MAXIMUM BOOST
Wicked, awesome, radical, insane, unbelievable,
impressive, awe inspiring, overwhelming, stupefying, and
the accolades only continue. I mean, 497 horsepower on
a bike with around 200mm of what can only end up as molten
rubber to propel the thing down the road. I reckon it
would be fair to suggest that for Jamie to want to ride
the thing in anger is completely batty, bonkers, cracked,
daft, demented, deranged, idiotic, irrational, loony,
maniacal, mental, and absolutely nuts. Yep, Jamie Bezzina
is totally mad.
Greg Brindley, Ringwood East, Vic.
Want to know the scary bit? Jamie is also a bit of
a mega-brain. Now that’s scary. A switched on mad man
that can make anything he likes! – Ed.
BUDGET BUILDS
I’m a biker on a budget and therefore do not part
with my money easily. But every now and then I find myself
at the local newsagent looking through all the bike mags
at bikes I will never own and probably never ride. I usually
end up walking out with a cheap trader mag or newspaper.
But to my delight last time I came across Rapid and found
a fresh approach at last! Bingo. I bought it. I have a
trade background and I want to know what makes a bike
growl, bark and bite. Six months ago I bought a run down
FJ1200. It was leaning against a shed wall with no second
gear. Now it’s my daily transport to work and lets me
get out with my mates on the weekend. I do all my own
work, which saves a lot of cash, and I’m planning an engine
rebuild in the future. I’m interested in what power gains
can be made without to much trouble and also where can
I source aftermarket pistons, timing chains, etc.
My dream bike at the moment is a Road Warrior. In Dyno
Time Jamie mentioned building a ballsy V-twin. I say do
it!
More? Draggin’ Slayers and what they are running, MotoGP
and WSBK powerplants and Rear End. Your Mag is fresh and
interesting, keep up the good work. MORE MORE MORE!
Anthony Hayes, Wynnum, Qld.
Thanks Anthony. We will continue to grow the Budget
Build section as Rapid evolves and also strive to provide
as much info about each of our feature bikes as we can.
Hope you like this issue too, mate – Ed.
ROGER THAT!
G'day, nice work with the new mag. We have got
some good bike mags in Australia but none that aim at
performance bikes – which is what most riders’ dream of
having. One day I will spend all my hard earned on some
modified SV1000 or something like that, so I will now
add Rapid to my monthly buying list to get ideas for the
future – love that ZX-12R.
I’m a motorcycle courier which I love as I get to race
round all day and get paid for it, but when I want to
get something new I am not sure what to buy. There is
so much equipment out there and although I could buy all
the mags in the world and go talk to everyone at all the
bike stores I don't have time for that. So how about putting
a monthly product guide with reviews on all the new stuff
and a best of for each category. At the moment I want
to get a new helmet but have no idea which one, a flip
up with one of those Fox Comms systems is what I am aiming
for. Anyway, love the mag and can’t wait to see the bikes
this month.
The Destroyer, data land.
Good on you, mate. I know where you’re coming from
in terms of product choice – there’s just so much out
there. We will try to make our product section, The Goods,
as useful as possible and do more product tests in the
future. I was once a courier myself and would have killed
for one of those flip-top helmets… Cheers – Ed.
STARTING OUT
I think that your mag rocks! I don’t have my licence
yet but
will have it really soon. I don’t know what bike to get
though. I’m thinking of a Honda VTR250 or a Yamaha FZR250R.
What do you think is best? What are their good and bad
points?
Robbie Fletcher, Mount Barker, SA
Hi Robbie. Both the FZR and the VTR are great bikes,
and despite their different styles they both offer similar
performance. The FZR would obviously be an import so spares
could be a concern. My money would be on the VTR for that
reason. But in the end you should try them both and decide
which one best suits you – Ed.
LOVE THE MAG
Have just finished reading your first issue and
was very impressed and satisfied with your fine effort.
My brother and I are seasoned riders, him well in his
forties and myself about to get there. The cover caught
both our eyes with the 500hp ‘Busa. We both have a soft
spot for Suzis as he rides the latest Bandit and I ride
a 900 Monster which I traded my old GSX-R750. Between
the two of us we have about 1000 bike mags, which date
back to the sixties. We are both fussy readers but found
your mag to be just what we were looking for.
