It is all well and good being the best rider on this planet, however, in modern-day motorcycle racing and achieving a MotoGP ride, it’s just not enough to pin your hopes on. The modern day motorcycle racer requires a broad skill-set for the most sophisticated of all modern sports. The skill-set includes on-bike rider skills, physical and mental skills as well as management, and bike set-up skills!

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The degree of how well you can set-up your bike is measured by a lap time, as well as a race distance time. Qualifying works on a single fast lap for placement of starting position. Race distance time is taken from the start to the finish of the race. How well we set up our motorcycle to stave off tyre degradation and rider fatigue is all about having the best condition tyre in the last and closing laps so you can destroy your opposition and take that chequered flag!

All too often we see a rider that can qualify well yet they suffer in the race, all because they don’t have a suitable race set-up that will go the full race distance and allow them to be as competitive at the end of a race as they were at the start.

TRADE-OFFS
The reason that the name ‘the black art’ is given to what we call the knowledge of suspension and chassis set-up is because there are so many different options available to the rider and his team of technicians. The most important part of a set-up session is to understand that whilst we make a change in one aspect of the motorcycle, we may affect the performance of the motorcycle in other areas.

A harder spring may be fitted but this requires hydraulic adjustments and the ride height may have been affected so then a chassis adjustment may be required. 

Sometimes we may even move in the wrong direction. Simply, we make an adjustment with back to back testing that appears to be working and it is not until we have moved a full circle with testing that we realise we were on the wrong track. More than likely the initial adjustments masked the initial problem, meaning the adjustment did not fix the problem but just helped the symptom. There is a defining need to be flexible and commit to doing a full testing package away from a race meeting where you have time to concentrate on testing in a suitable environment.

When we adjust suspension we can affect the geometry of the motorcycle both front and rear. Likewise, when we adjust geometry we affect suspension settings, it is imperative we have a good understanding of adjustments and all the trade-offs, before we really get started in the set-up of a motorcycle’s chassis and suspension.

Modern-day motorcycle racers are well aware of the above points. The black art of set-up is really what puts the pressure on the individual riders and their teams come race weekend. The race organisers have realised this as well. In fact, most race series organisers limit test sessions in a competition year in a bid to keep a level playing field for all competitors.

BACK-TO-BACK TESTING
An essential part of setting up your motorcycle is to ensure that you are going about the research and development of your motorcycle in the correct manner. A systematic testing program that takes in a holistic approach is essential.

Try to test under the exact same riding conditions as this will help to ensure that when we are making changes to the set-up they are relevant to the last test or race conditions. Being able to test back to back in similar conditions takes a lot of guesswork out.

It’s hard enough to work through the black art of chassis and suspension set-up but when you have to consider the effects of changing weather conditions, you can just imagine how lost you can get when you don’t consider the effects of all areas.

“Making assumptions in testing is the mother of all mistakes. Remember, the changes are so small for huge gains especially when you start to get on top.”

Making assumptions in testing is the mother of all mistakes. Remember, the changes are so small for huge gains especially when you start to get on top of your game. The faster you are, the smaller and more subtle are the changes that give you huge advantages, especially when the final measurement of all your work is in the last or closing laps.

RECORDING INFORMATION
To record information you will need an appropriate set-up sheet with all the details of the test. Conditions of the track surface including surface temperature, number of turns, length, undulations, height above sea level and obviously the track name all need to be recorded accurately. Weather conditions the test was run under, wind direction and strength, humidity, temp and air density of each test session.

Chassis set-up needs to be recorded as well including front and rear ride heights, position of rear wheel and front and rear sprocket sizes. Make note of suspension settings including front and rear spring rate and preload. Also record hydraulic adjustments such as fluid levels, compression and rebound settings.

Brand of tyres and exact model info including sizes, compound, rolling diameter, and crown radius. In the engine section you need to keep track of oils, fuel, and any modifications likely to effect performance. Finally, lap times must be recorded accurately and specify the type of testing, eg single lap or simulated 10 lap race including total race time. 

MAINTENANCE OF YOUR MOTORCYCLE
Incorrectly adjusted, lubricated or worn items like wheel, steering head, swing arm, shock absorber and pivot bearings, or chain and sprockets, will all negatively effect the feel and performance of the suspension and chassis. 

I have a maintenance sheet that allows my customers to personally go through and check their own motorcycle. I suggest that you get one organised and ensure that your motorcycle is in peak condition. Going through this checklist after every ride will enable you to identify any possible faults. Why after every ride? Management like this will give you enough time to order parts and organise workshop time.

GEOMETRY OF BIKE
In Australia we are lucky to have one of the world’s best measurement devices for a bike’s overall geometry set-up. The inventor has found a set of what he refers to as ‘sweet numbers’ that will clearly determine where adjustments are required to get the motorcycle’s geometry optimised.

I insist on all of my elite people in the sport having their machine put through the GMD Computrack system to ensure that the chassis is straight as well as finding a starting point to have the bike in the closest position to perfection for competition.

RAKE AND TRAIL
A lot of riders and mechanics make adjustments in a range of areas that affect the rake and trail of a motorcycle yet most are totally unaware of the full effects of their changes. When you look at the rake and trail diagram, you will see how we measure both. If you think a little more about all of the tuning options, you can see how adjustments will change the rake and trail of a motorcycle.

The adjustments therefore effect how quickly or slowly the motorcycle will turn, move the centre of gravity, and affect the motorcycle’s amount of mechanical grip. The effects are not just in how the motorcycle turns but also how the motorcycle brakes and its overall stability as well.

All too often the general motorcycle public are fooled into believing that grip is all about how we shift weight to the front and rear to create grip using mechanical tuning as in ride height. When we consider mechanical grip, we can increase or decrease grip, not by moving weight forward or rearwards but by adjustments in the rake and trail and swingarm angle to create mechanical grip. 

FRONT AND REAR RIDE HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT
We can adjust the ride height of the front of the motorcycle by simply moving the forks through the triple clamps. The adjustment of the spring preload to a softer or harder setting, or changing of the spring rate, will also change the ride height.

