group test NAKED SPORTSBIKES ARE BOOMING - IN LOTS OF WAYS. NICHE NO MORE, HARDCORE MEETS THE MASSES AND YOUR TESTERS ARE Supers the Japanese struggle for sales and the European revolution persists, the A naked sector has played a crucial part in this swing. Kawasaki’s new release, the Z1000, is the Japs’ best attempt at hardcore, but it still lacks sporting aptitude against the established. The Europeans know how to Alastair Benjamin ‘BJ’ build bespoke fairing-less weapons, rather ‘A-Force’ Fagan Kubas-Cronin than compromised mammoths that wobble Just returned from Happy to give a and hit the panic button at lean angles as soon a season of naked model a as they see an apex. stag-dos, so proper good Whatever, Trevor. This class is shit-kicking, WORDS BY: ALASTAIR ‘A-FORCE’ FAGAN PICS BY: FLOW IMAGES completely happy spanking – so long and puts up a good argument as to why you’d NakedS with anything as she agrees. want a ’Blade – except to save the neck from and raucous engineering. Neither bring ability, aggression and price. Putting it against naked. Off-putting Rather likes these wind blast. It’s all about phat stunts, peg anything new into 2010, other than a the rest of the four-pot nakeds would be like in the office, mind. bikes, too. scraping and badass street kudos. magnitude of naked fun. sticking Rossi in a club race, even with his 2009 gave us, arguably, our favourite Fresh for this year is the MV Agusta Brutale mashed leg. Ducati on the market. The Streetfighter rocked 1090RR, and a lesson in striping a sportsbike Regardless of bankruptcy rumours and up and instantly gave the KTM’s utterly for the Japs. Although it looks like a rehash of general media negativity, Moto Morini looks bonkers Super Duke R – the class pioneer – the previous model, the Brutale has a great likely to continue manufacturing after the something to hassle its long standing deal of refinement for 2010, including Magneti Italian Prime Minister’s bruvva coughed up domination. The SF also brought along a Marelli traction control and a capacity hike. the necessary Euros. The Corsaro Veloce is touch of class and sensibility to the mix, a The RR is literally in a class of its own, Morini’s full-bore naked hustler, and a group previously saturated with aggressive dunking into this test through its sporting long-time favourite at FB. But is its time up? • 52 august 2010 fast bikes mag.com fast bikes mag.com august 2010 53 group test Super NakedS Moto Morini Corsaro Veloce an you imagine David Once you’ve managed to get Cameron’s brother bailing- it stopped, the Corsaro Veloce can be persuaded to turn benjamin’s Cout Triumph if they ever went bust? No, but that’s exactly opinion THE FROnt WHEEL IS abOut what’s happened in Italy to the Moto “ Morini marque, with backing from The Morini sits at opposing ends as usEFUL as A nun’S the Government for good measure. of different spectrums.I t’s too We won’t delve too deep or ask any old to command any respect in a NIPPLE PIERCIng questions as to where the money finishing order, hence it being ” originated, so we’ll just thank the last. It’s dying for a proper update, Lord that Morini will continue to but the engine doesn’t need it. It’s create whoop-ass motorcycles. the chassis that needs some Thrashing a Corsaro Veloce should attention. On the flip-side, it’s the be near the top of your list of things to hardest bastard here and on the do before you croak. Just be prepared road a complete animal. The to lose your licence. It’s one of very raging torque that makes it so few bikes to constantly drip smiles much fun on the road ruins it on into your veins. You have no say in track, but you don’t buy one of the matter, anyhow, so novices these for trackdays. You buy one should stay away. of these if you’re nails-hard! Any bike that leaves the showroom with a pair of booming BJ’s verdict 6/10 Termi’ cans is gonna do biz (Morini say they pass Euro3 laws, we say the mafia may be involved) and thankfully the performance backs-up the blare, also exaggerated by the evil induction bark that could shatter bone marrow. If the noise isn’t enough to terrorize the neighbourhood, your riding soon will be. The front wheel is about as useful as a nun’s nipple piercing, particularly in the first few gears as all the go-go lays in a tormented shove of torque that builds from the bottom. MOTO MORINI CORSARO VELOCE £11,749 This means uncontrollable power The track, and on-the-limit wheelies as you