Fast Bikes » Suzuki

New Fast Bikes Issue – OUT NOW!

Moby — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:33:46 +0000

It’s a new year, but is it time for a new bike? Whether you’re after a brand new 2012 model, a slightly used one, or something iconic from back in the day – we’ve got it all in the new issue of Fast Bikes. There’s even a 36-page New Bike Guide, featuring all the hot metal for 2012. If you’re not splashing out on some new metal, we’ve got riding, technical and legal advice, pages rammed with new products and features, and the famous Addiction section to keep you entertained. Take a look…

Click the Contents pages to take a look at what’s inside

Midwest Enduro – Season Finale

fastbikes — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:08:18 +0000

So, I have finally completed my first ‘full’ Racing series of enduro with Midwest. My final stats may not read that favourably but the end result for me is extremely positive and will be back again next year with a vigour that only experience and getting out of your comfort zone can give you.

So the tale of the tape is as follows, I started with a DNS, A finish, a DNF, 2 no shows, another finish and finally on the 20^th November, Did Not Start again – but this time I cannot blame mechanical failure – I was, as at Clay Hill, beaten by the conditions, lack of stamina and ability.

But there we go, I had made a few fundamental mistakes at the start of the last round at Ford, my tyres were far too pumped and I had to drop a good 10 psi for the conditions, I was too hesitant and again – a bit light on grit to get myself round. However, having spent so much time with the marshals I was given alot of tips, advice and encouragement for next year and its being surrounded by these people with so much passion that will have me rolling again in 2012.

The only thing I really need to do is look out for a more practical bike for my ability. It was always my intention to pick something up for as little as possible and see if enduro was something I wanted to get into. That was my aim and to that end I have had a a very positive season – yes it’s for me, and now I have to increase my investment to a machine more befitting my needs and ability and get straight back into it. As for the RMX 250s that will be found a good home, I have not done it justice but at least its not in boxes in Rootsy’s garage anymore.

So all in all a brilliant season and if you are near enough to the west country visit www.mwmcc.co.uk for more info and I will hope to see you next year. Though I don’t think I will have Fast Bikes logo’s on my bike for a while, talk about a rolling contradiction…

We really hope that’s mud…

Cheers Jack for the images, and all the guys that have helped me along the way, see you next year.

Charlie

Midwest Enduro Mayhem

Fast Bikes Issue 257 – Feb 2012

Moby — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:06:01 +0000

It’s nearly that time of year where you have to sit around at home, entertaining the demonic in-laws, and trying not to drink yourself into a stupor. Well fear not, we’ve got the ultimate indoors soul-saving distraction – yes, the new issue of Fast Bikes is out now!

Take a look at what’s inside!

Subscribe and Save this Christmas!

Fast Bikes Issue 255, December 2011

Moby — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:30:47 +0000

The sun is out, the sky is blue, it’s mildly nippy, but we have the answer for you. Don’t worry, we’re much better at magazines than we are at poetry. The new issue is on sale now – and you get a free fleecy neck warmer with every issue! Grab one sharpish…

Here’s what’s inside:

And you get one of these for free! (Benjamin not included.)

Motorcycle Live 19th-27th Nov

Moby — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:59:04 +0000

Not long to go now folks. While most of us are in no hurry to visit the NEC itself, the allure of what will be hiding within from the 19th to the 27th November should be more than enough to get us all en route.

With 33 manufacturers (which is basically all of them) confirmed as exhibitors, a hoard of retailers, and stacks of interactive attractions, you’re certainly not going to get bored. Of course, you may end up broke by the time you leave, though.

This’ll be your first chance to see all the new 2012 bikes in the flesh, and there’s quite a bit to see. There’ll be the new Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade, Yamaha YZF-R1, Suzuki GSX-R1000, Husqvarna Nuda 900R, Ducati Streetfighter 848, BMW S 1000 RR, and a host of updated tweaks to pour over.

