Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128153
En ine 411 Not only is the bike's chassis trick, but the motor is quite unique itself. The 570cc motor features 92 x 75.5mm bore and stroke dimensions, liquid cooling and four valves per cylinder. The single overhead camshaft is gear driven and is extractable through the side of the head for quick maintenance. The crankcase and the cylinder are a one-piece design, with the cylinder sleeve a floating design which can be easily removed. The bike features an automatic decompression system and is a piece of cake to start. One thing that I found was that the cooling system is so efficient that the bike cools off really quickly and requires that you refire the bike with the choke on after the bike has been sitting for only 10 or 15 minutes. Another cool detail is that the engine features a cassette gearbox that is extractable in order to change intemal gear ratios easily. In addition, the clutch uses a large circlip mounting design, which allows the dutch to be yanked out quickly for lightning-fast clutch changes. beauty. It took a while, and I finished in last place - and I was pissed off. I was shocked to discover that the bike was barely even scraped in the crash - the hand guard took the brunt of it. On the bright side, I had another race to run - but it wasn't one that I had a chance of winning because it was the Open-class main. The track had a few remaining puddles on it but looked in better shape than my first event. I got a decent start and was running in around the 12th position, and then passed a couple of guys, and I think I was in 10th or II th position. The bike was so fast on the straight that I was catching guys easilyon horsepower alone. I had started short-shifting in the air off the jump, to help fight the wheelspin upon landing, and that was helping out a lot as well. One thing that I noticed as I got faster and more comfortable on the bike was that, as I pulled the bike down off the straightaway and into turn one, it was shaking it's head like a one of those penCil-top trolls we had in grade school. I still felt like I had it under control, but it made things exciting, for sure. Once again, I decided to make things difficult on myself and crashed. I had just passed a guy and was entering the tightest corner on the track and I had also conveniently gone down a gear too far. When I tried to get back on the gas and get away from my pursuer, I spun the tire and managed to highside the thing. At least I think I highsided it - I was trying to restart it before my brain processed the information. I think three guys or so got by me before I got going again, but I was just happy it refired right away. Now came the harsh reality in the aftermath of my second crash of the day. Two corners from where I crashed was the track's jump. As I landed from the jump the first time after getting going again, I realized that there was something very wrong with my hand. I got a shooting pain through it the instant I landed, but I figured I only had to endure it eight more times or so, so I pressed on. Then I really had to rely on the speed of the bike on the pavement and its unbelievable acceleration to make up time. I had the right bike for the task and was able to get back by a bunch of the same guys that had just passed me. I eventually finished 12th or thereabout (there was a timing and scoring mix up a couple of weeks after the race, but it was in that neighborhood), which I was really pleased with. It was my second-ever 'motard race, I'd crashed, remounted and was riding at the tail end of the fast guys, so I was happy. That night, my fiancee Karen and I had plans to go over to some friends of ours' house for a barbeque and beer. Of course, like any red-blooded American, those are two of my favorite things, so despite the fact that my right thumb was swollen to the size of a yellow squash - a result of the aforementioned crash - we went. The next morning, I decided to go to the hospital and get my thumb X-rayed, only to find out that I had broken the bone at the base of my metacarpal. As I finish writing this story five weeks later, I'm typing with a very inconvenient cast hindering the positioning of my fingers over the home keys. One more week and then I can try to break it again. Once again, I was amazed with how well the bike handled the crash. It had only received a minor scratch on the exhaust pipe, with the handguard taking the brunt of the damage. Let's put it this way - you won't be spending a lot of coin repairing the Vertemati if you crash it now and again. The SR570 is, like I mentioned above, a Supermotard-specific bike. One thing that I would love to tell you, that I can't get my hands on, is the geometry numbers for the bike The Italians are being quite mum about those figures because the company claims to be the only company making a frame specifically for the discipline. Most of the other companies are converting motocross bikes into 'motard bikes, instead of developing them from the ground up for the sport. Suspension is handled by WP, front and rear, with 48mm upside- (Right) Handguards are a must on a Supennotard bike. They took the brunt of my crashes two times and protected the levers, allowing me to race In agonizing pain after breaking my thumb. Gee, thanks. (Below) The Beringer fourpiston caliper and 310mm disc setup offers excellent stopping power and awesome feel to boot. down forks up front with 10.5 inches of travel, and a linkless PDS shock with 10.5 inches of travel out back. According to Lucchesi, the WP suspension takes a little while to break in, but it felt perfect to me for Mesa Marin, with a combination of fast pavement sections, the jump, and the tight, smooth infield. One thing that I noticed on the Yamaha YZ426F I rode last year was that, even with the oversized-brake kit, the brakes started to fade after a while. But not so on the SR570. The French-made Beringer front-brake set-up, featuring a 310mm rotor and a four-piston caliper, was awesome. The brake never faded at all and offered incredible feel and way more than adequate stopping power for such a light bike. The rear brake features a Brembo caliper with a 220mm rotor. CONCLUSION I have to admit that, because this was only the second Supermotard bike I've ridden, I don't have a lot to compare the bike to other than motocross bikes, but it's damned nice. The quality of the bike is top-rate, with very nice top-of-the-Iine components such as the suspension, brakes, and wheel sets. In addition, the bike has so many trick details that it will make you feel like a factory racer. G U G • e Granted, the bike isn't cheap, but it is the real McCoy - it isn't a converted motocrosser, it's the same bike as Gerard Delphine is riding for the Vertemati factory race team in Europe. The SR570's MSRP is $12,800, and they also sell a 501cc version called the S50 I. which carries an MSRP of $ 10,300. Vertemati is going to start paying contingency money in the Premier class at STTARS series events. For more information about contingencies or dealer information, contact Darrick Lucchesi at: MX Imports Inc., 54 Hoag St., San Rafael, CA 94901 415/457 -2139, 415/456-1398 (Fax) or mximportsl@hotmail.com. eN k)~cs5i1OCS®\55@[)i)~ Vertemati SRS70 UST PRJCE $12,800 .57Occ DISPLACEMENT ENGINE riPE Liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, four-stroke BORE x STROKE 92 x 75.5mm N/A COMPRESSION RATIO CARBURETJON ..... .38mm PHM ZS Dell'Orto N/A IGNITION TRANSMISSION Six-speed STARTING SYSTEM Kick FUEL CAPACITY .2.08 gal. .58 in. WHEELBASE . . . . .. . N/A RAKE/TRAIL SEAT HEIGHT .36 in. FRONT TIRE 120/75-17 Dunlop Slick REAR TIRE 165/55-17 Dunlop Slick WP 48mm FRONT FORK Upside-down FRONT-WHEEl.. TRAVEL 10.5 inches REAR SHOCK .wp PDS Unkless shock REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL ... 10.5 inches FRONT BRAKE ....310mm Beringer disc wffour·piston caliper REAR BRAKE .....220mm Brembo disc wfBrembo caliper Chain FINAL DRJVE 237.6 Ibs. CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT n e _ S • MAY 8. 2002 27