Love to read about what people do to what where and how.
Found Workshop, The Goods, Tweaked and Ridden very easy
to read. Your racing coverage and more so the photos are
superb. But we both were impressed with your Budget Build
section and the articles about Ben O’Brien and Candice
Scott – ordinary people doing the best they can in the
sport they love. Our regards to all who contributed to
this mag with their knowledge and experience.
John Grech, Richmond, SA.
Thanks for your kind words, John, all input is greatly
appreciated and it is particularly inspiring to hear that
we’ve been added to your 1000 magazine list! Let’s hope
that Rapid stays on top of the pile! – Ed.
WATCH OUT FOR #46.
Congrat’s on your new mag, I enjoyed the read
very much. I introduced myself to you guys at the Sydney
Motorcycle Show, as, I'm sure, thousands of other like-minded
riders did. I'm from Girls Ride Out and am part of the
team who has been organising women's racing. I race myself
and I loved your piece on Candice.
I'm 25 and started riding only 10 months ago. It’s a dream
and aspiration of mine to become first in my class in
the future – and to prove to myself (most importantly)
and to others, that if you have a dream you can make it
a reality. I think of nothing more than racing from the
time I wake up until the time I go to sleep at night!
Anyway, all the best with your new mag – loved it!
Angie, Sydney, NSW
Angie, we remember you from the show. If I recall
correctly you were raving about racing then! Good on ya
– I hope you make it all the way to A grade and flog ‘em
all. I know that you are probably spending all your money
on tyres and entry fees and could do with all the help
you can get – if anyone is interested in supporting Angie,
contact us here at Rapid. – Ed.
ZXRRRRR.
G'day and congratulations on the new mag. It’s
good to see a publication aimed at the two wheeled population
that is devoid of advertisements for 'special' phone services
or products for your friendly whacky tobaccy farmer! Yours
is full of very trick, very fast bikes instead. I found
it nicely presented and well laid out. I would like to
point out that Jamie’s Hire Bus made me put a little brown
full stop on me undies which, once cleaned, was replaced
on reading about Dave’s ZX-12R. Sean’s fighter and your
workshop section have given me renewed enthusiasm to get
stuck into the pile of parts that used to be my ZXR750
and build something cool, who knows maybe it might end
up on the pages of Rapid some day.
Andrew Coppleman, Richmond, NSW
Thanks Andrew, and don’t worry, we will never ruin
our mag by running those ads. It’s about bikes and that’s
that. Now get out in the shed and sort that ZXR! – Ed.
NURSE DE SOUZA
Congratulations on Rapid, it’s a great mag. I’m
a Victorian nurse and at the moment I ride an R1 to work
every freezing morning – always in my crappy $20 gloves.
My mum always taught me to wear warm clothes in winter,
especially gloves and underwear. Please give me those
cute, sexy, smartly designed, structurally beautiful Joe
Rocket GPX gloves. For I don’t wear underwear while riding,
so at least I can keep mum happy by wearing nice gloves!
Marisa De Sousa, Kealba, Vic
Ah, Marisa. Your letter was so good that I think
we have to give you the win. The Joe Rocket logo was a
nice touch – Ed.
TO THE MAX
I have just read my first issue of Rapid and I
think it is just fabulous and refreshing. I’m in total
agreement with Gary Sykes [Straight Up Oct/Nov – Ed].
One gets so sick of the profanities. The mag reminds me
of the ones we had back in the ’60s, when I was a young
bloke in England. The tech stuff and especially the cutaway
pics of machines and close-ups of the ‘working bits' is
simply brilliant, not to mention the articles on the riders
– especially that babe Angie!
I'm a late starter (57 and my son can't keep me off the
bike. At the moment I have a CB250 that, although being
an extremely forgiving bike, is due for an upgrade. My
problem is that I am vertically compromised so I probably
need to go for a cruiser. What do you think?
John Goard, email.
