Under the skin of the planet’s sexiest race bikes

Ever wondered what is under the fairing of Neil Hodgson’s Ducati 999 F03? Unless you’re a WSB mechanic, the only place to find out is Motor Cycle News, out January 8.

Even better, how about Colin Edwards 2002 championship winning bike? Karl Harriss’ Honda CBR600RR? And Barry Sheene’s International Classic Manx Norton? We’ve got all the details on some of the sexiest bikes in the world, crammed into a very special 10 pages.

The Ducati 999 F03 is one of only two in the world, and it’s the exact bike Hodgson will ride at Valencia for the first round of the World Superbike championship. It may still be in development, but Ducati engineers revealed what they have changed, and what they are still planning to change, and we have all the details, right down to the current fibreglass heel guards, which will be changed to carbonfibre items.

Fancy taking a look at the braced swingarm? Or the latest WSB-spec Ohlins shocks and Brembo brakes? We’ve got the pictures. How about a glimpse at a £4000 Magneti Marelli LCD dash? Or the full titanium Termignoni exhaust system? We get so close we can see the heat-reactive paint on the brake discs, which shows the technicians exactly what temperature the discs are running at.

Then we take apart Colin Edward’s WSB-winning Honda SP-2 to discover exactly what was used to win the title. If you wanted to know what changes were made to the bike mid-season, then take a look at the twin-muffler Akrapovic system, with 50mm bore titanium headers. Then find out all the details on the 999cc, 180-181bhp engine it was attached to. And what about the folding brake and gear levers, £700 ventilated rear brake disc, or the quick-release wheel, which requires one turn of a 23mm spanner, and nothing more.

The Honda CBR600RR had just arrived at the Honda Racing British Supersport team when our pictures were taken. It was un-crated, and then dissected, to show exactly what makes a road-going model into a championship contender. The engine can rev 800rpm higher than last year, and has received tuning by Honda R&D. There are lighter engine internals compared to the road bike, with longer duration cam profiles, and a gas-flowed head. We’ve got even more details on the transmission, exhaust, and even the two choices for seat foam (10mm and 20mm options).

And finally, there’s the Barry Sheene Manx Norton which won the classic races at the British GP in 2002. As much work and technology goes into this bike as the bikes above, which is why it makes 16bhp more than the 1962 original, weighs 32kg less and revs 2,500rpm higher.

When you’ve seen the detail that goes into the Norton, you’ll understand why Colin Edwards wants to but one.

All this is in Motor Cycle News, out January 8. PLUS: Exclusive tests and a free 20-page off-road supplement.