Bike UK – Issue 638 May 2026 – Bike UK

I have a special electronic tool for measuring it, and I’ve never turned it on. Instead, I look on our datalogging traces for the maximum travel figure. On a superbike there’s 130mm of travel at the front, so if I’m seeing 125mm of travel I know I have to go up a spring rate, because otherwise it’ll be into the bump rubber.

On a road bike, however, setting sag is a worthwhile job. Adjust the rear preload so you’ve got 14-15mm of sag. At the front, use a cable tie on the fork slider and see how close it comes to the stanchion under normal riding and hard braking. If it’s getting to the bottom, add some fork preload.’ ‘Keep your stock wheels. They’re plenty good enough for the road. I did some work with Aprilia recently and their current road wheels are lighter than our R1’s race wheels.’

‘Mega important, this. Change anything and everything to get yourself positioned however you want. Handlebar reach and span, seat height and position front to back, footrest height and position fore and aft… Just as spring rates are important, rider position is, too. Moving the rider’s centre of gravity 5mm forward makes a massive difference.’ ‘Having good tyres, in good condition, is absolutely critical.

When the pressure is too high the contact patch reduces, and the sidewalls deform when they’re too low. So don’t get clever – just stick to the manufacturers’ recommended pressures. They’ve tested your tyres at levels you’ll generally be so far away from, so those pressures are where you want to be. Check them regularly. And bin tyres early when they start to wear out.’ A track and a team of boffins are great, but these tips are as ace mod was fitting our own camshafts.

A stock R1 makes 203bhp; [teammate] Jason O’Halloran’s engine was making 242bhp. The Shitter made just 220bhp.’ But it was 220bhp that Mackenzie could use. ‘At Surtees at Brands [a long left-hander leading uphill on to the back straight] Jason was hammering the rear brake to stop wheelies,’ explains Chris. ‘We replicated it on the dyno and the bike was losing between 50bhp and 60bhp for every dab of the brake.

Not that I’m saying they shouldn’t convince you – that isn’t Bike’s job. But it is our duty to go further than anyone else in our assessment: to consult an actual engine professor (p20), do the hard miles with the bikes (p58), quiz the designers who create the systems (p68), and hear from the riders who buy them (p71). Then, once you’ve digested all of that, you can make your own mind up. Because really this should all come down to choice.

Riders should be able to choose between manual and auto in exactly the same way they can choose between having an epic ride on a 170bhp Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally (p38) or a 19bhp Yamaha Serow 250 (p84). Or choosing between a retro that’s hi-tech and premium, like Kawasaki’s Z900RS SE (p44), or air-cooled and simple, like Royal Enfield’s Continental GT (p94). Whatever flavour you prefer your clutches, gearboxes and, indeed, starting systems, I hope you enjoy the issue.

Martin Fitz-Gibbons Editor Having trouble finding Bike? 1 Print edition to your door Subscribe to the print edition of Bike and get FREE UK delivery with 12 issues pushed through your letterbox. Better still, by taking out a subscription you’ll save money – what’s not to like? To sign up visit greatmagazines.co.uk/bike. 2 Get it on your digital device As well as the print edition, you can get it on your smartphone or tablet.

Download the Bike app or go to greatmagazines.co.uk/bike. As well as saving money you get access to our archive, rewards and more. There’s a print and digi package, too. 3 Add it to your online shopping You can add magazines to your online, home delivery grocery order and have it brought to your door with the eggs and frozen peas and pay for it with the housekeeping budget.

If your provider doesn’t offer Bike, then demand that they do. 4 Still available in the shops Bike is still available in the shops too – so if you prefer a meander down the high street you can pick up your copy on the newsstand or from bigger supermarkets. Or get it while you are at the railway station or waiting at the airport. L eafing through Bike’s 1970s bound volumes, I noticed a letter raging against these new-fangled electric starters: ‘More weight, cost and complexity.

My dealer won’t even touch it. Removes the mechanical connection for a proper biker.’

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: 0d2dbdaf1a3ac492
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 38,729,718 bytes (36.936 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• Pages: 109
• Language: English (en)

Reading & Word Statistics

• Estimated Reading Time: 198.53 minutes
• Total Words: 39,706
• Total Characters: 235,695
• Average Words per Page: 364.28
• Average Characters per Page: 2162.34

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