29 February

With the CBR600RR little more than a fond memory, I'm getting stuck into my Yamaha YZF-R6. Bought (and paid for) from Yamaha, it's a way of tiding me over until the new long term test bikes arrive in the next month or so (hopefully).

First job was a really good wash: this little Yam has had a hard life, and hasn't been kept in the cleanest of nick. First surprise was how well it buffed up, although you do notice every little blemish when you do a deep clean. I'm going to see Jason at Finishline Motorcycles (who painted my CBR) and see if he can touch up the marked panels for a small fee.

In the meantime, the Yoshimura stainless endcan is yowling away nicely. Next on my list is a new chain and sprocket set, and some fresh brake pads all round.

I've also had to insure the R6. The last policy I had was over two years ago, so my hard-earned NCD has lapsed and I'm back to square one. I got a decent deal through the SuperBike Insurance scheme (0870 990 8101) who did me a TPFT policy for £450. Not super cheap, but not bad for London. Now I've got a cover note, some road tax will be a good idea too...

2nd February
Well it had to happen. The little CBR600RR has gone to a better place. But not for this baby the soulless journey to a dealer's auction, and a life of drudgery on a grey showroom floor. No, my CBR has been bought by Northern monkey, Dynojet guru and superfast racer, Kevin Mawdsley, who is planning to run it at the TT this year. Kev was looking for a machine to run in the production class, and he wanted one with a few miles on the clocks to get the best power. The CBR's stability attracted him, as well as the fact that “I've always preferred Hondas…”

So the Dowds garage was looking a little bare. Until, that is, I managed to pick up a used 2003 R6 from Yamaha. It's an ex press bike, and lacked a bit of TLC from its former carer, but nothing I can't tidy up. And it's going to be good fun looking after it until the new long term test bikes arrive in the next few months. The little Yam has been treated to new Pirelli rubber and a Yoshimura slip-on endcan already, with some rearsets and crash bungs on the way too. There are a couple of scrapes and dents in the paintwork, so I'll be trying to repair them and get the little 600 back to mint condition too.

2nd December
Oooh, doesn't the time go quickly when you're enjoying yourself? It seems like only a couple of weeks ago that I collected the CBR from the paint shop, but it's nearer a couple of months. There hasn't been a lot going on with the CBR – if you were at the NEC show, you might have spotted it half hidden by a pile of empty champagne bottles on our stand. It was at the NEC for a fortnight, and I've been away on a couple of trips.


I have finally got the Yoshimura pipe dynoed though. Kevin at Dynojet had suggested downloading an Akrapovic full system map to the Power Commander until I got a chance to see him for a full mapping. But when I met up with him in Blackpool, the fuelling was pretty lean everywhere, and it took a fair bit of remapping to get it right. The dyno graph is below – check the power. The Yoshi system has a peak of more than 4bhp up on the best end can, the Akrapovic titanium race, for a maximum of 110.6bhp@13,800rpm. It's better everywhere too – at 7,000rpm there's 5bhp over the Akrapovic can. Best difference is 6bhp at 12,000rpm. I've only tried the Yoshimura full system, but it seems to uphold the Yoshi tradition of costing a fortune (£1,053), but being pretty much the best for power.

Other mods this month have been new Bridgestone BT-012SS tyres, to match the tasty paint, and some Venhill Powerhose steel brake hoses (www.venhill.co.uk). To be honest, I meant to fit these earlier in the year, but the awesome standard brakes need little improvement, so it slipped my mind.

Next thing is to keep the CBR out of the evil (no!) clutches of Scott Grimsdall, Honda PR man and the Grim Reaper of long-termer fun. I'll be arguing that it took so long to arrive that I have to keep it until he's got a 2004 Fireblade to replace it with…

13th October

Well, the CBR600 is back from the paint shop, and it's looking mighty fine. Jason Eaton from Finishline Motorcycles in Redhill had pulled all the stops out to get it ready for this month's magazine, and I went down in the van to pick it up on Friday.

But there was a slight problem – the thing wouldn't start. The fuel pump wasn't priming, and after checking the fuses and relays, a bit of lateral thinking fingered the bank angle sensor. This wee black box sits between the headlights behind the fairing, and cuts the fuel pump if the bike falls over. Jason had definitely plugged it back in again, but it can be refitted upside-down, which is what had happened. There is an 'up' arrow, but it's on the side facing the fairing. Two screws, and we were back in action again – this is worth checking if you have a no-start problem after stripping the front end.

Next up is a trip to the north west, where I'm hoping to hook up with Kevin Mawdsley from Dynojet again, and I'll finally get a power figure for the Yoshimura RS-5 pipe. Stay tuned!

9th October

I've just heard frm Jason at Finishline that the CBR600 should be ready tomorrow in its Pramac Bridgestone colours. He's just got a bit of airbrushing on the tail where a sticker is missing, and that's it.

23rd September

Bugger me, the year's passing quickly. Is it really almost October? I've had a busy few weeks, off to Austria for the Yamaha Fazer launch, then Amsterdam for Honda's 2004 range launch, and Milan for the rest of the new stuff.

