Ifabuloso!
iFABULOSO!
MASTER BIKE 2006
Spanish Inquisition: 3 days, 13 bikes, 16 riders, 170 tires and 1040 laps to decide the Best Sportbike of the Year
MARK CERNICKY
IN 2004 KAWASAKI’S ZX-10R BEGAN ITS REIGN IN SPAIN AS SUPREME MasterBike, topping all challengers at Circuito de Catalunya near Barcelona. Kawi’s Green Hulk defended its status when the annual MasterBike comparison, Europe’s largest sportbike shootout, visited the Valencia circuit a year ago. The 10R has mopped up on the home front as well, earning top honors in Cycle World's own Open-Class shootouts the past three years, twice named Best Superbike in our Ten Best Bikes of the year balloting. But hey, V-Twins win World Superbike races, and middleweight sportbikes seem to be on growth hormones these days. Can King Kawi hold off the challengers again as MasterBike 2006 revisits Jerez?
As beautiful as it is challenging, Jerez is the first stop on the MotoGP calendar, with 125,000 screaming spectators ringing the 2.7-mile track. This year marks the ninth-annual MasterBike competition and the fourth time this circuit, situated in the sherry-producing southernmost region of Spain, has hosted the event. Jerez is an ideal place to push modern sportbikes to their limit.
The international “journalists” invited to test those limits this year included Master of Ceremonies Randy Mamola, joined by last year’s quickest tester Arne Tode (Germany’s PS magazine), who finished third in the German Supersport Championship and rides in World Endurance competition. MasterBike regulars Jürgen Fuchs (Germany’s Motorrad), a former front-running 250 and 500cc GP racer, and Kei Nashimoto (Japan’s Motorcyclist), a Suzuka 8-Hours top10 finisher and current competitor in Japanese national action, were both in attendance. As in -jb
years past, the event organizer, Spanish m
magazine Motociclismo, had its own swift representation in Oriol Fernandez, a veteran of the World and Spanish Superbike Championships. This should give you some idea of the skill level of the riders involved. Maybe I had a shot at being first non-ringer...
Extreme honor came with being the sole American slated to ride this prestigious event. It was my first time attending MasterBike and I felt obligated to represent well. I found out only two weeks prior that I would be going but must admit I’m glad the decision wasn’t made sooner because I was kinda freaking out. I tempered my usual extracurricular activities, not wanting to risk getting hurt skateboarding or crashing my bicycle. During those two weeks I drank lots of water, jogged with the dog and watched every GP held at Jerez since 1992. My preparation also included late-night sessions playing “MotoGP 3,” a Sony PlayStation 2 game that virtually helped me learn the track layout.
On the way to the airport my brain was cranking like a teletype. Tickets? Passport? Leathers? Helmet? Extra knee-sliders? In the terminal I was just waiting for Ashton Kutcher to jump out of the bushes and tell me I’d been punk’d!
Twenty-two hours of transit disappeared into the pages of Peter Egan’s Leanings 2. Arriving a day early wasn’t just to get myself acclimated but a time buffer for anything that might go wrong-like the airline losing my gearbag! Thanks, Continental.
I was the first to arrive at the La Cueva Park Hotel located near the circuit. I could hear a little motor being wrung-out in the distance, so on foot I followed my ear to the track. Walking around the ring road, taking in the surreal sight of the empty circuit, I found the source of the noise: a guy weed-whacking grass just inside the blue-and-white-painted curbs that would play a big part in the next days’ proceedings. Back at the hotel, knock, knock, knock. Luggage, where have you been?
PROFILES IN COURAGE
Oriol Fernández Motociclismo, Spain Years attended MasterBike: 5 Racing experience: Four-time Spanish Supersport Champion, competes in Spanish Superbike, World Endurance and World Supersport Age: 33
Favorite MasterBike: “The MV Agusta F4 was very solid and stable; it didn’t move around like the other bikes-setup was most like a racebike.”
