10/11/04
It's been a while since my last web update on the R6, it's been all systems go in the SuperBike art department to make sure this years calendar (free with the Jan 05 issue) is the best ever so my longtermer has been parked more than ridden.
I haven't been completely slack though and have found time to ride around the awesome roads around Basingstoke, Alton, Odiham, the A272, Box Hill etc.
I finally found a company who make decent looking flip up number plate brackets.
VFX Kits came up with the goods, all the way from Canada.
The transformation it makes to the back of the bike is like replacing a giant pair of y-fronts with a g-string.
The laser cut R6 logo looks top notch and is lit by a couple of blue LED's, which are programmable so you can choose between, flashing, strobing, lightning, always on or always off. You can also choose the colour of your LED's when you order the bracket.
It's a manual flip which means you have to reach around to flip it, but that's not too difficult a task.
I haven't used it for dodging speed cameras, but more for dodging cctv cameras in restricted parking areas. Plus it makes your bike look ace when you park up at a bike meet and flip it. As long as you park on private land then plod can't do you.

Contact VFX kits to order yours:
Tel: 001 877 839 5487
www.vfxkits.com
Canadian $119.00
(£52.46 approx)

I've also recently been sent two road legal slip on cans, Blue Flame sent me their Evo can which has two ports, both with removable baffles. Jack Lilleys sent me the other can which is a Mivv, also with removable baffle. I decided to try them both for sound with and without their baffles. The results of my ear popping attempts at listening to each of the cans through the rev range can be seen in the January issue which will be on sale 24th November.

Jack Lilley
Tel: 01784 420421
MiVV exhaust: from £250

Blue Flame
Tel: 01695 733100
Evo exhaust: from £260
(Highlevel option - add £20)

18/08/04
new tyres
After bimbling around yet another track day wishing I had got on the phone to sort some decent tyres out for the R6 I finally got my finger out and called Bridgestone to see if they had anything on offer in the way of a decent road tyre that would inspire confidence...
"Ooh, she's a little angel..."

two days later a pair of BT014's turned up at my desk. A quick call to Infinity in Purley and the R6 was soon given a new pair of shoes. As usual, I have offended the weather gods by doing this and since having them fitted it's done nothing but piss down nearly every day. Still, I already feel much happier with the handling, I can't quite put my finger on what exactly is different, I guess it could be mostly imaginary on my part but it feels easier to corner around town. Maybe the profile is slightly different or maybe I'm just more relaxed on a pair of tyres I have more confidence in.

boosting confidence
While I'm on the subject of boosting confidence the lovely Libby at Yamaha arranged a day out for me with a Yamaha Rider Advantage instructor on the road to see what I thought.
A full day of road instruction was something I've wanted to do since I passed my test just over four years ago. This was one such opportunity I feel extremely grateful for.
I met my instructor, Mike, in a car park in Croydon where we had a brief chat about my past riding experience, how long I had been riding, the amount of riding I do and a little introduction from him, previously a traffic cop he's been around the block a few times and his riding time dates back to when Hendrix played Woodstock.
I was fitted with a one way radio and we got straight out on the road. I led the way for the first few miles so he could assess any areas of my riding that I need to work on as well as getting a general idea of my overall capability.
As the town roads disappeared behind us we pulled over for our first chat and the main subject of the day, which was reading the road ahead and visibility. Learning to use the full width of the road is something I've tried to do but in all honesty I've never known if I'm doing it right as I'm usually on my own.
The day went by in a bit of a blur really, it was quite mentally fatiguing and I was certainly ready for my chip butty at the cafe at Goodwood. a bottle of lucozade and a few sugary sweets later I was revv'd up for the ride back. It was one of the best rides I've had all year. I felt confident, I was relaxed, looking around corners, scanning the vanishing points, letting the speed happen naturally, giving it plenty of progressive throttle out of the corners I surprised myself at how comfortable I felt going so much faster.
At the end of the day, Mike went through a quick debrief for the day and complimented me on my riding style and apparently he thinks I have "excellent observation skills" and followed it up with "I couldn't ask for more" which finished the day off nicely.
I would highly recommend a day out with an instructor on the road, it can make a massive difference to your riding style, confidence and overall safety on the road.
The costs are:
1 day per person 2:1 = £145
1 day per person 1:1 = £195
2 day per person 2:1 = £280
2 days per person 1:1 = £380 (all prices include vat)

