Honda CB500 - post crash photographs

Honda CB500 - post crash photographs

The BirotarUK CB500 

August 13th 2016, Snetterton 300 Circuit. The sun is shining, motorcycles are screaming past, and banter in the pit lane fills the air. The exact recipe for the start of an awesome track day. Little did we know, it wasn't going to be that awesome.

We believe that there are few things in life that match the emotion a rider experiences on track. And even fewer match the emotion of reaching the limit on a motorcycle.

Here's a short video filmed by @Tom_Rides on his R6 following @Birotar_Max  on the CB500!

Here's some footage of the CB500 being chased. Cheers @tom_rides for the footage and @birotar_max for flying on the bike! ••••••••••••••• Facebook/birotarUK Twitter @BirotarUK Birotaruk.blogspot.co.uk ••••••••••••••• Tag your pictures with #BirotarUK to feature. Follow us for regular updates. ••••••••••••••• #bikersofinstagram #pistonaddictz #bikelife #sportsbike #sportsbikelife #stickers #instamotogallery #ktm #kawasaki #triumph #yamaha #feature #ukbikelife #ukbikers #universalbikers #performance #photooftheday #acecafe #suzuki #ducati #follow #honda #helmet #cb500 #bmw #bikelife #r6 #aprilia #modified #like

A video posted by BirotarUK (@birotaruk) on Aug 16, 2016 at 8:00am PDT

Birotar Max and the CB500 at Bedford Autodrome

Four laps into session three at Snetterton, on the entry to Oggies, Birotar Max was just about take Birotar Jonjo on the outside.

The CB500 had enough of being spanked around a circuit though, so it decided to let go of all the grip on the rear and catapult Birotar Max into a collar bone braking high side (it had nothing to do with Max running out of talent!). The limit was reached.

Here are the post crash photographs that show some of the damage on the CB500. Our plan is to strip the bike, assess the damage and start making repairs. 

The good news is the bike starts and runs. Let the fun begin!

Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoyed it.

BirotarUK 

#BirotarUK

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Youtube 

 

Dainese D-Cyclone Gore-Tex Jacket

Dainese D-Cyclone Gore-Tex Jacket

This is the latest Gore-Tex jacket from Dainese, and it has been designed to keep you comfortable in any climate. The D-Cyclone comes with a new laminated Gore-Tex shell, guaranteed to keep the water out whilst allowing moisture to evaporate through the jacket. A removable thermal liner and collar means you can wear this jacket all year round, in any weather condition.

The front of the Dainese D-Cyclone

What’s special about laminate Gore-Tex? Well, it won’t retain water in the fabric like other non-laminate Gore-Tex textile jackets. Meaning that when you're exposed to the worst conditions, the water will just run off, like water off a ducks back as they say. For the rider this means after a long (or short) ride in the rain, a quick shake of the jacket and it will be dry again ready for the next ride. No need to hang it up to dry over night, and no damp smell the next day! For those using this jacket on tour, it means you’re less fatigued at the end of the day, since the jacket isn’t absorbing water, it will remain light, whatever the weather.

The inner lining of the Dainese D-Cyclone

The jacket comes with the usual comfort features you can expect from the latest Dainese range, these include;

• Removable inner collar
• Removable thermal liner
• Air vents on the chest and back
• Waist adjustment
• Neck adjustment
• Wrists adjustment

The jacket comes with CE approved arm, shoulder and back protection. The Wave G2 back protector is included with the jacket, however we feel it’s a bit short to offer full lower back protection. The external material of the jacket is quite thick and remains stiff, offering high levels of abrasion resistance.

The external shoulder detail of the Dainese D-Cyclone

What we like about the jacket is the four fully waterproof pockets; two external and two internal with plenty space for phone, wallet, passport and any other small objects you may want to carry. It offers a comfortable fit with lots of adjustment - we didn’t feel the need to go up or down a size here (our usual size 52 fit very well). The thermal layer certainly keeps you warm without inducing a sweat thanks to Gore-Tex technology. The jacket-to-trouser fastening system has a good amount of stretch to it making for easy fastening to any of the trousers in the Dainese range.

Internal pocket demo of the Dainese D-Cyclone

We found the jacket quite stiff! With the strategically positioned elasticated areas it isn't tight on the body, it just seems to be the laminate material that may need some time relax. This is fine when you're roaming around off the bike but when riding a sports bike we found this stiffness quite restrictive in the shoulder area. On the flip side, when riding an adventure style bike, the jacket felt slightly more relaxed and it was something we could live with it until it softened up. That could take a week or a month depending on how often you ride.

A demo of the stiffness on the back of the Dainese D-Cyclone

The jacket does come with a big price tag, £679.99 to be exact. Still breathing? Good. It does sound expensive, but it really is an investment guaranteed to keep you warm and dry whatever weather you choose to ride in. For the price we'd have liked to see a removable thermal Dainese fleece or soft-shell like the one that can be found in the Sandstorm jacket. 

