14R’s available at dealers around SA, but you better hurry, 

there are not many left and for under R200k what bargains they are. The ZX-14R we had on test here 

was a used bike from TRD Motorcycles - Immaculate and with neat Akro pipes.” 


They say with great power comes 

great responsibility, owning an H2 I 

would change the tag line to great fuel 

consumption, the supercharger guzzles 

fuel. Make no mistake in a long distance 

trip, the H2 will need far more petrol stops 

then the other two but conservative riding 

still gets you 14km per litre. Conservative = 

NO WIDE OPEN THROTTLE. 

There will always be a market for Hyper 

Bikes and exotic hybrids. The challenge 

the manufacturers are now facing is 

whether to push more research into 

these markets or spend that funding on 

furthering super bike development. 

The current super bikes which include 

the Rossi inspired R1, BMW S1000RR, 

ZX-10R and the 1299 Panigale are all easy 

substitutes when weighing up options in the 

purchase of a new bike. If you’re a big boned 

rider, ie upwards of 110 kg, then the super 

bike option is out and you will be better 

placed to look at one of the Hyper Bikes. 

The new stock of super bikes are 

smaller, lighter and allow no comfort for 

those extra love handles. They also not 

designed to carry the extra mass, so as a 

larger rider, you are placing yourself at risk 

when pushing these smaller machines past 

their design criteria. 

It also looks ridiculous when some 9 foot 

Neanderthal gets off a miniscule bike and 

thinks observers are admiring him when 

they are all sympathizing for the unfortunate 

machine that has to lug his heavy a$$ 

around. It’s just a thought. 

For me the ZX-14R is 

an easy choice as 

the winner. It 

represents 

power, 

comfort and affordability without 

compromising on modern electronics. The 

Busa unfortunately is showing its age in 

this company but is the most affordable 

of the trio. The H2 will never be seen as 

a long distance bike and it is unassailable 

on its throne of being the meanest, most 

aggressive production bike 

out there. There is 

nothing that feels like 

this bike for under 

half a million. 


RATINGS: KAWASAKI H2 

Heat 9 

Steering 9 

Fuel 5 

Acceleration 10 

Throttle 10 

Traffic 8 

Servicing 9 

Lights 9 

Wind 9 

New Rider 0 (NO! NO!) 

Total: 78/100 

Remember this rating applies to the bike as a commuter 

RATINGS: SUZUKI HAYABUSA 

Heat 9 

Steering 6 

Fuel 7 


Throttle 6 

Traffic 5 

Servicing 9 

Lights 7 

Wind 10 

New Rider 4 

Total: 71/100 


RATINGS: KAWASAKI ZX-14R 

Heat 9 

Steering 8 

Fuel 7 


Throttle 8 

Traffic 5 

Servicing 8 

Lights 9 

Wind 10 

New Rider 5 

Total: 78/100 


Editors Notes 

I really enjoyed this test - three bikes that will forever have their place in 

motorcycling history and so they should. The Busa and ZX-14R have stood the test of 

time and are stalwarts who have put themselves on an unmatched pedestal until now. 

The H2 super-charged Ninja, even though only a couple of years old, is already a big 

piece of history. It’s shredded the rule book and thrown it out the window and by doing 

so has opened a big can on worms. We are going to have a super-charged war on our 

hands very soon I can promise you that. 

In the world of two-wheelers, the hyperbike reigns above all. Capable of an 

electronically limited 300kph plus top speed, quarter-mile times in the 9s, great 

handling, well-mannered, and satisfactorily comfortable for any length of time, they 

find themselves falling into a number of categories - sport, touring, 

drag, urban. 

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R and Suzuki Hayabusa are a 

pair of luxurious, high-performance motorcycles capable 

of great speeds and spirited long distance riding. They 

are a marvellous amalgamation of brute force, grace, and 

serious intentions. 

It has been a few years since I swung my leg over a 

Busa and 14, and I have missed that pleasantly horrifying 

feeling one gets when riding these bikes. All 

that power combined with that somewhat 

unmatched comfort is welcomed - these 

days it’s 

mostly all 

power and 

no comfort! 

PTO... 


“The extra kilos on the Busa 

and 14 are welcomed when 

out on the road, planting the 

bikes to the ground like a 

match made in heaven.” 

It’s easy to enjoy the charm that both the Busa and 

14 exude and would much rather do a trip down to 

Sabie on either of them as appose to the H2. 