Oscar Peña Motociclismo, Brazil Years attended MasterBike: 2 Racing experience: Won
Spanish R6 Cup, raced Euro Suzuki Cup, multiple club championships Age: 33
Favorite MasterBike: “The Yamaha R6 moves, feels and sounds like a racebike.”
Alex Gobert
Australian Motorcycle News Years attended MasterBike: 1 Racing experience: Two years Australian F-Xtreme, three years AMA F-Xtreme and 600 Supersport Age: 22
Favorite MasterBike: “I like the ZX-1 OR the best, mainly because of the power and the excitement it provides when trying to ride it fast.”
Christer Miinim Bike, Sweden
Years attended MasterBike: 1 Racing experience: Three-time Swedish Superbike Champion, 600 Supersport Championship Age: 35
Favorite MasterBike: “Aprilia’s RSV Mille Factory has a magnificent motor and its frame feeling is very precise.”
Mark Cernicky Cycle World, USA Years attended MasterBike: 1 Racing experience: Many
years club racing, AMA 600/750 Supersport, Supermoto Age: 36
Favorite MasterBike: “The ZX10R is like having a fist full of freight train.”
Paul Mooijman KicXstart, Holland Years attended MasterBike: 1 Racing experience: Current Dutch Superbike Champion Age: 28
Favorite MasterBike: The ZX-
10R has the best power, gearing, suspension and brakes.”
Michael Neeves
Motor Cycle News, England
Years attended MasterBike: 4
Racing experience: Ten years club racing, Isle of Man competitor Age: 36
Favorite MasterBike: “Suzuki’s GSX-R750 has the best balance of power and handling of any bike-sounds great, looks great and is affordable.”
Konstantinos Dallas Moto, Greece
attended MasterBike: 1
Racing experience: None, road tester Age: 31
Favorite MasterBike: “The GSX-R750 because it’s the best of both worlds; not too much power like a 1000 or slow like a 600."
Nuno Oliveira Motociclismo, Portugal Years attended MasterBike: 3 Racing experience:
Runner-up in Portuguese Supersport and Superstock Championships Age: 30
Favorite MasterBike: “Aprilia RSV Mille Factory: good torque, power comes on early and has race attitude.”
Dirk Sánchez Motociclismo, Mexico Years attended MasterBike: 1 Racing experience: Multi-time Mexican Supersport Champion and Latin Championship frontrunner Age: 27
Favorite MasterBike: “The Yamaha YZF-R6 is easy to put into corners and has good feeling from the back when it loose.”
Fave raves from the MasterBikers
Jürgen Fuchs Motorrad, Germany Years attended MasterBike: 3 Racing experience: 250 and
500cc World Championship, World Endurance competitor Age: 40
Favorite MasterBike: “The Aprilia has very manageable power and a very stable chassis.”
Kei Nashimoto Motorcyclist, Japan Years attended MasterBike: 5 Racing experience: Two-time NK4 Champion, competes in All-Japan Superbike Championship Age: 35
Favorite MasterBike: “Honda CBR1000RR because of its balance of power and handling.”
Claudio Corsetti
Motosprint, Italy
Years attended MasterBike: 9
Racing experience: Spent many years as tester and instructor Age: 41
Favorite MasterBike: “MV’s F4 1000 is hard to ride but very rewarding when you do get it right.”
Francesca Gasperi In-Moto TV, Italy Years attended MasterBike: 1 Racing experience: Test rider and track-day instructor Age: 33
Favorite MasterBike: “The Daytona 675 is easiest to ride. Sound, power, riding position, it gives great feeling, especially when opening the throttle.”
Alessandro Valia In-Moto, Italy
Years attended MasterBike: 1 Racing experience: Twotime Italian 600 Supersport Champion and World Superbike competitor Age: 31
Favorite MasterBike: “The Aprilia RSV Mille has a great riding position and fantastic suspension.”