The hydraulic settings available (as in oil-level height, amount of compression and rebound adjustment) will also affect the front ride height of the motorcycle!

The rear ride height can be adjusted by lengthening the shock absorber, changing a ride height adjustor or the geometry of linkages. All have tradeoffs. It’s very important to remember that just by adjusting your chain you can change your rear ride height and also the trail and rake at the front of the motorcycle!

ADJUSTABLE TRIPLE CLAMPS
Front triple-clamps are a very important chassis tuning device that is available to the motorcyclist when we want a particular characteristic tuned in or out by changing our motorcycle’s rake and trail which affects the amount of front grip, and how the bike turns as well as stability. Changing the offset of the triple-clamps does this.

REAR WHEEL POSITION
The position of the rear wheel is so important to quite few areas of the motorcycle. We have the wheelbase to consider; in basic terms we can shorten and lengthen the wheelbase. Obviously this becomes a vital part of servicing the chain on the motorcycle. As it stretches and the wheel is moved back to maintain correct tension, the wheelbase is lengthened

When we adjust a chain, depending on the motorcycle swingarm design, we can increase the rear ride height and even in some cases decrease the ride height, which again will change the rake and trail of the front of the motorcycle. 

The worst cases happened to be the single-sided swingarms that came on some of the endurance style racers, in particular, the VFR and RVF Hondas as well as a few of the NSR and RS250 Hondas. These bikes have an eccentric adjustment in the rear hub to adjust the chain. Unfortunately while the rear wheel looks very clean and stylish and allows for quick wheel changes, this adjustment changes the rear ride height.

Even a conventional swingarm can change the ride height. Check out your bike and work out whether the rear wheel moving back or forward works on a horizontal plane or an angle. This is very simple, if it’s not parallel to the ground then moving the rear wheel forward or rearwards will change the ride height, which again will change the front rake and trail.

CHAIN PULL SQUAT
The chain pull effect comes into effect when we accelerate the bike and is the action of the front sprocket pulling the swingarm around its pivot. This obviously affects the rear ride height as well as the rake and trail.

Adjustment can be made in a few areas. The size of the front sprocket will change the angle of the pulling chain as will the size of the rear sprocket. The position of the swingarm pivot will also affect the pull of the swing arm.

The goal would be to have the swingarm and front drive sprocket sharing the same pivot point centre.

Another change can be made through the lower control arm linkages on the swing arm. This affects the rate of pull on the rear shock, which can change the rear ride height. When you consider this in detail, changing gear ratios will have an effect on your chassis set-up not just make a change in the way the power is delivered.

SUSPENSION
The job of the suspension is to help keep the tyres in contact with the road to offer the best grip whilst cornering or braking. Let’s face it; it’s all about grip. Obviously in this process the suspension is soaking up all the bumps expected and unexpected, whilst keeping that perfect contact patch on the road.

SPRINGS
The job of the front and rear spring is essentially to take the weight of the rider and motorcycle. Given that the motorcycle weight is what it is, the variable will be the rider. As the weight of the rider increases, the need for a heavier spring to deal with the extra weight is required.

To get the full advantage from our spring we need the spring to be able to offer its total amount of free travel, which means that there is a certain amount of pre-load available on a spring before its available range of movement is affected.

All too often we see people run way too much spring pre-load, meaning that when the spring is put to work the energy in the spring is not allowed to fully dissipate on its return, which means the spring starts an oscillation cycle.

So the first step is to establish what spring would be suitable for your bike and rider setup. How do we know what spring to run? By having the knowledge of the rear shock’s total travel and working on the fact that the riders weight should never take up more than one third of travel when static. We also have a certain amount of spring preload available for each weight spring. With these two measurements we are able to establish what spring is required and what you want.

HYDRAULICS
The job of the hydraulics is to help the spring do its job of absorbing the bumps and uneven surfaces, whilst keeping the motorcycle on its original line or horizontal plane. As a child I was lucky to have a pogo stick. This was basically a stick with a big spring and two footrests on it and all you had to do was bounce around on it. Funnily enough, when we were young lads riding, if the bike didn’t have enough rebound dampening we used to say the back or front of the bike was like a pogo stick to ride. We have moved on and most kids would rather play on the computer, but you know it was a great way to understand why we need rebound dampening. The effect of not having rebound dampening would see us getting sprung all over the place.

Rebound dampening is the hydraulic action that slows the spring to its original position ready for the next bump in the road. Without rebound dampening what we would experience is a bouncing effect. If the rebound action is too fast we get a similar feeling just like a pogo stick. If the rebound action is too slow the spring will not return to its full length ready to do its job again. This is also known as ‘packing down’.

So what is compression dampening? Well, it works in the opposing direction to rebound dampening and assists the motorcycle under braking as well as reducing the effects of squat and acceleration. The adjustments of the above can be made with the clickers on the bike, however, once we start changing front or rear springs we also change the speed of the shock absorber and this is when we need to also change the valving of the hydraulics.

HIGH SPEED AND LOW SPEED REBOUND AND COMPRESSION ADJUSTMENTS
Sounds incredibly difficult all this high and low speed adjustment stuff but it’s fairly simple. Our modern day valving and hydraulic systems have become so sophisticated. In the expensive aftermarket shock absorbers we have the option to not only adjust the rebound and compression using on-bike clickers, we now have the ability to adjust rebound or compression in two areas. Rebound adjustment can be adjusted for the harsh and fast bumps. We use high-speed adjustment for those big bumps, while also having the ability to adjust low speed rebound for smooth bumps or acceleration-related rebound issues. 

Likewise with compression adjustment we have the same scope of adjustment, which is great for adjustment under brakes or deceleration over a set of bumps with squat to the rear. Yes I know, just when you thought you were getting it!

GRIP
One of the most important rules to understand with your suspension settings for both spring and hydraulics is that the harder (or firmer) you make your suspension, the less feel (or feedback) you will have for surface grip.

The fine-line in tuning the suspension is to get the bike so it can cut a lap on the track, be predictable, offer great feel and be positive the harder you push it. Obviously the harder you push and the faster you go, the more you need to tune the suspension. To find the appropriate setting we must be constantly pushing the limits and improving yourself and the motorcycle. Also don’t forget, we should consider the effects of any chassis changes likely to affect our mechanical grip.