But there's been progress on the CBR front. First up was a GPR motocross-style steering damper from the US. It's a smart, anodised rotary part which bolts to the tank cover mounting bolts, and the yoke top. Fitting was really easy, the only hiccup was finding a socket to fit the replacement top yoke nut, which is a different size from the standard part.

On the bike, the GPR stabiliser feels fine. To be honest, the CBR6 doesn't really need a damper, unless you're really on it, at the TT, on race tyres. But as some extra insurance against freak wobbles, the GPR is a stylish alternative to conventional dampers. JP borrowed my bike for a wazz round Bruntingthorpe last week, and he was well impressed with the extra stability imparted by the damper once turned up to full. Round town, with the big adjuster dial turned right down, you hardly notice the GPR.

I've also fitted a full Yoshimura exhaust system. The stainless/titanium RS5 four-into-one pipe is a lovely piece of work, and was pretty straightforward to fit. I did hit one snag – I didn't have a spanner large enough to tighten up the oxygen sensor blanking plugs in the office, so I rode home with them finger tight. Bugger me if one didn't fall off just round the corner from my house. With the plug missing, the CBR suddenly sounded like a V-eight dragster…

It took me until next morning (when it was lighter) to find the plug, and I soon had it screwed in tight. The Yoshi system is truly beautiful, and has an amazing wail to it. They're only just in the country, so I haven't confirmed a price yet, but check www.phoenixnw.co.uk for info.

I haven't had the pipe dynoed yet either, because the CBR is in the paint shop at Finishline motorcycles in Redhill (01737 763163), getting its Tamada Pramac Bridgestone RC211V paintjob started… More soon!

21st August
It's clearly been too hot to do anything, apart from watch shit telly telling me how hot it is, read shit newspapers telling me how hot it is and dream of cooler times. As a result, the CBR's not been out too much lately. I did get it to Kevin Mawdsley's mobile Dynojet dyno for a hardcore Power Commander setup session. I tried three pipes: Akrapovic, Micron and Laser, and they were all pretty similar in terms of power delivery, remapping needs and peak power. The dyno graph below shows the three pipes against one another, so you can see how small the differences are.

With that in mind, I've got myself a new full exhaust system from Yoshimura. The stainless/titanium RS-5 system is just in off the boat, so I don't have a lot of info. It is however very well built, very light (the entire pipe feels lighter than the stock can alone), and looks very sweet indeed. There's a rubbish picture below, better one when we get it in the studio.
More soon…

4 August

Well, it's been a whirlwind couple of weeks with the CBR. I've managed to fit a Power Commander, an Ermax double bubble screen, and try out a few exhausts.
The Power Commander is simple, but involved to fit. You have to take off the fuel tank cover, air intake covers, fuel tank, seat and loosen the seat unit. You then plug the Power Commander in line with the injectors, and tap into the throttle position sensor lead. The instructions in the box are pretty comprehensive, and it took me about two hours all in, at a leisurely pace.
Simpler still was the Ermax screen (01522 697007, www.ermaxuk.co.uk. £89.50, choice of 22 colours). Just unscrew the old one, taking care not to drop the rubber wellnuts. I found removing the mirrors helped fit the Ermax screen into place, it is slightly thicker than the Honda part. Once on the bike, it looks superb – adding a really racey extra touch to the top fairing.
I finally managed to get the Laser Xtreme twin can slip-on fitted and dynoed too (0115 949 9055, £377). It's within about half a horsepower of the Akrapovic, with a virtually identical power curve. It does feel a bit heavier than the lightweight titanium cans, but that's because it's made from thick stainless steel, and it feels like it will last forever. The mounting brackets are a wee bit fiddly to fit, but a bit of perseverence sorts it out. You have to take care with the final fitting though, the numberplate holder sits a wee bit close to the cans on mine.

July 23

I've not had too much chance to write much this month, although there's been plenty going on wid dat CBR600RR. After the Two Brother Racing can came off, I fitted the Akrapovic endcan. It's the usual high-quality part, although it does sit at a bit more of an angle than the TBR can did. It seems like all the aftermarket cans will struggle to sit straight like the standard part, because of the way the stock can is mounted.

Anyway, back down at the Carbontek dyno (01737 789878, www.carbontek.com), the Akrapovic can proved its worth with a 4bhp peak power increase without any remapping or whatnot.

Speaking of which, a nice man has just brought a spangly new USB Power Commander III to my desk. It looks involved but straightforward to fit, so I'll be having a go at that tomorrow, if I get time. Full report when I get a chance.
The postie has also brought me a smart new Laser twin can X-Treme slip-on. It's really good quality stainless steel, with dual two-stroke-style mini cans side by side. It looks pretty smart in an understated way, but does feel heavy compared with a carbon or titanium silencer. I'm going to meet the Dynojet mobile dyno next week at Big CC in Wokingham to get the PCIII set up for the Akrapovic can, and also to test it with the Laser setup. More details then.

2nd July

Here's me emulating the TBR can with its big wide open mouth. I didn't get to Carbontek yesterday because it was raining. Hard. And Nigel's at a track day today, so it'll be tomorrow for Akrapovic time now.