Arne Tode PS, Germany
Years attended Master Bike: 2 Racing experience:
World Supersport, World Endurance, German 125cc GP Champion Age: 20
Favorite MasterBike: “The Ducati 999s because it feels like a real racebike.”
Sunday morning in the lobby, other participants gathered to watch the MotoGP from Turkey. Konstantinos Dallas, a.k.a. “Sky Captain,” a 6-foot-7 Greek representing Moto magazine, was the first rider I met. We cheered for Nicky Hayden, joined by the “Bollocks Brothers,” rider Michael Neeves and photographer Harold Boylan from England’s Motor Cycle News. Soon the lobby was like a U.N. meeting room, with eight countries and 14 magazines represented.
Later we adjourned to the conference room where Motociclismo's Victor Gancedo related the rules of the contest. Bikes were to be judged on a scoring system that placed 40 percent emphasis on the average of the six fastest riders’ best lap time on that bike. Another 40 percent of a bike’s score would be derived from the total number of riders who achieved a personal best time in class aboard the bike, while the results of a survey form completed by every rider for every bike would account for the remaining 20 percent. The winning bike from each of three categories-Supersport, Superbike and Maxisport-along with the six quickest riders in the test, would advance to the final round to determine MasterBike 2006.
Rider rotation was decided by picking a numbered golf ball from a hat; manufacturer rotation also was decided in this same fashion.
MasterBike has become the world’s most prestigious track test thanks to the efforts of Motociclismo, the largest motomag in Spain (with Brazil, Portugal and Mexico editions, too). The 50-strong staff randomly collected two examples of each bike from local dealerships to assure there weren’t any, er, specially prepared models for the event. Each bike was run on the dyno, weighed and had its exhaust sound level checked, then stored under lock and key each night so that no tampering could take place. Before any laps were turned in anger, all bikes were fitted with the same rubber, Dunlop Sportmax Qualifiers.
Monday morning commenced with factory mechanics and test riders sorting out their respective machines before handing the bikes over to a pack of salivating magazine types for the afternoon’s free practice. Returning to pit row to switch bikes, we were besieged by the mechanics and press liaisons. Whadda-ya-think-whadda-ya-like-whaddaya-want?
Sixty-two laps later, having sampled every bike except the Honda CBR600RR and Suzuki GSXR750, 1 felt I knew my way around the circuit.
The back straightaway was long enough to let a Superbike stretch its legs, while hairpin Turn 5 at its end put max tax on any stopping system. I found Jerez’s smooth, high-speed corners come in pairs-as in fast and faster yet! Every corner exit is lined with those bright blue-and-white curbs. I was told that more than a second per lap could be had by utilizing the added real estate the curbs offered-information not gleaned from my PS2! Ducados Curve, the track’s final turn, wide and inviting, tries to suck you in too deep on the brakes, but its exit is where a good lap begins.
The following three days stuck to a set schedule: Dressed and ready to ride at 9; photos and video until noon; after lunch, begin the rotation. Most riders were now wearing their race faces, particularly four-time Portuguese Supersport runner-up Nuno “No-Smile” Oliveira. I myself was all grins—until I was handed one of the rider survey notebooks. After testing each bike we had to complete a comprehensive questionnaire, commenting on and rating suspension, brakes, chassis, handling, throttle response, shift action, low-, middleand upper-rpm power delivery, etc., etc., etc. Considering the number of bikes, it truly was a Spanish Inquisition!
Tuesday was Supersport Day and by the luck of the draw I started with the Kawasaki ZX-6R then rode every bike in succession for five laps apiece. The 636’s setup team did a great job making its bike feel super-stable and entirely at home at Jerez, but cornering-clearance limits hindered lap times, resulting in a fourth-place showing among the five Supersports.
Next up, Yamaha’s YZF-R6 worked as good as it looked in its red-and-white Euro paint scheme, its handling as sharp as its style. I set my best Supersport time on the R6. Its final gearing and internal ratios suited the circuit, with slipper clutch, suspension and brakes all working together for good times. Laps and evaluation scores tallied, the R6 finished second in class.
