100m SPRINT
An Olympic-themed shorter variant of the quarter-mile dash. From a standing start, drive as quickly and as cleanly as you can. Wheelies bad, control good. One run each TRACER 900 5.11s
The old Tracer’s rampant midrange made it partial to lifting the front, which the new bike’s longer swingarm should tame. I switch the traction control off, launch at 4000rpm and feed the clutch out quickly. The GT is urgent but totally controllable off the line, its quickshifter helping the switch into second gear and the datalogger declaring it the fastest sprinter of the day. Would not have guessed that — what a dark horse. MFG
TIGER 1200 6.46s
When I was a despatch rider, the traffic-light GP was everything. Old habits die hard: in gear, clutch in, front brake on… and drop the lot and gas it. With a hop, a skip and a thump, the Tiger’s wheel rises, traction control intervenes and it returns to earth. I haven’t rolled the throttle so it does it again. In the old days, that would have been a massive wheelie. Then I’m in second, driving hard without drama. SW
CB1000R+ 7.21s
I had to check I heard the brief correctly — I thought this challenge was for the most out-of-shape launch. My po-going wheelies weren’t caught by the camera, which I’m gutted about as I may never do another one. The CB1000R+ is powerful yet predictable but even with maximum traction, a fast launch needs control from the rider. CB
F850GS 5.48s
I’m not sure how pretty things looked for anyone watching but the F850GS gets off the line just fine. I tried to get over the front end as I knew any hint of lift from the front wheel would cause the BMW’S quite blunt traction control to cut in, slowing proceedings down enormously. I managed to not cause any wheelspin either, which also helped. GA
SV650X 6.05s
This was something I was really looking forward to on the SV. Proper launches are impossible on the road, so Bruntingthorpe was perfect. I hunkered down, gave it about 5500rpm, fed in the clutch and felt the front lift slightly. Whether it left the ground or not, I don’t know. I shifted my weight a little further forward and snatched another gear. It felt awesome — no drama and no moments. The SV just dug in and pushed the pair of us forwards very quickly. JB
790 DUKE 5.20s
The KTM 790 Duke doesn’t have what could be said to be intimidating amounts of power. Therefore, it should be easy to launch, so I turn off the traction and launch control. I blast the bike off the line with 6000rpm, releasing the clutch as the revs match the road speed. The KTM’S quickshifter blends the change into second gear perfectly and, even though the front wheel starts to lift, the stability is excellent as we head down the runway. BD