Best news I've seen is the twin silencer Moriwaki exhaust on the new page. That is the horniest thing I've ever seen (apart from Nicola T in the May centrefold) and I am devoting my life to getting one onto this bike.

30th June

Went to Orford near Ipswich at the weekend for the inlaws' wedding anniversary. It was such a sunny day that I packed the missus onto the back of the CBR and set off. Fuck me, I was crippled within a tankful. Arse cheeks throbbing (never good), shoulders aching, and all the while, the aggressively loud TBR can wailing away behind me like the Devil's own dented tuba. Actually, the pipe was the highlight of the trip – revving it through the Dartford tunnel produced a noise rather like that scene in Mission: Impossible with the helicopter inside the channel tunnel.

On the way back, things were even worse. I had to stop every 50 miles to relieve mine and the wife's leg cramps.
But apart from the two-up discomfort, the CBR performed brilliantly. The revvy engine is miles better on the open road, and with a race pipe, it sounds absolutely superb, screaming to 15,000rpm. Brakes are still ace, and the handling seemed unperturbed by the passenger. Tank range allows an easy 110 miles between fills, but the gauge is pessimistic, so you end up stopping every 90 miles because you're on the last block.

Tomorrow, it's Akrapovic time.

27th June

I've just spent a happy morning at Carbontek's shop down in Redhill. Nigel and Rich set about fiting the CBR with the fattest, noisiest Two Brothers Racing slip-on you can imagine. Fifteen minutes had it on the bike, and a very creditable 2.5bhp appeared straight off, without any remapping. There's a decent bit of extra grunt in the upper midrange too – around 8-9,000rpm the torque curve lifts nicely.

The can is great quality, and costs £350 in carbon, titanium or X-metal. Aluminium cans are £250. The recent poor fate of the dollar versus the Euro and pound means TBR prices are heading down while European parts are rising in price apparently, so the US-made Two Brothers range is becoming better value.

Carbontek is on 01737 789878, www.carbontek.com.

I actually manged to change the oil last night too, before sticking the CBR on the dyno again. It's an easy enough job, but you have to remove the right hand fairing panel, bellypan and coolant header tank. Fiddly fasteners is the main balache, and it's tight to get an oil filter wrench in behind the exhaust header pipes. Sump plug is easy to get a 12mm spanner onto though.

26th June

It's a salutary lesson in the life of a bike journo that I haven't sat on the CBR for ten days. I was in America for five days last week on a secret golf cart test, and was in Italy Tuesday and Wednesday for Spidi's presentation of its 2004 range. So the CBR has been sort of ignored, just sat in the car park.

But big plans are afoot. Sort of. First service is due, so I'm going to do the oil and filter this weekend. We've got some oil in from a new firm called Cougar motorsports, and I'm giving their top-spec lube a go.

I have found one faff with the CBR so far – getting into the toolkit behind the right hand panel means you have to loosen a screw and a small plastic clip. The screw is fine, but the wee clip is a pain in the cock to get off, and (of course) got lost the instant I took it off. I found it eventually, but it had been run over by a van in the car park, fucking it. Arse.

13th June

Well, the rearsets are on, and it wasn't too much of a hassle. It took an hour all in, including about 15 minutes not-reading-the-instructions messing about time. Hardest part is getting the rear brake light switch adjusted properly.

12th June

I'm just back from my holidays (three days in Greenock and four days in Grantown-on-Spey – the glamour), so it's good to be back with the red 'n' black CBR. I'm around the 600 mile mark now, so the mods are already starting, slowly but surely. I have an Akrapovic titanium race silencer to bolt on (www.performanceparts-ltd.com), which should go on tomorrow after I get the bike dynoed again.

The engine is feeling stronger as the miles go by, although it is still a peaky delivery. Round town, you need to give it a big handful and plenty of clutch away from the lights, although the brakes are still superb and the steering is super precise. You get loads and loads of feedback from the front tyre, even just riding over white lines and Tarmac surface changes, you almost feel the tyre moulding itself to the road.

I've just nipped downstairs to put some swingarm bobbins onto the massive swingarm. The angle of the arm makes it hard to sit the CBR on normal cup-type stands, so you really need some bobbins. The ones I fitted were lying on the Stuff shelf, so I'm not sure where they came from. You can get similar bobbins from Harris (www.harris-performance.com) or Motrax (www.motrax.co.uk).

Later today, I'm going to do battle with the forces of rearset footpegs. I have some Gilles adjustable rearsets (www.performanceparts-ltd.com again), and they look like a pretty good setup. There's masses of adjustment, the aluminium parts have a smart anodised finish and they look easy enough to fit. More next time…

20th May

I've only had the thing a week, and already I'm in love with the looks, the brakes and the accomplished handling: even just buzzing around Croydon, you can tell it's something special. What's less impressive is the rather revvy motor, although it's only done 200 miles so far. I'm hoping for a bit more pep once I reach the 600 mile mark. After that, it's lowered gearing, pipe, Power Commander, Bridgestone Pramac paint job, and maybe even a big bor