Two Wheels: Season 3, Ep. 11

Men and Motors

More motorbike action in Two Wheels as, Jeff Stone looks at a special superbike, the R71, a cross between the R7 and the R1.  We also have news on this years International Bike Show and to finish off the episode, Wayne Kershaw meets super-motor rider Warren Steele.  Don't forget to subscribe to our channel and hit the notification bell so you never miss a video!  ------------------ Enjoyed this video? Don't forget to LIKE and SHARE the video and get involved with our community by leaving a COMMENT below the video!   Check out what else our channel has to offer and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to Men & Motors for more classic car and motorbike content! Why not? It is free after all!   --------------------------------------- Social Media ---------------------------------------  Follow us on social media by clicking the link below to elevate your social media experience by connecting with us! https://menandmotors.start.page  If you have any questions, e-mail us at talk@menandmotors.com  © Men and Motors - One Media iP

Transcript

00:00 [Music]

00:28 On Two Wheels this week, Geoff finds out about a new, very special superbike, a cross between

00:34 an R7 and an R1, it's the R71, and some news about this year's International Bike Show.

00:41 But first, Wayne spends the day with a supermoto rider.

00:46 [Music]

00:47 We've come to a racing circuit today. Not so much to show you the actual racing, but

00:55 to introduce you to a mate of mine, a guy who is absolutely barn pot, he's crazy on

01:02 a motorcycle, a guy called Warren Steele. Now then, the thing about Warren is he doesn't

01:08 ride bikes like this, he rides a bike that uses a big fat tyre like the one on this particular

01:13 R6, but on a motocross style machine, because he does supermoto. So, come and meet Warren.

01:22 So this is my barmy mate Warren. Now I've introduced you as barmy Warren, but I don't

01:31 mean it disrespectful, I mean it as in, you've got a wild streak about you when you ride

01:35 these two wheel devices of various different types, but you've just took a liking to this

01:40 supermoto lot. Why?

01:43 Well, it's a bit similar to motocross, you don't have to train as much on your fitness.

01:50 Oh you lazy old bag. You can go to the booze the night before.

01:53 Oh, don't admit that, but don't blame me. Yeah, it's a good sport, it's a growing sport,

01:59 there's a lot of interest, a lot of people come to follow it.

02:02 Your background is motocross, originally you were well into motocross and very successful

02:06 at it, do you think that helps with doing the supermoto?

02:08 It does when you have full supermoto rules. Now, a lot of supermoto races now are on tarmac,

02:13 but proper supermoto rules is like 50% tarmac, 50% dirt, which that's when your motocross

02:19 skills come into it.

02:20 And that's where you go into it, yeah. But let's admit now that even though you've done

02:25 one meeting only up until today, you won that meeting, you showed them your backside and

02:30 the lads weren't happy about this, were they? This new face on the block comes along and

02:34 just does the business. Was it because of the off-road bit or were you fairly confident

02:38 on the road bit?

02:40 The tarmac at first, it took me a while to get used to it, I was basically on their speed

02:44 on the tarmac, I wasn't quick, I was about the same, but then as soon as you got on the

02:47 date I was in my own league.

02:49 Yeah, in your element I suppose.

02:50 In my element, yeah, that's right, yeah. It suited me down to the ground.

02:55 So having done, this is your second meeting and you're just primed to go out and do your

03:00 bit, so having done two meetings, do you think you're going to stick to it then?

03:04 Yeah, yeah, as you can see, we've got the set up here now.

03:08 You have, you've got a tremendous set up, I mean there's a lot of people helping out.

03:11 Have you got an organised team or is it just all hands on deck and everyone helps out?

03:15 Well I've got a fairly good package together now, we're at work, my boss Vaughan Evans

03:19 has sorted me out with tyres and the van and as you can see all the equipment.

03:24 That helps doesn't it then?

03:25 Yeah, it's a great help.

03:26 Yeah, now listen I've clocked Warren here and I reckon he's nicking the carburettor

03:37 off this bike because you can't trust these lads nowadays. Hey Warren, what are you doing?

03:40 I hope you're not nicking any bits off this nice bike.

03:42 No, I'm just running over it basically, just making sure it's prepared for the race, nothing's

03:47 come loose as you can see.

03:49 The final check light, yeah. Tell us a bit about this bike Warren, how did it start life?

03:53 Well it was basically an Eduardo motocross bike, 620, 620 single cylinder, I just had

04:00 motocross wheels on it and then you get Talon wheels which specialise in convergence.