On the freeways, the 14 and Busa are smooth with 

negligible vibration at any speed. The highway ride is 

plush with little or no jostling over seams and small 

road blemishes. The extra kilos on the Busa and 14 are 

welcomed when out on the road, planting the bikes to 

the ground like a match made in heaven. Around long 

swooping corners the bikes feel safe and steadfast, 

glued to the tar like a new born baby to mommy’s breast. 

That extra weight is however not so nice when 

trying to park or pull out of your garage. It does take 

some work slugging these heifers around. If I were ever 

to drop one I would simply call an Uber and leave as 

there is no ways I’m getting it back up. 

Both do show impeccable manners at high speed 

and show calm in an urban environment, offering 

neither tantrums nor reminders of their full potential. 

They enjoy being ridden casually and don’t mind riding 

in top gear at any speed over 100kph. 

Both machines will loaf along while all the time 

ready to charge ahead from 3500 rpm and up, and a 

controlled twist of the throttle unleashes a flurry of 

activity that is predictable and never surprises - the 14 a 

little more so than the Busa. 

One has to be impressed with the side stands on 

both bikes. They must be made from some part of Chuck 

Norris to be able to hold up that amount of weight. 

All jokes aside I really do have a soft spot for the 

Busa and 14 and it will be a sad day when/if Suzuki 

and Kawasaki do decide to stop making these iconic 

models, which have been so popular here in SA selling 

thousands, especially in Brakpan. 

What more can be said about the H2 that has not 

already been said? It’s a true masterpiece, the ultimate 

machine in many ways. 5 years ago nothing came close 

to the performance of a Busa or 14, but the H2 takes it 

to a whole other level. The acceleration is ridiculous and 

needs to be respected. Even the traction control has a 

tough time managing the H2’s bad attitude - I just picture 

those parents who put their kids on one of those kiddies 

leashes at Gold Reef City, trying with all their might to 

control their child who simply wants to keep going. 

Ever time I accelerated I filled my helmet with 

screams of joy. Squirming chassis, squatting and 

twisting rear and a front end wanting to point sky high 

make for an experience like no other - the bike felt alive, 

and so did I. 

The H2 is certainly a physical bike to ride fast; it 

takes a lot of effort to ride the H2 the way it wants/needs 

to be ridden. 

While the H2 is the ultimate machine today I kind 

of see it like this - It’s like a supermodel - we all would 

love to marry one but they can be hard work, high 

maintenance and tough to really please, while the Busa 

and 14 are like, let me get this politically correct, slightly 

bigger boned ladies who I have been told make the best 

lovers. I believe the slang term is more cushion for the 

pushin - so true on this test! 

C 

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CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

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DAY 

RIDE FOR A REASON 

Ride or Drive your Suzuki and together, let’s enjoy a fun day 

out to raise money for a great cause. 

Sunday 2 October 2016 

10am to 3pm* 

The Wedge, Beyers Naude Drive, 

Muldersdrift, Gauteng 

BOOK NOW 

at www.rideforareason.co.za 

Entrance Fee: Cars - R100, Bikes - R50 

per vehicle and all proceeds are donated 

to animal welfare charities. 


Pretty 

DAMNED FAST! 

Over the next couple of months, we will feature some 

of SA’s fastest lady riders? Words: The Singh 

A few months ago, from the darkest 

recesses of my mind and a childhood 

fascination with professional riders, 

I suggested to Rob that we begin 

interviewing the local national riders 

that have in some ways become 

pseudo-celebrities. Well, maybe 

within micro-celebs. They don’t have 

a long string of scantily clad groupies 

or the most inventive colours 

schemes, but its something we can 

be proud of. 

At any rate, I had been visiting my old 

mate Clinton Seller (who some of you 

may have heard of) at his place of 

employment when some enthusiastic 

prospective motor-cycle buyers had 

walked in. After inspecting a few 

bikes, they engaged in a conversation 

with Clint and myself, and then with a 

straight face, one of them asked him 

if he also rides bikes? He seemed 

used to this line of questioning and 

with an equally calm expression 

replied that he’s ridden a few tracks. 

The customer then proceeded to 

tell him to perhaps attend the BMW 

rider academy at Zwartkops where 

his close friend instructs riders to 

become better on track. 

The void between the average road 

rider and the national racer is a vast 

uncross able chasm, which without 

some intervention from us will sadly 

never be bridged. 