G’day John,
Thanks for your email. If you want performance out of
a cruiser you could always go for a second-hand Yamaha
V-Max. The V-Max was the fastest accelerating street bike
in the world for many years. It’s a great bike and the
seat height is only 75mm – Ed.
THE APPRENTICE
I don't know jack about bikes but at the urging
of more than a few friends and clients I am now developing
a growing interest.
Anything I get involved in starts with selecting and purchasing
the most informative locally produced magazine I can buy.
For instance I started buying Street Machine at 16 and
by my 18th birthday I’d rebuilt the motor of my first
car, sending it away only for milling and machining work.
So, if I'm going to get in to bikes I need information.
I started by spending 40-minutes at y local newsagency
sifting through all the mags on the shelf and decided
on Rapid Bikes because it covered a wide variety of bikes
that I would be interested in, it looked slick and the
writers were well known bike guys (even to a novice like
me). So imagine my surprise when I got the magazine home
and realised it was only your second edition! I reckon
you guys have pretty much got it right from the outset.
I may not know much about bikes but I know a hell of a
lot about informative, visually appealing and easy to
read magazines and I reckon you guys are on the money.
Peter Pyrgiotis, email.
Thanks, Peter. We were really excited when we got
your email. Obviously, due to our content and house-style,
our mag is appealing to technically minded and experienced
riders but we were also hoping that people such as yourself
would find the articles easy to understand and, more importantly,
easy to learn from. Cheers – Ed.
HARDCORE
I live and breathe bikes and the bikes in the
first three issues of Rapid are all great examples of
why I love bikes. The NCR Duke in Oct/Nov is a dream bike
for me. It’s a Duke, it’s naked, it weighs the same as
my SRX250 and it makes 185 horsepower. Now I just need
$250,000!
Anyway, keep up the good work.
Tim, email.
Thanks Tim. Mate, I reckon you’ll be on a Duke in
no time – just make sure you ride I hard! – Ed.
THE DOCTOR
I've been buying bike mags since the ’80s and
currently buy all the UK material plus the odd US mag,
so I feel that I have a good point of reference from which
to make the comparison. I think it’s also good to have
a fresh local magazine rather than having to rely on the
current stuff, which in my opinion is staid and often
full of wankers who seem to be more interested in promoting
their own ego rather than the bikes they sit upon. Cagiva
500GP test was great. I saw the bike at the Brisbane Motor
Show at the start of the year and like many others spent
some serious time looking at all the detail. It was a
real Italian affair to remember. I recently re-read some
old articles on the bike by some journos who had ridden
it at the end of the ’94 season, all of whom raved about
its power, handling, etc. Good to see nothing much has
change in the recent ride in Rapid!
I was so pleased to see the bike is being ridden rather
than the owner instantly tucking it away as it had been
for so many years.
Dr J, email.
What? Ego trippers in publishing? Really? Now I’m
shattered. I always thought that editors really were the
best riders in the world, who deserve to dedicate each
and every issue of their magazine to their own ideals
and opinions. Damn. On a serious note, bring on the fresh
blood. The more Wazza, Matthew Shields, Trevor Hedge and
Sam MacLachlan articles the better. Those hippies Irving,
Matho and Seddo are welcome to hang around, though, because
tha drugs are keep’n them under control. – Ed.
STARTING OUT
I think that your mag rocks! I don’t have my licence
yet but I will have it really soon. I don’t know what
bike to get though. I’m thinking of a Honda VTR250 or
a Yamaha FZR250R. What do you think is best? What are
their good and bad points?
Robbie Fletcher, Mount Barker, SA
Hi Robbie. Both the FZR and the VTR are great bike
and despite their different styles they both offer similar
performance. The FZR would obviously be an import so spares
could be a concern. My money would be on the VTR for that
reason. But in the end you should try them both and decide
which one best suits you – Ed.
SOLD ON WAYNE
So there I was in Brisbane, the last day of winter
and the first real rain we have had in three months. The
roads are as greasy as a bad kebab and I’ve got a day
off work. Talk about bad timing. So I find myself at the
shops looking at mags, having long since given up on finding
issue number two of a new bike mag that got me revved
up a while back.
And then there it was. Rapid. Talk about saving the day!