04:05 Yeah, they make the wheels up don't they, with special wide rims and everything to take

04:08 road tyres don't they?

04:09 Yeah, that's right.

04:10 What's the score here, are you afraid of getting a bit of dirt on these tyres or something?

04:13 No, no, these are tyre warmers, getting tyres to the temperature before the race, not to

04:20 full race temperature, just to basically give you a bit of an edge when you go out you see.

04:25 The shock absorber unit, do you keep that the same or do you alter the damping and springs

04:29 too?

04:30 Yeah, we just make it slightly harder and the rebound, make that slightly slower.

04:33 So you can deliver the power and everything, yeah.

04:35 That's right, yeah.

04:36 How about the front end, do you do any alterations to that?

04:37 As I say, same again, different wheel, big disc conversion, you've got your bracket there

04:42 to space your caliper out and then just stiffen the forks up, same as on the back really,

04:47 just stop that from diving down the front end because you've got like 13 inches of travel

04:53 because obviously it's for motocross which is not needed on a roadway circuit or supermoto

04:59 circuit so you just basically put spacers in the forks to compress the springs down.

05:05 Fair enough, what about the choice of it being a KTM, was there any particular reason for

05:08 that?

05:09 Well, they seem to be a good bike on the supermoto circuit, they're fairly light but it just

05:16 seems to suit the supermoto and it's what I like riding and it goes well.

05:22 Fair enough then, right well we'll leave you to do the bits and pieces, you'll be nicking

05:25 that shock absorber, it's nice that.

05:26 Well that fit mine bad, do you think?

05:27 I've got one of them little mopeds.

05:28 Right we're going to leave Warren in peace now because you see he needs to be focused,

05:41 he needs to be race prepped, you know, you've got to just get your eye on the job haven't

05:44 you, so he's going out and doing a bit of practice, meanwhile I'm going to get a little

05:48 bit of sustenance, you know, so just a second.

05:50 Geoff any chance of a burger mate?

05:52 Yeah, must be Chet O'Keefe.

05:53 Oh, thank you very much.

05:54 How is it I can never get a burger off these fellas?

05:55 Right so you've had a practice, we've seen you going around doing your bit of scratching

06:15 and all that lot, but it's a high activity Warren, what's the problem?

06:18 What's happening?

06:19 Well it seems to be getting too much heat in my front tyre and it's sliding out in the

06:23 corners and that, after the first lap it's okay, then when the tyre's getting a little

06:27 bit too hot it's starting to slide around on the track, so what we're going to do, we're

06:32 going to put a hot compound tyre on, which at first it'll be a little bit sketchy on

06:37 the track, a little bit slippy, but once you get the heat into the tyre it's going to be

06:40 absolutely fine.

06:41 So you're going to have to work really hard very early on aren't you to get some heat

06:43 into it?

06:44 Yeah, that's right.

06:45 Well that should be interesting, right then we'll keep an eye on that, that'll be a good

06:46 bit that, you know, we might get a bit where you're just going A over T, but we won't want

06:51 that, don't do that, just warm it up nicely.

06:53 Right then, working on the back, what's the score with the back?

06:56 Well the gearing, we're not getting nowhere near top gear on the course so we're going

06:59 to go up on the sprocket on the back, we're going to go up two teeth on the sprocket and

07:03 that'll allow a bit more acceleration for the bike, so we're going to look at being

07:07 a little bit better out on the race, it's just a shame we haven't got a bit more practice

07:11 to try the bike out, it's going to have to be in the race and see how we get on.

07:16 But in the practice you went out first of all on the little two stroke first didn't

07:19 you?

07:20 Yeah, I went out first on the little two stroke, so it did not suit the circuit.

07:21 No, we're having carburettor problems with it, the main jet in the carburettor was a

07:25 little bit too big for the fuel, because we're running half gas on it now, which is a high

07:31 octane fuel, now the bike's blubbering top end, so that's why we've done a lap and then

07:36 we jumped straight onto the four stroke, the bigger CC.

07:39 So I notice now that the little one is now donor by using the back sprocket on the little

07:43 one on the big one, but that's ideal isn't it?

07:45 Yeah.

07:46 You've got it, you're running spares, fair enough then, well let's see how you get on

07:48 in the race then, wish you the best of luck.

07:49 Thanks a lot.

07:50 So it's getting quite noisy and a hive of activity now because racing has commenced

08:04 and Warren is out there as we speak racing, I hope he does very well, I'll have a word

08:07 if he doesn't.

