Staff Bikes.......................................
this month i have mostly been… “Struggled to get to a service interval...”
And what a fleet we’ve assembled. By the look of things 2014 is going to be a very special year at FB Towers... Kawasaki ZX-6R Triumph Street Triple R BMW S 1000 R KTM 1290 Super Duke R Yamaha MT-09
The fuel light comes on when you hit reserve, but that’s all it does...”
If there’s one problem with new bikes it’s that they have to go back and get an oil change after only 600 miles. So just when you’re starting to get used to a machine and developing a feel for its nuances it gets spirited away, drained of its oil and refilled. Yes, yes, it’s one of those nice problems to have, but it’s perennially difficult to schedule it into the chaotic routine of Fast Bikes. Maybe we should get organised one of these days…
What with Easter, holidays, testing and launches I was in the surprising position of having to stick miles on the ZX-6R to get the mileage up to the 600 mark. So one afternoon I took the back way to Kawasaki – sticking 200 miles on it in the process and enabling me and the bike to bond in the process.
Things started wet, but buoyed with confidence from my KTM launch, I started trying to get the traction control to light up. But here’s the thing. Manufacturers have loaded their machinery with the latest in electronic aids, but the fact of the matter is tyre manufacturers have hardly been sticking their feet up on the job either. They’ve created some awesome rubber, and in the form of the Bridgestone S20s fitted to the ZX-6R it takes enormous fists of unnatural throttle action to get anywhere close to losing rear traction. The front’s not bad, too, offering plenty of grip in damp and wet conditions. Combine this with the way the Kawasaki glides through turns, and you barely notice that it’s wet. Only the absence of ABS on this bike is a chink in the armour – but it’s a £1,000 option if you feel the need, the need to, er, slow safely.
What’s less than perfect is the seat, and this is the only area where we haven’t bonded yet, so here’s hoping my arse moulds better to the perch – as I’ve got a big trip to Europe planned next month. Another issue is the fuel reserve. The light comes on, but that’s all it does. So it doesn’t tell you how many miles you’ve done on reserve or give you a countdown. It just glows, providing you with no more useful information than that. I think the intention is for you to flick to the odometer to make a mental note of the milage, but that’s not a good system.
Mods wise, I’ve had an aborted attempt at fitting a set of Valter Moto rearsets. I didn’t start in the best of moods and it soon went downhill when they came back from our photographic studio in a jumble and with no instructions. I set about the brake side and discovered that they were race versions, so with no capacity to fit the brake light equipment so I tidied that away, while on the clutch side the rod didn’t want to fit to the gear selector mechanism. After a prolonged head scratching session I put both sides back to standard (after swearing at the reverse thread gear rod) and got in touch with the importers to see if it’s them or me. Given my skills on the spanners, I’m betting it’s me… Next month, they’ll be sorted!