Flicking through the pages I see everything I want in
the second issue and much, much more.
When I see that Wayne Gardner has joined Rapid I know
I’m on a winning team! Knowing you guys had to do some
serious pit work to get to the second edition tells me
you guys have got guts so a big congrat’s to all involved.
Anthony Hayes, Wynnum, Qld
Thanks Anthony. Good to hear from you again. I reckon
you should wear the gloves – simply because you kept looking
out for us on the stands. The huge amount of work Pete
and I have put in to Rapid is worth it when we get a compliment
like that. Cheers, mate. – Ed.
HOOK, LINE AND SINKER
I've been neglecting bike mags for a while now,
especially the national ones. But the other day I was
in a newsagency and glanced at the cover of the Feb/March
issue of Rapid Bikes. A quick browse and I was hooked.
Thanks for restoring my interest! The articles, feature
bikes, contributors, layout, etc, is all top notch!
Tim Stroud, email.
G’day Tim, thanks so much for your email. To be honest
we were getting a bit sick of some of the stuff related
to sportsbikes and performance too – that’s why we started
Rapid in the first place – good to see it’s rubbing off!
– Ed.
MONEY WELL SPENT
OK, I've put my money where your mouth is and
subscribed.
Rapid Bikes is a good mag with terrific appearance and
content and above all, is created by a couple of independent
blokes having a go. Good luck and keep up the good work.
Kevin Couter, Glenbrook, NSW
Hi Kevin, I hope you enjoy receiving Rapid in the
post and thanks for your support, mate – Ed.
LEMON WITH THAT?
After tyre kicking for years I have finally gone
out and bought my first bike, a GSX-R600 with CORONA paint
and now can't figure out why I hadn't done this sooner.
These things kick arse. The problem is, guys, you are
already giving me ideas for how to make it a little quicker.
Hmm. Turbo or NOS?
Trevor Black, email
Hi Trev, why not just add both? Yeeha! – Ed.
WOLLONGONG WIZ
Hi guys, I have read about turbo ‘Busa’s and Ninja's
in your mag but will any other models of sportsbike be
featured? I know someone has to build them of course,
but it would be wonderful to see some turbo Fireblades
featured.
I own a '92 ZXR250C (my first bike) and I live in a bike-mad
street. Other neighbours owning a Honda CB1300, Suzuki
RGV250M, Suzuki GSX-R750L and a Yamaha Royal Star XVZ1300.
Great to see Wayne started in Wollongong – I hope some
of that 'Gong' skill rubs off on me!
Arthur, Wollongong, NSW
G’day Arthur, We are waiting for a few different
project bikes to be finished and that includes a few ‘Blades,
Blackbirds, R1s, etc. We have a lot of bikes on file and
we simply run them as they’re finished. Enjoy your ZXR,
mate, and keep on breathing that speedy South Coast air!
– Ed.
WAZZA’S WISDOM
Thanks for Wazza’s Hornet review validating my
purchase of a black one last week. All going well with
the insurance company and my poor old ZZR-1100, I should
collect it in a week or so. The ZZR has been an absolute
beast since I bought it new in 1992 clocking 225,000km
without touching the engine. Unfortunately, discovering
cow poo on a blind corner meant an unplanned slide down
the road.
Yeah, I know, what a shitty way to lose a bike…
Tim Bond, email
Hi Tim, mate, I hit a pile of pig sh*t in the UK
with my wife on the back one time and I couldn’t agree
with your more. Hitting crap like that really stinks,
mate – Ed.
RAPID RIDING SCHOOL
I'm 23 and bought my first bike in September 2003.
It is an '03 R6, which I have recently finished customizing.
I had only ridden an NSR150 around the block before that,
plus an old-school 550 for the Q ride test. I realise
that the norm is to start out on a 250 but I have good
right-hand control and have respect for the bike – I know
it will bite me hard if I become careless. I am still,
of course, learning how to get the most from my bike.
I believe my limits are still a long way ahead.
Getting to the point, Rapid, it seems, has a vast array
of knowledge at its disposal. With that knowledge is it
worthwhile running a regular feature that could improve
our performance and safety on and off the street.
Nick, email.