You can take the whole family along too, because even if they don’t ride already, they can have a go at the NEC. The ‘Get On’ campaign will be there, er, getting people on motorbikes for the first time, and if your nippers fancy a go (and why wouldn’t they), then Honda’s ‘My First Licence’ will be giving them the chance to catch the bike bug.

And to cap it all, Fast Bikes is sponsoring the ‘Question of Bikes’ attraction this year, with our good friend Stavros on the mic, most probably saying inappropriate things in public, as usual. See you there!

Motorcycle Live Website

Book Tickets NOW!

Follow Motorcycle Live on Facebook

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Fast Bikes Issue 254, Nov 2011

Moby — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:07:59 +0000

Fear not sportsbike addicts, the new issue is now gracing the shelves of your local retailer – here’s a quick peek inside…

Click to open the contents pages as a PDF

Fast Bikes Merchandise

Fast Bikes Issue 253, Oct 2011

Moby — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:21:59 +0000

This month sees the 600cc sportsters go head-to-head with Honda’s new CBR600F jumping into the fight against its rivals; the new Triumph Street Triple gets some competition to worry about as it takes on Suzuki’s GSR750, Kawasaki’s Z750R and Yamaha’s FZ8; we give the new MV Agusta Brutale 920 a spanking; and that’s not even the half of it…

See what’s in this issue:

Plus – get a free waterproof pouch with every issue, so you’ll never kill another phone again…

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Casey Stones Them At Brno

Moby — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:19:33 +0000

A kid on the way hasn’t slowed Casey Stoner. After miserable weekend up until the race that saw the toys firmly out of the pram with set-up trouble, Stoner trounced the rest of the field at Brno.

Pole man, Dani Pedrosa looked likely to piss off with serious race pace all weekend. But Lil’ Dani crashed out early and robbed us of a Repsol Honda showdown with Stoner, turning the race into a bit of a snooze-fest. Thankfully, Pedrosa didn’t break any bones.

Behind Stoner it was fairly interesting, albeit without any real overtaking or action. Jorge Lorenzo made a massive error with front rubber choice, opting for the softer Bridgestone which saw him save a big front end slide after just a few laps. The only other man to roll the dice was Alvaro Bautista, who chucked it down the road after losing the front – still an encouraging outing for Suzuki, despite losing John Hopkins with some mangled fingers sustained in a qualifying crash.

Ensuring Honda domination was out-of-favour Andrea Dovizioso and, finally making his podium debut, Marco Simoncelli. Up until the weekend, Super Sic was behind his painfully slow team-mate, Hiroshi Aoyama in the points table but still hasn’t beaten Dovi all season. With the pair possibly fighting over a ride next year as well as race etiquette, this skirmish will continue.

Next up were the two factory Yamahas. Whoregay managed to fend off the slightly crippled Ben Spies, who struggled with a ‘pinched nerve’ in his arm but still managed to beat The G.O.A.T. And what of Rossi I hear you cry?

Things were looking shabby before the last few minutes of qualifying, with the same old story from Ducati’s non-existent front-end. Apparently, some changes to the headstock and riding position gave Valentino a huge boost and allowed him to lap within a few tenths of the podium hoppers. Only a slow start prevented him from a serious podium attack. Whether or not this is a permanent solution remains to be seen, but Ducati has to do something for 2012 and even for the remainder of this year. Enough is enough. Still, with Pedrosa crashing out, Rossi jumped back into fourth place in the standings. Stoner extends his lead to 32 points.

Cal Crutchlow had another nightmare as he launched his M1 into the kitty – he’s getting well and truly smashed with the MotoGP stick at the moment, and hopefully he can sort the front-end issues for the last third of the season.

The rest were there, just miles behind…

Today sees the debut of Yamaha’s 2012 1000cc at the Brno test, while the Honda makes its second outing in the hands of Pedrosa and Stoner. Rossi and Nicky Hayden are persevering with trying to make Ducati’s 800cc go into corners. Noticeable absentees include Simoncelli and Dovizioso who aren’t sure what they’ll be riding next season, and Suzuki haven’t even got a 1000cc bike on the drawing board yet. At the time of writing, Stoner is riding his motorbike really fast, lapping nearly a second quicker than his race pace of yesterday. When things are dandy, nobody on this planet is quicker than Casey.