Compared to a similar spec jacket like Rukka for example, Dainese comes out on top in terms of style.

IG: @Birotar_Jonjo posing in the Dainese D-Cyclone

For those looking to invest in a textile jacket for use 365 days a year, and for many years to come this jacked would not disappoint. 

To purchase you can visit Bike Stop online or in store.

Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoyed it.

BirotarUK 

#BirotarUK

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Youtube 

Ducati 749S

We're back with another installment of our #teaBreakreview - approx read time under 5mins 

There’s always been something special about a Ducati, the iconic red colour and that unmistakable dry clutch rattle. We decided to take the plunge into Ducati ownership and see what all the fuss was about. 

Ducati sitting pretty at Bedford Autodrome

Official Specs

Max power: 116 bhp
Max torque: 60 ft-lb
Top speed: 150 mph
Tank range: 148 miles (Big lies here!)
Weight: 186kg
Seat height: 780mm

Our Ducati was the Ducati 749S Monoposto, a single seat version of the Ducati 749S. As with buying any Ducati, full service history is a must have. But then again, the cost of the services may make you think twice. Ours has a full Ducati, and Ducati specialist service history with some services amounting to well over £700! It’ll be worth it – right? 

The 749S has one of the most aggressive riding positions we’ve experienced. Low bars, stiff suspension and a poor excuse for a seat makes for a very uncomfortable ride on our lovely British roads. Initially we had real trouble with the handling of the bike. After reading much about the wonderful chassis, it just wasn’t living up to what we had hoped so we took a trip over to Race Engineering and after they adjusted the setup it was like riding a new bike. Confidence inspiring, stable and incredible handling around corners. The only 'problem' now was the fuel consumption - at about 100 miles to a tank it was quite thirsty considering the official specs suggest we could achieve 150 miles!

Always getting attention

You can always hear a Ducati in the distance and the 749S is no different. With a full Termignoni exhaust system, the bike really did command a presence attacking all senses. If you own a Ducati with a dry clutch, you know it's not long before someone tells you it sounds like a ‘bag ‘o nails’. We laugh and say we think it just adds character.

Many people have reported the clutch as very snatchy on the 749S, but we didn’t find it much different to any other bike we’ve ridden. Although we were running a freshly uprated clutch.

Enough torque to catapult you out of corners

The 749s packs a real punch low down but really lacks at the top end of the rev range. It takes quite a while to get used to when coming from a screaming Japanese inline four. One of the nice additions you get with the S version is full Brembo brakes and these are still the best we’ve felt in a long time, great feel and loads of confidence when you’re late braking on track.

As mentioned earlier, the 749S was a real struggle on the road, uncomfortable and bone shattering so we thought we would take it on track to see what this race pedigree was really made about. With the full Termignoni system booming we’re still amazed it past the noise test, the sound tester did have a smirk though…

Coffee runs made special on the Ducati

The 749S really comes to life on track, with loads of torque to throw you out the corners and amazing brakes begging you to brake later. The handling is made sublime after a suspension set up, it’s a bike designed for the race track. Being a V twin, the back end could get quite lively when hastily shifting down before entering a corner but there was so much feedback from the chassis it felt natural and very controllable.

The Ducati at home on the race track

Overall the Ducati was a great bike for the track, but it was just too much for the road and certainly too expensive to keep just for the track. Where ever we went the 749S got attention – maybe we should have kept it as an ornament!?

Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoyed it.

BirotarUK 

#BirotarUK

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Youtube 

GSXR K5 750

Suzuki GSXR K5 750 - approx read time under 5mins 

After one year and over five thousand miles of ownership, we parted with the Bfiddy. It was used for commuting, trackdays and UK touring, never missing a beat.

Rider Birotar_Jonjo

Back in 2015, when we bought the bike, she came as standard with an Arrow exhaust, the only hidden extra was a Power Commander 3. After an hours ride home we knew the right choice had been made, with great handling and acceleration there when you want it.

Nice unobtrusive dash

The bike received a full service when we got her back to the BirotarUK HQ. We also changed the pads knowing full well it wouldn’t be long before we had her on track, EBC HH Sintered are the pads of choice. 

The first big trip for the Bfiddy was to Wales to enjoy some fine roads and scenery. A waterproof bag strapped to the back and that was all that was needed. Official figures state 160 miles to a tank of fuel, but we found 120-130 was more realistic before the fuel light came on.

The Bfiddy ready for a trip to Wales

After some time to get to grips with the bike, it was evident we needed to get the suspension set up. We used Race Engineering, as we do with all our bikes. As usual they did a great job and the bike's handling was transformed. We’d also added a quickshifter to the bike, this was tested on the dyno whilst also confirming a very healthy 130bhp at the rear wheel.