So we decided to unorthodox 

and start with the girls that race 

professionally and in this case one 

particularly enthralling petrol-head by 

the name of Daphne Lang. 

I have also included some of her 

track times to give an indication 

that these women take their riding 

seriously. 


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Q: If you could be anyone for a day, 

who would you be? 

Superman 

Q: Instagram or twitter? 

Instagram 

Q: Would you bungee jump? 

Yes 

Q: What is the first thing you notice 

about people? 

Personality 

Q: Favourite sport to watch? 

WSBK and Moto GP 

Q: How long have you been on 

Facebook? 

8 years 

Q: Favourite sound? 

Motor bike revving 

Q: Where were you born? 

Potchestroom 

Q: Who is your girl crush? 

Fergie 

Q: Favourite Bike? 

BMW S1000RR 

Q: How difficult is it for a woman to 

get into racing? 

It’s quiet difficult and it’s not the norm. 

Stereo type women who are always 

the pillion is what is accepted. So as 

a woman it goes against the grain 

of motor-sport clichés. It does have 

advantages because men in the sport 

will help you far more than they would 

another guy entering racing. 

Q: Were your family members 

encouraging? 

My dad, yes. 

Q: Do male riders feel threatened 

by you? 

Yes, two of my male friends wrote their 

bikes off at Phakisa trying to catch me. 

Q: Are you afraid of crashing? 

No 

Q: What would a year in nationals 

cost you personally? 

About a million 

Q: Is it easy to get sponsors? 

No, the sport does not have much 

public interest so it’s mostly self funded. 

Q: Do the females in the sport get 

along? 

On the surface yes. 

Q: When did you start riding? 

3 years ago 

Q: Why did you start riding? 

My mom passed away and I needed 

something to keep the sadness at bay. 

Q: Favourite track? 

Phakisa 

Q: Any advice for women wanting 

to race or ride? 

It’s your life, be the best you can be 

What are your current fastest lap 

times around SA tracks? 

Zwartkops time: 1.08 

Phakisa: 1.47 

Redstar: 2.05 


SIGNIFICANT 

Others 

Let’s get naked! Something 

we really like to do here 

at RideFast - And we do it 

again with two of the best 

on the market today! 

Words: Rob Portman Pics: Zenon 


In modern day society we are almost 

forced to make decisions with our heads 

rather than our hearts. New trends are 

being set every second it seems, and we 

are programmed to follow, from fashion to 

the motorcycle industry, for all strive to be 

trend setters. 

We are overloaded in many ways with so 

many choices that it is sometimes easier to 

go with what’s trending rather than making 

our own decisions, and that means we 

often overlook the more suitable choices. 

These days, superbikes, retro racers 

and scramblers seem to be the in thing. 

The more horsepower or aftermarket 

accessories the better! One trend that 

was around, and still is to an extent, is 

naked sport bikes. To own a full kitted out, 

customised naked beast was the in thing, 

but sadly that trend doesn’t last that long 

and it’s out with the naked and in with the 

more expensive, less everyday friendly 

super bike. Now don’t get me wrong I love 

a super bike just as much as the next guy 

but I do have a soft spot for naked sport 

RIDEFAST MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2016 5 3

ikes, and for the life of me cannot understand 

why they are not taken more seriously. Similar 

performance and handling to their super bike 

cousins but with a much comfier riding position 

and in most cases at a fraction of the price. 

Both bikes we have on test here are so 

underrated here in SA. And I say here in SA 

because on my recent travels abroad I noticed 

quite a few of these models bombing around where 

as here you hardly see any. 

I’m talking about Kawasaki’s Z1000 and Aprilia’s 

Tuono 1100 RR, both significant others to their more 

popular super bike cousins the Kawasaki ZX-10R 

and Aprilia RSV4 RR. Both bikes are pretty much 

just stripped down versions of the super bikes, 

sharing similar engines, chassis and suspensions. 

Ok the Z1000 not so much with the new 2016 ZX- 

10R but rather with the previous model. 

The Z1000 breaks all modern day rules, big 

horsepower figures with no electronic aids. Un 

heard of in modern day sport bikes but this is what 

makes the Z1000 so appealing. Stick the key in, 

fire her up and away you go. The bike is very easy 

to handle and enjoy, even without the aids. The 

ZX-10R derived motor has been de-tuned down 

to 142hp, but don’t be fooled, the Z1000 still 

packs a huge punch, 11Nm of torque worth. The 

twin Racetec pipes fitted to this demo model from 

Fourways Motorcycles adds a bit more bark and 

bite to this already angry dog. 