SUSPENSION GURUS
Our modern day racers have a range of technicians surrounding them. The suspension technician’s job is to ensure that not only has the rider got the correct springs for the job, but that the hydraulics are operating in the correct window of adjustment. The suspension gurus will also look at track conditions and offer even finer tuning advice to suit a high or low speed circuit to obtain an advantage that other riders may not have.

Not all riders use the same style, which means that not all suspensions are set the same. Riders prefer different settings to others and obviously every rider is a different weight and shape. However, it is interesting to note that although riders have different track preferences, they all have strengths and weaknesses, and the rider that comes with the most competitive package wins. Who is the best rider in the world at a top level? It’s the argument fought every weekend at tracks all around the world. But you can be assured of one thing in the modern-day racing world, it is no longer just about the rider, it’s definitely about the whole team and their ability to work together, searching for the ultimate performance of their motorcycle and rider. For me, it’s all about great feedback and feeling from a motorcycle that should feel like a physical extension of you.

Suspension Set-up Check List

• Step 1 Ensure that everything is serviced correctly, i.e. lubrication and adjustment to all bearings and pivot points.
• Step 2 Get your bike to GMD Computrack to make sure it’s straight and within the right range of sweet numbers and has the right springs and valving to suit.
• Step 4 Get yourself organised with a check sheet and some record of the adjustments you are about to make. 
• Step 5 Log all information before you start the day’s testing, that way if it turns to shit you can backtrack.
• Step 6 Start your test day with all the confidence you possess and be ready to evaluate and make changes. 
• Step 7 Don’t be scared of enlisting expert help, there are suspension gurus out there.
• Step 8 Remember that the test is not just about one lap but the best set-up for race distance.
• Step 9 You will never be happy with your set-up, you should always be ready to push for faster, better and quicker. 

The post Tech Tips: Suspension Fundimentals appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Words: Alan Cathcart Photos: Andrew Moreton                                     

Just like its rival Zongshen company which became the first Chinese manufacturer to take part in GP racing in the 2005-2008 seasons with customer 250GP Aprilias, CFMoto’s two Spanish riders Xavier Artigas and Carlos Tatay are mounted on rebranded versions of the reigning Moto3 World champion KTM RC250GP machine.

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This reflects CFMoto’s close links with the Austrian firm whose Indian-made 200/390cc singles it has assembled in China for local sale since 2014, with various KTM twin-cylinder models also slated to enter production in coming years at CFMoto’s ever-expanding Hangzhou factory.

However, CFMoto already became the first Chinese manufacturer to compete in International road racing with its own products designed and built in China, and successfully, at that, with British rider Gary Johnson finishing fourth in the 2016 Lightweight TT on the gruelling 60.74km Isle of Man TT Mountain Course on the CFMoto 650NK-TT racer entered and prepared by the company’s British importer, WK Bikes.

This class caters for 650cc streetbike-derived Supertwins, and except for this Chinese-built motorcycle it’s been dominated for years by Kawasaki’s ER-6 (aka Ninja 650R in some parts of the world), and the Italian Paton powered by a Kawasaki motor, which have won all eight races since the class was first conceived back in 2012, with the Suzuki SV650 V-twin very much a supporting act. Johnson had in fact held onto third place for the first two laps of the race before slipping back to fourth after a pit stop for refuelling, yet at the end was only two seconds off the podium after 240km of gruelling road racing aboard a bike rejoicing in the nickname of ‘Madagascar’. Well, movie fans, look at the colour scheme …!

“After the very first time I rode the CFMoto, I was pleasantly surprised by its potential,” said Johnson. “It’s based on their production 650NK streetbike, but you shouldn’t discount it because of where it comes from. It’s basically a very good motorcycle, and WK Bikes have put in a massive development programme which has seen the race bike move to a far more competitive level. They’ve got good power out of it, and we’ve tried to blow the engine up to make sure it’s up to the job, but we could not blow it up!”

WK Bikes kicked off the CFMoto TT race project in 2013, when Aussie rider David Johnson rode a race-prepared but essentially stock 650NK sponsored by China’s Tsingtao beer for them in that year’s Lightweight TT, but retired with a dropped valve.

But DJ had been delayed travelling from Down Under to the Island in time for practice, so since two-time TT winner Gary Johnson (no relation) lives near WK Bikes’ Lincolnshire base, he offered to do a lap on the bike just to shake it down ready for the Aussie rider to hop onto it.  A 108mph lap from a standing start proved it had some potential, so Gary signed up to race it in 2014, now with official support from the CFMoto factory in China.

Johnson was fourth fastest in practice, but sadly crashed his Kawasaki ZX-10R in the Superstock TT, and injured himself too badly to be able to race the CFMoto that year. However, 24-year old TT newcomer Callum Laidlaw brought his own CFMoto 650NK using a standard engine home in 33rd place out of 38 finishers, averaging 105.045 mph for the race – a very respectable speed for a TT tyro on a motorcycle essentially just as it left the Chinese factory, except for a race exhaust, suspension and fairing. In 2015 it was Gary Johnson’s turn to DNF on the very first lap with a broken conrod – but next year it all came good, with that fast, trouble-free ride to fourth place at the finish line, just a tantalising two seconds off the rostrum.

The chance to ride Gary Johnson’s Chinese-made Supertwin came at Cadwell Park, on the full 3.47km circuit whose Woodland section complete with wheelie-friendly The Mountain is a mini-TT Course of its own. It came under the eagle eye of the man responsible for developing the bike, Grimsby-based performance engineer Chris Gunster, a former UK National level 125/250GP racer.

“We’d done a lot of work with Gary setting up his Superstock and Supersport bikes for TT racing,” said Gunster, “so when he agreed to race the CFMoto Lightweight bike they gave it to us to develop it properly – the first year when the Aussie guy raced it, it was dead stock, and very underpowered in comparison to everyone else at the sharp end of the field. Gary did that single 108mph standing start lap with just 79bhp, so we knew it had potential if we could start tuning it successfully – and reliably.”