08:08 I did get a burger, but the chef is in hospital as we speak, but we did actually get to go

08:14 and visit Warren at his place of work, if you can call it a place of work, playing on

08:18 his various different toys.

08:20 Here Sean, you better have that, it's flipping dangerous, give us that mic.

08:49 Warren, what on earth is that thing, it's frightening.

08:52 Well it's a Californian go-ped they call them, originally from the States, now they're over

08:58 here.

08:59 That's not standard that thing.

09:00 No, that's a fully blown race-ped.

09:02 It was frightening when it got going, I mean that wasn't a very good impression was it,

09:05 of riding a racing go-ped, but it was very, very exciting and exhilarating, but in normal

09:11 form something like this one you've got here.

09:13 Yeah, that's actually a standard ped basically, you can just buy from your shop more or less

09:17 anywhere now you can get hold of them.

09:19 Great fun, but you've got two of these things, and I'm stood by a jet bike and we've got

09:23 bikes all over the flipping place, is this what you term as work?

09:27 No, we do some sort of form of work, I've got a life of my own somehow, most of the

09:32 time I'm playing on the toys as you can see here, but we do pull our weight here.

09:38 Oh honestly, yeah, believe it, if this is what you call work I want this job, I'll

09:42 start on Monday.

09:43 Listen, this jet bike's got no wheels, I mean I thought wheels was the qualification,

09:48 why jet bikes?

09:49 It's just a form of fun really, Bourne Evans, my boss, is three times national jet ski champion,

09:57 back in '96 I think was the last time he won a championship, I've just got into it through

10:01 that basically, it's just purely fun, me and my girlfriend go out as much as we can.

10:08 But I mean you'll have a go at anything won't you, I know this, and there's certain things

10:12 you want to keep secret don't you, and if you tell us about it then you'll probably

10:16 have to kill me, but we need to share the secret on telly about this microlight that

10:23 didn't go up as much as it went along, I'm not telling you who's told me, go on tell

10:28 us about your microlight.

10:29 Yeah, me and Vaughan we bought a microlight one or five years ago, thought we could literally

10:33 just buy it, take it down the park and go flying for a bit of a laugh, but it didn't

10:38 seem to work out that way, you need licences and all that and some sort of training, so

10:43 we just bought it anyway, got it out in the industrial estate, never put the wing on it,

10:47 and we just used to fly up and down the industrial estate, and that was about it really, I think

10:52 we were being out of our depth really.

10:55 I think really, with all the go-peds, the jet bikes, jet skis, supermotos, road bikes

11:00 and microlights on the ground, there's definitely something wrong with you mate, you need treatment.

11:05 I mean your passion is two wheels and you're a motocross ace of the past and you wanted

11:09 to get back into doing race use, so you're into your supermotos, but I mean you ride

11:14 a road bike don't you, a regular road bike anyway.

11:16 Yeah, I go on a road bike as much as I can, we all go up to Wales at weekends, all my

11:21 friends and that, I just do as many track days as I can, get a bit of experience on

11:25 that, just purely fun really, get the buzz of the road and the power of the bikes and

11:30 that.

11:31 But just going back to your real passion at the moment is your supermotos, are we going

11:37 to stick to this or is this another fad?

11:39 Yeah, we're going to hang on to that sport for a bit.

11:42 Yeah I'm going to race all the championships I can, get over to the continents, over to

11:47 Ireland and just do as much as I can really, I'm fairly new to the sport so I don't really

11:51 know how it works, but just the moments, I'm racing every weekend.

11:56 New to the sport but I already am aware of the fact that you've also kicked ass, I mean

12:01 you've done some winning and you've been close on the rostrum anyway, so do you think you've

12:07 just took to it naturally, is it the off-road bit or the road bit?

12:10 Yeah I took to the off-road bit naturally of course through the motocross, the tarmac

12:14 took a bit of getting used to but now I think I'm as quick as anyone on the tarmac, I'm

12:19 only down to my third meeting so I'm getting quicker and quicker all the time.

12:24 We do wish you the best of luck and the truth is we're going to keep our eye on you as well

12:28 and give you some air ache if you don't keep on that rostrum, so the best of luck with

12:32 it all.

12:33 Cheers Warren, thank you.

12:34 Cheers.

12:35 After the break on two wheels, Geoff looks at a very special R71.

12:49 Right now let's see, you take a world superbike contender in the shape of an R7 but because

12:55 it's not really quick enough we stuff in an R1 motor, we'll add some world superbike suspension

13:01 I think, trim it with a bit of carbon fibre, shed a few kilos and hey presto, an R71.