The Z1000 is dressed to impress with high 

end components such as Big Piston Showa fully 

adjustable Forks and rear shock and class leading 

54 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2016 

Brembo brakes. One thing that is missing though is 

a quick-shifter. For goodness sakes surely by now 

every sporstbike should come standard with one? 

Luckily for the Z1000, the gearbox is smooth and 

clutch less upshifts are a breeze. 

Out on the road the Z1000 does feel a bit stiff. 

Not the bone-jarring, teeth shattering stiff, but stiff 

like a true sport bike. Despite its relaxed riding 

position, it felt much more like my sportbike roots 

than the other nakeds I’ve ridden. I did a fair share 

of riding in on the Z1000 in the day I had it - from 

general commuting to the odd complete maniac 

thrash. Coming from my sportbike background, 

I’d expect a day like this to have me popping 

painkillers. However, when I got home, I didn’t have 

any of the aches and pains I expected. That’s the 

beauty of naked bikes! 

The power delivery is incredibly linear, with 

plenty of power across the entire rev range. I had 

enough power to pass vehicles or get out of some 

soccer mom’s way while cruising on the freeway at 

4,000 rpm, but could also really push the engine 

into the top of its powerband when sport riding. 

Even from launch, the Z1000 pulls away from traffic 

quickly and doesn’t leave you waiting for the power 

to hit. Lofting the front with a greedy throttle hand 

is effortless, even through third gear. 

The handling is fantastic. It really feels more like 

a ZX-10R than a Ninja 1000. Yes, this means it’s 

on the stiff side, but it also means the bike feels far 

more nimble while dancing through twisty bends. 

I loved the front brakes on the Z1000. They 

give great initial bite and a solid feel throughout 

While on this test we decided to stop at 

Dukes Burgers in Greenside for a quick bite 

to eat. When our burgers came we realised, 

it kind of summed up both bikes perfectly. 

Rob likes his burgers plain, no garnish, 

it’s just tastier that way. He doesn’t like all 

the fancy garnish and sauces - And that’s 

pretty much what the Z1000 is. A plain yet 

tasty bike without all the fancy garnish 

(electronics). Some just like it like that! 

On the other hand, the Aprilia is just like the 

gourmet burger The Singh ordered, with all 

the toppings, even the decorative sauce on 

the plate to make it look even better. The 

Aprilia Tuono, like The Singh’s burger, is 

packed with all that goodness!

their application. The ABS up front is 

fantastic as well, and activates very 

smoothly, which didn’t make me secondguess 

its abilities, as I have with other 

manufacturers’ systems. Despite my 

best attempts, I noticed very little brake 

fade, even at the end of long, hard days 

in the twisties. 

The Z1000 has come along way 

from the first model released back in 

2003, up from 125hp to 142 and offers 

a much better overall ride. What makes 

the Z1000 even more special is its price 

tag - R185,995, that’s almost R100k 

cheaper than the ZX-10R super bike. 

Granted the super bike is much more 

of a weapon but for everyday thrashing 

you can’t go wrong with the Z1000. 

The RSV4 inspired Tuono RR 

is a machine which I struggled to 

find the right words to describe. Great, 

superb, phenomenal, extraordinary, fantastic, 

marvellous, sublime are all words that could 

be used to describe this Italian gem but even 

they seemed none praiseworthy enough. No 

matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t find a 

word worthy enough off the top of my head, so 

I did what any distinguished, highly rated journo 

would do - google! 

After 10 minutes of searching I still couldn’t 

find that illusive word I was looking for so I 

settled on supercalafragalisticexpealadosious - 

definition: a word to say, when you don’t know 

what to say. 

The Tuono literally left me speechless. From 

the arm stretching acceleration to the GP125 

like handling, this bike has it all in abundance - 

The Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 will fulfill your naked 

fantasies! 

I will happily go on record saying that this 

is one of the best bikes I have ever ridden. 

Comfortable, fast, thrilling, sexy - it had me at 

hello! Yes, it’s that good! 

Aprilia wanted to take their Tuono to another 

level, so they took their already class leading V4 

engine and blown it out its bore to 81mm for 

a total displacement of 1,077cc. That boosted 

output by 5 horsepower for a total of 175 at 

11,000 RPM and 122Nm of torque spread 

evenly over the low and mid-range. Just as 

importantly, with the upgraded displacement 

and software, the RR delivers 20 more hp at 

8,000 revs than its predecessor. 