While the Honda CBR600RR felt great on the first lap, it wasn’t quite right when I tried to push for a quick time. I had issues with its gearing and the bike lacked speed down the straights. I hadn’t ridden the CBR in free practice and discovered too late that its suspension setup was too soft for my 180-pound weight. Perhaps I wasn’t alone, though, as the Honda placed fifth in the category.
The slender Triumph Daytona 675 inline-Triple exploited its great cornering clearance and put its torque advantage to good use. This, combined with its comfortable ergonomics, made it feel as if you could ride fast all day. Ten of the 17 riders posted their best SS lap on the 675, vaulting it to number one in the Supersport category.
At full attack, the Suzuki GSX-R600 really agreed with the circuit. Light and slight with perfect gearing and great handling that allowed it to be put anywhere on the track, the Gixxer netted a respectable third-place score, second “real” 600.
Results of this first day of MasterBike testing came as no big surprise, a reflection of our own findings back home, which had led to the Triumph being named Cycle World's Best Middleweight Streetbike. The surprise was a spectacular thunder-and-lighting show that night followed by heavy rain.
Busy birds outside my window woke me Wednesday morning. Superbikes today. After breakfast, Australian Motorcycle News fast guy Alex Gobert and I walked to the track. Although the rain had stopped, the ground was wet, the sky still black and threatening with clouds. The track was damp in areas with a few standing puddles.
There was tension in the air as Motociclismo's Guillermo Artola called out, “Riders to your bikes!” Despite some moaning about the still-drying track, riders began their five-lap stints. The first session saw “Nasty” Nashimoto chalk up some remarkable times, putting a stop to the complaining and the focus back on getting the job done. Low temperatures made for poor traction, resulting in lots of rear-wheel spin and front-end push the likes of which I’d never experienced-except on a supermoto bike. Knowing it was the same for everyone, I was impressed by the pace and the fact there weren’t more crashes (just two get-offs and one off-track excursion the whole three days), especially as all the Superbikes soon overpowered their rear Dunlops. (With fresh rubber mounted every third 5-lap session, 170 tires were used in all!)
First up, the Suzuki GSX-R1000, which was giving everyone fits. Soft suspension settings selected to better deal with rapid tire decay gave away the ability to finish corners. Another problem was the rear squatting under acceleration; when it did, the Suzuki would shake its head in protest.
Both complaints were a factor in the Suzuki finishing third in class.
Kawasaki’s ZX-10R came out swinging with a setup that felt spot-on. Good suspension balance, telltale braking feel and crisp throttle response allowed it to amass the most personal bests in class, best average time and also claim the most points from the rider preference survey. The Green King would be defending its crown in the MasterBike finale.
Yamaha’s YZF-R1 is fast, with a big power rush at the top of its rev range but a relatively weak midrange that makes it feel more like a big 600. Excessive engine braking and traction-breaking power delivery made it fun to slide around but didn’t bring lap times down. When the scores were tallied the R1 had tied the GSX-R for third.
Honda’s CBR1000RR was a very predictable package that I found way fun to ride. The CBR-RR chassis had a solid, balanced feel, so much better than the 600RR I’d ridden the day before, it was hard to believe the same trackside team came up with both setups. Rider preferences and tire wear were the big variables here: My third-quickest SB lap came aboard the Honda, but overall it ranked in fifth position.
On the MV Agusta F4,1 couldn’t trail-brake for beans, and abrupt throttle response had the thing ticking me off. I was hating this bike until my Inner Yoda suggested I use the Force and ride it for what it is. It’s Italian, after all, and requires that you feel what it wants to go fast.
Completely off the brakes entering comers did wonders, and the F4’s firm suspension and growling exhaust note carried me to my best lap time.
Tragedy struck in Wednesday’s last session when Italian Alessandro Valia crashed heavily at the exit of Turn 5 aboard the Agusta. He was already on his way to the final when ironically he elected to sit out the wet first session to re-ride the bike later in better conditions. This is when he
crashed, breaking his hip and femur. He spent the last day of MasterBike in surgery.