13:11 And what a machine, if you thought an R1 was fast and frisky, this is not only fast but

13:16 furious too.

13:18 The QB Carbon R71 really is race-like, from the uncompromising riding position to the

13:24 trigger sharp performance.

13:26 Neil McKenzie or Noriyuki Haga could do wonders on this but I can only wonder.

13:31 It looks the business, it is the business, but why make it?

13:34 We know the R7 is hard to come by, we know the engine is unsuited for the road, but what's

13:40 so wrong with an R1?

13:42 John Merrill is QB Carbon so I asked him.

13:45 Now John I think it's probably fair to say that everyone knows QB better for carbon fibre

13:49 bits for Ducatis like your beautiful example over there, but why this swap to Yamaha, that's

13:54 what I want to know.

13:55 Well my allegiance is still to Ducatis but I felt that there's another allegiance to

14:01 the public.

14:02 And you're a keen race fan anyway and so you've been following Yamaha generally haven't you

14:06 and especially the R7?

14:07 Yeah we've been sponsoring Yamaha for three years now and when the R1 came out we felt

14:14 a bike and the press told the public how good it was and momentum picked up from there.

14:20 And I went to the NEC last year, saw the R7 and just fell in love with it and thought

14:25 what a project to put together to tell to the public but obviously couldn't get a hold

14:30 of the bike, couldn't hold to the bike so looked at the next best thing was the R1,

14:36 approached Yamaha if I could convert R1 into R7 if they would come along with me and they

14:41 said yes as long as it was sold as a bike from a Yamaha dealer.

14:45 So what did you do first John, did you start off with a standard R1?

14:48 Yes we purchased a brand new R1 because it had got a fine pedigree and we then took it

14:55 to Spongeon Engineering who had got a fine pedigree of building special bikes.

15:01 We then got a hold of an R7 and we made a jig from it so we got all the correct dimensions

15:05 of the R7.

15:08 So we basically cut the R1 up and re-grafted new parts on to R7 dimensions basically and

15:16 the subframe was cut away and a new subframe was grafted on to take all the R7 components.

15:22 Now is that swinging arm a brand new one or have you modified a standard one?

15:27 That is a standard one that we have actually modified by lengthening it 20mm and widening

15:32 it 30mm as well.

15:34 So why did you lengthen it?

15:35 Because we have found through racing that the fast bikes go really well with a longer

15:41 swinging arm and they are more stable.

15:42 Especially on a bumpy circuit like the Isle of Man.

15:45 Yes, especially on the Isle of Man.

15:47 And while we are talking about stability you have got some really nice suspension here,

15:51 Ohlins forks?

15:52 Yes, well we use the Ohlins World Superbike forks 1999 incorporating multi-adjustable

16:00 headstocks where you can alter the actual rake of the front forks.

16:03 This top fork yoke, I was intrigued by that because on the Ducatis we used to be able

16:07 to alter the yoke but they have done it in a slightly different way.

16:10 We have actually just used a fitting that actually bolts in and you can actually change

16:16 the diameter, dimension of those particular products to alter the rake of the steering.

16:21 What else is new up the front end?

16:24 What about all the bracketry and what not?

16:25 Well all the bracketry had to be made new for the actual clocks, the fairings and the

16:32 electric components that have got to be housed on there because the other option of the bike

16:37 was to put it into a track day bike as well where they could actually take the standard

16:42 fairing off and put a race fairing on.

16:44 So we have got to make a bracket to house all the electric components and not have them

16:48 just dangling away.

16:49 Yes, because in fact you do two fairings don't you?

16:51 You have the road one and then you do a racing one with a blanked out headlight.

16:55 This is on the SPS where we actually give them a top fairing pre-painted in the World

17:00 Superbike colours.

17:01 So the actual customer can come a harger on his track day.

17:05 It gets the ability as well does it, all in one go?

17:08 Well the bike has got the ability, whether the customer has that is debatable.

17:12 So sticking out the top of the frame here is the new carbon fibre air box, but there

17:18 is more to it than just being carbon fibre isn't it?

17:20 It is your own special.

17:21 Yes, we actually worked with a guy called Ray Stringer on the air box on the R1 and

17:28 we found that the R1 was probably lacking a little bit on getting air.

17:33 So we used the same technology that we had been using on the boost bikes of last year

17:38 by pulling air from above the radiator.

17:41 So we actually made the air box very similar to the YZF of last year's model, on the

17:46 old model.

17:47 And then we incorporated a filter because it is very important on the road that you

17:51 have a filter on to give the safety and reliability of road use.