pull away in every thrashing, is where the Morini loses situation, honestly officer. out. The super-rigid chassis feels The grunt soon evaporates as you capable enough, just let down by head higher up the rev-range and the ageing suspension and poor others clear off, but that soundtrack is damping, not to mention shit OE addictive, as is the harsh-cut limiter rubber – ancient Diablo Corsas feel that could be used for torture. For a like plastic now. This is where you bike that’s getting on a bit, it guzzles have to get the gun-show in action the juices superbly, even if the snappy and muscle the hooligan around. quick-action throttle can take There’s not a lot of travel on some acclimatising. the front, relying on stiff Hidden among the don’T BE springs and harsh damping hedonistic charge is a FOOLED BY to control its unimpressive sense of civility that can Touching the throttle when scale performance. Roots you start the bike from cold. be unlocked with gentle returned after his ride Relax. Don’t do it. When The technological core of the Veloce is the 1,187cc Highlights encouragement. This you wanna, suck a and calmly claimed he’d Bialbero CorsaCorta 87˚ V-twin layout engine. ˲ Utterly bonkers function only works in a locked the front at 100mph Power is boosted further by lightweight, twin Chewit. engine ˲ Termi’ cans small parameter, though. If under heavy braking. What Termignoni silencers. Euro3 emission laws are still met, even with the racy exhaust that sounds ˲ Marzocchi fork you can manage to keep on the actually happened was the like a race bike. Magnetti Marelli fuel injection ˲ Government-backed right side of the law, the Corsaro front had bottomed out and let the gets the juices flowing, and they are boosted by ˲ 196kg makes a great road buddy. Its quick tyre take the brunt. 54mm throttle bodies. A hydraulic anti-skipping ˲ 131bhp steering and agility at sensible lean Priced optimistically, there are a system acts like a slipper clutch. angles make sure you don’t have to few second-hand options available. TRACK 6 Tyres and weight get in the way work too hard on a thrash. You can Importers Three Cross have a 2008 also rely on the bulging mass of grunt with super-low mileage for just under The frame is high-strength tubular steel by FAST ROAD 6 Verlicchi, with stiffness to cope with vibrations Urban terrorist to rescue you from low rev exits. nine grand. Now that’s big bang for and big power. The Veloce gets uprated Bump management isn’t high on ya buck and very tempting indeed. chassis suspension over the standard Corsaro. The HOOLIGAN 10 Nobody will be left wanting the Veloce’s agenda. The harsh front–end has 50mm Marzocchi Magnum forks, damping makes for a tricky ride on while the rear is sorted by an Öhlins unit, NEW RIDER 1 Verdict 7/10 complete with external preload adjuster. Brembo Are you kidding? UK roads and their onslaught of The bike that would go to the World Cup as a catalyst Gold Series brakes ensure excellent stopping DESIRABILITY 7 obstacles. It can get a little twitchy as for rioting. Ya get me? power and standard fitment tyres are the ageing Still sexual, but aging the apparent short wheelbase + BONKERS MOTOR, NOISE, stuntIng Pirelli Diablos. complains at the limit. - OE tyRES, agEING A LITTLE, NO NOVICES 54 august 2010 fast bikes mag.com fast bikes mag.com august 2010 55 group test Super NakedS MV Agusta Brutale 1090RR riumph named their flagship 675 after some place in benjamin’s tAmerica. MV have tagged their naked daddy slightly more opinion relevantly. Brutale is exactly what this bike is; frickin’ brutal. We rode the The new Brutale is a far nicer bike 2010 model at the UK launch at than before, despite it looking Rockingham, but the deluge meant identical. I rode this machine 200 testing was limited to staying upright. miles down from MotoGB, and it What we figured out was that was a more pleasant than I the new Brutale is a more anticipated. It’s fast. It makes civilised beast. We use 125bhp feel like much more, and ‘civilised’ in a loose sense – is so torquey I was able to lift the it’s still a sexy, rampant thug front wheel on the power alone. In for a four-pot. The previous fourth! The main reason it goes incarnation trapped you into its ahead of the KTM in my order, is riding position which got that I could live with it on a daily frustrating on track. The new basis. If it was for one-off farting ergonomics allow more room to about, I’d put the KTM ahead.