Hi Nick. Good point, I’ll let you lot answer the
question. If you want some riding tips published in Rapid
email me– Ed.
FAIR PLAY
In the Feb/Mar issue of Rapid you chappies have
claimed that the owner of the TL ‘Sentinel’ suffers from
FBS or Fussy Bastard Syndrome. I disagree in one aspect
– yes he does suffer from FBS but more like Fully Bought
S#@t. Doesn't anyone fabricate trick bits anymore? Is
it just too bloody easy to buy stuff cause you are lazy?
I recently attended a bike show in Silverwater where ‘Sentinel’
was being shown, as was another purple TL streetfighter.
It looked trick and was even ridden 300km to the show
(note this bike also goes to track days and does freestyle
tricks) – not stuffed in the back of a van for transport
(like Sentinel).
Any mug can buy off the shelf items and have it fitted
by a pro - but a real enthusiast modifies things so they
are unique one off's or original ideas made into material
objects.
Brad Smith, email.
Hi Brad. I understand your point but Rapid is about
modified bikes and sports/performance so we try and include
a strong mix of all types of builds – which we have. Some
of the bikes we have featured have been built from the
ground up, mate, and I mean from billet to bike. Rupe’s
Sentinel is an amazing bike – I think it is fair to let
him have a say – Ed.
“I’ve spent hundreds and hundreds of hours making little
brackets and carbon bits and pieces, not to mention the
sanding, shaping and polishing. The tank, rear hugger,
the support bracket that cleans up the rear by removing
all the struts, the sidestand, the headlights, the fairing
molds I made but never used – all one-off custom stuff.
I saw the purple TL at the show and it looked like a stunt
bike and the really trick bits look like they were made
by hand. That’s fine if you’re happy with that but if
you want something better then it’s a case of working
mega hours and saving (unless you have cash coming out
your arse). Unless you’re suggesting I should have made
my own carbon wheels or Ohlins forks?
I won the Best Sportsbike trophy at the Silverwater Show.
Didn’t intend to go as I really have no interest in bike
shows, but a mate dragged me down there. I didn’t really
want the hassle of putting the bike in the van and carting
it down there and back but I missed the RTA that day and
couldn’t get it rego’d. I did get it registered yesterday,
though, and am booked in for a trackday, too – Rupe’s
BUSTED
I was riding along Picton Road a few months back,
doing about 110km/h in a 100 zone. As I came around a
bend there was a HP car coming in my direction. I didn't
bother slowing down because most cops won't pull you over
unless your doing 15km/h over. So I kept riding and checking
my mirrors and fair enough a couple of km later I had
red and blue flashing lights behind me.
I pulled over, took my helmet off and waited to see what
the problem was. The officer walked over and proceeded
to tell me that he got me on the radar at 147km/h (at
this stage I nearly fell off my bike). I smiled at the
officer and told him that there was no way I was doing
that type of speed and, to my surprise, he agreed with
me.
He said that I didn't look, or sound, like I was doing
147km/h and decided there must have been a problem with
his radar. He checked my licence and let me go.
So why am I telling you this story? Well, it got me thinking.
What if you got a fine in the mail one day saying you
were caught by a speed camera doing 147km/h in a 100 zone.
How would you prove you weren't? And even if you did prove
your innocence, how much time and money would you have
lost?
Ever since speed cameras were introduced there has been
a reduction of Police on our roads. Now I know a lot of
people don't see eye to eye with Police Officers but at
least they have something that speed cameras don't – common
sense.
Dean, email.
Hi Dean, it certainly is a worry but I can’t see
us being able to do much about it. We are a minority.
They’re big. We ride bikes so we’re scum. Sounds like
you got a decent HP Officer and it is good to see that
you weren’t pinned simply because you ride but unfortunately
most stories similar to yours don’t have such endings.
I for one was stung for doing 128km/h in a 100km/h zone
years ago – problem was I knew the HP were there and I
was cruising at 95km/h when I rode past. Ended up having
to pay the fine, though. In an effort to address more
issues like this we’ve got a new columnist called Mark
Stenberg. Mark’s new column, Lawtalk, will help answer
any legal issues related to riding – Ed.