This is a big dog with a big bark and even 

bigger bite! The speed at which this bike 

accelerates is incredible, almost H2 supercharger 

like. Luckily it comes with one of the 

best leashes in the business to control all that 

bark and bite. A few years ago, Aprilia’s APRC 

suite (Aprilia Performance Ride Control) was 

only featured on their top of the range models, 

but now has been fitted onto their RR models, 

which are the “base” models if you can call 

them that. Aprilia on-board technology is by 

far one of the best in the business, featuring 

an electronic quick-shift that works better than 

most, traction control that sometimes works 

too much, wheelie control, which is needed 

on this bike trust me, and launch control for 

those brave enough. There are eight settings 

to adjust through a joystick on the handlebar, 

along with three ride modes: Road, Track, and 

Sport, which can easily be selected while riding 

using the plus/minus buttons situated on the 

left handlebar. 

Adjustable 43mm Sachs forks, along 

with Brembo calipers clamping 320mm front 

discs and a 220mm rear disc, all controlled 

through Bosch’s ABS system, means the 

Tuono RR is one kitted out machine and it all 

works perfectly. You can even connect to your 

smartphone, which means you can combine 

GPS information to tweak the electronics 

depending on where you are on the track. 

It also provides telemetry data and a kind of 

onboard race instructor that’ll tell you the best 

points to accelerate and brake. And yes, the 

Tuono RR is more than capable of going on 

the track. In fact, it will put some super bikes 

to shame! At R225,000, you get a machine 

capable of doing just about everything right. 

Conclusion: 

Overall I was so impressed with both these 

bikes. They give you that naughty but nice, 

good to be bad feeling. Like the first time you 

watched Sharon Stone spread her legs in Basic 

Instinct, after your mom told you not to watch 

that filthy movie. 

You will find any reason to go for a ride on 

these bikes, and the wife will love you for it, 

because if you own one of these you will be 

offering to do those trips to the grocery store 

more often. 

Most modern-day bikes are designed to do 

one thing very well, but naked bikes do a decent 

job of doing-it-all - from touring to weekend 

blasts, these particular nakeds with leave you 

wanting more every time! 

AT A GLANCE 

KAWASAKI Z1000 ABS 

PRICE: R185 995 

ENGINE TYPE 

1,043cc Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke 

In-Line Four 

MAX POWER & TORQUE 

142 Bhp @ 10 000 rpm 

111 Nm @ 7300 rpm 

SEAT HEIGHT 815 mm 

TOTAL LENGTH 2045 mm 

WET WEIGHT 221 kg 

FUEL CAPACITY 17L 

BRAKES: Dual semi-floating 310 

mm petal discs, Dual radial-mount, 

monobloc, opposed 4-piston 

SUSPENSION: 41 mm inverted 

fork with stepless compression 

and rebound damping and spring 

preload adjustability 

AT A GLANCE 

APRILIA TUONO 1100 RR APRC 

PRICE: R225 000 

ENGINE TYPE 

1077 cc V-4 cylinder, 4-stroke, double 

overhead camshafts (DOHC) 

MAX POWER & TORQUE 

175 Bhp @ 11 000 rpm 

121 Nm @ 9000 rpm 

SEAT HEIGHT 825 mm 

TOTAL LENGTH 2065 mm 

WET WEIGHT 214 kg 

FUEL CAPACITY 18.5L 

BRAKES: Dual semi-floating 310 

mm petal discs, Dual radial-mount, 

monobloc, opposed 4-piston 

SUSPENSION: 43mm USD Sachs 

forks, fully-adjustable. Rear: Single 

rear Sachs shock, fully adjustable 

C 

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CM 

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CY 

CMY 

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RSR Landscape A5 Advert for July PRESS.pdf 1 2016/06/08 9:43 AM

Some say that he was briefly married to Marilyn Monroe, and 

was also the inspiration behind the Avatar movie. All we know 

is that he is The Singh and is really, really, freakishly tall and 

funny looking and helped us test two naked bikes! 


Political upheaval, the growth of 

a country’s consciousness, a 

strengthening currency, I awoke 

on the 4th of August and surmised 

that perhaps I had emigrated in my sleep. 

For the first time in many months, the 

citizens of our cauldron of mixed cultures 

had begun to think past one man’s views 

to line the pockets of his friends and 

colleagues. It had started as a thought 

then was catapulted into a dream and 

now in fresh ravishing colour, South Africa 

was finally becoming a true Democracy. 