The Bfiddy in Wales

Knowing the bike was healthy and the suspension performing much better, it was time to hit the track. We managed two on the Bfiddy, one at Mallory park in the standard road fairings and the other at Brands Hatch after we sourced some track fairings. Both times the bike performed really well, building rider confidence.

There isn’t much you can fault the Bfiddy on, if anything. It's a bike that can be used in most situations and takes everything in its stride. Servicing and parts are cheap, and providing the bike comes with a good service history there isn't much that would stop the bike.

Overall a big thumbs up from us. A highly recommended sports motorcycle capable of commuting, fast road riding, touring and track days. Here's to the duly departed Bfiddy. 

Bfiddy at Brands Hatch

Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoyed it.

BirotarUK 

#BirotarUK

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Youtube 

BMW S1000XR

We're back with another installment of our #teaBreakreview - approx read time under 5mins 

Cast your mind back a week, we took a R1200GSA out for a ride. If you missed it you can read it here. Whilst on the GS we thought about touring on something a bit sportier, 160bhp kind of sportier to be precise.

Photo credit: Wil Collins

Official Specs:
Max power: 160 bhp
Max torque: 83 lb-ft
Top speed: 155 mph
Seat height: 840mm
Average fuel consumption: 43 mpg
Weight: 228kg

A wet ride on the S1000XR

 With the XR you get the same 999cc inline four that's in the heart of the S1000RR, the engine has been tamed slightly for use in the XR. It makes peak power at 11,000 rpm instead of 13,500, and peak torque at 9,250 rpm instead of 10,500. 
The model we rode had all the optional extras including;

• Quickshifter
• Dynamic Traction Control
• Cruise control
• Dynamic ESA (electronic suspension adjust)

So what does it actually feel like to ride? Well, the 160bhp engine is a peach, high revving and certainly packs a punch at the top end but it feels somewhat lacking lower down in the revs. It feels like you really have to give it some to get the bike moving, the non adjustable clutch lever doesn't help with that either. As we started the day in typical British fashion, lots of rain, it was a good opportunity to test out the rain mode. Rain mode cuts even more low down power which makes pulling away from a junction around towns painfully slow.With rain mode off and heading out to clearer roads it was time to open the throttle, there are lights on the dash that flash letting you know the traction control is keeping things under control. For us, the handling of the bike felt quite sluggish compared to what we'd been expecting but maybe some more time in the saddle would change our views on this.

Photo credit: BMW Motorrad

 The riding position is upright and comfortable with nice wide bars, the mirrors are next to useless though which is a shame on a brand new bike. The adjustable screen provides a good level of protection, even keeping things relatively quiet at motorway speeds. The XR provides plenty of pillion space even with a top box on. A real bug bear for us is the lack of locking sat nav mount that can be found on the GS however there are modifications/alternatives available.
BMW shift assist pro is a brilliant addition to the bike, seamless up and down shifts which really emphasize this bike is still a sporty number a heart. The standard exhaust note is good, loud enough to induce a smile whilst pushing on in the higher revs yet quite enough whilst you sit back and engage cruise control.
The standard seat height is a modest 840mm, not the tallest on the market and making it easy to put a foot flat on the floor for us 5ft somethings. BMW offer a lower seat option for an additional £172, reducing the height to 820mm, the same as a S1000RR. 

Overall the S1000XR left us a bit underwhelmed, it wasn't a bike we could hop on and unleash the potential quickly. It's a bike we'd need more time on and some big miles to get to grips with. We can however really understand the appeal of the XR, for those not wanting to leave the power of their trusty sports bike behind but want to tour two up or with a full set of hard luggage.

A wet and wild ride on the S1000XR

The model we rode can be had for £15,000, not a bad price tag for a super sport engine and comfortable touring capability. Hopefully we can get some more miles in the saddle soon and see if our views change on the handling.

Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoyed it.

BirotarUK 

#BirotarUK

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Youtube 

Quickshifter, launch control and pit limiter.

Quickshifter, launch control and pit limiter.

We've all seen the latest generation of bikes that come with launch control as standard and watched in awe as the Moto GP riders launch off the line in free practice, often wishing there was a solution for our older bikes and we think we've found it.

When searching for a quickshifter you'll find lots of choices but there is only one after market manufacturer that can offer launch control, quickshifter and pit lane speed limiter in one plug and play unit, Shift Power.

SP full race unit packaging

We thought we'd give it a go on the ZX6R track bike to see if this unit can do everything it says on the box. If you follow the instructions, the installation process is very easy and takes under two hours, including a tea stop. So what's in the box?

Everything you get in the SP full race unit box

The kit comes with everything needed to install the system, including quick splice connectors. At first the thought of installing this system was very daunting, you mean we have to splice into the bikes main ECU terminals?! Rest assured, the instructions are very clear and the quick splice connectors make it easy.