Although the MV set the outright quickest time in this year’s test, a blistering 1:51.172 with the rapido Mr. Fernandez in the saddle, when the six quickest laps were averaged, the ZX-10 came out a half-second ahead. This, combined with a lower rider-survey score (four riders posted their slowest times in class on the MV), relegated the harder-to-ride F4 to first runner-up. And, yes, the MV guys were frustrated.
hursday’s Maxisport class consisted of the Aprilia RSV Mille Factory, Ducati 999s and Suzuki GSX-R750, ridden in that order. This used to be MasterBike’s Superbike class before lOOOcc Fours became the mainstay of World and AMA Superbike racing. Aprilia’s RSV Mille was a lot different to ride than the multi-cylinders we’d flogged over the previous couple of days. I rode it in the first timed session and wasn’t fully up to speed. The bike did everything right; I just let out the clutch abruptly on downshifts and turned-in too early. I knew the potential was there inside the smooth pulses of the 60-degree V-Twin, anchored by the Mille’s solid chassis. I just didn’t pull it out. Others did as the Mille went on to set fast time on its way to the MasterBike final round. Riding the Ducati 999s painted a picture in my head of a penny-farthing bicycle. You know, giant front wheel, little back wheel, but with clip-ons? Very hard to turn and done completely by levering hard on the handlebars. Muscle the front wheel around and the 999 certainly went where you pointed it. Cornering clearance was a problem, though, with hard parts dragging in several corners. Add it all up and the 999s finished third with the slowest average of best lap times and fewest number of riders turning a personal best in class.
As if there weren’t enough pressure, prior to my stint on the Suzuki GSX-R750, Gancedo approached Paul Mooijman of Holland’s KicXstart and me with this: “You guys are tied. One of you will go into the finale. Cernicky, you were faster on the 999; Mo-Jo Man, you were faster on the Aprilia.”
It was decided whoever went quickest on the GSX-R would go
into the finale. Great, the other bike I didn’t practice on. The pressure was intense as the Dutchman went first, posting a time of 1:56.99. My turn. The Suzuki, CPFs Best Superbike of 2006, worked awesome, outhandling its big brother and outpowering its smaller sibling to combine the best of both worlds. My time of 1:56.28 meant I was in!
hat same afternoon we went straight into the MasterBike finale with the six quickest riders and the three top bikes-Triumph Daytona 675, Aprilia RSV Mille Factory and Kawasaki ZX10R. It had come down to a truly international contest with a British Triple, an Italian Twin and a Japanese Four. While the same combined scoring system was to be used, only the times of the four fastest riders would be factored into each bike’s average. Oriol “The Fast” Fernandez promptly set the time to beat on the 675, a mind-boggling 1:52.99! Could a Supersport win MasterBike? Then Fernandez took his turn on the Kawi, netting a 1:52.94 in support of the bike’s title defense, just nudging out the Britbike. Oliveira and I joined Tode, with our best times also coming on the ZX.
But in the end it was the characteristic tractable power a V-Twin provides that proved most potent at this year’s tirescorching skirmish as the Aprilia combined quality suspension, excellent chassis stability and an almost-telepathic connnection between rider and rear contact patch to take home the big trophy. Perhaps the third time truly is the charm, as Aprilia had previously won its class-but not the finale-the two prior times MasterBike visited Jerez. Fernandez once again led the charge with a 1:52.51 aboard the Mille, backed by the times of Fuchs, Tode and Nashimoto, all of which averaged out to bring down the old King of Spain.
All hail the new MasterBike, then, long live the Aprilia RSV Mille Factory.. .well, for at least a year or two, when the rumored Mille replacement is expected to arrive. Here’s hoping the new-generation Twin also has a nose for sherry.
For additional photography of MasterBike 2006, visit www.cycleworld.com