That morning there were whispers of 

hope in people’s eager eyes and even the 

pessimists were nodding their heads in 

sanguineness. 

Well most of them, some importers still 

think that naked street-fighters will amass 

large numbers of sales because bikers 

yearned to feel the wind in their thinning 

hair, rapid acceleration through their old 

bones and altruistic freedom across their 

deteriorating minds. 

In this road test, I get to ride Kawasaki’s 

Street-fighting Z1000 and the Aprilia (they 

should have detuned it) Tuono V4 1100 RR. 

On the promotion booklet there is 

nothing about the Kawasaki Z1000 that 

does not capture the interest of any petrolhead. 

With an aggressive stance that 

mimics a squint transformer, more sparkling 

paint than Nathaniel can use on his eyes 

and a well crafted seat. Yes the seat 

intrigued me from the first moment I ogled 

it with my blinking retinas. It’s stylish and 

grips you like a good horror movie. 

The Z1000 is well finished, snappily 

poised and could easily compete with 

Uncle Gwezzy in a stare down. The bike 

I rode was fitted with twin Racetec pipes 

that announced its presence to everyone 

including those hard of hearing. Its engine 

is smooth and fast, all the way to about 

160km/H where the wind started tearing 

chunks of my anatomy off the bike. 

Nakeds were not meant for taller 

people to ride at speed. The South African 

environment is about speed or dual 

purpose, naked bikes are a nice to have 

and if you own one, then like the H2 it’s not 

the only steed you have parked proudly in 

your garage. 

The Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 RR is an 

eye-ball wrenching, gut busting and superhero 

version of other Nakeds. It does to 

other bikes what the 2016 ZX-10R will do 

to a Thruxton in a sprint, in a corner, while 

stopping, on a track, on a road, down a 

mine-shaft (Oh please edit these comments 

Rob, You will be severely chastised if you 

print this drivel). 

I wish that we had these two road 

machines in our naked bike test in Sabie; it 

would have been a delight to use the Tuono 

on those treacherous unforgiving mountain 

passes. 

For this road test I cannot fault either of 

the bikes, the Aprilia feels easier to turn with 

ball-crushing brakes and wrist numbing 

acceleration. It does cost 80k more, so 

that’s something to consider, it also has the 

usual bouquet of electronics which you are 

paying for, nothing new there. 

Good fuel consumption, reasonable 

maintenance costs, and a penchant for 

preserving rubber. None of these are 

negative attributes in any equation. All the 

naked bikes we have been fortunate to test 

are a treat for comfortable close range trips 

and vertically challenged people. 

In SA these bikes are normally viewed in 

the same light as repugnant rich men who 

have beautiful wives. (It was never about his 

personality, love). 

Pampered, custom spray jobs, hand 

crafted exhausts and unnecessary bits 

of carbon are the usual life cycle of these 

lovely machines. They will trace their birth 

from the retailer to multiple modifiers to their 

nouveau rich owners that will indulgently 

care for them for about 2000km. Then the 

bikes will be sold at an enormous loss to 

some other almost rich guy who could not 

afford it new but wants to demonstrate to 

his mates that he has one now. 

Sad really, the SA motorcycle industry 

needs better marketing and promotion of 

these affordably energetic alternatives to 

the somewhat over-priced super bikes of 

today. I think active promotions, test rides 

and discounted incentives will go a long 

way to increase the socio-cultural impact 

of these machines. It really is up to the 

distributors’ to create an interest for these 

under-rated over-achievers. 

RATINGS: Z1000 

Heat 8 

Steering 6 

Fuel 8 


Throttle 7 

Traffic 8 

Servicing 8 

Lights 6 

Wind 5 

New Rider 7 

Total: 70/100 


RATINGS: TUONO 1100 RR 

Heat 8 

Steering 9 

Fuel 7 


Throttle 9 

Traffic 8 

Servicing 6 

Lights 8 

Wind 5 

New Rider 5 

Total: 75/100 


RIDEFAST MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2016 5 9

SA SBK RACING: 

SUPER GP NATIONALS: ROUND 5, REDSTAR 

SUPER MEN, 

SUPERGP! 

Round 5 action of the SuperGP returned to the home of 

South African motorcycle racing Redstar Raceway, and 

the racing was once again world class! 