Taking the stock CFMoto 650NK DOHC eight-valve parallel-twin engine measuring 83 x 60mm for a capacity of 649.30cc, fitted with a 180 degree crank, offset chain camshaft drive and a single gear-driven counterbalancer, Gunster had to retain the stock crankshaft under Lightweight TT rules, but after the 2015 DNF fitted British-made Arrow forged steel conrods, carrying JE forged pistons machined to suit the cylinder-head and valves.

These delivered a 14:1 compression ratio, up from an already quite respectable 11.3:1 stock as the bike left China, achieved by skimming the block that already came standard with chrome bores. The cylinder-head was also skimmed to help achieve the high compression that’s so important for good drive out of turns, while retaining the stock gasket, and then ported and flowed by the late ace TT tuner Steve Mellor – one half of the famous V&M team which helped David Jefferies beat the factory Honda racers to complete a clean sweep of all the world’s greatest public roads races in 1999 aboard the V&M Yamaha R1 tuned-up streetbike, including the NW 200, both the Isle of Man Formula 1 and Senior TT races, the Ulster GP, and finally the Macau GP in China.

Mellor, who passed away in 2018, was THE top tuner in the Supertwins class since the category was invented in 2012, and professed himself impressed by the quality of the stock Chinese bike’s engineering, before setting to work to wrestle more power out of it.

The resultant tuned-up CFMoto 650i race engine was now fitted with billet camshafts made by Kent Cams to Steve Mellor’s spec, with a very similar profile to the ones Gary Johnson used in his Kawasaki ZX-10R Superbike.

“These operate slightly shortened stock 33mm inlet and 28mm exhaust valves,” said Gunster, “and the reason for that is the original 650NK motor has the shim as part of the bucket, which is a quirky thing I’ve not seen before on any motorcycle, meaning if you want to re-shim it you have to change the entire bucket! Because of the logistics and expense of carrying several different buckets to adjust the valves, we shortened the valve stems to run a conventional shim under bucket system, like everyone else. We retained the stock valves, though, but with dual springs, running in standard valve guides.” 

The inlet valves are fed by twin Marelli throttle bodies, each carrying a single 5-hole Marelli injector, and these originally started out as 38mm units before Gunster began boring them out. “We tested different bores from 38mm to 45mm, and settled on 42mm as the best balance between top-end performance and low down rideability,” he said. “Even so, the motor is quite lumpy at low revs before it smoothes out at around 6000rpm, and a lot of that is with the size of the throttle-bodies and the injectors, because everything is geared around making it go fast. I was quite amazed to discover the throttle is wide open on a Lightweight bike like this for 68 per cent of a full lap of the TT Course.”

“I was quite amazed to discover the throttle is wide open on a Lightweight bike like this for 68 per cent of a full lap of the TT Course.” said Gunster.

“Now I understand why top riders like Gary who race them like them so much – you can really dominate them, and just ride the wheels off them!” An Italian Arrow race exhaust was fitted as is practically standard in the Supertwins class – most Kawasakis run one. There was no oil cooler, but with the extra power available the larger Pace coolant radiator earned its keep. Engine management was taken care of by the stock Ducati Energia (no relation, though – well, not since 1953!) ECU to which the team were given the access codes by CFMoto to permit modification and remapping.

Getting the airbox right is apparently a key issue in Supertwins said Gary: “The biggest problem seems to be how much those things want to breathe – there’s a midrange gain of as much as 7bhp if you can significantly increase the airbox volume from standard. So we basically cut the top off of a stock airbox to accommodate very long 50mm velocity stacks fed by an airscoop that lives above the radiator, to let it suck as much air as it wants. It’s a combination of airbox, throttle-bodies, injectors, fuel pressure and exhaust, which together with Steve Mellor’s tuning magic have collectively got us where we are. Where’s that? We have 102bhp@10,300rpm at the rear wheel, and peak torque of 74Nm@9,400rpm, which makes it on a par with the best Kawasakis in terms of performance.”

This tuned up motor was fitted in a 100 per cent stock unbraced tubular steel 650NK diamond frame which used it as a fully stressed member. This carried a fully adjustable 43mm Öhlins Road and Track fork housed in Harris adjustable triple-clamps designed for a GSX-R1000, which allowed the offset to be varied between 25-33mm, and thus the trail. With the stock cantilever steel swingarm and fully adjustable Öhlins monoshock offset to the right, this resulted in a fairly tight 1415mm wheelbase.

Dry weight complete with a Harris Moto2 race fairing and Kawasaki ZX-10R seat is 161kg, stopped by twin 320mm Brembo floating front discs and four-piston Monoblock radial calipers, with a 220mm rear disc. The team ran Metzeler RaceTec tyres, with the rear upsized to a 180/55-17 on a 5.50in rim, instead of the stock 650NK’s 4.50in wheel carrying a 160/60 rear tyre – for better grip on the angle, as well as increased stability, said Chris.

It was the wet weather grip of the treaded Supersport-spec tyres compulsory for Supertwins racing that most concerned me when I took to the track at Cadwell Park for my first of three sessions that day with the surface still damp from overnight rain. I needn’t have worried – the rubber from Metzeler (then about to become Chinese owned!) shrugged off any damp patches, and the easy-steering controllability of the CFMoto brought reassurance in its wake, in allowing quick corrections when the back end stepped out.

The street-pattern powershifter originally wasn’t working properly – and not at all for the top two gearshifts – but the stock ratios in the six-speed gearbox seemed well suited to the power characteristics of the motor, even though these were quite a bit different than on the street 650NK I’d last ridden at Broadford in Australia four years earlier in 2012.

“5,800rpm is when it came alive with a serious burst of power that wasn’t so fierce it’d unhook the back wheel.”

That’s when I became the first journalist outside China to get acquainted with the products of the first Chinese manufacturer to really get it in terms of what Western customers are looking for – basically, a decent build quality coupled with reasonable performance, and comforting handling from a middleweight bike, all at the right price. The CFMoto 650NK had all these – and still has – but the 650NK-TT Supertwin racer derived from it was another step higher up the performance ladder, with 45 per cent more horsepower and 20 per cent less weight than the streetbike it was derived from.