17:55 And tell me, this frame, is this standard because it has got the black R7 finish hasn't

18:00 it?

18:01 Yes, it was actually anodised for a start and then it was sent away.

18:05 It is a new type of paint system that is used on aircraft, very hard wearing, very flexible

18:11 as well, so obviously take up any little movement in the bike so it doesn't crack and flake

18:15 off.

18:16 Another new technique that we have used on the actual bike.

18:18 And on this one, anything done to the engine John?

18:20 Has it been tweaked or?

18:22 No, I mean the beauty of this project is, and other people have done similar projects,

18:27 and because the bikes of the past have not had massive horsepowers, we felt with the

18:33 R1 engine, a very, very good engine and there was no need to incorporate in the ram air

18:38 system, we are up to 150bhp and we feel that is plenty.

18:43 If it has to go further, yes we can actually alter the cylinders and put different cams

18:47 in.

18:48 You do have a neat exhaust system on this and that is your own as well isn't it?

18:51 Yes, and what we have used, we have been selling exhaust now for three years and we have a

18:56 company down in Oxford that make exhaust for Formula 1 cars, so again we went to their

19:01 expertise to produce an exhaust.

19:04 Again it is a one off exhaust specially made for the R7 and obviously the exhaust is part

19:11 of the engineering to make power.

19:12 Now I can see the standard of finish is absolutely spot on, I mean it really does look like a

19:17 production bike.

19:18 So did that make it easier to get the guarantee from Yamaha then?

19:23 Yamaha were happy for us to do the project as long as it was sold through a Yamaha dealer

19:27 and they did the PDI check and made sure the bike was safe to be run on the road.

19:32 Yes and it is a full standard Yamaha warranty then?

19:34 Yes, full standard Yamaha warranty, it is a two year warranty on the bike.

19:38 Yes, ok and bottom line then, now you do two forms of these don't you?

19:43 Yes.

19:44 What can you have, what are you expected to pay?

19:46 The basic price is the R71 is £18,300 and that bike has the R7 O-Lings forks in.

19:58 The SPS is at £20,300, the only difference is it has got the World Superbike forks in.

20:05 All the other components come on the SPS as a standard SP, they are exact.

20:11 The only difference is the World Superbike forks.

20:13 One thing we didn't mention earlier, the rear suspension, that is O-Lings as well and

20:17 that is different to stock isn't it?

20:19 Yes, that is the multi-adjustable O-Lings that gives you the chance to adjust the suspension

20:23 while you are actually riding.

20:25 And all this really does work well together, it has got that special on the edge thoroughbred

20:30 feel to it.

20:31 In fact it is all about feel with the suspension being set up specifically for each customer

20:36 by Ken Somerton who also looks after the Red Bull Ducatis.

20:40 Braking and handling are superb as you would expect, while the engine just has that extra

20:45 bit of sparkle at the top end.

20:47 Finely honed, ready to do more and that special feeling that you are one of a few and at £20,000

20:54 plus you will remain that way.

20:56 Oh, I nearly forgot, you also get a paddock stand, a special R71 shirt, a bike cover,

21:04 a race cushioned seat and that second top fairing.

21:09 That's for those track days, if you dare.

21:19 This is a motorcycle showroom, it's the kind of place you would visit if you wanted to

21:23 look at all the latest machinery.

21:24 Not only have you got all the latest machines to look at, you have got all the latest accessories

21:29 as well.

21:30 You have got your suits, your boots, your helmets, your gloves, alarms, locks, chains,

21:34 everything.

21:35 What more could you ask for?

21:36 But if you do want to see absolutely everything, then you need to go to a bike show and the

21:41 Two Wheels team will be at the biggest event this year, the International Show in Birmingham.

21:45 So why don't you come and see us at the show and we will give you some advice on the best

21:50 helmets to buy and the best jackets and clothing to wear.

21:54 And even on bike testing, Paul and Jeff have done loads of testing and they will give you

21:57 some of their ideas of what they thought was best.

22:00 Because we are real, we are human, you know, you can't speak to us.

22:03 Leave them by as a drink paper and come and see us down at the bike show.

22:06 And all the details of where we will be and when we will be there can be found on the

22:11 Menno Motors website.

22:12 So have a look and we will see you there.

22:22 And coming up next week on Two Wheels, Wayne spends a very noisy evening at the Supercross

22:27 in Manchester.

22:28 And he meets the man from Indiana, top American supercross rider Mike La Rocco.

22:53 See you then.

23:11 Bye.

23:16 (upbeat music)

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