Words: Wayne van Tonder Pics: Eric Buijs, Neil Phillipson & Eugene Liebenberg 

Tributes were paid to South 

African race car driver Gugu Zulu 

over the race weekend. Yellow 

smiley stickers could be seen on all 

the bikes and flags with the smiley 

on the Redstar Raceway bridge that 

represented the memory of Gugu Zulu. 

The racing was world class, racing 

that Gugu Zulu himself would have 

approved. It’s unfortunately rather 

difficult to keep up with what is 

happening on track as you can only 

view the racing from the main grand 

stand and other smaller stands down 

the start/finish straight. I really do 

hope that in future they will add more 

viewing points around the track, it is a 

shame not being able to witness more 

of the spectacular racing taking place. 

However, spectacular racing it was and 

there was a great vibe around Redstar. 

Darryn Binder, Moto3 rider and brother 

of Brad Binder, also in attendance. I 

spotted him at the RideFast Magazine 

stand but regrettably didn’t want 

to come across as a weird fan boy 

asking for an autograph and picture, 

it was awesome seeing him there 

nevertheless. 

To the racing itself and the 

SuperJunior’s really surprised me, 

just as the SuperGP series has been 

doing in general. These guys really 

are showing some true talent and 

potential to be the future Brad and 

Darryn Binder’s of South African 

racing. A three way battle took place in 

race one between CJ Hackart, Aiden 

Liebenberg and Tyreece Robert. 

Liebenberg taking the victory after 

Hackart lost the front end while leading 

the way. Robert finishing in second 

ahead of Luca Coccioni in third. 

Race two saw the three way battle 

commence yet again, Liebenberg 

taking his second victory of the day, 

Hackart in second and Robert third. 

In the Super600 races Adolf 

Boshoff and Steven Odendaal 

continued where they had left off 

before Odendaal had headed off to 

international duty. In race one it was 

Blaze Baker who had his say as he led 

the two Yamaha’s on the first lap. It 

would not last long though as Boshoff 

soon found his way past leaving 

Odendaal stuck trying to find his way 

past Baker. Odendaal would eventually 

KZN boys Blaze Baker and Malcom 

Rudman fought hard in race one 

Moto2 style backing in from Steven Odendaal 


SA SBK RACING: 

SUPER GP NATIONALS: ROUND 5, REDSTAR 

Dorren Lourerio in a big battle 

Race two winner Scholtz 

Another podium finish for 

Michael White 

find his way past and close the gap on 

Boshoff but it was not enough as Boshoff 

took yet another win. Odendaal in second 

ahead of Baker. 

In race two, Boshoff and Odendaal were 

in a race of their own, opening up a big gap 

to third and fighting it out over the twelve 

lap race. The two would make move after 

move on each other, swopping positions 

all the way to the flag. In the end it would 

be Boshoff who came out on top picking 

up his 9th win of the season ahead of 

Odendaal. Blaze Baker was unfortunately 

forced to retire as his bike spluttered it’s 

way back to the pits. Kawasaki mounted 

Malcom Rudman, on his return to National 

racing, would make up for his crash in race 

one while in third by taking the final podium 

position in race two. 

The SuperGP races were again world 

class and dominated by the Yamaha R1’s. 

Mathew Scholtz led the way early on 

but was passed by Seller down the long 

highway straight. The race was ended 

due to a crash seeing Seller in first while 

Scholtz, who made a mistake, sliding off 

the track, would finish in twelfth. Michael 

White would take second ahead of Greg 

Gildenhuys in third. 

Seller had a bad start in the second race 

and was down in fourth early on. He would 

be in a battle with White and Gildenhuys 

leaving Scholtz to open up a gap at the 

head of the race. Seller would then go on 

to smash the lap record two laps in a row, 

posting a 1,50.4, the fastest ever time seen 

around Redstar. He soon found himself in 

catching Scholtz, but the championship 

leader fought back and pulled out what 

looked like a comfortable lead going into 

the final couple of laps only for Seller to 

come charging back. Seller would try a late 

lunge from way back going into the final 

turn but ran wide. Scholtz was however 

held up by a back marker which gave 

Seller one last chance. Scholtz would take 

the win by 0.1 of a second ahead of Seller. 

White went on to finish in a lonely third after 

holding the two leaders for the first half of 

the race. 

With three rounds remaining the 

championship in all three classes is hotting 

up. I can’t wait to catch more of the action 

and see who will come out on top. 