So although Madagascar was perfectly tractable through the slow Woodlands section at Cadwell, and drove OK from 3,000rpm upwards on part throttle out of the slow Hall Bends, it wasn’t until the tacho sweep hit the 5,800rpm mark on the excellent Translogic dash – whose gear selected readout dominated your visual take on the screen – that the tuned Chinese racer really started to motor. That’s when it came alive with a serious burst of power that wasn’t so fierce it’d unhook the back wheel, but was controllable enough in its delivery to power the CFMoto out of slower turns really strongly – the legendary link between your right hand and the rear tyre’s contact patch was all there in spades.

There was then a second noticeable kick in power at 8,000rpm, all the way to the hard action 10,300rpm revlimiter where power was still building, and this meant it was really best riding the bike like a sort of gruff-sounding two-stroke racer, allowing the row of seven shifter lights above the dash screen to progressively light up till they flashed red at 10,000rpm and you needed to hit the next highest gear NOW!!

Even with the street ratios, you’d still be back in the fat part of the power band and especially the torque curve in said gear, so it really paid to rev the parallel-twin motor right out in each ratio to keep it on the boil. Yet the Chinese bike’s undoubted top-end power by the standards of the Supertwin class wasn’t delivered at the expense of low-down rideability – just that there was noticeably more power up high, so you needed to keep the motor revving. By the way, it was ultra-smooth in the way it did so – there was really no significant vibration at all, and this must have made it a good TT ride that wasn’t going to be tiring in a 240km four-lap race.

Back out for my second session with the track now dry, and the powershifter now working properly – if rather stiffly – I could start to explore the CFMoto’s handling qualities, and the best compliment I can pay it is to say that it seemed to be a bike with no surprises – it was totally predictable in the way it went, steered and stopped. OK, I was outgunned for performance with the 600 Supersports and 1,000cc Superstocks I was sharing the track with – but through Hall Bends or the bus-stop Chicane I could more than get my own back on them thanks to the Supertwin’s deft, agile handling, and especially on the brakes into Park Corner at the end of the back straight, or downhill into second-gear Manfield.

There, the ace combination of the 320mm front Brembo discs and their Monoblock radial calipers, plus the Sigma slipper clutch Chris Gunster had fitted (it was adjusted just right, so as to still provide some engine braking while consistent with stability) did their job really well in slowing the CFMoto racer predictably and effectively from high speed. I could also trailbrake on the angle into the Gooseneck Esses or Manfield without the NK650-TT sitting up and understeering on me, still turning in easily and forgivingly.

“I could trailbrake on the angle into the Gooseneck Esses or Manfield without the 650 sitting up and understeering on me, still turning in easily and forgivingly.”

But I didn’t care for the chatter I especially got at Charlies on Madagascar, after I upped my pace and tried to take this critical corner that determines your eventual speed down the back straight at Cadwell one gear higher, in fourth. A couple of times I got my line wrong, and had to feather the front brake to lose a little speed – no problem with a bike that’s so forgiving it’d surely make an ideal beginner’s racer.

But the Öhlins fork needed some attention to the damping – it seemed too stiffly set up to let me max out the grip from the front Metzeler in pursuit of optimum turn speed, resulting in front-end chatter most laps there especially, if not at Cadwell’s other fast sweeper, Chris Curve. Probably that’s because I took that corner progressively harder on the throttle as it opened up, thus lightening the front-end a touch, whereas at Charlies I was on part throttle, so without as much weight transfer. Just needed some dialling in, surely…..

The riding position Gary Johnson had opted for was aimed at maximising front-end grip, because the ZX-10R seat had a thick pad on it which pushed you up in the air, and threw a good deal of your body weight onto the front wheel via your wrists, arms and shoulders. But it strangely enough didn’t seem too tiring a stance in my hour of riding the bike, and the tall screen did a good job of deflecting bugs, as well as making it easy to tuck well away behind it for those many miles of flat out riding on a bike like this which was clocked at 158mph through the TT speed traps.

With its now well prepared and even better tuned race engine fitted, the CFMoto NK650-TT was – indeed, still is – not only a serious contender for top honours in the Lightweight TT with a rider of Gary Johnson’s caliber aboard, it’s a bike that merits more widespread availability. At the point that the stock 650NK it’s derived from costs 40 per cent less than the ER-6 Kawasaki, the Chinese bike provides an affordable basis for anyone to go racing, beginner or expert, male or female.

I reckon the CFMoto factory itself should produce a customer race kit incorporating the performance tuning incorporated in Madagascar, or maybe even a turnkey racer devoid of street equipment but retaining the electric starter, just as KTM did with the RC8R Track. This is a very capable motorcycle within the context of its category, which deserves a wider audience – and it doesn’t matter where it was manufactured.

Guogui Lai Interview

Mr.Lai Guogui is CFMoto’s founder, president and principal shareholder, whom I first met when I visited his company’s factory in Hangzhou in 2014. The chance to ask him on a later encounter at the Milan Show about his company racing in the Isle of Man TT, was too good to pass up.

AC: Mr. Lai, why did CFMoto enter the Isle of Man Lightweight TT officially, with a factory-backed 650NK modified for racing by your British importer?

GL: “Competing officially in the Isle of Man TT is part of our planned strategy to develop awareness of CFMoto. As one of the most quality oriented and technically advanced manufacturers in China, CFMoto has been steadily advancing our presence in the powersports sector for some time, in producing higher end and more leisure-focused products. Participating in such a world famous race as the TT has been an opportunity to accumulate experience for our future marketing and racing programmes. In any case, our British distributor WK Bikes had already competed in this race, and we have had a long term partnership with them for some years, so we were happy to support their presence in the Lightweight TT.”

AC: What were your feelings when you saw Gary Johnson’s excellent 4th place result with the CFMoto racebike, against all the Kawasakis which dominate the class?