The Brno Moto2 race backed up the reasoning for some riders using lever guards. Marc Marquez, Steffi Bradl, Alex De Angelis and Andrea Iannone traded paint and Dunlop rubber for the majority of the race, with the later taking the victory. Bradley Smith crashed out and Scott Redding had another dog-poo race finishing 26^th.

The 125s carried the best hopes for England. Danny Kent had a free upgrade to a pukka factory Aprilia when he checked in to Brno, after his Red Bull team-mate had ‘a virus’ and couldn’t race. Danny was top six all weekend and was sniffing a podium when the bike broke. The same issues hampered championship leader Nico Terol. Johann Zarco got shafted for the umpteenth time this year and lost out to Sandro Cortese – the German with the Italian name. Danny Webb managed to get the fickle Mahindra home in 12^th, just ahead of fellow-Brit Harry Stafford who had his best result of the year

Next up is another trip Stateside and the Indianapolis GP.

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Fagan’s GSX-R1100 Sunday Surprise

Moby — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:39:21 +0000

There I was, hanging out of my botty, enjoying a lazy Sunday and watching MotoGP, when I heard a motorcycle entering the manor. Nothing unusual, but this joker obviously isn’t addicted to racing as he’d be static while the world’s elite go round and round the Czech Republic. Who could it be?

And there she was, this beautiful GSX-R1100. An ageing mate by the name of Steve was out for an afternoon blast and wanted to show off his new acquisition – he was given the Suzuki as a gift from a friend. Given? Jeez…

The big-bore Gixer has been on my ‘to ride’ list for many years, even though, according to Beej who owned a few, they don’t love corners too much. Due to my youthfulness, I’ve never had the chance to ride one but I’ve now booked a test ride with Steve, coming soon to FB.

This puppy is a ’96 model with 9,000 miles on the clock, and is absolutely mint. The only scupper being some ring marks on the grab rail where the Doris has been hanging on for her life. Certainly brightened up a dull Sunday.

Faggers

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Brno, Let’s Be Frank…

Moby — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 13:34:13 +0000

Forget racing in the Czech Republic this weekend, like most guys do anyway with all that Eastern European gusset. The headlines are dominated by Mr Stoner’s announcement that Mrs Stoner will be popping a junior Stoner out, early in 2012 – timing of such event is essential to racers, landing the sprog in off-season. Casey was a second off the pace in free practice, just like most blokes avec kids.

Anyway, back to racing and burning holes on the ozone layer. Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa was the runaway leader of free practice and will be looking to control his sporadic performances, and his brittle bones. Meanwhile, third-in-line Repsol rider, Andrea Dovizioso, looks certain to get the flick at the end of the season after being shunned a ride on the 2012 1000cc Honda at the Brno test.

Yamaha will be debuting their 1000cc M1 on Monday. Jorge Lorenzo, hopefully recovered after his monumental highside at Laguna Seca, needs to start taking proper points from Casey Stoner if he wants to retain the title.

In other news, John Hopkins makes his second MotoGP appearance of the year on the Rizla Suzuki. Hopper will be competing in three different championships on the bounce after his British and World Superbike escapades, and already looks settled after taking seventh in free practice this morning – beating Alvaro Bautista in the process. He’ll be eggy.

In the red and Rossi camp, Valentino has come out (not in that way) and categorically denied wanting to ride a Honda in 2012. They’ll only be two factory Hondas next year, so the rumours of Marco Simoncelli going to join his buddy on a Ducati gather pace with conviction.

Meanwhile, Toni Elias continues to ride his motorbike really slowly and struggle with tyres. And Loris Capirossi is still getting paid…

Fagan

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