Courses are available to anyone, regardless of what you ride, but if two
Yamaha owners book up to go on a course together, they will both receive
10% off the price. Customers who have completed the course can receive a
10% discount from Yamaha Insurance Services.

For more info or to book a course, customers should call 0845 050 4255 or
visit www.yra.org.uk.

05/07/04

At last the camera is up and working, ready to rumble.
So I took it for a test drive on my way home from work.
It was late, the traffic was light and I did it in a record 3 minutes and 10 seconds.
Who says we all have long commutes in the south?
Anyway, look out for more, slightly shorter downloads in the near future. The R6 is away for a few days on a test, so providing it comes back in one piece the spy camera will be back in action in a weeks time. So send me details of any bike meets or rides you think might be interesting to go and spy on and I will see what I can do.

19/06/04

At last Im getting somewhere with the spy camera project, with the man from OBBC (On Board Bike Cameras) coming to fit the mini camera any time in the next couple of days the first action download will be available hopefully on Monday after I go and snoop around over the weekend at the nearest bike meet. (probably Box Hill or Ace cafe)
The idea for this project is that Im going to get more technical as time goes on with picture in picture and switchable dual cameras on the bike. but to start with it will be a single on board camera stashed somewhere on the R6.

12/5/04

I took the R6 now its nicely run up to Northwich to experience the delights of the Thundersprint on Sunday 9th May.

It was a long day starting at 5.30am for breakfast, I chanced upon a fella sitting alone at breakfast and it turned out to be Jim Redman, a 6 time TT champ and world GP champ of yesteryear. (he was the man to beat in the days when they had to bump start bikes on the grid for the start!)

Anyway, he mentioned a pit pass he had... so me thinking I could do with one of those offered to give him a lift down to the race area.

in return for the paddock pass Jim set up his stall in the back of the van and had queues sometimes 10 deep of people waiting for him to autograph their book or poster.

Wanderng around I managed to russle up some different coloured gaffer tape and fashion some race number plates for the R6, digging around in my rather hefty hand bag i found a stack of SuperBike stickers which i used to tape up the headlights and mirrors.

Next, came the racing part. Not easy on cold tyres, but the idea is to follow a very short course around what is normally a car park. with timing beacons at intervals around the course, the race is basically a time trial, I managed to knock a second off my time every lap i did, its just a shame i didnt have 4/5 more laps so I could have knocked out a time closer to that of the leading journo of the day.

A big thanks has to go to the fella (a SuperBike reader) who jumped out of the crowd to give me a hand pushing the R6 from paddock to race area. Also a big thanks to all those who shouted support for me from behind the fencing. Its not often you come away with head pounding from the noise and eyes stinging from the 2 stroke smoke of all those old bikes and still say you've had a great day.

5/5/04

The first ride away from the showroom had me grinning within the first few feet. What a contrast it is to big old Trumpet. The first thing I had to get used to again was the lack of engine braking and the rapid changes of gear. I've gotten a bit lazy riding the Triple, rarely bothering to change from 1st or 2nd gear around town, rarely touching the brakes but the R6 is much more demanding, especially during its running in period. I can't wait to let rip on track and maybe a few rides on those open roads up North.

I have a few plans already for the R6 this season, as an artist not a test rider my mods might be a little different to the ones done on last years longterm R6 by Kenny.

Underseat exhausts and a spy video camera are top of the list. Once the camera is set up, look out for regular downloads on the website of the latest shinanigans and secret filming of bike meets and perhaps the odd semi naked lady that happens to wander past a parked R6 while the film is still rolling...