GL: In a world class event like this, most of the bikes in any TT race are Japanese, so I was very happy to know that CFMoto had this excellent result for our factory team. I want to say thanks to our rider Gary Johnson and WK Bikes, who I know have been working so hard on this project. Having a CFMoto entry become the first bike from a Chinese brand to finish a TT race over such a gruelling high speed course is a good encouragement for us for our future racing plans. 

CFMoto 650NK-TT Racer Specifications 

ENGINE: Liquid-cooled dohc 8-valve parallel-twin four-stroke with 180-degree crankshaft, chain camshaft drive, and single gear-driven counterbalancer, 649.3cc, 14:1 Compression Ratio, EFI with 2 x 42mm Marelli throttle bodies and single injector per cylinder, 83 x 60mm bore x stroke, 6-speed with gear primary drive gearbox, Multiplate oil-bath Sigma slipper clutch.

CHASSIS: Tubular steel diamond frame employing engine as fully-stressed member, Front: 43mm Öhlins Road and Track fully adjustable inverted telescopic fork, Rear: Extruded steel swingarm with tubular bracing and fully adjustable cantilever Öhlins monoshock, 1415mm wheelbase, 120/70-17 Metzeler RaceTec on 3.50 in. cast aluminium wheel, Rear: 180/55-17 Metzeler RaceTec on 5.50 in. cast aluminium wheel, Front: 2 x 320mm Brembo floating stainless steel discs with radially-mounted Brembo Monoblock four-piston two-pad calipers, Rear: 1 x 220mm Brembo steel disc with twin-piston Brembo caliper.

PERFORMANCE: 102bhp@10,300rpm (at rear wheel), 161kg with water/oil, no fuel, split 52/48, 253km/h top speed (Isle Of Man TT 2016)

OWNER: WK Bikes, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, UK

CFMoto 650NK-TT Racer Gallery

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Watching King Carlos dominate on what is essentially an old superseded customer spec RS11 race bike that anyone could buy for just shy of $200,000 AUD as a base model had been great from a fan point of view. And even when speed deficits on the ultra fast Alitalia Aprilia or Yamaha machines was as big as 18km/h at the fast tracks, Carlos would still win.

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With this in mind and after studying his sector times on the infield of all the tracks this year, it was clear that this machine is a weapon in the parts that count… and with my own 1198 project in Australia at the time, I was keen to see how much of an animal a WSBK championship winning machine really was.

THE RIDE
It’s a warm Monday morning at Algarve International Circuit, a place that feels like my second home such is its popularity for tyre tests, bike launches and other events. It’s a long haul 40-hour trip from home, though, but I’ve had the weekend to recover and soak up the WorldSBK atmosphere…

Once the team fire the beast up and start warm-up my heart gets beating. I’m rarely nervous or intimidated by a motorcycle but the pulsing of massive two-ring 106mm pistons is getting the heart racing. I’m focussed today as I have 11 bikes to test in a row. All of the top WorldSBK and WorldSSP machines. No time to be worried… just get on and go…

Climbing onto Checa’s machine, the first thing I notice is how flat the bike feels. I expected some radically jacked up machine, particularly with Checa’s Grand Prix past, however, the bike is surprisingly conservative feeling. The seat is low.

The ‘bars are also low and dropped down the forks old-school style and I really feel in the bike rather than on it. It’s a great seating position that feels like and old-fashioned racer… The bike is super narrow as expected but aside from the obvious things like the Marelli dash and race ‘bars, seat etc, it feels like a regular road 1198… very familiar to me.

Checa is small of stature like many racers but I found the footpeg position roomy and overall the riding position just gave instant confidence and control. Years of experience means Carlos has nailed the riding possie on this bike and he looked comfortable in all situations on the Ducati during 2011…

I head off, needing mega revs and a good push to get going as first gear is really tall. I exit pit lane and short-shift to third gear for the run down to turn one. Wow! Serious torque. All the other bikes have needed second gear through turns one and two but the Ducati stomps off the turns with ferocious punch. In fact I can’t keep it from wheel-standing and need to get the revs up once I settle down.

I settle in and feel really confident and comfortable on the bike. It feels agile and light and nimble. Initial turning is so quick and accurate. Change of direction from full lean to full lean is not as fast as the fours, however, here at Portimao that is not an issue. It is only out of turn 13 (left) and into 14 (right) that I notice that slightly heavier direction change.

The torque is incredible and not easy to get used to. Carlos rides with such finesse and grace that I was convinced this would be a big pussycat to ride. But it is not. The acceleration can only be described as violent and the throttle response instant in every sense of the word. In the lower gears I found I had to really spend attention on cracking the throttle smoothly with a bit of rear brake on.

Once open the bike jumps off the turns like you would not believe. Do it with urgency or lack of care and the bike responds by bucking, shaking and trying to twist its trellis frame into knots. Smooth is the key and once I calmed down and got settled on the bike I started to ‘get it’.

Power is linear and acceleration so strong that the bike feels faster than the other superbikes. But once the revs reach 11,500rpm the power drops away rapidly. The bike is very flat up top so early shifting and long gears are required, which takes time to get used to after riding all of the fours and some 600s.

One surprise on the Checa bike is the level of engine braking Carlos likes. It helps him get the bike turned and jammed into corners but caught me out a few times. Most racers like a lot of clutch slip however the number 7 machine has more engine braking than a Mack truck! Back shift into turns above 9000rpm and the rear wheel will hop and the bike shudder. I found myself having to downshift one less gear and/or later than usual. I even gave the bike a big old school rev on backshifting into some of the tighter turns.

With so much torque and drive the bike is not the easiest to control in a quick test and would take some time to learn to ride smoothly and to not upset the bike with inputs. It’s clear Checa has that nailed but I can see why many riders never adapt to Ducati motorcycles.

The brakes on the Althea Ducati are simply stunning. I’m glad I had ridden a few other machines the morning I rode Checa’s as I thought I knew what strong brakes were! Well, as incredible as some of the others are, the set-up Carlos runs is incredible. Braking in anger is an experience right up there with the thrill of the acceleration from the engine. And the feel is incredible. As is the grip from the SC1 Pirelli slicks, which were not grooves as they are in the static imagery.