Round 6 of the SuperGP championship 

will be held at Aldo Scribante in Port 

Elizabeth on Saturday the 27th of August. 


GET THAT 

WINNING 

FEELING 

2O15 R1 R254 95O 

2O16 R6 R144 95O 

20 STARTS 20 WINS! 

Yamaha R1 and R6 machines have dominated the 2016 SuperGP 

Champions Trophy, picking up all the wins available and lead both the 

1000cc and 600cc categories so far this year. 

• Mathew Scholtz (Team Nashua Emtek Yamaha R1): 10 starts 6 wins 

• Clint Seller (Neolife Yamaha R1): 10 starts 4 wins 

• Adolf Boshoff (Neolife Yamaha R6): 10 starts 7 wins 

• Steven Odendaal (Petra Racing Yamaha R6): 10 starts 3 wins

Pics GP Feve.de 

EXCLUSIVE RACE COLUMN 

BRAD BINDER: MOTO3 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 

HIGHS AND LOWS 

The last two races really did 

That was again my mentality going into 

have plenty of ups and downs. the Brno race. I tried not to focus on the 

Heading into the race in Austria I lead I had in the standings but rather on 

was ultra confident as I had done winning races. 

a two day test at the newly re-vamped I started where I left off in Austria with 

circuit just a couple of weeks before. I was good pace in the practise sessions and 

determined to do well as it was my two headed into qualifying with a good setup 

main sponsors - Red Bull and KTM’s home to go really fast. I did just that and 

track, so I wanted to bring them that first secured pole position. Always a great 

place trophy. 

feeling getting pole. My race pace 

The circuit is not particularly technical was good and my KTM was so fast, 

as it only has 9 corners, but what really especially up the hill so confidence 

mattered here was to push hard and was sky high for the race. 

make the most of each sector. It’s 

That was until I woke up on 

possible to go fast at a particular point race day and saw the weather - it 

on the circuit but very difficult to do so was raining heavily so I had to 

throughout an entire lap. We have found prepare myself for a wet race. 

some settings for the bike that have We did a good job setting 

worked, I felt comfortable and our pace the bike up for the wet 

was really good leading into the race. conditions in the morning 

I felt very strong in qualifying and I warm-up. 

couldn’t wait to start the race. I could I was a bit cautious in 

have done even better, but at the end the first couple laps of the 

of the session, on my second flying lap, race. I wanted to get a good 

someone cut across me from the outside feeling of the track before I 

and I had to hit the brakes. Still I was started to really push. 

happy with second on the grid as a front After 5 laps I started 

row is always a positive thing and I knew I to feel comfortable and 

had great race pace. 

made my way to the front 

I got a good start in the race and after of the field. 

battling hard in the first few laps I hit the I had no fear and everything was going 

front and tried to pull out a lead. The bike perfectly. My bike was more than perfect 

had a small dip in initial acceleration so and I have never had such a good feeling 

I wasn’t coming out of the turns as hard in the rain in my life. Then it all went wrong 

as I would have liked so I was pushing with the crash, highsiding coming out of 

even more going into the turns. I was turn one. I turned in a little too much for 

unable to get away and with the problem the corner and I think there was a small 

on the bike found it hard to battle with the puddle there, so it was a bit unfortunate. 

other riders who were able to drive out I was sorry for the team because I maybe 

the turns harder than me. I was close to should not have done what I was doing. I 

throwing everything away, because I went would have been able to secure the points, 

wide a couple of times on the final laps, but I was not forcing things to go fast – it 

but I was able to regain contact with the was simply that I felt very comfortable and 

group quickly. 

did not have the feeling that I was doing 

Going into the last lap I felt strong and I anything crazy. The positive thing from the 

tried to overtake Mir, but I went a little wide race was that I only lost six points from my 

and I had to pass Bastianini as well. I felt lead in the World Championship. 

bad, because it was a bit of a hard move, To end off I am pleased to announce 

but I wanted to try and win. In the end I that I have signed a deal with my team 

had to settle for 2nd, which still felt good to race a Red Bull sponsored KTM/WP 

especially after I was told that Navarro Moto2 bike next year. I am so thrilled and 

had crashed out and I extended my points happy to have signed with a team whom 

lead to 67. Regardless of what others do I trust. I know it’s going to be a tough 

though, I always try to win as if it were the challenge ahead but it’s one I am ready 

first race. I think I have nothing to lose and and excited for! 

everything to gain. 

Thanks for reading - Brad Binder #41 


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