issue265 august 2012 ROAD TESTS Contents launCh it’sthenews mv Brutale 675 ................. 14 upfront ........................................ 8 So has MV Agusta done the unthinkable and made New metal, news and reviews from planet Fast Bikes. its naked F3 better than a Triumph Street Triple? You know what, maybe it has, maybe it has... gearedup rearsets&Clip-ons ........22 leftfield Control is, in so many ways, everything. Being positioned KTM 300eXC enduro ... 21 well on your bike, and having perfect feel through the bars In a world ever more populated with 4-stroke and pegs is crucial – and usually requires adjustability. enduro bikes, it’s rather nice to ride a true nutter getitfirst that still smells right – the two-stroke 300EXC. subscribe................................ 94 group test Get your dose of sportsbike hedonism delivered direct to your door 13 times a year - 2012 sBOTY ..........................30 and get a FREE EDZ undersuit! This is the big one – the 2012 Fast Bikes Sportsbike MasterClass of the Year – an annual leviathan of a test devised riding .......................................... 98 to pick the unequivocal king of the market. Every Your speed is a crucial cornering element. Can you feel it? year the battle is harder fought, and the margins of separation closer together. There are no losers technical ................................100 anymore, but there’s certainly a winner... Your spannering queries and questions answered. • • 30 Ducati 1199 Panigale S Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC • Suzuki GSX-R600 • Triumph Daytona 675R group test legal ........................................... 103 • BMW S 1000 RR • Kawasaki ZX-10R That rather unpalatable court decision explained... • • Honda CBR1000RR Ducati 848 EVO Corse SE YourlifeonBikes • KTM 1190 RC8 R • Kawasaki ZX-6R 2012 SPORTSBIKE OF THE YEAR IN ASSOCIATION WITH versus: head-to-head IT’S THE BIG ONe – cAN THE APRILIA RSV4 HOLD ON TO ITS Chatter ..................................... 104 Plenty more tales of the unexpected from your world. ZX-10r v Z1000sX ...........62 CROWN, OR IS THERE A NEW KING ON PLANET SPORTSBIKE? In the second of our new ‘Versus’ series of theknowledge head-to-head shootouts we pitch the ballistic usedBuyer’s Guide ......... 98 insanity of Kawasaki’s ZX-10R against its barely 2007 Ducati Monster S4RS – it’s a wild one alright. less entertaining cousin, the Z1000SX. Sportsbikes FEATURES come in many shapes and sizes, but development addiCtion iconBike Guide .................. 104 has become so radical that every bike forces 1998 Yamaha YZF-R1 – the first of the breed. degrees of compromise – which will you choose? simoncelli rep’ .............68 • Kawasaki ZX-10R • Kawasaki Z1000SX David Raybould’s stunning Honda Fireblade ourlifeonBikes tribute to the late, great, Marco Simoncelli staffBikes ..............................116 Exhausts, tyres, carbon wheels galore, slipper clutches... Bike traCkday trophy • Ducati 848 EVO Corse SE • BMW S 1000 RR CONTROL IS EVERYTHING: BIKE TRACKDAY TROPHY - snetterton ...... Centre Pullout • Suzuki GSX-R1000 • Kawasaki ZX-6R 22 REARSETS AND CLIP-ONS 71 SNETTERTON AND BEYOND The inside story from the Snetterton round of • Honda CBR600RR • Triumph Speed Triple R the Bike Trackday Trophy, and a look forward • Yamaha YZF-R6 to round three at the legendary Brands Hatch projectBikes ........................124 ten with... Beej’s Yamaha TZR250 smoking project gets blacker. ron williams .................84 raCeseCtion You might not have heard of Ron, but you’ll 88 know the company he founded – Maxton pit Pass .................................... 134 dream ride The MotoGP rumour mill is already at full throttle. dream ride Bernhard Gobmeier ....... 136 tom sykes’ ZX-10r ..........88 Who? He’s the man who made BMW’s S 1000 RR win. TEN WITH RON WILLIAMS, Alastair blags his way onto Tom Sykes’ 84 THE MAN BEHIND MAXTON incredibly fast KRT Kawasaki ZX-10R world ColuMnists 68 superbike at AragÓn. Hold on tight... alastair Fagan .................... 143 addiction A-Force battles on, and nearly gets on the podium! Chaz Davies .......................... 145 Chaz pips Biaggi to the podium. Game on! steve 62 parrish.....146 versus: head-to-head Is Cal Crutchlow just chasing the cash? ZX-10R vs Z1000SX THE MAN WHO MADE IMV BRUTALE 675 LAUNCH: IS • 136 THE BMW S 1000 RR WIN 14IT A STREET TRIPLE BEATER? buy fb gear fastbikesmag.com 4 august 2012 fast bikes mag.com.