The suspension on the Althea Ducati is surprisingly plush, although I do weigh in at 18kg more than Checa! The bike sits so balanced on the springs and the level of feel from the stunning Ohlins forks is out of this world. The wheels and tyres remain firmly on the tarmac and the bike settles so, so quickly as proven in Carlos’ amazing 170km/h 24m slide coming onto the chute in the race on Sunday.

Overall an experience to remember and one of the biggest thrills of my life…

TECH TALK
Sitting on the scales, Ducati’s 1198 Testastretta evoluzione engine weighs in at just 56kg and the 90-degree L-twin desmo engine generates a claimed 200CV or 197hp at 11,000rpm at the crankshaft with a 50mm air restrictor in place. Restrictors vary from 46 to 52mm.

Internally, this engine includes a pair of two-ring Omega pistons that reduce weight and frictional losses. Obviously, the crankshaft is also lighter than the stocker and was re-balanced accordingly. If you had x-ray vision, you’d see that the pistons have very short skirts and extra ribbing under the crown. Very similar in design to what’s used in the MotoGP Desmosedici.

When asked about the compression ratio, engineers looked out the window but did confirm that the stock heads receive love and attention in the ports to make intake and exhaust flow happy. Camshafts offer the same lift as stock but longer duration to allow deeper breathing. Imparting motion to the valves is a set of ultra-polished rocker arms that offer longer life expectancy at the 12,400rpm redline.

Each cylinder head carries a pair of standard injectors. Control of these is the domain of the Magneti Marelli ECU that determines the exact amount of fuel required to keep each cylinder in its happy place at every combination of throttle opening and rpm.

Removing exhaust gases is a Termignoni exhaust. The two-into-one-into-two kit item uses 52 and 57mm tubing with a wall thickness of just 0.8mm! Mufflers are made of titanium and carbon-fibre.

Transferring power is the dry slipper-clutch and the cartridge-style six-speed transmission from the Ducati race kit. The pinions from the gearbox are all shot-peened before fitting to lengthen their life.

All of this is loaded into a frame that’s as stock as the day it left the factory. Fitting a 6.25×16.5-inch wheel and 190/65-16.5 slick into the stock swingarm doesn’t work so a new, stronger replacement is part of the kit. Linkages for the Ohlins RSP40 shock also differ to stock.

Holding the 3.50×16.5-inch front wheel is an Ohlins TRVP25 42mm fork that is race-only. At the lower end, they carry fully-machined assemblies to hold the front axle clamps as well as the mounts for the front calipers and pressure accumulators.

Front brake calipers are P4X34-38, matched with a pair of 320mm rotors also from Brembo. The differential-piston caliper bodies are machined from solid blocks of lithium-aluminium. Indicating how little it is used, the rear brake rotor is 218mm, smaller than the stock 245mm jobbie but still gripped by a P2X34 twin-piston caliper.

ALTHEA RACING DUCATI RS11 1198 Specifications

Power: Over 200hp@11,000rpm (with 50mm restrictor)
Wet weight: 162 – 171kg (variable, managed by FIM pending results)
Fuel capacity:  23.9L

Engine: 90-degree L-twin Desmodromic four-valve per-cylinder liquid-cooled four-stroke
Bore and stroke: 106mm x 67.9mm
Displacement: 1198cc
Fuel delivery: Magneti Marelli Marvel4 ECU, elliptical throttle-bodies with air restrictor between 46 and 52mm diameter (FIM regulations), Magneti Marelli 162 + 189 twin injectors per cylinder
Exhaust: Termignoni, stainless and titanium, two-into-one-into-two with titanium/carbon-fibre mufflers
Gearbox: Six-speed cassette with straight cut gears
Clutch: Dry, multi-plate slipper clutch, hydraulic actuation

Frame type: Tubular steel trellis frame
Wheelbase: 1435m
Rake: Adjustable
Trail: Adjustable
Front suspension: 43mm pressurised Ohlins TRVP25/TTX25 fork
Rear suspension: Single-sided swingarm, Ohlins RSP40 shock
Front brakes: Brembo radial P4X34-38 calipers and 320mm rotors
Rear brake: Brembo P2X34 caliper and 218mm rotor
Front wheel: Marchesini, 3.50×16.5
Rear wheel: Marchesini, 6.25×16.5
Front tyre: Pirelli Slick, 120/75 – 16.5
Rear tyre: Pirelli Slick, 190/65 – 16.5
Instruments: Magneti Marelli

ALTHEA RACING DUCATI RS11 1198 Gallery 

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Chaz had wrapped up the WSS title the previous round to the finale at Portimao, where I rode the bike on the Monday after the race. In a more relaxed mood but typically in winning form, Davies took victory from Salom and Ellison in a stunning race the day before I rode the bike. It was a fitting last WSS race for the then 24-year-old, who went on to be a WSBK long termer, following his retirement at the end of 2021.

In it’s 12th year of development and with this particular machine in its second year (2009 with Cal Crutchlow, 2010 a year off, back for 2011), the then current factory R6 was a proven winner. Davies alone had given the bike six victories on his way to title glory. So when I walked into the ParkinGO pit garage with my lid under my arm and a signed waiver in my hand, I knew I was on for a good time…

The first thing I noticed about Chaz’s bike was how much it felt like a normal R6. The fuel tank, bodywork, all very familiar. The ride height both ends is tall as expected but not as radical as I anticipated. The ‘bars are really wide and flat, very close to a flat bar like an MX bike. The seat position is fantastic – close to the bars but there is still a comfortable reach. And the seat-to-peg distance is roomy. Overall a perfect fit for me. I’m the same height as Chaz so it makes a change from me trying to fit into the typical jockey sized bikes.

The bike was fitted with 30 per cent worn tyres, which was OK, and warmed up and ready to go. TC was set to level 3, which is as Chaz raced it the day before. Everything else was as per Sunday. The bike naturally felt like a racer as Yamaha developed it with racing only in mind….

Rolling out of pit lane and accelerating towards turn one the R6 spun up really quickly. The gearbox shift was amazing and was the fastest quickshifter around for the era. After a few corners to settled in, put my head down and started to push. The engine was a screamer, it builds from 12,000rpm but the business end is up around 14,000 – 16,000rpm where things get very rapid.