Check the wires before you splice them

Only basic tools are needed, the hardest part is getting to the ignition coils which are located under the airbox, it comes in handy having a spare set of hands to hold the fuel tank up to save removal.

When ordering you need to supply the length of your standard shift rod, we didn't need to cut anything off the supplied shift rod like we've had to in the past with other units.

Quick shifter sensor and new shift rod fitted 

After two hours in the garage fitting the unit it was time to test it all out, off to Cadwell we went to try it all out.

The unit worked flawlessly, there have been no changes made to the kill time yet as it's delivered with a very good base settings. It feels a lot better than the quickshifter we had on the GSXR 750.

So how did the launch control shape up? If you've been to Cadwell before you'll know it's out the pit and straight into a series of bends, not great for trying launch control. It's been tested on a paddock and it was impressive being able to hold the revs, launch and use the quickshifter to go up through the gears, so what does aftermarket launch control sound like, we thought we'd try it without launching in the pits at Cadwell...

The speed limiter works in the same way, flick the button that can be mounted on the bars and hold the throttle open and it won't rise above the speed that you've set, simple really, sounds good too.

To set the launch control RPM and speed limit you have to use the programming board which plugs into the quickshifter connector on the full race unit. Hold the revs at your desired limit and press the button, all set. The speed will need to be set on a paddock stand allowing the wheel to reach your desired speed. We found one very minor flaw with the launch control system, if its going on a track bike or a bike you plan to take on track it will have to be set above the noise testing RPM limit for your bike.
We're hoping to get the bike on the dyno over winter so will be able to really test the launch system in a controlled environment.

Overall the system is great and at a price point very similar to any other standalone quickshifter.
£336 gets you the full race unit, even if you only use the launch control once a year it's still a competitive package. We can't wait to get back out there to try the launch control at a track like Snetterton or Brands. A big thumbs up from BirotarUK.

To see if the unit is available for your bike click here.

Birotar Jonjo at Cadwell Park testing the full race unit

All the best

BirotarUK 

#BirotarUK

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Youtube

Photography and videography are ©BirotarUK 2016

The new Triumph Bonneville bobber

 Triumph reveal their new Bonneville Bobber

Triumph invited us to their new motorcycle launch, and we're excited to be the among the first to show you what their new machine looks like.

The latest addition to the Bonneville family, Triumph introduces the all-new custom Bonneville Bobber. Born in a unparalleled bloodline of Triumph bobber customs that stretch all the way back to the 1940’s it captures the minimalist styling, aggressive stance and engineering of a genuine bobber. 

  

A genuine factory custom, the Bobber features a whole host of premium finishes including bronze 1200HT engine badges and the signature Triumph makers mark triangle, brushed engine covers, branded locking fuel cap and silver satin and graphite handlebar risers.

The Bobber engine delivers modern classic capability with ride-by-wire, for enhanced safety and control from twin classic styled throttle bodies, as well as incorporated liquid cooling with radiator and fan. This brings better performance and cleaner, more fuel efficient riding.

The Bobber is powered by Triumph's 1200cc high torque engine, as fitted in the Bonneville T120. There is a dedicated ‘Bobber’ tune for more torque and power lower down the rev range - although they won't tell us the official engine specs just yet. The lead engineer explained to us the torque assisted clutch is essentially a very light feeling slipper clutch that you can also find on the Bonneville.

For riders who are looking for more long distance comfort there is a stylish comfort seat in a ribbed and quilted version, a heated grip kit and a cruise control kit.

There are four colour options to choose from; 

• Ironstone, with a matt finish
• Morello Red
• Stunning Competition Green and Frozen Silver, with a stylish British racing twist
• Jet Black

For us, it's an amazing looking bike with all the technological advances we come to expect on modern bikes. That's what makes this bike really appealing in our opinion. Classic styling, aggressive performance with traction control, rider modes, ABS - all packaged in a unique and head turning street machine. We love that Triumph have maintained the classic hard tail bobber look and we believe it's exactly this that set's it aside.

Triumph have partnered with Avon for tyres dedicated for the Bobber. This means tyre choice is limited, or non existent.

We have been told that the Bobber's handling is better than we would expect thanks to Triumph's partnership with FOX. Adjustable suspension is a very good move from Triumph here but we will wait and see how the bike handles. We hope it's as good as they suggest.  

We only heard the exhaust note very briefly, but Vance and Hines exhausts tips will be available to purchase with the bike.

We don't know the power figures or pricing yet, but we expect it to be between 85-95hp with lots of torque. And the price? We hope it's no more than £13k!

Follow us for more photos and videos!

The photographs have been supplied by Triumph UK.

Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoyed it.

BirotarUK 

#BirotarUK

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Youtube