Despite the peaky nature, once in the top end rev band the bike was electric smooth and the TC very subtle. The power didn’t tail off at all. The top end was just stunning, particularly compared to the Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR and much more than the MotoCard Kawasaki ZX-6R I rode on the same day.

The gearbox ratios felt closer and more competition-like than the other SS bikes and the shifter is great. Downshifting is simply a matter of clicking back through the gears – the engine blips itself and the clutch slips into turns accordingly. Run into corners was stunning and corner speed is 250 GP-like.

Initial throttle opening was silky smooth and the bike really was so easy to ride. It just felt like a normal track R6 but with stunning suspension and massive power. On the gas, even in the upper gears, the bike loved to wheelstand, so I found myself using a lot of rear brake over the crest at the back of the circuit.

The brakes on the bike were not as powerful as expected. Chaz may prefer a low ratio in the master-cylinder, as there was a lack of initial bite and the brakes needed a big squeeze to pull up. This is probably not such a bad thing in the heat of battle on such a short wheelbase bike. Chaz has a tendency to back bikes into turns and an abrupt initial bite would exaggerate that style.

Initial turn-in is fast, the best steering of all the bikes I sampled on the day, and the bike fell onto its side very quickly. Lean angle is incredible and the bike tracked through turns with the poise of a long wheelbase machine while still having the benefits of the agility and line changing ability that comes with the short wheelbase.

Considering just how well the bike turned in, it makes you think about what amazing things riders and engineers can get a bike to at world level.

The rear spring was really, really hard and there was some small rear chatter as I was not pushing through the stroke anywhere near as much as Chaz would be. Using full throttle off all of the corners on the bike and trusting the fantastic chassis and electronics was a great buzz and the speed down the chute sensational.

Overall, I was surprised at how easy the Chaz Davies ParkinGO world supersport championship winning R6 was to ride for a normal human like me. It was very exciting, don’t get me wrong, but so well sorted that it was easy. I can clearly see how a talented rider like Chaz Davies could steer this thing to so many victories and a title. It’s a winner in every sense of the word…

SPECIFICATIONS – 2011 Chaz Davies ParkinGO YAMAHA WORLD SUPERSPORT TEAM YZF-R6

Power: Over 145hp
Wet weight: 158kg
Fuel Capacity: 17.3L

Engine: Liquid cooled DOHC in-line-four 16-valve four-stroke
Bore and stroke: 64 x 42.5mm
Displacement: 599cc
Compression ratio: N/A
Fuel Delivery: YCC-T, standard throttle-bodies and injectors, Magneti Marelli
Exhaust: Akropovic
Gearbox: Close ratio race kit
Clutch: Wet, multi-plate slipper

Frame type: Aluminium die-cast Deltabox
Wheelbase: Adjustable
Rake: N/A
Trail: N/A
Front suspension: Stock R6 with Ohlins internals
Rear suspension: Ohlins TTX
Front brake: Stock Tokico
Rear brake: Stock Tokico
Front wheel: Stock Yamaha R6
Rear wheel: Stock Yamaha R6
Front and rear tyre: Pirelli

Instruments: Magneti Marelli race dash

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Having made his debut 26 years ago, Rossi rose to become the most prominent figure in MotoGP history, producing some of the most mesmerising and memorable performances that influenced and inspired an entirely new generation of motorcycle racing stars.

To commemorate his illustrious achievements, which included nine world championship titles across the MotoGP, 250cc and 125cc classes, 115 wins, and 235 podiums over 425 race starts, Yamaha have built this unique R1, donning a special livery produced by Aldo Drudi, Valentino Rossi’s long-time helmet designer and friend.

The R1 GYTR VR46 sports upcoming 2022 GYTR spec parts and unique features that are all a direct result of Yamaha’s WorldSBK development, which helped Yamaha achieve the 2021 WorldSBK Triple Crown, culminating in the highest spec R1 GYTR ever produced for track day usage. A special gift that the Tavullia legend will have the opportunity to enjoy at the Misano circuit soon.

A carbon-fibre fairing kit and full carbon rear sub-frame have been produced, with the tank capacity increased to 22L, all designed with weight saving in mind. The Brembo brakes have been developed for incredible stopping power, while the high performance ECU REX 140 Marelli produces world class power delivery. The full list of the special parts coming from WorldSBK Championship winning experience is listed below, and are additional to the GYTR parts such as the Ohlins suspension and GYTR front and rear sprockets.

The R1 GYTR VR46 Tribute was given to Valentino Rossi for the One More Lap event at EICMA 2021, which the Italian star attended for the first time, as Yamaha pay tribute to VR46 and his historic legacy. The R1 GYTR VR46 Tribute was built with carefully selected parts which, among others, include the following:

From the 2022 GYTR catalogue:

• GYTR Electronic throttle
• GYTR Slipper Clutch
• GYTR Head Gasket
• GYTR Radiator Kit
• GYTR Air Funnel Set
• GYTR Handlebar Set
• GYTR Handlebar Switches
• GYTR Front Brake Protector
• GYTR Adjustable Rear Set
• GYTR Akrapovic Factory Line System
• GYTR Marchesini Wheel Set

Special parts from WorldSBK development:

• 22 L Factory Fuel Tank
• Full Carbon Rear Subframe
• Underslung Swingarm Assy
• Adjustable Triple Clamp Kit (Offset adjustable 22.5mm x 27mm)
• Special Carbon Fiber Fearing and #racing Screen
• Engine Factory Tuned
• ECU REX 140 Marelli
• Wire Harness Dedicated to Marelli REX140 ECU
• Sensor Kit
• WorldSBK-spec Air Filter
• Öhlins Side Steering Damper
• Öhlins Factory Front Fork
• Öhlins Factory Pneumatic adjustable rear shock
• Brembo Front Master Cylinder
• Brembo Discs Set
• Brembo Rear Caliper Set
• Brembo Front Caliper Set
• Chrome Lite Dashboard with GPS

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